"we're gonna donate these to somebody who wants to deal with them, because I don't". This needs to be my mantra starting now! Thank you for your honest videos, they are very encouraging.
lol, don't worry! I don't plan to stop making videos, and I still have lots of areas to tackle around the motel too. ...But if you have other video ideas for me, throw em my way! :)
@Messy Minimalist It would be awesome to see a video of you decorating for christmas or talking about what you thought you would use but ended up not wanting... Or a video of a "Busy Holiday speed clean" type of deal! Maybe sorting through ornaments... or What you are doing for holiday treats being gluten free!
We only saw about 18 minutes of that turtle's life and everyone is jumping to conclusions about the care and keeping of him. I'm sure Messy Minimalist knows how to care for him. It's important to say something when you see something wrong, but viewers need to keep in mind that we only see a tiny fraction of a person's life. Unless you're an expert don't tell other people what they should do with their pets. I'm happy you moved him too. Love your videos
Thank you for leaving this comment. I'm about a day behind on responding to some comments, and I'm a little saddened to see so many folks who assume the worst of our turtle's situation! The 'under the stairs' was a temporary home for him this past year when we did some remodeling with our upstairs floors. But we've had him for 11 years (in our main living space) and he's healthy and happy as far as we can tell! We also visited him daily to do lights, water top offs, etc. But like you said, no one knows any of this because we really only share the decluttering portion of our lives. Seriously, thank you.
I just don't want you to feel discouraged. It's easy for people to jump to conclusions, especially when they don't see the whole story. You make wonderful, encouraging, and honest videos and we love watching your journey. I think most of your regular viewers will know that you take care for your home, and family (pets included) with love and good intention.
gosh, me too. We had him since he was the size of a nickel. (he's about 11 years old now), and he is accustomed to being in a place where he sees us on a daily basis. I think he's much happier. :)
I really enjoyed your freshness, your honesty and overall your lovely videos until now, but this time it turned my stomach when I saw this lovely animal behind glas following you out of desperation of not having any company at all. Yes I am relieved you gave him a decent place in your house although he is still in his little prison. He still is very very lonely! Please consider getting him company Rachel, please...or if you don't want that please consider giving him to a family who has other turtles. I am sure you have a good heart and after thinking it over you will take the right decision. Thank you very much for considering!
Thank you for the comment and genuine concern - and I really hope my response comes as I mean it, which is with love and smiles! Turtles are typically solitary animals, and for his breed (musk) he is fully grown and in an appropriate enclosure for his size. He’s 11 years old and while he looks lonely and desperate for attention, he’s only shown signs of happiness and health. He follows us because we represent food to him and it’s a learned behavior. It’s quite cute tho! :) If he were lonely or stressed, he wouldn’t be active like he is, he’d be lethargic. He has fish in his tank (he doesn’t eat them) which simulates his habitat. I say all this, not to dismiss your comment, but hopefully to help ease your concerns! I hope I’ve done so. take care! :)
I‘ve never been so early 🎉 Your turtle has such a nice new place - now you can really watch it instead of just knowing that it lives under your stairs and never seeing it (like HP 😂).
Thanks - I feel a lot better about his new home too! He's super friendly and loves swimming to the glass when people look at him, so I think he'll be happy there :) And WOOT to you for being early..! ;-)
Messy Minimalist Keep up the good work! You motivated me to declutter my house and now I just have the basement left (which is full of stuff. Mostly junk to be honest).
Thank you for the long term minimalist view. It has given me courage to keep continuing on this journey that I am on in my over 4000sf home. No garage thank God. With 10 years of accumulated stuff it has been a daunting task. But you have shown me to keep moving. So, Thank You. I love every vid and even though the light at the end of the tunnel is not real close I know that it is out there. Special blessing to you and yours.
Confession...last weekend I binge watched ALL of your videos! I love them! I just wanted to give you some encouragement and say you have accomplished sooooo much in a pretty short amount of time! You should be very proud of yourself! If you get decision fatigue again, go back and watch your old videos, pat yourself on the back, and say good job self! Can't wait for the next one! 👍
One of the things I so love about these videos is seeing you be exasperated with yourself. It makes me feel SO much more normal about... well, saving a box full of empty boxes. :D
My space under the stairs is the kids' playroom! They love it and it keeps the toys contained! It's their space and they can do whatever they want there. But the toys stay there and no where else. If it's messy, it's messy. No big deal! This is amazing! Love your videos ❤
I just want to let you know that I enjoy every second of your videos. It doesn’t matter to me that you don’t put out that much content. Your videos are very genuine and it is obvious to me that you put a whole bunch of effort into them because they look professional. Every time I see your videos in my notifications I get excited. Thank you for all the time you have invested so far. Which I’m sure is a lot ;)
Thank you for this comment. :) Yes, I do put a lot of time and effort into them - so it's nice to have that acknowledged sometimes. :) Not that I expect it to be noticed, I enjoy doing them and just wish I could do more! Anyway, thanks :)
I had some really ugly and random decor that was either from my childhood or a gift. Yeah, looking at a pissed owl really gets you into the holiday spirit. :D
Those books behind you in the intro look suspiciously like D&D manuals. I approve. Also that turtle’s tank is bigger than some I have seen at zoos, calm down people
Awww--your turtle looks so much happier now & I'm certain you are too!♥ You are hilarious--I SO GET YOU with the shaking of your head & questioning yourself. Inside you're like, WTF?! You're not alone! But you're doing incredible---thanks for motivating the rest of us!♥
Oh, thank you! Have you always had long hair? I've had longer hair for all of my adult life, and last year was the first time I really cut it "short" (which was my shoulders at the time). So this is REALLY short for me! But I like it for a refreshing change. Long hair is very pretty tho!
To me that looks like the *funnest* playroom! With the odd angles from the stairs, and some bright colors and different textures, I think it would be such a cool little world to inhabit!
At first, I thought you were joking about a turtle... like i thought it was just an old tank you used to have... then suddenly there was water and a real live turtle there. Oh my! I bet he will be happy to have a new place in the house! Love your vids by the way! I am in the midst as well for going through Christmas deco and downsizing and then decorating hopefully in the next few hours!!!!
Growing up we had a similar under stair room. My sister and I turned it into a Narnia secret reading room. Cushions on the floor, blankets, some low book shelves, fun painted walls or mural. All those twinkle lights would make it magical!
Ask yourself, who (or what) most needs this space... that is so far away from the rest of the action (so it seems from my limited perspective). A youngster on her own probably isn't going to be comfortable being that secluded, but a tired mom might enjoy a quiet hideaway to work (office), rest (nap/meditate), or craft. Or dad might need a man cave for watching sports or gaming...Thanks for the videos... you put so much thought into your content about things my brain it too overwhelmed to process on my own, so listening to you makes the decluttering lots easier!
My hubby is rooting for a 'gaming hangout' for him to sneak into - but I like the idea of a quiet office! Glad I can help with your own decluttering... good luck! :)
We had a similar space in the house years ago when my children were small and we used it as a playground . not a playroom ...but a space where they could run around and be loud and crazy a bit when the weather was bad. we had one of those small Little Tikes slides in there, and some balls, jump ropes, a basketball hoop (not regulation LOL one of those foam ones Nerf make some great stuff ). when they got older we turned it into more of a rec room with the dartboard and a TV set up with the video game systems Etc. Bean bags , Mini fridge, microwave for popcorn, that sort of stuff.
You are such an inspiration! I consider myself a messy person and usually feel hopeless and just wallow. I have been binge watching your videos and you have inspired me so much that I have gone through two closets and have accumulated 8 bags and 3 boxes of items to donate! Thanks for your willingness to be vulnerable for the benefit of others. I look forward to more videos!
i cant believe that after all this decluttering there is still a hidden stair turtle nobody knew about in your house xD this is why i love your channel it is so suprising to see what kind of stuff people hold onto
I always dreamed of having a pantry where all my food & seasonal supplies and occasionally used appliances were neatly stored and visible enough for quick (one stop) inventory & ease of use. It would also add breathing space to my kitchen & bathroom cabinets. Living in my small single-story home, I’m more envious of your understair closet than I care to admit.
It's always satisfying to watch someone totally clear out a room. The turtle tank alone looked like a huge project. Under the stairs always seems perfect for out of season things like winter clothes or outdoor summer toys...but a playroom sounds nice as well! You could paint it nicely, have a play kitchen and dress up closet just for your little one.
I love your cleaning up videos, they give me a little decluttering buzz without doing any myself 🤣 (to be fair I'm done with my decluttering journey, took me 5 years and 8 moves!) As far as what to do with the space I personally would go with a food storage/emergency prep/storage room. I would be wary about creating another space if you already have that space (i.e. A tech room if you have an office, a playroom if you already have a kid room) just because it would become an extra space at that point that is more likely to get looked over and junk will migrate into. Also designated storage spots are useful too! If you organized all your holiday gear and have it a spot all together it's much easier to get out/put away and then the room has a purpose.
Hi! By now you've probably turned this into something, but I wanted to let you know that I used an exact space like this growing up as a "fort." It's one of my favorite memories -- painted it cute colors, put a few little fluffy chairs, pillows and string lights. I was about 10 years old and my friends and I basically LIVED in that fort and it remains one of my fondest childhood memories!
Hey Rachel, I want to ask you something... do you think you could allow me to add Spanish subtitles to your videos? You see, I’ve been following your channel for a few weeks and have been incredibly inspired by your journey. I’m Mexican and my mom is a bit of a hoarder and has this idea of decluttering being a near-impossible task so I want to show her your videos hoping they’ll help her see that it CAN be done. Our place is really cluttered and I can’t clean my room thoroughly because I need to declutter my closet, which is filled with her decorations and things we never really use but that she refuses to get rid of... I think I already knew a lot of the things that you talk about in your videos but watching them has been a great aid in actually getting me going. (I’m also a translation student so it would be a great way for me to practice and to help spread your videos around a bit more) 😊
I was also thinking kids playroom! When I was kid, my friend had a space under the stairs that we made our secret lair haha Great progress, super excited to see more garage videos
the first video i saw of your was you taking down your tree. it seems we have come full circle. I really need to get backing to cleaning out my house thank you for the video reminder
The TOOTH! Oh my ;) Also, no rush getting videos out. Like, who needs that stress, am I right? I love your genuine content! I enjoy all your videos whenever they pop up.
I love decluttering and videos of people doing it! Also, you should donate those silverware/sugar/napkin packages to the homeless shelter or something if you don't think you'll ever use it. Though, you may talk about that or what you'll do later in the video-- I'm commenting as I watch haha. :)
When you go through this stuff it reminds me of when I went through the camping stuff. It was like a time capsule from when I wasn’t a Minimalist. I couldn’t believe that I was “hoarding on” to so many worthless things... as if we were going to go camping long enough to use 36 plastic knives and burn 3 months worth of bad-smelling scented candles, we would clearly be in a situation to want natural bug spray that didn’t work, and of course I have to store 20 plastic grocery bags in there for next year just in case I forget!
A couple of years ago I had to throw out years of accumulated Christmas ornaments, due to a basement flood. I literally sat on the floor weeping as I unwrapped destroyed moldy ornaments. It makes me really appreciate the ones I was able to save. Each one is precious to me. When you are as sentimental as I am, things like losing cherished ornaments collected on travels, or received as gifts from friends and family, hits hard. I applaud your progress in separating emotions from objects.
I am nosey and wanna see the after. With the empty space and what you put back in there til you give the room purpose and once it is completely done. Plus did u finish the garage yet??
We still have to get those printers out of there and remove a shelf/stand in the back, but I'll come back to this room once we've finished it! And the garage isn't totally finished... but we continue to chip away at it off camera! One bay is totally cleared though! I'll do another garage video for sure :)
I do have also a little stuff room, It's a great room for kids to play. If I look at your under the stairs room: I see a great pretent home for your daughter!
Loved the blooper reel!!!!! Turn the room into an arts and craft spot for your daughter...put her artwork on the wall....it can get crazy messy or be super organized and she’d have a blast❤️
I've seen people turn their under the stairs space into little dens for their kids. Super cute and out of the way, you can just shut the door on the toy mess when visitors come.
That back space would be so awesome as a little playroom for your daughter! The front would be a good office nook. Or maybe some storage for your tech. I have missed your videos but you have done so well, I think it is a testament to all your hard work that you have less to show us!
I love all the ideas you have pantry, office or playroom. I love the idea of an office for you! But there is the child in me that thinks it make such a super playroom! I know you'll figure it out! love to see all your progress.
Wow you did SO much! I also have troubles with all the christmas lights and decorations... I find them so cheery and it makes me happy just to see them. I'd be tempted to hang all those lights on the ceiling of that room and make it a little secret lounge space!
I love what you did by show casing the turtle 🐢! And Omg the lights... You're a real inspiration and boy... I need one ; my home has so much unused space with stuffffff.. Hobby stuff mainly of hubby and mine. Sometimes I look around like, "how can my husband enable me like this?" then I see where *his *piles are... #suffocating i want aquariums... Massive minimalizing needed! Thank you for bravely showing us your journey... And with wonderful humor too.
I love these videos! Of all the RUclips videos that encourage you to better yourself, this is the one channel that actually motivates me to take action 😁 your honesty and openness is so refreshing and you should take pride in your journey and how you inspire others. For the room's purpose, a technology / Christmas decoration storage room definitely makes sense, it just needs a little more organisation. I'm trying to do the same with my spare room, getting there little by little!
You should use the room as a playroom for your daughter. My kids love forts and I could see that smaller space under the stairs being a great fort area. You could put a few of her books and stuffed animals in there in an organized way and hang blankets on the walls and low ceiling. Then she can go in there and have a place to hide and play. When she gets a couple years older, she will love it.
So excited to see another video from you! I'm sure these videos are a lot of extra work for you but I am so grateful for you sharing your journey. You inspire me! I have recently decorated for Christmas and anything that didn't get used got donated :) Slowly working through the house getting rid of all the excess "stuff".
Awe! The turtle looks so much happier in the new space! Ahhh...the box of empty boxes. I always intend on using them for storage items and don't use it Sigh.
Your videos are of the very best. They never fail to interest and inspire. I think it is just your very engaging and generous manner, combined with the sped-up segments of your hard work that I find compelling and entertaining -- and you are articulate and genuine in your monologue segments -- they are simply never boring! You have a real natural gift of communicating.
I'm voting for exercise/meditation room or a play room if you don't have one yet. My husband and I decided to create a meditation garden with extra space and it has been the most amazing experience. Decluttering thoughts is just as good if not better than decluttering stuff. Love you channel! xo
I was thinking to let you know to put the turtle on the stairs.. but you read my mind!! Should put all your Christmas décor in that room closet. and maybe all your other festive décor. So you know exactly where to put them back after the season finish. Great to see you again. I keep re watched your videos. Doing de cluttering myself. Did the closet, kitchen, books. Next the garage.
Happened to decide to watch this after watching your six month old video about decluttering purses, and you've FOUND THE OTHER EARRING!! Haha it's a satisfying coincidence!! x
....WAIT? DID I!? Oh my gosh... I need to go see if I tossed that other one or kept it somewhere...! I knew it looked familiar like I'd see it recently. You're awesome for noticing that!
How about making that space into a power room. You know how Konmari talks about the power corner? A space that is filled with things you love and full of inspiration. Since it's already divided into 2, one half could be for you and your husband and the other half for your daughter. Great work! Also, did you finish the garage?
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for relocating the turtle. He looked so happy.
yeah, he is much happier!
That was my first thought when I saw him:"oh I hope she moves the turtle to somewhere more social".
Agreed! I was happy about that too
I noticed Mr. T following her every move. Its like he missed her presence. Maybe a turtle friend would help. They are so social.
The problem with keeping turtles is when they outgrow the tank, no one wants to take them off your hands. Speaking from experience here.
"we're gonna donate these to somebody who wants to deal with them, because I don't". This needs to be my mantra starting now! Thank you for your honest videos, they are very encouraging.
hehe, yes I think it's a good mantra!
Is it sad that I’m getting scared that your house is almost done and we won’t get to see you declutter for much longer? I just love your videos!
lol, don't worry! I don't plan to stop making videos, and I still have lots of areas to tackle around the motel too. ...But if you have other video ideas for me, throw em my way! :)
I'd love to see a final reveal of the decluttered home along with before videos showing your amazing progress - you've done so much great work!
Messy Minimalist Here’s a video idea...You can move into my home and declutter it...but first I’ll have to clear some junk out of my guest room.
@Messy Minimalist It would be awesome to see a video of you decorating for christmas or talking about what you thought you would use but ended up not wanting... Or a video of a "Busy Holiday speed clean" type of deal! Maybe sorting through ornaments... or What you are doing for holiday treats being gluten free!
As long as we have a lot of "stuff" we will never fully declutter our homes ;-)
We only saw about 18 minutes of that turtle's life and everyone is jumping to conclusions about the care and keeping of him. I'm sure Messy Minimalist knows how to care for him. It's important to say something when you see something wrong, but viewers need to keep in mind that we only see a tiny fraction of a person's life. Unless you're an expert don't tell other people what they should do with their pets. I'm happy you moved him too. Love your videos
Thank you for leaving this comment. I'm about a day behind on responding to some comments, and I'm a little saddened to see so many folks who assume the worst of our turtle's situation! The 'under the stairs' was a temporary home for him this past year when we did some remodeling with our upstairs floors. But we've had him for 11 years (in our main living space) and he's healthy and happy as far as we can tell! We also visited him daily to do lights, water top offs, etc. But like you said, no one knows any of this because we really only share the decluttering portion of our lives. Seriously, thank you.
I just don't want you to feel discouraged. It's easy for people to jump to conclusions, especially when they don't see the whole story. You make wonderful, encouraging, and honest videos and we love watching your journey. I think most of your regular viewers will know that you take care for your home, and family (pets included) with love and good intention.
I'm beyond glad that you have moved the turtle, a living being, out of a junk storage cupboard!
gosh, me too. We had him since he was the size of a nickel. (he's about 11 years old now), and he is accustomed to being in a place where he sees us on a daily basis. I think he's much happier. :)
I really enjoyed your freshness, your honesty and overall your lovely videos until now, but this time it turned my stomach when I saw this lovely animal behind glas following you out of desperation of not having any company at all. Yes I am relieved you gave him a decent place in your house although he is still in his little prison. He still is very very lonely! Please consider getting him company Rachel, please...or if you don't want that please consider giving him to a family who has other turtles. I am sure you have a good heart and after thinking it over you will take the right decision. Thank you very much for considering!
Marvelenia I agree, it broke my heart a little to see him swimming about obviously following her as she moved about the room. Poor little guy.
Thank you for the comment and genuine concern - and I really hope my response comes as I mean it, which is with love and smiles! Turtles are typically solitary animals, and for his breed (musk) he is fully grown and in an appropriate enclosure for his size. He’s 11 years old and while he looks lonely and desperate for attention, he’s only shown signs of happiness and health. He follows us because we represent food to him and it’s a learned behavior. It’s quite cute tho! :) If he were lonely or stressed, he wouldn’t be active like he is, he’d be lethargic. He has fish in his tank (he doesn’t eat them) which simulates his habitat. I say all this, not to dismiss your comment, but hopefully to help ease your concerns! I hope I’ve done so. take care! :)
for the turtle tank,purchasing a water siphon / gravel vacuum from a pet store will make cleaning the tank 10x easier :))
The turtle was following you back and forth in the time lapse, lol!
hehe, yes he does that! He's super friendly!
I‘ve never been so early 🎉
Your turtle has such a nice new place - now you can really watch it instead of just knowing that it lives under your stairs and never seeing it (like HP 😂).
Thanks - I feel a lot better about his new home too! He's super friendly and loves swimming to the glass when people look at him, so I think he'll be happy there :) And WOOT to you for being early..! ;-)
Messy Minimalist Keep up the good work! You motivated me to declutter my house and now I just have the basement left (which is full of stuff. Mostly junk to be honest).
i am so stupidly excited for the turtle. perni is living his or her best life
Thank you for the long term minimalist view. It has given me courage to keep continuing on this journey that I am on in my over 4000sf home. No garage thank God. With 10 years of accumulated stuff it has been a daunting task. But you have shown me to keep moving. So, Thank You. I love every vid and even though the light at the end of the tunnel is not real close I know that it is out there. Special blessing to you and yours.
Confession...last weekend I binge watched ALL of your videos! I love them! I just wanted to give you some encouragement and say you have accomplished sooooo much in a pretty short amount of time! You should be very proud of yourself! If you get decision fatigue again, go back and watch your old videos, pat yourself on the back, and say good job self! Can't wait for the next one! 👍
haha, thank you! I haven't re-watched any of my videos, so perhaps I'll have to do that sometime! :)
One of the things I so love about these videos is seeing you be exasperated with yourself. It makes me feel SO much more normal about... well, saving a box full of empty boxes. :D
hehe :) I'm glad I can help you feel more normal! :-D
I have missed your videos!
:)
My space under the stairs is the kids' playroom! They love it and it keeps the toys contained! It's their space and they can do whatever they want there. But the toys stay there and no where else. If it's messy, it's messy. No big deal!
This is amazing! Love your videos ❤
Live with it empty for a while, but keep it clean. It's pretty cool to have one spot that is free of stuff.
This is a good idea :)
I just want to let you know that I enjoy every second of your videos. It doesn’t matter to me that you don’t put out that much content. Your videos are very genuine and it is obvious to me that you put a whole bunch of effort into them because they look professional. Every time I see your videos in my notifications I get excited. Thank you for all the time you have invested so far. Which I’m sure is a lot ;)
Thank you for this comment. :) Yes, I do put a lot of time and effort into them - so it's nice to have that acknowledged sometimes. :) Not that I expect it to be noticed, I enjoy doing them and just wish I could do more! Anyway, thanks :)
I had some really ugly and random decor that was either from my childhood or a gift. Yeah, looking at a pissed owl really gets you into the holiday spirit. :D
Those books behind you in the intro look suspiciously like D&D manuals. I approve. Also that turtle’s tank is bigger than some I have seen at zoos, calm down people
This video is nearly three years old, but I find your content so motivating/relaxing (weird combo?) that I'm watching them all again!
Did you ever notice that "Donate that" and "Don't need that" have quite a similar sound?! Coincidence? 😉
I was so sad for the turtle following you back and forth. I'm glad he got moved. I'm loving your videos.
Awww--your turtle looks so much happier now & I'm certain you are too!♥ You are hilarious--I SO GET YOU with the shaking of your head & questioning yourself. Inside you're like, WTF?! You're not alone! But you're doing incredible---thanks for motivating the rest of us!♥
That kind of space would have been such a fun "secret" world to me as a kid. So, I vote for the playroom idea!
The box of boxes ❤️ been there. Also, I am LOVING your hair. Makes me want to chop my way too long to deal with hair. Yours looks so chic.
Oh, thank you! Have you always had long hair? I've had longer hair for all of my adult life, and last year was the first time I really cut it "short" (which was my shoulders at the time). So this is REALLY short for me! But I like it for a refreshing change. Long hair is very pretty tho!
You are looking so pretty here! Great video -- no need for embarrassments.
Thank you! You'll notice I get progressively more frazzled as the days go on in the video.. haha!
At first I was like, Noooo, don't declutter the turtle!!! LOL! I was so happy when he got such a good little home!
To me that looks like the *funnest* playroom! With the odd angles from the stairs, and some bright colors and different textures, I think it would be such a cool little world to inhabit!
The rain is making me so happy
At first, I thought you were joking about a turtle... like i thought it was just an old tank you used to have... then suddenly there was water and a real live turtle there. Oh my! I bet he will be happy to have a new place in the house! Love your vids by the way! I am in the midst as well for going through Christmas deco and downsizing and then decorating hopefully in the next few hours!!!!
So glad to see the turtle in a happy place
I love how your turtle followed you around (or so it appeared) as you walked back and forth, so cute! Great video as always.
hehe, yeah he probably was following me everytime I walked by. He likes to follow fingers along the tank - he's super friendly!
Growing up we had a similar under stair room. My sister and I turned it into a Narnia secret reading room. Cushions on the floor, blankets, some low book shelves, fun painted walls or mural. All those twinkle lights would make it magical!
Oh, I sooooo needed this today! I can't put my finger on why, but somehow your videos really inspire me to tackle my own messes.
:) Glad I can help! Good luck!!
Haha such a random pile of stuff! Well done!
The kids nook!! I love that idea but very very minimal
Awesome video. Feels so good to just be able to get rid of stuff! I love your turtle! 🐢
Thanks! :)
Ask yourself, who (or what) most needs this space... that is so far away from the rest of the action (so it seems from my limited perspective). A youngster on her own probably isn't going to be comfortable being that secluded, but a tired mom might enjoy a quiet hideaway to work (office), rest (nap/meditate), or craft. Or dad might need a man cave for watching sports or gaming...Thanks for the videos... you put so much thought into your content about things my brain it too overwhelmed to process on my own, so listening to you makes the decluttering lots easier!
My hubby is rooting for a 'gaming hangout' for him to sneak into - but I like the idea of a quiet office! Glad I can help with your own decluttering... good luck! :)
We had a similar space in the house years ago when my children were small and we used it as a playground . not a playroom ...but a space where they could run around and be loud and crazy a bit when the weather was bad. we had one of those small Little Tikes slides in there, and some balls, jump ropes, a basketball hoop (not regulation LOL one of those foam ones Nerf make some great stuff ). when they got older we turned it into more of a rec room with the dartboard and a TV set up with the video game systems Etc. Bean bags , Mini fridge, microwave for popcorn, that sort of stuff.
You are such an inspiration! I consider myself a messy person and usually feel hopeless and just wallow. I have been binge watching your videos and you have inspired me so much that I have gone through two closets and have accumulated 8 bags and 3 boxes of items to donate! Thanks for your willingness to be vulnerable for the benefit of others. I look forward to more videos!
i cant believe that after all this decluttering there is still a hidden stair turtle nobody knew about in your house xD this is why i love your channel it is so suprising to see what kind of stuff people hold onto
Make it a kids den! With all those lights it would be wild!! Or take it down and open it to whatever rooms it's behind :)
WinniefredFinesse that's all I could think of! Or a super whimsicle reading nook
PalisBee I was thinking a reading book or like a quiet spot to hang out on floor bed with phone and tv... I really liked that little nook.
A great stockpile room for your food and supplies for the hotel.
Yeah, I can see that working well in the space!
I always dreamed of having a pantry where all my food & seasonal supplies and occasionally used appliances were neatly stored and visible enough for quick (one stop) inventory & ease of use. It would also add breathing space to my kitchen & bathroom cabinets. Living in my small single-story home, I’m more envious of your understair closet than I care to admit.
Yay! People will see the turtle now! Great spot for him!
It's always satisfying to watch someone totally clear out a room. The turtle tank alone looked like a huge project. Under the stairs always seems perfect for out of season things like winter clothes or outdoor summer toys...but a playroom sounds nice as well! You could paint it nicely, have a play kitchen and dress up closet just for your little one.
I love your cleaning up videos, they give me a little decluttering buzz without doing any myself 🤣 (to be fair I'm done with my decluttering journey, took me 5 years and 8 moves!)
As far as what to do with the space I personally would go with a food storage/emergency prep/storage room. I would be wary about creating another space if you already have that space (i.e. A tech room if you have an office, a playroom if you already have a kid room) just because it would become an extra space at that point that is more likely to get looked over and junk will migrate into. Also designated storage spots are useful too! If you organized all your holiday gear and have it a spot all together it's much easier to get out/put away and then the room has a purpose.
"I wish I wasn't looking at them", lol, pretty much sums up the state that inspired me to take action.
Perfect walk in closet for off season clothing.
Hi! By now you've probably turned this into something, but I wanted to let you know that I used an exact space like this growing up as a "fort." It's one of my favorite memories -- painted it cute colors, put a few little fluffy chairs, pillows and string lights. I was about 10 years old and my friends and I basically LIVED in that fort and it remains one of my fondest childhood memories!
I love that your turtle follows you around while you’re cleaning. Adorable!!
Hey Rachel, I want to ask you something... do you think you could allow me to add Spanish subtitles to your videos? You see, I’ve been following your channel for a few weeks and have been incredibly inspired by your journey. I’m Mexican and my mom is a bit of a hoarder and has this idea of decluttering being a near-impossible task so I want to show her your videos hoping they’ll help her see that it CAN be done. Our place is really cluttered and I can’t clean my room thoroughly because I need to declutter my closet, which is filled with her decorations and things we never really use but that she refuses to get rid of... I think I already knew a lot of the things that you talk about in your videos but watching them has been a great aid in actually getting me going. (I’m also a translation student so it would be a great way for me to practice and to help spread your videos around a bit more) 😊
I was also thinking kids playroom! When I was kid, my friend had a space under the stairs that we made our secret lair haha Great progress, super excited to see more garage videos
the first video i saw of your was you taking down your tree. it seems we have come full circle. I really need to get backing to cleaning out my house thank you for the video reminder
Rachel, you are an inspiration! And please, never think of yourself as lazy. Remember as I do, "lazy" and "work" are both 4 letter words.:)
ah, such a positive way to think of it :)
The TOOTH! Oh my ;) Also, no rush getting videos out. Like, who needs that stress, am I right? I love your genuine content! I enjoy all your videos whenever they pop up.
:) Thank you
Your Christmas lights at 9:20 look wrapped up exactly like Clark Griswald's did in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, except his were green.
I think your little one deserves an under the stairwell play room :)
I love decluttering and videos of people doing it! Also, you should donate those silverware/sugar/napkin packages to the homeless shelter or something if you don't think you'll ever use it. Though, you may talk about that or what you'll do later in the video-- I'm commenting as I watch haha. :)
When you go through this stuff it reminds me of when I went through the camping stuff. It was like a time capsule from when I wasn’t a Minimalist. I couldn’t believe that I was “hoarding on” to so many worthless things... as if we were going to go camping long enough to use 36 plastic knives and burn 3 months worth of bad-smelling scented candles, we would clearly be in a situation to want natural bug spray that didn’t work, and of course I have to store 20 plastic grocery bags in there for next year just in case I forget!
Awww the wee turtle followed you back and forth :)
A couple of years ago I had to throw out years of accumulated Christmas ornaments, due to a basement flood. I literally sat on the floor weeping as I unwrapped destroyed moldy ornaments. It makes me really appreciate the ones I was able to save. Each one is precious to me. When you are as sentimental as I am, things like losing cherished ornaments collected on travels, or received as gifts from friends and family, hits hard. I applaud your progress in separating emotions from objects.
Oh, that's so sad. I can only imagine when the choice is taken from you, it makes parting so much harder. :(
I am nosey and wanna see the after. With the empty space and what you put back in there til you give the room purpose and once it is completely done. Plus did u finish the garage yet??
We still have to get those printers out of there and remove a shelf/stand in the back, but I'll come back to this room once we've finished it! And the garage isn't totally finished... but we continue to chip away at it off camera! One bay is totally cleared though! I'll do another garage video for sure :)
I could sense the frustration as you cleaned out the space. So happy you now have a free space ! I think an office space is a good idea.❤️❤️
The toliet paper and your facial expression had me laughing so hard!
I do have also a little stuff room, It's a great room for kids to play. If I look at your under the stairs room: I see a great pretent home for your daughter!
Is the turtle named Harry Potter? Cause that'd be super fitting. Lol! So happy to see a new video!!
hehe, nope, Copernicus. (Perni for short). But you're right... it would have been fitting!
I could literally understand every Time you looked at stuff and stayed quiet or said "yeah". I feel you, I really do lol
Loved the blooper reel!!!!! Turn the room into an arts and craft spot for your daughter...put her artwork on the wall....it can get crazy messy or be super organized and she’d have a blast❤️
Awwww turtle looks so happy with the company, following you around
I was thinking of you earlier today thinking I did not see any video in a while, so glad you're back!!!
:) Me too!
Your face while going through the lights... the best! Cozy reading nook for your little in the back and useful tech area in the first part!
I love your videos. I like your regular clean up ones too. maybe do a house quick clean or a trip threw the house getting rid of things .
Loved your "under the stairs" cleanup. You have a great blog personality. Keep it up !!!
I love your little turtle watching you!
I've seen people turn their under the stairs space into little dens for their kids. Super cute and out of the way, you can just shut the door on the toy mess when visitors come.
That back space would be so awesome as a little playroom for your daughter! The front would be a good office nook. Or maybe some storage for your tech. I have missed your videos but you have done so well, I think it is a testament to all your hard work that you have less to show us!
THE TOILET PAPER!! LOL That would be me. I have 3 kids, and one's bound to have a runny nose every winter. 😁
I have been binge watching and I get super tired watching lol man you have been working hard! I cant wait to see your full finished work
Haha, that turtle really loves you.
Definitely a playroom for C. Montessori or Waldorf style with natural elements.
Love the turtle’s new home
Your videos have been so helpful for me to motivate myself and successful purge the excess crap in my house! Thank you!
I'm glad! You're welcome :)
I love all the ideas you have pantry, office or playroom. I love the idea of an office for you! But there is the child in me that thinks it make such a super playroom! I know you'll figure it out! love to see all your progress.
Wow you did SO much! I also have troubles with all the christmas lights and decorations... I find them so cheery and it makes me happy just to see them. I'd be tempted to hang all those lights on the ceiling of that room and make it a little secret lounge space!
I love what you did by show casing the turtle 🐢! And Omg the lights... You're a real inspiration and boy... I need one ; my home has so much unused space with stuffffff.. Hobby stuff mainly of hubby and mine. Sometimes I look around like, "how can my husband enable me like this?" then I see where *his *piles are... #suffocating i want aquariums... Massive minimalizing needed! Thank you for bravely showing us your journey... And with wonderful humor too.
I love these videos! Of all the RUclips videos that encourage you to better yourself, this is the one channel that actually motivates me to take action 😁 your honesty and openness is so refreshing and you should take pride in your journey and how you inspire others.
For the room's purpose, a technology / Christmas decoration storage room definitely makes sense, it just needs a little more organisation. I'm trying to do the same with my spare room, getting there little by little!
Would make a cute home office tucked away in your space.
You should use the room as a playroom for your daughter. My kids love forts and I could see that smaller space under the stairs being a great fort area. You could put a few of her books and stuffed animals in there in an organized way and hang blankets on the walls and low ceiling. Then she can go in there and have a place to hide and play. When she gets a couple years older, she will love it.
So excited to see another video from you! I'm sure these videos are a lot of extra work for you but I am so grateful for you sharing your journey. You inspire me! I have recently decorated for Christmas and anything that didn't get used got donated :) Slowly working through the house getting rid of all the excess "stuff".
Nice work! I love to hear that. We dropped off a car full of the excess xmas decor this week as well. :)
Awe! The turtle looks so much happier in the new space!
Ahhh...the box of empty boxes. I always intend on using them for storage items and don't use it Sigh.
Your videos are of the very best. They never fail to interest and inspire. I think it is just your very engaging and generous manner, combined with the sped-up segments of your hard work that I find compelling and entertaining -- and you are articulate and genuine in your monologue segments -- they are simply never boring! You have a real natural gift of communicating.
Well thank you! Many compliments here, I appreciate that! And I'm glad you enjoy them so much too :) Take care!
A kids room! With blankets and lights. Like a hygge snuggle-read-daydream-cave. Love this Video. Very inspirational... :--)
I’ve been binge watching all your declutter videos today! Love them! Wish you’d post more now! :/
HAH I thought you had two full sleeves all of a sudden! (tattoos) That colorful top was like an optical illusion at first.😂
lol! Ahh, I would actually love having full sleeves! Hubs asked me not to get any more tattoos though. ;-)
I'm voting for exercise/meditation room or a play room if you don't have one yet. My husband and I decided to create a meditation garden with extra space and it has been the most amazing experience. Decluttering thoughts is just as good if not better than decluttering stuff. Love you channel! xo
i love the music to this video!!! 🤗🤗
good for you for letting go of high decorating expectations. I simplified Halloween and Xmas decor 3 years ago and feel such liberation.
I was thinking to let you know to put the turtle on the stairs.. but you read my mind!! Should put all your Christmas décor in that room closet. and maybe all your other festive décor. So you know exactly where to put them back after the season finish. Great to see you again. I keep re watched your videos. Doing de cluttering myself. Did the closet, kitchen, books. Next the garage.
Happened to decide to watch this after watching your six month old video about decluttering purses, and you've FOUND THE OTHER EARRING!! Haha it's a satisfying coincidence!! x
....WAIT? DID I!? Oh my gosh... I need to go see if I tossed that other one or kept it somewhere...! I knew it looked familiar like I'd see it recently. You're awesome for noticing that!
The turtle looked like he was following you in the fast motion segment. Love your channel!
How about making that space into a power room. You know how Konmari talks about the power corner? A space that is filled with things you love and full of inspiration. Since it's already divided into 2, one half could be for you and your husband and the other half for your daughter. Great work! Also, did you finish the garage?
Glad to see your turtle has a new location. Maybe now he can see people more often