This word has come up several times and truthfully it was the catalyst for this blog’s creation. It’s pretty obvious what it means so I really won’t explain it other than to say one item changed. That is exactly what it is without getting into long paragraphs.
In my house, we reuse a large percentage of stuff that would otherwise go to waste. My mother’s more apt to throw things away, however, than I am and it shows (as stated in my earlier post). On the other hand, this makes for a lot of items that would come to be in a landfill – an old shower caddy, plastic cups, and a plastic lunch tray. These are things that should be used for what it sounds like: in the shower or on the table.
Me? The shower caddy makes a great pseudo-medicine chest. The plastic cups? They now hold hair accessories, lip balm, and acne products, while the lunch tray is a cute holder for miscellaneous items. Currently my tray holds a few batteries, my jumpdrive, a necklace and bracelet, and an unopened bag of sunflower seeds. (Tray does not have a picture at the moment, sorry.)
When looking to throw something away, think about what you need and if you can use it for something else. Old cups, as stated, make great holders for things like coins and bobby pins. An old bead organizer can be a cheap pill case. My own happens to come from Michaels for about three dollars; I shelled out an extra dollar over another case as this one locks the compartments, making it child-safe. I can throw the entire thing (a bit bulky but that doesn’t stop me!) into my bag to take for a weekend in NH without worry that my 3 year old nephew will get into it when we’re not looking.
And things don’t have to be repurposed for storage alone. Sitting around my room was an old CD rack I no longer used. New purpose: a ladder in my rat cage though it’ll be moving to my gerbil cage soon as the rats are too large for it now. They have a litter box made from a serving bin. A hammock made from baby burp cloths. So much that will be discussed in another post.
Think outside the box when you’re organizing. Try to avoid buying, but don’t be afraid to toss things. If something is broke, torn, stained, or otherwise disgusting or just sort of useless, let it go. There’s nothing wrong with getting rid of something if it clears up space for you to have more area to use.
If you absolutely have nothing to repurpose, well, that’s another entry on buying cheap bins, totes, and organizers.
