I worked on Food yesterday and didnāt get to the Entryways today, but might skip that one.
Anyhow with food, I started with my spices and decluttered any expired ones (that was about three of them). I had a replacement ready to go for one. I washed the container and the inside of the cabinet and put it back on the shelf.
I then moved to my pantry. I took absolutely everything out and spread out the contents on countertops to look at expiration dates and clean out any containers. [Note some of it is dog treats! Not human food!]
I also worked on the fridge although I didnāt take photos. I did a full check through of all my condiments (some were just expired). And I took the chance to throw out any left overs and meal prep for the week. I didnāt get to the freezer, but itās also only about half full so Iām not too worried about it. Hoping everyoneās weekend went well!
I knew today would probably be too busy of a day for me to get to Entryways but Iāll work on it tomorrow and combine it with Clothes part 1. Weekends are always more tiring, taxing and physically demanding on me than week days. Plus now that I look over it, I kinda did the front hall closet a couple weeks ago anyway!
I donāt know if this is too enabling (), but when we give time estimations in my line of work, itās usually in terms of āhow much time spent on this specific task.ā So if I say itāll take three days on Monday, that doesnāt imply that Iām done on Thursday, because that would require those three days to be uninterrupted by other things. But rather, that itās three days worth of work spread out over however long it takes.
So, what Iām saying here isā¦ Even though these days are numbered, that doesnāt actually mean we have to complete them every day in a row.
Well, thatās just my take on it. Iād never have the energy to get through this otherwise.
This evening I did a combo of clothing part 1 and part 2. I focused only on my closet.
Tomorrow Iāll focus only on my dresser.
This is a big part of my focus of this declutter because Iāve been on a weight loss journey for about a year and have many sizes of clothing in my closet that no longer fit me. And I have just been holding on to them for no reason, well perhaps a reason, a fear that I will go back to that size. I feel great in my size now and my clothing now. There is no reason for me to hold on to clothing 2 or 3 sizes bigger, just in case.
So I went pretty aggressively through my closet. I decided to donate quite a few of my skirts, dress pants, dresses, and sweaters. I saw a basket was hanging over my clothing rod and impacting the hangers so I decided to donate the basket too! I then found some great socks in that basket that were āmissingā for a while. And decided to donate pretty much everything else from in there including a bunch of sweaters. Feeling pretty good.
Found a nice grey boiled wool blazer, green skirt, and black dress that I wore to a wedding a while ago that I absolutely love. The wool blazer makes me feel professional and confident. The green skirt is casual and comfortable and just my style. The black dress is a great fancy dress for a night out.
First, congratulations on your success and your hard work! I did the same thing 10 years ago and lost a Capybara amount of weight It is hard to let go of the old clothes, just in case, but it does feel freeing to do so.
Second, I am a day behind as Mondays and I donāt get along! I did entryways (no photos), wiped down the fronts and backs of the most used doors, and organized my mudroom/garage entry area.
Tomorrow for me will be clothing, which might take me two days if Iām slow.
Thanks @Artemisia for the words of encouragement.
Iām moving onto Day 2 of clothing. This day is my dresser. I end up just throwing clean clothing on top of my dresser instead of putting it away in the drawers so itās usually piled high. I took everything out.
Decided what needed to go to in the garbage (anything stained, had a hole, etc.) or was in good enough condition to be donated. Then anything left that fit and that I actually liked I returned. I made sure I had actual dedicated drawers for each thing, eg. one drawer for pajamas and pants and leggings, one drawer for long sleeve shirts. Instead of just jumbling things together and crushing the drawer until it closes.
And the drawers were way less stuffed! I also have some clothing in rotation since I havenāt done laundry yet this week, but now I have the room in each drawer. Plus the clothing I have just worn, Iām pretty sure is a ākeep.ā
There were some t-shirts in these drawers that I am now ready to put into my regular rotation again.
And congratulations on your successes! Itās hard letting clothes go for any reason, even if they are to be donated, so congratulations on that as well. Youāve shed the past like a beautiful butterfly emerging from her cocoon.
Last year I went through all my clothes and shoes. I had to get rid of a lot! I had to get rid of most of my shoes I have to wear special braces and shoes now I had 4 BIG garbage bags of shoes!
I had to get of clothes too. I now have difficulty getting dressed. I had to get rid of things with buttons and zippers. I also got rid of anything that isnāt easy to get on. I had 6 big bags of clothes.
It is very freeing! But I then got more clothes! My excuse is that I needed more clothes that are easier to get on.
I had to go through my shoes a few years after my (successful) knee surgery. Wearing heels higher than 3/4" hurt too much. No exaggeration that I cried when I realized I was never going to be able to wear high/stiletto heels again. I was heartbroken to donate and rehome so many beautiful pairs of shoes, but life changes us and we keep moving forward.
Now I pretty much live in comfy shoes or running shoes.
Have you been glamming them up? Could probably be a really cool project to find ways to personalise them and give them a little touch of your creative magick.
Iām impressed that you had so many! I think I have like six pairs in total.
I can imagine it must have been wonderfully freeing.
Iāve heard knee surgery is quite a rough oneā¦ But your outlook following it is inspiring. I will continue to do my best to follow this sentiment. Always.
I was determined to find a surgeon who could fix my torn meniscus (from squatting too much weight at age 40+) and not just remove it completely. The first orthodoc said they would just remove it all and prepare me for a total knee replacement in 5 years. I was mid 40s then and there was no way I wanted to get a total knee that early in life.
The tear was in a non-typical place and not many surgeons knew how to repair it. I interviewed a few different surgeons and found one who was honest. Said it would never be 100%. The best he could say was it could be 80% of normal but said if I was committed to the long rehab he would do it. The rehab was rough with 6 weeks of non-weight bearing and being on crutches BUT I"m out the other side training to run my 6 or 7th half marathon since the surgery. Anyway that was longer than I expected but suppose coming back from a run made me think about how grateful I am that I am still able to run.
Iām working on this today as Iām still low on energy from being so busy with not sleeping well and since tomorrow would be a reflection day for me, I might squeeze cleaning out my closet or dresser in then.
@starborn No I didnāt glam them up. Never thought about it! I hardly ever wear them anymore though because I canāt really walk.
@Artemisia Iāve had 6 knee surgeries. I had 3 scopes done. For one of them I had bone fragments in one. At 37 I had my 1st knee replacement after a serious injury. I had to have the replacement revised twice. Once was to replace a part the 2nd they replaced the whole knee again. I was 43. They told me I needed my other one done too. I opted not to do it because I canāt really walk anymore so I didnāt see the point. It is very painful but it helped me a lot.
@Sivonnah@Artemisia
I had knee surgery before too. I had a ski accident and had a ACL full tear and torn meniscus so I had ACL reconstruction. It was a rough recovery. I remember being in a PT machine that I had at home in bed that was motorized that bent my leg back and forth - super painful. But Iām grateful for the surgery because without it my knee would be not held together at all!
Iām a little behind but I worked on my purse today. Cleaned it out and got rid of a lot of receipts and random pieces of paper and tissues. A small coin wallet went back into my car. a hat went back into a winter storage area. I moved a mask from my car into my purse. And it looks much better.
We do ROCK @Artemisia@starborn@Sivonnah
Iām proud of where Iāve gotten so far. My main goal was clothing declutter and that has already been accomplished! I still need to bring it to the place to donate though so that is on the list for tomorrow to get it out of the garage. Iām wishing the best for each of you.
Forgot again to get pictures, not that a purse cleanout is super interesting!
I know my weekend is going to be crazy busy either running, recovering, attending a 4-hour training program, or at work sooooo Iām being realistic and know I wonāt get to much of this over the weekend. Knowing that I got the bedroom taken care of and bonus got all the sheets changed, washed and put away!
My main goal with this was kitchen, pantry, clothes (which I will get to I swear!!), office and car. So overall Iāve done 2 of the 3 hardest things on my list.
Itās been so great to see you two doing this Itās really motivating for me lol now if only I could get around to doing it, but it might have to wait until next month.
Not human food!]
I did a full check through of all my condiments (some were just expired). And I took the chance to throw out any left overs and meal prep for the week. I didnāt get to the freezer, but itās also only about half full so Iām not too worried about it. Hoping everyoneās weekend went well! 
), but when we give time estimations in my line of work, itās usually in terms of āhow much time spent on this specific task.ā So if I say itāll take three days on Monday, that doesnāt imply that Iām done on Thursday, because that would require those three days to be uninterrupted by other things. But rather, that itās three days worth of work spread out over however long it takes. 
I have to wear special braces and shoes now 
I had 4 BIG garbage bags of shoes!
I had 6 big bags of clothes.
I will continue to do my best to follow this sentiment. Always. 
Itās really motivating for me lol now if only I could get around to doing it, but it might have to wait until next month. 
I know I should do this. Yeah I should really do this. 
