30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Days Thirteen and Fourteen

Day Thirteen - Remotes for electronics that you no longer use

Done!  We returned our cable box with remote and I donated a DVD player and surround sound system, both with remotes, to the charity shop.

Day Fourteen - Remove kids' toys

Done!  About fifteen years ago!

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Twelve

 

Day Twelve - Seasonal décor items

I did the bulk of this after last Christmas, our first normal Christmas decorating after several years of no decorating due to the kitchen remodel and everything from the kitchen being in the living room.  There seemed to be a lot less flat space to display seasonal items so I trimmed down what I had considerably.  For seasons and other holidays, I keep just a few items to display on my two-tier server and the mantle.

This year, however, as I set out to decorate the tree, there will be some ornament decluttering.  Vic built a great storage solution above the garage door but every one of those twenty-six totes is full of ornaments so there is no room for any more.  I could just say "No more ornaments!" but that's not realistic because we always pick up something when we travel (and we have some of that planned) and there is always something at Hallmark each Christmas that I just can't resist.  My name is Pamela and I am addicted to ornaments.

Anyway, decluttering to come here as I open each tote.

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Eleven

Day Eleven - Worn-out throw pillows

This one was easy - I don't have any worn-out throw pillows because I don't have any!  That's not to say that I don't have any throw pillows; I do, but they are inserts with pillow covers.  I just don't have room to store several pillows for each holiday or season so I got around that by buying only covers which store flat.

Jennifer shared this great tip here:

I love that the pillows look really plush and extra fluffy; I have 22' square pillows, so I buy the 20' covers so that the covers are full.

Brilliant!

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Catching up on Days Eight, Nine, and Ten

 

Day Eight - Get Rid of Old Socks and Underwear

Done!  Do you have a thin side of your closet?  I found a thin side of my underwear drawer - tossed what I know I'll never fit into again!

Day Nine - Organize T-Shirts

Done!  I tend to buy a T-Shirt style I like in every color so I was good with the ones in the closet.  I don't have any T-Shirts with slogans on them, unless they are Christmas slogans!

Day Ten - Go Through Jeans

Done!  No old jeans to declutter - I tend to stick to one brand (I love Wit & Wisdom from Nordstrom) and as they wear out, I retire toss them and I buy a new pair.

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Seven

 

Day Seven - Organize Nightstand

There's not much on my nightstand - a lamp, a bottle of water, and a basket with lotion, lavender linen spray, cuticle cream, and an emery board.  There wasn't much to declutter other than an old cuticle balm that I used to use before I got the cream I use now.

No books on my nightstand, I tend to fall asleep and would end up with the book hitting my face and waking me up!

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Six

  

Day Six - Old Shoes

Two pairs of shoes, one of mine, one of Vic's consigned to the rubbish.  They weren't fit for a charity shop, let's call them well-worn!  Thought I'd spare you a photo of ratty shoes.

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Five

 

Day Five - Go Through Dish Towels

The bottom drawer of our kitchen island is the kitchen linens drawer.  Top, left to right:  Marley's Monsters reusable paper towels (more on those later), aprons and extra pot holders, more Marley's Monsters, tea cozy.  Bottom, left to right:  Kitchen towels (toweling weight, more absorbent), kitchen tea towels (regular weight), drying mats, basket with microfibers cloths.

I bought the Marley's Monsters reusable paper towels in an effort to reduce the number of paper towel rolls we went through but I find that they are not as absorbent and tend to slide over spills rather than soak them up.  A definite fail.  Not sure why I'm keeping them but you never know when you might have a mega-spill and need every towel you have on hand.

No decluttering here, except for the Marley's Monsters, everything is pretty much used during the week.

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Four

 

Day Four - Clean out Your Silverware Drawer

A quick review of my silverware yielded a set of eight knives, forks, dessert forks, soup spoons, and teaspoons.  Two of the five serving pieces of this set, the sugar spoon and butter knife, are in the far left-hand section (along with four very old long-handled ice cream sundae spoons).  The other three serving pieces - large fork, large spoon, and large perforated spoon - are in another drawer.

I bought the set, Emile by Mikasa, recently at Costco.  I bought a second set because I really liked the pattern and I'm glad I did.  I'm having a tea in December and since I'm having ten guests, the time to open the second box of silverware is now.

There's quite a bit of room left over so I store cork trivets, can openers, egg slicers, and my cheese grater on the right side of the drawer.

No decluttering needed here!

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Three

Day Three - Organize Pots and Pans

We were fortunate to add this pots and pans organizer to our kitchen cabinets order when we remodeled in 2022.  It has two tiers and there is frying pan storage on the sides.  It holds almost all of my All Clad pots and pans and the larger Le Creuset Dutch oven and braiser.  It's on the bottom shelf of one of the cabinets with the All Clad saucepan and miscellaneous Le Creuset pieces on the top shelf.

Top tier pulled out - holds two large pots

Bottom tier pulled out for Le Creuset heavier pieces

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day Two

 

Day Two - Organize Your Junk Drawer

We don't really have a junk drawer - we have a drawer that holds a lot of miscellaneous items but they are pretty well organized.  There were just a few things that needed to be decluttered.

BEFORE - The manuals in the top right-hand corner needed a new home and a couple could be tossed as they were duplicates.  The parchment circles needed to be moved and some bits and pieces needed new homes.

AFTER - Much tidier - the wooden box on the left holds things like scissors, a tape measure, glasses cleaning kit, a small hammer, and a permanent marker.  The smaller wooden box in the middle has some cabinet door accessories and command adhesive strips.  The red lidded item below the box is a tiny glass jar of Nutella that I need to clean out so Vic can drill a hole through the lid and I can make a Christmas ornament out of it.  The yellow dustpan and brush were a giveaway from a recent scrapbook retreat.  They are unopened, I wouldn't keep them in the drawer if they had been used!

30-Day Decluttering Challenge - Day One

Day One - Match Up Tupperware & Lids

A quick scan of my cabinets revealed only four large pieces of Tupperware, all with matching lids!

I have had a lettuce keeper for years, I have one Tupperware bowl, and two of the containers used for marinating meat (Season-Serve Container).  

We made the switch from using any type of plastic container to glass containers for storage several years ago.