Tuesday, January 03, 2017

Out with the Old

This past week I have been enjoying a week off of work with no structured activities, vacation plans or even a honey-do list.  Idle hands got me started on a few projects anyway.

It started innocently enough by starting to go through the girls playroom.  Before I knew it, I had 4 tall kitchen bags of trash and 3 bins of donation material put together.  It took several hours and I wish I had a before picture to post.  The only true find to highlight was a library booked that I assumed was lost and which I paid for a few months ago.  As a bonus, we decided to get rid of an extremely uncomfortable futon in the playroom and are now in the market for some new furniture.

Feeling invigorated and in full purge mode, I went through my 7 year old's room and sure enough I had 2 more garbage bags full and half a bin of donation items.  It was a thrill to vacuum the floor of her closet.

I had been putting off my 9 year old's room, but made the plunge the next day.  She is a bit of a hoarder, so there was a lot more trash, but she also had some nice things that I was able to organize so that she could enjoy them more.

With the upstairs of the house somewhat in order.  It was time to tackle the basement.  While we have a finished basement, we have a habit of just "putting it in the basement."  "It" is typically stuff that we don't use often and don't have a place for.  "It" can also mean boxes for goods we may end up returning.  "It" can be items that need to be cleared in a hurry when we are having guests over.  "It" is even paperwork, mail, kids projects, pictures that were once displayed and now replaced.  "It" is the girls end of year folders from school.  "It" is also seasonal decorations.  Lately, "it" has been fitness gear that I have been steadily pursuing towards developing a home gym.

I worked for the better part of half a day and was only about 50% into categorizing it and and trying to re-envision the space.  About 5 garbage bags of it made it to the trash and recycling bin.  Some items got to donation as well.  The next day, I started again and several hours later, I have the beginnings of a living space.  I still need to part with several books and materials from the design and development phase of my career.  I was particularly amazed with how much bedding and office supplies we own.  I was also surprised by the electronics graveyard that is fully functional, but woefully outdated.

Before my week away from the office was complete, the basement was completed save for 1 bin of toys that still need to be sorted.  The space is ideal except for a pull-up/dip station that I need to get rid of.  I will list it on Craigslist this summer.

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