What a week! I can't tell you how wonderfully, exhausting this past week was. I went through my entire house and decluttered! I also went back through and reorganized. It's not perfect yet but it feels so great to finally have a start. I wanted to post for you my before and afters. Maybe you can get a feel for how much this changed me.

First, I want to start with the 'Why?' Some of you might be questioning why would I do this for myself. Another part of you might be asking 'How?!' Luckily you are getting the answer to both those questions. Why I started... So I became a stay at home mom a couple months ago. I was not loving it because I couldn't keep my house clean. Isn't that my whole identity now? Aren't I supposed to have a beautiful home? What else would I do all day if it's not clean? Yet not matter the rotations (Monday-Bedrooms, Tuesday-Kitchen, etc.) I could not seem to manage to make that big of a dent. All I did was clean all day... I felt like I never had time to play with my son because I had to clean. I knew that I had to make a change.

I read the book The Art of Tidying Up . It really helped me to see how to let go of things I don't need and live life to the fullest. You need to touch everything and decide, "Does it spark joy?" I was amazed at how many things I thought I loved but I really didn't. It is an amazing concept. I am so grateful my friend offered to let me borrow it. I read it in a couple days and was ready to go. I am the type of person that when I find something that would make my life easier I want to do it right away. Unfortunately I had to wait about a week until I had a day free. I sent my child to grandma's and had a couple of great friends come over and I was ready to start. The whole house in one day. No big deal...
Even with two wonderful extra hands we were not finished. I felt kinda of frustrated. Did I really have that much stuff that it took that long? My living space looked like a mess even though my closets and upstairs were beautiful. The next day I decided to just tackle my kitchen. I HIGHLY suggest you do not attempt to declutter with children around. My child was not helping my stress or the mess. So that day I finished a majority of the kitchen but my living space still looked like a bomb went off. The next day I got a babysitter and cleaned my living space so I felt accomplished. Then I worked on my pantry/laundry room and basement. I am not finished with the basement since it will be a preschool and I am figuring out the set up still. However I would say a majority of it was finished. So it took me a total of three days. I bet it could have been taken down to two if you still had help and sitters.

It has been completely worth it. Every thing now has a home. It's not crammed with other things and I don't have to store clutter anymore! I actually feel a huge weight lifted off me. I will talk a little about each space in the links below. I can't wait to show you my space! It's super vulnerable but here its goes! That includes all the "hiding spaces!"