mission organization - before and after

 Well, here we are...a new year. I don't make resolutions or pick a word or mantra

for the year. I don't even necessarily make new goals at the first of the year. Instead,

I make goals for myself throughout the year.

One of the most positive things that happened to me last year - a huge change -

was leaving my job. Did you know I contemplated leaving that job for at

least two years?!

So, 2013 finds me settling into myself and let me tell you - it feels good.

I love being on my own schedule and being a full-time homemaker.

I have time to clean, organize, decorate, putter, get together with friends,

take more walks, work on art projects, read poetry, cook and bake, and

be of service to others in different ways (visiting the sick, making a meal,
helping with a home project, etc.)

I do keep my eyes open for job opportunities and I have applied for one job,

but haven't heard back from them. I'm trusting that these things are meant to be.

One thing I like to do in January to get a fresh start, is to declutter.

This morning, I started with a drawer in the buffet.

It held my camera, old eyeglasses, coupons, restaurant menus, 

bills, and the checkbook.

 

After:

I put the old eyeglasses in my car to bring to the Lion's eyeglass drop box.

I put all the rechargeable batteries in a little basket.

Weeded out all the expired coupons and restaurant menus that we don't

use - or don't need if the place has a web site.

In the bill and checkbook pile, I shredded old receipts and filed some bills that had been paid.

 In the kitchen, my baking cabinet was a fright.

On the bottom shelf, you'll see a plastic bag with biscuits and a large, gray

bag in the back left - which contains bagels. Why? And in the baking cabinet?!

Two of my kitties are very naughty and love to get into anything wrapped

in plastic or in a plastic bag. They both have a plastic fetish.

Seeing I can't leave anything in plastic on my kitchen counters, I have

to hide them! So, at the time I was lazy and threw the bread items

into the first available space.

After:

Baking cabinet is neat and organized and the bread items are in the freezer!

Now, on to the dreaded basement. I didn't work on this area today.

This clean-up was actually done a few days ago when Brian was home from

work and could help me out. We were packing up all the Christmas items

and getting rid of a lot of it, as we simply have too much and don't decorate

for Christmas as much as we used to.

The piles of stuff in the background is all stuff to donate!

 Brian loaded it all up into his car and took it all to Goodwill.

(Sorry for the quality of the basement pictures - there's hardly any natural light

down there so the pictures turn out fuzzy with my point-and-shoot camera.)

After:

Cleared out! (Except for all my books. Yes, I have a mini-library.)

Brian was saying that we needed a little sitting area in front of the 

bookcases. I agree it needs something, though we already have a sitting area down

here in the family room. I was thinking a little table and a couple of chairs.

It'd be a good place to sit at and look at books, or play some board games.

Here's another view so you can see most of the sitting area. 

 Tomorrow will bring a little more decluttering - another drawer in the buffet

and my pile of personal paperwork.

How are you starting 2013? Do you make resolutions or goals? 

Start new projects?