Clutter
happens. Even for the most diligent of
us it creeps up and before you know it there it is. A pile of crap!
How, what, when and
why did that even happen?
Paper clutter is my
biggest issue. With kids bringing home
stuff from school and a plethora of junk mail arriving every day it doesn't
take long for it to pile up on my desk or the side table next to my
recliner. It drives me nuts!
I try my best to
keep it at bay by going through my mail as soon as I bring it in. Most of it ends up in the recycle bin and the
bag I keep in the garage to collect "shreddables". The rest is then placed on my desk to be
dealt with. Usually bills or important
things that need to be filed. On Sunday mornings
I go through it all and deal with it.
I've gone paperless with most of my bills but I still seem to get a lot in
the mail anyway.
When we get busy and
our schedule is overloaded it is much easier to have clutter accumulate. Lately we have been really good at staying on
top of it so Mama doesn't lose her mind.
Every night each of us does a walk through the entire house to collect
and put away our items that have been left out.
It really makes a huge difference.
Recently we've
started going through all of our stuff and culling out the items we no longer
need or want, bagging them up and hauling them over to the thrift store near
our house and dropping them off. Since
are big purge and downsize I really don't want to fill this house back up again
so we are doing our best not to accumulate a bunch of junk.
A lot of you have
shared with me how you are clearing out and purging your houses of items and I
love to hear about that. To those of you
still working on it I encourage you to keep at it. And for those of you looking around your
homes and thinking about it, just DO IT!
It will feel so incredibly good, you won't believe it.
For those of us that
have completed the journey, the real work begins.
Now we have to keep
it that way. Every day, walk through
your house and simply put things away.
Collect items that need to go in the trash or recycle bin. Then every so often purge an area of your
house and take a bag in to donate so you stay on top of it. Good habits to develop that will keep you
sane and make your home a sanctuary.
I am the queen of habits (mostly bad) so I need to add the nightly walk through to start my mornings with a cleaner (literally) slate. I have been decluttering but there is so much more I need to get rid of. I counted dinner plates recently and if I have over a hundred people for supper on any given night, they all can have a clean plate.
ReplyDeleteOMGosh! I laughed when I read about the dinner plates. I tend to hoard dishes myself. That is a tough one for me.
DeleteLoved the clutter chart.. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWe moved from our home of 35 yrs into a smaller house in the country.. Oh my....... we had to really downsize.Not only furniture but "junk" also. We have been in the smaller house for 1 yr now.. So, I am trying to keep it decluttered. I try to declutter on a continuing basis all the time.. But still, it wants to ease back in.lol
Yesterday, I decluttered shelves in my kitchen that holds food items.[I don't have a pantry any longer/sure miss it.]. Today, I am decluttering/cleaning the broom closet.It has 5-6 shelves on the side of closet.. I decided to clear these shelves and put my "extra" stock pile of grocery can items.. Thus saving my grocery shelves for the stuff we use every day.. This was a big help, and allowed me to go through the shelves and wash them and declutter.
I too, do the night time pick up . I read a book a long time a go. The lady said, to always do a 10 minute pickup/quick sweep of the main living area.. So, that your house is ready for unexpected guest in the am.. No--oh my, some one is at the front door.lol. I have done this for years, and it really works for me.
Love to hear the tips others do.. I get so many great ideas from fellow bloggers.
Fellow bloggers are a great source of info, I agree. I need to declutter and re-organize the pantry next. It is starting to get a little messy.
DeleteAs I sit here reading your post, I look around the room. The following pieces of clutter are glaring at me:
ReplyDelete1. My lunch plate where I just finished eating.
2. Two notebooks I use for my todo lists. Why can't I leave them neatly stacked not thrown on the floor.
3. Two UPS package that arrived for one of my sons today. Should I haul them upstairs or let them sit until they come home?
4. Folded laundry sitting on the steps waiting to go upstairs.
5. The phone is sitting beside me on the floor so I can screen calls. TELEMARKETERS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!!
It would only take 30 seconds to just put everything away yet here I sit reading your blog! I promise to put everything up once I get up. I PROMISE!
Jeannie
GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com
I do the same kinds of things. It's okay. That is why we need the nightly walk through. Ha, ha.
DeleteUPDATE: I did keep my promise and got up to pick up the room which only took 30 seconds. Afterwards, I walked into the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and thirty minutes later, was still putting my junk away.
DeleteIt is hard being a slob.
Tonight, I need to start all over.
Jeannie
GetMeToTheCountry.Blogspot.com
Right on! I am super proud you! :)
DeleteI have been ruthless lately as I sort through the closets and cupboards in this house...the church rummage sale is in 2 weeks...they should make a bundle from my donations...win-win...haven't even made it to the small barn/shed yet...
ReplyDeleteGood job! Nice to have the rummage sale to help spurn you on. Hope it all goes well. :)
DeleteMy very best strategy is to schedule a Veteran's pickup every single month. Then I'm forced to find something to donate ;)
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good plan!
Delete