91 Day Declutter Challenge – Week One

On By jackiblosblackisIn Cleaning, Donations, House, Organization

I’ve been following Creating Mary’s Home  for quite a while now and I finally decided that I would try one of her declutter challenges. She’s currently in the middle of doing her 91 Day Declutter challenge. I just finished week 1 which is the master closet and the master bathroom.

Now I want to start off by saying that I did not do the master closet. The reason the master closet was not done is that I already do this twice a year. It doesn’t make sense to do this ahead of regular schedule by about a month and a half. Instead I will be moving those 4 days to another short week or to an open week.

There are only two days for the bathroom which makes sense. Most of our bathrooms aren’t that big. Well there are a lot of things that I don’t keep in the bathroom, I know most people do which I think is why it also was not crammed into one day.

Master Bath Declutter

In the left of the photo I have the bulk of my declutter. Most items here are expired. I’ve been having all kinds of skin sensitivities and I’m just not willing to run the risk. There are some notable products here that I did really enjoy.

The IGK Rich Kid oil gel was something I really did enjoy in my hair, besides being expired it seems to be very thick now and not so useful.

TIGI Bead Head Screw It curl hydrating jelly oil I think will be a repurchase.

Laneige Essential Power skin toner, I did enjoy this very much so. I had no reaction to it but I am using a different toner. No point of me holding on to this. Much so when it has already reached its date.

A few products that did not impress me at all where that Laneige water sleeping mask in the blue container, Catwalk by TIGI Curls Rock amplifier for definition and separation, Peter Thomas Roth cucumber de-tox hydra-gel eye patches, and Matrix Total Results curl please shampoo and conditioner. These probably work for somebody else but they just were not for me.

On the right I have a pile of items going to my Aunt. I have three boxes of muscle relaxant patches from China. Sensitive skin and the adhesive is too strong for me. If it wasn’t for that I probably would keep them and finish them up. There is also a hot and cool pad along with lavender and rosemary massage oil, and a roll on stress vial. I also included some bath melts that are moisturizing cocoa butter scented in Tangerine.

In the center I have items that I’m really just not sure what to do with but I do not need them taking up space. I will figure something else out though. Vase is staying. I was not going to dump out the sponges every where. 

Not pictured is a pile of items I’ve already passed along to my Mother. This included a few samples of products she may be interested in, a nearly full bag bath salts scented in apple or something like that, and shower steamers that I do not use.

I have looked ahead on the declutter challenge program. I crossed off areas that I don’t have or weeks of rooms that just simply do not exist for me ha-ha. More or less to see what I am in the store for but also to make sure I was able to fit closet in somewhere without compromising the declutter of another space. So far it looks good and it seems easy enough to adjust it to work for me. I will follow it through though and make my final decision in the end. I am hoping to be able to use this as an annual system just to make sure I get all those areas I might miss during the rest of the year.

 

Wow! It has been a while!

On By jackiblosblackisIn PersonalLeave a comment

I have not been on here in a hot minute! I LOVE blogging and just some how it fell to the complete back. I miss it and I 110% plan on getting back here regularly. Now, about the time I fell off here, I entered the world of Instagram. I suppose it still gave me taste of what I was missing out on. However, I can get much more in depth here. That is what I am completely lacking. I am coming back with the same post I write up at the beginning of every year.

Looking Back on 2019 and Looking Forward to 2020

Since I dropped the ball with my site. I did not keep track on how I was doing with my goals in 2019. Let’s see how I did without making myself accountable at all.

  • Renovate two room in the house (if I can I would like to include both bathrooms as well).

HA! I actually fairly quickly dropped this off. I will do some kind of catch up post I am sure. I got my Little Monster’s room done in total. Little pieces here and there have been done but not what I was planning on doing.

  • Get the outside cleaned up and the driveway redone. The yard had been started and it just needs an actual attempt.

I got some real progress here but its not quite finished. I also did not get the driveway done. Some financial things came up and I just did not have the money to get it done.

  • Missy in swimming lessons (locally).

Finally! I did this goal. My Little Monster very much enjoyed going and she passed!

  • Start taking the weekly local yoga class in the fall.

I forgot about this but no. I am still happy doing it at home when I have a chance. I might get to the class but I am not pushing for it to be honest.

  • Have Missy enrolled in some programs.

We have done a few things (aside from swimming). She had an awesome friend and unfortunately they are moving a way.

  • Visit NiaNia and YeaYea.

We were not able to do this. I am aiming again for this year. No matter what it has to be done by before she gets into school. Which in reality is only a couple years,

  • Continue working on myself and striving for an organized (realistically) life.

ALWAYS. This will always be there. This is not something that is ever done for a person. At some point and at some time, a person grows in some fashion. We evolve.

  • As always try and keep the blog updated ha-ha.

We all know how that worked out…

  • I have always had something about debt on here. Now that it is paid off, I still would like to have a money goal(s). The big ones I want to do are making the maximum extra mortgage payment and to match what I have in savings. This is very ambitious of me and as long as I get part of each I will be happy. That mortgage payment though I need to make by June so it is not like I have a full year to save up for it.

No, rather I went backwards on this. Things happened and well. I will get things figured out. I just need to get a break really. Even if that does not happen I will make it work. I always have and no reason to quit now.

For those who may not know. I do not make resalutions but rather goals. Maybe they are the same thing in the end. I do not feel heartbroken when I slip up. I feel sad about some of the things above but not defeated over it. With that being said. Lets come up with some goals for 2020!

  • Immediately I want to put my Little Monster back into swimming lessons come summer.
  • I am looking to get the remainder of the outside finished. The parts that do not have to be contracted out. Plans just need the action now.
  • Really trying to make it to China by the end of this year.
  • I want to be more organized time management wise. I am not ashamed that this is an area where I need much more practice at.
  • I want to get back to this blog regularly. I do not want to lose my foothold with Instagram either. I am there and just need to at least keep up with where I am while bringing this back into the picture.
  • I need to get this whole financial situation thing sorted. I mean I just want it sorted once and for all. I hate having the back and forth. I want a happy medium!

Really I think that is it for now. It’s all pretty achievable and I may decide to add more as the year goes on. Life can be unpredictable and sometimes we just need to roll with the punches. Bring on 2020!

Cleaning and Organizing – Make Up Vanity – Part Two

On By jackiblosblackisIn Cleaning, House, Make Up, Organization2 Comments

Does it not look so pretty! I have a couple adjustments to make still. I bought two new containers for my brushes (currently using glasses from my cabinet). I want to find an apothecary container for the blenders. I want it to have a lid though to keep gross things off the clean blenders.

At the end I have documented what has been decluttered as well!

This is the long skinny drawer. If you checked out part one I did not document this drawer. there was nothing in it at the time. This is almost like an everyday type drawer. Not really…. I have put regular use items such as mascara, waterline liner, setting powder, and brow setters. my highlighters and blushes stay in this drawer. The random things such as glitter, concealers (I was just playing around with them), mascara primers, and eye primers. I only have so much room, so I need to be very thoughtful about this.

Top drawer still looks pretty much the same. I did orgainze the lipsticks a little better. Top is reds, next is pinks, and than I have the more nude colours. The bottom has a metallic purple I swatched. Along with primer and an iridescent lip. On the right I have some primers, a setting spray, and a liquid highlighter. Now anything in a bottle I do not exactly want it on its side. I would rather not clean up liquid highlighter from everything.

The middle drawer finally has everything in it. What is missing from this photo and what was in part one, is the Urban Decay Ultimate Basics pallet. I gave this to my Mother as I found it too powdery for my liking. I also was not able to get a handle on blending the colours (this will not be pictured below). The little mason jar in the back has my electric blue mascara (not for everyday ha-ha) and liners. I also believe there are shadow pencils in there.

This has to be the most exciting drawer (bottom drawer). This is all new products. Except I can see my Amour blush in there, I must have taken this after going through some more things for my Mother. The baskets went according to plan. The eye and lip products are in the back basket. Everything else goes into the front basket.

This has been hugely helpful in everything. Finding what I need or want to try is so easy (except for the lip products since there is a lot of them in there). I can do my make up now without spending half the time looking. I am also not going and just doing whatever because it is what is easiest. I get to actually use what I have. I am by no means beauty anything but I like being able to enjoy it. Let’s see what had to go though.

Everything in this basket is trash/recycling. There are no make up products in there. Some items I had to pull out new things to replace the items I was decluttering. I still could not believe what was there.

Not make up but there are going. Clips hurt my head and I do not think they are good for the hair. Nail sticker I will not use and can give to my nieces.

These items came out of the bathroom but I thought they fell into this category. The Tarte FRXXXTION stick and cleanser are both expired. The toner I did not like and it was probably expired too. I got a sample of the Lala Retro Whipped by Drunk Elephant, I picked this sample as I really wanted to try it. I am glad all I got was a sample because this gave me insane break outs. There is also the Icelandic Relief Eye Cream Pen by SKYN Iceland. I liked this, the pen was not finished, I do not like the pen. I might buy the jar, the price does scare me a little. I am trying something else at the moment though.

The face primer at the top, I have noted in the past I do not like it. This one is expired and I have a new one in my drawer. I have not decided if I am going to try it again or give it a way. Shadow Insurance by Too Faced and Primer Potion by Urban Decay are both expired. I do not think I will be repurchasing the Shadow Insurance. I am using another tube of the Primer Potion I had on hand. The Smashbox Mascara Primer, was expired and I did not use it enough to get a real opinion on it.

The Cougar eye pallet I tried a couple times. I gave this to my Aunt since it is not crazy colours. It just was not for me in the end. Both of the mascaras are expired. The Super Fan by Smashbox flaked a lot for me if I remember correctly. The Tarte Lights, Camera, Action was not a favourite either (there were two of these, the other being dried out and Missy was playing with it). I have another sample of this one. I am not opposed to giving it another shot and seeing if I was doing something wrong.

The top is one of Lime Crimes Diamond Crushers. I wish it was not so old as I really wanted to try it out. Both Lime Crime products I bought while pregnant and swatched a time or two. They need to go. I think in the middle is Beauty Crop(?) and just not for me in the end. Grande Lips is plumping and I got a pretty extreme reaction from the swatch. I am so happy I never put it on my lips. Bottom is just a lip liner I got in one of the beauty boxes from 2018. I will not ever use it so it is gone.

The pink Melted I bought while pregnant so it automatically goes. I could not remember when I bought the Melted Chocolate, better safe than sorry and I let it go. The red Revlon Cushion did not flatter me what so ever. I let it go but could not pass it on since no one else would wear it. The bottom is red lipstick from a ‘natural’ brand. I did buy it a while ago but there has always been something off about it.

There are not a huge amount of products I am letting go but if it was not expired and I had not given it a fair chance, I want to try it again. By that I mean not once every couple months and probably not doing anything different from the first time I used it. I also feel much better that I am not using products (especially the mascara) that has gone bad or probably well beyond bacterial filled.

Cleaning and Organizing – Make Up Vanity – Part One

On By jackiblosblackisIn Cleaning, House, OrganizationLeave a comment

I finally brought my vanity in the house so that way I could properly do my make up. I also needed to be able to find what I wanted and not have a million of the same product open. The process I am posting is from March. This one would have been nice to have a video to go with it. My apologies.

Top drawer. I have my lipsticks on the left and on the right I am putting primers, setting sprays, those kinds of things. In the back I have the lip liquids. My transparent lip liner stays in this drawer as well.

Second drawer. This is all eye products. On the left I decided to put my more everyday things or things that are not quite so intense. On the right are my much more colourful eye shadows or intense have you. Liners and mascaras are also being added into this drawer.

Everything in the round basket is new and being put into the bottom drawer. The basket at the back of the drawer will contain things such as eye shadows, liners, mascaras, and lip products. The basket in the front will contain everything else. Things such as blushes, primers, setting sprays, and whatever else I may have on hand.

 

Now I realize this post is not that exciting. There is a part two coming though! Look out for that one. As I did this though I took a full inventory of when things were purchased or opened. Depending on which one I knew. Along with what the expiry is on the product. Not everything had an expiry on it though. I really am not sure what to do with that.

Cleaning and Organizing – Freezer and Deep Freezer

On By jackiblosblackisIn Cleaning, House, OrganizationLeave a comment

I finally, really, got around to organizing the deep freezer. Now about a month or so ago I had my Aunt stop by. I gave her about half of the contents out of the deep freezer. Most of it was meat that would get beyond eating before we got around to it. There was also quite a bit that would be better for the dogs. However, with Galaxy’s allergies I could not give it her. I in turn also dealt with the freezer.

First photo is of the freezer. It is not bad but you can see there are things in there that should truly be in the deep freezer. The lamb roast, cornish hens, and even shrimp do not belong here.

The second photo is of the deep freezer. This does not look like it was ever emptied. Things like the fruit and veggies do not belong in here. I also cannot find anything. Even if I wanted to cook a protein it would be impossible to find.

I bought two stack-able blue bins with handles from a local chain store. I think there were $10CAD each. I took the dimensions and looked online before choosing. I had chosen two different bins. I looked through the store and could not find the other one that was suppose to be in stock. I think these were the better choice anyways.

This bottom bin I have put all of the lamb into (minus the roast as I had not done the freezer yet). There is ground, sausage, meatball, and roast lamb all in there. Now the reason there is so much lamb. Missy needs to be use to the protein before we go to visit her family in China. This will common for us to eat in the area we are going and I do not want her possibly getting sick while we are there.

The top blue bin contains all other proteins. The only thing that is not actually in there is pork. I do not like the taste what so ever. I am not a bacon eater (I use it in cream soups only because I cannot get that salt ratio right with out it). I think there is a bit of ham in the pizza slices pack and I do have pancetta somewhere in the mess as well.  I tend to use pancetta over bacon.

One the left hand side I have boxed items stacked. Such as veggie burgers, breaded chicken, and I have a loaf of garlic bread behind that. On the right hand side I have more butter than I know what to do with! There is a bison pie in there too from a local producer and I have since added some quick breakfast options.

On to the freezer! All of the vegetables have been added here. In the back there are a couple bags of fruit. Most of which came out of the deep freezer.

The bottom left hand side is some proteins. Breakfast sausage, bread chicken fries, and I found the pancetta. On the right hand side I have a huge bag of mixed berries that would not fit up top. There are potato wedges and veggie tots(?). It mostly is stuff that I need to use up sooner than later or one off purchases. Stuff that I will forget about if it is not in here.

While I did this, I took a full inventory. This should help me figure out what to cook (it has not done that yet ha-ha) and help when shopping. I hate when things go bad in the freezer. I also hate being in the freezer aisle, seeing things at a good deal, and not knowing what I already have.

So far the system has worked out for me. I do need to really get use to using the inventory system for everything. I do not think I will be changing anything soon. I do need to inventory my pantry though with the expire dates.