May Empties and Declutter

Another end of the month, another empties post! 

I finished a quite few things this month and pulled some things out of my drawers that I knew were expired and not okay to use any longer.

Dawn Dish Soap is what we've been using around here consistently because it always seems to have a coupon. I cannot wait until the day I no longer have to buy dish soap and can  just buy dishwasher tabs! Method All-Purpose Spray is a must-have in our apartment. The cucumber scent I have repurchased several times and really like it. There is a scent I'm enjoying more currently but I would definitely purchase this again in the future. Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner is not a super exciting product by any means but is certainly necessary. I always seem to come back to it  no matter what else i try.

BBW Pure White Cotton was a nice candle but not something I would need to repurchase in the future.  I did however love the Vanilla Bean Elixir Candle that I picked up in Home Goods last year. The vanilla smell was amazing and I would definitely repurchase this if I saw it again in the future.

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Conditioner is one of my favorites. Anyone else always finish conditioner before shampoo? I have to change out my hair products regularly but I find this one to work really well. The Garnier Fructis Shampoo and Conditioner samples were just okay. I wouldn't purchase the full size but I'm always willing to give anything a chance. I found my hair to be awful dry after using these but I find that with any Garnier Fructis products.

Bioture Contact Solution is my favorite contact solution that I've tried. I have just been switched to daily contacts so I don't think I will be buying contact solution anymore but if I ever need it, this would be the one I'd buy. I always try to keep something scented in my car and these Car Vent Clips are the easiest way to do it. They keep the car smelling great and are in a nice out of the way location. The Himalayan Mask was interesting. I'm not a huge fan of these sheet masks because they just feel very slimy and I never find them to work super well.  

This might be the best thing I finished this month, Secret of the Islands Scrub is amazing. I've actually already repurchased it because I liked it so much. The Nivea Body Oil was super gross. I much prefer lotion to oil!

If you've been around for awhile you know I'm addicted to Cake Batter Chapstick and finish it up very quickly. I also finished up Nars Laguna awhile ago and decided to toss the rest of Nars Orgasm because it was getting all oxidized and gross.

I had hit pan anyways but this powder was definitely past its expiration!

Finally, here's what I decluttered...

I worked on my face masks and products. These were all past their expiration dates and the concealer had been around forever as well. I feel lighter every month when I toss expired products and use some things up. It's all helping with my less stuff=less stress life!

What have you used up or tossed recently?

Less Stuff, Less Stress: Donating Books

I'm still working on getting rid of all the clutter in my life! When a local art store announced a book sale to support Planned Parenthood I immediately decided I would be cleaning out my books.

I was tougher then I've ever been before when cleaning out my books because my dream was to someday have a library like Beauty and the Beast so I tended to hoard my books. This time I was very honest because there were plenty of books I never planned on reading again...

As you can see a couple of books from my childhood made the donation pile. Mostly are books I absolutely love however I will never read again. PS I Love You was an amazing book that I read twice and sobbed both times but I haven't read it in years and someone else will get more use out of it. I also really enjoyed the Shopaholic books but I will probably never read them again. The greatest part about having my kindle is that if I ever feel the need to read any of these again I can simply download them!

Seventeen books donated and I feel lighter already! What have you donated lately?

#LessStuffLessStress

Less Stuff Less Stress: Using Products Up in 2017

So last year I started using the saying "Less Stuff Less Stress" as I attempted to get rid of items and create a simpler life. 

I'm on the journey again this year because I have accumulated far too much stuff yet again! Well, I don't think I've brought too much stuff in this year, I think I just have too much stuff to begin with and have trouble getting rid of things that I consider useful. My greatest weakness is certainly products.

To show you what I'm talking about I laid all of my lotions out on a towel...

Holy crap right? Now where did all this stuff come from?

Most of the Bath and Body Works lotions are things I actually purchased. Whether it was a great sale, a free item, or just me walking in and insisting I needed something they were mostly me.

I know for sure I purchased the Pure Seduction lotions from Victoria's Secret on recommendation from Elle Fowler's youtube.

Lots of the other items I got for free during couponing or were gifted to me.

No matter how I ended up with them, they are my problem now! This year I will NOT buy products until I use up what I have.

I know for certain I will not finish up all my lotion in a year but some other items I may have to repurchase this year. I only have one face lotion once that is gone I am allowed to purchase another. There are certain items like deodorant or mascara that I don't purchase in bulk so I will need to replace those.

This is the year I get my products under control and I hope you will come along for my journey :)

Less Stuff, Less Stress: End of Summer Update

Hey everyone!

I think my last Less Stuff, Less Stress update was wayyyyyyy back in April! A lot has happened since then and I have quite the collection of items to get rid of. The best part? Since we're moving mid-September, my mom has gotten on board as well and together we have a huge collection of items.

So huge in fact that we are going to be holding a yard sale next weekend. Yikes.

What kind of items are we getting rid of?

Clothes, Jewelry, Childhood Toys, Books, Furniture, Decor, Holiday Items, Electronics, etc...etc...

I guess the better question would be, what are we not getting rid of...

We have stacked a ton of items in the basement and hopefully this weekend we will sell most if not all of them!

Although I'm not thrilled about moving (at all), it has been a great reason to go through all of my stuff and get rid of everything that I don't absolutely need and love. I want to let go of things I don't use so they don't take up precious space in my world! =)

There's still a ton of stuff to go through, and packing isn't exactly coming together easily. Here's the current state of my "to-be moved" items:

Just keeping it real folks!

Now I'm off to sort through some things, while waiting for the Safelite guy to come fix my windshield. (Yes, on top of everything else going on a rock flew up on the highway and cracked my windshield at the end of last week...Oh well, it's annoying but an easy, free fix!)

When you move do you declutter before you move all your stuff? Or do you just box everything up and hope for the best?

Have a great day!

Spring Cleaning and Organizing: Bathroom Spring Cleaning

This weekend I decided to take on the bathroom that my brother and I share. There wasn't a ton to be done, but I knew there were a few products I wanted to pass on to other people. I also wanted a chance to clean up all my bathroom drawers and get everything organized and sanitized.

Here's where I started:

This section of the medicine cabinet is my brothers, so other then some overflowing hand soap, there's nothing in here that concerns me or has anything to do with me.

The middle section has a bunch of my hand soaps and a few shampoos and face products.

This section is what I consider "my side" I keep as many items on these shelves as I can fit in this section. Shampoos, conditioners, bath products, soaps, and face products.

This my top drawer- just toothpaste and toothbrushes mostly.

The second drawer holds bath products, some extra body washes, and other random products.

The bottom drawer holds all feminine products and a few tissues.

Now here's what happened.

The first section of the cupboard remained the same. The second cupboard lost a few products. I had a couple things I wanted to pass on, including an Origins Charcoal Mask. I used it once and didn't care for the way it made my face feel.

The third section changed a little bit as well. I ditched all my Tresemme products since I can't stand them. So those have all been taken out of my cabinet, which is great since that clears up a little bit of room. I also know that if I won't be using them someone else would definitely appreciate them more.

I just cleaned up my toothbrush/toothpaste drawer since it tends to get a little junky.

I took a few items out of this drawer. I replaced my shower cap with a new one and took my shampoo and conditioner samples and moved them to the shower so I would use them sooner.

I only took a before picture of the underneath of the cabinet (keeping it real over here!) but I didn't get rid of anything, just simply tidied it up a little bit. I turned the towels around to make the pile a little bit neater. I moved around the cleaning supplies, shower gels and mouthwashes to create a cleaner look as well.

Now, I have a bag of products to donate and feel like everything is just a little bit neater! Now I encourage you to sort through your products and donate the ones you aren't using.

As you know I am participating in Less Stuff, Less Stress this year and trying to use up products I currently own rather then buying new ones and I'm also working on cleaning out the clutter in my closet, drawers, and life!

This bag will definitely count towards my Less Stuff, Less Stress total!

Less Stuff, Less Stress: April Update!

I thought it was about time to get rid of a few more items! I'm taking this entire year to clear out items that I know I don't use and won't need in the future. 

You have seen me organize my nail polish drawer before, but I thought I would take everything out and check each and every nail polish to see if it was expired.

I decided to line the bottom of this drawer while I was in there.

I took everything out and checked each nail polish. Some had developed gummy residue around the cap, so I decided that I no longer was going to hold onto those. I had one nail polish that was getting watery and separating colors, and two glitter polishes that weren't working well anymore either.

I ended up with four polishes to get rid of and few worn out nail tools.

I quickly went through my hair accessories drawer as well...

A clip and a headband are getting donated this round as well. 

This seems like such a small collection of items to toss out, but a little bit at a time! I will be updating again really soon since more cleaning out has been happening lately!

To see my former Less Stuff, Less Stress updates:

End of February

Kitchen

First Round

Less Stuff, Less Stress- End of February Update!

Hey everyone! 

I figured today would be a great day to update you on my Less Stuff, Less Stress resolution. If you remember I started this project here.

So far I have managed to gather up quite a few items in the kitchen, and I also built up quite a bit of recycling during my file cabinet organization last week. 

I did a quick clean out of a couple areas last week. First, I took a look in my closet and I found a ton of t-shirts that I had been holding onto for sentimental reasons and knew I didn't really need anymore. I find that most of the time I hold onto items for reasons that really don't matter. Do I really need that shirt from the event I attended in 2007? The answer is always, probably not. 

In addition to those shirts, I also ditched a couple of VHS tapes I have been holding onto for sentimental reasons. One was Beauty and the Beast which has always been my favorite Disney movie, however I now have two different versions of it on DVD….so why do I need it on VHS when I can't even watch it? I have finally given it up! The second VHS is The Sound of Music. Now, this VHS used to belong to my grandma who passed away several years ago, and that made it very difficult for me to give it up. It's the movie, not the actual VHS that brings back memories of my grandma- so I will purchase The Sound of Music on DVD and donate the VHS.

Another bag out of my space!

I know there are more things secretly hiding around that are just waiting to be sent to the donation bin, and I will find them over the course of this year!

Have you managed to declutter and create a simpler life for yourself this year? Let me know how you're doing on this project!

Less Stuff Less Stress: Donating and Selling on Ebay

Remember back at the beginning of the year I started my motto for year, "Less Stuff, Less Stress"? Well, I've been busy trying to live a simpler life. I don't want an overwhelming amount of stuff hanging around that I don't use. If there's no reason for an item to be hanging around- then out the door it goes.

I spent a great deal of time sorting through clothing, accessories and office supply items thinking about what I needed and what I no longer wanted. Once I was done I had two full bags of items! Now you might be wondering what I do with everything I want to get rid of. Here's my process!

Clothing and Accessories

 

With clothing and accessories I take a look at each item individually. If it is something that I think someone else might pay for it goes in my Ebay pile (more on that later). If it is not in great condition but still salvageable (something someone might be able to sew), or a brand that doesn't sell well online then I put it in my donation pile. For items like socks and underwear, they get thrown away, as well as any items that are badly stained or have significant rips and tears in them. 

Electronics

Electronics sell very well online or at a flea market and I have done both. For old electronics don't set your sights too high, you will never get a full market value for them, but you can definitely get a fair value on Ebay. 

Electronic accessories (phone cases and the like) sell well also. Just make sure to specify what electronic they are paired with (specific brand and model).

Stuff

I find that with most "stuff" donating is your best bet. I have tried to list quite a few items on Ebay, some sell and some don't. I have made quite a bit of money selling American Girl retired accessories online. I have also managed to make a bit of money on Dreamsicle and Willow Tree collectibles- but many non-brand name items will not sell as quickly. I usually try to sell items a few times on Ebay but if no one is bidding I end up donating them. To me, I would rather get rid of the item then have it hang around in order to make a few bucks.

Selling on Ebay

Selling on Ebay is a great option, but definitely time consuming. Here are some of my biggest tips for being successful on this popular site.

• Don't expect to get what you paid. Chances are your item has been around for years. That jacket you bought for $100 isn't worth $100 anymore. Even if you get $10, that's $10 you didn't have before.
• Take great pictures. Pictures will make or break your selling on Ebay. Put items in natural light and don't use your iPhone to take the pictures. Use a REAL camera to get quality pictures. 
• Take multiple pictures. Make sure you photograph every angle.
• Be Honest. Being honest about stains, rips or defects of any kind allows your buyer to know exactly what they are getting into when they are buying this item. They will have no reason to complain when your item ships to them.
• Ship immediately after they pay. Get your butt to the post office. People want things instantly nowadays. The faster you get it to them the better a review they will give you, meaning more people will buy from you in the future.

This year I will be doing my best to sell or donate as much as possible. You can donate to any place of your choice but I always choose the Salvation Army. My family has been donating to the Salvation Army forever and they make it super easy to drop off items that you no longer want/need. 

Let's clean out the clutter this year guys! Less Stuff= Less Stress!

Less Stuff, Less Stress: Kitchen Edition

Less Stuff, Less Stress took over our kitchen! 

There were a few areas that desperately needed to be organized and thinned out!

The first area was our cupboard where all our tupperware containers are kept. There are a few other items in here such as kitchen appliances we don't use every day. 

This is what it looked like before the clean out...

Now, my first rule of organization, empty everything out! Once you get everything out of a cupboard or drawer you can see what you have and figure out what you don't need!

Then it's time to sort out what you no longer need and then organize the things that you want to keep.

We kept a limited number of tupperware because we really don't use a ton of it. The ice cube trays were tossed, as well as a few bottles of flat soda and paper ware we were never going to use. Any items that could be donated were brought to the salvation army, but a few items needed to be recycled since they were in such poo condition.

Everything fits in so much nicer now!

 We also found some things in other cupboards that had been hanging around for years and were ready to be tossed.

I also spent quite a bit of time organizing our pantry. There were a ton of items that had expired and need to be tossed, as well as a few things to donate to our local food bank.

Here are what the shelves looked like after I finished…no before pictures for this project but I think the after ones turned out well!

I think the cupboards look so much better and are fully stocked for some snacks and meals! Yum =)

Have you completed any Less Stuff, Less Stress projects lately?

Candle Re-Organization!

It's a snowy morning here! We had a blizzard last night- I even got last night and this morning off of work! When the weather gets this gross, I always think I would like to move somewhere without snow….Florida…Southern California…they sound pretty nice right about now!

I have been organizing and cleaning out everything like crazy as you probably already know. One of the quick little projects I recently worked on was changing some organization in my bedroom. I wanted to change my candle organization and use the drawer my candles were previously in for hair tools!

First thing was to clear out a space for my candles...

I chose a spot in my desk cabinet for my candles. This was pretty much wasted space before, and I knew it would fit way more candles then the drawer I had them shoved inside!

Here is a before.

I cleared out the drawer and got it ready for new contents!

Then I sorted my candles and organized them.

These hair tools were in a bin on top of my jewelry armoire and I HATED how it looked. So messy.

Everything is nice and tucked away now!

When I did this project it was before Christmas, some of these candles were Christmas presents that I used as place holders to show how much will fit in this cupboard. I did receive quite a few candles for Christmas…so this collection is pretty accurate!

Here is my cupboard, complete with filler candles! If you are curious about the candles that I do have, I will have them listed at the bottom of this post.

I love to burn candles, and if I'm hanging around the house you can guarantee that I have something burning in my room. During the spring and summer I love any coconut scent, fall is all about my Leaves candles from Bath and Body Works, and winter is for Christmas cookie scents and cinnamon.

What are your favorite candle scents?

Here is a list of my current candle collection:

Bath and Body Works Coco Lobo
Yankee Candle Tranquil Beach
Bath and Body Works Palm Beach Cooler
Winter Berries
Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland
Yankee Candle Turquoise Sky
Bath and Body Works Tiki Beach
Kitchen Krumblers
Kitchen Krumblers
Kitchen Krumblers
Yankee Candle Amber Sunset Tealights (23)
Jolly Rancher Berry Blue
Bath and Body Works Tiki Beach
Bath and Body Works Caribbean Escape
Bath and Body Works Palm Beach Cooler
Bath and Body Works Leaves
Yankee Candle Golden Sands
Bath and Body Works Leaves
Candles by Victoria Edward Cullen
Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel
Bath and Body Works Leaves
Bath and Body Works Leaves
Bath and Body Works Leaves
Bath and Body Works Leaves
Bath and Body Works Merry Cookie
Bath and Body Works Merry Cookie
Bath and Body Works Merry Cookie
Yankee Candle Christmas Cookie
Bath and Body Works Lavender Vanilla
Diamond Candles Watermelon Wedge
Diamond Candles Island Getaway

((yes, I know I'm a little bit obsessed with candles! And you will probably see them again in an empties post sometime in the future!))