Have you heard of the 50-hanger challenge?
The challenge is to purge your closet and empty 50 hangers.
You still win the challenge even if half the items come from a drawer or a pile on the floor. And a pair of socks can count as two items if you get desperate.
And don't feel guilty if your hubby's hideous 90's sweater makes its way into the pile.
I have been wanting to participate in this challenge for a while now. And today's cool cloudy weather dictated that today was the day.
I want to say I am proud. However, the truth is, I am a little bit embarrassed to say I spanked this challenge!
I did not need to pilfer from Jim's closet.
I did not need to count drawer items.
I emptied pretty much exactly 50 hangers from my closet.
On a roll, I started on the drawers...
I lost count at 50 items.
And pairs of socks counted as one.
I'm fairly confident I may have come close to doubling fifty.
I was feeling so successful!
So I moved on to the bathroom. Surely I could find 50 items of clutter to dispose of:
Nearly-empty bottles of lotion, hair products and make up.
Horribly stained face cloths.
Eyeshadow that, I know without a doubt, I purchased more than 15 years ago. (Not sure how that even made the move to this house three-and-a-half years ago.)
Outdated vitamins.
Random strips of used magnetic eyelashes.
Bobby pins that were stretched beyond use. And I don't even use bobby pins.
Thumb tacks. Actual thumb tacks, not push pins. What the...?! I had 6 or 8 thumb tacks thrown in my vanity drawer. NO idea why.
Keys. I had keys stashed in my make up drawer that I am sure fit the ignition of one of Jed's many long abandoned quads.
I found a $25 Home Depot gift card that did not make it to the trash bin as the other items did. I am hoping it is still good. Even though I know I acquired it almost 10 years ago as a reward from Albert's HD credit card.
Heck yeah!
50 items from the hangers.
50 (Times 2) items from the drawers.
50 items from the bathroom.
Let's move on to shoes.....
Gulp
No!!! Not the shoes!
I know that I have more than 50 pairs of footwear.
My heart started palpitating.
I do have a lot of shoes. But I don't feel like it's too many.
Seriously, there are FOUR seasons. All of which need entirely different footwear here in Northern Canada.
Perhaps I could release FIFTY shoes.
That's only 25 pair....
I went to the second spare room (known as "The Kid's Room") and opened the closet where my 'spare' shoes and jackets make their home.
I sorted.
I tried on.
I walked up and down the hall.
I organized the winter collection and felt good about that.
I 'found' a number of flip flops that, here near the end of summer, I had forgotten about.
Some of those made the "50-to-cut" pile.
I went out to the garage where the official "shoe wall" resides.
I sat on the floor in front of the shoe wall.
It smelled of stale leather and foot odour.
Only about 8 shoes made the delete list. (That's 4 pair)
I moved on...
I flipped through the flip flops at the front door.
I think there are a couple pair Maeve might be able to use.
There's a pair that are very similar to a pair that is up in the spare closet. But I still like them.
I cannot release them.
Oh, and there is the pair of flip flops that I distinctly remember wearing out to the flower garden last week, knowing that I was going to take this 50-thing challenge and wanting to spare them with the knowledge that "I still wear them."
But all-in-all I feel like I SLAYED IT!
50 hangers
50 (times 2) drawer items
50 bathroom vanity items
30 shoes (15 pair) feels marginally like a fail. But conquering a panic attack makes up for that, I think.
And now I sit down in my art studio typing up this blog. I simply refuse to include this room in the challenge.
But I may include fridges, freezers and pantry one of these days. I know for certain I will find 50 food products that are nearly empty, out dated, freezer burned or we just simply will not eat.
I took this "50" challenge and spanked it in every regard!
I think I deserve a shopping spree. I am pretty sure Walk Rite Shoes has their annual sandal sale on...
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