Well, it's a new year, a new start, and after lots of fretting and waffling and hand wringing over the state of my home, a saviour has arrived in the form of Clean Person Jolie Kerr. I discovered her by way of Jezebel, in her super amazing column, Ask A Clean Person which some may remember from her time at The Hair Pin.
I danced around The January Cure over at Apartment Therapy, because I want to be a clean person NOW! NOW! NOW! However I was overwhelmed by the rapid pace of the program, the weekend timelines (I work as a server on the weekends so putting things off until MY "weekend" just made me feel behind and all failure like. Boo, hiss) the vagueness of the advice, and the cost of a few of the projects I need to tackle (Paint, containers, etc...)
But then, THEN hope arrived when I saw a post in my mailbox last week from Jezebel, The Year of The Clean Person: Your 2014 Cleaning Calendar. Jolie is devoting a little time each month throughout 2014 to specific kinds of destashing, detrashing, and otherwise destressing the home. B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T. Because I can be a notorious procrastinator, and because I can be easily overwhelmed (read: I don't always finish things,) this lengthier guided timeline is great. Instead of me wasting time explaining it entirely, read it here.
January is devoted to making a list of projects and areas that need attention in the home. I have lots of more intensive projects, so the idea of addressing things a bit at a time in a designated monthly schedule seemed less daunting. I just broke up my list and applied different items to the related topics on Jolie's calender, and signed up for the Year of the Clean Person (YoCP) newsletter mailing list, and now I feel like I might actually get this stuff done sooner rather than later-sometime-maybe-never. YAY!
Because I knew I'd be hosting my sister and 8-year old nephew for a week beginning at the end of January, I sort of jumped into the cleaning right away, since my room was a nightmare not unlike one Jolie's letter writers not so long ago. Egads. K-Bug and DJ were going to need a place to sleep, and I was tired of feeling embarrassed every night Mr. Hyde stays over (what does he see in me? OMG seriously.)
So here it is: my YoCP plan in black and white for all the interwebs to see (hows that for accountability, hmm?)
JANUARY: Make Your List
Okay! It took the whole damn month, but I also finally cleaned out the pantry shelves, started making my bed everyday and cleaned my room!
FEBRUARY: Reclaim Your Bookshelf
MARCH: Make Your Bedroom Beautiful!
I've already started making my bed everyday, which is truly an amazing feat. As such, I will use this month to finish all those little projects I've half started to make the bedroom truly a sanctuary. And I also need better lighting.
APRIL: Clean Out Your Desk
I plan on probably moving again at the end of the summer, so I'd rather reschedule Create Your Dream Bathroom for later in the year when I'm settled into someplace new. Since April is also tax month, it seems like the ideal time to go through paperwork, organize my office, and to make sure I'm well prepared to make a stiff cocktail at a moments notice...
MAY: Winter Clothes Purge
JUNE: Organize Your Kitchen
JULY: Shoe Purge
AUGUST: Clean Out Your Fridge & Pantry
Since I'll be moving at the end of the month, August seems like a good deadline to use up, get rid of, and otherwise organize anything in this category. I hate packing and transporting food, ugh.
SEPTEMBER: Summer Clothes Purge/Winter Prep
OCTOBER: Create Your Dream Bathroom
NOVEMBER: Take Care Of Those Finishing Touches
With the holidays around the corner and hopefully a new, more permanent residence, I'd like to finish those projects for the public spaces in my home where guests will be entertained.
January is devoted to making a list of projects and areas that need attention in the home. I have lots of more intensive projects, so the idea of addressing things a bit at a time in a designated monthly schedule seemed less daunting. I just broke up my list and applied different items to the related topics on Jolie's calender, and signed up for the Year of the Clean Person (YoCP) newsletter mailing list, and now I feel like I might actually get this stuff done sooner rather than later-sometime-maybe-never. YAY!
Because I knew I'd be hosting my sister and 8-year old nephew for a week beginning at the end of January, I sort of jumped into the cleaning right away, since my room was a nightmare not unlike one Jolie's letter writers not so long ago. Egads. K-Bug and DJ were going to need a place to sleep, and I was tired of feeling embarrassed every night Mr. Hyde stays over (what does he see in me? OMG seriously.)
So here it is: my YoCP plan in black and white for all the interwebs to see (hows that for accountability, hmm?)
JANUARY: Make Your List
Okay! It took the whole damn month, but I also finally cleaned out the pantry shelves, started making my bed everyday and cleaned my room!
FEBRUARY: Reclaim Your Bookshelf
- Clean and organize metro shelves in den as pantry and storage
- Create craft and sewing storage in living room closet
- Hang curtain rod in office area
- Hang closet system on bedroom wall
- Hang shelves over desk
- Clean out, breakdown, and discard cube shelf
- Purchase third bookcase
- Sort books, clean bookcases, and relocate to west wall
- Burn CDs to computer, back up on Google cloud
- Throw out, sell, or giveaway books, DVDs and CD's I won't be keeping
MARCH: Make Your Bedroom Beautiful!
I've already started making my bed everyday, which is truly an amazing feat. As such, I will use this month to finish all those little projects I've half started to make the bedroom truly a sanctuary. And I also need better lighting.
- Paint and assemble head and footboard
- Hang mesh canopy and inner curtains
- Hang full-length mirror
- Add bedskirt and extra pillows
- Buy underbed bins to store extra linens and seasonal clothing
- Hang curtains in living room & office
- Buy additional floor lamps for living room
APRIL: Clean Out Your Desk
I plan on probably moving again at the end of the summer, so I'd rather reschedule Create Your Dream Bathroom for later in the year when I'm settled into someplace new. Since April is also tax month, it seems like the ideal time to go through paperwork, organize my office, and to make sure I'm well prepared to make a stiff cocktail at a moments notice...
- Replace desk
- Purchase file cabinet, organize files
- Clean computer tower inside and out
- Make doors for, reorganize and restock bar cabinet
MAY: Winter Clothes Purge
- Throw out, sell, or donate clothes, jewelry, and accessories I'm not keeping
- Organize clothes, jewelry and accessories I am keeping
- Take any sweaters or coats needing repairs or cleaning to GET IT DONE!
- Finish coffee table project
- Finish brass lamp and chandelier
JUNE: Organize Your Kitchen
- Complete soaping setup
- Transfer dry goods to storage containers
- Organize Spices
- Organize cat area
- Organize under sink area
JULY: Shoe Purge
- Throw out, sell, or donate shoes I'm not keeping
- Organize shoes I'm keeping
- Take any shoes needing repairs to GET IT DONE!
- Paint dining table
- Replace dining chairs
AUGUST: Clean Out Your Fridge & Pantry
Since I'll be moving at the end of the month, August seems like a good deadline to use up, get rid of, and otherwise organize anything in this category. I hate packing and transporting food, ugh.
- Start packing for move
- Paint new apartment
SEPTEMBER: Summer Clothes Purge/Winter Prep
- Throw out, sell or donate clothes, jewelry and accessories I'm not keeping
- Organize linen closet
OCTOBER: Create Your Dream Bathroom
NOVEMBER: Take Care Of Those Finishing Touches
With the holidays around the corner and hopefully a new, more permanent residence, I'd like to finish those projects for the public spaces in my home where guests will be entertained.
- Make planchet coasters
- Install a wine rack
DECEMBER:The Holidays Are Busy Enough- Take A Break And Admire The Work You Did This Year!
Well, okay!
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