My pitch list, Part 2

As part of my initiative to Throw Out Fifty Things, I took to the upstairs bathrooms over the weekend to purge everything that no longer had a place in my life.

Apologies to those of you who are about to learn way more about me than you ever wanted.

This was not the easiest of endeavors because I had recently cleaned out the bathroom earlier this year. I'm not sure why I did this, exactly. I was probably just procrastinating a despised household chore like laundry and got distracted. Regardless, my bathroom had much less junk in it than it had previously, so I was concerned that I might emerge from this task frustrated - and empty-handed.

But after committing to my 50 Things promise, I took a look at the bathrooms with new eyes, keeping in mind the four rules of disengagement in addition to the bathroom specifics, namely:

1) Go for the old and expired stuff first.
2) Are the medicines necessary and appropriate for how you want to feel now?
3) Keep what will help you care for yourself and let the rest go.
4) Get rid of any old notion of yourself.

So after my cleaning binge, I added to my pitch list:

• 6 bottles of stuff from Bath & Body Works (left over from when I used to work there in, ummm, 2001...)
• 3 toothbrushes: I keep old toothbrushes on hand to clean the grimy stuff you just can't get with a towel. But my problem is now distinguishing between what to give out-of-town guests who need to freshen up and what to use to clean my toilet. So, goodbye all old toothbrushes. Life is less confusing for us now.
• 6 bottles of half-used shampoo and conditioner.
• 2 really weird shades of nail polish
• 9 over-the-counter meds (most of which was left over from a trip Chad took to China in 2008)
• 1 hair dryer (who needs three?!?) 
• about a dozen containers of never-opened make up: If you would have seen the "vintage rose" lipstick that was a coveted free gift with purchase on my pale and unimpressed face, you would have laughed out loud

In sum: 7 things (+ 12 from the bedroom) = 19

What I kept? An old perfume bottle - long empty - filled with an amazing scent that I splurged on many years ago during a major upheaval in my life. I told myself at the time that when my last ounce of perfume was spritzed, my life would be better. And it was. But I still like to keep the bottle around as a reminder.

Next week, I tackle the kitchen. Lord help me.