Don and I have been reading books, seeing movies and even going to committee meetings all about trash. In the past, we prided ourselves on just how little trash we generated. We have a township issued giant blue wheeled trash container that often takes us 3 weeks to fill enough to roll to the end of our driveway.
On the other hand, our recycling buckets (yes buckets) are numerous. Wish recycling was more often than trash pick up.
All good, right?
This week we embarked on renovating our circa 1980s powder puff blue bathroom. The biggest issue (apart from the dated color) is that the shower is only 36" square. Trust me. It is just tight.
Back to the topic of de-cluttering.
Before our contractor came, it was up to us to take everything out of the bathroom: under the sink, cabinet above the toilet, medicine chest, etc. (we have lots of etc.). In doing so, I noticed 10 containers of hand lotion (6 of which were Eucerin), 9 bottles of shampoo, 8 boxes of band-aids, 7 bottles of conditioner, 6 deodorants, 5 toothbrushes, 4 thermometers, 3 packages of razors, 2 jumbo packages of 8-year old baby wipes, and an extra bottle of Drano (we bought one last week insisting we were out). Plus tons of hotel-size soaps and shampoos.
Quantities are approximate. None are exaggerated by much. I really should have taken a picture as this was happening. Some opened containers that were deemed "icky" over the years were tossed. Unopened ones deemed "not likely to ever use" were donated to Lawrence Road Church to go to Haiti, others items were saved, in some cases I condensed the packaging (especially true of the band-aids).
If anyone sees me in Target purchasing health product, take me to a meeting of Pack Rats Anonymous (I'm sure Darla can recommend a group).
With a contractor upstairs working to bring us up to the 21st century while he fixes the mistakes made by the builder, Don and I started tackling the garage. I should have taken a before picture. There is one spot in particular that is a dumping ground, but should be a storage area.
Found in the garage clean-up:
- The clip to keep Ashley's stroller closed (stroller donated 3 years ago)
- The broken strap to Ashley's umbrella stoller (also donated years ago)
- A used air filter for a car (possibly one we no longer own)
- Unsigned, and still in the bag, graduation and mother's day cards for me (I graduated from Rutgers in 2008)
Many items, though, are bound for the landfill.
After years of taking a few weeks to fill a trash container, this week we'll have a lot of trash.
It feels good to reclaim a tiny corner of the house. Hope to make more parts of the house clutter-free in the upcoming weeks.
Good for you! Especially for tackling a garage organizing project in the summer heat. Be sure to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate when you are doing this kind of work. It's much easier to make good decisions when your brain isn't dehydrated.
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