40/40 challenge ~ First Friday Check-in

photokitty · February 2015

This is the Friday check-in for knotty moral support going into the weekend.

What are you planning to purge/clean/declutter this weekend?

How have things gone so far?

This a forty day period in the spring (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you focus on cleaning one area per day. In this one area you challenge yourself to declutter, simplify, decrapify, and get rid of things you don’t need. We started on Weds, Feb 18 and will go to April 4. Youc an join us at any time - today on day 3 or day 39!

Some knotties are ridding out one bag a day, some more, some less. Others (like me) are striving to organzine/ clean/ declutter one space per day. It could be a room, a table, a cabinet or your inbox - there aren't any rules.

There's a handy dandy worksheet and other info here: http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/40-bags-in-40-days-2015/

@Ashley8918 has earned the title of "Clean Closet Queen" for her efforts thus far.

@lc07 generously donated wine stoppers, so that some quitter out there can enjoy dead wine the following day. She's a winner bc she can finish a bottle in one sitting and now has less crap!

What have you gotten rid of?

Inkdancer · February 2015

I finally cleared out my old crappy dishes and opened up the ones we got as gifts for wedding/ Christmas. Also cleared out the mail station and the kitchen desk.

Today: dining room table. This weekend: tackling the office.

photokitty · February 2015

I got up this morning and did last night's task - it was too freaking cold and I just wanted to veg on the couch.

Weds - I cleaned the dreaded "mail table" in the living room. Over the course of two days I convinced myself I was never going to read all the magazines and recycled 2 bags worth. I still have a sizable stance, but I made some progress and can see the table!

Thurs - aka this morning - I cleaned out the kitchen pantry. I threw out last years Easter candy that I never ate.,,why on earth would any one buy the candy that looks like duck and bunny shaped vitamins?? Gross, mom!

I found two or three dozen "Kool Aid singles" no expiration date. They could be older than my dog, I have no idea. I think my mom gave them to me, bc I definitely didn't by them. I brought them to work - do you think they could kill my coworkers if I leave them in the break room? (disclaimer I do not want to kill them, so please provide advice on how not to kill them

)

Weekend plans - I'm going to tackle as much of my bedroom as humanly possible.

I plan to swap the Sunday off day for another day. It seems silly to take Sunday off (per the link's suggestion) when I actually have time to get stuff done.

ashley8918 · February 2015

I am a failure, because I did nothing yesterday. Imma clean two areas tonight to make me feel better. I am thinking the nightstands (aka random crap collectors) and the top of my dresser (more random crap). I'd like to get all of my bedroom stuff this weekend, but I feel like I should use saturday for one of the BIG tasks, like my kids' fucking toy box. Holy hell, that thing is ugly.Piled halfway up to the damn ceiling.

falsara · February 2015

Today when I get home. I'm organizing my tupperware cabinet.

Tomorow, I'll be going through the stuff on the top of my dresser.

Sunday I'll be regular cleaning. So I don't know if that counts.

VulgarGirl · February 2015

ashley8918 said:

I am a failure, because I did nothing yesterday. Imma clean two areas tonight to make me feel better. I am thinking the nightstands (aka random crap collectors) and the top of my dresser (more random crap). I'd like to get all of my bedroom stuff this weekend, but I feel like I should use saturday for one of the BIG tasks, like my kids' fuck toybox. Holy hell, that thing is ugly.Piled halfway up to the damn ceiling.

I read this wrong.

ashley8918 · February 2015

MagicInk said:

ashley8918 said:

I am a failure, because I did nothing yesterday. Imma clean two areas tonight to make me feel better. I am thinking the nightstands (aka random crap collectors) and the top of my dresser (more random crap). I'd like to get all of my bedroom stuff this weekend, but I feel like I should use saturday for one of the BIG tasks, like my kids' fuck toybox. Holy hell, that thing is ugly.Piled halfway up to the damn ceiling.

I read this wrong.

OMGHOMGOMG. That's because I wrote it SO VERY WRONG *fucking toybox OMGGGGG

wandajune6 · February 2015

I cleaned out the fridge last night. We do a cursory cleaning weekly but I went through and checked dates on condiments and things in the freezer. I found a bar of dark chocolate. It was a win. 3 grocery bags of crap gone!

My parents mentioned a trip to CVS for travel toiletries yesterday. Before dropping them at the airport, I went through my stash and gave them enough mini everything for their 2 week trip. I also got rid of those containers that were mostly empty, manky-looking, or otherwise undesirable. Half a bag but feeling productive!

blabla89 · February 2015

I missed the original thread but I love this idea.

I don't have anything specific in mind for this weekend, but I have a potential subletter coming to look at my apartment so I'll do whatever cleaning needs to be done to make it presentable. This morning I noticed that one part of the grout in the shower was looking a little dirty and got the uncontrollable urge to clean it before leaving for work.

Also made a quick pass through my closet and started bagging some of the "obviously never going to wear this gain" clothing. I have a LOT of downsizing to do before I move my stuff into FI's place.

southernbelle0915 · February 2015

I did no cleaning last night. But I'm doing this on a daily average - not doing it daily.

This weekend, I plan to get rid of this inefficient shelf in our basement and replace it with an efficient one. When I do that, I'll clean out all the crap we don't need that's currently on the shelf.

I also plan to go through our coats and donate a bunch. How the hell did we wind up with so many coats? We have 2 coat closets plus a long bar in the basement. All full of coats. HOW?

VulgarGirl · February 2015

ashley8918 said:

MagicInk said:

ashley8918 said:

I am a failure, because I did nothing yesterday. Imma clean two areas tonight to make me feel better. I am thinking the nightstands (aka random crap collectors) and the top of my dresser (more random crap). I'd like to get all of my bedroom stuff this weekend, but I feel like I should use saturday for one of the BIG tasks, like my kids' fuck toybox. Holy hell, that thing is ugly.Piled halfway up to the damn ceiling.

I read this wrong.

OMGHOMGOMG. That's because I wrote it SO VERY WRONG *fucking toybox OMGGGGG

Hey maybe your one of those cool moms. I don't judge (yes I do why else would I be here?).

Knottie67053264 · February 2015

I threw away 21 remote controls that controlled nothing and haven't for years. HTF does that even happen?

lc07 · February 2015

@ashley8918 you are not a failure. You did a whole damn closet the day I did a drawer.

@photokitty your post made me laugh out loud.

I am going slow and steady or else I know I'll quit. Today I'm doing the lazy susan cupboard spice rack in the kitchen.

ashley8918 · February 2015

MagicInk said:

ashley8918 said:

MagicInk said:

ashley8918 said:

I am a failure, because I did nothing yesterday. Imma clean two areas tonight to make me feel better. I am thinking the nightstands (aka random crap collectors) and the top of my dresser (more random crap). I'd like to get all of my bedroom stuff this weekend, but I feel like I should use saturday for one of the BIG tasks, like my kids' fuck toybox. Holy hell, that thing is ugly.Piled halfway up to the damn ceiling.

I read this wrong.

OMGHOMGOMG. That's because I wrote it SO VERY WRONG *fucking toybox OMGGGGG

Hey maybe your one of those cool moms. I don't judge (yes I do why else would I be here?).

I do actually own a velour track suit, soooo.....

(Yes, I fucking do. Really.)

ashley8918 · February 2015

lc07 said:

@ashley8918 you are not a failure. You did a whole damn closet the day I did a drawer.

@photokitty your post made me laugh out loud.

I am going slow and steady or else I know I'll quit. Today I'm doing the lazy susan cupboard spice rack in the kitchen.

To be fair, it was already kind of done-ish. I just moved shit around in a way that looked nicer, and trashed a few boxes from the shelves without even looking in them.

lc07 · February 2015

Pro Tip: Rocking out to really loud good music while cleaning/organizing makes this so much more enjoyable.

ETA: Maybe one of my neighbors will add me to the annoying BSC list for it.

amelisha · February 2015

I'm gonna clean all the grout in our hallway tonight and I am legit excited. It is gross. I did the kitchen a couple weeks ago but it's such a massive task (the only way that seems to work is magic erasers and I shred two of them doing the tiny kitchen) that I couldn't tackle the hallway yet. We mop pretty thoroughly at least once a week but for some reason the grout requires Herculean effort. I re-did it totally last spring but it just gets so gross!

ashley8918 · February 2015

lc07 said:

Pro Tip: Rocking out to really loud good music while cleaning/organizing makes this so much more enjoyable.

ETA: Maybe one of my neighbors will add me to the annoying BSC list for it.

Bad 90s pop is the best cleaning jam music. Because everything seems less shitty while singing "Backstreet's Back".

lc07 · February 2015

..... in a velour tracksuit.

ashley8918 · February 2015

lc07 said:

..... in a velour tracksuit.

OF-FUCKING-COURSE.

Wegl13 · February 2015

And some house slippers

ashley8918 · February 2015

Because i'm a COOL MOM.

theartistformerlyknownas · February 2015

Errfffff I haven't really done much of anything yet. I straightened up my guest bedroom/clothes overflow/staging area because SURPRISE, H moved up our new house timeline and had a Realtor check it out this morning to see what we could list it for. He wants to get our house listed next month (ACK!) so I'll have to kick it into high gear. I didn't really have time to purge or truly organize anything, just straighten it up so it didn't look like a bomb went off.

All my efforts will have to wait til Sunday since I'm busy beyond belief til then. But then I'll start with that closet/room/desk to make up for lost time.

maeday2 · February 2015

I need to get on board with this. Specifically, purging things I don't need.

I'm moving to FI's city in about 2 months and this will help immensely when it's time to pack everything up.

I hate cleaning, but I love organizing. This should be interesting.

This weekend I will attack my closet and hope it doesn't attack back.

charcoalandblush · February 2015

Last night I got home from my work bowling party and semi-drunkenly cleaned out the cabinet under the sink. Which also helped me identify one of the issues with why our teeny apt is as cluttered as it is...

DF swears I'm the pack rat/messy one...

Me: I'm going to throw away all of the old cleaning supplies we have multiples of, we have like 4 bottles of windex down here.

DF: Don't throw out perfectly good windex!

Me: Honey we have FOUR bottles... how long will it take us to go through FOUR BOTTLES of windex?

DF: Yeah, but what about when we run out?

Me: We'll buy more... it's like $1 a bottle. And it'll be AGES before we run out. Seriously... how often do you use windex?

DF: Once a week? [This is a total lie. We have lived together for 7 months and I have literally never seen him touch a bottle of windex.]

Me: If I had cleaned all of this stuff out and not told you I was doing it, would you have even noticed?

DF: No... probably not.

I didn't throw out a ton - a box that was half fill of mason jars (I kept the jars, but the box was taking up unnecessary space), two bottles of tilex (we had 3) and three bottles of windex. But I organized a little better and it at least looks somewhat neater. It was a good start.

rcher912 · February 2015

Ooo, I totally missed this, but it sounds like a great idea so I'm in!!! We bought our house last June, and it's just a freaking mess. Boxes everywhere, nothing has a "home" yet (except, like, the paper towels. I figured out where to put those). So I could really use some help/moral support in getting this shit together.

Today, I had off. And I did nothing. Here goes something! The kitchen needs some major attention, I haven't emptied the dishwasher/reloaded the dishwasher yet...

lyndausvi · February 2015

Well I'm not really in the challenge..... but today I shredded 2 bags full of work paperwork. I work from home so it's still a purge.

I also cleaned out our junk drawer.

We are expecting a foot of snow tomorrow, so I might clean out the closet in the spare room.

rcher912 said:

Ooo, I totally missed this, but it sounds like a great idea so I'm in!!! We bought our house last June, and it's just a freaking mess. Boxes everywhere, nothing has a "home" yet (except, like, the paper towels. I figured out where to put those). So I could really use some help/moral support in getting this shit together.

Today, I had off. And I did nothing. Here goes something! The kitchen needs some major attention, I haven't emptied the dishwasher/reloaded the dishwasher yet...

My parents have moved a ridiculous amount of times. 4 countries, can't even tell you how many states. A lot of it when we were young.

The one piece of advice they always tell me is the thought of unpacking boxes is WAY WORSE then the actual task. It takes a lot less time then you think it will take. Since we are talking 8 months of seeing those boxes you now think that task is going to take a lifetime.

Get off your ass and open and box. Just DO IT.

Signed the girl who has also moved a lot and has 80% of boxes unpacked by the end of the first weekend in the new location.

Viczaesar · February 2015

I'm waging a battle with cardboard boxes in my living room, and the boxes are winning. Today I'm reloading the old chest I have in the living room with my archery gear and other things I won't need for a while so I can set up my new tv on it.

rcher912 · February 2015

haha, damn, I am IMPRESSED.

One of the big issues I'm finding is that because this is the first time both of us have moved out of our parents' houses, we don't have a ton of furniture to store stuff in - no bookcases, no extra shelves, stuff like that. I think that's the biggest mental block - I'm convinced there's nowhere to put stuff but the box.

I will say, though, that I just hung up a clock, a picture, did the dishes, actually cleaned the sink afterwards (it was gross), and cleaned the stove top.

I'm done for tonight. I don't want to over-do it and then not continue tomorrow. I fall WAY too easily into the "I did enough for X days!" mindset. It leads to bad things.

southernbelle0915 · February 2015

OK, I filled two bags with clothes donations tonight!

I didn't go through the coats but it's on the list for tomorrow. Also tomorrow I have a couple bins of shoes and a couple bins of purses to go through. I'm sure I'll get a couple bags from that stuff. Feels so great!

lyndausvi · February 2015

So you all motivated me to clean out a junk cabinet this morning. Yep we had a whole cabinet that was basically it's a cabinet full of random stuff. Often thrown in there just before company came. Ha

Threw out a 1/2 bag worth old paperwork and magazines. Plus I just did a nice organization so it looks nice. You are no longer scared to open the cabinet and have papers falling out.

40/40 challenge ~ First Friday Check-in

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