Annual New Year's Day Clean-Out

When I was a kid we always had to have the Christmas tree down before the new year.  It was bad luck.  I know that is crazy it was just the rule.  So since I don't do a tree anymore after my $25.00 Michael's special was eaten by my heavenly kitty Rem and cost my $250.00 in vet bills, I don't have to worry about spending my New Year's Day taking down a tree. 

So for the past few years I have been doing what I call my New Year's Day Clean-out. It is a day to re-organize and to get rid of anything that I have not used in the past year.  But you may say well I do that in the spring when I do spring cleaning.  Oh no my friends, in the spring I do spring CLEANING!  I pull the furniture out and vacuum and shampoo the carpets, I clean all the base boards, I clean all the light fixtures, I wipe out all the cabinets, clean windows inside and out, etc.

Also by doing my clean-out now I am still following the tradition of not bringing the old and unused into the new year.

I am still amazed that every year I have stuff to clear out and I am also amazed at how much my successful organization has some how gone to crap by the time December rolls around.  But for a while all is right with the world and my surrounding are once again in a neat and organized bliss.

So here is what I did:

I added a kitchen shelf unit last year because there are just not enough space in my rented condo's kitchen.  Now I can see all my goodies.  This year added a wine rack cause I went a little crazy at the wine store.  It was not all my fault, my favorite shop Cork is closing down the location near my office and everything was 20% off.  See not my fault.

 

 Then I started working on some of the cabinets...

Then I took on the front closet.  Some how the organization and clean-out from last year had failed.  If you look real close you can see a 3 drawer rolling cart.  That was from last year.  Still there was clearly work to be done.

Oh the sad before. :-(

Found these great zip top storage boxes.  Turns the shipping box nightmare into organized bliss.

Another one for all my outdoor stuff

The end result!

Then it was off to work on the office/guest room/storage room/kitty room.  Hey when you want to live in Portland in the cool parts of town, space is at a premium.  I am lucky to have 2 bedrooms at all.  I am still working on cleaning out the storage unit from the Florida move a year and a half ago.  Oh that made me feel bad thinking about that.  You can see here some of last years handy work, plus some boxes that came from Florida.  Time to give it the magic touch.

Before

After

The closet in this room drives me crazy.  With all the blankets and sheets in disarray and about to fall off the shelf, to the luggage and cat carriers just thrown in there.  Plus some of those sheets are for bed sizes I don't even have any more.  Why?  Not sure.  Clearly a clean-out item.

Before

 

 

The big pile on the right is being donated to Goodwill and the long bag will slide under my bed.

Yeah!  The After!

Fortunately the bathroom and master bedroom did not fall to much disrepair from last year.  I had a couple of stacks of clothes and socks that will be heading to good will.  But I am still so surprised to find so much to donate and/or recycle.  Here is my pile from this little condo.

Now I will spend the week dropping all of this off at it's new home.  Just glad that it will be out of mine.

Happy 2011!!!  May it be the best ever!

Sunya