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.