Utensil Overload?

Have you pulled all the kitchen utensils out of a kitchen drawer or container lately… or ever?  You might be surprised how many multiples and unneeded items are clogging the space.  If something like a melon baller is only used once a year, designate a spot elsewhere for that type and only keep those tools nearby that have frequent use.   Multiples or those you'll never use again can be donated.

Close the drawer!

Will cupboards not close?  How about various drawers?  Is there an avalanche threat if a certain closet door is opened?  That's a sure sign that clutter resides in those places.

I was reaching into my utensils drawer in the kitchen, and it wouldn't close when I finished.  As I fished around for the offending utensil, I found an aluminum potato cooker.  It was turned sideways and jamming the drawer.  It hit me that I was holding onto something I never use.  It was handy when I didn't have a microwave and helped potatoes cook more quickly.  It has a little bit of sentimental value as it's the "K" for kitchen utensil that my son took to kindergarten when they were learning the "k" sound.  His teacher told me she'd never seen one of those before, and I felt proud that my first born was already going "above and beyond" in his school work.  But…the fact remains that it is now superfluous to my life.

This photo will be my memory of this "K is for Kitchen" tool

Begin noticing overflow in your home.  That's always a good place to start decluttering.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Shel Silverstein wrote a poem about a girl who said she could eat a whale.  No one thought she could do it.  She did eat the whale, though it took her 90+ years to do it.   When I look at my yard with all the leaves to rake, it makes me not want to even start.  BUT, when I think about bagging five bags per day, I realize I can finish in eight days!

All this is to say, don't get discouraged when looking around your home.  Little by little, slow and steady…you will make progress.  Plus, by going slowly, you develop better decluttering habits.

Today I am giving away several Christmas decorations and ornaments that have no significance. I may find even more as I put decorations away and realize there are items not even used this year still in the boxes.

Mugs To Go

My question to you is how many mugs per person should there be in one household? When you are cooking turkey, they recommend 1 - 1.5 pounds per person. What about mugs?

Over the holidays we had more people in the house.  Never once were all the mugs used even with the Keurig going,  hot chocolate flowing, and dirty ones being put in the dishwasher.  Add in the five new mugs I received as teacher gifts (do you think the kids notice that I drink coffee most mornings??), and they won't even fit on the shelf.

That is too many and can be considered clutter.  Today I am culling my mug collection to a reasonable size, and the rest can go to Goodwill.

"Simplify: one per day" Returns!

It has been three years since I've blogged about simplifying my life.  In that time, many more blogs and magazine articles have been written on ridding your home of one item per day.  It's just a good idea.

You will need a bin for give aways.  When it is full, take it to your favorite donation center like Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Join me in this challenge!

2015 - Christmas Cards and calendars

I'm back to the mission of getting rid of one item per day!  This morning I'm tackling Christmas cards.  My policy is to tape them to the refrigerator during the holiday season.  They look festive, and my adult kids and local friends enjoy seeing pictures and greetings from people they've known.  I took them down this morning and put them in the trash.  Heartless?  No.

Do I ever keep any?  Yes.  A friend of mine, also a teacher, has a "Happy File" into which she places notes from students or their parents.  When she has a bad day or week at school, she goes to that file and remembers she IS a good teacher from those notes.  I have one of the cheap photo boxes from a craft store that is my Happy File.  A few holiday greetings from my class went into the box today.

2011 Wrap Up

Congratulations on the decluttering you have accomplished this year!  Many of us got rid of more than one thing per day.  As we head into 2012, let's keep this trend going.  Decluttering becomes a habit and will be a lifelong challenge as we continually bring new items into our homes.

It's been a fun journey to share with all of you followers.  Thanks for motivating me to think, write, declutter, and research for the past two years.  Keep working toward simplifying your lifestyle.  It brings more time to do what we want, with people we love.