Hi...remember me?

Okay so I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I did however have some craziness ensue in life and just didn't have it in me to complete what I needed to. Highlights? Well, I moved. I now live in a slightly larger house and it's just Amelia and I. So, my clutter should be (and so far is) a little easier to contain. I have however been there for nearly 5 months now and am not completely unpacked. So...it's time to hold myself accountable and continue with what I originally started this blog for...decluttering my life. Some of the steps necessary have been taken. I continue to remove and/or let go of people in my life who are toxic. It's sometimes much easier said than done. So, I'm finally getting back to a good place in my life and really ready to improve on it! I will post again soon, I swear!

So about that bodily harm...

Yep, I asked for it. I didn't forget and I haven't completely abandoned my plan, I just had to modify it. I forget how crazy and hectic life can be, especially in the summer time. We had a great weekend that first weekend and I just didn't do it. Then we had a very busy week of birthdays (including mine!) followed by a wonderful weekend up north with my family. Then it has been a busy week of catch up.

I know excuses, excuses. I have been productive this week getting some things that were already set out to be priced for a rummage sale priced and organized. I also got all of our laundry done from the weekend away all with spending 2 evenings this week away from home.

So it's time to get back on track this weekend! I have my lists and my game plan and, while I do have plans to enjoy as much of the weekend as possible and a Pure Romance party on Saturday evening, I fully intend to accomplish what I set out to accomplish 2 weeks ago.

Let the flogging begin...

To do lists

So I'm not even kidding a little bit when I tell you I am the queen of lists. In my mind I am a very organized person. Now if only I could actually apply that to real life!

If I make a list to pack for going away, for example, I first make a list of all the categories I need and then a list for each category. I'm pretty sure I might be mildly OCD, which also doesn't bode well with my inability to control the clutter.

My first step in the physical declutter of my house will be to make a permanent list of what all needs to be done. I will also probably have a shopping list of sorts for organizational items best for limited space. I will then do the best to room by room, area by area clean, organize & purge unnecessary items. I promise the "purge" will be an absolutely difficult step for me. I have clothes I haven't worn in years that I will never fit back into, notes from my friends in high school...boxes of notes, lots of random paperwork and many other unnecessary items. My motivation to be successful? I don't want to move this stuff again!

Tonight I will start the lists and also work on completing 1 room. I will give myself until tomorrow to complete it. I'm cheating a little because it is my bedroom and miraculously the least obnoxious room in my house, but it is I believe the most crucial room as it is the place in my house where I should mind the most peace and comfort, right?

I will post before and after pics by the end of the weekend. This gives me a little leeway to still enjoy my weekend with my family but a deadline to complete 1 major room.

Hold me to this. Threaten bodily harm if necessary!!

My new venture

For anyone who knows me, you know that I am a very cluttered person. Clean but cluttered. I am a terrible pack rat. When I was younger it took my mom at the door with a garbage bag to clean anything.

Well, as I am now a grown up, my mom is not at the door with a garbage bag. She has certainly offered, but it isn't the same motivation anymore.

My house is small. When we found it to rent, I was so relieved to find a decent house in at least an okay neighborhood in our price range. We were almost too big for it when we moved in. We have certainly outgrown it now, almost 2 years later. Unfortunately, buying a more permanent option is not in the cards this year due to the fact that I have such instability in my job. (I was laid off for 3 months this year and 6 months last year) Through perseverance, I sincerely hope that we are able to buy a home we can actually call OURS by this time next year. If that happens, I would like to never have to declutter that home.

In the meantime, packrat + small house = terrible combination. Added to this is when Shane and I moved in together, we both had complete households of our own. So we have double of a lot of things. Just too much crap.

So I have decided it is time to make a change. I am turning things to a positive outlook in my whole life and "decluttering" across the board. I have removed some toxic people from my life as I don't need the drama. I have realized the true meaning of "quality over quantity" when it comes to the people I spend my "spare" time with. With all the social networking sites available now it is certainly nice to be able to catch up with people from your past, but it is time to stop pretending there are friendships and meaning where there is none. If I find that someone adds no quality to my life nor I theirs, what sense is there to act as if we do?

The biggest change I need to make is the physical clutter. I truly believe that if I get a better handle on this, decluttering everything else will merely fall into place.

Why blog about it you ask? I am a great procrastinator. I can make wonderfully organized lists of what I need to accomplish and never seem to finish said lists. It is time to change that. If I share it with the cyber world, I will most likely follow through. Especially as I post pictures of my mess. I also hope to finish many projects that are sitting waiting to get done, like a wedding scrapbook for my brother who is celebrating his 5th Anniversary today. I will post at least weekly (hopefully even more) as I attempt to tackle projects and my progress as well.

Thank you so much for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoy and follow what I truly hope to be the start of great changes in my life.