Incomplete Gadgets

Clutter can sometimes be defined as gadgets missing pieces.  We fully intend to complete the set again, but just haven't gotten around to it.  The stuff just sits around, unused, cluttering up our cabinets, drawers, shelves, and garages.

I have a set of cheese grater accessories with no holder or handle.  It's been a couple of years.  I really want to replace the missing apparatus.  There comes a time, however,  when something unfixed needs to exit your life.  It's not worth the wait or effort to fix it.

I'm making a plan today to see if I can replace that part.  If not, I'm going to give the parts away.  I've survived without it this long, and I won't mourn the loss.

Scaling Down Collections

My aunt had amazing collections.  I loved visiting her during her pencil sharpener phase.  Lest you worry about her connection with reality, she collected these pencil sharpeners that looked like antique items:  victrola, Model T, wringer washer, etc.  And any of them could sharpen your pencil should the need arise!  It was a history lesson just looking at them throughout her home.  She probably had 30 to 40 at the time.  This collection may have led me to my career as a teacher who loves teaching history.

If you collect something and it brings joy to you and others, by all means, keep it.  However, if you begin grumbling about having to dust it all, find room for new ones, or your spouse is complaining about the growing collection, consider paring it down to your top five pieces.  Take photos of the others if you want the memory and sell or give away the rest.

Habit

How is your decluttering going?  You may see great progress or think you haven't yet made a dent.  By ridding ourselves of at least one thing a day, we're developing habits.  I remember watching the TV show Clean House for several years.  The team would go to a VERY cluttered, messy home.  Certain rooms would be emptied, the stuff sorted into keep, trash, and sell piles.  After a big yard sale, the proceeds would go toward redecorating the house.  I wondered about the follow up.  Can people with a collecting or messiness problem change in one quick week?  I think in general, no.  Developing habits of change is important to keeping our spaces neat and uncluttered.  Keep plugging away each day…you are building stamina and good habits.

Drinks in Hand

Ah, the memories seeing this photo of Melmac dishes!  One summer I had a plate, a bowl, and one of these mugs as my dinnerware for nine weeks.  Each of us kept our dish set in a drawstring bag and washed the dishes after each meal.  A lady from my hometown had loaned them to me because they were solid plastic but lightweight and indestructible.  I worked and lived on the island of Haiti in the Caribbean that summer in 100+ degree heat and humidity, outside much of the day, and our very modest sleeping area had no air-conditioning.  Many times during the summer, I wished I had a bigger glass or cup.  My little mug was indestructible, but only held about 8 oz. of water or Koolaid at a time.  Plastic water bottles were not yet discovered in Haiti.  Because I only had this ONE cup, I took very good care of it.

I survivied the entire summer drinking 8 oz. at a time from that mug and was able to return the dinnerware to my kind benefactress.

Le cadeau idéal (thé perfect gift in French) lately is a drinking tumbler, water bottle, travel mug, etc.  So many of us spend time driving places that it's nice to bring along refreshment or coffee.  We often have MANY of these in our cupboards.  Look and determine how many you like and need to keep.   Attempt to declutter that storage area!  It's a proven fact that a person can survive with one plastic 8 oz. cup.

Sewing Patterns

I remember having a strong reaction to a teenaged guy who expressed surprise that sewing patterns could be used more than once.  Perhaps he thought the filmy, thin paper wouldn't hold up to multiple uses.  For a seamstress, it's a badge of honor to be able to use the same sewing pattern for multiple projects!

That  is why it's very difficult to get rid of patterns.  What if I need it again?  What if this skirt comes back in style later?  I guess the questions we really need to ask ourselves are things like:

"Do I even sew much anymore?"  (that's a sad one)
"Do I have anyone to sew for?"  (someday I hope for grandchildren)
"Did this pattern make a nicely fitted outfit the first time or was it awkward?  (If the answer is "no," get rid of it and find a better one next time)

Keep your favorites and your hopefuls.  Weed out any that are out of style, didn't flatter you,  or will never be used again.

Sheets

To simplify our lives and declutter our homes, we need to have a plan.  What we keep in our homes should have a purpose or be beautiful to us claim the experts.  In that vein of thought, I'm targeting my sheet collection.  As empty nesters, we have extra beds used only when guests come, which isn't very often.  Here are questions I'm asking:

1.  How many sheet sets do we own?  I just pulled a pile out of my cedar chest and there's a pile.
2.  How many sets do I need for the beds in the house?  For guest beds, probably one set each.
3.  Do we have random fitted, flat sheets or extra pillowcases that don't match?

I am washing the entire lot, sorting them into sets, and then will declutter the extras.

Phone Books/Directories

I've concluded that the people who deliver new phone books to our neighborhood aren't the brightest bulbs on the tree.  Every year they fling the plastic covered book into a mud puddle or this year, into a snow bank.  Some of our less attentive neighbors just keep driving over their books.  It's like a science experiment to me…how long does it take for a thick phone book to disintegrate in a driveway enduring the elements and the weight of multiple tire crossings?

All that aside, do we need phone books?  When I do look up someone's name/number, or even a business, often they are not listed anymore.  Probably ten or more years ago, competing companies began delivering more than one phone directory per year.  NOT NEEDED!

I am recycling my newest phone book along with another.  For some reason, I like having ONE in the box by the home phone.  If my husband has his way, that landline phone will be gone soon as we receive too many political or research calls on it.  When that happens, the phone books will also go in favor of the Internet and cell phone contact lists.

Unfinished Projects: To Do or Not to Do

Sometimes you just need to dive into a project.  Other times you need to plan for it.  My daughter used  an ugly hand-me-down end table growing up through the end of college.  Her first summer out of college, I finally got to the project of stripping and refinishing it.  It was work, but nothing I couldn't have started years earlier.

Do you have any projects to finish or even begin?  Make a plan.  Give yourself a time frame.  Enlist a friend.  She will hold you accountable and it will be more enjoyable.

OR…is the unfinished project anything you actually want?  There was a time I had unfinished cross stitch projects.  They were oh-so-cute when I  started them.  As I looked over them years later, I realized I just wasn't into cross stitch anymore, so why spend the time and effort finishing them?  I donated or threw them away and felt very free!

Here is the project that I DID decide to take time to complete.

It was painted an ugly yellow.

Underneath was a lovely dual wood

Here is the finished piece!

Old Computer

 One big thing I have been wanting to do is wipe clean the hard drive of an old computer so that I can get rid of it.  Google search is a wonderful tool.  I typed in some key words and a video of a girl who looked about 19 came on and explained step by step what to do.  (How does she know these things???)  The wipe took all day, but the personal data is gone.  The computer is in my donate box.

The old computer's screen goes black every four minutes.  As a result, it's not fit to resell.  Goodwill, however, takes them and with the help of a computer company, refurbishes the technology or takes parts to use in helping others.  Consider your old technology and what can be done to get it out of your home.

Think Out of the Box

Once you have removed the clutter of a cabinet or closet, you may need to get creative in organizing what is left.  Here is an idea to make the necessary contents stay organized in a space.

To keep from having to reach way back into the cupboard for the lids to her pots, my friend, Julie,  used easy to install wall hooks on the doors  and cabinet walls for easy visibility and access!   This is on my to-do list.  I'm often reaching blindly for the right lid, so this tip would help tremendously.

Socks

Unless it's at the toe end, gone are the days we darn holes in socks.  I just threw away a pair.  Only one sock had holes, but what do I do with the good one?

What about the sock whose mate disappeared during the wash/dry cycle?  I've been known to hang onto a lonely sock for months, hoping the missing one will reappear.  Today I threw one of those out, too.

If you enjoy the fashion statement that many of my 5th graders do, wearing two mismatched socks, then by all means, keep your odd socks.  Otherwise, you may have to take a deep breath and declutter all those lone rangers sitting in your drawer that have no partner.

Craft and Hobby Stashes

Being an elementary school teacher, I'm often offered stuff:  toilet paper rolls, Leggs egg pantihose containers (which are sadly no more),  leftover fabric, yarn, paint, feathers, etc.  All of these can come in useful IF I have a certain project going.  However, storing it for the future can be a problem.

At home, we often store recyclables and extra craft supplies "just in case."  Keep in mind your stage of life.  Are you filling time on snow days with children?  Keep a stash of supplies to keep the little ones busy.  Are you a grandmother/grandfather who wants your grandchildren to have fun without electronics?  Keep a supply on hand.  Do you continually create crafts?  By all means, keep a healthy supply.  But…if you're like me, at an in-between having young children visit stage, seriously consider what you are keeping.  Stacks of cardboard can easily be replaced as can anything recyclable.  Odds and ends of fabric, ribbon, glitter, pipe cleaners, etc. can be bought when the need arises.

Check out your cache of crafting supplies.  Look to unload

items that could easily be replaced.  You can donate them to a daycare, teacher (gulp…), Sunday School, CCD teacher, or any place that works with children.  You might find that you can easily unload a bin of stuff and declutter in a big way.

Make-up

How old is your mascara?  Eye liner?  Lipstick?  Anything we are using as a beauty aid has a shelf life.  It's difficult to trash those products for which you paid a fortune at your friend's makeup party or the high end department store cosmetic counter.

In the fall,  infections kept alternating between my eyes.  It was very frustrating until it hit me over the head that I had bought new mascara, but was continuing to use my favorite eye liner pencil.  When I threw it away, the infections ceased.

Look through your beauty aids today.  Do you know if anything is older than a year?  Are there any colors that make you look ill?  Feel free to throw them away.  Only replace items you use regularly and choose colors that you know are flattering.

Lost and Found

A few weeks ago I pontificated on keeping a DVD case while waiting years to locate the lost DVD.  This morning I found it.  It's truly been lost at least six years!  I was pulling old video game cases off the bookshelf, deciding whether to keep them or not, when I spotted a lone CD behind them.  There was Cars, the movie.

My friend was frantically searching for something a couple weeks ago.  In that race to find one item, she found three others she'd been missing.

When you declutter, the lost is often found.  Keep up the effort.  It will bring a more peaceful living situation and peace of mind.

Placemats

Remember the plastic veneer covered placemats and matching kiddie plates, cups, and bowls we had for our children?  Everything was indestructible and easily cleaned.  Are any of those hanging around for sentimental reasons?  Do any small children visit your home regularly?  Think about your placemats if you use them.  How many do you need to keep?

I have a set of two whimsical ones for summer dinners on the screened porch,  eight of a homespun weave for everyday and when guests come, and another set of four with a floral look for any time.  The cloth napkins can go interchangeably between the main sets.  Do your cloth napkins or napkin rings even match any of your placemats?  Go through your collection and get rid of any that have no partners or you just don't like anymore.

 Most of the time, there are just the two of us, so I don't need many place settings or too much variety.  I found two tropical look bamboo placemats that I no longer use or appreciate.  They are going into the bin for Goodwill.

Far From Home

To make even more progress in your decluttering journey, or if you think you've culled all of your excess, here is a tip I've learned.  Select a drawer, closet, cupboard, or even room, and take EVERYTHING out of it.  Transport the items far from their "home" and put them on the dining room table, on a towel on a bed in another room, or somewhere out of their normal space.  At that point, sort the bits into keep, donate, trash piles.  When we look at our clutter out of its usual environment, we see it more clearly and realize what clutter we're storing.  Only replace the items in the keep pile.

Too Tempting of Treats?

Christmas 2014 was the "Year of Candy" for me.  We had secret pals at school for about six weeks, and I had a VERY generous pal.  Full bags of candy appeared in my mailbox at least twice a week.  If you've ever worked at a school, you know that having chocolate in your desk is therapeutic.  Tommy is back talking or Susie is spacing out again after hearing the directions four times?  Reach into your desk for a mini Reeses Peanutbutter Cup and it just helps…

I ate much of the candy to the detriment of my dietary plan.  However, as I was digging into the recesses of a kitchen cabinet seeking out old, expired, unwanted items, another unopened bag of candy  was exposed.  Things in the not-so-much-sugar department had been going so well, I didn't need the temptation.  There was also a three-tiered ceramic snowman candy container my husband brought home from a client.   I took all the extra candy to school and added  to treat bowls in the conference room where there can be lots of stress during meetings.  The candy holding snowman is going to the donate box and my waistline is safe for a little while.

Things We Feel Everyone Needs

I recently read a blog where the minimalist author told about making the choice to not buy a couch for their small apartment.  "But everyone has a couch!" she argued with herself.  They bought two arm chairs which fit much better and figured they could pull in kitchen chairs if company came.

It's a mindset we all have.  Our homes should have certain things.  Case in point, I have had a dish drainer under my kitchen sink for 19 years.  I never use it, but it's important to have a dish drainer, isn't it?  My husband helps me out by putting dishes in the dishwasher after meals.  Any pots or pans that won't fit, I wash quickly by hand and let dry on a towel on the kitchen counter.   I've maybe used that drainer three times since we've lived in this house.  Today it is going into my donate bin.

Why have things taking up space that don't have a purpose?

Lunch Boxes

If each person takes one lunch to work each day, how many lunch boxes do you need?  With a bit of nostalgia, I miss the brown paper bags or metal boxes of old.  Now students bring Vera Bradley or Thirty-one lunch bags.   I'm ashamed to admit that I own five, and I'm the only person who totes a bag lunch to work.  Three were gifts from students (one even had an entire lunch in it the day it arrived), one has the name of my school and is a really good size, and the other was a promotional gift from some conference.  I gave one to my daughter who also teaches, the promotional one is going in the give away bin, and I'll have to think about the school bag.  Nostalgia is a tough one when decluttering.

Purses

Handbags, purses, pocketbooks, man bags…what comes to mind when you read those words?  Yesterday, a friend told me that handbags are her weakness.  Her husband groans whenever she gets a new pair of shoes because she wants a matching purse.

Another friend told me about shopping at a consignment shop and getting a Coach handbag for $175.00.  She was excited about it, telling me what a great deal it was.  (I bought my current purse at Goodwill for $1.50, so to be honest, I was a bit shocked.)  Being nosy, I googled Coach handbags to see what kind of deal they got.  The prices for a medium sized purse ranged from $350 - $995 on the page I searched.  So yes, they got a good deal.

We all have our favorite guilty pleasures that we are willing to spend good money to own.  This post is not about condemning those purchases.  I'm here to encourage decluttering.  So, if you are a pocketbook connoisseur,  do you still need all of them?  Are there any that have aged beyond your liking?  Were the matching shoes discarded long ago?  Consider decluttering that fashion slice of your life.

One of my former bags is going into the donation bin today.

Coats

Someone in my family used to have a lot of coats, like five or six.  I teased this person frequently, especially when a new one joined the queue.  Recently, I was reaching for my coat and it hit me…I have a lot of coats!  How did that happen?  Lest the taunting fall upon me, I began to evaluate this sudden plethora of outer wear.

I need the old, ugly windbreaker for outdoor dirty work.  The to-the-knee coat is my work and out-in-public choice.  My new bright pink one is just fun.  There is one I just can't justify keeping.  It's a long, wool, black dress coat.  It is really warm, but sort of reminds me of a vampire's cloak with the blood red lining.  My husband has never liked it much on me, and I haven't used it for several years, even for dressy occasions.  Now is the time to give it away, during the cold, biting weather.

Are there any pieces of outerwear you could give away?  Think about each one and whether it is worthy to stay in your closet.

Decorations

Changing out little bits of decor seasonally keeps a room fresh.  I'm talking about varied centerpieces, seasonal candles, maybe even certain artwork.  There is a box where I keep the small items that are rotated seasonally.  It's always fun for me to dig out the peanut basket, candle, and berry vine to place on the coffee table as fall approaches.  Keeping those rotating items in a certain box prevents me from acquiring too many pieces of decor.  I always know where to find them when I want them.  Occasionally, some pieces of decor get placed in cupboards or shoved back on shelves, forgotten.  I came across one candle with a stand and scented dried berries, shoved in the alcove of a basement window.  Spider webs made it look VERY primitive, as is my decor, but one has to draw the line somewhere.  I don't really like it anymore, so it is being dusted off and going into the Goodwill bin.

Paper Piles

Today I threw out some paper:

•  old notes from seminars
•  a couple graduation photos of  friends' children  
• a magazine clipping of a possible day trip along with two brochures... the Internet is an easy, simplified resource.  I can look up the information there and not keep the paper.  
• my very cute niece and nephews' thank you notes from Christmas gifts…that was a hard one, but will they really want to see them again someday?
• junk mail that had somehow made it out of the mail tray

While purging, I made some smaller piles for another day's sorting.  

One would think that with all the technology today, we would have less paper to deal with, but it keeps coming.  This is a constant battle for the decluttering warrior.  We must be vigilant or we will end up with many of our castle's surfaces smothered with paper!  

Candles

I have a candle shelf.  I've been a teacher for many years, and candles are prolific teacher gifts, like mugs.  As I sorted through my candles, I found a bag of candle stubs I'd been saving…why???  This isn't the 1700's, so I figured I could toss those.  A few partially burned ones went into the donation box along with some glass votive holders.  Lest you worry that my home will have less ambiance, I received a whole new batch of candles at Christmas that remain on the candle shelf in the cupboard.

My husband and I have lately discovered battery operated candles on timers.  He's not a fan of scented candles, so these are a great alternative.  They flicker on at 5 PM as dusk approaches, and then turn off at 10 PM every evening.  Now that's simplicity!  No worries that I might forget to blow out flames.  The time may come where I no longer need a candle shelf...

Multiples

As you view spaces with a more critical eye, are you seeing multiples?  Lorie Marrero, author and creator of The Clutter Diet system and website (great reading and program, by the way),  recently talked about finding three staplers in a home attempting to become organized.  The woman hadn't thought about the fact she probably didn't need all of them.

How many rubber scrapers does one need?  I find that two work well for me.  Do you have fewer people living in your home now?  Can you do with one of something instead of three?  Do you need 15 bath towels for two of you?  How many rubber bands does a household need?

My suggestions are small items, but maybe you have too many chairs, tables, dressers.  Think about what pieces are actually used and needed. If you're worried about keeping extras on hand, think about where we live.  We have easy access to discount stores or even yard sales where we can easily pick up replacements.

My suggestion today is to donate multiples and keep what you need.