Closet #2

If your clothing can be sorted in your closet, then you see what can be decluttered.  As we change seasons, we can purge any summer garments we didn't wear.  If you have three pair of black pumps, perhaps one can be donated.  That discount scarf that is a horrendous color could go.

Today I am looking at my summer clothing with decluttering in mind.

Bedroom Closet Sorted

I heard a true story about some friends organizing a bedroom closet.  Clothing was folded and stacked inside the walk-in closet three feet deep and higher than their heads.  They removed 18 large bags of clothing for donation and still weren't finished sorting and organizing it.  The unbelievable part was that the owner said she often felt she had nothing to wear.  Hmmm...

One way to begin sorting in your closet is to group items.  That way, you can see what you have and decide if you can cull multiples or pieces you never wear.  Here are some ideas:

1.  All like-items together:  skirts hanging together, blouses, slacks, belts together, scarves on a rack
2.  By color
3.  By type:  work, church, casual

When you organize clothing in your closet, it's easier to spot what you have AND what you don't need to keep.

Clip-On Earrings

Veering from the room by room theme I've been on, I want to address clip-on earrings.  Wow!  How could those have ever been popular?  By the end of the day or evening, your earlobes are numb.  Taking the blasted things off makes your ears hurt even worse!  I had my ears pierced while in college, yet still bought a couple pair of the clip-ons as an adult, the reason probably being that there weren't pierced earrings in the styles I wanted.

I came across a pair with a matching necklace recently.  The necklace's chain has tarnished (and it was not cheap!!) and my ears cannot bear to be pinched for hours at a time anymore.  The clip-ons and the necklace are going in my donate bin.

The Hutch

If you have a hutch in your dining room, take a look into it today.  What is residing in the back recesses?  Sometimes there are sets of dishes you've inherited yet never use.  Is there another family member who would want them?  Knick knacks can also be stashed in hutches.  Does it bug you that you don't have time to dust them and dust is getting thick in there?  Consider giving some away and have fewer to maintain.

Whatever we keep in our hutches should be used or beautiful to us, otherwise it's just clutter.

Fish Bowl

I didn't mean to scrutinize a stranger's dining room.  Really, I was just taking a walk with a flashlight at twilight, going a different direction than usual, and their drapes were wide open.  I couldn't help myself.  It was a huge picture window lit by the overhead light in the room.  I could tell it was a dining room only by the large table barely visible under piles of junk.  Even the window was blocked by old coolers, and piles of equipment that don't belong in a dining room.  Part of me thought, "Oh, if I could just help them, they'd have a lovely dining room space with a window to enjoy the view."

Since I don't know them and it's really not my place to tell them how to organize their room, I am getting my inner frustration out to my readers.  Today's one thing per day thought is to declutter your dining room table.  A centerpiece may stay, but piles of mail, school supplies, etc. need to go.  Let the space be open so family members and friends can sit and converse.  Because...you never know when someone taking an evening walk might be able to see your clutter.

Packed Moving Boxes

Through the years, multiple people have told me about their moves.  What has intrigued me is that they've also mentioned the boxes they packed that have remained packed at the new house for YEARS.  It begs the question, "Do you really need that stuff that's packed up?"  One author told of multiple moves she made, paying for those boxes to be moved and never looking in them.

If you have boxes at home from a move that aren't unpacked, open them and sort through what you want to keep....hopefully, nothing.  I'm not a huge proponent of just giving away the entire box as I've found treasures accidentally stashed in such places.  Go through them with a critical eye and declutter  your space.

Entertainment Stands

Entertainment stands hold a boatload of clutter if we allow it.  There are cabinets, shelves, and nooks for many videos, DVDs, CDs, books, periodicals, and more.  Look through that space today.  If your kids are grown, do you need the full collection of Barney VHS tapes?  Do you even own a VCR anymore or use it?  Could that go to Goodwill?

Cull any excess you find.  You can also place some items in their rightful homes that just got stashed in one of the compartments during a "company is coming!" rush.  Remember, just because entertainment stands have lots of storage space, you don't need to have it full.  Only keep what you need or love.

Anything Stacked on the Floor

Someone in my family occasionally leaves stacks of opened mail on the floor near the loveseat in the living room.  Perhaps you have a stack of something in the corner, too.  We can become conditioned to piles.  Really, nothing needs to sit on the floor except pets and furniture.  Train a critical eye over the living room today.  Is there a pile that has just become part of the room, not even noticed by family members?  Move it to it's rightful place (off the floor) which might be the trash can, donate bin, or just organized in the correct room.

I do that with the mail left on the floor by my loved one...

Living Rooms - Couch

Is anything on your couch that isn't a pillow, throw, or a person?  Today, clean off the clutter (which is anything that shouldn't be there).  Toss the old magazines, get the coins from under the cushions, and maybe vacuum up any crumbs.

Old Shoes

In the back of our coat closet are a couple pair of shoes that no one wears.  Being in a rush when grabbing shoes, it's easy to not notice them lurking in the back.  Today  I am putting them into the Goodwill box.

It's Not How Much, But How Little

It's really not a question of how much will fit in your living spaces, but how little you actually can live with comfortably.

I'm not sure how the materialistic mindset became so prevalent, that we need lots of possessions to care for.  It's been around for eons, I'm afraid.  Perhaps Mr. Gog, the caveman, wanted to keep all the discarded bones from his prey in the corner of the cave, "just in case."  Mrs. Gog was constantly on him to get rid of them, sneakily tossing out one or two every week.  Who knows.

What I do know is that the more stuff we keep around, the less freedom we have.  The writer of "Miss Minimalist" blog and book tells about how free we are in college, even with a very small amount of space and possessions.  It's true.  Living with a lot less means house cleaning is faster, there is a peaceful feel when you walk into your place, you don't worry about theft, and you have more time to do what you feel is important!

If you are having a difficult time with deciding to get rid of stuff, think about the benefits of living with fewer possessions!

Bringing Home Clutter

This blog talks mostly about getting rid of clutter.  That will work as long as the decluttered areas doesn't get refilled.  Those cute Easter trinkets that are so tempting to pick up...how long will you really want them?  The yard sale deal that might come in handy sometime...is it something you really need to store until that time comes?

Be VERY selective about what you choose to bring back into your home if simplifying is your goal.  It's a new habit to cultivate, bring less home.

Kitchen Implements

Every so often, we should look carefully at our collection of spatulas, rubber scrapers, melon ballers, cheese spreaders, etc. Are there multiples that could be decluttered, giving the drawer more space?  Do you need that many prize gadgets you won at Tupperware parties?  Is there anything you've never used in the drawer?

Pull everything out and think through each implement's worth.  Only return those tools which are useful.

Tools

When we approach the topic of tools, it gets a bit tricky.  Often, tools belong to a male spouse, so decluttering HIS things can be a big NO NO.  The subject much be broached lightly and at the right time.  There are new, improved tools always coming out.  A new power drill my husband got for Christmas last year has an aimed light so you can see while you drill, a magnetic section so an extra drill bit will stick to the drill, and much more.  So my question for him (at the right time) will be, "What about these old power drills?  Do we need them anymore?"

Multiples, particularly if some no longer function, should be considered for donation or disposal.  One drill should suffice most families.  Ours also functions as a power screw driver, so can I get rid of the other power screw driver that doesn't have as much power?

Workshops, basements, toolboxes, and garages can be considerable decluttered by just paring down the multiples of various tools.

Declutter For Your Children

This title could lend itself to multiple posts.  Others will come, but today my mind is on helping your children become more organized people by your example.

Our school had Open House last evening for the children to come with parents and meet teachers. At this point, I have a HUGE class and the room was literally packed for over an hour.  I left the school with a full heart, excited about the sweet children and their excitement, yet feeling a bit overwhelmed with, "How can I reach all of them?  How can I help them stay organized so they can be successful?"  Lest you worry I'm on the verge of a breakdown...that's not the case.  One day at a time, asking God for help, and good nights' sleep will get us through!

If you struggle with organization, you may have a child who is the polar opposite and loves to organize.  However, most children learn from their parents.  Working to keep them organized and training them to live that way is a real gift you can give to your kids.

Usually with kids, there are minimal responsibilities that involve organization:

• Keeping the bedroom neat
• Putting back toys and materials carted to other rooms
• Hanging up towels in the bathroom/putting clothing in hamper
• Backpack and school supplies

I'll discuss keeping the bedroom neat today.  Amish children have very little problem keeping their bedrooms neat, I assume.  Having three or four sets of clothing (even seven would not be a problem!) and few toys makes them stay neat.  The problem most kids have is simply TOO MUCH STUFF to handle and keep organized.  As a parent example, if you declutter and have less, you can teach your children to do the same and maintain a more simplistic lifestyle.  Children don't need tons of stuff in their bedrooms.  Playing outside is such a healthy alternative to lots of STUFF.  With my daughter in particular, I realized that by removing excess things, she was very able to keep a neat room.  If your child still loves all the excess, at least store part of it and rotate the toys in and out.  It's like getting new toys/art supplies every month!  

Bottom line, by you teaching your child to be organized through example and training, you are helping him/her with life:  a future job, marriage harmony, productivity without being bogged down with always looking for lost items, etc.  

Birthday Cards

I have a good friend who is set on decluttering her home.  For her recent birthday party, she even requested no cards or gifts because she didn't want to have to make the decision to keep or throw away any cards!

The new craze of musical cards makes the decision even more difficult.  How can I toss this sentiment that also plays music?  I can't make that decision for you, but I can tell you that once you throw away a musical card or other birthday cards, it doesn't come back to haunt you.  Life goes on happily and more simply.

Do you have a stash of old birthday cards somewhere taking up space?  Make some decisions on what to declutter.

Frayed Cords

We are an Apple family.  That means lots of computer and phone cords.  While the actual devices are wonderful, the cords...not so much.  There seems to be premature fraying on most of the phone cords.  They need to be replaced for safety sake.  The old, frayed ones need to be THROWN AWAY, not kept to be taped or something.  Once something is replaced, get rid of the old one, especially if it isn't in good condition.

Waste Not, Want Not

We often have the mindset of "Waste not, want not," which is usually an admirable mantra.  It was definitely important during the Great Depression when food and supplies were scarce.  I remember my grandmother keeping three leftover green beans in a tupperware container in the refrigerator.  We used to tease behind her back.  Later, I realized she was a product of the Great Depression and they just learned to never waste any food.

It's different now.  Lori Morerro, of The Clutter Diet book and online program, ends all of her Youtube videos with "May you always be grateful for having more than enough."  We DO have more than we need.  For most of us, we cling to the waste not, want not for little reason.  Of course, we don't want to waste money or food if we can help it, but clutter is different.  If you're hanging onto things in your home that take up living space just because you might need them someday, it's OK to let them go.  In our culture, it's relatively easy to buy another someday, rent, or borrow the thing.  Is it more wasteful to let it sit gathering dust or to let it go?  I would advocate donating.  It's not wasting it if someone can actually use it.  It's wasteful to hoard items you don't use, in my opinion.