Trying to Organize My Life

So about a month-ish ago, I decided that it was time I fully clean out my bedroom.  There was no box or corner that I wasn't going to go through and decide what to do with.  Over the course of two full days, I pulled everything out of my closet, drawers, and under my bed.  I got rid of around 9 garbage bags full of clothes, donated several bags of "stuff", and got to re-organize things to really become more functional for me.

I thought I would take a little bit of time, and post a few after pictures, and hopefully someone will stumble upon this little post and decide that one of the things I did would benefit them as well.  I unfortunately have no before pics, but take my word for it...it was horrible!  There were times in the past I felt I had no carpet, but rather just many, many piles of clothes just thrown everywhere.  I decided I didn't want to live like that anymore, and I bit the bullet, worked super hard for a couple days, and now I'm just ecstatic with the results.

First up are my dressers.  I had clothes shoved in every drawer, to the point where I could barely open them or close them.  My worst fear was having all the laundry done, because I knew there was no way I had the space for all my clothes at one time.  To some, the hardest part may be to get rid of clothes, and with some pieces it was, but I really asked myself with each piece, if I had worn it in a year or if I was planning on wearing it.  I also had to be brutally honest with myself about my age and my size.  No more keeping clothes just on the hope I'd lose weight or because I still wanted to be like 21, haha.  I wanted to be able to go to anything in my room, know it fits, and know it works...no more "what ifs".

After really going through my clothes and getting rid of a lot, I knew I needed a better system to organize all my folded clothes.   So with the help of the YouTube channel, Home Organizing by Alejandra.tv ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvu0uB6SzugED_5FEC7Z0Q ), I was able to come up with the above ideas.  With all my shirts and tanks, I folded them in small rectangles so that I could put them on their sides.  This way I can easily see what each shirt is, grab it, and it doesn't mess up the whole drawer. For my leggings, I folded them in half, then rolled them up so they would fit in my smaller drawers.  I also separated the long leggings from the short ones for easy picking.  Finally, for my colored "jeggings" and other pants I folded them very similar to my shirts so I could see what all I had and pick them at ease.

To fold a shirt: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcvu0uB6SzugED_5FEC7Z0Q
*I just did it on my own instead of the tool she used

To fold the pants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyQHBj_HUBQ

Next up...the closet.  A few years ago I had a horrible mishap with my closet, when the rod bent and broke off the wall.  It was a horrible mess, and I told myself then that I wouldn't let it get that bad again, but sure enough I was on the path again!  Enough was enough, so I got to work!  Once again, I really thought about each piece...did I really like it, was it age appropriate, and does it work for my size.  If any answer was no, it went!  I cut the clothes in my closet to like half of what it was before, and I treated myself to those amazing thin velvet-like hangers for my clothes.  I purchased mine at Home Goods for around $12 for a pack of 25.  I love them!  My shirts and cardigans no longer slip off, and they just fit my closet so well.

Then came the shoes...my huge weakness.  I went through my shoes, getting rid of a few that weren't in style, or were very worn, then I went to organizing.  I had already started the process a couple years ago, but I finished putting each pair of shoes in its own clear box, bought at Walmart, and then I taped a small description to the front so I could see all my shoes and pick them quickly.  Yes, I have a lot of shoes...but I love them all!  For my flip flops, I bought a single drawer from Walmart and placed them all in there.  Once again, it's all about being able to quickly see all that I have and choose easily.

For my scarves, I had seen this idea a lot, but I just never could get them in my closet with all my clothes.  Since that wasn't the issue anymore, I tied each scarf to a hanger so I could pick one with no fuss.  I have scarves on 2 hangers...one for anytime scarves, the other for heavier/winter ones.

And finally...some accessory organizing!  I organized all my hair items in small bins and containers.  I was so tired of not being able to find what I needed when I needed it...or finding things laying everything.  Invest in just a few helpful items...it's worth always knowing where my bobby pins and ponytail holders are!!

For my lotions and perfumes, I got a couple of spice racks from Walmart, put some adorable zebra print duck tape on them, then organized the items...one rack has lotions, the other has perfumes.  I can see what I have, pick quickly, and just head out the door!  Plus, I really like the way it looks...almost like actual decor on my bookcase.

Shew!  That was a long one, but as I said before, I hope that it is helpful to someone.  I'm loving my room now...it's organized, I know where everything is, and it just feels great!  I put a laundry basket at the foot of my bed, so that I can put clothes there instead of the my floor when I'm between laundry days, and I also have a 3-drawer organizer that holds all my cleaning supplies and candles.  As I said...everything is organized and everything has a place.

I force myself to pick up a little everyday, and I make sure to plan a cleaning job each week so that I can keep it looking this nice.  It's all about picking a time and just getting things done!

I hope you all have a great day!
Taryn

Review: Sephora Rose Eye Mask

Hey everyone!  So I'm back today with a small review of an eye mask I purchased at Sephora.

I purchased this mask for $5 at my local Sephora, the packaging says that it is ultra moisturizing and brightening, so I knew I had to try it!

From the website:

Rose Eye Mask: Replenishes the delicate eye contour 

and gives an immediate radiance boost for 

a plumper, fresher, and brighter look.

I used this mask after my shower, and upon opening it, I wasn't sure about the smell.  It wasn't disgusting, but it wasn't the pleasant flowery smell I had in mind.  The patches are super wet, so be warned that they may dribble on your counter as you remove them from the package.

The patches are very easy to place and stay put the entire 15 minutes that you keep them on.  They had kind of a cooling sensation while they were on, so I liked that a lot, very relaxing.

I thought someone would like this pic, haha

 

Once your 15 minutes are up, you just pull them off your face...very easy!  Pat under your eyes a little to make sure it absorbs and your done!  No washing after.  After, there is more of a cooling feeling.  My under eye area stayed feeling sticky/tacky several minutes after I took the eye masks after, so that was weird, but I did think my skin was more moisturized afterward.

Another makeup free selfie-oh my!

 

I guess overall, I did like the product, but I kind of doubt I'll repurchase.  I mean, for $5 I could buy several masks, or put it towards an eye cream that will have lasting moisturizing effects rather than this mask that I couldn't tell a difference by the next night.

So, if you're looking for just a nice cooling eye mask before bed, it's great...but, if you're wanting the mask to make a huge difference, you should probably skip it.

Thanks for reading!  I'll be back next week with another review!

Taryn

Starting a New Me

This is a difficult post for me to say at the very least.  It's something that makes me very uncomfortable to talk about, but yet I know I need to talk about it and make some changes, and I figure if I post about it, then maybe I'll be more motivated to stay with it.

I have been overweight my whole life, that's nothing new. However, now that I am getting older, I've noticed some alarming physical changes that just need to end.  I hate being so tired all the time, I hate not being able to go for walks and such with my boyfriend, and I hate that after working an 8 hour shift, that my feet and hips hurt so bad and I wake up hurting the next day.  I'm only 30 and something has to change.

A few months ago I had joined a gym for the first time in my life.  That was pretty short lived though since I just couldn't get the motivation to go after working all day, and then having to drive like 20 minutes to get there.  So I've decided to look at myself and make small changes that will hopefully lead to a larger outcome in the future.

This first week was just about getting it in my mind.  I weighed myself on Monday, and haven't really done anything different except for tracking what I eat.  I've also started taking Lipozene to see what affect it will have.  I haven't taken diet pills in years, so we'll see if it does anything.  I look forward to tracking my progress and my thoughts and emotions.  I've always been someone that benefits from writing things down, so hopefully this will continue.

And just so you know everything...I do have a thyroid problem and will be starting back on that medicine, as well as I have medicine to help my PCOS that I will be starting back to taking too.  I don't want to just lose weight and look better, but I want to feel better as well.

Thanks for reading my first entry, any advice or positive thoughts are welcome, but please no negative ones!
Taryn

This picture was taken in July 2015, and I'm hoping that my next July I'll look more like the self I want to be.