The sexiest tupperware in town

All it takes is a short trip to IKEA and a drive-by the brand new Container Store (which my husband REFUSED to stop at...pretty sure he said something like "are you crazy, woman? I'm driving this car and I refuse to stop anywhere you want to go. I own you." Sounds just like him, right? It had nothing to do with hunger levels in all parties in the car) to get me ready to organize.

Over the last several months I've been thinking (not doing, of course) about cleaning the junk out of the house. You know, the junk no one can see. The junk drawers and IKEA cardboard boxes full of office supplies I keep forgetting I have, and empty food boxes out of the pantry and the freezer, and old clothes (namely t-shirts), and old magazines, and lotion/body mist/medication/hair gel from 2003 still under my sink 5 years and 3 moves later. You all know I have a problem with this...remember the 4-year-old maple syrup I was still storing (and maybe used)?

But, alas, I have not found the energy to do anything about it. The mess was clogging my brain and making me crazy. I've come a long way from a clutter-whore, emotional hoarder to wanting clean and simple living. I had to get this done. So I picked up a few things at IKEA this weekend and yesterday I was hopped up on Mimi's Cafe pancakes and ready to get down to business.

I cleaned and sorted and trashed and labeled like a mad man. I sorted and bagged up 6 bags of old clothes, purses, and shoes for charity. Threw out ALL the old People magazines (I keep saving them for others to read, but it never happens and who cares about Britney's breakdown 6 months ago...she's so much better now). I put all of our important documents and files (tax returns since 2002, vet files, passports, birth certificates, instruction manuals, mortgage papers, and soon adoption papers) into one gorgeous, handy box from IKEA so that I never again have to think "where is that document?".

I cleaned out kitchen cabinets and stored all the lids to pots and pans in one handy plastic container, freeing up tons of space for other kitchen appliances I'll never use. I arranged my tupperware in a Victoria's Secret pink lingerie box and the lids in a White House/Black Market shoe box which at one time held some very attractive black peep-toe heels...making my tupperware the sexiest tupperware in the neighborhood when all dressed up.

I cleaned out and rearranged the pantry with food we don't eat. I spent over an hour cleaning out the cabinets under BOTH our bathroom sinks and getting rid of all kinds of goodies, like formerly good-smelling Bath and Body Works lotion given to me by an ex-boyfriend's parents for Christmas one year. I cleaned our bathroom junk drawer and used tupperware to organize makeup and toiletries.

I arranged the game cabinet with all the games we never play (some still unopened) and I cleaned all the laundry room cabinets, even storing hundreds of tealights in glass jars so they're in one safe place.

I compiled an entire Kinko's box and a giant shopping bag full of papers to be shredded. Cleaned out all decorative boxes with anything other than photos or stationery in them.

And then John grilled steaks and we ate dinner at home for the first time in probably 2-3 months.

Today I ache all over, like I ran a marathon yesterday with a 5-gallon jug of water on my back. My back aches and my legs ache, I think even my toes ache. But I feel free. 6 trashbags of trash, 6 bags of clothes, a clean house later and I feel so good.

Now if I could just get some energy to work on the flower beds...