Hair Goods

As we women age, usually the hair gets shorter.  How many barretts, clips, decorative combs, head bands, etc. do we still have, even though our style doesn't need any of them?  Feel free to get rid of these items if you plan to keep shorter hair.

Choices

I leave for a trip today where I need to fly.  The group leader said we may have to pay for luggage fees.  I'm not sure if that means just my one suitcase or a really heavy suitcase.  To be on the safe side, I'm taking a small one that can be a carry-on.  Nowadays, you have to make a choice as to if you want to pay for luggage or just pay for some laundering once you hit your destination.   You decide which is the most simple for you!

So...look for the blog to be up-dated on June 29.  Keep simplifying one item per day!

Refrigerators

I have a request.  We have a side-by-side refrigerator.  The refrigerator half has three large drawers, leaving three shelves and the door for storage.  With fruit and vegetable season in full swing, it feels jam packed with no space to spare.  Last night I saw an ad for a new type of refrigerator.  Each little juice box was lined up neatly.  You could see to the back and find everything!  Not so with mine.  This is a quandry for me.  I will be watching for organizational  ideas for refrigerators!  Any comments/advice would be welcomed!

Clean When Empty

An organizational tip is to clean an area when it's empty.  Examples:  silverware dividers.  When you are low on silverware in the drawer because you forgot to turn on the dishwasher, take a minute to wipe out the drawer.  If the refrigerator seems rather bare because you haven't had time to go to the grocery store, take a few minutes to wipe it out.  A freezer can be the same way. 

Instead of kicking yourself for forgetting to restock whichever area is bare, take the opportunity to clean it, THEN restock!

Car Glove Compartment

Sundays, I just give you a location to find one item to move or place in the trash.  Look in your car glove compartment today on your way to church or wherever you are going.

A Gift that Sits Around

Unless I know a person really well and his/her tastes, getting that individual a gift that "just sits around" in the house is risky.  The person may love it, or he/she will agonize about whether to keep it or declutter the gift.  Even though it may seem impersonal, gift registries are wonderful ways to choose just the right gift that won't be perceived as clutter.  Gift cards and items that can be used up (i.e. notepads, food gift baskets, a heartfelt note/letter, birdseed for enthusiasts) are always a safe bet if you don't exactly know the recipient's taste. 

Passing down heirlooms also needs to be well thought out as to which of the relatives will really want or appreciate the pieces.  To some, it's clutter; to others, a treasure sought after. 

Replacements

My daughter worked late last evening.  She will be so surprised today if she happens to sweep the floor!  We have had the same broom for almost 23 years.  She has hated it for ten of her nineteen years and pleaded with me to buy a new broom.  It always worked fine for me, so I didn't do it.  Well, last night I bought a replacement, and the old broom is going in the trash.  It still works, but has served its purpose.  I don't want to clutter up kitchen with two.

Too Many Clothes?

I know...this title is "fightin' words" to many women.   But really, do you have too many?  Think about it.  People often tell me they go to Goodwill and find clothing with the tags still on it.  I have personally known people who have unworn clothing, with tags, in their closets.  I find it amusing on shows like "House Hunters" when women see these massive walk-in closets and quip, "This will hold MY things; where will you put yours?" to the husbands. 

I taught with a teacher who, maybe, repeated an outfit one day the entire school year.  I was in awe, not only because of the amount of clothing she must have owned, but that she could do that on a teacher's salary! 

My point is:  think about the amount of clothing you own.  Does anything still have the tags?  Consider what some people do:  buy a new piece and clear out an old. 

Other People's Stuff

What do we do with other people's stuff they don't want to get rid of?  As I sit at the computer, I am glaring at an oversized retail sign that isn't even grammatically correct:  WOMENS.  (It needs an apostrophe...the teacher in me cringes).  I politely asked the owner if he was getting rid of it last week when it was lying on the family room floor; he said he had to measure it.  That wasn't what I was asking, but I dropped the subject.  Now it's leaning up against the office wall. 

There are times in our quest for decluttering we just need to be patient and put up with family members' clutter, hoping to influence each of them by our example.  I'll keep you posted about the sign...

Outdated, but Still Good

Last week I threw out a box of outdated, but still good flashcards.  It seemed such a waste that I held on to them for 9 months too long.  Why do we hold onto things that are not even current?  Give yourself permission to throw out such items like old college textbooks.  Many textbooks become obsolete within a few years, much to the chagrin of poor college students.

It's OK to simplify your life.  Don't feel bound by stuff.

Pens and Pencils

Check out your stash of pens and pencils today.  Any pen that doesn't write, toss it.  Any unsharpened pencil that irritates you whenever you grab it?  Sharpen it!

The Hurdle

I was sitting in the teachers' lounge yesterday for lunch and the conversation turned to someone talking about  her cluttered house.  Her goal is to go through some of the items this summer.  After I invited her to visit my blog, she uttered a phrase that tends to be the biggest hurdle for all:

"I'm just not ready to get rid of some of it." 

Nostalgia...a hurdle in our quest to declutter.  We all feel attached to certain items.  What do we do?  I've said it before, but it's a good reminder:

Box up the near and dear items and put them somewhere for a period of time.  Your mind will rest knowing you still have them, but they aren't underfoot.  A year or two down the road, your feelings may subside and it will be easier to unload without guilt.  In the meantime, you have still decluttered (especially if there are lots of small toys or trinkets.)

Great Quote

In reading clutterdiet.com, I came across a quote that can motivate us in our simplifying efforts:

"Hard work is often the easy work you did not do at the proper time."  -Bernard Meltzer

Note pads

Do you have notepads in key places?  In any home, usually there are places were families leave notes, write down phone messages, or need something to write on.  At some point in my life, I began keeping notepads at each of those locations with a pen.  That way, when you need to write something in a hurry, there's no rushing around looking for a pen or paper.  I have one next to the kitchen phone (our main one), and one in a drawer right by the outside door where people can leave the rest of the family a note if needed.  It has simplified the frantic-search-for-paper-problem.

Work Space

Some of you have a work space at home; others at your place of employment.  Look through your area.  Are there company items you've had for years that no one uses?  See if you can ditch them (or store them in a common area.)  With the teaching profession, sometimes we fall prey to seeing a worksheet a colleague is copying and say, "Would you make me a set, too?" We have the best intentions, but time slips away and we don't use those worksheets.  It seems a crime to toss them, and an even great crime to store them for the next year.  I plan to run my needed sheets on the backs, thus saving paper (alas...not ink). 

Today I am clearing out some of the clutter in my workspace.  Look to see what you can accomplish in a spare 5 minutes today.

Lower Corner Cabinets

I was practically crawling into one of my lower kitchen cabinets the other day to retrieve a certain Tupperware container that had been shoved to the very back.  While looking into the recesses of that cabinet, I saw items that I hadn't seen in a few years!  Though time didn't permit me to simplify, I will work on it today. 

If you have a corner cupboard, there's a lot of space that can be cluttered.  If you declutter it, you could store more important things back there. 

Toys

When you have small children, one of the challenges is keeping toys picked up, parts together, and keeping your children interested.  I discovered a wonderful way to deal with the masses of toys American children tend to accumulate.  I boxed up all but one third of the toys in two other boxes and stored them for a month.  Each month, I would rotate which box was "in public" to be played with.  The kids were excited and interested in the "new toys" and there weren't so many to be picked up daily. 

Utensil Drawer

Check it out today.  Is there a kitchen gadget or utensil you don't use or need?  A duplicate maybe?

Paper

Paper is piling up at my house.  Today I am taking the plunge to sort through items and discard or file away.

Plan Ahead

Through the years, I learn tips I wish I had known.  One thing is to plan ahead.  This truly simplifies your life and seems so easy, but takes so long to make a habit.  If I get an e-mail about something being due, I'm trying to schedule completing that task right then into my week.  I'm buying birthday cards ahead for people or keeping a collection on hand.  When those weeks arrive, I'm not scrambling or feeling guilty about being late.  Most weeks, I plan the meal menu a week in advance and shop accordingly.  This saves all sorts of time and angst. 

I still have a long way to go, but I can recommend planning ahead.  Life is more pleasant and simple that way.

Dress Shirts

An area of clutter for men can be dress shirts.  It you happen to notice your side of the closet getting narrower, or you notice the same dress shirts on one end of his closet untouched, it might be good to ask him if he still wants them.  (It particularly comes in handy when those shirts invade your side of the closet.)  My husband just went through his and decided to give several to Goodwill that are still in good shape, but that he doesn't use.

Pretend to Move

My friend recently moved everything out of rooms to get ready for new carpet being laid.  Her mantra is that nothing is going back in unless they really need it.  Sounds like a great plan...box everything up in one room like you're planning to move, wait a few days, and then put back what you need or really want to keep.  Even pulling everything out of one closet could work the same wonders.  Go with a small area like a bookshelf if necessary.

It's worth a try if you are in a simplifying slump!