Spring Cleaning

I'm back home from Uni for Easter now and seeing as I will be back for awhile (and bringing lots of stuff!) we decided to have a bit of a clear out.I will be moving into new accommodation in September and I have learnt my lesson from last year that 2 full cars of stuff is far too much to fit into one room! When I have lots of things going on I often find it helps to clear out the clutter around me to help my head space which is why now is a perfect time to start. A lot of people choose this time of year to sort out their house and although its still snowing outside we should all get involved in some spring cleaning!

To begin with I made a list of the rooms in the house that I wanted to clean and then divided them into different areas, for example by cupboard or draw. I then went through each area and sorted it into different sections: Bin, Charity shop, Keep and eBay. This is the most important stage and you need to be really honest with what you actually need and use. After you have cleared it out make sure you clean the area it after! Dust the cupboards, wipe down the draws and you can even add draw liners and scented bags to keep your things smelling fresh instead of musty. One of the problems for me is that I get distracted or tired but this time round I'm trying to make sure I finish one area completely before moving onto the next one!

For me the first part is usually clothes which I started to sort out back in Coventry, I like to change my wardrobe and swap clothes around which means they tend to get worn a few times and then go on ebay so I can afford to buy something else. This time I decided to be really honest with what I actually wear and cleared out the stuff that I knew I wouldn't use much again. We happened to get a charity bag in the post for Macmillan that day and filled it up right away to leave outside which is the easiest way to donate clothes to charity and you don't even need to drop it at the shop.

The most important thing when doing a spring clean is to remember why you are doing it and to reward yourself for your hard work. Happy cleaning! 

Organising my room

This year I want to start being more organised and prepared, I know that stress can affect crohn's and I have seen in myself what happens when I get stressed so I am going to do as much as a can to prevent that. This weekend I moved back into my house in Coventry so whilst unpacking I decided to have a real clear out and organise the things I use the most. I am very limited on space and storage so everything needs to have a place! I managed to clear out a couple of bin bags and a recycling bag full of rubbish, mainly toiletries and papers from old work. I have also put some more things on eBay, last weeks sales made £70 which I am very pleased about!

I have included some pictures of my room to show how I have organised some things and also because I am very nosy about other peoples bedrooms so I thought you might be too! My bed is never usually made but the cushions with words on I did make from an old bed sheet, the quilt at the end of my bed was a gift for going to uni. The pictures on the wall are hung by a piece of string (I am praying the holes from the nails aren't viable when I take them out or the landlord won't be happy!). I am planning to bring up some more pictures on Wednesday.

I have labelled the draws to remind me what's in them, I moved them so I can get better access and also use the top for space. On the top I have put all the products I use every day for example cleanser and moisturiser so they are easy to reach when I'm feeling lazy. I have put products there that i don't use very often like bio oil to encourage me to use it more. I have also got my make up bag and a bag with my medicine in so I don't forget to take it. I managed to compress my toiletries from 3 bags to one draw by being strict and throwing out anything that I wouldn't use again or was getting old.

I have also shown a picture of my wardrobe, luckily I have 2 draws under my bed, one for underwear and one for t shirts and other tops otherwise would never fit anything in! My wardrobe is sorted by items grouped together and all my shoes are kept underneath along with trousers which are folded in a pile. My bags are all grouped together on a shelf so I can see them and change them around. I also sorted out that my 2 main bags for uni have essentials in like tissues, a mirror, hand cream and paracetamol. The hand cream being in my bag will encourage me to use it.

The folder is my crohns folder so everything is in one place, pretty impressive amount of paper work since October! I really hope my room stays like this and I keep the motivation up to be organised. What are your tips for keeping on top of things?