SDD Clutter Free Day 12: Under Bed Storage Totes

Under bed storage totes: Amazon Search

It's Day 12 of the So Damn Domestic Clutter Free Countdown, and that means 19 more items decluttered! Today I focused on the storage totes I keep under my bed. I wasn't very ruthless with these. Most of the items stored are things I don't need frequent access to, but am comfortable holding on to. For example, the speaker stands for my ipod dock. They're wall-mounted right now, so I don't need the stands, but it's perfectly reasonable to think I might want them when I move.

I can imagine the benefits of getting rid of all gift wrap. Instead of storing rolls of wrapping paper, I could always use gift bags. I would buy them for each gift at the time of gifting, and be done with it. Not to mention the possibility of giving experiences as gifts and not using wrapping products at all. 

Losing the gift wrap would free up an entire tote. It's something to keep in mind if I have to downsize to a smaller apartment (or just a bedroom in a shared space), but for now, the gift supplies are happy where they are.

What I did declutter made a big difference. And, more importantly, for today's purposes, I got those totes organized. Technically, this is a "getting rid of stuff" challenge, not a "make the stuff neater" challenge, but organizing those totes is a step towards simple living for me.

What happened was, when I moved, both totes slid out of the truck and smashed on the freeway. Luckily, it was the freeway near Bellingham, WA, which isn't super crowded. My brother was driving and a stranger stopped to help him pick up as much as they could.

I bought replacement totes and shoveled the stuff into them for the long move to California. It's one year later and, though I'd taken them out and used items from them, I hadn't removed everything, sorted it, and put it back in any intentional way. Now I won't have to guess which items are in which tote.

Day 12: 19 Items Decluttered

1. Address labels for a residence I no longer inhabit.

2. Ceramic pen-holder shoe. I find this item quite charming and like have quirky things like this, but it's the least practical of my three pen holders. Plus I like the look of my desk when it's more minimal.
3. Necklace extender packaging. I put the extenders on their intended necklaces. The goal is to get the necklace to hang over the shirt instead of getting lost under it.
4. Fish beads bookmark. I touched this and immediately thought of someone to give it to.
5-7. Sandal hangers. Obviously unused.
8. Brochures from exhibits we didn't even stay to look at in D.C. years ago.
9. Magazine cut outs for collages I'll never make.
10. Catalogs used to make character inspiration boards for the novel that lives in my head.
11. Valentine's stickers. I don't have a lot of Valentine's to give stickers to, now that I'm not in elementary school being forced to celebrate Valentine's Day.
12. "Sorry" board game. Just not feeling it, really.
13. Fairy wings. My out-of-town friend's impromptu Halloween costume last year.
14. Skirt that's too small and has a broken zipper. It was in the tote with my craft stuff, as if feeling crafty, I was magically going to want to mend the zipper on it. (I did like that skirt though.)
15-18. Fake eyelashes. The last million times I tried to wear these I promised myself, "Never again." It's time to live up to that promise.
19. Cat tent. This was a hand-me-down when a friend's cat wouldn't use it. Jolie loved it, but there's no good surface to keep it on with this apartment layout. I've avoided throwing it away because I feel guilty tossing that much toy-grade plastic. (I just made up that term. I don't know if it's real.) The fabric's pretty worn out, but I'll see if someone wants it. (Okay, having second thoughts. Jolsie's so cute in that thing! Ack!)
Plus! Button from old comforter, button of adorable cow that's rusted on the back and has no pin, and random chain thingy.

See? It's not really that much emptier, but it is MUCH neater.
Under bed storage totes: Amazon Search