Old Video Games

As we peruse our homes, those of us with kids born in the 90's and later will inevitably come across outdated video or computer games.  They bring back waves of nostalgia...family members battling each other.  However, they probably don't even work on current technology.  It's time to let the old games go.  You could donate them and hope someone with an old system snatches them up or just toss the discs.

Foods That Have Taken Up Residence

Shopping for groceries for the upcoming holiday means we need to make room for the extra foods in the cupboards and refrigerator.  It's a perfect time to declutter and organize those spaces.  With a quick glance,  find that homemade jam that's been in the fridge since May.  Let it go!  In your pantry, how long have those graham crackers been aging?  Yes, we hate to waste the food, but we got some use out of it.  It's alright to toss it at this point.

If you struggle throwing away food, plan it into your menus for the next few weeks to use it up.  I bet most of us could survive for at least three weeks without going to a grocery store.

Today, try to unload some of the unused, unfinished food you have stashed from months ago.

Extra Dishes

As you are planning for family meals, consider pulling out the extra dishes or containers you've been meaning to donate.  Wash and ready them.  After the meals, send your guests home with the dishes/containers filled with leftovers, along with strict instructions that you don't want the dishes back.

Give food gifts at Christmas time in the extra containers or dishes as well.  As a young teacher, I sometimes received Tupperware with goodies.  I loved it because I had very little in the way of kitchen supplies.  You might feel better about decluttering your kitchen when you are blessing someone else with the items.

Group Items

I am reading another book on organizing that I will highlight soon.  In this book as well as others, a consistent theme shows up.  Group items.  When you are decluttering, go for the ENTIRE category of items at the same time.  For instance, we store pens and pencils all over the house.  Pull them all out and see what you have.  Cull that pile into a manageable amount.  Clothing is the same way, especially for those of us who are empty nesters.  We store clothes all over the house in the extra rooms' closets, perhaps in bins in the attic as well.  When you are sorting through clothing, gather it from the hiding spots into one big pile.  Sort in categories:  shirts, blouses, pants, undergarments, belts, purses, shoes...keep what you still love and use and donate the rest.  Allow a large chunk of time for this task!

Seeing the sheer amounts of certain items will help us declutter and simplify.

Through A Child's Eyes

Yesterday, our grade level took the students on a field trip.  I love sitting amongst the students quietly, just eavesdropping on their little conversations.  I must admit, I was a bit aghast hearing them talk about houses as we drove past neighborhoods on the bus.

"Is that your house?"
"No!  Mine is MUCH bigger."
"I want a huge house like that someday!"
"Oh, I feel sorry for those people.  Look at that little house."
"That one is small!  It's not very good."

My minimalist tendencies were screaming silently, "NOOO! It's not about big houses, lawns, and lots of stuff!"  Finally, I felt I could enter the conversation in a casual way.

"How would you like to mow that entire lawn?"
"No way!  They'd have to pay me a ton of money for that chore."

Pay you???  My point was foiled.  I tried again.

"The only thing with huge houses is you have to clean it all and it's a lot of work."
They had to think about that one.  Score one for "less is more" indoctrination.

As we place less emphasis on stuff and material things, keeping only what we use or love, we are setting a good example for the children in our lives.

Less Clutter, Easier to Clean

I'm repeating myself for the umpteenth time, but a clutter-free home makes cleaning easy.  It's been a REALLY busy two weeks, thus my hiatus from this blog.  What I've noticed, however, is that my weekly cleaning chores don't take that much time.  I finish and think, "Wow!  I'm good for a week!" knowing I don't need to dust, dust mop, vacuum, put on new sheets, etc. for another chunk of time.  And, it didn't take me but maybe one hour.

There's not enough time or attentiveness on my readers' parts to extoll the wonders of having fewer material goods to care for.  I can spend time doing what I really have to get done or what I love because housekeeping is easy.

If you have begun decluttering, put it in a higher gear.  It is so worth the effort when you simplify.

Holiday Catalogs

It has begun...we are being inundated with holiday shopping catalogs!  I use them for a project at school and then recycle them in one fell swoop.  However, I warn you to be cautious at home about letting them pile up.  If one is from a random company, glance through it and then toss it in the recycle bin.  If you might want to order something, hang onto it for awhile, then actually order and  get rid of it.  Magazines, mail, and catalogs are the biggest culprits for cluttering up our counters and tables.  Be warned!

Too Much Artwork?

As we collect artwork, posters, or wall decor through the years, a time often comes where we don't have sufficient wall space for all our framed work.  What to do?  Simplify!  Look around at the walls.  Most likely, there will be something that has been up for a LONG time with no nostalgic feelings surrounding it.  Start with those pieces.  Take them down.  One professional decorator I read about takes what you already own and love and just rearranges everything into a more interesting look.  You can take your other wall hangings or art and rearrange it on the walls for a fresh view.  Donate the old ones that don't mean much to you.