January Pare Down - Week 1

It's week one of Jenny's 111 in 1/11 challenge.  And as promised, I started in the basement. I don't have an after, we've got some rearranging to do now that we know what's getting the boot.

Getting tossed or donated: a broken TV, two rain ponchos, an old blanket, a mattress pad, a random sheet, some decorations and half-done craft projects that will never be finished.  16 items in this pile to start.

And in the getting returned to their rightful owners, baby stuff that Thomas has outgrown (8 items including a not pictured bumbo seat).  We are so grateful for our friends who loaned us their out of use baby items!

I'll get you an after picture when this is all said and done, I promise!

Now, moving upstairs, I tackled the junk drawer and junk cupboard.  Starting with the cupboard.  I was given loads of cookbooks when we got married.  And, with the occasional exception, my cookbook of choice is the internet.  I got rid of the ones that I've looked through a million times and never felt compelled to make something from.  And I moved the maybes up to the top shelf - if I get them down in the next year, I'll keep them.  If I don't they'll get donated next year.

Before:

After:

And the pile: 4 phone books, an old magazine, 3 cook books, my daytimer from 2008 and an inspirational marriage calendar.  What does it say about me that I'm tossing out an inspirational marriage calendar? That we're inspired enough we don't need cute quotes that we forget to read? Hopefully.  So 10 items in the junk cupboard (not counting all the papers I shredded, old nail polish that got tossed, etc.)

And, on to the junk drawer.  Last June (in a "need to get this house clean before I have a baby" fit, I threw everything in the Junk drawer into a shoe box and stashed it under the drawer.  I went back to it once - for my label maker.  6 months later, everything in the junk box got tossed out:

So, post clean-out, the Junk Drawer looks like this.  Still a little junky, but at least everything has been used in the last 6 months (Looking at this picture now, I'm wondering why a family of non-smokers has three lighters...perhaps I'll revisit this drawer).

I'm counting the box as one item.  So, in total we're at 35 for this week.

Head over to Words on Wendhurst to join the party - or see what everyone else is getting rid of this week.