#noshop19 Month 1 Update

Yup. You read that right. In case you missed my new year's post. This year, I have given up shopping. Well, I have given up shopping for myself. No clothing, no accessories, no skincare, nothing for ME. Yes, I can still shop for my son, and yes, I can still shop for my husband. And yes, not to worry, I can still go grocery shopping. But for me, an AVID and what some might call a professional-bargain-hunter, giving up shopping for a year is no joke.

How has it been? Well, first of all, I will admit, it has been eye-opening for sure. The amount of time I spent scrolling randomly for good deals because of a "FLASH SALE" too good to pass up was bonkers. Plus, Poshmark has kind of sucked me in over the last two years for little things here or there because I have credits. So if it REALLY shopping?! {yes, it is really shopping, in my book at least}

A few things that helped me with this overwhelming and quite large personal challenge:

1. I unsubscribed from emails.

Like over 1000. Yeah, I know. It was crazy. And I've had to do it again because for some reason they subscribed me back! But, let me tell you how easy it has been to read my email each day. Mere minutes now, versus a good hour or more before!

2. I purged and sorted my closet.

This was a lot. I hear people spend a few hours doing it. I spent a week. And a few hours each day of that week to get through it. Yeah, it took a lot of time. But was it worth it? You better believe it. I have such an appreciation of what's in there now. And if I don't wear it this year, it's going. There's no need for me to have it "in case". In case what? I need that seventh white tee shirt. Nope.

I also had a lot of crap. Crap I didn't need. So the crap went.

I also was holding on to smaller sizes and bigger sizes because of the "what if". Well, what if I only had what fits me now and stayed with what fit me instead of allowing myself to fluctuate. Hmmmm. Life changing thought process right there.

And since taking these pictures, I am still parting with things. Like I've gotten rid of three pair of shoes so far.

3. I consigned and 'Poshmarked' things I no longer want or need.

I sorted what I was parting with and that also took a lot of time. I sorted into donations, regular consignment store, upscale consignment store, and Poshmark. I had a lot of accessories and jewelry I didn't wear anymore. A lot of presents and gifts. A lot of stuff. Just stuff. Why so much stuff?!

4. I unfollowed 1000 influencers on Instagram.

THIS. WAS. and IS. LIFECHANGING. Bloggers are now influencers and influencers are "swipe up and shop this must have item" and it was killing me! Why did I need another blue striped tunic? Or another pair of sandals? Or that adorable cardigan from Target?! As soon as I sat back and truly looked at who I was following who was putting out meaningful content to me, I unfollowed. And boy, it feels great!

5. I refuse to swipe up.

Don't do it. Just, Say. No. You don't need it. I swear.

6. I put my personal goal out into the universe.

I put it out here, on my blog. I put it out in my style insiders group on Facebook. I put it out on Instagram. And you know what? I lost several HUNDRED followers because of it. But guess what? Who cares.

7. I told my husband. 

This was the hardest! He asked me if I was ok! If I was sure?! Can I do it?! Duuuuude... I'm SO doing it now! Watch me.

8. I plan on rewarding myself when I make it. Not IF I make it.

Yep. Because I'm going to do it. Just watch me.

In my first month, here's what I bought outside of groceries and household needs. 
- Socks for my toddler. 18 cents. I had rewards at Old Navy and they were on sale. 12 pair, out of pocket 18 cents.
- 3 pair of boot socks for me. I had Loft rewards that were expiring. I needed a new pair of boot socks. I went in and they were on sale, so I was able to get 3 pair instead of one and not spend anything out of pocket because I just used rewards.
- Leopard Loeffler Randall booties via Poshmark. They arrived in January but I had bid on them in December and my offer was accepted. And I've worn them 4 times already. But I didn't BUY them in 2019 so it doesn't count. I'm just including it because it was added into my closet in 2019.

So, do you think I'm nuts? Insane? Stupid? Brave? All of the above? I honestly cannot believe I actually decided to do it. I mean seriously, I am a shopper. That's what I do. It's what I'm known for. I'm the bargain hunter, the deal finder, the stylist, I am THE SHOPPER.

Operation Organization: The Linen Closet

Today, I tackled our linen closet. I am an organizer. It's what I do. HOWEVER, the linen closet is the death of me. It had turned into this dark hole where things just get thrown into and aren't seen again. I've been saying for weeks (scratch that... make that MONTHS) that I'm going to empty it out and organize ti to be functional. Well, oh happy day has come and after almost four hours, we have an organized, functional linen closet, all sorted and ready for optimal use.

Here's how my day went...



This is the before. I kid you knot. Have you seen my office?! Have you seen my master closet?! Have you seen my kitchen cabinets and pantry?! I kid you not, I am an organized person. But everyone has that black hole. Remember the closet Monica had on Friends? The one no one ever opened and then that one episode they opened it?! Yep- this is THAT closet for me. Ugh. So, it's now out in the open. This was my downfall and the thorn in my side.

Tackle time.

Step #1: Empty the closet.



Yep. I totally emptied it. Seriously, it's one of the deepest closets I've ever seen. One day when we do a home remodel or have a weekend of nothing to do, I want to redo the shelving in it. It is, and I kid you not, plywood painted white. Super simple, very basic, but not the best wood, some parts are warped, but you know what, it works!

Step #2: Sort what was in the closet.

(at this point I was VERY grateful that we have an empty room in our house because it made for easy sorting!)







I sorted into piles. Very basic and easy. Pillowcases. Queen sheets. King sheets. Blankets. Towels. Beach towels. Hand towels. Washcloths. Rags. Comforters.

I also had a GIANT box full of table ware (placemats, napkins, table runners, tablecloths, etc) that I wanted to put in the linen closet so that box was in the hallway.

Step #3: Put everything away







I started by putting things back in sections. I sorted through what I had in each pile and now have two HUGE boxes of donations to bring to Goodwill.

The Final Product:



From the bottom up, here's how I sorted things. The bottom is the floor. All clean and shined before reassembly!

Left basket: Ribbon (I have a LOT of ribbon- I even have a ribbon scrap box in my office!)

Center: Comforters (all four are king size)

Right basket: Kitchen hand towels (easy to access now)



Bottom shelf (from left to right) is all table ware. We truly love to entertain and I will say, the bulk of what is being donated is napkins and placemats.

Left: Tablecloths (front pile is all white, back is colors and patterns)

Left middle: Napkins (there's three piles- a front pile of the ones we use often and a back two piles of holiday napkins and special occasions)

Right middle: Table runners

Right: Placemats

 



Middle shelf is towels and sheets for the spare bedroom (my office). This was very easy BUT incredibly eye-opening of how many towels we truly have. We had almost 20 beach towels. Granted, we have a pool so we need a lot, but WHOA.

Left is sheets for the queen bed and extra pillowcases for when I want a change of things on our bed. Next to that is hand towels and a basket of washcloths. Then we have two pile of towels (white basic towels are up front and the back pile behind that is our bath sheets). The final area on that shelf is beach towel- two stacks, one behind the other.



Our second to highest shelf is housing our blankets and sheets. The left pile is three different sheet sets for our master bedroom. I put the fitted and flat sheet plus the pillowcases inside of a pillowcase so it can all stay together. Found that idea on another blog. Super smart. The other three piles are blankets- throws, picnicing, for the bed, you name it. I need to part with some. We don't need that many, but I want to put two in each car (we have a dog) and then I'll figure out which ones to part with.



Lastly, the top shelf. I put the pillows up there. I only kept four extras for when we have company that sleep on our foldout couch or our family room couch. The others few are being donated. The two boxes in the center are rags- one for small, one for big. Both labeled.



And here's the final product. While yes, it took me a chunk of the day to do, it was totally worth it. I am now going to reward myself with a nap!

 

Organize, Schmoreganize...

I am a big proponent of organizing. It's a necessity. Everyone needs to organize. Why? Because you need to find your stuff. It always sucks when you're digging through piles, tossing clothes all over looking for that ONE black shirt you want, or riffling through papers to find the shopping list. Say hello to a few of my favorite organizing bloggers. They give me ideas, make me think outside of the box, and help me stay on point with what goes where and why.

I Heart Organizing

Jen is a BIG TIME organizer, wife, mom to three young boys, and is adorable as can be! She even has designed her own planner! Check out her how-to sections also. I like how she breaks it down simply, like in the kitchen she even shows you her cabinets... she's brave!

A Bowl Full Of Lemons

This breaks it down. And breaks it ALL down. This is where I go to start fresh. And totally fresh. She has checklists like you've never seen! How to clean, what to clean, when to clean, and more! She also has a 14-week home organization challenge that I encourage EVERYONE to do!

Organized Jen

I came across Jen a few years ago when I first became obsessed with my Erin Condren planner. Jen covers everything, not just planning. Her blog also has videos (I'm more visual too) and she really shares her life openly with her followers. I love her reviews as she's very detailed and is to the point.

Check out these three bookmarked blogs of mine and share with me yours!

xo