Declutter Mission: Master Closet

After conquering our bedroom, the next step is our closet.

It used to be worse than this, so I won't even pretend the current situation is too bad. There was a time when finding something to wear was a struggle due to the piles of junk.

The plan of action:

Fold the laundry (shaking my head-this is always on the list!)

Rotate the winter and spring clothes

Add clothes/items to Goodwill bags (white bags above)

Go through the wicker baskets and remove unnecessary items

Organize hubby's sports card collection

Vacumn and wipe down baseboards

Let's start with the book shelf.....

 All of hubby's sports memorabilia & yearbooks

I tossed the shoe box and gave these cards a new home in an empty wicker basket.

After

After sorting clothes, making a Goodwill drop off, etc.....

 Woohoo!

This is one chore I will never do lol

What's your next decluttering project? Let me know in the comments. 

My Diva Cup Experience

Update: I talk more about my Diva Cup experience when I reviewed it in this video.

What the heck is a Diva Cup?

The Diva Cup is a silicone (non-latex & BPA-free) menstrual cup.

I came across a lady  on a blog discussing her experience with using the Diva Cup about a year ago.  I was nervous about using it and didn't until about five months ago  when I saw this video on Youtube.....

Why I was nervous?

The idea of putting a cup inside of me? Ummm, no.  It looked sooo uncomfortable and strange.  Even though tampons are a fairly new concept (introduced in the 1930s) I wasn't too excited about changing.

Advantages of using a Diva Cup:

*Convenient- I no longer have to worry about whether or not I have enough tampons or pads on hand.

*Eco-Friendly- The average woman uses 8,000-17,000 tampons in her lifetime. That sounds like a lot of landfill waste that can be prevented.

*Cost Effective- Before using this device, I spent about $10 per month on tampons and maxi-pads.  My Diva Cup was $25 with shipping and can be used for several years.

*Discreet-I appreciate the little pouch that came with my  cup. 

*Doesn't interrupt daily activities- Like a tampon, you can still swim, bike, etc. while using the cup.

Some tips:

*Practice inserting and removing your cup while not on your period to get used to it without the mess.

*As Angela mentions in the video above, there is a learning curve with  using the Diva Cup.  I didn't use it outside of my home until the  middle of my third menstrual cycle because I was paranoid about leakage.  There's plenty of room in the cup to collect fluid, but leakage is caused by not inserting the cup properly.  I had two spills while using the cup at home.

*Watch a few Youtube videos with additional instruction on inserting and maintaining your Diva Cup.  The cup does come with a guide but Youtube was a better source of information for me.

*You can purchase your Diva Cup at any natural store or Amazon (like I did).

In my experience, change is always good. :-)

Have you used non-traditional menstrual methods? Let's talk about it in the comments section.

Edit to add: I received some great feedback about the Diva Cup but since I changed my comments to Disqus all of them were deleted (as well of all previous comments throughout the blog).  I was able to able save these five though.

“I LOVE LOVE LOVE my DivaCup. I've been using it for about a year and I have NO plans of ever going back. Once I got the hang of insertion, I was a breeze. No fuss, no mess...it just felt so right.”

-Keisha

Hey Monique!

Glad you shared this topic!

I have never tried the Diva Cup, but I am aware that it exists.  I was always curious about it, but too chicken to give it try.  A few years ago, I went another route, with cloth pads, but that didn't last long.  I think I might give it a try.  It is eco-friendly and a lot cheaper in the long run. 

Take care,

-Evelyn

I'm a Diva Cup Girl and have been for a couple years.   It took me 3 months and a couple diva-tastrophies to figure the whole thing out, but now I'm grumpy if I don't have it.  :-)  Not sure I would swim with it and running is sometimes a challenge, but otherwise it is great!

-Vegmom

Love Love Love my Diva Cup, until I accidentally threw it away. Oops. Lol. But I just ordered a new one and can't wait for it to arrive. It took me about the same time to get it right as it did with tampons and I no longer fear having something in too long or checking for leaks in the middle of the night like with tampons either. I wish I would've tried it sooner but I had a bad experience with an Instead cup back in the day and thought they were one in the same.  Never again will I have to worry about keeping tampons with me, not keeping them in too long or having them stored in every possible place I might be when my period comes. But I gotta remember to keep the cup out of the trash can lol

-Livindreamz

Me and the diva cup don't have a great relationship. I've had it since I got my 1st period after the birth of baby girl. I've tried it a few times, but still have not gotten the hang of it.

I have not given up, but I did put it away for the past few periods. I got tired of dealing with it.

Maybe, it's time for me to try again.

BTW- I'm so glad you posted that video. I saw a video of hers awhile back, forgot her name and wasn’t able to find her again until now :)

-Crafty Earth Mama

Declutter Mission: Master Bedroom

Am I the only one who feels like a slob while lurking on blogs like IHeart Organizing & Honey We're Honey?  Their spaces look so organized, are beautifully decorated, but still maintain that lived in appeal.

Like I mentioned in this post, I'm working on tackling each room to minimize all of the junk we have.

Even though I did a lot of decluttering last year, it truly is an ongoing process.  You have to be willing to declutter at least every 3 months to keep everything in order.

I've decided to document my progress on the blog to embarrass myself into getting it together and hopefully inspire someone else to take a look at their bedroom drawers.

Warning: Get ready for a lot of brown and minimal decoration. I didn't stage the room at all. *Maybe I shoud have* lol

The next few pictures prove out of sight, out of mind is real.  It takes no time to toss items in a drawer and forget about them.

Nightstand top drawer

Duplicate camera batteries, tangled cords, an empty checkbook (only carbon copies) outdated business cards, soap nuts (I have no idea why these are in my nightstand because my laundry area is downstairs), and savings bonds that should probably be a safe deposit box.

Drawer #2 Random papers and overdue library books

Drawer #3-more overdue library books (see how not being organized is costing me money?), important papers (birth certificates, passports, the kids' journals, etc.)

Next up the armoire-----This part of the room is the most embarrassing

More outdated business cards, clothes we don't wear, and papers.

Plan of Action:

*Clean out nightstand

*move my nightstand back over by my bed and take the desk & chair out of the closet for the desktop computer

*Get rid of duplicate items such as phone & camera chargers, dried out pens, and other randomness

*Get rid of unnecessary papers

*Put the overdue library books near the front door for drop off

*Dust, vacuum, and wipe down the baseboards

The Results....

I didn't move the clutter from one part of the room/house to another (except for the soap nuts-I put those in the laundry closet & put the blanket in the linen closet).  What you see is what you get.  I trashed or donated everything I didn't need. I also folded up that basket of laundry. lol  I don't believe in organizing my junk (putting them in fancy containers) or saving items that I "may need later."

 I love having my nightstand back by the bed and my vision board at eye level-opposed to on the floor where it was before.

The nightstand....

Drawer #1

I used a rubber band to secure all the cords and a small plastic container from the kitchen for my calculator, book light, iPod, etc.

Drawer #2

The notebooks on the left are for the letters the kids and I write back and forth to each other.  I got this great idea from my friend,  Justburr.  On the right, I have my journal.

Drawer #3

EMPTY! Oh yeah :-)

The armoire

I turned it at an angle to help it flow better with the room. I also organized the important papers in white binders

Alvin seems be digging the new space.

Do you struggle with keeping everything organized?

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When Was the Last Time I Looked At These?

While decluttering my bookcase a few weeks ago, I came across my middle and high school yearbooks.

I chuckled at some of the messages left from my childhood friends and smiled at familiar faces that I hadn't seen in years.  As I was about to put the books back on the shelf, I thought about the last time I actually looked at them. It had to be at least 3 years old.  Even though that walk down memory lane was rather entertaining, I thought about how I really didn't need those books.

 I snapped a few pictures with my camera to store on Dropbox and tossed my middle school yearbook in the trash.

I also took some pictures from the high school book but held onto it for a few more weeks.  I guess I  felt a little more attached to that one.

This may sound drastic but I've been working hard to eliminate items that I don't need to make room for those I want and care about.

When we move this summer, our new living space will likely be a lot smaller than our current home (housing in the DC area is ridulously expensive), so I'm making efforts now to rid myself of items that don't benefit me long-term.

I parted ways with my high school yearbook yesterday.  Even though it didn't make me happy, I know I can't find that through things anyway. Those memories will forever be in my heart-where they belong.

"Our memories are not under our beds. Memories are within us, not within our things." Joshua Millburn

Let's connect on Twitter and Facebook.

The First Snow Fall

I made the comment to someone the other day about how mild winter has been for us.  I spoke a little too soon though because the snow is falling hard right now.

I'm not one who enjoys playing in snow and I don't like the inconvenience it can cause, but I do love the cozy feeling I get watching it fall.  I open the curtains in each room and stop and stare out for a few minutes every time I pass a window.

There's just something about falling snow that forces me to reflect, be still, and be thankful for everything that I have.

I often feel that my dreams are bigger than myself but as the snow falls I don't worry much about that.  I just want to take time for gratitude, lie near a window with a cup of tea, a good book, and listen to my boys play nearby.

Have a beautiful day :-)