I write this even though I know how pathetic it’s going to make me sound. Because at this point, who cares right? Anyhow, when I first moved into the present Casa Azahar I realised I seriously needed more kitchen storage space, so I bought this Ikea pantry thing that sits just outside the kitchen door, and frankly I couldn’t manage without it. When it first got set up (see photo below) it was immediately packed full of everything that wouldn’t fit in the kitchen cupboards… and it’s pretty much stayed that way. Until now!
You may recall that back in January I set myself up with The Schedule, with daily, weekly and monthly Things To Do, just so I would actually do them. And I gotta say… fuck I love The Schedule! It’s like I have reclaimed some semblance of order in my life, and it also requires a certain amount of discipline from me too (none of this “oh I don’t feel like it today” jazz… if it’s in The Schedule it must be done).
Though I should confess that the first time Clean and Organise El Mueble (aka the pantry) came up on The Schedule I balked. In fact, I didn’t do it. It was just too overwhelming a prospect. But afterwards I was racked with so much guilt that I decided to never put off any more of my scheduled tasks. And then it popped again this week! El Mueble was calling me. And omg what a fucking mess. For something I use every single day, how did I not realise what a disaster area it had become? So I decided to be ruthless. Anything with an even remotely dodgy “best before” date got trashed (though to be honest, many were best before 2-3 years ago!). Then I scrubbed everything down and only put back things that I really wanted to be there. Before it was a bit like “no idea what to do with this? stick it in the Mueble” so I ended up not even knowing half of what was in there. But no more!
In fact it took two days to get the ol’ Mueble sorted out. And then miraculously there was suddenly space for the baking sheets I’ve acquired since Lockdown, when I started seriously using my oven (which I seldom used before). Until now I just stored them in the oven but of course had to remove everything every time I wanted to use the oven. But hey, not any more!
And so now this where I get to seem pathetic (unless I already got there long before now)… I’m just so fucking happy with my Mueble redo that I can’t even go past it without opening the door to admire my handiwork. And I don’t care how sad that may sound. Because you know what? Anything that helps you feel good about ANYTHING during this brutal mess of a pandemic is valid… so just go for it. Feel proud about anything you manage to accomplish, no matter how small. You did it!
casa azahar 
I get all worked up about straightening projects like this, and demand praise from the Engineer and insist he come look.
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And I take photos and put them up all around the Internet!!! 😉
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Never underestimate the power of a good clean out! I am convinced it clears out your mind as much as whatever you’re physically clearing out.
Also never underestimate the power of a good schedule 😀 I couldn’t live professionally without my To-do list. In fact, can I attempt to trump your “pathetic”? My To-do list started (and continues) predominantly as a “What have I done” list. About 10 years ago I was feeling completely swamped and overwhelmed at work as my department had been slashed from two to one, and I would get to the end of the day and wonder what I had actually done with the day. It began to feel really demoralising so I started listing everything I do in the day on a spreadsheet. And I’m still doing it. Not only does it make me see that I HAVE been productive despite not managing to cross one job off my To-do list, it’s also proved useful if I’m asked somewhere down the line if something has been done – I can just search the sheet for it and say, yes, I did it three weeks ago. The To-do list seemed like a natural extension and now I just cut and paste whatever’s left from today into tomorrow and it makes me feel so very organised and productive 😀
Your El Meuble looks fab. I like the look of those wooden things – are they called lazy susans? I could do with some cupboard clearing myself, maybe I’ll take some inspiration here.
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My To Do list in on a google calendar, so it also functions as a What I’ve Done list (also a great idea). When I complete a task I mark it with an asterisk and if I didn’t manage to do something I move it to the next day. The Schedule has a bit of flexibility so I can swap things around.
Yeah, I love those lazy susans. I bought them in the last place for a corner cupboard because it was impossible to reach to the back of it. I have a small one for spices in the kitchen too. They’re great for stuff like that.
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