how do you start decluttering? one room at a time?
or what? I'm busy, I work and am single w/lots of kiddos and I just find my head spinning w/endless lists of things I need to do and I never get around to it! how should I break this up?
Well, I am doing a combonation. I guess it depends it is all how your mind works.I did all clothing first. Fisrt, me and dh, then on kid at a time. Then I did linen closet.
Next, I picked sewing fabric. Next, I picked toys, then books. So I guess I am a category declutterer~lol! I plan on doing me desk/office as a whole. Mostly that means paperwork.
The next two weeks I am working on the pantry, though. That is a room, and a category.
After I get through enough categories, I need to switch stuff between two bedrooms.
Additionally, i am getting better at just keeping up with the clutter. The best part is dh is following suit!
I think for me if I pick a whole room, it is overwhelming.
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"If you only believe what you see, then you are limited to what's on the surface. If you only believe what you see, then why do you pay your electric bill?" Dr. Wayne Dyer
Not to mention, just keep motivated by remembering how much easier things will be, cleaning will be faster, finding things will be faster and easier, etc. after you do de-clutter. Keep remembering what you will gain from losing...
__________________ "Custom will reconcile people to any atrocity."
George Bernard Shaw
i did/do categories too! clothes, towels and other linens, books, plastic bins of keepsakes, under the sinks, games, kitchen all at once, etc.
take your time...you sure do have your hands full, mama! i think you would be a great success at decluttering if you just spent 10 minutes a day or found 10 things at a time to pass on or something like that!
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Stephanie, wife to Tim (almost 9 years) and mama to Isaac (3) and Kendall (13 months)
thanks, that really helps and is condusive to the way my mind works. I made a list of "areas" to do, we'll see how far I get.
My biggest hold up? I have so much that is worth SOME money... little stuff, like clothing, but still.... I finally decided I'm going to clean out the toy room and put everything I'm getting rid of in there for a garage sale in the spring. I hope it's worth it!
thanks, that really helps and is condusive to the way my mind works. I made a list of "areas" to do, we'll see how far I get.
My biggest hold up? I have so much that is worth SOME money... little stuff, like clothing, but still.... I finally decided I'm going to clean out the toy room and put everything I'm getting rid of in there for a garage sale in the spring. I hope it's worth it!
i HAD to do this too. even after all the urging and advice to just donate/get rid of all the stuff i decluttered, i just decided i HAD to try to sell it. i'm just so not good at/intimidated by taking pics and trying to sell things online. so...garage sale it was! i ended up having a ton of stuff left, but did a great job of giving it away after that. just had to satisfy my mind and at least try to sell it! good luck!
I'm going to go room by room, with the easier rooms first (which would be the spare bedroom and the dining room for me). I just start one 1 side and work my way across.
I pick the thing that is bugging me the most. For instance, if I can't seem to keep up w/ laundry, I start getting rid of stuff left in the drawers, and also when I fold stuff. I've been trying to get all the clothes completely done once per week, so I know exactly what we all have. On another board that I visit, there is a January Decluttering Challenge, where the goal is to get rid of 500 items. I'm up to 375ish, and have 5 more days to go thru stuff. Last night the toys were taking over our LR and the girls room, so when I was putting them away, I kept one container to donate, and regularly plunked something into it!!! My biggest thing is that it HAS to get out of the house, or the girls will dig it back out. I try to drop all donations off the next trip to town, so I'm not tempted to dig it back out. A yardsale would be great, but they are so much work, and the profit really isn't that much, when you consider you can deduct your donations on your taxes, and you have your house/garage free of the stuff that you no longer need. I used to really have a problem donating anything that was worht much $$, but know I try to think of someone who will be shopping the resale shop, and find a nice name brand such-n-such, and be thrilled. Do a search on the thrift forum for thrift store finds!
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