This new feature, Bubbly Berls Babbles (or BBB), is kind of an adaptation of my old feature, Fun Questions, back at Fantasy is More Fun. And the title tells it all. I’m Bubbly, I’m Berls, and I’m about to Babble about something! I hope you’ll babble along with me 🙂
Today Bubbly Berls is Babbling about: Organization
Y’all this past month I got hit with the organization bug, big time! It started with the Kitchen – it was just cluttered, not dirty, but uncomfortable. I made blue prints y’all. I started with a hard core plan of where everything was going to go and made a list of what I needed to buy (from the Dollar Tree!) and tore it apart. Nothing was staying that we don’t use. Everything would have a specific spot it belonged. Here’s some pictures of before and after. Some of them are kind of confusing because I moved the fridge… meaning in the before there’s the fridge, in the after, it’s gone and vice versa.
And from there it was the bedroom. Then my book closet. Then the bathroom. Then the living room and hall closet. Only spaces untouched are my mom’s – because no way she’d let me. The success of the kitchen inspired me and I got on a one-track cleaning mindset to clean the hell out of the house. I even bought a shampooer. I stopped doing before and after’s but here’s some other finished spaces:
I haven’t had to purge much in my adult life because we have always moved every 6 months to a year or so… and purging is a natural part of moving. You have to clear everything out and if you don’t really love something, you don’t want to move it.
Well, we’ve lived in this apartment for 3 years now! So without the natural consequence of moving, clutter had accumulated. And it does not help that my mom – who’s been living with us most that time is a bit of a hoarder. Just to give you an idea, she has this awful vacuum. It does not work, takes up a lot of space, etc. So in my cleansing of our space I told her I was getting rid of it as soon as I found a good one to replace it. Next thing I knew, I couldn’t find the vacuum! Guess where it was? In her room! Her room, which is so packed you can hardly walk and she’d added the vacuum because she didn’t want me to get rid of it! LOL! I’m sorry, but I just can’t comprehend that kind of attachment to things.
All the cleaning and organizing resulted in so much trash and donations – probably 20 bags worth. And I’m obsessed with how comfortable our space is now, no way I’m ever letting that happen again. Just have to close my mom’s door.
Anyway, point of my babble is… All the organizing and decluttering really got me thinking about Marie Condon’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Now admittedly, I have not read her book. But I’ve read ABOUT it and the whole “hold an item and think, ‘does it give me joy?’ If the answer is no get rid of it’ philosophy. And that’s why I haven’t read it, because to me that is just the obvious truth. Why keep things you aren’t using and aren’t making you happy? And I keep thinking about that title – the Life-Changing Magic – and I get what it’s getting at. Y’all I’m so freaking happy in my home now. It’s Magic!
But I did encounter some comments as I “heartlessly” threw out cards and such. I am not nostalgic, I guess. I hang on to some cards, for example, because they just mean so damn much. But I actually have a folder on my One Drive where I have taken pictures of cards before tossing them. That way I’ll have them forever, they won’t get damaged by time, AND they won’t take up my small amounts of space.
I also donated the hell out of things that were useful but not to us. Old game consoles – for parts some of them – shoes, clothes, books (some I sold to half-price books), etc. My husband got testy with me on that one – what a waste of money, he said. Well, yeah, we probably shouldn’t have purchased some of the stuff in the first place. But some we had used quite a lot at the time… and now we’re done with it. Just because it has material value, doesn’t mean it’s worth keeping. Right?
So I had some opposition and it was so worth it – a fact that both my mom and Kiko agree with. They never would have done it though and resisted the whole way. I don’t care, it has been Life-Changing and Magical 🙂
I’m going through this with the kids right now. My “Baby Girl” starts middle school next week. We are making some tough decisions on what they really want to keep. After that, we are going to reorganize and get a TV for their playroom.
It can be hard to get rid of things, but it’s amazing how good it feels to clear out the space. Good luck!
Great job on the organizing!! We’ve been in this house 17 yrs and we seriously need to get rid of some stuff. lol
Lol! 17 years is a scary amount of organizing… Good luck whenever you get to it 🙂
Love all the organization! I go thru phases with it. Most recently I attacked the pantry and did a *thorough* job. Now sometimes I just walk in there and admire it. LOL We’ve been in our house for 14 years and there are two closets that definitely need some clearing out and organizing. Those are next on my list. It’s such a great feeling of accomplishment, isn’t it? 🙂
Such a great feeling. I’m like you – I go admire my best spaces sometimes. It feels so good to have it done!
Ha ha check you out being all organized. 🙂 Seriously though, looks great. I love that you have a book closet with a motion light. How cool.
Thanks Greg! It’s been such a relief having so much order post surgery and with the return to school – it’s made getting stuff done manageable 🙂 love my book closet, otherwise I’d have no room for my books!!
I am halfway to being a hoarder lol. I can’t get rid of anything because I always think I might use it at some point. I’m also super nostalgic, so I keep things for the memories. But just the other week I found two old pairs of jeans from when I was younger that I kept “just in case,” and it turns out they’re the only jeans I have that fit me now that I’ve lost muscle from not working out, so my hoarding ways have paid off! I will stick to them lol. But actually I am going to have to go through things and get rid of as much as I can soon since I’ve just moved into a really small space. Your organization project looks like it went great though!
Thanks Kristen! I’m the furthest thing from a hoarder, but like I said – between the moving a lot and not being nostalgic, it’s easy not to be. It’s true, sometimes it does payoff to have kept things! I think the trick is, so you have the space? We don’t. But if we did, I wouldn’t be opposed to keeping more 🙂
You don’t want to see the stuff I have held on to lol. I have gotten rid of cards and have told my family not to give us any. I would rather have a meaningful note but if they can’t do that then I don’t want it lol. Your Mom is so funny about the vacuum. I have been wanting to clean out my closet so you are inspiring me to do so lol.
Lol I think everyone holds on to some things that they just don’t need because “maybe” or of nostalgia. I’m so with you on the cards. Lol yes, my mom had me cracking up over the vacuum! Good luck with your closet 🙂
Would you like to come and organize my house. 🙂
Lol! Honestly, yeah! I LOVE doing it, it feels so amazing to watch a space transform. If only you lived closer. Of course, you have to be willing to let stuff go! Lol!
I’ve lived in my house for almost 15 years. I need to do a purge too. I make donations every year, but I don’t think we ever get rid of enough. DH is a bit of a hoarder too. It is one of the biggest sources of arguments for us. I’ve told him that he has this need to fill every flat surface with stuff. It drives me nuts. You are inspiring me to do some purging. I think I will attempt that when I get back from vacation.
15 years is going to be a job! But hi awesome it’d feel when it’s done 🙂 my mom has the same need to fill every surface, I swear. Not any more! Our surfaces have very specific items and that is it! Good luck at your house 🙂
I lived in my apartment for 5 years and I just want to burn everything down to the ground and start over LOL. I have read that book and I am gonna force myself to get round to it before the end of the year.
Lol I know the feeling – it’s easier to start fresh than to organize an existing space. You can do it!!