Decluttering

Don’t Wait For The Holiday’s To Bless Others

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I was talking to a friend yesterday about decluttering Halloween and Christmas decorations.  She mentioned that she just clear out some from her basement that had not seen the light of day for about five years.  Her children are out of the house now so she doesn’t do as much decorating.

I like what she did with these unused decorations.  A friend of hers has a resale shop in a small town near here.  The area is somewhat depressed due to the economy. My friend just donated the items to the shop and told her friend to sell them and keep the proceeds. In other words, she was helping out a small business owner.

When we clear out the unused items in our homes and give them away we are accomplishing two things. We are decluttering our homes and blessing others.

I have another friend who is always putting things on our local Freecycle.  Again, she is cleaning out her home and blessing others.

Now is a good time to start with the decluttering and blessing others. Don’t wait until the holiday’s are upon us. You’ll be too busy then. There are so many people who have been hit with hard times in the last couple of years. You can help make their lives just a little easier by donating your unused clothes, toys, and holiday decorations. Heck, if you’re not using them then what good are they doing you packed away in the dark corners of your closet, basement, or attic.

Halloween is a little over four weeks away.  Just think how happy some child could be to have the costume your own child has outgrown and won’t wear again.  Take it to a charity now. Or Freecycle it. Let some child who can’t afford to buy that new one in the store get to enjoy your old one this Halloween, not next year.

My Halloween eBook, “How To Have A Fun, Safe, And Decluttered Halloween” has lots of ideas on decluttering and safety of costumes and decorations.

The “Countdown to Halloween” blog series will be starting next Monday, Oct. 3. Be sure to sign-up to receive these posts by email so you don’t miss any.

Janice

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Are You Overwhelmed With School Papers Yet?

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School has been in session for most children for close to a month now. Are you overwhelmed with all the papers coming home?

There are the notices of events going on, the permission slips, homework, worksheets, and of course all the art work the younger children do.  With so many papers coming in so fast it is easy to put them in a pile to go through later.  But will you and/or your child go through them before the homework is due or the permission slip is too late?

If you didn’t set up a system to handle all these papers before school started then now is the time to do it!  Below are some tips on a system I set up when my children where in school. Since everyone is different there is not one perfect system. You have to find what works best for you and your children. Sometimes it’s a matter of trial and error.  I’ve also listed some websites below for you to check out their tips. The sooner you find one that works the smoother the school year will go for the whole family.

  1. Notices, permission slips, etc.:  A different color pocket folder for each child works best.  Each day when your child brings home the papers be sure to mark the date on your calendar before you file the paper into the folder. You could also use a 3 ring binder with pocket folders in it.
  2. Current homework:  Each child should have their own notebook or folders they keep in their backpack.  Usually the teachers will recommend what they want for their class. Check it daily.  Your child will need to clean out this folder periodically or else the current homework could end up lost in the old homework.
  3. Old homework:  This is were it’s harder to decide what to keep and what to get rid of.  Depending on the grade level there can be a lot of papers that your child never needs to look at again.  If there is a chance they will need it to study for a test help them set up a folder for each subject.  Most of the time in the younger grades you can get rid of the the practice papers.  At the end of the school year very little if any needs to be kept.
  4. Art work/stories:  Many of these will be keepers, at least for a short time.  You can hang up the art work, give it to the grandparents, or store it.  Plastic boxes that go under the bed work great for these since many pieces of  art work are larger than the standard piece of paper.  You can also put those short stories they write in this box.

If you haven’t decluttered last years papers now is a good time to do it. This article will show you how.

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com/decluttering-childrens-school-papers/

Don’t forget to check out some of the links below for more ideas on how to organize children’s school papers.

Website links for controlling school papers.

http://www.onlineorganizing.com/NewslettersArticle.asp?newsletter=go&article=284

http://www.creativehomemaking.com/organizing/kids-artwork.shtml

http://www.familyhistorykids.com/organize_and_preserve_childrens_art_and_school_work.htm

http://www.marilynbohn.com/articles/back-to-school-and-the-agony-of-paperwork.html

Janice

 

 

 

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Mother Nature Can Clear the Clutter the Hard Way

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Mother nature sure has a way of reminding us of what is important. The pictures of the wind and flood damage from hurricane Irene show how quickly all our belongings can be destroyed.  But ask anyone who has survived a disaster what they are grateful for and it’s always that their loved ones are safe, not the loss of their “things”.

I remember a few years ago when heavy rains caused flooding and sewer back-up at my mother-in-law’s condo basement.

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She had a lot of photos, clothes, and other things she stored down there. She also had a lot of clutter that she never got around to getting rid of.

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After it was all cleaned up she missed the photos and other memorabilia but that was all. She even felt relieved to be rid of all the junk. But she also felt bad because a lot of the things could have been given to a charity to bless others. Instead those items were wasted and ended up in the dumpster.

Now is a good time to take a look around your home and see what you can get rid of. Ask yourself a couple of questions.

  1. Would you miss this item if it was destroyed in a disaster?
  2. Do you even use this item or can you get rid of it now?
  3. If you aren’t using the item would it be something that someone else could use?

With all the flooding in the east coast I’m sure there will be many families in need of some of your extras you aren’t using.  Check to see who is gathering up donations of clothing, household items, etc. in your area.

This is a great way to get rid of some of your clutter and share your good fortune and abundance with those who weren’t so lucky this past week.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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Declutter Before You Shop

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We’ve all heard the saying “Shop till you drop”  But I think a better one is “Declutter before you shop”.  Okay, I know it doesn’t rhyme but it will help keep the clutter under control. If you get rid of the old before bringing in anything new you’ll stay one step ahead of clutter build-up.

Containers014Also if you “declutter before you shop” you’ll know before you go to the store what is needed to fill in your wardrobe or finish your decorating. At the grocery store you’ll already know what ingredients you have on the shelf and what you need. You won’t buy a duplicate of something that can go bad or expire before it is used.

 

So before you start your autumn clothes shopping go through last year’s wardrobe.  Get rid of the clothes you didn’t wear because:

  1. They no longer fit.
  2. You don’t like them.
  3. They are worn out.

Create a list of what you need or want before you go shopping.  This will help reduce the impulse buying (future clutter?).

Before heading to the grocery store get rid of the expired ingredients and put them on your shopping list. Check your recipes and weekly menu and put what you need on the list also.  Then you won’t need to make that extra last minute trip to the store.

So save time, money, and clutter by following the saying, “Declutter before you shop” instead of “Shop till you drop”.  You’ll be glad you did.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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Back To School Organizing

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It’s already the middle of July. The stores are stocked up with back-to-school supplies. The TV and newspaper ads are bombarding us about all the things our children “need” in order to have a great year.

Before you rush out and buy all those things be sure to check what you already have at home. Last year’s backpack may still work. Their school clothes may still fit , at least the ones to start off the school year with. They may have enough left over supplies that you only need to buy a few new ones.

Now is the time to take inventory so you can figure out what they will need and how much. It will be a lot easier if you first declutter what they don’t need or can’t use anymore.

Below are some steps to help you declutter. Then I have listed some options on how to get rid of the clutter in fun ways for you and your children.

Decluttering Steps:

  1. Go through all their clothes. Pull out any that do not fit or they won’t wear. Last year’s favorite style may make them feel like they will die of embarrassment if they wear it this year.
  2. Any clothes that are wearable but need repair should be put in a separate pile. Mending can be done while watching TV.
  3. Go through school supplies. Take inventory of what you have from last year that is still usable. Make a list of what each child needs (elementary schools usually provide a basic list). Mark off what you already have. What’s left is the shopping list.
  4. Go through their books. Have them pull out all the ones they have outgrown and are willing to part with. See below for a fun way to recycle the books.

Options on How To Clear out the above items:

  1. A garage sale is a good way to get rid of the outgrown clothes, school supplies, and books. The money you make can help buy new clothes and supplies. If you are interested in having a garage sale before school begins check out my eBook, “Decluttering With A Garage Sale”.
  2. A children’s book exchange is another fun way to clear out some clutter. This can be done in your neighborhood, church group, or other group you and your children belong to. School supplies can also be exchanged. A simple method to do this is explained in this article “Declutter Children’s Books With a Book Exchange”.

Although decluttering the previous year’s school papers won’t help with taking inventory it’s still a good idea to do it now if you didn’t at the end of the school year. You’ll make room for all the new papers that will soon be coming in.  Plus, as your children go through the old papers it will refresh their young minds as to what they learned the past year.  This article will give you some tips on it, “Decluttering Children’s School Papers”.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

 

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