Day 9 - 30-Day Declutter Challenge . . .

 The decluttering suggestions for today are:

• Clean out your wallet
• Magazines & Books:  Recycle or donate ones you no longer need or read.

I didn't think there was all that much that I could get out of my wallet - it hasn't really been used since March 12, 2020, which is the last day I went downtown for a couple of appointments.  The pandemic stay-at-home order in Illinois was announced that afternoon.  Any shopping I've done since then has been via credit card only.  But it seems there's always some stuff than can go.

It's not a big pile, but there are old business cards I no longer need and an assortment of odds and ends.  It took all of three minutes.  There is overlap again today on the other choice.  

So . . . what to do today?  I bagged up the books for the Little Free Library, and boxed up the old Bibles and got them ready to send to Love Packages - which I just did.  It would have been a quick visit but the woman two ahead of me ended up writing an entire letter while standing at the counter . . . thankfully the postal worker took two of us while still waiting on her and then took another after me and she was still writing . . .  This box was heavy, but the big dictionary and an assortment of Bibles and a couple of books considered Christian literature fit in here and I'm happy to have them go to someplace that will use them. 

 

The Little Free Library is right outside the P.O, and I was able to get all the books I wanted to divest to fit in there!  Yay!!  All the books and Bibles off the counter makes a huge difference!

I decided to look at the two kitchen cabinets I missed on Day 7, and then realized that there were actually three . . .  Yes, it's my house.  You'd think I'd know how many cabinets I actually have, wouldn't you?!  :-D  

This is the pots/pans cupboard.  I kept everything in here. 

 

This is the hidden cabinet, which is tucked away at the front of the island on the other side.  It's where I keep stuff that doesn't get used very often but it's mostly stuff you want to keep.

And - as has been the case with pretty much everything I thought I had already done rather recently - I was able to bag the cleaning rags, and divest a few things from here.

And then the cupboard over my kitchen desk.  There's not a whole lot in there, but most of it was stuff I wanted to keep. 

 Even so, there were things I could divest and I sorted through the basket.  That yellow box top on the upper shelf is where I put papers to shred.  So when I say I put something in the box to shred, that's where it goes.  I have a 29-year supply of votive candles.  I think I need to start burning some of them!

Now all the cabinets are done in the kitchen, which was a good feeling.  Then, I decided that I really needed to deal with the Pampered Chef box that's been in my front hall for weeks . . .  Between this box and all the bags for the Second Chance Shop, my exit options were down to a relatively narrow path to the front door, and if I wanted to go into the living room I had to go into the kitchen and through the dining room to get in there. 

I found places for all the Pampered Chef stuff and everything is put away, the instruction sheets for each have been filed away, and the empty boxes are out in the garage ready for recycle day on Friday.  While I was at it, I decided I should put all the bags for the Second Chance Shop in the living room to get them out of the hallway.  

This is a lot of stuff.  I know there is more to let go, but I'm going to load the car up tomorrow and take this stuff over and donate it.  I looked ahead on the calendar and tomorrow is another overlap day. I also have a box of electronics to donate to a different place.  I think I might be able to do that tomorrow, too.  I'm wrestling with myself because these trips don't really seem essential . . . but it's possible that they are essential to my sanity.  I'll see how I feel tomorrow.

And seriously - I think I could put a table in the entryway and have dinner there now  :-D  :-D  

So I was the cleanup batter today - it was a utility day where I was able to get a lot of stuff accomplished that wasn't on either calendar but was the result of previous days' work.  It felt good!

9 down, 21 to go!

I think that leaf is sprouting up a little . . .  :-) 

A new singer to me because I don't watch the competition shows.  This song is called Quarantine Christmas.