… Go!

And so it begins. I began my decuttering agenda today with the kitchen cabinet that holds the pots and pans. I pulled everything out and sorted it into various categories: what to keep, what to give away, what to throw away. I also had an undecided pile where I put those things that I wasn’t sure I’d keep or not, depending on what else I found in the cabinet.

The most difficult decision I has was with the muffing tins. I had 2 regular muffin tins (bought at different times, but still they nest) and 2 mini-muffin tins. (Which I have no idea why I bought.) I couldn’t decide whether to keep 1 tin or both. So I checked a cookbook to see what an average muffin recipe yield is. Turns out it’s either 12 or 30. Well good grief! Even if I kept both muffin tins, I still wouldn’t be able to bake a 30-muffin recipe all at once. And since being able to bake everything in just one cycle instead of 2 or 3 is more important for me, I decided to keep both regular tins and one of the mini-tins (which I figure can be used for the left-over batter of those big recipes).

I suppose that decision might go against the standard declutter mantra, but I’m happy with it. If it turns out I don’t need the extra tins, I’ll give them away. At least now I can see them when I open the cabinet door.

The other “no-no” I did was pull a set of silverware out of one of the give-away boxes. Part of the reason is the box is big and the silverware is heavy.  Then I looked at the pattern and thought I might keep it after all.  I’ve been thinking about changing out my silverware (the set I have I’ve had since my college days), and while it’s not exactly the pattern I want, it’s Reed & Barton, and very nice.

I was surprised at how easy the day went.  But later I realized I’d been planning to take care of this particular cabinet for awhile—like every time I’d try to put a pan back in and everything would tumble out.  When it comes to some of the other cabinets, cupboards and drawers, I’m sure it won’t be as easy.

Ready, set…

Tomorrow is the big day! The day I (re)start my New Year’s Resolution to declutter the home room by room. I’ve managed to get my motivation up from what it was in my last post; so much so that I actually did a little tidying up yesterday. The time was mainly spent loading the dishwasher. What really surprised was that when I’d finished my 5 minutes, the counters were cleared off and clean!

What I’ve learned in the past 2 months is that the kitchen needs attention every day. I’m going to have to change my plan just a bit. Since such things as cleaning up and putting dishes away require additional time, I’ll spend 5 minutes with standard kitchen maintenance (unless it actually takes less time) and 5 minutes decluttering.

The good news is that the kitchen table has remained relatively clutter free since I first cleared it off in early January, before I broke my foot. What I like about having the table cleared off is that I can sit down at it, plan meals, make grocery lists and the like. It functions very nicely as a kitchen “desk.” And also as a breakfast nook.

New year, new home

Since I’ve been my home for 20 years, how come I’m finally getting around to taking care of the place?

Well, besides feeling better mentally,  another reason for finally getting serious is that I miscalculated my retirement date. I thought I could retire in 2010, but apparently I goofed in my calculations and can’t retire until 2011. I was pretty upset at the time, but decided to make the most of it by coming up with a plan to fix up the place. The idea is to take 1-2 months per room first decluttering, then decorating/fixing up.

January is dedicated to the kitchen. This room is first on the list because I want it to be an inviting place, where I’ll want to spend time preparing meals, thereby eating better—something I’ve been needing to do for quite awhile.

My room for February is the dining room.  The dining room should be fairly manageable for the shorter month (even with the extra day in Feb this year), since I don’t really have any hidden drawers  and cabinets to deal with.  Plus, it’s an appropriate follow-on to the kitchen, since it’s where I need to eat some of my meals, and right now the dining room table is filled to the brim with non-dining stuff. Things like my laptop, my happy light (a new addition), Christmas presents for wrapping (yeah, yeah, I know it’s past), financial papers, a set of blue margarita glasses, and other miscellaneous stuff.

So, that’s my plan for the next couple months.  Wish me luck!

Help me get my home in order!

I am a pack (b)rat. I never really thought I was, but by the looks of my home, it’s obvious I am. I’ve lived here for 20 years and I’ve managed to make a total mess of the place. And, other than a few appliance upgrades, I haven’t really done anything in the way of remodeling or decorating.

Part of my problem over the years was severe depression, and part was simply not knowing where to start. (Ok, and part was just plain ol’ laziness.) But, the depression appears to have abated (with a great deal of help and effort, not magically on its own) and I think I can now make the effort to fix the place up.

I hope to use this blog as my chronicle of progress. Let’s see if I can do it!