Yippee! I finally feel myself getting back in to the swing of this decluttering thing, Want to know what got me back on track? You did! Jen & Samantha got me started and then I ran in to a whole new bunch of ladies starting #2011in2011 thanks to Twitter and the spark was lit all over again. It’s so much more fun to do “not so much fun” stuff when you’re not alone. Thanks for getting me back on track ladies!
Here’s what I purged this week:
46 Papers (r)
50 Kids Clothes too small or out of season (40 d, 10 s)
17 Just plain old trash from my counters (t)
15 Homeschooling Worksheets (r)
1 Toy (d)
2 Kids Chairs (d)
1 Broken Mirror (r)
150 Random Papers & Trash- from a junk pile I started but never finished (r,t)
10 condiments/foods from the fridge we don’t even eat (t,r)
18 Items in the pantry/fridge we wouldn’t normally have eaten (t,r)
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310 less items in the house!!
And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for …
The Clutter Tip of the Week: Raid Your Pantry
When we first moved in to this house, I thought the kitchen was GINORMOUS!!! Cabinets, cabinets everywhere and even a mini walk-in pantry. “Who could EVER fill all of these cabinets”, I boasted. Ha, I must have cursed my self. For months we lived with many of the lower cabinets completely empty so the kids had plenty of places for hide and seek … but little by little day by day things just sort of had a way of finding their way into those spacious cabinets.
Before I knew it, all of the cabinets were full, jam packed even and things were busting out everywhere. Since I started purging, I have reclaimed my cabinet space, organized my baking goods, and created an awesome recycling center that actually works for us … but, there was no where for me to put the dry and canned goods I was bringing in each week, the cupboards were anything but bare.
While on a weekend walk around the neighborhood, planning our meals for the week (that’s when I do my planning), I decided I just wasn’t going grocery shopping this week. I would use only items we already had in the cupboards, pantry and freezer to make our meals.
And you know what … we survived. We ate well actually, probably even more than normal because I was trying to get rid of things. We also ate leftovers (something we hardly ever do) and I’ll tell you why we did this time, in an upcoming post (riveting, I know).
And when we were done, my cupboards are just starting to make sense. I had room enough to organize by type instead of just cramming things in and hoping they didn’t fall out and hit me on the head the next time I opened the cabinet.
But best of all …
I saved over $150 this week!!
(the amount my family of 5 spends on groceries in a typical week)
This week I’m challenging you to plan a meal entirely from items you already have on hand but aren’t part of your normal rotation. Then come back here and tell us what you made.
Check out these great gals, also doing 2,011 in 2011: Jen, Samantha, Michelle, Christina, Erin, Melissa, Lilyalayne, YOUR NEXT (there’s still PLENTY of time to join in)
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
You smart girl~
I have done this before, and in a way, I did this last week.
My older daughter came home from college and emptied our pantry of anything remotely anti-cafeteria/dining hall-ish.
I have a bag of flour, a box of lasagna noodles, and some Apple Cider Vinegar left. (Only kidding—but close!)
I have to go grocery shopping. But, I guess $150 on more groceries is worth it to see my girl all week
It does feel good to start from scratch in my pantry and fridge, though!
Thank you SO much for coming to my Purge Party!
It is fun to read everyone’s ideas–I learn SOOOO much!
I love your blog and I am looking around and learning new tricks
Hugs and blessings and joy to you as you make your home!
~me
Leslie, the Home Maker´s last [type] ..Salle De Bains – The Cafe Bathroom
Awesome Stacy!
Jun´s last [type] ..Let us be thankful
Stacy,
WOW! What a list!
Nice purging. Bet you have a lot more room to breathe…and play now.
Good job.
Dana @ Cooking at Cafe D´s last [type] ..Artist Feature Friday- Darcy Baldwin Fontography and Scrapbooking With 2 Specials You Wont Want to Miss!
I absolutely must do this because things just pile up! And before you know it, your GARAGE is full of stuff and there is no way to park the car in there : ) WHOOPS!
Life with Kaishon´s last [type] ..‘We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival’ Winston Churchill
Oh, its so true! I would much rather do this with others! It is further complicated by the fact that we just moved in here. So I brought everything and then realized I should have gone through it all before we moved! (But then we probably wouldn’t have moved in March. It would have taken til July!) So I am trying to get in the mindset of cleaning stuff out as I open the boxes! How are you keeping track of your 2011 things? Do you have a spreadsheet or something? At the moment that is causing me additional stress– sometimes I just want to chuck it, not count it! LOL
Lily´s last [type] ..Parade of New Neighbors March of Kindness- Part 2
Hi Lily, Good for you for paring down as you open boxes. Great time to pare down to just the things you need and while you have so much stuff in front of you, you’ll be more likely to toss things you don’t really love or need. We certainly don’t want to add extra stress to your life, no need to keep an in-depth list just try to keep a running tally in your head or estimate when you’re done. I keep a note pad in my kitchen drawer, it’s right next to my trash can, recycle center and the garage door where I put things to be donated. Whenever I drop things in one of those places, I scribble down what it was. When I notice my numbers look good, I write a blog post about it. Sometimes it happens fast, other times life gets in the way, You just do what you can, when you can. Good Luck!
I’m not easily impressed. . . but that’s imrpesisng me!
I am inspired! Seriously, great point about challenging yourself not to go to the grocery store just because you do every week. Job well done! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jen´s last [type] ..April Challenge- Project 30 Items in 30 Days Living Room Purge
I’m utterly impressed. 2,011 in 2011 is CRAZY!!! I’m just going for 30 in 30 like Jen from I{heart} organizing.
Keep it up!!!
First off I would like to say fantastic blog! I had a quick question in which I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your head before writing. I have had a hard time clearing my thoughts in getting my thoughts out there. I do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are wasted just trying to figure out how to begin. Any ideas or tips? Appreciate it!