Dirty Little Secrets ..... Magazines

Good Monday Morning! Hope you had a great weekend! We finished up a couple projects around the house. It is still pretty cold here in Cape Breton, so we didn't venture very far from home. That's okay, lot's to do inside this time of year...as you will see from the pics that follow.

Pssst! ..... I have a secret ..... a dirty, little secret .....

I, Rebecca, am a magazine hoarder. There, I said it. I admit I have a problem. Isn't that the first step? Now I know that this may not appear on the next episode of Hoarding on TLC, but it has always been a problem for me, and I would like to take the necessary steps to correct it once and for all. 

In this new home we have smaller rooms than our previous home, so editing the clutter contents to make it work has been an ongoing process. We are still getting settled and trying to figure things out, but emptying boxes (yes, we are still unpacking!) and finding the right place for your favorite things is very gratifying. 

So, onto the project!

I started with collecting all the magazines throughout the house. The basket in the living room, the stack on my bedside and yes, even the one potty-side...come on! I know you have one too!

As soon as I started, I knew it was going to be a tough process...parting with my babies...so I decided not to open the covers.....kind of like how i like to look away while i'm getting a shot.....easier to look away and not get too involved with the details, quick and easy like a band-aid. So, I quickly sorted piles according to title.

After the first box was empty, I used it as the TOSS box. It certainly got easier as I went along. 

TOSS!!!

I then went back and tossed entire titles of mags that I haven't looked at in ages. And after owning and renovating five homes over the years, I have collected too many dated Kitchen and Bath mags...so I decided to set a date of 2010 as the cut-off, anything previous went in the TOSS pile. This made it a lot easier to make quick decisions. Before long, I had made a huge dent in this mess.

Then came the hard part. My favs. I have a couple right now, and over the years that has changed. But I have always been a Better Homes & Gardens girl. It covers everything I am interested in: home, garden, family, food, decor. Not one, single page goes unturned. Also, there is Style at Home...love, love, loooove! Over the years, I have had lots of subscriptions and have ended a few as my tastes have changed. I find that has cut down on my stash immensely. So that is a biggie, stop your clutter at the door!  So for these titles,  I stayed true to my year rule and tossed everything before 2010....so hard....One mag that I have fallen out of love with is Architectural Digest, so I just kept the current year and purged the rest. 

I found these cute little magazine holders at the dollar store...couldn't resist them for the price! 

Magazine Holders - 2 for $1.25

This bookshelf was just hanging around, poor guy hasn't found a home yet, so I adjusted it to house my mags for now. Will most likely change, but for now, it gets stuff out of boxes and off the floor.

So I followed a few rules and bent a few others, in my opinion there are always exceptions. It was a tough job,  but I am so happy with the results. Gaining access to them is a pleasure, and having them organized in a confined space will help me toss more freely in the future. As for these discarded bunch, I am relieved to bid thee farewell.

Fare thee well!!!

Don't forget to check your local recycling facilities for proper disposal. I have donated my magazines to our local hospital for waiting areas as well as my little guys school, for cut and paste projects.

Are you cleaning out the clutter this new year? I have lots of projects on the go...hoping to finish a few more in the coming weeks. Keep up the good work!

Cheers!