Day 334: Buying Gifts or Clutter?

As you begin shopping for Christmas (or any other holiday), keep in mind, "Am I shopping for a gift or for what will become clutter very quickly?"

Day 333: Christmas Decorations

As we begin to decorate for the Christmas season, it's a good time to donate any unwanted items in your decoration boxes. I stopped in at Goodwill last week and they had a lot of Christmas items on display. If you can donate toward the beginning of the season, things will sell.

I am a big fan of natural greens in my decorating. This fall, though my bushes needed trimming, I purposefully waited to trim until this time because I want to use the greens to decorate. The nice thing about real greens is you throw them away when they dry out and don't have to store anything! One year I was driving through the bank drive-thru and noticed nice boxwoods that really needed a haircut. In my enthusiasm, I actually asked the bank teller if I could come back and trim them to keep the greens for my decorating. She looked at me strangely and told me they have a service that does that. I wanted to retort that they were a little behind schedule as the bushes looked terrible, but refrained, figuring she was about done with me.

See what you can simplify in the decorating area this holiday season!

Day 332: Greeting Cards

My timing to send birthday cards used to be very late. I could have invested in a belated line of birthday greetings. However, I have found something that simplifies my life.

When you are honest with yourself, does it really matter if a card from a friend far away has a catchy poem or a heartwarming greeting? I personally love to hear news or at least a sentence in the person's own words. Receiving a card shows me the person has thought about me; hearing news is a little like being with him/her.

My simplifying idea has been to purchase a lot of handmade cards at craft shows. There are no greetings written inside, but that is easily remedied. These cards can be employed for any occasion. Because there is a supply on hand, I am only occasionally late with sending greetings. I buy in bulk sometimes to get the best price, or at some craft shows, if you are shopping near the end of the craft show, prices decrease. I don't come up with catchy phrases, but can write a heartfelt note from me and let the person know what's been going on, just as if we'd had a conversation.

Just an idea for you, but it saves lots of time, money, and trips to the card store. That's simplifying!

Day 331: Photos again

I found a website through clutterfree.com that gave an excellent idea on what to do with boxes of old photos. The site is scanmyphotos.com. You mail them your photos, they scan them and send back the photos with a CD or DVD. You can then get a digital picture frame and play your photos.

If sending your photos away scares you, there are people you can pay to put them in scrapbooks. Having photos in boxes may seem comforting, but it certainly isn't good for the photos or for you if you want to look at them sometime. OR, you could ask for a scrapbook for Christmas to be done by a relative who has that kind of time (or a creative college student who has no money to buy gifts!)

Day 330: Gift Cards

I watched an organizing video where the organizer removed everything from a closet and sorted it into the Keep, Donate, Trash bins. In the closet he found several gift cards. His comment was, "Gift cards do NOT belong in a closet!"

Companies promote selling gift cards because they make extra money when people lose them in clutter and never spend them! It is important to have a particular place for any gift cards you receive so that you can go right to them when needed. For awhile, I kept mine in a small bag in my car. This way, I could grab one if I was running errands and happened upon that business. I have lately seen cute gift card cases. They are similar to business card holders, but more feminine. They were sold at the UPS store.

The most important thing is, make a place for the cards and keep them all there so you don't waste your gift!

Day 329: Happy Thanksgiving!

We may not have time to declutter today, depending on who's visiting, and what we have to accomplish in the kitchen. However, if you happen to see something old and unused in a cupboard as you are searching for herbs or spices, don't hesitate to toss it!

I am thankful that I have less clutter in my house than I did a year ago!

Day 328: Trash - Donate - Keep

After all this time, I still think the simplest method of decluttering an overwhelming mess is designating three bins or bags as "Trash," "Donate," and "Keep." If you have a large amount of clutter, limit your "Keep" section and stick with it! As you clean out that closet or small storage room, everything has to go into one of the three bins. Ideally, you will have pared down 2/3 of your clutter by the time you are finished. From there, you can more easily organize what is left in your "Keep" bin.

Just going through one entire room or closet this way can declutter quickly.

Day 327: Lawn Care Products

My friend came over the other day and it was nice to hear her comment on how uncluttered things looked. She asked me what I was attacking for simplifying now. I'm moving out to the shed.

In suburbia, our yards aren't huge, so when we buy a bag of lawn fertilizer, we normally can't use it up very quickly. I decided to use up what I could on the lawn...we had lime, fertilizer, extra seed. It is the time of year to do that. Since we aren't consistent using that kind of stuff, it was OK to just use up all the partial bags and not replace it. I also had to sweep out that section of the shed because mice apparently like the organic fertilizer and had it strewn all over.

Day 326: Down the Drain

I really do hate to waste things, however, there comes a time where it is really OK. Down the drain went a bottle of whitening mouth wash that one of my college students used over the summer and didn't like. I tried it and it was awful. Not sure why I held on to it for these months when no one would want it. I think the inside of my kitchen sink pipes are nice and white now.

Day 325: When You Clean, You Find

When you clean, as in dusting, often you find unneeded objects or papers lying around. Right then and there, toss those items. Decluttering can be accomplished in a matter of minutes.

This morning I was dusting (I really get a lot done in the mornings :) and found a keychain CD wrapper opener. Not many CD's are purchased in our home anymore because of i-Tunes, and I figure we can get the cellophane off without this little device. It was thrown away.

In conclusion, be on the lookout whenever you are working in one part of your home. Have a critical eye and sort or toss items that happen to be right where you are. In less than five minutes, you can have a decluttered space.

Day 324: Broken Things

I threw out an old curling iron that lost a screw. The bar would only clamp tightly at the tip, so curling took a LONG time. I probably eventually could have found the right kind of screw, but the iron was probably 20 years old, not very efficient, and my errand routine doesn't usually include wandering the aisles of hardware stores.

Keeping broken things is great if you have the discipline to fix them (and the talent.) However, if broken items have been stored more than six months to a year, you might consider throwing them out. You obviously haven't had to use it in a long time and must not need it that badly. Stored broken objects become clutter very quickly.

Day 323: Caught!

One of my blog followers was at the house last evening. She asked to see the pantry I wrote about clearing out earlier this fall. I gulped....Since I write this blog first thing in the morning, sometimes the actual carrying out of the simplifying deed has to wait awhile because the day becomes more busy than anticipated (working, cleaning, grading papers, etc.) Long story short, I haven't gotten to pull everything out if the pantry like I said, though some little things have been ditched. I'm coming clean (no pun intended.) I DO have it on my list to do, though.

So, lest you were ever tempted to think I have it all together, know that I'm down in the trenches with you!

Day 322: No Queen Esther

The Biblical account of Queen Esther has her spending months of time with beauty treatments before being chosen as queen. A year of spa treatment is what is sounds like! Fragrances, oils, and ointments were used to enhance her already-gorgeous features/skin.

Fast forward a few thousand years to me. I have a basket of "ointments and oils." There is no way I could use them all or that they would have the "Esther" effect anyway. They are still there, partly used, because they were gifts and I couldn't bear to waste so much. I'm lucky if I get through two bottles a winter.

I'm getting rid of my cache of beauty treatments, keeping only a couple, and will work on the inner beauty more "that comes from a quiet and gentle spirit." Having a more simplified lifestyle lends itself to being more gentle and quiet!

Day 321: Retrace Your Steps

Decluttering is a cyclical activity. Periodically we need to retrace our steps. Baskets, closets, and drawers naturally collect items when we are in a hurry. I went back to a basket in our bathroom and found some random items to throw out.

We're simplifying one item per day for a year, but my hope is that we have developed new habits that will stick for the rest of our lives.

Day 320: Shoes

There seem to be about seven pair of seldom used shoes sitting in our coat closet at present. Two of the owners are in college. Methinks it is time to take a survey and perhaps clear out some of that floor clutter.

Extra shoes, anyone? Check in with family members to see if those are still needed.

Day 319: Old Jeans

In my perusing of other decluttering blogs, I came across an article where the author was collecting old jeans which can be made into insulation for Habitat for Humanity houses. If we can find a collection site for jeans that we think are too far gone for Salvation Army or Goodwill, it would be another avenue of our clutter doing good elsewhere.

Day 318: Dog Travel Bag

Yes, I know. Really, a dog travel bag??? When we got our dog, the breeder gave us a vinyl drawstring bag with some food, a toy, and a water dish in it. I saved that vinyl bag and used it to put in his food, chewy bones, and toys whenever he went on a trip with us. That way, I could always spot his stuff when needed.

I came across it the other day and am going to give it away. It makes me sad as I still miss him so much (we lost him to cancer last winter), but I don't need it now. If we ever get another pet, I'll look for something like that then.

Day 317: Definition of Clutter

I found another interesting declutter blog called "Unclutterer." Having only read the current post, it looks good. One thing the writer does is answer a question from a woman who is soon to move cross country. She wants to sell everything since they are going into a smaller place, fly there, then begin all over. Her husband doesn't agree.

The writer had some questions and comments. First, she told her they needed to discuss their definitions of clutter. She told her that if they don't see the root problem of their clutter, they will just junk up their new place. I found that to be intriguing advice. Is that something you have ever discussed with family members? It might be a place to start. With kids who don't have any cause for comparison, perhaps they could give an example from a friend's house about cluttered spaces or lack thereof to give you an idea of how those places make them feel. Husbands will generally have an opinion on their own. :P

If the opportunity presents itself, air this topic at the dinner table some evening. It may give us all some motivation and insight!

Day 316: Painter's clothing

We are painting at our house. As I dug into a cabinet, untouched for a year at least, I found a wad of balled up clothing I have used in the past when I paint walls. There were several "outfits." Not planning to paint as a career, I figure one good outfit is sufficient, so the rest of the paint speckled shirts and sweatpants are being thrown out.

Day 315: More Electronics

As quickly as electronics update, a family can accumulate a "junkyard" of old games, CD-Roms, game systems, etc. Periodically clear out unused or outdated electronic gear. Some people love the "classics," so giving them to a Goodwill is a good alternative to throwing them away.

Day 314: Seriously...Get Rid of It

I have had a large stack of sample textbooks in my classroom for months. It's illegal to use them for copying since the school system didn't buy those publishers and we have enough legal history teaching materials to teach the students only history for three years! I'm sure someone who homeschools or lives in an English speaking poor country could use them, but how do I find those people and do I ship them for hundreds of dollars? I finally gulped my intolerance for wasting good resources and set them out for the trash. It feels great now!

My point is, there's a time to just declutter your life even if it wastes resources and money. "But I paid so much for this purple leisure suit!!" It's really OK. Just get rid of whatever it is.

Receipts: How to Keep Organized

We keep receipts for returning merchandise, rebates, tax deductions, etc. How can we keep them all organized?

I have a small drawer with an envelope in it marked "Tax Deduction Receipts." Each time I buy something, donate money, or donate clutter to Goodwill, I write on the receipt and immediately stick it in there. It's there, ready to hand over to my tax man (husband) at tax time.

With rebates, I try to fill them out immediately and get them sent.

Around Christmas time, I hang onto receipts in an envelope again, just in case something needs to be returned. I have also filed receipts with instruction manuals in the filing cabinet.

Also, don't be afraid to throw them out. IF for some reason you need to return something, many stores will still take it. Or, you can just bite the bullet and donate the less than perfect item to get it out of your house. Yes, a loss, but also a gain in not agonizing over unruly receipts.

What I'm saying is that receipts needn't take over your life or desk. Put a couple simple organizational tips into place and it shouldn't be a problem. If any of you readers have a suggestion, I would value your input on what you do with receipts.

Day 312: Jewelry Box

This is a tough one. As a little girl, I remember going through my grandmother's jewelry box and picking up each piece gingerly and inspecting it carefully. It made me daydream of princesses and such.

I could save all my mismatched pieces or things I no longer use for a grandaughter, but after today, she'll have to dream with what I currently have. I cleaned out the jewelry box of things I no longer use or are mismatched. (Like a single earring whose twin I was hoping would show up.)

Day 311: Cards

My husband and I have birthdays the same week each year. For a couple weeks every October, all the birthday cards go up on the fireplace mantle. There are some I do keep certain years in a momento box, but usually I throw them away.

If you were serious about keeping messages and not the entire card, you could cut out the personal writing...less clutter, but more effort.

Day 310: Regrets

I do have regrets over some items I have given or thrown away. Not many, mind you, but a couple come to mind. One was a portable manual typewriter. Logically, it was a good thing to give away as soon, finding ink ribbons would have been impossible. It's just such a novelty for kids nowadays, I 'might' have enjoyed showing it.

The other thing is a scrapbook of photos from my student teaching/college days. I practice taught in a 1st grade classroom and my supervising teacher surprised me with a scrapbook on my last day in her class. Other than the fact I was a lot heavier and had ugly clothing (it's not easy to jump from college student into the professional world), those pictures were fun. Let's see, those kids would now be 32 or 33 years old.

Worrying about what you will regret clearing out is dangerous because you run the risk of never getting rid of anything! However, if it makes you feel any better, my two regrets surface maybe once every three or four years, only briefly. Most of the time I feel lots better seeing my home uncluttered!

Day 309: Fewer People = Less Stuff

A natural progression in life would be that as family members move on to college or careers, you have less stuff in your house. It takes time to remind them to TAKE their things or for us to just get rid of some of the nostalgic belongings. But, it should be a process.

If this hasn't been the case, perhaps you could make a plan for getting clutter you are storing for others OUT.

I got rid of a lunch box today since we don't need a supply for four anymore.

Day 308: Textbooks

It seems like a sin to throw out college textbooks that cost you almost as much as you earned each summer during those years. However, textbooks lose their accuracy over time especially in the humanities...For example: in the last 10 years we have gone from Native Americans to First Americans back to American Indians.

If it pains you to throw them away, give them to Goodwill (and they can either resell or throw away for you.) With the Internet available, keeping old textbooks isn't necessary for intellectual growth anymore.

Day 307: Extras

I got rid of a large laundry bag/hamper that was ripped. Both kids have bags at college and this one was extra.

Day 306: Saving Stuff

I have piles here and there that I'm saving for people. It is so difficult to throw out items, especially items that would bring children joy. Example: leftover bubbles in a fun container from a wedding; a small disposible bubble gum dispenser that still has gum.

I'd say if you can't get rid of it with in a week or so, just toss it. Plan to pass it on to a child neighbor or see if a teacher has a prize bag (I don't...) Seeing things like that sitting around is confining and we're out to simplify our lives.

The United States is filled with little cutsy items ("tchotchke") that we don't need. Kids also have way too much much of the time. So, throwing it away is an option unless you have a stream of children visiting and like to be the aunt/neighbor the kids love to visit!

Day 305: Pamphlets

I attended Weight Watchers for awhile and collected many of their weekly idea/motivation pamphlets. I now figure that I KNOW what to do, it's just putting their advice into practice where I'm weak. :) So, with new resolve to be motivated after candy on Halloween, I tossed the advice pamphlets and just kept the point counter stuff.

Do you have a stash of brochures or pamphlets you could toss?