The Bathroom Basics

Sorry for the break in postings! I think this blog is going to be very weekend focused - getting rid of half your stuff is challenge enough without trying to cram it into only an hour or two after work. This weekend I tackled one of the biggest challenges in any girl's life – the primary bathroom. Gentleman (if there are any gentleman who read this blog) this may not be the blog entry for you but feel free to continue at your own risk.




What is it about girls and bathrooms? I am one person and my bathroom is packed to the brim. It consists of 4 drawers, 2 cupboards and a 2 shelf over the toilet storage system. It doesn't sound like a lot but it sure fills up fast and do I really need 4 drawers, 2 cupboards and two shelves full of cosmetics? I think not!



I started with my vanity space by taking everything out of the vanity and displaying it on the countertop. There were some interesting observations to make about myself just from looking at the things I've acquired.



• First off, I obviously have an obsession with defying mother-nature and make my stick straight hair beautifully curly. I have hot rollers, 2 curling irons, velcro rollers, foam rollers, curl enhancing spray, scrunch spray, more curl enhancing spray - you get the idea. So, after a little frustrated debate with God about the nature of my blonde locks I trashed all but my hot rollers, curling irons and the scrunch spray.



• Next, I couldn't help but notice how buying in bulk presents challenges to people trying to keep away from clutter. The story of my shopping habits unfolded before me in a startling way. For example, bar soap comes in a three pack - there were two bars in a drawer still partially wrapped together in cellophane, one bar under the sink and one bar in another cupboard. There was the same story with replacement heads for my electric toothbrush, replacement razor blades for my razor and extra sticks of deodorant. It was apparent that by not having a central location for all “extras” I was buying replacements without realizing I already had them. I dumped out the wicker basket used for housing all my discarded curl enhancing accoutrements and declared it my “extras” storage. Moving forward, anytime I buy something in bulk, the extras that aren’t immediately put into use go in the basket. That way, there’s no excuse for cluttering up my valuable bathroom space with redundancy.



• Next, I applied the one year rule to all the beauty products and items found in the drawers – if I haven’t used it in a year, I don’t need it. Away went half used bottles of mouthwash and mousse – Gone were strange barrettes, scrunchies (yes, sadly, I found a few) and headbands – Adios to weird cleaning product fads (curse you CleanShower!).





• The last step was put it all back in an organized fashion that made sense for how I used things. My top left hand drawer was for everyday things – toothpaste, brush, combs, frequently used medication, etc. The top right hand drawer was for hair tools – hair dryer, curling irons, straightener, etc. Down the right side, the next drawer was for feminine unmentionables, the next for waxing supplies, the last – wait a minute – I don’t have anything for the last drawer. And all the other drawers aren’t very full either. Success! My basket of “extras” went in my other cupboard which left the under the sink cupboard free for the garbage can, extra toilet paper and cleaning supplies (only the supplies I actually use though).



Encouraged by my success, I tackled the shelf unit above my toilet which consists of two shelves and a series of wicker baskets to house the “stuff”. Ladies, a word of advice from a former Mary Kay lady – cosmetics expire – trust me. Now, I must force myself to take my own advice and purge.



This is where the sentimentality came into play –

“Oh, this lipstick went to Spain with me!” – Yes, yes it did . . . . in 2001! Toss it!

“Hey, didn’t I wear this toe nail polish to my senior prom?” – Yes, yes you did . . . . 10 years ago! Toss it!

Speaking of nail polish, (I think this is a tricky topic for many girls and may even warrant its own blog) a close review of my nail polish collection revealed some interesting insights. First off, I paint my nails either 1940’s red or a pink color 90% of the time. How do I know this? 90% of my nail polish is slight variations of the same red and the same pink color. Trash that and only keep the newest, freshest bottles. Secondly, nail polish really expires and trends change.



There was a little pep talk required for this –
“Jessica, you are 27 years old and no longer need glitter nail polish or green nail polish. Sentimentality should be reserved for looking at old photos – not at old nail polish. GET RID OF IT!”

I’m proud to say I’m down to not 50% of my former nail polish stash but closer to 25%. Wahoo!

To round it all out, I applied the one year rule on the remaining things in the baskets and organized them. Once again, the baskets aren’t full to overflowing . . . in fact, I wouldn’t even describe them as full.



The Sweet Blessings of Success: Why am I happy I got rid of half the stuff in my bathroom.

• It’s easier to keep it clean.

• I can always find what I’m looking for.

• I am spending less money on replacement product because I know what I have.

• I don’t feel like my over the toilet shelf system might attack me in the middle of the night.