Mini cleanse!

So we've been slowly sorting and cleaning our house in our quest for simplification.  It sure is slow going through.  We seem to be making a lot more mess before we will have less!

However we have two small success areas to report on for now, with more to follow very, very soon!

First up: the front entry way.   This is it before more or less.

It was home to just about anything.  The stroller in particular cluttered it up and because I use it very little it tended to more be a holder for bags and junk then actual baby transport.    We did have two boxes to help organize stuff but even when properly used they still looked cluttered (and were mostly full of stuff we don't actually use!  Minimalist Mom had a nice post about baskets you can read here.  Also, you can't see it this photo, but between the outside door and the inside door, there is hooks and a shoe rack, again full of stuff we don't use.  Those got a whipping up too;

Ahh, much nicer!  Just two things to do, one, make a proper cover for the box seat (done actually, just don't have a photo) and get a nicer once piece carpet, rather than or mash of three (which are pretty old and ratty anyways!)  So now our stuff (the stuff we actually use) has a home in the bench box (repurposed from our bedroom were it stored old video tapes, yes old video tapes)  And the stroller is in our back hall folded up to be taken out when needed!

Next up, the back deck.

Before, a huddle of as much stuff as possible under our overhang, whether it needed to be there or not!

Yes, that is old trim and windows you see.  Donations from our lovely neighbours when they replaced theirs.  I'm keeping them as some of ours need replacing, but I want to keep the old windows, and some of his were in better shape to be restored.  And the trim is to put in our bathroom to replace the crappy standard trim a previous owner put in when they haphazardly renovated our bathroom.  I plan to bring back its original glory some day.  I realized stockpiling stuff doesn't mesh so well with our simplifying plans, but I feel it necessary in this case (and cheaper than buying it new later!)

Now it looks like this;

Note that we can actually get in our door now!  I know it still looks like a lot of stuff, but first I'll mention that we have NO garage or shed, so some stuff we use regularly must just live on our deck.  That's our bikes under cover on the right (for the rain0, our bike trailer for Squiggles, some tools (rake, shovel)  Otherwise behind the BBQ is our recycling bins, and in the deck box is small things like small tools, seat pillows etc.  I still want to purge the box, but time ran out! And I'm happy we got it as tidy as we did!

Now if only we could get around to tackling our dreaded office and guest room.  Anyone want to come and stay here? :)