Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Share your decluttering activities and ideas.
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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Sun Dec 27, 2015 12:47 pm

She may have written the book as therapy for herself but I can't see it helping anyone else with OCD tendencies.

My nails break all the time too so I have a nail file in the kitchen (close enough to my front door), bedside table AND my bureau plus one in my desk. And one in each of my purses!

I like the idea of storing the carrots vertically. Sounds crazy to me but it works for my lifestyle.

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Lynlee
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Re: Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Postby Lynlee » Tue Dec 29, 2015 6:38 pm

Kathryn - for the same reason I have nail scissors in lots of places. bathroom, bedroom, near back door/lounge room. I like to have normal scissors all over too. Kitchen - 2 types, desk, many rooms have their own scissors. Then there is scissors for dressmaking (large and small), dog, and hair.
I'll do the spark joy thing, but I doubt I'll get to MK's magic low number, nor will all be in one place. They will have their places in those rooms though. Putting away is good if you want to find them easily..
I often let my carrots stand, but they are definitely in a bag in the crisper. Out of the bag they wilt/ soften so quickly.

I think I'll do sub categories of sleeveless tops too. There is underwear and outer wear. Built in bras, or not.
They will go back where they are currently are stored until I see if enough room opens up in my drawers for the knitted sleeveless tops. atm all outer wear is in my wardrobe.
If one drawer wasn't full of stationary and personal kept paper effects, if my bedside drawers were without their devotional / other material, maybe that would make a difference.
Time will tell if I actually act on any of this or not.
In the meantime. Bras that annoy me need to go out. The spark joy question doesn't even get asked. I guess the answer is no. (underwear) Pants have already had that type of culling.

Getting stuff already decided, gone from life, is a bigger problem for me. That's not covered in the original book. It was mooted for the 2nd book.
Just begin.
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Take a reality check; Remember to breathe; Do what I am able to do.
Look for the good in all.

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Nancy
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Re: Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Postby Nancy » Tue Dec 29, 2015 8:12 pm

Chapter one is helping me. I worked on getting some like items together. Tossed 3 feed bags if stuff reclaimed another room. Heading in to sort stacks of trays holding paper work in the next segment.

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Tue Dec 29, 2015 10:53 pm

I finished the book today. There's a lot of feng shui-like theory which is easy for me to buy into since I've had some pretty interesting experiences with feng shui.

The drawers I've done are staying neat but then again it has only been a week or so.

I will probably do an abbreviated version of her 'tidying' (which is really dejunking or decluttering despite what she calls it.)

My number one complaint about the book is that in English, to tidy is keeping things clean and organized. But her definition is to get rid of things. Then put the leftovers away (that is tidying in the English sense.) Without the purge the putting away can't happen. And then she keeps saying once you've put things away once, you never have to tidy again. But what she means is you never have to purge again, you still have to put things back after using them.

On the other hand, her tackling like items from all over the house is an interesting change and a good idea in many ways. And her order for tackling decluttering so that you get used to make the decisions and then good at making decisions before you get to the tough things to decide about (sentimental things) is an excellent idea.

There are many websites that explain the good stuff in her program without all the crazy stuff or the repetition (over and over and over.) I never found her back story compelling. It just made me sad (both for her and her family.) And I'm not convinced she's actually found any peace in her life. Certainly not balance. It would be interesting to see how her system will change when/if she has to include a husband and children in her lifestyle.

I will continue to keep duplicate/triplicates/quads/quints nearby because any obstacle to me cleaning (i.e. having to carry the toilet brush around) means I'm not likely to do it as often as I should. I keep a second feather duster in my bedroom because that room often needs dusting more often than the living room and that happens when it take under 3 minutes because the duster is right there and I can do it while listening to the end of a song while I tidy the bedroom.

On the other hand, the 'Christmas has exploded all over my apartment' look is bothering me. I look forward to less cluttered surfaces and more open space, and am thinking of ways to further streamline my rooms. As I put things away after Christmas, I'll ask if they brought me joy and start a pile of things to be given away. I do have too much stuff but the extras allow me to change things up from year to year or to dress up plain items with a bit of Christmas bling. This year I worked hard at getting everything out and am learning that doesn't work for me anymore. And example - the big bow in the livingroom window gives me joy. The smaller bows on all the lampshades do not. The mini bows on my candelabra give me joy. So it isn't bows I don't like just an over-abundance of them.

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Nancy
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Re: Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Postby Nancy » Tue Dec 29, 2015 11:35 pm

I like the idea of asking do U love it helped me, and serve a purpose. Some things have served their porupose and I am done with em now.
Also to think about my life timely for me with the New Year aproaching. I want to focus on more weaving so that helped as I went through yarns. Some things are in a box to leave here this week. Another bag of teash left and I ha e some breathing space in the creativity room now yea! I have more peace. I can do this 2x a mo. Or 2x a yr. or quarterly.

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Wed Dec 30, 2015 10:03 am

One thing I loved about the book was my lightbulb moment realizing the purpose of a gift is the gesture, not the item. Therefore it has served its purpose in your receiving the item and you can get rid of it without feeling bad. That covers about 10% of my non-clothing possessions!

It also made getting rid of the hostess gifts that arrived at my party a lot easier.

I haven't even started in on thinking about the sentimental items but I think after doing all the other items (including that 10% that have emotions attached to it because it is a gift), I might be able to handle the sentimental things more firmly. My problem is that I hate for 'history' to be lost. On the other hand, it is pretty lost right now because it is in boxes under the spare bed.

None of the other people who have this apartment layout actually have a bed in the spare bedroom, they all have couches that convert to a bed. Well, I can't give up my bed because it is storing 15 boxes underneath and I'd have no place to put/hide those if the bed isn't there!

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Re: Books about Decluttering and Putting Things Away

Postby Nancy » Sat Jan 16, 2016 1:02 pm

Got the book yesterday.
Catagories books ready to go.
Papers need done. Working on these this week. Jan. Tax season.
Clothes not ready for that yet.
Misc.
Sentimental stuff photos last

I find this sorely lacking no kit. Or craft mgt. help as I leaf through the book just got it yesterday. So I have reverted to zones and room by room N S E W.

Gratitude for my things in the back of tbe book was interesting and helpful.


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