Ok.. If you know me (well) you know my house is generally fairly organized… it’s very black and white. Everything is in place & perfect, or it looks like a world war happened in my living room…& bedroom (sigh) Over the holidays; I started purging different areas of my house. My husband and I decided that we would donate a lot of extra stuff instead of purchasing a bunch of gifts for one another. So where did I start?

 

 

STEP 1: BATHROOM

I really could not believe that amount of unopened items I had in my bathroom… Facial Cleansers, Moisturizers, Face Masks (loaded up at Kiko in Europe!), Shampoos, Conditioners… you name it!

 So I challenge you, to START with your bathroom… Pour a nice glass of wine, turn on some good music and get it done!! I had 2 full Safeway bags full of these babies!! So what did I do with them??? DONATE!!! Donate to your local women shelters (Covenant House for me..),  OR there are so many other non-profit organizations out there to choose from! My skin is super picky so there were a lot of newer products that I had tried a few times and didn’t like… I threw those in too! What you or I may no longer want might turn into someone else’s favourite product!

 

 

STEP 2: MASTER BEDROOM

For me, when we “upsized” and bought our first detached house, the inside of our upstairs space is around the same square footage as our previous condo. Except our condo had SO much storage space!! I dedicated the 2^nd bedroom as a wardrobe/makeup room that was filled with clothes from as far back as GRADE 8!!! YES!! Can you believe it?!! I’m sure you can because you are probably a clothing hoarder like me!!! (This may come back in style…. If I loose weight this will fit again…) Come on LADIES, I cant be the only one!! So in I went, and my husband probably thought I was having a nervous breakdown!!! I opened up those closets, pulled EVERY single item out and made different piles to get organized. I literally tried on so many pieces and put them in 2 different sections. One for a good girlfriend of mine that’s smaller than me & one for the DONATION pile! Guess how many garbage bags I lugged out??? SIX!!!!!!!!! I was on a ROLL… I even made my husband go through his stuff once I was finished!! (Ok—really I actually just went through it for him while he panicked when I threw out his precious cracked DC and Fox shirts from HIGHSCHOOL!!!!! Another mans trash is another mans treasure!!!

 

STEP 3: OLD TOWELS!

Ok… I’ve NEVER been one to ever do this, and boy oh boy did it feel GREAT!!!! We have a Berner Puppy-Milo and I’m always using “old” towels to wipe his feet and throw on my car seats etc.…. But nope, in the donation pile they went… (ALL of them… Except the ones that were totally ripped from his terrible puppy stages!) Where will these towels go? LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER!!! They are always in need & I will raise that Bernese to know that he too can donate his old stuff LOL.

STEP 4: OLD, WIRED HANGERS!!!

BLESS THEIR HEARTS!!!  Old wire hangers are a nightmare to me… & really I don’t know how our parents and grandparents used to use them on the daily. (I’m a huge advocate for the velvet, no slide hangers from Costco!) Best $16 EVER spent!! Not only do they poke you all of the time laying around, stubbing your toe, going right through your sweaters… They’re just plain ANNOYING to me!!! Recently we were out of hangers and my husband had a few wire ones left… They were so bent out of shape (literally) that the clothing on them even looked sad! The clothing wasn’t sitting properly & those sweatshirts looked like they were going to be on the floor faster than I could put them up!! So what did I do? Hit up Costco, replaced the hangers and put them in… DONATION pile. As much as I don’t like them, I guess they are better than NOTHING!

 

 

Step 5: Junk Drawer!!!

I’ve talked to a lot of friends and have been inside numerous homes and I know that we ALL are guilty of that “junk drawer!!” Where your intentions to keep it clean and organized are so genuine in pure but in reality…. LIFE HAPPENDS… and you’re rushing to find that pen and all of a sudden all receipts, cords and loose change are all over the cupboard. Once this junk drawer is organized, I promise you will feel a lot better!

 

 

Step 6: Kitchen

For the kitchen, I usually start at the spice rack. Even though I close every packet, salt, pepper and spice some how it always manages to get on the bottom of the drawer… Every time! Step 1 of 6…. Start with the spice drawer… & then head to the pots and pans… and glasses and candy drawers…. You will thank me later!

 

 

Step 7: JACKET CLOSET!
Open Up that jacket closet & check and see what you have accumulated! I took out my jackets I wear often, and brought them to the drycleaners, along with scarfs & dress blouses that needed to be dry-cleaned. The jackets I don’t wear anymore or haven’t in a long time… Those went on Craigslist and were sold!

 

 

Step 8: ENJOY YOUR NICELY ORGANIZED HOME!

YOU GO GIRL! Your place is organized, cleaned & you literally know where absolutely EVERYTHING is in your house. I wish I were you right now! (So hypocritical as I’ve written this post in anticipation that I can do the same… again!!) Put your legs up, pour a nice glass of wine & put on your favourite chick flick!

 

 

I hope this post gave you motivation to start a fresh, clean & organized 2018! I wish you all nothing but health, happiness & a great year ahead!

 

Taylor Brown