January Clean Out Days

It's something that affects so many of us.  When I was a kid, I remember my Mom waiting for the January White Sales.  Nobody in our house got new linens or towels except in January.  For me, I wait for the plastic tub sales.  I've got my 'out-west' stuff in the good tubs, and even left them in the cargo trailer this year, instead of lugging them to the basement.  I supposed I should go check for mice....

Every time I pack it, I take pics hoping to find the perfect arrangement. I'm getting closer....

This year,  we have to get the paperwork under control.  I've been saying that for years, but can't convince you-know-who that he is a full-fledged paper hoarder.  We do need to keep lots, since both boys have IEPs, MFEs, SSI, all sorts of crap.  And just as soon as I say we need 'that' piece of paper, it's the one I finally just got rid of.  I'm beginning to start scanning those papers, but I still can't bring myself to get rid of them.  (Which reminds me, time to back up the computer.......) (Also, anybody using one of those ScanDesk things from TV?  But wait there's more.....)

I have mostly selfish reasons for wanting to get the paperwork under control. I want our living room back.  It's a fabulous room.  Big, grand, filled with light. It should look like this:

But since I got home in October, it's looked like this:

No, the tornado was a year earlier... but thanks for asking.

Leave my DH home for just a few days and he can make more heaps of crap than I can ever imagine.
I miss the peace and quiet and tranquility of the living room, so I started looking for another place for the paperwork.  Well, duh.  How about the "office"?  It's actually the "laundry room/office" but with the boys doing their laundry at the laundromat these days, and my sewing stuff downstairs, lemme see what we can do with this:

I moved out a darling little drop leaf table and ta-daa the table from the LR fits exactly!

I've got several problem areas--problems because no one else who lives here is apparently capable of putting anything where it belongs when they are done.  You'd think they'd get tired of looking for their stuff, but no.  Anywho, I keep trying to find ways to make it easier and easier.

Problems like HANG YOUR COAT UP!!  Oh, sorry for yelling... that's apparently the only way anyone here hears me on the subject of coats.  When we designed and built the house we added this cute little coat nook.

Hat collection is kinda 1980s.... it will be changing, but I haven't figured out how....

But with 4 adult sized people, it isn't quite big enough.  We moved from a house with a closet, yep a closet, so we made sure we had lots here.  The biggest one is full of cool, old clothes

Really old, vintage family clothes, re-enacter clothes, ball gown, prom dresses, and a Santa suit. That's the way we roll.

Aren't closet doors just the grandest things? Instant tidiness.

and a few things we need.  But now I realize that all that cool, old stuff has to live somewhere else. I priced archival quality boxes and that ain't gunna happen. I'll have to settle for archival quality tissue paper to wrap the clothes before I put them in plastic boxes.  Some of it will go to the local museum. Anywho, I'll put DH and my coats in the good closet and assign half of the nook to each boy.  Whaddoyathink?

Oh, and if you're casing my house, as BadAmy believes, you're going to be disappointed.  We can't even give most of our junque away!  More on my progress after I actually make some!