Uncertainty Box

When you are sorting through a room, attempting to declutter, an idea beyond the TRASH, DONATE, KEEP piles is to have a "box of uncertainty."  So as to avoid hold ups in your decision making, if there is an item you're not sure you want anymore but can't quite donate it, put it in the uncertainty box.  That way, you can keep sorting without having to stop and think very long.  A suggestion made by "Miss Minimalist" was to then seal up the filled box, date it, and put it somewhere like the garage or attic for 6 months.  In 6 months, if you haven't needed anything in that box, donate it.

Purse

How long has it been since you've dived into all the pockets and flaps of your purse?  You may be carrying around extra weight that isn't necessary.  I found many things to remove:  old receipts,  stores' (now out of business) savings cards,  too many pennies, expired coupons.

Every once in awhile, do a purge of your purse and simplify that space.

Unfinished Projects

We all have things around our homes that need attention.  Those chores nudge us whenever we pass the jeans that need hemming or the birdbath that needs to be spray painted.  For me, it's always a little defeating to realize I still have many things to do.  The more there is to do, the less simple our lives become.

In actuality, many of those chores will take less time than we think.  Sometimes not even planning to do it on a day, but just diving in when you have a half hour gets results and that's one more chore done!  Most things I've procrastinated doing go pretty quickly when I actually just start on a whim.

All summer I have thought, "I need to wire brush the bird bath and spray paint it."  Today is the last day of my summer break.  I was outside, and just thought, "It's now or never!"  Newspaper, spray paint, and a wire brush were all in the basement.  I brought them up, and in fifteen minutes, the project I had thought about all summer was done!

What's been bugging you to complete?  Just grab one thing and see if you can kick out that chore.  It is often simpler than you think!

Since this blog is dedicated to decluttering, if you've gotten to the place that you just don't care about a project being finished, get rid of it.  That is also a simple solution!

Samples

Today I am throwing out a flooring sample.  We paid $.35 for it at Lowes a few months ago when trying to choose a color.  I found it on a bathroom shelf???

Coming across old samples should be an easy decision for decluttering.  Let me dispel some arguments:
No, no one else in your immediate circle of friends will want the sample.
Also, if you haven't used the sample in a craft project yet, most likely you won't ever, so get rid of it.

Most samples can be tossed if there's no life in them (such as products).  Paint chip samples of colors you actually used can be filed with the date and room on which you used that paint.  It's much easier than keeping the almost empty paint can.  Shampoo and other beauty samples can be assigned to family members to use up.

Simplify your home and create a more tranquil living space by decluttering old samples of products today!

Batteries

During dinner last evening, our smoke detector began its annoying beeping indicating it needed a new battery.  In searching through our battery box, there were no 9 volt ones, yet we had a plethora of C batteries.  "Why do we have so many C's?  We don't have anything that uses C batteries!" my husband muttered as he pulled out 10 of them.  Somewhere in our past, some device used them, but obviously it's been awhile.

It's things we stumble across that have long been languishing that we just need to declutter.  I'll take the new pack of batteries to school for someone to grab and then toss the old ones.  No need to hang onto these batteries "just in case."

Hallways and Stairwells

In her newsletter this week, Lorie Morerro of The Clutter Diet suggests tackling your hallways and stairwells.  My first reaction was, "What could possibly be there to tackle?"  She suggests straightening pictures on the walls, cleaning around benches or other furniture that might reside in those places.  Come to think of it, I have been in stairwells where there are piles of shoes, way more than one per family member. There might be "stuff" stored on the stairs which is pretty unsafe.  In thinking about this, it is a neglected area.  Take a glance today.  What can you declutter or straighten up in the hallways or stairwells of your place?

A Place for Everything…Only

When people are given assistance to organize, the organizer helps them categorize like-items together.  Conferring with the client, they come up with a spot to store those items.  What I find is that people who struggle with being organized don't allow those spots to stay purely assigned to, say, collar stays for men's shirts. A small box on a dresser is designated for all those little tabs that keep collars stiff, but then some receipts get thrown in, filling it up.  As a result, the person can't find the stays in the little box and he begins laying them all over the dresser again.

Don't let yourself mix stuff into other stuff's designated spot.  I've seen it happen over and over again.  If too much resides in a storage place, you won't be able to find what you initially wanted in there.

Keep the storage bins, drawers, and boxes pure…don't let rogue clutter seep into your organizational system.

The Irrelevant

I sorted through file folders yesterday, throwing out irrelevant papers.  The Internet makes life very different nowadays.  We needn’t keep clippings or pamphlets.  Anything we might want to look up can be found on the Internet, stored without clutter.  

If you have piles of articles you've saved for future reference, they are irrelevant.  You can throw it all away.  Old recipes you've never tried but wanted to, gardening tips, articles on medical issues or cleaning helps…let them go.  

Use a Sharpie to label

I have been loving the exercise challenge provided by my Fitbit!  It's basically a pedometer with a calorie counter that syncs with mobile devices.  I'm in a heated challenge for the most steps this week with my kids.  Today, after an energizing 2 mile walk, I got home and realized the battery had died!  Fitbit was warning me for days, even to the point of sending me an email describing the replacement battery and how to install it.  I ignored it until it was too late; now my daughter will probably pass me up.  Ugh!

Now motivated to replace the battery, I read the instructions.  "Use tool provided to remove panel over battery."
"Tool?  Oh no!  Where did I put the tool?  What if I can't find it?  Does anyone near me have the same Fitbit who might know where their tool is?"
I looked in my desk drawer and there was a box labeled "Fitbit 2015."  I was so relieved that I had the foresight months ago to label this box!

Labeling items is a great organizing habit.  Label freezer bags with the contents and date.  Label salsa jars when you open them so you know how long they've been in the fridge (I don't actually do this but wish I did), label parts to devices, label what is stored in bins in the attic.  The list could go on.  By labeling things and keeping them in certain logical spots, you needn't panic when a need arises or you wonder what is in the freezer container.  Keep a Sharpie marker in the kitchen and other places where labeling happens.  Enjoy the simplicity that comes from being able to find things.

New Inventions

As an end-of-school gift, I was given a tumbler, candy, and a box of cold-brew iced tea bags.  The tea bags are amazing!  You put two into a two quart pitcher, add water, and in five minutes, you have full strength iced tea.  It's a GREAT new invention!  As a result of this easier method, I felt I no longer needed my iced tea maker appliance.  It was a gift from my sister, who I love dearly, so that pulled a bit at my heart strings to give it away.  Quickly I caught myself in a this syrupy mindset and logically knew that my relationship with my sister is so much more than remembering her through an iced tea maker.

If a new product comes on the market that is more efficient and takes up less space, don't keep the older model.  Let it go.

Season Passes

Like driver's licenses, season passes to theme parks or historic places normally have a photo of the person.  As you come across expired ones, you may be tempted to keep them for sentimental purposes. Don't.  I think 95% of those photos are unflattering to the person anyway, so why keep one?  If you have a scrapbook, by all means glue it in if it brings back great memories.  Otherwise, toss it!  I found some expired ones deep in a cupboard, cringed as I looked at my picture, then threw them away.

Extra School Supplies

We teachers have to make supply lists yearly as a grade level and our lists have to match so they can be posted on the website.  Go-getter parents like to shop ahead and gather supplies over the summer.  I totally understand all the 3rd grade teachers needing to have the same list.  You might be surprised at the long discussions teachers have to try to come to a consensus.  Some teachers want one thing, others don't need it.  We try to avoid having items on the list that will be wasteful yet aren't always successful.

That being said, I'm sure many of you have acquired supplies your child never used.  There may be reams of line paper, graph paper, composition books, extra red pens, notebooks, folders, binders, and more gathering dust somewhere in your house.  If you don't have any students at home anymore or your high schooler won't need composition books, this is a great time to donate those office or school supplies to a place like Goodwill.  I was looking around in our local store the other day and they had a whole display of school supplies.  What a boost for families that may be struggling financially to find cheaper supplies!

So, I challenge you to take those spiral notebooks and other school items to a donation center this week.  If only a couple of pages were used in a composition book or spiral notebook, tear out the old.  The rest will be usable for a student.  Help others while decluttering your space!

3 Pitfalls in the Sorting Process

Lorie Morerro, of the online organizing program, The Clutter Diet, had an interesting video last week on the three pitfalls people run into during the sorting process.

1.  The Scary Phase:  When you start to sort through a closet or cupboard, things look worse before they will look better.  Plan for that, know that.  I always say you have to make a mess to clean up a mess.  Don't get scared or discouraged and stop, because once you have sorted, you can get rid of two thirds of the items (usually).

2.  Memory Lane:  As you find items you'd forgotten about, you might be tempted to take a trip down memory lane, getting distracted by the task at hand.  Set that box of old photos or letters in a pile to be sorted through at another time and keep working!

3.  Elsewhere:  While sorting, you may find something that goes into one of the kids' bedrooms and be tempted to leave your task and go put the item in its place.  Resist doing that.  Lorie suggested having paper bags and a marker to label "Max's Room" or whatever on a bag, then place stuff for various spots around the house in bags and KEEP SORTING.  Don't let distraction take you from your task.  You can leave and take all the bags to their designated spots later.

This is great advice.  Don't give up.  Keep up the daily decluttering!

Old Paint

I worked on our paint cupboard a couple of weeks ago.  It's in the basement and stores our partially used paint cans.  I lined up all the spray paints by color and realized I have a LOT of black.  You really don't know how much you have of something until it's grouped.  Obviously, I bought new ones before really searching in the cupboard.  Now we can easily locate what we need.

There were the mystery paints where I didn't recognize the color or where they'd been used.  Those got taken out.  Those cans with too little got removed.  I was diligent with a few paint cans and wrote the room and date they were used on the top such as, "Hallway walls 2013."  That was really helpful as I was decluttering.  A few of those cans were from a previous color so I could unload those.

You'll be amazed how much you've accumulated through the years.  There may be a craft project for which you purchased paint.  It's great paint, but you aren't going to do the project anymore.  I may list mine on Craig's List as the paint is now difficult to find and someone might like it.  There was a baby food jar of my daughter's paint thinner from high school art.  I think that can go to the hazardous waste place in a few weekends.

I've come up with two options for disposing of the extra paint:
1.  Check with the Restore in the area to see what their stipulations are for taking partially used cans of paint.  Donate any that fit the bill.
2.  Take off the lids and let the almost done cans dry out in the sun, then toss them.  Write down the number of the color if it's a current wall color, or you could even, gulp, keep the lid with the color specs label.

Take some time to organize and declutter your paint area sometime soon.

Medicine Cabinet

I dumped two bottles of old vitamins.  Decluttering is ongoing.  We have so many storage options in our places that items get overlooked for years.  Today, look in your vitamin cupboard or medicine cabinet and dispose of any bottles that aren't used or have expired.

Developing Habits

Decluttering is definitely a habit to be acquired.  The show, Clean House, used to be a favorite of mine.  An entire crew would come into an extremely cluttered home, sort everything, have the SELL, TOSS, KEEP piles, and then leave in a couple weeks with the house looking spectacular.  I'm certain that was a boost to the homeowners.  I often wondered how they got on as time passed without developing the habits of cleaning up clutter daily, having a place for everything and putting items in their places, and having the discipline to not acquire more unnecessary clutter.

It's always a battle in our culture.  Perhaps we have so much disposable income that we don't think through our acquisitions.  Lots of stuff makes us feel secure in that we'll have what we need at all times.  Too much weighs us down, however, and a feeling of freedom comes when there's less to care for.

Getting rid of one item per day seems like a long haul, but it builds discipline and habits.  Keep up the good work.  It will pay off.

What To Do With...

For a week, we've been working on clearing out my father's construction goods.  He worked construction on the side for 52 years, so the accumulation was sizable.  He had a massive shop with lots of custom built storage bins, rafters full of extra wooden trims and lumber, tools, plumbing parts, electrical parts and about 30 boxes or bins of various nails.  It was a HUGE undertaking.  We set up a yard sale for four days.  I'd say we cleared out about half of the offerings from the sale.

Habitat for Humanity is a charity which enables people to build and own their own homes, using volunteers and donated supplies to help alleviate some of the costs.  They sponsor Restore stores which accept building materials (like nails), paint, discarded kitchen cupboards, furniture, and more.  This is a WONDERFUL place to donate things from a garage.

We are taking a couple truckloads of what didn't sell to the nearest Restore.  It is a great feeling knowing these building materials will help others with home projects at a reduced cost.  It's an even better feeling to get all of it out of the garage and shop!

A Decluttering Nightmare

Last night I awoke worrying.  I made a mental checklist of the tools that were left for my mother from our decluttering of my father's shop.  "There are no needle nosed pliers or a tape measure for her!" I worried.  "What happened to them all?"  With her generosity to neighbors and friends, it appeared that our carefully stashed collection of tools had also been picked over.  I decided not to worry about it until morning, knowing I could always purchase those items inexpensively.

Sometimes we go above and beyond with our simplifying, and a little regret creeps in.  While there is always a danger that you'll find that you could have used an item you let go, in the grand scheme of things, it's not worth losing sleep over it.  A minimalist would just borrow one from a friend or figure out an alternative way to accomplish the same task.

Don't let the "what if I need this someday" mindset cripple your ability to let go of items.  The feelings of freedom versus being in a cluttered home are worth the risk.

Dumpster Diving

On a long walk this morning, I found some "treasures" set out at the ends of driveways for my mother's community "big trash" pick up.  Horrified a bit by my roving eye looking over neighbors' trash, I did some thinking.  Truly, 'one man's trash is another man's treasure.'  I continued walking past the items, reviewing my decluttering and simplifying philosophies.

The thing about simplifying your lifestyle, is when you DO see something in someone's trash pile that you love or can really use, you can get it without guilt, knowing it won't just sit around, uselessly cluttering your home.  Trash picking or dumpster diving (too gross for me) definitely should pass the two tests:  do you love it?  will you use it?

I'm signing off to go pilfer two items I will definitely use!

Antiques

Family heirlooms, antiques…those are tough calls.  Decluttering plastic McDonalds toys is easy.  A knick knack from your great grandmother's farm, not so much.  My advice would be to declutter the easy stuff first.  Go ahead and make space for the valuables.  It's delaying the decision making, but will buy you more time.  If you are downsizing and really don't have room for those heirlooms, first ask family members if any of them would love to have the pieces.  If not, bite the bullet and let the keepsakes go to an antique dealer.  If it helps, as I've written before, take photos of the items for memories' sake.  In the end, they are just things.  A simplified life, not having to take care of so many things, is worth attaining.

Various Products…Too Many?

We've had a rash of yellow jackets in our area this summer and have keenly felt their stings.  Two spray cans (non-toxic to other creatures) later, we think we've eliminated their ground nests.  One can still has some killer substance left.  As I put it with our other spray cans, I noticed a plethora of partially used products:  car wax, car wash solution, ant spray, vinyl cleaner, and many more.

I've been helping to clean out my father's garage and found similar stashes of assorted, partially used products.  If the tops of the spray cans are rusty, I figure I can responsibly toss them.  How long does valve oil last?  How about brake fluid?  Garages and sheds are magnets collecting car, lawn, garden, and pest control cans and bottles.  It can be overwhelming and often we buy duplicates because we can't see that we already have two cans of wasp spray.

As you organize and get rid of excess, try grouping all the automotive items together, the pest control sprays in an area, etc.  That way you can easily see what you own, prevent over buying, and perhaps cull your collection.  Hanging a Sharpie marker near your storage area to mark a date of when you purchased the product might be handy for future decluttering.

Do you have said clutter in a garage, storage cabinet, or shed?  Consider organizing all the products into like categories and responsibly disposing of mostly used duplicates or old bottles and spray cans.

Getting Your Things into Others' Hands

Somehow decluttering stuff feels better when we know it will go to good use.  This weekend I am helping my widowed mom at a huge "man's dream" yard sale.  My father built homes for many years and we are selling gobs of nails, tools, fishing paraphernalia, electrical and plumbing odds and ends…there is A LOT.  The men who've come have spent more time browsing than I've ever observed at a regular yard sale.  They are in heaven!

I keep telling people, "My dad would be so pleased you can use this."  It's bittersweet for me seeing all the items in his shop laid out on tables, yet it's true; he loved people and would happily share his bounty with others.

  As you donate your extra items, know that others will benefit.  It makes the parting a bit sweeter.