Urge to Purge (The Clutter that is!)

Clutter has been one of my pet peeves for...  umm...  pretty much the whole of my adult life.  (When does that actually start?  Idunno.  So maybe clutter has been the bane of my existence for even longer than that.)

In the past, my New Years resolutions have involved the typical weight loss, workout schemes, even flossing one year.  This year I am inspired to declutter our home and simplify our lives!

I'm giving myself permission to take an easy pace on this and not get too disgusted with myself if a particular area requires a "do-over" (or two.  Or three...)  But my plan is this:  I'm going to systematically declutter small areas of our home with a before and after shot to be posted on this blog.  I figure that will give me some accountability and encouragement.  And it's not that we belong on one of those Hoarders reality TV shows.  This project has been ramping up over the last month or so - I'm just making it official now.

Behold - I can see the lid of the piano!  (And have been able to for probably 2-3 weeks!)

The breakfast bar isn't nearly as bad as usual (now you're wondering what "bad" looks like...):

But here are some of the other problem areas:

That little cubby that holds the microwave...

The recesses of the hutch...

The overpacked bookcases...

And the infamous crafting cabinet!

 Anyone up for a challenge?  Feel free to chime in with your own struggles and successes (or just nag me if I haven't posted any relevant updates)!

Happy New Year!