Power Purging

Bonnie has been posting about her 5-minute purges and it is more than past time that I get some purging done around here too.  Items have been moved from room to room for a while to clean up for the holiday festivities and most has been dumped in the guest room

I started with emptying the dining room and removing the dreaded wallpaper.  And by I, I really mean handyman Bob did the work with me directing.  LOL!  I've hated that paper since we moved her 12 years ago.  We had removed a similar paper from the walls of our first house more than 20 years ago and I remember what a nightmare that was.  I didn't have any help back then... but now... handyman Bob to the rescue.

He removed the paper, prepped the walls, cut in and painted in a total of about 8 hours work over two days... completed just in time to set the table for Thanksgiving dinner!

I still need to deal with that shelf in the corner and am in search of a curtain topper, but at least we had a clean and neat space for dinner.  I also have plans to set up an office/work table along that back wall, and maybe make some wall hangings to decorate.

Everything... all the clutter from the living and dining rooms was dumped in here on and around the guest bed.  I forgot to get a picture when I started, but there really is a bed under that mess.

The rocker hubby bought me for rocking my babies 27 years ago has been taking up room in here and preventing me from easily accessing that empty dresser...  So, that got moved downstairs for now.  Eventually my youngest daughter plans on taking it to her home.

With the rocker out of the way I was able to access the desk and dresser area and I sorted through piles of paperwork and stuff and organized my "filing system" for bills and records keeping into hanging files in those boxes on the dresser.   

I belong to several different church and community groups and I have a tote or two for each group with necessary paperwork;  they all got placed into the drawers of that empty dresser.  I still need to deal with the desk top, but it will be ok... for now.

The boxes of toys and other stuff tossed on and around the bed have been neatened up, sent to Goodwill or thrown in the trash.   I used two of the 3-drawer bins I had bought to organize my fabric stash and filled them with all the little cars, planes and McDonalds toys that the grandson plays with when here. I think I need a couple of large totes to put all his stuffed animals, bigger cars and toys in.  This dresser piled with stuffies has several changes of clothes for him and some spares for his brother when he visits too.

In the corner by the bed is an ottoman that folds out into a cot that I hope my second grandson will agree to sleep on one day.  Also a wicker hamper full of spare sheets and baby blankets and some stuffed animals.

The bed is now actually usable ... and I plan to encourage my grandson to sleep in here rather than on the crib mattress at the foot of my bed.  He has outrown that mattress and I am ready for him to be in a separate room. I'm a light sleeper and don't get enough sleep on the weekends with him rolling around or making little noises or laughing in his sleep.

When we first moved here I did that library shelf stenciling and made the quilt and curtains to match.  The original bed was much smaller... looks like I need to make another quilt to fit this queen size guest bed.... and maybe a wall hanging or two in here also.

I am really happy with the results of this purging... hubby is too.  Now I just have to keep it that way!