Well actually, this is the closet in the bathroom. But linen closet sounds so much classier, don't you think? There is another linen closet in the hall for sheets and blankets and blah, blah, blah, you don't care. The point is that after some Extreme Couponing at CVS and Harris Teeter this week (and previous weeks), it had turned in to a disaster zone.
Exhibit A: The Towels.
My Williams-Sonoma Inc. friends are silently shaming me right now (or in the case of John and Tricia, probably not-so-silently drunkenly shaming me right now) because folding and arranging towels is A Major Activity at Pottery Barns everywhere. Anyway, the towels were fixed in short order.
Ahhhh, much better. I'd like to point out that we have a ridiculous amount of beach towels for two people, but we also have guest passes to our nice, quiet HoA pool. So you can come over and hang poolside with us, but you have to tell me I look nice and not at all pasty white in a bathing suit. Lying is acceptable, if necessary.
Up next was the true horror: the rest. What the heck is all this stuff? Medications, stockpiles of shampoo/conditioner, shaving cream, cleaning products, beauty stuff, etc.
The after picture is SO much better. Now the various stockpiles--toothpaste/toothbrushes/floss, hand soap/body soap, shaving cream, shampoo/conditioner, sunscreen, cleaning supplies, first aid, OTC/prescription medications--are organized.
What else is in there? Original packaging and receipts of small appliances with warranties (yep, we're those people). A wicker basket of toiletries under 3 ounces, since we travel a lot and don't always want to check bags. Paper dinosaur cups (that feature fun dinosaur facts!). The backup humidifier.
And what do we think about all of this organizing, K-Middy?
If you want to know how to coupon at CVS/Harris Teeter/wherever, I recommend the formus on Slickdeals (which also has a tutorial for beginners) or just do a Google search for Harris Teeter Coupon Matchups (or wherever you shop). There are fabulous (possibly crazy?) people that devote their lives to this stuff, and are nice enough to put it out on the internet.
And finally, if you need some inspiration (and you're not offended by cussing), I find Unf*** Your Habitat to be a very useful site. The site's author actually does spell out the curse words, so again, proceed with caution if you're at work or don't want to read those words. I love, love, love her philosophy, which is basically that no matter how messed up your habitat is, you aren't beyond help. You can make progress. And you should do it in 45 minute increments with a 15 minute break--no marathons! She also cheers for people with before/after pictures.