This week you can:
- consider the tools at your disposal such as dumpsters, consignment shops, charities
- learn about yard sales
- make arrangements for the tools you are going to use
The above pic is from an internet image search since I haven't had my sale yet. If you've been following me for very long you know that I have already posted about how to prepare for a yard sale so that it isn't quite so overwhelming. (see the post) Mine is coming up in a little over 2 weeks, so for me that means getting through all these extra areas of the home before then. I can do it, and I am excited to do it! When all of that stuff is gone and my spaces are clean, organized and more open, I know I will really feel like my home is more of a sanctuary. I can hardly wait!
I like that Regina starts the week out with a reminder on page 130. "The whole of anything is overwhelming. We always need to break things down into manageable chunks. ...the first order of business is to eliminate what is no longer needed." That's my favorite part! I don't know about you, but once I've made that decision about an item I instantly feel better. Stuff weighs us down! The next thing to do is to know what you want to accomplish and know who you need to contact to do that if it takes someone else....like dumpster rental.
Regina also talks about yard sales and her take on preparing for them starting on page 132. Just like her, maybe yard sales aren't for you. If that's the case, find charities in your area to donate your unwanted stuff. Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or maybe an area rescue mission. I do totally agree with one of her points on page 133 to be prepared to deliver anything leftover to charities. In my post, I tell you that too. What I do is when the sale is over, I start making a list....5 sweaters, 3 belts, 6 kitchen utensils, etc. Then I box and/or bag it as I go. Those boxes and bags go right in my truck and go straight to Goodwill that day. The only thing I take back into my house at the end of a sale is any unsold books. I then take those to a used bookstore that will give me trade credit for them THE VERY NEXT DAY THEY ARE OPEN. In fact, usually what I do is when we come back from Goodwill, I'll put those books in my truck to remind me to go to the bookstore....nothing back in the house!!
Now we need to start implementing the plan we came up with in week one. You need to decide what areas are right for you to focus on first. For me, since I've already planned for my sale, I decided to start in the laundry room. There wasn't really much to get rid of here, but it had slowly gotten messy and unorganized. I took everything out of the cabinets, cleaned them then put things back orderly. There is a window in this room that has never had any kind of covering except the blind that came with the house. So I got a window panel, purple of course, and a rod for it. It will be installed either tonight or tomorrow. Then the laundry room is done!
Look ahead and start planning when to tackle each project. I wrote them in on my calendar. The garage and the upstairs spare bedroom are tied for next. Since I need my husband to be able to do a good job in the garage I'll have to see when he is available. The only thing that I need to do in the upstairs room is get a curtain kind of covering for the closet that has no doors. I think I told you before that doors wouldn't work anyway with the way this room is set up. You know what I found that I like? A shower curtain! Don't laugh, have you looked at them lately? They're not all plastic, some are cloth and they are wide enough to cover a large closet opening. To make it cheaper, I'll be using pocket rod which is anywhere from $5-$15 cheaper than a shower or tension rod. This will actually be hung on the inside, so the curtain won't be outside covering the trim. (think of a stage and its curtain) SInce it is on the inside where no one will see the hard ware, I'm going to use binder rings to go through the holes in the shower curtain. You get them at office supply stores. You might see them in the corner of a stack of index cards with a hole punched through them all so you can flip the cards without losing your place. Do you know what I'm talking about? These are again anywhere from $5-$15 cheaper than using shower curtain hooks or cafe hooks.
I know this is a lot of work to plan for, but you've made it this far, so don't give up yet!! You will be enjoying the benefits of all this hard work for years to come! Just think...for me, by the time my yard sale is over, my entire two story house will be completely clean and organized!! No more drawers or rooms where stuff gets shoved in or hidden then forgotten about. Awesome!
Until Next Time.....
Franny
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