December Decluttering

[BookSaver]

In the midst of year-end and holiday stress, it is still possible to do some decluttering. Here are a couple of strategies used by Nony at http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2011/12/decluttering/

Forgive me if I've posted these before, but I feel the need for the reminder of a strategy that is still working really well for someone else.

First, do the easy things first. Throw away trash. Put away things that already have a designated home. As Nony says, "Once I get the Easy Stuff out of there, the Hard Stuff isn’t any less hard, but it is less. Meaning the piles are smaller and my despair-level is lower. And the visual progress from removing the Easy Stuff spurs me on to tackle more."

Second, if you have several spots that need help: Prioritize decluttering projects by visibility. You may be tempted to start with a drawer or closet, but once that's done you might not have visible proof of all your hard work. Instead, start with an area that is the first thing that people see when they come into your home. You're less likely to feel good about your perfectly organized closet if you can't find a place to sit to watch a favorite holiday show on tv.

Or you might need to do a lot of cooking for the next family gathering, but that will be hard to do if your kitchen counter looks like mine does right now, a jumbled mess of misc. stuff. It would be easier right now for me to reorganize my sock drawer, and that is a job that is needed, too -- but I will get more value and ease of mind if I make the kitchen counter my priority.

Finally, Nony has only 2 decluttering questions to keep her focused.

"(1) If I needed this item, where would I look for it? (take it there)

"(2) If I needed this item, would it ever occur to me that I already have one? (If not, get rid of it because I’d just buy a new one if I needed it.)"

A side note to the 1st question is that when she says "take it there," she means immediately. Don't collect things in a box or basket to put away later, do it as soon as you pick the thing up. Otherwise, she warns of the tendancy of being interrupted in the job and then ending up with one or more boxes of things that still need to be put away ... someday ...

I have found a lot of useful information and inspiration at Nony's site. Our Focus threads are already into the weeks of home maintenance and holiday preparations, rather than decluttering. However, if you feel the need to do some decluttering as well, please keep the job as quick and easy as you possibly can. No one needs the burden of extra stress in December.

[Ivy]

Booksaver, That site is a good one, which is especially good for those (like me!) who have a "problem" with decluttering.

I emptied the trash from all waste baskets in the house, DH took the tall kitchen garbage can plastic bag out to the outdoor garbage can, to be picked up on Thursday. We're trying to keep things picked up, laundry/dishes done ahead, and trash dumped because Fri. will be 28* as a high and 14* as a low. If power goes out, the dishes/laundry will be done, we have a generator to use for about 3 days, so we're prepared "just in case".

I also decluttered a mailer, junk mail this afternoon, too, which nobody needs. Not really. It's just clutter- to me. So out into the recycle bin/bag it went or to burn, if our address was on anything.

[Ivy]

I had to really discern which books were of the utmost importance to me, on my Nook Color. I'd been taking up a lot of space, had way too many books, and it was overwhelming. At "ONE" time, I had 900 books! Now I have 30 archived Nook books and 29 active Nook books. As I read them, I'll archive ones to keep or that I've purchased and want to re-read later. The active books will be read, archived or deleted, depending upon if they're free ones worth re-reading or not. I feel a LOT BETTER now! Since I have 3 books of short stories, magazines of short stories and cut-out and plastic-sleeve saved Woman's World Magazine light romantic stories and mini-mystery solve-it-yourself short stories, I didn't want to own a dozen Nook book short story anthologies. I have 1 Stephen King short story book, 1 by George Saunders and one anthology of 52 great authors, which is over 900 pages long, to read, too. DD keeps loaning/giving me books, so there come a time in a woman's life when she realizes the Nook books are "overkill" and it's time to declutter and clean the Nook house up. I feel more free and happier because of it.

[Nancy]

I took a bag of bags back to the store for recycling when we did a store run.

[Ivy]

Hi! I de-cluttered the trash, from waste baskets, put away groceries when DH got home, so the eating bar/kitchen are de-cluttered AND I sorted the mail, which was junk, except for a mailer from Ddil with yarns in it for DGD-11-months leg warmers/matching hat for her Jan. 8 b-day. 1st b-day! I also used a long tool brush and cleaned out the lint filter deep inside the dryer. I discarded lint and dryer sheets.

[Nancy]

Decluttered some trash.

[ClosetOrganizerNow]

I like the take it there immediately idea!
I try to go through a space each day during the month of December leading up to Christmas and get rid of noticeable items that I do not use anymore. My rule is that if I 1) can't remember the last time I used/wore it, 2) wouldn't use it right now, or 3) buy it over again then it is time to get rid of that item. I usually try to donate first.

[Nancy]

Trash is leaving today is trash day here.

[Ivy]

Garbage and recycle are gone now, to the lane, because pick-up day's tomorrow.

[Nancy]

I have baked cookies w/dgd.
We fed & watered hens collected eggs.
Sheets are off the bed and in the wash working on laundry, soaking my foot now.