When I started this project, several people, including my husband, asked me if I was just moving things from space to space and if they would just end up back where they started in the end.
They obviously know me pretty well.
That is exactly why I chose de-hoarding rather than cleaning.
Because, for me, cleaning is exactly that process. Moving things from here to there to another place and then back again. The constant game of musical stuff.
Because there is always something that doesn't really belong anywhere. I put it here for now and then there when I need to clean this space. And on and on.
Welcome to the end of the line.
The master bedroom.
It's the room no one ever has to see. I can shut the door and hide it all. So, I never really need to do anything about it.
Eventually all the excess stuff finds it's way into the master bedroom where it sits taking up space.
The nightstand is the perfect example of that. I am constantly just putting things on top of the nightstand "until I find a place for it" or "until I get the chance to put it where it belongs."
And there it remains.
Let's just start at the bottom and work our way up.
In the bottom drawer, I used to keep my pajamas.
Until a glass broke inside the drawer.
I cleaned up the glass but never actually pulled out all the pajamas to wash. Then I started using a drawer in my dresser to hold pajamas. It would be kind of nice if I could get that extra drawer back.
One ratty paint stained t-shirt and a worn out pair of knit pants.
De-hoarded!
The top drawer is where I put all the "important stuff." Stuff that's so important it gets buried in a drawer never to be found again. Then I am always digging for the stuff I actually use.
Obviously I needed to keep ten books in my nightstand drawer.
Can you guess my favorite author?
Lots of garbage and expired vitamins.
De-hoarded.
And a found treasure.
It's pretty sad when I think about how long that has been in that drawer.
Then all the actual "important stuff" went back in.
Hand lotion, foot lotion, glasses, mouth guard (I grit my teeth in my sleep) and my absolute favorite book. Ok, I guess the Bible would be my real absolute favorite book so I should probably put one in there too and a notebook and pen would be nice. Now that there's actually some space in there.
In case you are wondering. Which you probably weren't. But I was. That little red spot inside the drawer seems to be paint. No idea.
(BTW. Anyone put lotion on their feet at night? I have foot lotion in there but really never use it because it totally grosses my husband out. If I put lotion on my feet then I should wash my hands because I touched my feet. But has anyone ever walked through a carpeted room with lotion on their feet to go wash their hands? Ick. And I just can't sleep with socks on. Putting on the socks to walk to the bathroom and then taking them back off to get in bed seems like way too much work so I usually just skip the foot lotion.)
And that brings us back to the top of the nightstand.
Which was mostly covered in garbage.
De-hoarded!
Oh, look a few more books.
Good because I didn't have enough in my drawer.
There are all my pens!!
And hair clips.
And missing Nativity figures.
And laundry. Because when I am putting my clothes away and find that stray shirt or swimsuit that belongs to the kids and they are already asleep in their room, I just set it on my nightstand "to put up later." We know how that works out.
Best of all. My beloved orange shorts.
I wore these all the time in high school.
Even after they tore. I just patched them until the patch tore.
And the zipper broke.
You think they need to be retired??!!!
I think you just aren't seeing them in their full glory.
Let's just try them on.
My kids took the pictures and those were the two best ones.
Still, you probably aren't getting a full appreciation for the greatness of these shorts.
Because in high school, I had the complete outfit.
A matching orange t-shirt. Matching orange shoes (the Payless version of Keds) and the matching shoelaces. I also had an orange hair clip. To pull it all together.
Oh, and let's not forget the orange socks!
Yes, I did wear those all together. Yes, they were all the exact same shade of neon orange. And think of how much those shorts have faded over the years. (Not that it's been THAT many years since I was in highschool... I was fifteen when I got these, 29ish now...)
Fine!!!
Glorious orange shorts with a small tear and broken zipper.
De-hoarded.
I will just have to be content with keeping my orange skirt. Oh, did I forget to mention that one? Still in good condition!
Let's see the de-hoard.
Shorts not pictured because I wore them for a little while before I threw them away.
I feel like I should "stage" my nightstand. You know like they do in magazines with all the decorative stuff?
I'll put my absolute favorite book on top.
That's better.
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