I've been racking my brain today, trying to come up with an idea for a blog post, without success. I thought of a few experiences I have encountered during the week in reference to clutter. However these thoughts didn't amount to enough content for writing a whole blog post. So I decided I would just put these thoughts to you and see what comments ensue. The conversation in the comments section is often as stimulating and inspiring as a post anyway due to my clever and engaged readers. So here goes. I was thinking of how I hold on to some things longer than I ought to, because I just … [Read more...]
Experiment with going without
Sometimes, when it comes to the stuff around our homes, we continue to own things just because we always have. To have them has literally become a habit. Fortunately any habit that has been created can also be broken. There are two ways that you can experiment with breaking the ownership habit. The first, which we have spoken of in the past, is to have a trial separation from a selection of your stuff. Choose things that you are on the fence about decluttering, then put them away somewhere out of sight for a selected period of time. If you haven't had the need for these objects during the … [Read more...]
March to the beat of your own decluttering drum ~ By: Nicole V
I came across a hyperlink to an article last year about hiding clutter in the home in “secret†spots. Intrigued and curious (why would the writer ask readers to hide their clutter, instead of getting rid of it, I wondered?), I went on to read the article. It turned out to be about hidden storage for items at home (think: platform beds with storage drawers and hidden cabinetry), rather than squirrelling away or stashing your clutter out of sight, which was my first impression upon reading the title. This led me to wonder whether anyone would have followed the tips given if the write-up had … [Read more...]
Never too young to learn to declutter
I was at my son's house on Sunday to pick up some packaging he wanted us to put in our recycling and trash as he had bought a new sofa and his bins were full. He also had several items to give me to take to the thrift shop. As I was sitting enjoying a little time chatting with my step-granddaughter my husband and son were packing up the car. She suddenly noticed what looked like some sort of plush toy jutting a little from one of the bags destined for the car. She asked if she could see what was in it and my son said no that we needed to get the stuff to the car. She began to get upset … [Read more...]
Don’t agonise over getting rid of clutter
I had a reader back in the early days of my blog who seemed to have trouble letting go of her clutter. It wasn't that she wanted to keep the stuff, or found it difficult to make the choices as to what to let go however she balked at getting on with the task. To me it was obvious that her problem was that she didn't like seeing anything go to waste. You see she was very eco friendly, to the point where it was a mission to throw nothing in the trash. And I think this noble goal interfered with her goal to rid her home of clutter. As you all know I am not a lover of waste myself and do what … [Read more...]
Storage is often not a solution by Deb J
We have all seen the magazine articles, books and TV programs on organizing. They tell us that if  we buy these particular products or use these particular items we will go from a cluttered mess to everything organized in a snap. The problem is that out of sight doesn’t mean it’s out of mind or make clutter any less clutter. Making it pretty doesn’t make it go away. Over and over many of us have bought and used multiple storage solutions trying to make things look like those magazine pictures. Unfortunately, these solutions are only as good as how good everyone is at putting … [Read more...]
What do I do with my childhood paper keepsakes? By Deb J
I was reading through the posts from my friends on Facebook and came across one where the poster said, “I think I can truthfully say that I kept every award, essay, art project, homemade book, concert/performance program, birthday/graduation card, sheet music, script, report card, club photo, and every other piece of information regarding my K-12 experience. So...I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.â€Â She also commented that it all only took up one big storage tub. My first thought was, “Why is she keeping all of that stuff?â€Â Why would she even want to? There seems to … [Read more...]
Quick purge or lifestyle change
More than one person commented last week that they can't believe they are still finding things to declutter after years at the task. And what I say to that is ~ rejoice and be glad. Usually after most people do the usual kind of quick declutter they find they are back at square one a couple of years later. With a slow and deliberate declutter one gives a lot of thought to their habits of acquiring and holding on to stuff. Being aware of these habits makes it much easier not to make the same mistakes in the future. The reason why years later they are still finding things to declutter is … [Read more...]
Overflow
I have experienced examples lately on how clutter can lead to disorganisation which in turn causes more clutter. Actually, in the cases I am thinking of, the clutter is useful and used stuff but in such abundance that it ends up scattered making items hard to find. This can then lead to acquiring more of the same because of the mistaken idea that things have run out. Of course this isn't something new to me, I have written about it more than once already. However it is worth a repeat mention on a regular basis. My own craft supplies can get like this at times. Usually due to the fact that I … [Read more...]
Some things to think about
Just for the fun of it today I am just going to write a long list of some of the things that you could probably find to declutter. Things that I am sure you no longer want and, in some cases, never even wanted or needed in the first place. So without further adieu here it is ~ use it or lose it. Anything you received free that you never needed ~ pens, coffee mugs, samples, badges, shopping bags, toys... , unwanted gifts, clothes that don't fit, gadgets that aren't useful, excess of anything, old make-up, books you'll never read again, dust collectors, poor quality photos, old magazines (any … [Read more...]