Happy Tuesday, friends!
Today is all about TRAVEL + TIDYING 🙂 .
I am sharing PART TWO of our BAHAMIAN CRUISE along with this TIDYING UP TUESDAY.
This week, I tackled…
I’ve shared this before, but TIDYING UP TUESDAY POSTS are about quick and easy things to do around the house to make you feel a bit more “tidy” (without having to spend all day deep cleaning).
I sit here at my desk all day, every day, but I don’t think I’ve actually cleaned it out since moving into my office five years ago.
The other day, I took five minutes and emptied it out, wiped it down, edited the contents and guess what? I felt so good after!
Here’s a little look at my desk drawer, all the randomness that was inside and how it looks now that it has been “tidied”…
This is a “before” pic of the center drawer in my desk. Not too bad, but it certainly had random things inside I did not need.
Please note…
…my desk does come with a 14 year old coton de tulear 🙂 .
She sleeps here under my feet all day long.
Okay, let’s look at what I found inside…
I have one of my grandfather’s business cards inside my desk. He passed away in 1999, so this is clearly an old card. I have no idea where I got it/how long I’ve had it, but I’m so happy it was in my desk! My best guess is that this photo was taken pre-1989. If you look at the credenza behind his desk, he has a photo of my grandmother along with three framed photos of Sean, Brandon, and me. We are his oldest three grandkiddos. Brooke was born in February 1989, so I bet this picture was taken before she was born. Such a special photo.
I also found this in my desk drawer…
…a two dollar bill. Where did I get this? My Mimi! My dad’s mom loved sending cards with two dollar bills inside. She would go to the bank just to get these bills just because they are fun and unexpected. I received many a $2 from her in my lifetime, and I’m very very happy I kept this one because she passed away in 2021.
I also found a Post It Note…
…that my mom left on my desk one time when I was out of town. So sweet, right?
So, those were the sentimental items I found, here are some random items…
…an old iPod. Here is the honest truth, I never had an iPod because I didn’t know how to add things to it. Bahahaha! You know me and you know that’s right. This has to be Andrew’s old iPod, but why is it in my desk drawer? Why isn’t it in his? Why do we even still have this? So many questions…
I will forever be the girl who uses White Out every single day. I am way too Type-A to scratch something out. I absolutely detest the White Out “tape”, but it is hard to find the liquid version now. I found four different things of White Out in my desk drawer. Ha!
I have no idea what these keys go to. Zero. You guys, I threw them away. Don’t tell Andrew. They probably are the keys to something really important, but I honest to goodness do not know what they’re for? Should I dig them out of my office trashcan? I just don’t know why I would keep them if I don’t know what they’re for?!
Because one never knows when one might need to apply a lip product or tweeze their eyebrows while at their desk. Hahaha!
Okay, that’s my handwriting on those two SD cards, but I have no idea what they’re for. I threw them away. I didn’t even look to see what was on them because it doesn’t matter. If I ever need what’s on them, I won’t even know to look because…why would I? I tossed them. It’s probably something super important and one day Andrew will ask me what I did with them. I’m going to pretend like I don’t know.
A Starbucks and a Target gift card. Guess what I did with these? I loaded the Starbucks one on my app and then bought myself two new pairs of pajamas with the Target one. Bam.
I have had my AirPods now for like two years. These are the optional rubber things for the earpiece. I have never once thought about switching the current ones for a different size, so why am I holding on to them? I tossed them.
Not a single one of these worked. Not. A. One. Tossed.
And here’s the “after”! Isn’t that so much better?!
I mean, I might have just thrown away my last will and testament along with the keys to our safe, but hey, my desk looks FABULOUS now!
Five easy minutes and one happy Shay 🙂 .
Is there something you can take five minutes to tidy up today? I’d love to know!
Don’t forget to check out PART TWO of our BAHAMIAN CRUISE today too!
I’ll see you back here tomorrow, friends! xx
Laura says
Girl, check those SD cards! Also, keep those keys until you can ask Andrew and the kids. Even if they don’t know, toss them back in the drawer for a few more years.
Kelly Sites says
I’m a tosser. And I get in trouble for it. Whenever my family is missing something they IMMEDIATELY come to me and assume I threw it away. ( 9 times out of 10, I did). Once, on a throw things away binge in my entire house, I accidently threw away out remote for our TV by accident. I had to go dig it out of the huge garbage can we keep down at the road. 🙂
Elspeth Mizner says
It’s amazing what things you can find in your desk and how much a difference a few minutes of tidying makes!
Have a great day!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Kim Scott says
This is so relatable 😂 I made my husband read this and he is so concerned about those keys
Mix and Match Mama says
Hahaha! Andrew probably will be too…
Allison says
Laughing. Out. Loud!! I am a major thrower-awayer but you really took the cake! The keys. The usb thingy’s. So hilarious! I feel like not knowing what the keys go to is all the more reason to just stick them back in the corner of your desk!
Melissa Terry says
My main takeaway from this was happiness in finding someone else who hates the tape white out! I detest it as well and my husband thinks that’s crazy so we definitely have his and hers!
Mix and Match Mama says
I DO NOT understand its appeal?! AT ALL! The liquid version is so much easier to use. Why would one prefer the tape?!
SS says
My grandma used to send $2 Bills on holidays like Valentine’s and Halloween cards. My mom now does it with her grands. I love the tradition.
Debbra says
My stepdad did the same thing. He gifted my boys $2 bills every birthday and not one of those bills has been spent. They are still in their rooms tucked away in a drawer.
SS says
How cool!!! I still.have mine from my grandma. Lol
K.K. says
Throwing out the keys – totally relatable, but the curiosity of what was on that card would have gotten the best of me!! But all that to say, that’s why your desk drawer looks that good!!
Lisa D says
I love a tidy desk drawer! And I also love Wite-Out, the original Bic brand. And NOT the tape kind!
I have sweet notes from my kids and the grands, and sentimental items in my desk drawe. It makes me so happy to see these thing often.
Amber says
Shay I think you could make a blog post about anything and we’ll not only read it but enjoy it! This post is SO relatable! I cleaned out my desk drawers the other day but they probably could use a round 2 because I left the random keys (I also don’t know what they go to!) and the iPods because do you just put them in the trash?? I don’t know! I couldn’t get rid of them!
Mix and Match Mama says
I put the keys in the trash and the iPod on Andrew’s dresser. That felt like a “him” problem 😉 . Thank YOU for the kind words. xx
Andrea M Johnson says
Love the note from your momma and your grandfather’s business card. Those are treasures in my eyes! The keys…. I NEVER throw keys away any more. No joke whenever I have I later always figure out where they go and it’s usually a family members spare key to their home that they out of the blue will need the second the trash is emptied OR it belongs to some sort of lock box file cabinet. Thank goodness I didn’t throw one away I found in my kitchen drawer because it was the extra key to my mother in law’s PO box that my hubby had tossed in the drawer over ten years ago. You guessed it she needed it about a month later!! He had no clue where it was of course but thankfully I found it. HA!
Susan P Fitzpatrick says
I don’t have a desk drawer but I do have a vintage card catalog. There are drawers full of unlabeled keys and a variety of cords and chargers that go to items we haven’t owned in years. I guess it’s a man thing because if I got rid of them my husband would have a fi even though we haven’t needed them in the last 20 years! 😂
Alyssa says
You might consider getting that business card framed/made into an acrylic block so that it can be preserved and displayed as the treasure it is. That key looked like it might be a keepsake from a boutique hotel that still uses keys from ye olden days. 😁
Mix and Match Mama says
Great idea!!
Debbra Weber says
Before it goes out to the dumpster, are the keys you found possibly to a safe, lock box, safety deposit box or your storage unit? Just thought I would throw those possibilities out to be safe since it costs to have a locksmith pick a lock. I would have done the same thing. I pitch stuff left and right when I am re-organizing. Ha!
Richelle says
I have $2 bills in my desk drawer too! I don’t know what to do with them! Now you need to hop on Amazon & get some museum gel to keep the plastic trays from sliding around in your drawer. Ready America 33111 Museum Gel, Clear https://a.co/d/0fF5PO7f
Mix and Match Mama says
My mind is blown. I’ve never heard of this before?!
Richelle says
Oh, it is fantastic! I had professional organizers come to my house & they introduced me to it. All my drawer containers are locked down with this stuff.
Shirley says
OMG! Ask Andrew about the keys & look at what is on those SD cards!!! You’re giving me a heart attack by just tossing them without knowing!!
Denise M says
Me too!! 😧
Shirley says
Me three!
Jaime says
GIRL! It is only 8:15 am in the PNW but I am destined to have low-level anxiety ALL DAY because there is a sweet woman in TX who just threw away a set of keys AND two SD cards. What if there were baby pics on those?!?! I may need to lie down, lol. I could never! However, I probably have keys to my first apartment in 2001 around here somewhere, but I’ll take the mental safety of keeping them juuuuust in case over tossing. My husband wishes I were more like you though, ha!
Kat says
I used to be the person that kept all the things! My mom would get on me and say, if you haven’t needed it or touched it in over year, you’re not going to. Ever since that, I throw all the things away and the declutter makes me feel SO good!!
Melissa says
All the concern about the keys in the comments is so funny to me. I have thrown away so many keys. I’m wondering if I should care more…It’s like how do we end up with so many and what do they all go to???
Mix and Match Mama says
HOW?!
Jen says
Our family has a thing where we all keep a $2 behind our driver’s license. I don’t know why we do that, but we do. 😉
My suggestion is to stash yours there – especially since it has sentimental value.
sandi says
My mother in law was also known for having $2 handy. Years (and years ago since the price is now over $70) the San Diego Zoo admission was $18 and they would give back $2 bills when you paid with a $20. I have a $2 in my wallet that came from my mother in law that I cannot part with. Let’s not talk about the random zip lock bag with keys to who knows what that is also in a kitchen drawer. I can throw just about anything out except for those keys.
Courtney says
throwing away the SD cards without checking is sending me over the edge, hahaha.
Kay says
I’ve thrown away sooooooo many many many keys. I’m fifty. It’s never one time come back to haunt me. You will be FINE!
Carman says
This is by far the funniest post you’ve ever written. I’m dying! “I threw it away!”
Megan Perkins says
Reading these comments was almost as entertaining as your humorous commentary!
I think I’m going to try to take this kind of attitude into my next cleaning endeavor. My husband is too smart to leave anything too valuable in my possession. 😉
Also, I still have one of the many $2 bills given to me by my great aunt so frequently while growing up.
Tabitha says
It sounds like you now need a dedicated post on what pictures were actually on those SD Memory Cards 😉 Thanks for sharing your tidying!! Even though it was still pretty tidy beforehand ❤️ It’s inspired me to go through a draw of ours as well!!
Jennifer C. says
But have you tried the Papermate white out tape?! It’s in the green dispenser. I’ll pay 3x the retail cost for that baby if I need to, because I am convinced it is superior to BIC.
I have a random picture of my grandparents in my desk drawer and it makes me smile whenever I notice it.
Lisa N says
I googled EMTEK key and came up with door keys. Possibly your outside/guest entry door to your office🤷🏻♀️
Mix and Match Mama says
I have a keypad on that door…I don’t know? Maybe the original keys before I added the keypad???
Laura Crenshaw says
The comments about the keys and the SD card are making me laugh!!!
Shay, you have so many peeps over the edge about this! 😂🤪