Kondo-ing the clutter

It’s the New Year — for whatever reason we pick this one time to start off fresh by making resolutions and trying to change something about us. The first week of January, more than any other week of the year, seems to excite and energize most of us.

I did some serious general cleaning on the first Sunday of the year. Anyone who saw me that day would think I was either possessed by Marie Kondo herself or delirious from an extremely high fever.

I read somewhere how the state of one’s living space reflects one’s mental state. If this is true, then I’m probably on a whole new level of crazy.

It’s no secret how I’m not a very organized person. Folding clothes and fixing my closet is a daunting task for me. It’s something that I’d usually hold off for another time until it gets so bad I could no longer close my dresser.

It’s not always about me being just tad lazy. It’s more about how I don’t want to be bothered and would just like to rest after a long day’s work. Weekends are probably the best time to do it, but I would defer because it’s also my only chance to do other errands outside the house or go out with family and friends.

Okay—I know that’s not enough reason for having a cluttered space so maybe I’m simply missing a gene for organizing things.

My room is full of stuff that just thinking of sorting it is enough to give me a tension headache. It didn’t help that I’m also nursing a bad cough after the holidays, so dusting is just another of the many things I worry about. Then again, there was this intense urge in me to move my fat ass and do it.

(Before Christmas, I have already organized my closet and gave out a lot of my clothes, with some already been sold at Carousell. At least that’s already taken care of.)

Wearing an N-95 face mask, I started sorting out my shoe boxes and realized that aside from having pairs that I haven’t worn in years, there were also a lot of empty shoe boxes. Ay caramba—I also found some missing pairs that I’ve been looking for. In a matter of minutes, I already filled up two black garbage bags just for the shoes alone.

I also threw away several bags. I may not have that many compared to some other girls as I would imagine, but I still have some kept inside a large plastic box collecting dust under my bed. (Garet—baka gusto mong palitan ng mga “hand-me-downs” mo? Joke!) I don’t even know why I kept it when most are already stained and peeled off.

While there were some that I’m too embarrassed to give to anyone considering its state, quite a few—with just a little cleaning—is decent enough to use. I asked my younger brother to line some of it by our gate so neighbors and people passing by can take anything they want.

I organized my bedside caddy, drawers, and plastic boxes. Anything that doesn’t spark joy is tossed out. I had to yell at my mom not to check on the garbage bags and retrieve items that she thinks can still be used (my mom’s a hoarder, I tell you) because once I toss it, I want it gone forever.

I can’t believe I have lots of junk that I held on for far too long for whatever sentimental reasons I have at the time. I kept the receipt from dates. I kept boxes, paper bags and tags of the things I bought, a lot of eco-bags (how come I can’t find it when I need one?), newspaper/magazine clippings, paper billings, etc.

I chuckled after opening this small Vera Wang box that contained all the lacy, naughty underwear I owned onceuponatimelonglongago when my waistline was still 23 inches. OMG. I didn’t even bother trying them on when I know how I wouldn’t even raise it high enough to my thighs.

Bye-bye, red panties.

Even my laundry basket wasn’t spared. I now know the reason why it fills up so fast (even if I don’t have that many dirty clothes)—there are more unused eco-bags underneath! I don’t even know why I keep buying `em when it’s supposed to be reused, right?

I have so much expired make-up and many pairs of reading glasses; I have old chargers and tangled-beyond-unsnarling earphones. I even have empty perfume bottles, broken plastic containers, pair-less socks, tarnished custom jewelry—things I’ve forgotten even existed.

Of course, there are those that I couldn’t part with like old pictures, old phones, unused hardbound notebooks, fancy-colored markers and pens, birthday and holiday cards and notes, medical results (you don’t know when you may need them), Star Wars/Marvel toys and action figures, etc. At least now it’s neatly kept in one place and I know where to find it when I need it.

My nephew Gavin offered to help me so I handed him a face mask and told him to toss everything I hand him straight to the garbage bag. I think he enjoyed it because he pulled his own box of toys right after and told me that he would like to sort and throw the ones he no longer plays with or ones that are already broken or missing a piece. Afterwards, he also placed the toys by the gate and was so thrilled when he told me that a neighbor took it.

How about that? This disorganized tita has set a good example for her little one.

I always complained about how I don’t have enough space for my things. Turns out this isn’t true because after taking everything out, drawer by drawer, I found there’s actually more space for my stuff.

If cleaning one’s space is the first step for healing, then I’m proud to say I’ve started the year right. I may be sweaty, dirty, dusty and probably smelly the whole time but it didn’t matter because I was so relieved after taking out five large garbage bags by the end of the day. There was this sense of accomplishment for tackling such a task.

I guess physical clutter can really affect one’s emotions in more ways we know. If creating some empty space is one of the best ways to attract something new into my life, then I’m all up for it.

Hello, 2020!

(Originally posted on my Instagram account)

We are all going to say goodbye to the year that was and saying hello to another. I can't believe it's already 2020! Not so long ago, “partying like it’s 1999” seems so far away. And it has been 20 years since JLo was gyrating to “Waiting for Tonight”.

Oh my days—two decades! Where did time go?⁣ ⁣

2019 is a rather sleepy year for me. Nothing much happened, really. I didn't travel as much as I wanted to, did not push myself harder to try new things, did not get a new hobby as planned, didn't write as many essays and blog posts as I would hope, and so on. But that doesn't mean I have nothing to be thankful for. If there's one thing about 2019 that I will always cherish, that is how I spent much of it with my family. This year, we made sure we celebrate birthdays, holidays and special occasions together. It made me realize the importance of the constant people in my life; How they keep me sane and grounded especially during the lowest points of the year. ⁣ ⁣

Just like everything else, this year is a series of ups and downs, of wins and losses, of hopes and disappointments. But every year is a chance we all get–a new slate, they said. Some may say we don't need the new year to start something better, but Day 1 is always a good beginning and I'm going to take it.⁣ ⁣ I wish the best for the coming year not only for me and for my loved ones, but for all of us who deserve it. I am very hopeful and looking straight ahead.

Cheers to 2020! Let's make it the best one ever.

Intimate dinners over big parties

December is still the most wonderful month for me. Since my social life is not as crazy-colorful as it was a decade or so ago, the very few parties and dinners become somewhat a good reason to pause for a moment and enjoy the happy season.

It was a Friday the 13th holiday party for our company this year.

Compared to previous years when I’d, in fact, bother with what to wear and would almost always come in a cocktail dress—I decided to go casual this year by wearing just a red top, skinny jeans and nude, pointed heels.

My decision to chill out this year was the realization that after the party itself, I don’t get another chance to wear my semi-formal pieces again since I hardly go out and socialize. All those dresses end up inside my closet waiting for another chance to strut in them again.

I think going casual this year was just okay; I still got compliments on how sexy gorgeous slim I looked but perhaps only because people hardly see me wear heels and tight-fitting jeans these days.

I have become your typical manang, I guess.

I’ve been attending corporate parties since I started working 22 long years ago and it made me realize that partying—like dating, is no longer this tita’s cup of tea.

Not that I’ve always been a perpetual bore. I have my wild party days, believe it or not. I would skip work to go clubbing and partying till the wee hours. There was even a time when my mother got so mad and would not speak to me for days after I got home reeking of alcohol one morning.

Right now it’s kinda hard to imagine I even went through that phase.

I’ve already hit what others call “social menopause” wherein the things I consider fun many years ago are not so fun anymore. It’s not that I have become a recluse because I was still taking pictures with friends and officemates during our holiday party, but unlike before I no longer go from table to table like some social butterfly.

I also liked it better just sitting and watching people than be with the twenty/thirty-somethings on the dancefloor. The loud thumping of the gigantic speakers plus the strobe lights is giving this old lady a slight headache.

I tell you, if not for the major raffle which they deliberately held off till 11PM, I would have gone home and tucked in early.

Alas, still no luck on any of the raffle prizes (which includes a trip to Japan and Maldives) so as soon as the raffle ended, my brother and I jumped on the shuttle service and called it a night.

Big parties exhaust me. It was more effort than it was worth.

***

I may no longer like big parties, but I still love intimate dinners.

I met with my BFFs for our annual wishlist reveal last Saturday. The four of us have been doing this gift-giving tradition for many years now and it’s something that we’d likely do until such time that we’re already handing out our senior discount cards.

The whole time, I thought we’d be having it at NIU by Vikings in SM Aura, so I was already there by 5:30 PM. When I checked on our group chat again, I realized it was actually at the other NIU branch which is at The Podium in Ortigas!

For a moment I’d like to take a rain check because there were hordes of people waiting for a ride by the entrance of SM Aura. If you knew how bad the traffic could get on a Saturday, you’d definitely be less enthusiastic to go anywhere that would require you to travel via EDSA. (Which is why I demanded that for the next year, I’d get to choose the venue—HA!)

Then again, a part of me wanted to go and see my friends because I haven’t seen any of them for a year. Besides, we have been planning for the wishlist reveal for months and I think I’d regret it very much if I don’t come.

By some cosmic miracle, I was able to book a Grab, albeit the unreasonably high fare, and got there just in time at 7PM.

Even if we only see each other once or twice a year if we’re lucky, expect that we’d compensate that through hours of tsismisan and catching up. I mean, what better way to do that but over unlimited food and drinks?

I also got a free cake and a giddy birthday song from my friends.

Four hours just went swooshing by and before I know it it's already almost 11 PM! I have enjoyed the night so much it made me lose track of the time.

I couldn’t help but compare how I was itching to go home the night before during our company party, and how I’d like so much to stay for another cup of coffee with my friends.

You can blame aging for this but I would choose an intimate, sit-down dinner with friends any day than partying with so many people.