Thursday, April 14, 2011

38 April Challenge: Project "Purge" {Kitchen Purge Part 2}

As part of this month's Project Purge, this week I have been plucking away in the kitchen!


However, first, I thought I would update you on the Living Room selling process I posted about last week!

As you may recall, I started by setting a goal of purging 30 items in 30 days.  Soon after I got started and purged my shoes and my Living Room belongings, I realized I need to up the ante.  I had already gone above my goal, therefore needed a larger goal!

Not only will I be doing this project to completely de-clutter and simplify my lifestyle {SUCH AN INCREDIBLE FEELING!}, I also decided that I would offer myself a reward to really drive home the motivation factor for me this month.  Letting go isn't always easy for me either {although, I am able to let go of most items much easier than some}, therefore, the idea of a reward really helps me not look back... what's the reward?

I am going to attempt to sell most of my purges this month... so that I can invest in one or two of my major blog wish list items!

First, I have been oogling one of these Silhouette machines for quite some time:






Imagine the labels I could create with that amazing machine!  My Etsy shop could totally ROCK and expand and become so much more inclusive!  I am such a dreamer!

Secondly, I also have been pinching pennies for this little guy:



I think that a flip cam would be a great way to add additional content to this here blog.  Things like a home tour and video organizing tutorials and more interaction with all of you fabulous friends.... Oh it could be grand!  {Yes, I saw Cisco just announced that they decided to botch the flip cam!  I was shocked, however, I am still looking into one or something similar}

Of course I know they would be great tools for expanding this blog and business, however, it takes time to tuck away a penny here and a penny there... 
So I am selling my goods this month as I purge.  And whatever doesn't get sold by the end of the month, heads off to be donated.  No regrets.  Because living with less is a good thing.  Items that aren't being used are just taking up valuable storage space in our itty bitty casa, and cause headaches, clutter and visual distractions.

So, how did I do after my first week?

So after purging my Living Room items, I made a grand total of $148.56!!  Not a bad start right?!

Two items didn't sell.  My DVD cam which I listed on Craigslist and a pair of shoes I listed on eBay.  I am going to try listing both in opposite locations one last time before I just decide to donate/recycle them.  The shoes will go on Craigslist and the DVD cam will head to eBay.  I will let you know what happens!

But back to the kitchen!  I was a purging machine in there!  I filled up our entire kitchen table with goodies that I am saying goodbye to this month!  Wanna see?


Yeah, I really attacked my kitchen with a vengeance.  I was actually torn on a couple of things... but I know if my heart that it's time to let go....


We haven't been using this dry erase calendar ever since I started placing my daily planner on the counter and created our household management binder and tossed up a chalkboard in the kitchen

We also haven't been using some of our cookbooks.  Some yes, some no... plus, with the power of the internet and every fabulous recipe online, I could probably even purge more!


The plates on top were part of a set of 6.  I really liked one {it stayed}... one broke, and the other four have been sitting in my home accessories cabinet for a year.  Goodbye.


The red bean pot/casserole dish has never been used.  Not once.  And we have had it for almost a year.  I purchased it from a friend that was hosting a party.  I felt obligated.  This is an example where I need to be stronger saying no.  Because now I am stuck with something I didn't really need.  Oh boo.  The tray, not so much my style anymore... either is the oven mitt , and I have a couple others so it's not needed either.  And the batter bowl... never been used either...

 
The highchair... my four year old is slightly too big {giggle}.


I know everyone needs three coffee makers.  Right?  No?

My Tassimo was biting the dust.  And the pods were a little more pricey than regular coffee, so I switched to a regular coffee machine.  Tried it, hated it.  Couldn't make a cup of coffee even close to the espresso concoction I brew with my Tassimo.  So I found a great new Tassimo on eBay, and now I have two extras floating around the home.  So silly.  So unnecessary.  The old Tassimo needs a little love and a replacement part... not sure what I will end up doing with it.  It was my morning bff for almost two years...


The salad spinner.  Great idea.  Takes up a ton of space.  Used once or twice.  Kids think it's cool.  Had for about two years.


Typically happy four year old boy, goes by the name of Parker.  Is currently on roller skates {not shown}.  Loves legos, making people laugh and snuggling.  Couldn't part with this one....  some things just gotta stay.


Divided kid's plates... too small for any of the mouths I have been feeding.


Gift from my mom.  I already had corn cob holders... no duplicate kitchen gadgets allowed!


Time for my water works.  I used to think I had a phobia of the word, "Collect".  And then I realized that I in fact do collect... mugs and kids.  I have too many mugs and as much as I seem to love them in every shape, color and size... I don't need as many as I have.  I always use the same couple that are my favorite, so those stay, the rest go.

And for the bitter sweet ending to this purging story.  Canisters.  I love me some canisters!



These baking canisters absolutely don't fit the way I live and have my kitchen organized.  I tried to squeeze the clear ones in my spice cabinet.  Drove me nuts.  I tried to keep canisters on my counter.  I really just don't have the space.  And those Orla Kiely pear canisters... don't even get me going!  Cutest canisters created!  And over the last couple of years, they have gone to my sell pile, and then come back out, gone back in, come back out.  Can I do it this time?  YES!  Do I still love them?  YES!  Do I have the space?  No.  Do they match my ending vision of my kitchen?  No.


So there you have it!  Such a weird mix and match of belongings... and the why's to their existence in the purge pile.  There are some other random items making their way to the pile as well, such as an old utensil holder, a salad crisper, old mixing bowls... And wondering about gadgets?  Those were purged back in this post when I organized our kitchen drawers.  I am happy to report nothing has been missed and the drawers still look the same today, which is perfect proof that less is more and it can be done!

Now I have the fun task of listing and selling substantial items, and adding others straight to the donate pile... more on that soon!

Oh, and I did purge down a couple of food items from my cabinets, but it was minimal since we try to keep them pretty paired down and meal plan per our current inventory.  But food items definitely count in the kitchen purging process!  Other things that I didn't need to let go but to think about are pots and pans and baking supplies.  We have the one in one out program that we stick to pretty hard core when it comes to cookware since we have a really small kitchen...

So how has the purging been going on your end?  Anyone make any moola from their living room purges?  What items have you been saying goodbye to in the kitchen so far?  Who feels as WONDERFUL as I do, about this month's challenge? 



I decided a little challenge would be fun! This month we are spending the next thirty days saying goodbye to thirty things {OR MORE!}!  Wanna Join in?  Take photos and blog about your awesomeness as you go!  I am hoping to do a giant, "We did it!" celebratory post where we can all link up our purging success stories at the end of the month!

38 comments:

  1. OMG LOL!!!!! Yes def do not part with Mr. Parker over there. He's too cute! Every family needs a lego addict(my husband is one too. haha!)

    Great job! I am going through my kitchen today and will see what I can purge before my move! Thanks Jen!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

    ps; my original rule was not to part with pretty things... but I have pretty things I just don't use (like your pile above) and really really need to find new homes for! A garage sale might be in my future!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow - I can't believe how much you found in your kitchen to get rid of! Great work!

    Tiffany @ The Nest Effect

    http://www.thenesteffect.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Okay, sorry to be an enabler, but www.stitchsteals.com has the silhouette as their daily deal today. =o) Less than $200 including shipping. I ordered mine earlier. I want a flip camera, too, but read earlier this week Cisco is going to stop manufacturing. =o(

    Love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I purged a ton of plastic tupperware and opted to get the set of 12 glass storage containers at crate&barrel for $19.95. I also got rid of the green veggie crisper thing showed in your picture of Parker; they took up way too much space in my fridge.

    With your cookbooks, you can do like what I've been doing is going through them all and scan your favorite recipes to your computer. Because I have an iPad, I've been able to turn my scans into PDFs and put them on Dropbox, so my iPad serves as my master cookbook. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I seriously love those Orla Kiely pear canisters! They would look great in my kitchen!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my gosh, I will buy those Orla Kiely canisters from you RIGHT NOW. :) Are you going to Ebay/CL them? I would looooove to take them off your hands!! Awesome job on the organizing from. I need to do the same thing. Kitchen is okay, but my living room has drawers and drawers full of STUFF.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love those canisters! However I don't want to be a party pooper but I never get rid of them. What about using them on your desk, or in your bathroom, or to store toys on a shelf? The clear ones would be great in the bathroom if you had the space, or on a shelf.

    We love those divided plates here! None of the mouths I'm feeding like to have their food touch hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jen, thanks for sharing the thoughts behind your purge. I recently was at Marshalls and found the cutest little containers and I really, really, REALLY wanted them. But I didn't know what I was going to do with them once I got them home. I was so proud of myself for leaving those treasures for someone else. If they had been white trays, the story would have a different ending. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I wish we lived closer...I'd buy some of your stuff. Almost bought those corn holders this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  10. omg, I have the exact same dry-erase calendar, salad spinner, and similar clear canisters, and was contemplating purging ALL of them for pretty much the same reasons! I started using your home organization printable calendar just last week, and am about to take the dry-erase one off the wall. Thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  11. @nevermelts - trust me, I hear you! Coming from a containerizing addict, it's hard to let go. But really, I have tried putting them to use everywhere and I just don't have the room or matching decor for them and I am a believer in only keeping things that are useful. We just have too much stuff so parting is the way to go!

    xoxo!

    ReplyDelete
  12. To all!

    Message me if you are interested in the Pear Canisters {gotten some interest already}, I will take best offer by end of day tomorrow before I decide if I will end up listing them on eBay.

    Here is a link to the small one on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Orla-Kiely-Stonewear-Canister-Small/dp/B0044NCK1Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1302802266&sr=1-2

    Thanks everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I finally broke down and decided to get rid of my juicer. My best friend is going to receive that. I have a bunch of glasses that I haven't used since moving in to my place, so I'm donating them to goodwill. My sister will probably get some plates that I hate. I have a set or red dishes that I don't use often but I'm keeping those and getting rid of the others. Next Thursday is my pantry purge. AND I plan on pulling out all my tupperware and if there's no longer a matching lid, it's gone!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love the batter bowl, are you sure no price on the kid??

    ReplyDelete
  15. So...I want (almost) all of your purged items!

    ReplyDelete
  16. hey jen! as you know, over on "bovagoods" i am doing 40 trash bags in 40 days for lent. 40 bags of either trash or donations....it feels great! i love that you are purging for your april challenge...it's keeping me focused and inspired. but then again, when don't you inspire me??? XOXO, elisabeth

    ReplyDelete
  17. I used to use my old Salad Spinner in my Pre-school class to make art projects!! I would toss in some white paper, a few marbles, and just squeeze some drops of different colored paint and let them spin away!!!! They loved it! =)

    ReplyDelete
  18. How about another giveaway? Iheart those canisters!

    ReplyDelete
  19. The kitchen is on my list of to-purge. I need to get to it. I think my pile will be even bigger though. My problem is I need to do it when my husband is gone. LOL
    I have the same problem with coffee mugs. Oh and because people know how much I love coffee, I always seem to get them as gifts.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Jen,

    I'm sure you've done your research but just thought I'd mention that my husband got me a Kodak Zi8 for Xmas. I wanted a Flip because I heard how easy they are to use. But he did a lot of research and checked youtube reviews and thought the Zi8 was a better option. He got it hhgreg well under-priced.

    http://store.kodak.com/store/ekconsus/en_US/pd/Zi8_Pocket_Video_Camera/baseProductID.156585800/productID.156585900

    I purge every week and have no idea how I can get stuff of weekly! Its crazy! I'm about to embark on seriously tackling our office - will send you an update when finished = )

    ~ L.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love the look of those ceramic plates! Could you let me know where you plan to sell them so I could see a picture of all four please? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Found you a few weeks back and LOVE your blog. I just got a silhouette for my birthday a LOVE it. You might want to hang on to those clear canisters...I see cutie chalkboard labels all over them! Just an idea!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wait. What? I thought you had a Silhouette. I just tried that deal at stitchsteals.com and it's sold out.

    Love your blog, btw. First time posting a comment.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Without the canisters, how are you going to store your flour, sugar, etc?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love! Love! Love! those canisters! Thought I might be the only one as I was reading your post. Boy, was I wrong!!! They actually DO go with my Kitchen decor. I love pears and these would go great with my collection!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love my Tassimo! It is the best thing next to . . chocolate :-) LOL And the salad spinner made me laugh. I had one - used it a handful of times and than kept moving it from cupboard to cupboard until I gave it away. Maybe if I had a 3000 sq foot kitchen . . ..

    I keep purging over and over - eventually I'll have nothing left :-)

    ReplyDelete
  27. I have that exact same dry erase board calender. All of that stuff is so cute!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I definitely need to do some purging... I never use my salad spinner either :(

    ReplyDelete
  29. yup, still working on my kitchen this week. I have a few spots left to re-arrange. I've been through it SO many times...hopefully this is the last time!! One more thing I have to do is go through and organize my recipes a little better...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ah! You are making me want to purge. Badly. Duplicate kitchen gadgets? Don't even get me started...

    Spring cleaning here I come. Don't know if I will join in the challenge or not, but I already have a giant garage sale pile. Pile, I know. :-(

    Amelia

    ReplyDelete
  31. Have you considered listing your Tassimo on freecycle? That way you could get it out of your house but wouldn't have to put something still usable in a landfill. In addition, someone else would get a Tassimo (maybe that they wanted but couldn't afford) for the price of a replacement part.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I am so happy to have just found your blog! I think people think I'm nuts because I love organizing and being organized so much. (My problem is STAYING organized with six people in the house, most of whom really don't care about the whole organization thing!) Thanks for sharing so many good ideas. I look forward to reading through more of what's here.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Can I buy your canisters? I will pay for the shipping! Please!

    ReplyDelete
  34. where did you sell your sims 2 games? i have the entire collection of sims 2 games to sell, but want to make sure i make at least some profit on them after how much was spent on them. thanks! Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  35. @Anonymous,

    I sold my sims 2 games on ebay. I didn't get much {absolutely no profit}, however, it was more than I would get letting them sit here unused.

    xoxo,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  36. Oh, how exciting!! Will definitely be joining in this!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm REALLY interested in buying those four plates and all the canisters from you! Please let me know if you still have them!! Like, I'm super serious. I know this post is a few months old, so you might not even have them anymore, but I'm in love!! And you've got me started on an organizing kick, so I NEED them!! :) Email me with more info!!

    lindseycrock@gmail.com

    Thanks!
    Lindsey :)

    ReplyDelete
  38. @Lindsey!

    So sorry hun, all of it has been sold or donated. Bummer! Thank you so much for being so sweet!

    xoxo,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking a moment to join in on the conversation! I read and appreciate each and every comment, however, I will remove any comment that I believe to be inappropriate, malicious, or spam-like. I would love for this comment section to be used as a place to engage in purposeful dialogue, I only ask that everyone remains constructive and considerate.

All comments will be moderated and may take a moment to appear.