Simplify It...2013 - January

You might well have noticed the new page which has appeared on here - this relates to my year long "Simplify It!" challenge - to work on the simple-living ethos all the more and generally improve our lives.

Challenge 1 is to "Streamline the Stuff" and part of this has been "Project spare room" - living in a two bedroom flat, with only myself, MrEH, and HRH The Cat, the spare room is not only a guest-room, but also office, storage space, and all too often, general dumping ground for all manner of things which we aren't quite sure what to do with. Increasingly I was finding that just walking into the room was making me feel a bit sad - we only decorated it about 18 months ago and when it was first done walking in there made my heart lift - compared to how it looked before it was a joy to see the lovely fresh paint, pretty bedding etc. When it's cluttered though, I don't get that feeling, and I wanted it back.

The first task was to tackle the large cupboard built in to one side of the room - this gets used for kitchen equipment (the perils of having a tiny kitchen with barely any cupboard space), camping gear, and DIY equipment mainly. We decided that at the moment, the DIY stuff should be left alone, but everything else was fair game! I cleared the shelves one at a time and with each item we assessed when it was last used, and if that was not regularly, what the value was in keeping it. If we decided that the item was better got rid of, then it went either into a charity shop bag, or to the rubbish, and if we wanted to keep it, we considered whether there was anywhere better to store it than in the cupboard. This was then repeated with the bits stored on the floor of the cupboard too, before finally putting everything back.  The same procedure was followed with the 4 large open shelves, and then the drawers under the bed - and at each step we decided how the space was best used, and adjusted/moved things around accordingly. Empty boxes from electrical items such as cameras etc - which we like to keep as if you come to sell an item on, having the box both increases the value and makes it simpler to package for posting - are ideally suited to the under-bed drawers as they are usually light in weight, but can be quite bulky to store, so it makes sense to put them somewhere with a fair amount of space, but which won't take anything heavy. Similarly kitchen equipment which might get used fairly regularly is best left out on the open shelves as it's easier to access them from there. The "loft" was the next step - yes, we do live in a flat, and a ground floor one at that, but there is a large, deep, high cupboard in the spare room which is cavernous enough to qualify for the title! By using the same process as before, enough space was cleared in there to leave us scratching our heads and wondering how on earth we were going to fill it up again! We managed, of course, but someone please remind me that among other things up there is a large pack of toilet rolls, when I'm scratching my head in a few months and wondering how on earth we went through THAT many rolls of it, so fast! Finally "attacked" were the two low bookcases which line one wall - on the fact of it just a small area but their flat tops attract all manner of odds and ends - and consequently this clutter means they rarely get cleared for dusting!  Books are important to both of us, too, and so going through them always takes time - to discuss, to decide whether we can actually bear to part with, or whether the fact that we haven't read something in ages means that it would be better released to a move attentive home.

Tidy Bookcase

As each area has been cleared, then it has been wiped down with a damp cloth to remove any dust and then dried. We have also vacuumed regularly as we have been going along as this level of reorganisation stirs up so much dust! We have taken 4 black bin sacks full of rubbish outside to the bins, plus further items which weren't suitable for being bagged up - boxes of old magazines, the broken printer etc, and 6 large carrier bags/storage bags have gone to the charity shop. We have also rehomed things to other people, via FreeCycle, and even to the office I work in! The shelves and bookcases are now organised, tidy, and we can easily lay hands on what we are searching for on them, and concussion is less likely when opening the doors to the cupboard or the loft! Above all though the room has regained its sense of space, and seems larger, and lighter, again. It is simpler to move around, to use the room as it suits us to use it, and above all to accommodate someone staying with us!

All looking organised...

A tidy desk...

No, I don't iron bedding...

Challenge 2 will be "Frugal February", which will be an attack on our finances, more than anything - as we will be seeking to spend as little as possible, make use of the resources that we have for meals, entertainment etc, and to end the month with fuller bank accounts and emptier freezers! See this week's Frugal Friday post in due course for further information on this one.

Robyn.