Decluttering – where to start?

This is the biggest thing I’ve seen in groups I’m part of – where do I start? It’s so overwhelming. I was there. Only a few months ago, I was there. I didn’t know where to start, what to do. There was just SOOO MUCH STUFF! Not only did I not know how to start, once I did, I didn’t know how to maintain or I had an even bigger mess.

My biggest hint is start with the easiest stuff and don’t expect that your first attempt will be your last attempt.

Garbage Bag – grab a garbage bag and start walking around your house/room. Put all obvious garbage in the bag. Trash, broken toys, old batteries (or is that one just at my house?!?), junk mail etc

Donation Box – use a cardboard box of some description. Doesn’t have to be massive, if it’s not breakable (like glasses) then it may be ok in a bag. Start walking through your home or even just one room and removing all the obvious stuff you no longer want. If you are wanting to sell it, take a photo and list immediately. In my experience, if I don’t do this straight away, I won’t do it. I also give myself a time frame – if it doesn’t sell in that time frame, I donate.

See my box of “I want to list this” stuff – which is still waiting…. THIS is the reason I now list as I go!

I like to move it, move it – now it’s time to go through the room – yes, again – and start putting stuff where it belongs. Remember, if it doesn’t fit where it belongs, this is your indication that you need to decide what to do with the extra items that won’t fit. Don’t make piles to take somewhere later. Take it there RIGHT NOW. If you don’t, and have a box to “take to other places later” chances are, if you’re anything like me, you won’t. Mums get distracted, kids need to be picked up, lunches made, dinner cooked. Basically stuff happens. And that box of stuff ends up sitting in the corner a month later…..

Usually, if I’m doing a room, I grab a garbage bag and a donation box and start at one side and move around. I have found doing these steps makes the biggest impact to a room. This way, when I inevitably get distracted I can put the bag in the bin, the donate box back where it belongs and I’ve still made a difference to the room. There isn’t a pile of stuff that still needs to go to it’s proper home. It’s done. (Can you tell from my photos that these are lessons I learnt from cleaning the toy room first)

Wardrobe Declutter #2

One of my current ongoing “projects” is my personal wardrobe. Every time I put something on I don’t like, doesn’t fit, is uncomfortable or I just go ummmm – it goes straight in this bag by my door. This is the second time I’ve gone through my wardrobe and I love the confidence of now knowing that I love every piece in my wardrobe and it fits! This bag is ready to go straight to the donate bins. In fact, I think I’ll take it there today 😉

Christine xx