For those of you who don't know, I'm trying to lose my baby weight (junk in the trunk) with Weight Watchers. So far it's going well (at least that's what I tell myself as my mantra), but it also makes me want to de-junk my house too. Below is a picture of my silverware drawer. I have a couple other drawers just like this one in my house. Does this make me a hoarder like the lady on Oprah? See Paige's blog about the hoarder. I have cleaned out this drawer several times and somehow it still manages to end up like this eventually. What on earth do people do with their kids' stupid giblet toys and crap? SERIOUSLY. I NEED TO KNOW. I throw a lot of it away, but some things just seem too good to throw away. Like a "REAL" Shrek toy at McDonald's or some sort of thing he JUST GOT at the dollar store or from some birthday party in the goody bag. I have been to people's houses (just a few mind you) where I don't see any trace that they have children. No toys left out. No mail left out. This brings me to my next issue. My mail. It piles up now and then. I do my best to sort it out the second it comes, but sometimes there's a catalog I think I'm going to go through (but never do) or coupons I think I'm going to use (but never do) or ads I might want to come back to (but never do). The mail instance usually gets fixed when I either can't stand it anymore or John says, "Can we do something about THIS?" while making hand gestures over the piles. We all know that when he says "WE" it means "ME". But that's another story...
(I can't complain too much about John right now because as we speak, he's doing the dishes because I had a mild mental breakdown about my hard day the second he walked in the door. I think he's scared of me. I'm scared of me too sometimes. Like TODAY.)
So, please do me a favor and share what you do with your little rat's nests and junk drawers. It will make me feel better.
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30 comments:
Holly,
I think I have you beat on my junk drawer! I think every house has one. There are so many things in life that you need, but you don't know when, so you can't throw them away. Like...cords! Cords for my tv, ipod, cameras, etc. Or...buttons! Those dang extra buttons that come with your clothes and what are the chances that you would ever need them??? But, what if??? Ugh...
Kid's dumb toys? I take great pleasure in throwing them out the minute my kids turn there backs. They have never noticed! I try to make a point to not keep crappy toys. I only want the good toys that are going to last. And, I despise little toys! I am anti-dollar store and Happy Meal for that very reason. So, my advice is to throw them out!
I hope your day wasn't crappy because you went out with me!
Mariel
Is Levi in kindergarten? Sometimes when I am ambitious I give little toys to the teacher to hand out as incentive prizes. They seem to like it. Otherwise I just chuck the stuff when it gets too much for me to handle.
I'm not impressed with your junk drawer. You can do better, I know.
Ugh, I hate this topic too! It is totally junk that is in the junk drawer, so why can't we throw it out? I am the same way. My counters accumulate so much crap, but if we can just keep it localized in one spot, I think it is okay to have the junk drawer! My mail TOTALLY piles up too. I am just the same. Should we start a therapy group for our craziness!!
Pull the silverware holder to the front and put the "stuff" in the back of the drawer. Put the measuring tape with your sewing stuff (you do have a sewing kit of some kind don't you?). Take out those markers, pens and crayons and put them in that little sheepy can that is lying there and put them by the computer. Put your hair clip in your hair and the balls in the toy box. That doesn't leave much in the drawer. Hmmm.
Ya. I'm not impressed with that drawer either......you can do better. Mine is at least twice that bad by the time I actually do something about it. Actually, I usually wait until I cant actually shut the drawer anymore....then I reluctantly go through it.
Mail is....a constant battle but if I do it EVERY DAY then I can keep on top of it. I hate junk. I wish people just didnt make small toys. WASTE OF TIME!
You seem to think I'm neat. I'm not. I take pictures when my house is clean. Open any drawer that Ryan hasn't been near lately and you will see it full of crap. I have the same paper pile. I can't organize it away, because then I worry I won't remember it if it's put away, which is stupid becuase in a huge pile of twenty papers it's not jumping out at me anyway. I have a messy closet, messy bathroom drawers and a messy kids area. And two junk drawers, right next to each other. And I really don't care that much because I mostly find what I need and it's just not my thing. So stop thinking I'm all clean...I'm probably messier than you.
Hi there. Jessica said that I should come check out your blog. Funny, I think we can ALL relate. I have this pile of mail/coupons/kids old report cards/important stuff that I don't recall at the moment, next to my fridge by the toaster. I despise it, it seems to grow taller every day. Well, tonight I went over to Jessica's for a fun neighborhood cookie exchange. I asked her where an invitaion was and guess what? She had the very same pile next to her frige by the toaster. Needless to say, I was very excited and felt much better about myself. About the junk drawer: I agree with other commenters, just throw it out!! You'll never miss it!
Sorry this was so long :0)
Mariel,
No. I had a GREAT time with you. It was the only good part about my day. Shortly after I left, Faith started crying and never stopped and Levi got some weird bump (not visible to the human eye) on his chin that he kept whining about. The house is a mess and I got frustrated. But, the time with you was perfect. The only problem was that it was too short.
Jessica, I don't care what you say. You're clean. Nah nee nah nee boo boo.
Hi Penny!
Anonymous, are you the same anonymous that knew about John's bumped head? Are you Marsha? Identify yourself!
Celia. It's true. I CAN do better. The other drawers were so bad that I was too ashamed to take a picture and post them. So there.
Thank you for this post. Just today I was screaming at everyone about how we're all slobs and I'm sick of it. When I see and hear about other slobs I feel better. My junk drawer isn't opening too well at the moment. I do love to throw away though. Get a plastic bag and chuck it all when Levi's not looking. Good luck. I hope you have a better day tomorrow.
And I agree, anonymous needs to reveal herself!
Oh Holly, come over, you'll feel better about yourself. Although I must say, I don't have any kiddo toys in my kitchens drawers... they are just everywhere else.
Throw it all away. Except the tape measure. All kids toys smaller than a bread box is immediate trash once they let go of it.
but if that's your only junk drawer it's impressive. The only thing I did after the hoader show was get rid of most of our books because we had too many and refuse to buy anymore Christmas decorations, because that's something that could go on forever. Also, that show cost me a lot because after I de-booked the guest room I had to go to Target and totally redecorate the room. Go figure.
I have baskets for all that crap. I keep them in cupboards where the kids can reach. It's easy to just toss it in the basket and close the door.
Great post! I love it when my husband is scared of me. And why don't we have a junk drawer contest?!
Looking at all those things makes my eyes twitch a little bit, I'll admit it. I am a clean FREAK. I would say keep the highlighters and the scotch tape, and the tape measurer. EVERYTHING ELSE GOES IN THE TRASH. I guarantee your kids don't go looking in that drawer for their long-lost sponge bob. If they do, it needs a new home. :-)
That being said, I cast no stones as I currently have a junk drawer in need of help. And KUDOS for breaking down and letting the hubby help. I've been contemplating a "fake" breakdown to get him to do some things on my honey-do list. Do you think it'd work?
I'm afraid I don't have good organizing advice for you. I've embraced my junk drawers. I LOVE my junk drawers! Where else are you gonna throw everything on the counter when someone calls and says they're going to "drop by" in five minutes??? That's what junk drawers are for, sista. Then after a few weeks when I can't open them anymore, I know it's time to clean them out. But until that day, live on, junk drawers. Live on.
Holly,
What can I say? You need me. Sigh. I will try to find a time when I can come over. We'll do the spice cupboard, decide on a place and procedure for mail and come up with a way to store doodads and writing utensils that Levi uses. What do you think?
Is the pantry still good?
Who is the other anonymous? Is it Bette? Is it Joyce or Marsha? This is a process of elimination. We will find out. Ha, ha
Laura
LAURA... You'll really come and save me? You did so great last time. I need help. The pantry is still mostly good and the closet in the bathroom is still pretty good too.
You're needed.
I would love to come over and help too. I LOVE to organize and de-junk. The only problem in my house is, my husband never wants to throw things away!! I just do most of it when my daughter is at school (happy meal toys are allowed for one to two days and then I ditch them). I have a junk drawer too and it's mostly too much of a few things like jumbo crayons or scissors. As for the mail...I usually keep our garbage can out at the end of the driveway all the time (i know totally white trash but we are the only ones on our street..) but when I am on my way from the mailbox back to the house I just throw stuff in there. I don't even bring it into the house.
Good Luck!!
No, I am NOT the anonymous. Why do I always get blamed for these things.
And as far as junk drawers go... I wish I had one. My junk outgrew the drawers a long time ago. I now have a junk closet, a junk cabinet in the hutch, and my most prized junk area is our dining room table. Sad, but true...
what the heck?!!! No, I am not darind. Sorry about that!! I don't know why, but the comment area has shrunk and I can no longer just put my name. I can't figure it out!
Joyce
So, if your kids and hubby are already a little frightened of you (as you say, though I find it hard to believe) then you might as well throw all the little toys away while you're at it!!! My kids have one small drawer in Sirri's room/the playroom that they call the treasure drawer. That is where they get to keep all their JUNK! When it is too full to shut, I dump it out!
I have one HUGE junk drawer. I do have a place for coupons and adds too. What I want to know is who are these people who's house looks so nice and what drugs are they on?
Why did you have a break down? Is it 'cause I haven't been over for a while?
I have 2 1/2 junk drawers (I stash little things I don't want Jake getting behind the measuring cups in one drawer). One of the official drawers is full of papers that are old notes with lots of different things on them and there MIGHT be a phone number on there that I MIGHT need, so it goes in that drawer with pens & stuff like that. The other official junk drawer is for the "good" junk...the papers that I don't want smooshed up with other things because I haven't found a good place for them...ongoing paper projects...who knows when I'll get back to them. I usually pile the mail on the dryer when I walk in the garage door (I have for years) and I pull out the bills and the rest stays there until I can't empty the lint filter and then it usually gets recycled. I feel your pain.
That is so not a junk drawer. I have junk cupboards, closets and back seats of cars that would put that drawer to shame. But I get anal about it pretty frequently and toss everything. I usually only regret one or two things. Oh well.
Holly,
You make me laugh, I saw that lady on OPRAH and you don't even hold a candle to her. Plus the bit about how your husband was doing the dishes because he may be scared of you right now, I can totally relate to. I have often had melt down days and scared my husband into helping. I love your site, by the way, its me Kari, Becky's sister. You make me laugh. I'm trying this blog thing out and stealing ideas from other bloggers such as yourself so thank you for the impresive blog. Your kids are adorable. Kari
Hey girl, I am not Marsha and I only learned about John's boo boo on his head because I read your blog comments. What's going on with the drawer? You better post an "after" picture of it just to save your reputation. :-)
I love to throw things away!! Sometimes when I can't find something, I just figure that I threw it away. I do allow myself a small file that I stick stuff in that I just can't part with (coupons, paper junk, etc.) and when I go through it later, that stuff is a lot easier to get rid of. I also try to keep my junk in a relatively organized junk drawer, seprate from anything else. If it is doesn't have a home, THROW IT AWAY!!!
I have a junk counter top and coincidentally it sits above the junk drawer. It might make you feel if I send you a picture of both.
I like the idea of having a junk drawer contest.
Or. . .I might just empty it into a pretty box and give it as a white elephant gift at the next Christmas party I go to.
That being your "junk" drawer, I am now incredibly ashamed of the state of my "non-junk" drawers, which look way worse than this. Yikes. :)
You can update me on your blogroll, thanks for asking!!! I'm honored to be included. Double :)
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