I have been working super hard around here to cut out the clutter. After our stay in Peoria when Thao was in the hospital, I really learned what we could live with and without! I realized how much I wanted to simplify my life at home. I needed to get rid of STUFF. I spent way too much time picking up, dusting, organizing, storing things, and LOOKING FOR THINGS! All of which caused stress in my life. So, I've decided to let go, my house will probably never all be clean at once and I am getting rid of all the extra, non-essential stuff. I'm still working on this, but we've come a looong way! I want to be able to freely focus on what's important in my life and if I'm slaving away at my house, stressed out the whole time, then I am not focused on Christ or spending time with Him like I should. Nor am I a fun person to be around. Who wants a mom that isn't fun to be around? I know God was working in my heart before Thao got sick, because I was starting to "get it" then. I was starting to let go, let the house be messy (without it stressing me out) and have fun with the kids. I was still stressing about the house, but I was realizing how fast the kids grow up and I wasn't missing out on it! I did have a lot of fun with Thao and I am very thankful for it. Thankful I have a wonderful husband that works hard so I can stay home, play with the kids, homeschool.... :)After getting my priorities in order, here's a list of practical tips that I've learned along the way. Ready to de-clutter?
Really make up your mind to do this and stay focused!
- Focus on one area at a time. Sometimes even one room is too much when you have a lot of little helpers. So try to work on one closet, one section of a room, etc, until it is done. Then, move on to the next. Sometimes, I actually have 2 areas I'm working on (one upstairs, one downstairs) so that if the kids are sleeping, I can still get things done.
- I use kitchen garbage bags. They are small enough you can fill them full and still lift them. Mark them before you start, "Sell", "Donate", "Trash". Be VERY lenient with the "Donate" bag. Here's the thing, I know that if I try to save everything to sell, then most of that I will still have to deal with later, because it may not sell. I have to spend time pricing it, displaying it, advertising for it and then probably just packing it up again when it doesn't sell and donating it. Or if I wait too long, I may decide not to get rid of it all all. I have a Goodwill just a few blocks away, so when I fill a bag or two, I just run it over there.
- Selling: you kind of have to decide for yourself rules for this. I had to give myself some rules in this category to stay focused. I decided it really wasn't worth my time to try to sell our old clothes. I get way too sentimental with the kids' old clothes and my maternity clothes, so I gave them to someone I know will use them. I only had to see them leave once and in bags, which is much better than saying goodbye piece by piece to strangers! I will try once online and/or once in a garage sale to sell the bigger things of value. Then, I find a new home for it. And, why not give someone a good deal on something? It would make them smile and free up space in your house.
- Donate: fill up the bag, tie it shut and DO NOT re-open it. If you have a convenient place to donate, take the stuff straight out to your car. If you don't want to make a special trip out to donate stuff, plan on leaving a few minutes early the next time you need to go somewhere and drop it off then. You can ask for a receipt if you are donating to an organization such as Goodwill or Re-Store for tax purposes.
- Trash: pretty self explanatory here. But one thing I've learned is when you are throwing away your daughter's used up coloring book, take the trash out before she wakes up the next morning.
- Keep it going. I keep ongoing donate and sell piles so that while I'm cleaning or doing laundry, I can just add to it. If I haven't used it in a year, I get rid of it. If I haven't worn it through winter or summer, I get rid of it. I'm done saving extra clothes "just in case" I lose/gain weight. Also, if there's an article of clothing that nothing else matches (and we don't love it or need it), it's gone.
- We don't need a huge wardrobe. It's just more to put away, wash and choose from. I found the more clothes we have the more choices we have and the longer it takes to get ready. Laundry will pile up if we have too many clothes. If I did get the laundry done, there's no room to put everything away. So, we got rid of clothes that we didn't love. I kept stuff that I can mix and match. (For me, it's tanks, t-shirts and cardigans that became my go-to basics.) Kids, of course, need a few more outfits since they tend to get a little dirty. There are only a few things that I will not allow Ava to wear as everyday clothes. I never pay much for their clothes (hand-me-downs, garage sales, second-hand stores, clearance, etc) so I don't mind so much that they wear "good" clothes as everyday. They are only little once, so I like to let them have an opinion on their clothes. :) It's cute to watch her wear pretty dresses every day or wear her brother's t-shirt with a frilly white skirt. (Thao used to wear his ties with t-shirts and boots!) :) Let them wear it out, it's really not a big deal when you don't buy much and you don't pay much for it. Kid's always want to wear the same thing over and over again anyway!
- Learn to say to no. Just because it's free, doesn't mean you need to take it. This goes for clothes, knick knacks, etc. If you've lived this long without it or it's a duplicate that you are saving "just in case". DON'T do it! You may just be blessing someone else who really needs that item. Of course, there are always exceptions. Keep a list of things that you want/need so if you do come across it, you know you'll use it. Always take time to think about purchases (even free things) and do not make impulse decisions. This will save lots of time, money and stress!
- Spend money to organize. This took me a while to learn because I hate spending money. It doesn't have to be super expensive, but you will have to spend a little to stay organized. Once I figure out what kind of container I need, if I don't have it, I put it on my shopping list. I try to go that day so that I don't forget or have to re-organize everything I just did.
- Decorations. I had to make some decisions here. I don't like a lot of knick-knacks. I'm not super sentimental either. But, I love photos, artwork made by people I know, Bible verses and fabric. I want my home to feel like home. So, with a few exceptions, I got rid of the stuff that had no purpose. The fabric fits in because of my curtains and pillows and blankets making it cozy. I have also learned, if it's something really special to me, I need to take a picture of it. It could break or get lost. *The exceptions for me are candles in the winter and glass jars in the summer*
- 5 minute file. I have a list of things I can get done in 5 minutes and list for 10 minutes. This way, I feel like I can still accomplish things even if I only have time while Liam is distracted by the hot wheels cars on the make shift road we just made out of books, you know, for 5 minutes! :)
- Mail. I sort mail as soon as I get it. Junk mail in the trash, to pay, and to file. As long as I'm not walking out the door, I pay bills as soon as I get them and write the day it needs to be mailed where the stamp goes. I try to flip through magazines and then toss them (or give them to Ava to cut up). I tear out the pages that interest me (usually paint colors or recipes) first.
This is a good start! Stay focused, it's worth it. :)
I'd appreciate comments of any kind. What do you do to stay organized? Did this list help you?
Really make up your mind to do this and stay focused!
- Focus on one area at a time. Sometimes even one room is too much when you have a lot of little helpers. So try to work on one closet, one section of a room, etc, until it is done. Then, move on to the next. Sometimes, I actually have 2 areas I'm working on (one upstairs, one downstairs) so that if the kids are sleeping, I can still get things done.
- I use kitchen garbage bags. They are small enough you can fill them full and still lift them. Mark them before you start, "Sell", "Donate", "Trash". Be VERY lenient with the "Donate" bag. Here's the thing, I know that if I try to save everything to sell, then most of that I will still have to deal with later, because it may not sell. I have to spend time pricing it, displaying it, advertising for it and then probably just packing it up again when it doesn't sell and donating it. Or if I wait too long, I may decide not to get rid of it all all. I have a Goodwill just a few blocks away, so when I fill a bag or two, I just run it over there.
- Selling: you kind of have to decide for yourself rules for this. I had to give myself some rules in this category to stay focused. I decided it really wasn't worth my time to try to sell our old clothes. I get way too sentimental with the kids' old clothes and my maternity clothes, so I gave them to someone I know will use them. I only had to see them leave once and in bags, which is much better than saying goodbye piece by piece to strangers! I will try once online and/or once in a garage sale to sell the bigger things of value. Then, I find a new home for it. And, why not give someone a good deal on something? It would make them smile and free up space in your house.
- Donate: fill up the bag, tie it shut and DO NOT re-open it. If you have a convenient place to donate, take the stuff straight out to your car. If you don't want to make a special trip out to donate stuff, plan on leaving a few minutes early the next time you need to go somewhere and drop it off then. You can ask for a receipt if you are donating to an organization such as Goodwill or Re-Store for tax purposes.
- Trash: pretty self explanatory here. But one thing I've learned is when you are throwing away your daughter's used up coloring book, take the trash out before she wakes up the next morning.
- Keep it going. I keep ongoing donate and sell piles so that while I'm cleaning or doing laundry, I can just add to it. If I haven't used it in a year, I get rid of it. If I haven't worn it through winter or summer, I get rid of it. I'm done saving extra clothes "just in case" I lose/gain weight. Also, if there's an article of clothing that nothing else matches (and we don't love it or need it), it's gone.
- We don't need a huge wardrobe. It's just more to put away, wash and choose from. I found the more clothes we have the more choices we have and the longer it takes to get ready. Laundry will pile up if we have too many clothes. If I did get the laundry done, there's no room to put everything away. So, we got rid of clothes that we didn't love. I kept stuff that I can mix and match. (For me, it's tanks, t-shirts and cardigans that became my go-to basics.) Kids, of course, need a few more outfits since they tend to get a little dirty. There are only a few things that I will not allow Ava to wear as everyday clothes. I never pay much for their clothes (hand-me-downs, garage sales, second-hand stores, clearance, etc) so I don't mind so much that they wear "good" clothes as everyday. They are only little once, so I like to let them have an opinion on their clothes. :) It's cute to watch her wear pretty dresses every day or wear her brother's t-shirt with a frilly white skirt. (Thao used to wear his ties with t-shirts and boots!) :) Let them wear it out, it's really not a big deal when you don't buy much and you don't pay much for it. Kid's always want to wear the same thing over and over again anyway!
- Learn to say to no. Just because it's free, doesn't mean you need to take it. This goes for clothes, knick knacks, etc. If you've lived this long without it or it's a duplicate that you are saving "just in case". DON'T do it! You may just be blessing someone else who really needs that item. Of course, there are always exceptions. Keep a list of things that you want/need so if you do come across it, you know you'll use it. Always take time to think about purchases (even free things) and do not make impulse decisions. This will save lots of time, money and stress!
- Spend money to organize. This took me a while to learn because I hate spending money. It doesn't have to be super expensive, but you will have to spend a little to stay organized. Once I figure out what kind of container I need, if I don't have it, I put it on my shopping list. I try to go that day so that I don't forget or have to re-organize everything I just did.
- Decorations. I had to make some decisions here. I don't like a lot of knick-knacks. I'm not super sentimental either. But, I love photos, artwork made by people I know, Bible verses and fabric. I want my home to feel like home. So, with a few exceptions, I got rid of the stuff that had no purpose. The fabric fits in because of my curtains and pillows and blankets making it cozy. I have also learned, if it's something really special to me, I need to take a picture of it. It could break or get lost. *The exceptions for me are candles in the winter and glass jars in the summer*
- 5 minute file. I have a list of things I can get done in 5 minutes and list for 10 minutes. This way, I feel like I can still accomplish things even if I only have time while Liam is distracted by the hot wheels cars on the make shift road we just made out of books, you know, for 5 minutes! :)
- Mail. I sort mail as soon as I get it. Junk mail in the trash, to pay, and to file. As long as I'm not walking out the door, I pay bills as soon as I get them and write the day it needs to be mailed where the stamp goes. I try to flip through magazines and then toss them (or give them to Ava to cut up). I tear out the pages that interest me (usually paint colors or recipes) first.
This is a good start! Stay focused, it's worth it. :)
I'd appreciate comments of any kind. What do you do to stay organized? Did this list help you?