I'm taking part in Carla's February Challenges which you can find
HERE.
Week 1 in the Decluttering Challenge is about cleaning up a "Personal Space".
I chose my Bedroom as that space.
Though it grieves me to do this, here are the BEFORE Photos I snapped.
It is NOT pretty, so don't view them on an empty stomach......
Here's from the right at the door. This is my sewing area with my machines and ironing board. Hubs dresser is on the right of the shot. You can see a hint of all the crap on his dresser. Next to the overlock machine is a tub of sewing projects, an air cleaner and a humidifier on the floor along with a bolt of fabric. You can't see the large box of merchandise under the ironing board or the child's rocking chair and sewing projects piled onto it in the corner of the room, behind the sewing machine....
Here's from the right at the door looking further toward the back of the room. My rocking chair which Hubs has filled with clothes at all times! Argh Notice the romantic ambience of the 12 packs of soda(keeping them in here so they are out of the reach of #2 son).lol The pile of stuff at the foot of the bed is hiding a cedar chest/bench.
And no, I didn't even make the bed!
Here's moving left over on the other side of the bed on the back wall of the room. That's my nightstand, my dresser on the left(piled with crap). I have a set of plastic storage bins that are all nice and organized, holding important photos and papers and stuff but piled onto and next to them are fabric lengths, plunder from Rite-Aid that never got put "away", a box of beanie babies and stacks of Christmas stuff and extra gifts that didn't get "given" this past Holiday. Doesn't everyone's nightstand hold a rack of sewing patterns, an Alice Cooper car toy, a stack of books, extra Christmas cards, an extra wallet, a very tall lamp and nose spray?
And here's the same shot but standing back to the door....
You can see all the crap on my dresser clearly now! A craftsman vase we bought 20 years ago at an art festival which is jammed full of plastic shopping bags(mostly from Rite-Aid), packages of unopened cosmetics and lip gloss(more Rite-Aid plunder), fabric scraps from 2 different sewing projects(1 I finished 2 years ago, 1 still undone), a bag of combs, a Pfaltzgraf serving bowl I won at a Chinese Auction about 10 years ago(it was previously in the hall linen closet and got moved when I cleaned that out the end of last year), 2 bamboo cutting boards(Hubs and I bought 2+ years ago for Xmas presents when we were in Rehobeth DE on one of our mini vacations, but we haven't figured out WHO to give them to!lol), my jewelry boxes, a Tom Clark gnome that was my brother's but it was dropped and the head came off so it needs to be repaired, a set of Presidential Election Pins(from 1996)from the Hard Rock Cafe in Philly, 2 Fenton bowls I call "crap catchers" because anything bowl shaped around here ends up with crap tossed into it, a Brita pitcher still in the shopping bag sitting randomly on the floor, papers that need to be filed in the other room.......and on and on.
That was sort of a 360 view thing if you missed it. ;-)
And here is the closet.....
The clothes(to either side) in here are fairly organized and purged already. The shelving unit in the center(on the back wall of the closet)needs some work. It holds all my family's photo albums plus all the scrapbook type photo albums I inherited from my mother(I am the family records keeper it seems.). My gift stash was/is also on the shelves, as are my tubs of sewing supplies(threads, buttons, notions). I need to rework this space....
You may have noticed I don't have things hanging on my walls and bunches of tchotchkes(knickknacks, geegaws, etc.) sitting around to decorate.
I used to but not since I developed some bad allergies which left me with sinus infections that necessitated seeing an ENT doctor for my sinus problems after #2 son was born.
He convinced me that the best way to conquer the problem was to remove allergen holding items from the bedroom, as this is the easiest room to control and the one place where you spent the most time per day/night.
So carpeting was banned(well, I do have a small rug under the rocker now so the bamboo floor doesn't get ruined), curtains also(I do have a valance now) and bedding is enclosed in allergen barrier cases. Blinds are easier to keep allergen-free because you just have to wipe them down. We also run a cool mist humidifier which not only helps with the dryness in Winter when the heat is on, but also knocks down any dust floating around the room so it's less likely to be inhaled. We also have an air cleaner. I don't decorate since pictures needs to be dusted and is just more places dust can hide/cling. We did have a set of original artwork on the walls but after we painted, they don't go with the new room color. I may end up putting something on the walls again, but it will have to be cleaned every week.
Or maybe I won't since I'm too lazy to keep after the dust like I'd have to. ;-)
These steps can't make your bedroom allergen-free but it sure helps.
So having piles of clothes, fabric and general crap laying around the room is NOT good for my health! I really need to get this room ship-shape again.
Bring on the challenge!!
I'll be back early next week with photos of the result.
Stay tuned......
Sluggy
