Minimalist Monday Mission: Declutter 365 – Desk Top and Computer Stuff

By simplify, on April 11th, 2011

Minimalist Monday Mission

This week for Minimalist Monday Mission: Declutter 365 I finished my office! WHOO HOOO!!

In honor of finishing my office, I am offering 50% off anything from my Becoming Minimalist Sale until Wednesday, April 13 @ 8 pm EST. And, 10% of sales are always donated to Compassion International.

I can hardly put into words the peaceful feeling as I am sitting here at my completely clear desk, looking around at the uncluttered shelves and storage in my office. It’s been a long haul here in the office (10 weeks total), but I am excited to be done (except the digitizing of files, which I am saving for later, because I keep coming across more things to digitize)!

This week I finished up by cleaning my desk top area, and the computer box of stuff (with the hubby’s help).

First, the desk top. Did you know that your desk top working space is prime real estate?? Only the essentials should be there – things you use on a daily basis.

When you come into an office and the desk is messy with bits of paper, and junk, do you feel like working? I know I don’t! But, when you come in an the desk is clear, you can sit down and get to work right away. There is a peaceful calming feeling that comes from a clear desk (or any flat surface, for that matter).

Ah…..

I also added a few more plants to my office last week and this week as well to add to the peaceful feeling. I love plants!

Here’s my desk before:

And after (the box under the left side is the overflowing box of stuff to be scanned and digitized!):

And from another angle so you can see the hutch as well (which was decluttered in a previous week):

Then I moved on to the computer box of stuff. My husband helped here, because there were so many things inside that I didn’t have any clue what they were. Turns out, he had no clue either so a bunch has been donated or recycled.

I was able to turn this:

Into this (just the small container on the top…I just stacked them so you could see how much smaller the after box was!):

The finished box is less than half the size of the original one, which obviously was overflowing (see first picture!)

The last thing we did was shred, and shred, and shred, and shred…we created a mountain (and there are four more bags not pictured here!):

So, I am officially done with the office, master bedroom and kitchen, and do you know what? I feel like going back and doing all three over again! It’s been three months since I started Minimalist Monday and I am already seeing things I didn’t catch the first time. I think I’m going to finish the main living floor first and then go back and spend a week or two re-doing the main living floor before I move downstairs into the depths of storage closet heaven and … the garage!!!

This week I am moving on to the laundry room which is so cluttered that I keep stepping on things (okay, mainly my husband’s soccer stuff) as I walk through the space. And, since I just finished the laundry yesterday, it’s a great time to get started!

Total of items eliminated this week?

Threw out/Recycled: 60 items
Donated/Given: 134 items
Sold: 8 items from my Becoming Minimalist Sale and Amazon (you can see )what I am doing with the money from these sales on my Frugal Friday Attacking Debt post)

Overall Totals:

Threw out 604 items
Donated 545 items
Sold 281 items

TOTAL ITEMS: 1430 items

Here’s where we are headed for the Minimalist Monday Mission: Declutter 365 in the next few weeks:

Clothes (closet and dresser) – DONE!
Master Bath Vanity/Cabinet – DONE!
Nightstand and Top of Dresser in Master Bedroom – DONE!
Kitchen Counters (main and island) – DONE!
Kitchen Cabinets (upper) – DONE!
Kitchen Cabinets (lower) – DONE!
Kitchen Counters (by fridge) – DONE!
Pantry – DONE!
Fridge/Freezer – DONE!
Kitchen Built In Cabinet – DONE!
Digitizing Files
Computer Files – DONE!
Office Desk Drawers – DONE!
Office Desk Top – DONE!
Office Baskets (in, out, to do, vertical file) – DONE!
Office Filing Cabinet – Part 1 – DONE!
Office Filing Cabinet – Part 2 – DONE!
Office Hutch – DONE!
Office Bookshelves – DONE!
Office Craft Table – DONE!
Office Built In Storage Area – DONE!
Laundry Room Shelves
Laundry Room Corner Cabinet
Laundry Room Table Area
Guest Bedroom Closet (toy closet)
Child’s Bedroom Closet
Child’s Bedroom Closet
Child’s Desk
Children’s Clothes (upstairs)
Guest Bedroom Dresser
Guest Bathroom Vanity
Linen Closet (lower shelves)
Linen Closet (upper shelves)
Play Room
Living Room DVD Cabinet/Mantle/Entertainment Center
Large Storage Closet
Small Storage Closet Shelves
Small Storage Closet Banker’s Boxes
Downstairs Bathroom Closet
Downstairs Play Room
Screened In Porch Area
Downstairs TV Area
Downstairs Bathroom
Mud Room
Garage Left Side Shelves
Garage Middle Shelves
Garage Right Side Shelves
Garage Tool Storage Cabinet
Garage Floor Space
Walls/Pictures
Scrapbooking Supplies/Area

What did you do this week to declutter??

To your success,

Dr. Laura

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Jill Foley

April 11, 2011 at 11:47 am · Reply

Great job! What caught my attention most was your donating 10% of your sale to Compassion. I love meeting fellow Compassion sponsors – are you also an advocate? If you are interested, I have started a Compassion Family blog – with ideas of how to pursue and experience sponsorship as a family (I’m assuming you have kids? – I think I read that in your “about you” post. I also read you live in VT. Both of my daughters were born in VT and we loved it there. We have since moved to OR). Anyway….that blog is http://www.compassionfamily.blogspot.com

Blessings to you as you continue to declutter! I would love to hear more about your Compassion child : )

Laura Aridgides

April 11, 2011 at 3:53 pm · Reply

Hi Jill, thank you for sharing your Compassion Blog. I am also an advocate, and I currently sponsor two children in Kenya. I hope to be able to support more! I donate the funds from the sales toward the unsponsored children. It’s hard looking through the list of children who need a sponsor…I want to help them all!

Thanks again for sharing!
Dr. Laura

April 11, 2011 at 5:02 pm · Reply

I just did a big post on Kenya and resources for learning more about Kenya last week. The first child I sponsored 16 years ago was in Kenya, so I have a special connection in my heart when it comes to Compassion and Kenya. I still sponsor a boy there – we’ve had him 11 years and he is now 21 years old (hardly a boy anymore)!

I look forward to getting to know you better!
Jill Foley recently posted..Home Sweet Home

Laura Aridgides

April 11, 2011 at 7:51 pm · Reply

Thanks for that great post Jill! How special for your sponsored child to have been with you for 11 years.
Visiting Africa is on my “bucket list” and I have a special place in my heart for Kenya.

Dr. Laura

April 11, 2011 at 8:37 pm · Reply

Maybe we can go to Africa together someday, on a Compassion trip!
Jill Foley recently posted..Home Sweet Home

Laura Aridgides

April 13, 2011 at 9:06 pm · Reply

That would be AWESOME Jill

Dr. Laura

Marianne

April 14, 2011 at 10:00 pm · Reply

I know what you mean about wanting to go back and purge even more. I feel the same way about the areas that I just went through. Now I really do have to do it again since we are going to put the house on the market within two months or so.
Marianne recently posted..The best Healthy Apple Muffins

Laura Aridgides

April 15, 2011 at 8:51 am · Reply

Marianne,
Nothing like a move to speed up the decluttering process, right?
Dr. Laura

Allysgrandma

April 16, 2011 at 11:08 pm · Reply

Wow your office is very impressive!
Allysgrandma recently posted..Fibromyalgia or not

Laura Aridgides

April 17, 2011 at 10:18 pm · Reply

Thanks Allysgrandma, we are blessed to have a big office, and it’s nice since I work from home
Dr. Laura