I did it! Phase 1 of the Great Junkroom Cleanup has begun...

This room has been the bane of my existence for years. You know the one. The place where everything goes to hide. The place where you put things to be donated. The place where your collectibles have lived in boxes for years. Along with boxes of books. Boxes of kids school crap and art work. The craft room. The storage room. The place you hide birthday presents. The place that had been an office at some point leaving an old desktop dinosaur and monitor to prove it.

For years, I'd begin the cleanup some time in December so that I could use the room for wrapping gifts. And I would clear out enough space for that. But meanwhile, my piles would become piles. I'd get too distracted looking at old photos and making a container of the ones I want to have framed. And soon enough, I'd become overwhelmed and I'd shut the door to the room and the year would start all over.

Then I talked about organizing it. I need shelves. I need some place to put the stuff I have organized. But that didn't happen.

Then I re-read the post about lifestyle and having a place for everything and thought dammit I have got to tackle this!

I went out and bought a gazillion storage containers. Not ideal since I hate the smell of plastic they have but this is just Phase 1.

And I dug in. Giveaway, donate, trash, sort later. I got rid of all the old cardboard boxes. I LABELLED everything! I found stuff I had been looking for but couldn't remember what happened to it. The containers are stacked neatly and there is an actual nice floor now.

Phase Two is what am I going to do with at least half of this stuff. Now, I feel I can manage to go in the room and take one container at a time and do something about it. And it feels great.