When I’m Not Reading . . .
. . . (and also blogging it seems this week) I’m cleaning out the house.
RUTHLESS DE-CLUTTERING.
Throwing out prescription medication from five years ago, an entire recycling bin of paper. Reorganizing my pantry and kitchen cupboards. Half the stuff from the black hole of a basement is now gone. I’ve decided that I’m sick and tired of living with so much stuff. Out it goes! Four trips to the local charity drop off this past week. And yes . . . even getting rid of boxes of books.
Although I still have to go through all this:
And this:
And these:
So you tell me. Your favorite organization tip? Organization blog? Website? Book? Best time-saving piece of advice? Right now, I’m all ears. I still have a ways to go.
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Tags: When I'm Not Reading . . .
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my time saving tip to eliminate the agonizing is if I haven’t used it in the last year, it goes.
on March 25th, 2010 at 11:19 amI am currently listening to the audiobook “It’s All Too Much,” by Peter Walsh (host of the show “Clean Sweep”). He has some excellent tips. I also enjoyed his audiobook “Does This Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat?”
on March 25th, 2010 at 11:20 amSerena – That’s what I keep telling myself with everything in the basement. Boxes from when we moved in four years ago are still unopened!
Buckeye – IT’S ALL TOO MUCH is a fantastic book! I’ve read it twice with my most recent read being just last week. I love how he talks about it’s not the stuff, it’s our emotions attached to the stuff that is the problem. I haven’t read any of his other books although I should! Thanks for the rec.
on March 25th, 2010 at 11:29 amDefinitely emotions, I cringed when I saw those boxes of kids books. I have every book that mine ever read or was read to them unless they got torn. There were 8 years between my boys and then seven between the middle one and my daughter so most books were reused. They never just sat on a shelf. I now read from them to my 5 year old granddaughter. I even have a collection of my hubby’s Dr Seuss books. So yes, it is emotional.
on March 25th, 2010 at 11:35 amA timely post Natasha! I just finished reading The Power Of Half last night and my review went up today. While there were things in the book that bothered me a bit, the main theme behind the book held true – we can do without many of the things we have. There are ways to cut back and take clutter out of our lives and at the same time benefit others.
I am working out details for an April Challenge that will encourage us to look at our lives and make decisions like you have here with your giving to charity.
on March 25th, 2010 at 11:37 amOops – hit submit without linking to my website on above comment….
on March 25th, 2010 at 11:40 amI went through this a couple weeks ago … LOTS of stuff gone. Now I’m in a mood where if one thing comes in, two similar things go OUT! If I get a new blouse, two pieces of clothing are donated to charity.
I admit its harder with books. If some of the books are new titles (I think I see Silly Tilly), you might try your local elementary school. With budget cuts librarians can always use them, and if the school has reading specialists, particularly if they work one-on-one with kids, those extra books could come in handy.
on March 25th, 2010 at 12:25 pmThe FlyLady helps me. She advocates spending 15 minutes at a time so it doesn’t get overwhelming. (You can set a timer so you go through one of those boxes for 15 minutes, take a 15 minute break, and then resume going through the same box for another 15 minutes until it’s all done.) She has the system of 3 boxes – One is Keep, Two is Give Away and Three is Trash. If it isn’t something you’re proud of having or serves the purpose it was meant for, then it is time to get rid of it.
And from there you can start on weekly routines and monthly habits to clean different areas.
on March 25th, 2010 at 12:37 pmI am such a pack-rat. However, if I throw it all out, that is when I need it. Then I have to go buy more. What to do, what to do!
on March 25th, 2010 at 1:19 pmGL
I was going to suggest FlyLady as well. I do admit, I like cleaning everything at once, so everything is perfect for one short moment, but that isn’t really realistic. FlyLady has a workable plan!
on March 25th, 2010 at 5:23 pmAs slightly a hoarder, it helps me to keep repeating to myself that I am freeing myself of stuff. The more firmly I pretend to myself that organizing and throwing things away is cleansing, the more it occasionally feels a tiny bit cleansing.
on March 25th, 2010 at 7:57 pmI have been ruthlessly de-cluttering as well. BLOB came at the right time, but it seems that the books have piled up again.
on March 25th, 2010 at 8:30 pmI read everyone’s comments about decluttering and admired you guys. Is it sad that my advice for your decluttering those books is to put them in a box and mail them to me? I think I have a problem since I’m fantasizing about having all of those kids books.
on March 25th, 2010 at 9:27 pmI am an organization freak! Blame it on having moved a lot and not having a ton of storage. Basically I do a big clean every year around New Years and if I haven’t used it, worn it, looked at, etc within the past year I donate it, sell it, swap it, get rid of it. Good luck!
on March 25th, 2010 at 9:41 pmI recently got rid of books too! Almost like cutting off an arm, but much better.
Orgjunkie http://orgjunkie.com/ is inspiring and practical.
on March 26th, 2010 at 5:06 amMoving. LOL. That was the best thing I ever did! Talk about downsizing and getting back to reality. I’m still digging out though, six months later, and have boxes of books and office materials to be organized.
Since moving is probably not an option, I can’t say! I did start going through and pulling things out of closets and cupboards that I wasn’t using and sending them off…just as you’re doing. So, it sounds like you’re doing a great job of getting an early jump on spring cleaning!
Good luck!
on March 26th, 2010 at 8:28 amI’m trying to get rid of as much stuff as possible now that we’re moving, but it is tough. I have given away about 300+ books in the past 6 months, though. I now have the Peter Walsh books on hold at the library both in print AND audio.
on March 26th, 2010 at 3:52 pmI’ve been thinking about de-cluttering this week, too, but I haven’t had the time. My method is just to separate everything into keep, toss, and maybe piles, then get rid of at least half of the maybe pile.
on March 26th, 2010 at 4:46 pmI don’t have organizing tips but I highly recommend freecycle for giving things away.
on March 27th, 2010 at 7:47 amI don’t know any organizing websites, but I suggest you get a book case and only keep your top ten or twenty books. You can always go to the library and most library’s let you renew online. Organize your books by putting the best of the best on the top shelf.
on March 27th, 2010 at 9:40 amAs for donating stuff, don’t take it to goodwill. Goodwill will sell it. Take the stuff directly to a charity. Maybe a women and children shelter.
Try to recycle the stuff you can’t donate. If you go to the actual recyclilng place, you can probobly get some cash. As in a dollar or two. Maybe three.
Good Luck!
I really need to get on a kick with this again. I miss the show Clean Sweep–it always got me fired up to weed and toss. Sadly, the other four people in my house are not nearly as ruthless as I am when I’m on a roll!
on March 28th, 2010 at 12:29 amI think I need to check out this All Too Much book. Me, I just read every issue of Real Simple, cover to cover, every month.
on March 28th, 2010 at 8:09 amI like everything in alphabetical order, cos I’m cool like that!
on March 28th, 2010 at 9:29 amNatasha,
Last Year I discovered Miz Liz On Biz. She has a free weekly organization newsletter and also has articles on your organizing type that were informative even to me. Besides all this there is an article on sorting and filing that simplifies sorting into three sections – Now, Later, Never (my own descriptions) I expanded my own usage just a bit since keeper items are file, read, act or mail for me and the rest meets the recycle bin immediately. You can check out her site using the link above.
on March 28th, 2010 at 12:30 pmWe’ve been on an organizing kick this year too – it is crazy how much stuff we have accumulated in 9 years of marriage!
Like your earlier commenter Jennifer, I’m a recent fan of I’m an Organizing Junkie.
on March 28th, 2010 at 2:16 pmGetting rid of books is the absolute hardest thing to do! I find it a little easier after I heard someone say, “How many times are you REALLY going to re-read that book? If you’re not re-reading it or enjoying it, then a wall of books is basically just really, really thick wallpaper.”
I try to box up my book giveaways quick, and drive them to a location not super close by to me, so I don’t risk changing my mind, or seeing them again!
on March 29th, 2010 at 6:54 pmI was doing well (for me) at decluttering and then friends showed up with two big boxes of books for me. I hadn’t read any of them, and the only ones I wasn’t interested in my husband wanted. Oh well, except for the big coffee table size bird book, I’ll donate them after I read them. Meanwhile, must get going again on spring cleaning.
on March 31st, 2010 at 8:47 amI can totally relate to all of this de-cluttering. We recently moved the kids rooms around, and I was SHOCKED at the amount of books that my kids have acquired. I didn’t realize I have purchased so many. But, I have a hard time getting rid of books, even if they don’t get read often. I’m thinking I’m going to start with the baby “board books” and see how it goes. I may just have to buy more shelves.
on April 1st, 2010 at 11:17 amCould you send some of your movitation my direction? We seem to have way too much stuff.
I enjoy watching the show Neat for tips.
on April 2nd, 2010 at 12:05 pm