New year, new smell, who dis?

I could tell every time my 9-yr-old daughter, Willow, snuck into the fridge for snacks because there was always a nasty fridge smell fumigating the house when she did it.

After 3 or 4 days of that smelly nonsense, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands and clean out that fridge. It feels like I JUST cleaned it out a few days ago, but when I opened the fridge and checked the dates on some of the food, it had expired in December-exactly one month from when I had ordered a bunch of groceries from the store.

I opened the refrigerator door and checked out the scene (of the crime). I saw two expired hamburger patties still wrapped up ready to be cooked.

*sniffs*

Ew, D I S G U S T I N G.

via GIPHY

There is nothing like that putrid rotting meat smell. How did I let things get so bad in my fridge?! I know I've been very busy with making sure Willow completes and turns in her classwork, and then I've been consumed with juggling multiple community service projects, civic leadership training sessions, and work quotas, not to mention keeping up with the daily news and gossip stories for my job--it's been completely overwhelming and has caused me to let the housekeeping fall by the wayside.

I opened up the cabinet door under my kitchen sink and pulled out one of my 45-gallon trash bags, then I opened the refrigerator door. A travesty greeted my eyes!

BEFORE:

Messy Refrigerator (Fridge)
Reesha Cosby
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AFTER:

Clean Fridge
Reesha Cosby
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Here is the side door of my fridge:

BEFORE:

Messy Refrigerator Side Door (Fridge)
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AFTER:

Clean Refrigerator Side Door (Fridge)
Reesha Cosby
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As we can see, my fridge needed a lotta love and decluttering. I threw away old hot dogs, liquid egg whites, take out containers of Ranch sauce, the two old hamburger patties I mentioned earlier, half-eaten cans of baked beans (don't ask), and assorted poultry and beef meats that I never got around to cooking (half-empty chorizo, anyone?). I was devastated to have wasted such delicious food, alas, I had to get rid of it.

I finally found food containers that I had been searching for all month, so that was a plus.

I felt so refreshed and heaved a sigh of relief once my refrigerator was decluttered and organized. Whew.

I recommend you do the same to feel that peaceful tranquility that washed over me. Now onto the next decluttering project.

Click here for a list of home organizers in the Yakima Valley if you need a little help!

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