Welcome! In this thread we encourage each other in our decluttering efforts. You'll find a lot of understanding here, no matter how early a stage you find yourself in your decluttering plan, no matter if your plan's been underway but has suffered a setback or two! We hope you'll join us.
Here we are at December and our year's attention to clearing, neatening and organizing our Lovely Homes may well be appreciated more now than any other month, as we offer hospitality. So often we who fight the ongoing Battle of Clutter are just grateful for a clear space (which is beautiful!). But creativity DOES makes the world go 'round and without clutter we can enjoy it!
Decor (and the appreciation of our cleared surfaces) becomes important now.
Hanukkah arrives this month beginning Dec. 16, ending Dec. 24th. And of course there will be the Saturday before Christmas (considered the most likely day of the year for visitors/hospitality).
For example, the Focus (cleaning) schedule reads this way for this final month of the year:
So, this month, let us know... ... what previously cluttered area of your home can you now think about DECOR? Have you been able to decorate a formerly cluttered corner or piece of furniture? Has decluttering inspired you to consider new curtains/furnishings, to hang pictures, display treasures, etc?
Do you have hopes of opening, this holiday season, that door that you've always rushed to close in the past ( ) because it's become a pleasant view to enjoy, and the decor has been uncovered?
The end of this month will find us in a 2015 Plan of Action , so be thinking whether 2015 will work best for you with everyday regular declutter appointments, or maybe weekly focuses on rotating rooms, or even a marathon Session of Dumpster Proportions. You'll be supported and cheered here!
I am slowly but surely been working on the table and got progress on it. I have a laundry basket of things that go else where donations, a gift to wrap and mail. Books for credit at the book store etc.
Emptied the basket and refilled it again with donations from a other room. Bags of bags are in the trunk now too. ToddlerN loved to help so when I sorted a pile of paperwork I gave her stuff to toss she was delighted!
I hung up yarn projects in bags that helped a lot!
When company was expected for Thanksgiving, I decluttered in my Bunny Room. The end table, which can be seen from the end of the hall, when guests go into the main/guest bathroom, was redecorated. I put DH's and my wedding framed photo on the top level of the end table (built by Granddad), with another framed photo. I put a dark blue glass paperweight bunny between the 2, on top of a crocheted doily. On the bottom level, underneath the top level's shelf of the end table, I have 3 large books. I noticed today, how the front part of the lower level had a lavender floral box of Kleenex tissues on it. I took my Bible, which is suede lavender, put it beside the Kleenex box, and the colors tie in beautifully! I have a 5-disc CD-changer/radio/cassette player in the Bunny Room, often times play music, during quiet time. Now, with my Bible there, which is very pretty, I'm all set up for QT.
I took a PODA from the eating bar, where I RARELY actually look at it, put it beside my laptop, where I SEE IT ALL THE TIME! Also, it leaves the eating bar, more clutter-free. I took my opened Home Journal binder from the dining room table, I'm adding things to it this evening, and have a spot in my small office, for it, which I'll be seeing more often and it leaves the dining room table clutter-free with festive decorations and my Christmas tablecloth and green place mats.
Having the bathrooms decorated for the winter holidays, makes keeping the bathrooms clutter-free more of an urge, too.
After Christmas is over, I'll be decorating with red-white, for Valentine's Day, too. Where I put those red glass candy dish, etc... will be a clutter-free zone, too.
I decorated for Christmas on 11-15-14, I am doing my maintenance cleaning right now, as I plan for 2015, right now. I need to work/plan ahead because I work out of my home office.
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe
I have been "de-cluttering" the LOL basket. I dumped trash, from 1 bathroom, we'll be throwing out the leftover turkey this evening, after dinner, because TV prior to Thanksgiving Day, said Monday was the last safest day for leftovers to be eaten, then throw them out or freeze them. Everything's been thrown out already, except for the meat. This turkey made great sandwiches for us this year. Very delicious.
I hung up clothes in our MBR, tidied the desktop once, but need to do it again, and we put groceries away today, and I put a prescription receipt away, in my drawer, until renewal time in 1 month again.
After my letters are written, I'll tidy up my gr8 room end table again, especially prior to bedtime, so I can wake up to an enjoyable clutter-free QT, and journal writing, too.
If I don't make the bed in the a.m., DH does, so it's good that it doesn't always fall on either one of us, and we willingly do this chore, which always makes the bedroom look nicer.
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe
So I think I will work here today. I have been shopping for Christmas and I need to focus on the stuff that is out and list the things that need doing.
I need to get back to do another round in the laundry room. I have decluttered enough stuff so now it is time to dust the counter and I can actually use it . YEA! Done!
Last edited by Nancy on Thu Dec 04, 2014 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
kitchen cabinets dejunked and most rinsed
it's been since spring since I had checked dates.. I had to toss a lot.
4 bags in total gone .. most shelves cleaned
washed my aprons
what needs to be done still but not today:
-wash the wall above the stove
-clean under kitchen sink
-clean cabinet where pots and pans are
-caulk the window after washing
-check dates on canned goods and clean those shelves
-set up shelf in 3 season room
-paint any other little spots
-clean vents
clean window over kitchen sink
clean under fan/microwave
clean out stove (it is starting to smell a bit)
are just grateful for a clear space (which is beautiful!). But creativity DOES makes the world go 'round 
and without clutter we can enjoy it! 
) because it's become a pleasant view to enjoy, and the decor has been uncovered? 
You'll be supported and cheered here!
