Here it is the last day of March. I’m feeling a little achy, but also a sense of satisfaction. I dedicated March to a major decluttering and reorganizing of MY spaces: the office I am writing in, a new sewing room (oldest daughter’s former bedroom), and the long neglected front porch. I am satisfied with my progress so far, and plan to continue it into April as the last dredges of winter assail Minnesota and keep me mostly indoors.
Accomplishments
Office: I’ve been working on this little by little during the pandemic, but I shifted into high gear in late February. Taking the principles of mise-en-place to heart from the book “Work Clean” by Dan Chernas, I have decluttered, reorganized, and set up spaces to work and to scrapbook. I am finding I have more energy and desire to do my creative hobbies now.
Sewing Room: I had made a good start on this back in November and December, but I decided to take it to the next level in March. I moved all my fabric from my office into the sewing room, and consolidated it into new storage locations. I also made my oldest daughter go through the stuff she left behind in the room: trash, keep, donate. That freed up a lot of space, especially in the closet. I purchased a set of bookshelves from Target, a knock-off of the IKEA shelves everyone loves. With some rearranging and ruthless purging of my stuff the room is a welcoming space once again.
Front Porch: This has long been a dumping ground of garbage, outdoor living items, and anything people didn’t want to keep in the house. UGH. One warm day, I took some big plastic garbage bags and bellied up to the mess. I relied here on a 100 days of decluttering project lead by The Awesome Ladies Project, and Kristen’s spreadsheet (modified to meet my needs). In small chunks, it improved each day. I can now walk through the space. The Christmas items are all together. The toys are gathered and waiting for a review and purge. The outdoor items are neatly gathered.
What’s Next for April
Office: Some light decluttering of tools and storage. Continue working on the principle of cleaning up promptly, and resetting the area each evening for the next day.
Sewing Room: The closet needs more help, and I’m trying to figure out if I should move my large pieces of fabric onto hangers, or some other type of storage. The sun does creep between the cracks of the doors, so I have to take into consideration possible sun damage.
Front Porch: Make cushions for the bench. Keep vacuuming and dusting. Declutter toys. Get rid of the broken Christmas lights. Improve the cushions for the outdoor furniture. Have friends over at the end of the month to celebrate the space.
I am so proud of myself for the work I’ve done, and also setting it all up in small steps so I can be successful. I am very hopeful that April will be just as productive in this spaces. It will be a huge weight lifted from my shoulders when these spaces are complete.
Here’s to April success!