The last room of the main level! Can you believe it?!
I really, really, really want to get the entire house gone through before this baby comes. That’s 7 weeks from now! I’m not even sure that is possible, considering how S…L…O…W I’ve become. And I know there is a Pregnancy Wall that is coming…you know, the one where anything requiring you to actually MOVE makes you feel like taking a nap!
So….I’m not sure I can do it, but part of me (that nesting part that NEEDS the house in order before we add another little person) is pretty sure I can meet my goal, while another part of me is busy fussing over ouchy hips and lack of sleep.
One baby step at a time…here I come!
So, on to what you really came here to read about…MY BEDROOM!
A few weeks ago (because my husband could no longer stand it), the dresser went from this:
(ok, it was actually WAY worse than this, but I forgot to take pictures beforehand!)
to this:
This is still one of my main Hot Spots and has to be cleaned regularly, but starting with a clean slate does make you more apt to keep it that way. I also didn’t really get rid of much because I just tidied, rather than really deep cleaning.
Two other Hot Spot areas of the room are my bedside table and my closet floor (ugh…do you see a reoccurring theme here? As in, “MY” stuff is what is causing the troubles???)
Now, that’s embarrassing!
So, I sorted through the bedside table and rearranged some things and ended up with this:
I want to point out a few things here:
1. Those of you who have followed this blog from Emily’s death, might remember me talking about my corner for memories. This is it. I never shared actual pictures of it until now because I just wasn’t ready. The linked post explains all the parts and pieces of it and just how precious it is to me.
2. Yes, those are animals on the wall and yes, that is an animal on my bed. My husband hunts. It’s his bedroom too. 😉 Here’s a closeup of the buffalo robe on my bed if you care to take a gander…
3. Lastly, on the bedside table sits one of my favorite magazines…SALT. Over in my sponsor’s section in the sidebar, you’ll see a link to them. The magazine is only $24 a year, PLUS you get to sign up a friend for FREE! That’s what I did with my friend Sarah. There are other options you can choose when you click on the link, but that one is my favorite!
Next…
I tidied up the shoes and got rid of two pair; however, I still have a dilemma…there are two pair of sandals and my tennis shoes NOT in this closet, and I’m out of room!
I *could* get rid of more shoes, but honestly, I wear every single pair of these. Also, some are seasonal, so I’ve got both sandals and snow boots in there. I hate to rotate them because I might forget where I put the other season’s shoes! Anyone have any great ideas on how to make this work?
It hadn’t been too long since I’d cleaned out closets and dressers, so I left those alone. The top of the closet could have been cleaned out, but nothing up there was mine and Ty wasn’t available to arrange and dispose of things.
Someday, I hope to dye the curtains a dark brown to match the bed (and the buffalo!), but that can wait.
The final big change in this room is something that happened one night this past week…
I was sitting in my chair, staring at my computer watching Inherit the Land.
I watched these families running around their farms and talking about leaving the city and much of technology behind (or at least relegating it to a lesser position), and I knew something Ty and I had been thinking on for weeks needed to happen that very second (yeah, pregnancy makes me rather impulsive).
Here’s the end result of my snap decision…
It’s not completely set up yet, but already I’ve seen a huge difference in the draw it has on me. You see, my chair in the living room is my favorite chair and just about the only place I can stand to sit for any length of time. Since I’m all about sitting these days, I find that once I’ve plopped down in that chair, the computer beckons to me and I’m sucked in for longer than I’d like to be…multiple times a day. I do have “work” hours set up, but work hours are only as good as the person controlling them…and remember, self control is something I’m working on.
I’m hopeful that having this separate place for my computer will be a step in the right direction. I do not want my children to remember me as the mommy who’s face was glued to the computer screen. How sad is that?
Sometimes we have to set things in place to help us succeed. Moving the computer out of the living room falls into that category.
So, there you have it! One more room down! Now, on to that dreadful basement! But, guess what is down there??? Baby clothes! Woo Hoo! It’s time again!
Perhaps you’d like to see the other posts in this series…
Just click on the link to find a list of all the Half My Stuff Saturday Links.
Rachel says
Looks great, Amy! It takes work to go through our home like this, but the reward is so great.
I’m going to have to check into SALT. Looks very interesting.
(love the fish on the wall…I knew…you are a blessing to your hubby)
And, I cannot believe you only have 7 weeks!!!)
Blessings on your Saturday.
Rachel
Rachel says
Oh, one more thing, my dear friend — thank you for sharing a picture of your corner of memories. It is precious.
Love you.
The Happy Housewife says
Wow, what a great job ob your room. I see that you moved the computer out of the family room.
My computer is in my room too. I’d love to hear how it works out for you!
Toni
Celee says
A small shoe shelf would not take up any more space, but give you space for more shoes. Mine is one shoe length wide (so sticks out less distance from the wall than your shoes do) and two shelves high, but you can also store shoes under the shelf on the floor making it like a third row. It’s 31 inches long and 11.5 inches high. It holds about 12 pairs of shoes, four on each row. I use these for all my kids. It was one of those press-board things I found at Walmart and had to assemble. It works for us.
Celee
Amy says
I’d wondered about one of those, but wasn’t sure it would be enough space for the shoes. I’ll have to look at those next time I’m out and about. Thanks!
Rebecca L. says
On the shoe dilemma…I too have that problem. I don’t know if this my way of justifying or if it still seems excessive, but I have so many shoes because I buy almost all of mine yard sales for only $1 or $2 each. I also have seasonal shoes and here is what I do: Whatever season I am not in, those shoes get put into a little plastic storage container, one of those flat under the bed kinds, put under my bed and left there until needed. I practically live in flip flops over half the year so I have an over the door shoe hanger (got it at Walmart) and I stuff all my flip flops on there and it hangs over my bedroom door. I did that for my girls’ flip flops/summer shoes too and it really frees up their closets. We have a small house so I am always looking for ways to declutter and/or save space. I go through my shoes when the season changes and dump whatever I didn’t wear that season, I figure if I didn’t wear it, I won’t miss it. Enjoy your thoughts and blog. I have some pickle recipes I will pop over and share on that post. ;0)
Amy says
I have an under-the-bed tub for some of my husband’s things, but it doesn’t fit real well under our bed (I can’t get it pushed under fully). I wonder if I even just put a tub in the closet w/ the shoes piled in it if that would make more room?
Rebecca L. says
Don’t see why it wouldn’t work. At least they would all be contained, not just getting kicked from one side of the closet to the other (are we the only ones who kick our shoes aside to find another pair?)
Michelle says
As I finish reading this, I have to ask myself…”why am I so fascinated with this woman’s life that I just read about her cleaning her bedroom?” I mean, seriously.
Good idea on the computer. I have a blackberry that I feel like my children are saying that my face is glued to. It’s an addiction I’m trying to rid of. Anyways…thanks for all the motivation you provide to me in the world of reality.
Amy says
Bahaha! Thanks for the smile! 🙂
As for the blackberry, that is a little harder to put away, but I hope you find a solution that works for you! Let me know if you come up with a great compromise–I’d love to feature your idea here! (I don’t have a smartphone of any kind, but I know tons of mommies who do!)
Nicole says
Amy, I cannot believe that you are almost done already with this pregnancy! Good job with your bedroom…I need to think about what you said about the computer and it’s location. Kinda convicting 😉
Have a great day,
Nicki
Not So Average Mama says
Great job! I am reading all of your posts to help inspire me. I suffer from some auto immune and Neuro Chronic pain disorders and am having a heck of a time keeping things up. I have already gotten rid of tons. I need to get our school stuff organized badly!!!
Heather says
Hope you liked the zucchini crisp!
My husband is a hunter, too…. only it is our living room that displays his animals! LOL!! I’m not sure I could sleep with a big buck looking over at me! 🙂
Enjoyed visiting your site!!
Heather
Amy says
Oh, there’s animals in the living room too (a fish, 2 turkeys, and soon to be a buffalo!) Haven’t made the crisp yet…hoping to have enough zucchini tomorrow to pull it off! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Kimberly Dawn Rempel says
Great post! (your shoe comment made me laugh – been there! I still go there …)
I know what you mean – I don’t want my kids to think I’m the computer mom who occasionally feeds them. I want them to not remember my computer at all actually. That will mean I’ll need to be on it less, dedicated to it less, and with them more.
Time to focus. Thanks for … the reminder? The challenge? the example? … just thanks 🙂
Reggie says
Not sure if this is still relevant, but I have my own seasonal/maternity tub right alongside the kids’ ‘to grow into’ tubs. I keep my seasonal shoes such as sandals or snow boots stashed in there. I typically wrap them in a plastic grocery sack first in case there is any debris still clinging to the bottoms. I have also done this when I happen to end up with two pairs of nearly identical shoes. I keep one out and store one, either replacing the ones being used completely, or merely rotating.