Clearing Out Clutter

My youngest works as an engineer but is trying to start her own business as an organizer and hopefully foster her more creative side. She is a born neatnik. When she was little we would have this conversation:

Mom, is it okay if I vacuum?

Honey, you vacuumed this morning.

I know, but pleeeease?

Okay, but just this once.

So, for her new business she has designed a website and needs before and after pictures. Since her own home is already perfect she can't do them there. Her older sister said that she would rather just move than try to organize. Her sister in law who would have a room or two that could use help didn't even respond. That left me.

This weekend my sweet darling daughter arrived to organize three of my closets. That little honey was vicious! Why can she not understand that even though I have no twin beds, I might in the future; and those sheets and bedskirts are perfectly good? Besides, they have a lot of fabric that I could use for something. And even though I know I have way too many pillowcases, they don't take much room. I did manage to hold on to one pillowcase from a set we got for our 1972 wedding. It's still good.

And the gift wrap: really only the folds get yellowed. I know some of it was over 20 years old, but I might need it soon. And those little squares might be the perfect size for a gift I might buy sometime. And as far as tossing out the to/from tags that my mom made and used on the kids gifts 25 years ago? Those are memories.

The high point was going through old cards. Daughter looked at a Thank you from a neighbor we had helped out and found a $20 Applebee's gift card. I looked at a Christmas card from my Mother-in-law and found a $30 card for Red Lobster. We don't eat out, but maybe we will soon!

We got through it. The closets look great. She said she will help me with my crafts and fabric stash. I said she will not touch my fabric and crafts. She said she will be back next weekend to help me with them. I said she will NOT TOUCH my fabric and crafts. There are a lot of things in there I might need some day.