Decluttering Update

As one of my New Year's resolutions, and to help prepare for the baby, I've been working on de-cluttering our apartment the past month and a half. I thought I would post a little check up on how I am doing, and encourage you to keep up the good work too!

Yesterday we finally sold some items on Craigslist. We sold a guest bedroom dresser and mirror and a hat and coat stand. I am also in the process of selling some of our old sleeping bags, a backpack, a printer and 3 tennis rackets! It feels so good to make money off of things that would have just been eating up space anyway. My new motto: Less is More!

I was also able to clean out our storage unit in the basement yesterday. Note to self: never let the hubby organize such a small space! It was chaotic in there! We had many boxes with only one or two items, a broken Christmas tree, random plugs and a host of other miscellaneous items. I filled a reusable tote with items to donate to goodwill, and also made a trash pile. End result? Only 30% of our storage unit is being used! You can actually walk into it now, which would have created a disaster beforehand.

Our bookshelf in the living room has long been in disarray. It has been a catch-all for random items for the past two years. Old school papers, books and school supplies were pouring out, making it look unattractive and overstuffed. No wonder this is our second bookshelf (our first one broke due to extreme weight that was put on it)!

I managed to fill 2 reusable totes with books to donate to goodwill, 2 to throw away (old papers and such) and 1 to sell (textbooks, new novels etc...). Our bookshelf looks so much better now! I even bought Ikea magazine holders and decorative shoe boxes to help with aesthetics:

So far, I'm pleased with what I've accomplished. However, I still have a long way to go! Sometimes de-cluttering makes a bigger mess than what one started with, and I am actually afraid to walk into the guest bedroom right now. One step at a time, though...

And now, we have a deadline for de-cluttering and organizing- we're moving! Hubby has secured a job in another town, and we are packing up and relocating. The good news? The new apartment has a bonus room! Perfect for a growing family like ourselves! I promise to stay updated on our progress, and how I plan on having an organized and smooth move.