| "Ellen" is having so much fun getting her | | | | the stuff out of there as you work. Getting your |
| apartment organized. | | | | purged items out of the working area allows you |
| "Oh, just toss it." | | | | to see the progress your are making. |
| "Get rid of it. I don't even want to touch it." | | | | We then moved onto Ellen's bathroom. She hung |
| "The more you bag up, the better I feel." | | | | out in her living room while I brought her stacks |
| She loves her kitchen again, and her livingroom is | | | | of towels and linens to sort. Again, into 'keep' and |
| under control. | | | | 'donate.' |
| We move onto her coat closet and bathroom. | | | | As we dug into the items to find her shelves, we |
| Ellen wanted to leave her fabrics in the containers | | | | uncovered a number of blue baskets which we |
| on the closet shelf. She thought she could sort | | | | used to store smaller items. |
| through those on her own (OK, that's her | | | | The clothing Ellen had hanging on the back of her |
| homework assignment). | | | | doors was moved into her bedroom for the next |
| We started by pulling out the stuff that was on | | | | project. Unless she didn't want the item, then it |
| the floor. If it was scrap pieces fabric, we bagged | | | | ended up in a donate bag. We had time to sort |
| it up immediately. If it was larger fabrics, Ellen | | | | out the sink area and medicine cabinet, too. All |
| sorted through them into donate and keep, | | | | meds and lotion bottles over 1 year old were |
| though this 'keep' was for her daughter's friend | | | | tossed, everything wiped clean and keepers put |
| not really for Ellen to keep. | | | | away. |
| Then I pulled out each coat and had her made a | | | | When Ellen walked into her new bathroom, she |
| quick call - Keep or Donate. Carpet was | | | | giggled with delight. Six bags of clothing and fabric |
| vacuumed and Ellen's keepers were placed back | | | | along with one box of unopened paper plates and |
| into the closet. The trash was placed outside the | | | | napkins were ready for donation. Ellen is an |
| apartment in the hall (black bags), along with the | | | | amazing woman, quite different than when I first |
| donated items (white bags). | | | | met her. |
| When you are working on purging an area, get | | | | What inspires you? |