The past few weeks have been all about organization for me. I am really bad at consistently staying organized. Who knows how long I’ll hold it together, but there’s always hope, right?
I have been getting the itch to spring clean, especially since I found out that my surgery is approaching very, very quickly! Here are a few mini-projects I have been working on…
1) Unsubscribing from mass emails: I was getting 100+ mass (junk) emails per day. I noticed that I was spending a lot of free time scanning and deleting these emails. So, I started unsubscribing. I set a daily goal of two unsubscribes. Have favorite companies/sites that you can’t quite bring yourself to unsubscribe from? Sometimes there are options to change emails from daily to weekly or less frequently.
2) Closet raid: I sifted through my closet and drawers and bagged up all the clothes I haven’t worn in the past year or so. It was hard for me, because I’m a hoarder-in-training when it comes to clothing. I almost always convince myself I will wear it again. I won’t! I also have this recurring dream where I set up an eBay shop and sell old clothes. Hasn’t happened. I bit the bullet, and purged. L and I dropped numerous bags of clothes off at Goodwill last week.
3) Master To-Do List: L and I have a zillion little things that need to be completed, fixed, buffed, replaced, and/or de-cluttered in our condo. I compiled a master to-do list and plan on checking a few items off on weekends.
4) Book List: I have started compiling a book list for myself. A “need to read” list has loomed in my head for years. Now that I have a Nook and I’ll be bedridden for awhile post-surgery, I hope to get a good amount of reading done. My first focus is high school books I was supposed to read, but never did. (If you read my Twitter, you know about this recent ambition of mine.) Of Mice and Men is done…nearly twelve years post-high school, but who’s keeping score? 😉 I’m actively taking new suggestions. Anyone?
5) Digital Photos: A few days ago, L discovered that our home computer’s memory is almost completely full. How do you store all of your digital photos? Do you go through and delete pictures? We need to figure something out!
Rebel Mel
I ocassionally do the whole unsubscribing thing, too. I get wayyyy too many emails.
I back all my photos up to both an external drive AND online storage. Flickr is 25 for a year and has unlimited storage. That way you can wipe your computer, have all your photos on a drive, yet access them whenever!
Kelly
My favorite 2 books are Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) and Granny Dan (Danielle Steel). You will be bawling your eyes out by the end of both books, but they are so so sooo good! Plus, I think Jane Eyre might even fit into the "high school book" category! 🙂
Erin
I would recommend To Kill a Mockingbird from this high school list. Great read. I will always advocate for Harry Potter too. A few recent reads that had me at hello: The Glass Castle and The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes.
-J.Darling
For storing photos and music – purchase an external drive! It's great, portable, and you can carry it with you and plug it into any computer for your goodies.
Maya
Are you on Good Reads? It's my favorite way to keep my book lists organized. Have you ever read Carson McCuller's The Heart is a Lonely Hunter? I first read it in high school and it is one of my all-time favorite books.
thelessthandomesticgoddess
Thanks, friends! My reading list is growing by the minute. These are all great suggestions!
@J. Darling: I should have mentioned it in my post…we have an external hard drive that is FULL! Ugh. I think we need another one. Hey, did you move yet? I've got to check your blog!
Jade
Ahh it feels so good to do a big purge every now and then! I like your idea of reading old high school books. It's been a while since I've read something really good!
Micah and Catherine
I could have wrote this post. I just purged my closet of 2.5 bags of clothes and decided to limit myself to 150 items at any one time. I also started unsubscribing a few weeks ago. It feels so good open my email in the morning and only see 3 or 4 new messages.
Sugar
I think a bunch of us are on the great purge. I love it. I deleted 4,000 emails from my inbox yesterday- it felt so good! As for old school books- I adore Jane Austin- Persuasion is my favorite. Also one my favorite all time books is The Age of Innocence. I also LOVE a good chick lit and Sophie Kinsella's non-shoppoholic books are really fun!!
thelessthandomesticgoddess
@Micah and Catherine: Oooh, limiting yourself to 150 items at a time…that's a great idea!! I might have to steal that from you. 🙂
@Rebel Mel: I love the idea of Flickr! I NEED to do that. Thank you!!
@Maya: I'm not on Good Reads. I'm off to check it out now. Thanks so much!
megan
I need to de-clutter my closet. I am the exact same way. I say, ohhh but I will totally wear it now! Then I never do. Ugh. Or I won't get rid of it because so and so gave it to me or I bought it from so and so and so on. I need to just do it, as you say. Wish me luck! And keep up the good work!
LatteLove
I'm totally in this spring cleaning mode as well. I unsubbed from some blogs, mass retail emails, made better labels for my inbox and started using gmails' archive system so my inbox always has 50 of fewer emails (an amazing feeling!)
I also started working on our closets. I want to try to do this 1-2 times a year, just to stay on top. Having to do it after such a long time is overwhelming and discouraging (so much junk!)
Chic 'n Cheap Living
Backup and extra hard drive! I don't like deleting pictures so we just keep buying more hard drive space. I should burn them on dvd though.
You are an inspiration. My room in my parent's house is my storage closet and I should really give away a ton of stuff.
xoxo,
Chic 'n Cheap Living
jacin {lovely little details}
so smart!! i need to do this too 🙂
Yankee
LOVE reading goals. I think mine is a bit too much this year, but I am determined to read as much as I possibly can.
In terms of high school books: the joy luck club, the color purple, all quiet on the western front, catcher in the rye, 1985, lord of the flies, brave new world, night.
Good luck!
honey my heart
i'm in dire need of a closet clean up and mass google reader subscription review. my g reader is so full with lots of unnecessary/ended blogs. good luck with your organization!