Paper Decluttering Week: Before & After

Project Simplify's challenge this week: deal with the paper clutter in your desk/home office area, or really the area(s) where paper/office junk drives you the bonkiest. For me, it happens at the corner of Foyer and Kitchen.

"Twas not perfect but a successful week dealing with paper clutter. It's nevcr eliminated, just greatly reduced when I put my mind to it.

This was the area that I concentrated on and dealt with the 80% that I could. The other 20% (mail, school work, phone chargers) I need the other family members to deal with since it's theirs.

BEFORE pictures:



















Junk drawer. Couldn't help but notice
we have copious amounts of Krazy Glue.
The stuff that holds our family together?



















The innerds of "the office."













Is there a better place for the toaster oven so
our bills don't "accidentally" catch on fire?













Some things have got to go.


















Per Tsh's helpful advice, I surrounded myself with trash can, recycling bin, "to be shredded" box (since we don't have a shredder right now), a "take action" box

and this one:

































My cardboard categories helped immensely:













Aah. Move-in condition. Love it.













My cheerleader in the process, our 13-month old
puppy. Doesn't judge, but easily distracts me! How
could you not want to stop and play with this
cute, happy fella?













AFTER:
Worthy tenants can breathe now that the squatters
are gone.














The junk drawer now with stacked organizers.
I do have a penchant for pens, but the non-working
ones were evicted.













The other drawer, outfitted with coffee & filters.













VOILA! The finished project. Coffeepot has switched
places with toaster oven. There was less bumping into
the other "rush hour" folks this morning as a result.

And now I can see those four beautiful babies pictured here.
The oldest of the babies is 6'7" and turns 23 in a few days. His birth
initiated me into the Morning Coffee Club, among many
other things as a mother.

Perhaps that's what I loved best about this project.
Realizing that when the stuff is gone, or at least properly placed, it's a whole
lot easier to focus on the people you love.