My Organizing Manifesto

Sorry I've been absent lately, Curbliers. We've been dealing with the very sad task of emptying out my grandmother's house. She had a stroke on New Years' Eve, and while she's recovering amazingly well, it's becoming clear to our family that she won't be living alone in her home any more. In any case, she can't be expected to handle her own house keeping any more, and fundamentally, house keeping is about staying organized and on top of your surroundings......

Today, my sister and mother went through every drawer in her house, and brought the contents to me to sort and organize. What I'm noticing, is how many fantastic pieces of jewelry or beautiful scarves or beautiful sweaters she has, but probably had forgotten about, because they were stuffed in a drawer, or at the bottom of a jewelry box, or in a piece of tissue, or wrapped in a plastic bag. 

One inspiring thing is I'm realizing how well made furniture used to be; how sturdy, well crafted, and durable things were. Sure, it probably cost $3000 for her couch, but she's had it for over 25 years and it's holding up extremely well. Her giant console TV is another story. When did getting a great deal on a piece of furniture become more important than having a solid, classic piece for the next few decades?

Growing up when she did during the depth of the depression, it's not surprising that she kept things like old, worn out batteries, or half-used soaps from hotels, or little sample bottles of perfume. But now we're just chucking them because there are just so many of them, and it's kind of depressing.

I have an even more renewed sense that I have TOO. MUCH. STUFF. in my life. Too many tchokes and collectibles, that I don't even know why I have in the first place. Too many books I'll never read again and just carry from apartment to apartment. Too many magazines with fashions that are out of date, too many clothes that just don't fit or flatter. Old, dead cell phones. Half-melted candles. Vases from flowers I don't even remember getting. That kind of crap, is going out the door.

I don't expect overnight change, but I'm going to implement these easy steps to make my life more organized.

*All my change is going into my puggy bank (yes, a bank shaped like a pug).  We found over $40 in change in my grandma's drawers. It's amazing how it adds up. I tend to just empty my pockets all over the place, change ends up in the weirdest places. From now on, it all goes in the bank. I'll cash it in when I go to Mexico this spring!

*I will keep my jewelry and other accessories organized better, and I will ONLY have these items in that spot. No batteries, no coupons. I can't expect to wear a necklace if it's in a tangled mess. I'm thinking, in my new apartment, of having an old-school beauty table, with my jewelry, makeup, and other girly things in one, concentrated spot.

*Winnow down my clothes and shoes to the things that fit and flatter me the best, look decent, and aren't stained or paint-y. Obviously, I'll keep a few things around for messy DIY or set-painting projects. But I don't need 3 pairs of paint jeans or six pairs of shoes I've worn a grand total of eight times. I should be able to contain these clothes in one amoire, and one closet. Anything else is going to the goodwill or the garbage.

*Getting rid of something doesn't mean getting rid of the person who gave it to you. I will keep the things that are meaningful, useful, and beautiful, but if I don't like or use it, can't remember where it came from or who gave it to me, or WHY, then why should I keep it around? 

*Deal with mail more effeciently. I'm going to switch my bills to electronic copies only. I haven't opened my bank statements or cell phone bills in about 2 years, since they started offering them online. But I never made the connection that I could just stop the mailings altogether. I'm going to buy myself a shredder and use it at my grandma's house, too. I could probably make myself a new mattress with all the paper my gram has around that needs to be disposed of in a secure manner...... 

I don't want my family going through my possesions at 80 and having to shred credit card offers from 2004, or try to figure out what to do with an animatronic hamster who sings "I'm too sexy for my shirt".......

But who knows. Maybe someday, they'll be worth something.

January 14, 2007

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beccajo's blog (138 posts)

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About: I'm obsessed with making the world a prettier place. I make my living as a production...

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