Project Simplify Week Two

Warning - this is a photo heavy post!

Project Simplify is a five week decluttering challenge.  You can read all about it and join in from the Project Simiplify link above.  Week Two's Hot Spot is paper clutter!

I have to admit that Paper Clutter is an insidious monster in my household.  It tends to accumulate, multipy, and join with various other sorts of clutter in numerous hot spots throughout my home.  I have yet to find a "system" that works for me to eradicate this evil from my life.  So I keep trying.  Let's look at the worst spots:

The kitchen counter.  This end is the first horizontal surface you come to when entering through the front door. And becomes the dropping point for all manner of mail, school papers, and "stuff" imaginable.

Several members of my household dump stuff here.  I am the only one who ever removes it.

The kitchen desk.  Largely my fault.  When I move stuff off the kitchen counter, this is often where it lands.

The American Eagle bag? Stuff that needs to be shredded.  The bin under the phone - miscellaneous items like the cat brush, nail clippers, paper clips, coin wrappers, library cards.  Just an odd assortment of stuff.

Where you see the black hand bag - it is sitting in an unused "in box" filled with a bunch of other stuff.

The office.  Still in a state of flux as I'm still transitioning into this space.  And in this photo, at it's worst because I just moved a lot of stuff from the kitchen desk that actually belongs in the office based on use.  But my computer desk is almost always a mess with papers.  So much happens here!

The end table by my spot on the sofa. Can you  count at least five things that don't belong?  How about:  the Ace bandage box, the basket of socks belonging to my two youngest daughters (that has managed to reside in this spot for several years now), the camera case hidden in the corner containing a film 35mm camera that we stopped using in the mid-90's, the outdated JCPenney catalogs, the excess books on the table.

These are the areas I tackled this week.

And the results?  See for yourself:

 

  Kitchen Counter BEFORE

  

  Kitchen Counter AFTER



 Kitchen Desk BEFORE. 

Kitchen Desk AFTER.  Purse and stuff moved to closet upstairs. Inbox moved to Office - awaiting a new use or donation.  Stuff in the top two desk drawers also went to the office.  What was in the bin under the phone was sorted (some tossed) and moved to the top desk drawer.  Everyday school supplies were added to the second desk drawer for easy access by the kids.  The bin now holds papers to be shredded.

Newly organized top desk drawer.

Newly organized second desk drawer.

End Table BEFORE

End Table AFTER. Old catalogs recycled. Camera moved to area where we house other camera equipment. Excess books moved to book shelves or bottom drawer.  And that basket of socks? I took it to the girls' bedroom.  A day later it was back by the end table - like magic. I bided my time.  The next morning,  I took it back upstairs and emptied the contents into a bin in the girls' window seat. I used the emptied basket to hold some of the folded clothing overflow that was sitting on their bedroom floor.  It was a battle of wills. I prevailed.

Office BEFORE.

Office AFTER.  A  lot more happened here than is obvious by looking.  A LOT of sorting and tossing of papers. Some reorganizing of the filing system. All the bills paid and all the filing - DONE! :) 

Office close-up:  My Computer Desk BEFORE.

Office close up:  My Computer Desk AFTER.

The end result?  I now have a copy paper box FULL of documents that need to be shredded, another bag of paper that can simply be recycled. "Stuff" has been moved to where it is actually used and removed from surfaces where possible.  I'm a long way from the minimalist NOTHING on horizontal surfaces, but this is such an improvement for me!  I'm really pleased with the progress I made this week.  How did it go for you?