Why I Hate Vanity Drawers
[Note: This post was originally posted March 14, 2018 on a previous blog of mine]
It's no secret to those who know me how much I love beauty and hygiene products. I love almost anything that comes in a pretty bottle and I used to be a product hoarder. More recently, however, my aspirations in life (if you will) have changed and I have really begun hating ANY form of extra-ness (e.g. items that are kept, but not used). I've tried to get rid of anything that we've not needed--extra pillows, old clothes, and most recently, the many beauty and hygiene products that threatened to take over our bathroom.
Now, my husband is a minimalist by most definitions of the word, and has been since I've known him (which is 12 years now). He doesn't keep a lot that he doesn't need. He was that kid who had the neat and tidy room. So you can imagine the joy he probably feels at my recent change of heart.
When I set forth to do this task of minimalizing our bathroom, I started out by opening the two drawers on my side of the bathroom vanity. Besides being quite messy and disorganized, the drawers were filled with loose hair pins, cotton balls, sample bottles from Sephora, and many bottles of products that I had forgotten I had. I began purging. First, I took everything out and placed them on the counter top. Second, I threw out or gave away the stuff I didn't need and literally only kept the things I use (and need to start using) on a daily or weekly basis. Anything that was "seasonal" (like Neosporin or Bandaids) I put away in a specific drawer in our bedroom where we keep medications. Third, I wiped down the drawers and then started putting everything away.
And that's when I began an organization method that has literally changed the way I keep myself.
Let me start by telling you how I have it organized: the top drawer (that is the easiest to access) holds everything I use on a daily basis, which includes
Q-tips and cotton balls,
deodorant,
toothbrush, paste, mouthwash, floss,
facial toner and moisturizer,
calamine lotion (I have psoriasis), and
contact lens case and solution.
These are things I use each morning and night. The drawer below it contains the items which I use on a weekly basis:
nail tools, acetone, nail oil (this takes up most of the drawer)
lip mask and balm
When I began conjuring up ideas for how I could keep up a daily routine of good hygienic and beauty habits, I knew I needed to find a way that would force me to be consistent each day. My problem (in life, haha) is that I have the desire to be a consistent person, but I am truly just lazy when it comes to my own personal care. I find myself thinking, "Ahhh, it's just me, I'm not affecting anyone else. So it's not such a big deal." Anyone with me?? Yeah, it feels like a freeing thought until my dentist tells me my lack of flossing has caused me three cavities.
So, I came up with a plan, and I must say that it's pretty darn effective. Here it is:
Whenever I am about to shower, I open the top drawer and take everything from that drawer out. And I truly mean EVERYTHING. There is no picking which item I need, I take it ALL out because that drawer contains ALL the items I should be using. (See where this is going?)
This way, when I am done showering, I have it in my mind that I need to use each of these products before I'm "allowed" to put them away. And if you know me well, you might know that I cannot stand messy desks, dining tables, or counter tops. I'm notorious for hiding items in drawers and cabinets. (remember that episode of Friends when Chandler finds out about Monica's crazy messy closet?! That's SO ME!)
So, in order to keep a clean-looking bathroom counter, I simply must put everything away. This plan keeps me disciplined enough so that I don't become too lazy to floss my teeth, or tone my face, or even take my contacts out.
So far, this has been working excellently for me. Everything gets taken out, used, and put back in that first drawer each time I take a shower. This way, I am forced to keep up the good habits that I so badly want for myself. I hope someone reading this who struggles with being consistent with their personal maintenance skills can implement this method I use too!
