not perfect but on my way

Here are the "during picture of my basement. I had great intentions of finishing up last night but the kids had other plans. Neither one of them could get to sleep or stay asleep. That's what I get for making plans! I worked for 1/2 an hour and took some pictures and went to bed.

Having my daughters birthday party in the basement should be fine, I have some work to do but I'l get'r done.

I still have to get all the garbage bags out and the stuff to Goodwill (exersaucer, games, books, etc) so it is sitting in the middle of the room. I plan on moving all the Christmas stuff to the corner by the furnace, maybe tonight.

Hubby will take out the white dresser which used to be full of stuff (NOW IT'S EMPTY) and the surplus shelves (yes I have extra shelves, :o) out to the garage. Then we are pulling out the nasty carpet.

I will do some nice before and after shots when I am done and maybe add a picture of it decorated for the party.

Thanks for following my journey to a clutter free life!!!!! One room at a time we are getting there.

Basment discoveries.....

Interesting things I found & kept...

• a really old batman comic, a donald duck one and lots of Archies
• McDonalds treat of the week Atlas from 1980 (I remember getting it and using it!!)
• a letter I wrote to Myah on her first birthday
• tea lights that smell like birthday cake (burned one while cleaning, mmm)
• tons of blank greeting cards that I can't find when I need them
• keychain size etch-a-sketch (thrilled Myah)
• t-shirt my hubby proposed to me with (said 'will you marry me' on back)
• my college diploma which I have been looking for, yea!
• lots of great photos including mine & Jason's baby pictures
  
  
  Interesing things I found and pitched...
  
• strip joint keychain & banner (from hubbys glory days lol)
• ribbons from years of funeral bouquets
• all cards since our wedding, I bet there was over 200 cards ( I saved a few nice covered ones for my bulletin board)
• boxes & instruction manuals to everything electronic we have ever owned
• whole bunch of decorative stuff we got as wedding presents ( 10 years ago) that just don't match anymore (frankly they never did, lol)
• really old Easter candy still in the basket, ewwww
• so many toys and old clothes
• 12 sets of sheets, who the heck needs that many!!!

One thing I learned is that my children love old crap, my kids had so much fun going through the drawers to find lots of great things. Myah's favourites were mini cards, keychains, old photos, books, old cards to play credit cards with. Drew loved the screwdrivers, paper, markers and a dead cricket. That's my boy! lol

That's all for now, pictures coming soon!

finishing touches

I will take photos tonight and get some on the site but it is looking awesome! I have a new deadline (i work better with one) because we are going to have my daughters' birthday party in the basement!! Having a bunch of people over is such great incentive.

Most of the junk is out, the shelves are installed and full of nicely labelled boxes. All the extra coats & clothes are on a rack, many bags of things were take to goodwill and the dump. The old 9 drawer dresser which was completely full is now empty and ready to go out.

I really can't believe the stuff I had in there for years....... it is soooo nice to get it cleaned up. I also have to clean the rest of the house before the party. Busy week but it feels so freeing when I go downstairs now.