A Recent Cleaning & Organizing Journey
Lately, I’ve been on a cleaning spree. My house often feels like an unorganized mess, and it drives me crazy! No matter how hard I try to stay organized, things just seem to spiral back into chaos. I tend to accumulate a lot of stuff, and I know I’m a bit of a hoarder. It’s tough to part with things, especially when I’ve spent money on them. But over time, I’ve noticed that I no longer use or enjoy many things I once did.
So, last week, I dedicated my free time to cleaning and organizing my craft/game room. I have a ton of crafting supplies, many of which I don’t use anymore, but the thought of getting rid of them is tough. But, I decided to let go of some items I hadn’t touched in over a year, and it felt really freeing.
My parents also helped out by bringing me some Alex Drawers from my aunt’s house. She, too, is decluttering after moving into a new place. With two Alex Drawers, I finally had a proper spot to store my heat press, which freed up a lot of space on the wooden desk my stepdad made for me. That desk now serves as my gaming computer station since it fits my case perfectly. As for my crafting space, I’ve set up a new desk where I can do all my crafts, and I can even use my treadmill while I work—multitasking at its best!
As for the sentimental items I wanted to keep—like some of my grandparents’ belongings from when they passed—I packed those away in containers and stored them in the downstairs closet. That closet now holds all our totes, memories, and holiday decorations.
Another challenge I faced was dealing with my son’s toys. He had some of his toys in my area because his room is small. I don’t mind him playing in the main part of the house where there are no doors, so it’s easy for him to run around with his friends. But the toys had to go. Now, he’s going through his toys to declutter and organize them. Some he’s outgrown, and others he simply doesn’t play with anymore. This will give him more space in his room without everything spilling into mine.
Decluttering is one of the hardest things for both my son and me because we hold onto items that have sentimental value, or we think we might need them later. I’ve been trying to remind myself that if I really need something again, I can always buy it. I probably won’t need it, and even if I do, I’m sure I can work around it. One of my main challenges is stopping myself from shopping when I feel upset or frustrated. It’s a bad habit I’ve noticed—whenever I see something I want, I convince myself that I need it, even though my budget says otherwise! Over the weekend, I managed to resist the urge to buy new things just because I was feeling down. Instead, I focused on the progress I had made, and looking around at my newly organized space made me feel accomplished.
To some, my room might still look cluttered or unorganized, but that’s okay. I don’t live a minimalist lifestyle, even though I admire it. I love having things around me, and that’s just who I am. But I’m learning to be more content with what I have, control my spending, and keep things organized.
The photos below show how messy my room was before I started cleaning up. The clutter isn’t as bad as it was, though—this was taken after I began tidying up. The third photo on the right shows my finished area, clean and organized the way I like it! I’m always looking for new tips on organizing and storing things, so if you have any ideas, leave a comment!
