Currently... Decluttering Everything. Clothes. Books. Stuff

By now, you've probably seen, Material World, a photography collection of people around the world with their earthly possessions, published years ago by Peter Menzel.  To see some of the photos from countries other than the U.S., we realize the embarrassment of riches that we have.

I've been thinking about those photos lately, as I've been feeling quite crowded and cluttered in my own house.  I don't even feel justified in buying one other thing because - where would I put it?  I'm not saying that I'm going to get rid of everything, dwindling our belongings down to a blanket and a water bucket, but I could get rid of a lot and still have plenty.  So I'm trying to slim down a significant bit before the end of the year. Yes, this is my December, end of the year, push.

Some of the stuff is actually useful, if I could just remember I had it or had an efficient way to get to it. Some stuff is useless, to anybody.  Some can be repurposed and reused, in ways I mentioned in a previous post about reusing old clothes, or donated for various purposes.  I'm sorting through it all, one thing at a time, to figure that out.

So what have I got? On the top of the list:

• Toys. I'm always sure that we are going to find that 1 missing puzzle piece and the rest of the games cards. And I keep picking up those little battleship pegs.  It's a process, but I'm admitting that none of that is going to happen, so it's time to let it go.  (Are you going to be singing Frozen all day now?)
• Socks. All those 1-socks, particularly the ones that don't even fit anybody anymore.  I'm losing hope that the matches will ever resurface. But I do let my kids, the youngest especially, wear mis-matching socks of the same style.  Do you know that you an actually buy mis-matched packs of socks? What brilliant mom (I'm sure it was a mom tired of matching socks) came up with this marketing genius? I wish it was me. Then I'd be writing this post from a sunny beach somewhere.
• Magazines.  I don't really read digital magazines, so that's not my replacement. I just need to admit that I'm actually not going back to that Real Simple article from June of 2010.  It was enjoyable then, it kept me occupied at the pool, now it's time to fill the recycling bin to make some new paper bags or newspapers or something.

Also - cookbooks, kids' clothes, sweaters, books to start.  I'll get into more details as I work through the piles, so come on back for all that.

What have you got that's piling up in your house that you need to get rid of?

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Mom-Me Celebration - Day 7: Clear Your Personal Space

Today, you have permission to get rid of that stuff in your house that is old, broken, and unused.  You know, the curling iron that works if you jiggle it and hold it just so.  The rice pot that doesn't keep rice hot for longer than 5 minutes.  The blender that would work if you ordered the little piece that goes on the bottom. Even that purse with the broken strap sitting on the floor of your closet.  Even the pile of mis-matched socks. Need a dump truck to get it all out?  Okay, start in your own personal space.  I know, the idea of "personal space" is almost foreign to mom's, but think about your bedroom, your bathroom, your night stand, your closet.

I have admitted before, I do have some pack-rat-ish tendencies. But -- I also have stated that I am trying to get better this year and clear out some of the clutter around me. I feel so weighed down and suffocated sometimes.  When we switched around the kids' rooms, forcing me to empty out my craft closet and move it all downstairs, it became more apparent to me how much stuff I've got crammed away. I'm working on it, it's quite a project.

For now - I'm giving myself a little bit more elbow room by getting rid of the stuff that even I can't justify keeping.  I think I'll start with the coffee pot that leaks every time I make a pot of coffee.

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Decluttering in 15 Minutes

Every January, I add decluttering to my list of other impossible goals.  Truthfully, I started in December.  Okay, well, I started to panic in December because I still was working on last January's plans to declutter.  It is my perpetual goal.   You'd think at some point, the goal would be reached and we would exist in an absolutely organized, everything in it's place little world.  But, alas, the junk drawer has a permanent place in my kitchen.

In an effort to be more productive, my task continues with these two simple guidelines:

• 15-minutes at a time
• find a re-use for anything worth re-using 

Why only 15 minutes? Doesn't sound like a lot, but it's just enough of a time constraint to feel like I need to focus on the task.  If I give myself unlimited time, even an hour, my mind wanders and I end up on some tangent.  You know, go from cleaning out the fridge to reorganizing the entire kitchen type thing.  

And the re-use thing?  Because I do have a habit of holding on to things that may or may not be useful right now, but might be later on.  (Some people call this being a packrat, I call it being prepared.)  But with these guidelines, if I can come up with a good use for something, I can keep it.  Otherwise, it needs to be thrown out, recycled, or donated, as appopriate.

My intention is to pick one space a day, allowing that if I can't think of a space, I'll skip that day.  And space needs to be also narrowly defined to keep the task do-able.  This one yarn basket rather than my entire yarn stash (crafters, you know what I’m saying).

So far, I’ve done my lingerie drawer and under my bathroom sink.  Yes, each in 15 minutes.  What got thrown out, what was reused? 

Lingerie drawer – My weight has gone up and down during my pregnancies and since then.  Now that I’m at a pretty consistent weight, I threw out the underwear and bras that were too big, too small, the wrong size, the wrong whatever.  Never liked how the wire poked me in the side, didn’t like the fit of the bra.  Wasn’t as cute on me as the mannequin?  Yeah, got rid of all that.  Nothing to reuse.

Bathroom cabinet – I did the hallway bathroom, so the main task here was putting stuff back where it really belongs, rather than here where it was stashed by people too lazy to go upstairs.  I threw out expired pain relievers in the first aid kit, old sunscreen, and miscellaneous junk. It’s a good idea to keep lotion, toothpaste and toothbrushes in this bathroom though for the kid who “forgot” to use these items and needs to hurry up and get out the door. 

I almost threw out some used jar candles, but instead they became my re-used items.

Burned down jar candles?  Fill with warm water to loosen the wax.

I filled them with hot tap water and let them sit a few minutes to soften the wax.  I spooned the wax out and washed out the jars.  Ta-da - sparkly new little jars!  I can use them as little flower vases for a few blooms or to hold little knick-knacks – make-up brushes, pens, crochet hooks.  I found that the rounded jar is perfect to hold a ball of yarn and keep it from rolling away while I’m working with it. 

Jars from candles after being cleaned out - perfect for re-use around the house.

I think my desk drawer is next.  And I’m sticking with 15 minutes.

I’m not an organization expert so I don’t promise any earth-shattering tips on how to get your space in order.  But if you, too, need to get some orderly space, I invite you to join me through the month.  I'll post here and/or on FaceBook any interesting re-uses or tips.  Feel free to share!