A couple of days ago while getting some laundry done I decided to clear out the drawers in our laundry room. I had 15 minutes still to wait for the dryer to finish, so why not? The alternative was to leave the laundry room and find something else to do, ultimately leading to me forgetting all about the clothes in the dryer just so I can again have to wait 15 minutes to refresh that same load of laundry.
I had already worked on most of the cabinets recently, but had been putting off these two drawers for quite a while. Now they weren't even too bad, since I just cleaned them out last year, but I was avoiding them because of the dumping ground these things had become, I did not want to deal with receipts, random collar stays, poo bags (that's what I call them), and whatever other random junk you usually end up with in the laundry room.
Most everything ended up in the trash or to be filed in the office.
I realized that even though I went through the drawers last year, I really just "organized" them, and that got me thinking about how much my mindset has changed over the last year or so, my husband's too. At times it feels like this quest to declutter our home and simplify everything has taken forever, but a year really isn't that long. I'm finding the areas I feel the best about are those I have tackled over and over, and now when those same areas get a bit more out of control than I would like it is much less daunting to get it back into shape. Getting to the point of realizing just because I have the storage space does not mean I have to put something in that space, especially if we don't use it, need it, or even like it that much to begin with, is a great feeling. It's very freeing.
Amazing how two relatively small drawers can get one thinking so much.
I challenge you to take just 15 minutes to declutter a space in your home. Start small, and I recommend starting in a spot you rarely use, like a drawer or cupboard you rarely open. I'd love to see your before and after on Instagram, and hear any tips you may have in the comments!
My Instagram link is on the sidebar if you'd like to tag me, and use the hashtag #15mindeclutterchallenge to help motivate others.
Here are my before & after pictures...
More Melody is a minimalist youtuber(?) that I subscribe to and she loves using Velcro all over her home. I didn't go looking for Velcro right away, but when I found it at BB&B (I think) I thought I'd give it a shot.
I used the dots on the scissors, charger, notepad, and hand balm, and I must say I love that they will not slide all over every time I open and shut the drawer. I'm not sure if I will be using it in places I go into more frequently, but I can already see the benefit of have the drawers that tend to collect random junk very organized. If every time the drawer is opened everything remains neatly in it's place, the less likely we are to just toss in stuff that doesn't need to be there.
Ok, now go set your timers!
