40 Bags in 40 Days {2018}

Valentine's Day was the 1st day of Lent, which meant for me, it was the first day of doing a 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge.

  The idea of 40 Bags in 40 Days is that during Lent (40 days) rid your house of 40 bags of "stuff".

This "stuff" can be things you don't use... junk, clothes you don't need/wear, clutter, old toys, garbage, etc.

To me, Lent is a time of prayer, self-reflection, sacrifice, self-control and renewal.
To me, a good home de-cluttering can go hand in hand with the Lenten season, just like our houses/blogs may look put together on the outside, on the inside we are a mess and need an intervention & de-cluttering ourselves.

In 2012 when I did 40 Bags in 40 Days for Lent, I gave AWAY 24 bags of stuff to Goodwill.
I threw AWAY 28 bags of stuff.
That is 52 bags of stuff we didn't use, need or wasted.

  In 2013 when I did 40 Bags in 40 days, 

I gave away 18 Bags of stuff to Goodwill.

I threw AWAY 26 bags of stuff.

That is 44 bags of stuff we didn't use, need or wasted.

 In 2014, I "kind of" did 40 Bags in 40 Days.

I didn't finish my list (oops) but I did give away 12 bags to Goodwill and threw away 14 bags of stuff that we didn't use, need or wasted.
In 2017, I also "kind of" did 40 Bags in 40 days. I didn't finish my list, but I was able to donate over 20 bags to the Goodwill and I threw away 17 bags of stuff that we didn't use, need or that was expired.

4 years doing this project we have gotten rid over 150 bags of STUFF (aka "CRAP")

 

EWWWW.

I learned a lot the years I did this project.

I always keep my house pretty clutter free, but doing this project makes me realize we still have a lot of stuff we just don't need.
 I realized how much CRAP we have.
I realized how MUCH we have.
It has made me think about what I buy & what I bring into our house.
I ask myself, "Do we need this?" or
"Is there room for this?"
It has drastically changed my thinking, and for that I am thankful.
But, I am still a work in progress.

And, YES....I am doing this project again this year because there is a lot more stuff I know I can clean out, donate & get rid of.

Here is my 2018 List of areas to clean out:

This printable was created for me a couple years ago by a blog reader, Jenny.

You can download it HERE.

This is my 4th time doing 40 Bags in 40 Days, so I have learned some tips & tricks along the way. 

I thought I would share them again in this post because this project can be overwhelming.

1. Use Black Trash Bags

When you use white or see through trash bags, your children will be able to see what you are throwing away. When my girls have seen some of their things in the white trash bags that are sitting in the garage waiting to be thrown out, they start rummaging through the bags. They cry and want to keep their things because they have "changed" their mind about giving it away. (Or, they have seen things of theirs that I have snuck in the giveaway bag) 

So, take my advice...Use black trash bags.

2. Use 2 bags per section.

This is a super simple tip. 

For every section that I clean out, I have 2 bags. 

One is for trash, one is for giveaway. 

3.  Take EVERYTHING OUT & only put back what you want to keep.

When you are cleaning out an area, take EVERYTHING out.

For example, when I clean out my pantry of shame, I take EVERY SINGLE thing out of the pantry and put it in my hallway. It is a DISASTER. (I do big areas like this at night when my kids are in bed)

Sometimes, things will get worse before they get better!

This was my pantry last year. Here is the "Before"

I literally took out EVERY SINGLE thing and put it in my hallway.

I had a huge bag for trash/expired items.

I had another bag of food to donate.

When I took everything out, that meant I had a clean slate when I put things back on the shelves.

Here was the After:

The reason I tell you to take everything out is so that you start with a clean slate.

When you take everything out of the area, you can be very conscious about what you put back in that area. You can organize and re-arrange things when you have a blank slate.

So, even though it might make a HUGE massive mess by taking everything out, it will be so much more organized.

I also do this when I clean out my closet.

I literally take out EVERY SINGLE item of clothing and dump it on my bed.

Only put back things you actually wear,  need & use.

 

 4. Once you have taken everything out, Wipe Down & Clean the area.  

This goes along with tip #3. As you clear out each area, then wipe it down with a clorox/lysol wipe, windex, paper towel, etc.

 If you are clearing out stuff & organizing it, you don't want to put it back on a dirty shelf. Take the few minutes and wipe down your areas!

Nothing better than starting with a clean slate!

5. Closet hangers

I think I saw this tip on Oprah 10 years ago.

When you clean out your closet and put clothes back, hang them up with the hooks facing you.

Once you wear the item, you can hang it up the correct way.

Every 3-4 months, you can look at your closet and see if there are more things you should get rid of because you never wear them. After a year, everything that is still facing the wrong way needs to be donated! If you haven't worn a clothing item in a year, it's not worth keeping! Get rid of it!

I do this with the girls clothes also and if they haven't worn something in 6 months, it gets donated!

6.   Get the bags out of your house

As soon as you clean out an area, immediately get the bags out of your house! 

Put the trash bags straight into the trash.

Take the donate bags and put them in your car so you can donate them.

Just get them out of your house!!!

(If they are out of your house, the less chance your kids will go through the bags and if you get them out of your house, the less chance YOU will change your mind about getting rid of something)

7.    Have a "Holding Area"

Our kids have lots of toys. Between Grandparents, Christmas & Birthdays, our kids have tons of "things" Kevin and I clean out their toys (without them knowing) Sometimes, when we clean out some of their toys, we put it in a black trash bag, but then put it in our shed for 1-2 months before giving it away.

This way, if they ask where that toy is, then we can give it back to them.

95% of the time, they never even notice the toy is gone.

Out of sight, out of mind.

If they don't ask for it within 2 months...BUH-BYE.

8. Donate your Items!
Many people have asked me where I donate all my bags to.
I donate to a variety of places.
About once a month, we get a flyer in the mail from some sort of charity letting us know they will be having a truck in our area and that they will collecting donations, just put your items on the curb & attach the postcard to your donations. 

This makes it SO easy to donate! 
For those bags, we just keep them in a corner of our garage and then set them on the curb in the morning. 
This is how we learned about tip #1....put the donations black bags.
Several times, we would have the girls things on the curb and in the morning as they were leaving for school, they would see their stuff on the curb and totally freak out. Not a fun way to start the day! 

I have also gotten bags like this in our mailbox:

I also donate to the Thrift Store in our town. We also have a Goodwill about 10 minutes away, so I will donate items to them as well. 

You could list your items on Free Cycle or sell them on Craigs List, but I don't have time for that! I don't want money for my things, I just want them out of my house and I will happily donate them. If you donate to places like Goodwill, the Cancer Society, they will often leave you a donation slip that you can use for tax write offs. I save all of my donation receipts so that I know the dates I donated and what items I donated.

And, now Amazon and Stitch Fix will let you re-use the boxes they sent you items in and you can mail donated/giveaway clothes to them for FREE and Amazon or Stitch Fix will donate them to Goodwill.

Read more about it HERE.

How awesome is that?

9. Have your kids help you with 40 Bags in 40 Days.

This is a tricky one. 

I am still trying to navigate this.

Most areas I clean out without my kids (when they are in bed) because they would just be in the way if I had them help me clean out the kitchen cabinets, etc.

And, most times I clean out their toys/clothes/books without them because I know they have a hard time getting rid of stuff.

One of our kids is a hoarder, so it can be total drama when we clean out their things so sometimes it is just easier to clean out their stuff when they around because I don't want to deal with the meltdown/drama/tears.

BUT, I have realized that I need to teach them at a young age that it is good to give away things they don't need because there are a lot of people & kids who aren't as fortunate as them and it is good to give away things.

I want my kids to be generous and give things away that they don't need, so sometimes I have them help. They feel more at peace & relaxed in their rooms when it is organized and put away

10.  Clean out 1 area at a time & take it 1 day at a time.

If you don't finish by Easter.....that's okay! Give yourself grace.
Lent is actually 47 days long (for some reason they don't count the Sundays in the 40 days)
So, you really have 47 days to clean out 40 bags.
Just try and do 1 section a day. 
Some sections (like my kitchen junk drawer) only take me 10 minutes to clean out.
Some sections (like our closets) will take 1-2 hours.
Don't try and do 5 sections in a day. You will burn yourself out.

2012 was the first year I did 40 Bags in 40 Days and it took the longest because there was just so much stuff. 

I didn't finish it until August...a few days before Luke was born! 

It took me 5 months, not 40 days! (Not to make excuses, but I was pregnant with Luke and barfing everyday) But, I gave myself grace! It's okay I didn't finish by Easter, the point is I finished!

In 2013,  I finished in June. But, hey! I finished. That is what counts.

In 2014, I never finished my list 40 bags in 40 days.  FAIL. No excuses. Just a fail. I got about half of them done.

In 2017, I never finished my list either, but I did get most of them done & a lot of things donated.

This year for 2018, my goal is to finish by Easter (since my areas are not nearly as cluttered and the girls are in school until 3 so I have time each day before they get home)

But, if it takes me longer than Easter...that is okay!

Just get started....and take it one day at a time :)

Stick with it...who cares if it takes you 4 months instead of 40 days?

The point is to rid your home of clutter.

So, there you have it...my 10 tips for doing 40 Bags in 40 Days.

I am sure I am missing other tips, so if you have any other tips, please leave them in the comments below!

If you don't have a lot of "stuff" then you can do a scaled down challenge. You get 1 black trash bag & get rid of 1 thing per day for 40 days and then donate it. I saw this idea on Pinterest.

 This is something your kids could do in their rooms during Lent.

Like in years past, I will update so you can see my progress (and my filth) Ha!

I've got my list ready, I've my bags ready.

Take a Deep Breath.

You can do this.

LESS is MORE.

Let's get rid of STUFF.

 Are you in?

++++++++++++++++

Yesterday, February 19th was National Lash Day.

Who knew? 

 In honor of National Lash Day, I am going to place a bulk order of Lash Boost this week & you can get it at a discounted price.

This is a great way for you to try Lash Boost if you haven't already!
Current customers can also be a part of this bulk order & deal.

Lash Boost is $125 & will last you 4 months.

Here are my friend Caroline's lashes:

Like all our products, Lash Boost comes with a 60 day, empty bottle, 100% money back guarantee so you have nothing to risk by trying them out.

Send me an email or leave a comment if you would like to order!
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com

Prices include tax and shipping!

40 Bags in 40 Days 2017 + Tips

Tomorrow is the first day of Lent, which mean starting tomorrow, I will be doing a 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge.

It has been 3 years since I did a 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge and let me tell you...I am WAY overdue for this challenge.

  The idea of 40 Bags in 40 Days is that during Lent (40 days) rid your house of 40 bags of "stuff".
This "stuff" can be things you don't use... junk, clothes you don't need/wear, clutter, old toys, garbage, etc.

To me, Lent is a time of prayer, self-reflection, sacrifice, self-control and renewal.
To me, a good home de-cluttering can go hand in hand with the Lenten season, just like our houses/blogs may look put together on the outside, on the inside we are a mess and need an intervention & de-cluttering ourselves.

In 2012 when I did 40 Bags in 40 Days for Lent, I gave AWAY 24 bags of stuff to Goodwill.
I threw AWAY 28 bags of stuff.
That is 52 bags of stuff we didn't use, need or wasted.

  In 2013 when I did 40 Bags in 40 days, 

I gave away 18 Bags of stuff to Goodwill.

I threw AWAY 26 bags of stuff.

That is 44 bags of stuff we didn't use, need or wasted.

 In 2014, I "kind of" did 40 Bags in 40 Days.

I didn't finish my list (oops) but I did give away 12 bags to Goodwill and threw away 14 bags of stuff that we didn't use, need or wasted.

3 years doing this project we have gotten rid of almost 125 bags of STUFF (aka "CRAP")

 

EWWWW.

I learned a lot the years I did this project.

I always keep my house pretty clutter free, but doing this project makes me realize we still have a lot of stuff we just don't need.
 I realized how much CRAP we have.
I realized how MUCH we have.
It has made me think about what I buy & what I bring into our house.
I ask myself, "Do we need this?" or
"Is there room for this?"
It has drastically changed my thinking, and for that I am thankful.
But, I am still a work in progress.

And, YES....I am doing this project again this year because I haven't done it in 3 years.

Because there is a lot more stuff I know I can clean out & get rid of.

Here is my 2017 List of areas to clean out:

This printable was created for me a couple years ago by a blog reader, Jenny.

You can download it HERE.

This is my 4th time doing 40 Bags in 40 Days, so I have learned some tips & tricks along the way. 

I thought I would share them with you because this project can be overwhelming.

1. Use Black Trash Bags

When you use white or see through trash bags, your children will be able to see what you are throwing away. When my girls have seen some of their things in the white trash bags that are sitting in the garage waiting to be thrown out, they start rummaging through the bags. They cry and want to keep their things because they have "changed" their mind about giving it away. (Or, they have seen things of theirs that I have snuck in the giveaway bag) 

So, take my advice...Use black trash bags.

2. Use 2 bags per section.
This is a super simple tip. 
For every section that I clean out, I have 2 bags. 
One is for trash, one is for giveaway. 

3.  Take EVERYTHING OUT & only put back what you want to keep.

When you are cleaning out an area, take EVERYTHING out.
For example, when I clean out my pantry of shame, I take EVERY SINGLE thing out of the pantry and put it in my hallway. It is a DISASTER. (I do big areas like this at night when my kids are in bed)
Sometimes, things will get worse before they get better!
This was my pantry last year. Here is the "Before"

I literally took out EVERY SINGLE thing and put it in my hallway.
I had a huge bag for trash/expired items.
I had another bag of food to donate.
When I took everything out, that meant I had a clean slate when I put things back on the shelves.
Here was the After:

The reason I tell you to take everything out is so that you start with a clean slate.
When you take everything out of the area, you can be very conscious about what you put back in that area. You can organize and re-arrange things when you have a blank slate.
So, even though it might make a HUGE massive mess by taking everything out, it will be so much more organized.
I also do this when I clean out my closet.
I literally take out EVERY SINGLE item of clothing and dump it on my bed.
Only put back things you actually wear,  need & use.
 

 4. Once you have taken everything out, Wipe Down & Clean the area.  

This goes along with tip #3. As you clear out each area, then wipe it down with a clorox/lysol wipe, windex, paper towel, etc.

 If you are clearing out stuff & organizing it, you don't want to put it back on a dirty shelf. Take the few minutes and wipe down your areas!
Nothing better than starting with a clean slate!

5. Closet hangers

I think I saw this tip on Oprah 10 years ago.
When you clean out your closet and put clothes back, hang them up with the hooks facing you.
Once you wear the item, you can hang it up the correct way.

Every 3-4 months, you can look at your closet and see if there are more things you should get rid of because you never wear them. After a year, everything that is still facing the wrong way needs to be donated! If you haven't worn a clothing item in a year, it's not worth keeping! Get rid of it!
I do this with the girls clothes also and if they haven't worn something in 6 months, it gets donated!

6.   Get the bags out of your house

As soon as you clean out an area, immediately get the bags out of your house! 
Put the trash bags straight into the trash.
Take the donate bags and put them in your car so you can donate them.
Just get them out of your house!!!
(If they are out of your house, the less chance your kids will go through the bags and if you get them out of your house, the less chance YOU will change your mind about getting rid of something)

7.    Have a "Holding Area"

Our kids have lots of toys. Between Grandparents, Christmas & Birthdays, our kids have tons of "things" Kevin and I clean out their toys (without them knowing) Sometimes, when we clean out some of their toys, we put it in a black trash bag, but then put it in our shed for 1-2 months before giving it away.
This way, if they ask where that toy is, then we can give it back to them.
95% of the time, they never even notice the toy is gone.
Out of sight, out of mind.
If they don't ask for it within 2 months...BUH-BYE.

8. Donate your Items!
Many people have asked me where I donate all my bags to.
I donate to a variety of places.
About once a month, we get a flyer in the mail from some sort of charity letting us know they will be having a truck in our area and that they will collecting donations, just put your items on the curb & attach the postcard to your donations. 

This makes it SO easy to donate! 
For those bags, we just keep them in a corner of our garage and then set them on the curb in the morning. 
This is how we learned about tip #1....put the donations black bags.
Several times, we would have the girls things on the curb and in the morning as they were leaving for school, they would see their stuff on the curb and totally freak out. Not a fun way to start the day! 

I have also gotten bags like this in our mailbox:

I also donate to the Thrift Store in our town. We also have a Goodwill about 15 minutes away, so I will donate items to them as well. 

You could list your items on Free Cycle or sell them on Craigs List, but I don't have time for that! I don't want money for my things, I just want them out of my house and I will happily donate them. If you donate to places like Goodwill, the Cancer Society, they will often leave you a donation slip that you can use for tax write offs. I save all of my donation receipts so that I know the dates I donated and what items I donated.

And, now Amazon and Stitch Fix will let you re-use the boxes they sent you items in and you can mail donated/giveaway clothes to them for FREE and Amazon or Stitch Fix will donate them to Goodwill.
Read more about it HERE.
How awesome is that?

9. Have your kids help you with 40 Bags in 40 Days.
This is a tricky one. 
I am still trying to navigate this.
Most areas I clean out without my kids (when they are in bed) because they would just be in the way if I had them help me clean out the kitchen cabinets, etc.
And, most times I clean out their toys/clothes/books without them because I know they have a hard time getting rid of stuff.
One of our kids is a hoarder, so it is total drama when we clean out their things so sometimes it is just easier to clean out their stuff when they around because I don't want to deal with the meltdown/drama/tears.
BUT, I have realized that I need to teach them at a young age that it is good to give away things they don't need because there are a lot of people & kids who aren't as fortunate as them and it is good to give away things.
I want my kids to be generous and give things away that they don't need, so sometimes I have them help. They feel more at peace & relaxed in their rooms when it is organized and put away

10.  Clean out 1 area at a time & take it 1 day at a time.

If you don't finish by Easter.....that's okay! Give yourself grace.
Lent is actually 47 days long (for some reason they don't count the Sundays in the 40 days)
So, you really have 47 days to clean out 40 bags.
Just try and do 1 section a day. 
Some sections (like my kitchen junk drawer) only take me 10 minutes to clean out.
Some sections (like our closets) will take 1-2 hours.
Don't try and do 5 sections in a day. You will burn yourself out.

The first year I did 40 Bags in 40 Days, in 2012 it took the longest because there was just so much stuff. 

I didn't finish it until August...a few days before Luke was born! 
It took me 5 months, not 40 days! (Not to make excuses, but I was pregnant with Luke and barfing everyday) But, I gave myself grace! It's okay I didn't finish by Easter, the point is I finished!

In 2013,  I finished in June. But, hey! I finished. That is what counts.

In 2014, I never finished my list 40 bags in 40 days.  FAIL. No excuses. Just a fail. I got about hlaf of them done.

So, since it is now 2017 and over 3 years since I have last done 40 bags in 40 days, it is time for me to do it again.

This year for 2017, my goal is to finish by Easter (since my areas are not nearly as cluttered and the girls are in school until 3 so I have time each day before they get home)
But, if it takes me longer than Easter...that is okay!
Just get started....and take it one day at a time :)
Stick with it...who cares if it takes you 4 months instead of 40 days?
The point is to rid your home of clutter.

So, there you have it...my 10 tips for doing 40 Bags in 40 Days.
I am sure I am missing other tips, so if you have any other tips, please leave them in the comments below!

Like in years past, I will update so you can see my progress (and my filth) Ha!

I've got my list ready, I've my bags ready.

Take a Deep Breath.

You can do this.

LESS is MORE.

Let's get rid of STUFF.

 Are you in?

++++++++++++++++
Just a reminder that I am placing my bulk order!
 I know so many of you who are curious about R+F products, but are nervous to take the plunge!
Guess what? Now is your chance!
I am placing a BULK order of 4 of my FAVORITE Rodan + Fields products tomorrow!
I am offering these at my CONSULTANT PRICE! 

Eye Cream - $60
Micro-Dermabrasion Paste -$68

Lash Boost - $125
Overnight Restorative Cream - $62

The eye cream, paste & overnight cream each last 5-6 months.
Lash Boost will last 4 months

Send me an email or leave a comment if you would like to order any of these items.
melissa_larson17@yahoo.com
Prices include tax and shipping!
This is a great way for you to try one (or some) of our amazing products at a discounted price.

All products come with a 60 day, empty bottle, 100% money back guarantee so you have nothing to risk by trying them out! 

++++++++++++++++

40 Bags in 40 Days {Lent 2014}

Tomorrow is the first day of Lent, which mean starting tomorrow, I will be doing a 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge, like have done the past 2 years.

 The idea of 40 Bags in 40 Days is that during Lent (40 days) rid your house of 40 bags of "stuff".
This "stuff" can be things you don't use... junk, clothes you don't need/wear, clutter, old toys, garbage, etc.

To me, Lent is a time of prayer, self-reflection, sacrifice, self-control and renewal.
To me, a good home de-cluttering can go hand in hand with the Lenten season, just like our houses/blogs may look put together on the outside, on the inside we are a mess and need an intervention & de-cluttering ourselves.

In 2012 when I did 40 Bags in 40 Days for Lent,I gave AWAY 24 bags of stuff to Goodwill.
I threw AWAY 28 bags of stuff.
That is 52 bags of stuff we didn't use, need or wasted.

Last year, In 2013 when I did 40 Bags in 40 days, 

I gave away 18 Bags of stuff to Goodwill.

I threw AWAY 26 bags of stuff.

That is 44 bags of stuff we didn't use, need or wasted.

So, over 2 years we have gotten rid of a total of 96 bags of STUFF (aka "CRAP")

 

EWWWW.

I learned a lot the past 2 years doing this project.

I always keep my house pretty clutter free, but doing this project makes me realize we still have a lot of stuff we just don't need.
 I realized how much CRAP we have.
I realized how MUCH we have.
It has made me think about what I buy & what I bring into our house.
I ask myself, "Do we need this?" or
"Is there room for this?"
It has drastically changed my thinking, and for that I am thankful.
But, I am still a work in progress.

And, YES....I am doing this project again this year.

Because there is STILL more stuff I know I can clean out & get rid of.

Here is my 2014 List:

This printable was created for me last year by Jenny.

You can download it HERE on her blog!

I've got my list ready, I've my bags ready.

I will some more tips in the next few days to help you with this project.

Take a Deep Breath.

You can do this.

LESS is MORE.

Let's get rid of STUFF.

 Are you in?

40 Bags in 40 Days: Update #1 {Lent 2013}

Remember when I posted about doing 40 Bags in 40 Days waaaaaaay back in February.

Easter is in 8 days and I am waaaaaaay behind on my 40 Bags in 40 Days.

But, hey! It's all about grace, right?

I thought I should at least update you on what I have done so far because I said I would update as I did them. (Big Fail on that so far, also. Please accept my apologies)

This was my original list:

 So, here is Update #1.
And, for your viewing pleasure? Before and After pics. Because apparently I have no shame in showing you my filth ;)

My closet....yikes.
 RIGHT SIDE BEFORE:
 
RIGHT SIDE AFTER:

Got rid of this skirt, circa 2004 from Gap. Size 1. HAHAHAHA.
I'm just going to do myself a favor and get rid of that since I can guarantee it will never fit again. Buh-Bye.

LEFT SIDE BEFORE:

LEFT SIDE AFTER:

Dresser Drawer #1 BEFORE:
 
 Dresser Drawer #1 AFTER:
 
Dresser Drawer #2 BEFORE:
 
Dresser Drawer #2 AFTER:

Dresser Drawer #3 BEFORE:
 
Dresser Drawer #3 AFTER:
 
Dresser Drawer #4 BEFORE:

 Dresser Drawer #4 AFTER:
 
My closet (and drawers) weren't in THAT bad of shape, I have kept them in decent shape since last year.
In all, I got filled up1 bag black trash bag of clothes/shoes for giveaway.

Claire's Room. AKA: The HOARDER.
Hell hath no fury like the wrath of Claire when you try and get rid of her stuff.
Claire's Closet BEFORE (right side):

Claire's Closet After (Right side):
 
 Claire's Closet Before (Left Side):

Claire's Closet AFTER (Left Side):
 

 Claire's Dresser Drawer #1 BEFORE:

 Claire's Dresser Drawer #1 AFTER:
 
 Claire's Dresser Drawer #2 BEFORE:
 
 Claire's Dresser Drawer #2 AFTER:
 
  Claire's Dresser Drawer #3 BEFORE:
 
 Claire's Dresser Drawer #3 AFTER: 

  Claire's Dresser Drawer #4 BEFORE:
 
 Claire's Dresser Drawer #4 AFTER:
 
 Claire's Dresser Drawer #5 BEFORE:
 
 Claire's Dresser Drawer #5 AFTER:
 
 Claire's Dresser Drawer #6 BEFORE:

 Claire's Dresser Drawer #6 AFTER:


Claire's Dresser #7 BEFORE:

Claire's Dresser Drawer #7 AFTER:

Claire's Room...1 Black Bag of Giveaway (clothes/toys)  & 1 Target bag of trash.

 Next up, Kate's Dresser Drawers!

Drawer #1 BEFORE:

AFTER:

 

 Drawer #2 BEFORE:

 AFTER:

 

Drawer #3 BEFORE

 

AFTER:

 

Drawer #4 BEFORE

 

AFTER:

 

Drawer #5 BEFORE

AFTER:
 
Drawer #6 BEFORE
 
 AFTER:

 I haven't done Kate's closet yet, that is a project for this week (Spring Break!)
I got rid of 1 Target bag of Kate's clothes for giveaway & she gave a handful of things to Claire that don't fit her anymore.

Next up, the Linen Closet. It was in pretty good shape from last year's 40 Bags clean out.
Upper Cabinet BEFORE:


AFTER:

Bottom Cabinet BEFORE:

AFTER:

I filled up 1/2 a black trash bag for giveaway which included our king size electric blanket (haven't used it in years) and 1 set of king size sheets.

Downstairs Hall Closet (which has become a catch-all for random toys, etc)
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Filled up the rest of the black trash bag with some games we haven't played in years....Scene it & Scene it Friends. Also gave away a basket & other random decorations that I stored in here.

Kitchen Pantry is next. UGH. I don't know why I let this get so bad. YUCK.
BEFORE:

I mean seriously....

I have no shame when showing you these pics:

AFTER:

You can see the floor & now I have a good place to store our vacuum.

I got rid of 1 Target bag of expired food :( and 1 Target bag of Trash. 

I also donated our Bumbo & tray since Luke is too big for it now.

Also filled 1 Target bag of items to donate, baking stuff, etc.

Kitchen Cupboard #1 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This wasn't too bad, just re-organized the shelves and tossed out a couple things that were expired.

Family Room Side Table Drawer #1 BEFORE:

AFTER:

Family Room Side Table Drawer #2 BEFORE:

AFTER:

Got rid of 1/2 Target bag of junk/random crap.

Wine Cabinet Drawer BEFORE:

AFTER:

China Cabinet Drawer #1 BEFORE:

AFTER:

China Cabinet Drawer #2 BEFORE:

AFTER:

For these drawers, I just recycled/shredded a bunch of paper work that was in these drawers, which became a catch-all for mail, etc.
Got rid of 2 Target bags of recycled paper.

Here is my list so far as of today 3.23.13

{If you want the free printable, check out THIS post.}

I have 12 out of 34 items checked off, which is 35% of my list so I am over 1/3 of the way done.
I have donated 6 Bags of items for Giveaway & 6 bags were trash.

Will I finish before Easter? No. But that is okay, since it took me until August last year to get it all done.
I am officially on Spring Break this week...YAY!
My goal is to get another 8-10 areas checked off this week!

If you made it to the end of this post, sorry you had to look at our filth & messiness.
Like I have said before, my house is generally clean, but closets & drawers are a DISASTER (as you can see!)
 
Are you doing 40 Bags in 40 Days or Spring Cleaning?
If so, how are you doing?