I Should've Bought That Stock in Hefty Bags

I am the de-cluttering queen. This weekend, the great cleanup began in Suburbia. A quick search of my blog reveals that I have posted about the need to get a handle on the pit that is our upstairs game room no fewer than nine times since December. The references increase in frequency as we near the conclusion of the summer and my relatively more relaxed work schedule.

So, finally, this weekend I decided to actually do something about it rather than type about it. A novel concept, I know. Over the course of two days, I cleaned out the dressers and closets for all three kids and myself. I'm embarrassed to admit that I sent five full lawn-size Hefty bags of clothes and shoes to Goodwill from my closet alone. But, now, not one thing that I haven't had on my body in the last year is residing in my closet. It's a good feeling. I also have all the kids' clothes to the point that they can put away their laundry in an organized fashion and actually have room to see what they own. I found several pairs of jeans that previously belonged to Swim Chick that Gym Girl has deemed wearable, decreasing my need for school shopping considerably. Gym Girl is my child with clothing sensitivity, so the broken-in feel of hand-me-downs is good. I just can't guarantee that the fit and style will be right for her. Of the seven pairs of jeans I thought would work (and I tossed several pairs on sight), she kept three.

While I was on the closet odyssey, Adventure Guy tackled the much-dreaded game room. His dad generously purchased computers for the kids as an early Christmas present, and this gift provided the catalyst for the cleaning frenzy. The time had come for the game room to move from toy depository to usable space. We purchased new computer desks and then literally excavated the floor, cabinets, and bookshelves until we discovered a room where people could actually bring guests as well as hang out and play games, work on crafts, and enjoy the air hockey table without dodging lots of cheap plastic crap that was thrown around the floor. I'm so excited about how nice it looks now, that I want to paint and work on the rest of the general decor. Anyone have a good recommendation for a slipcover company? The dreaded circa 1970s couch that Adventure Guy inherited from his mother to take to college is still in the game room, 17 years after I made Adventure Guy agree as part of our prenuptial arrangements to get rid of it as our main living room furniture. After all, "It makes a bed!" Just ask him, he'll tell you. The fact that it is also hideously ugly (think squares in many shades of brown) is beside the point in his book.

I should have taken before and after pictures, but, alas, I did not. I'll try to remember to do so when we tackle the last remaining task in our de-cluttering frenzy: the study. As I remarked to Adventure Guy when we finished the game room, "Quick we've got to paint this place and put it on the market. It's never going to look this good again." In reality, I plan on staying and enjoying the fruits of our labor!