You would think that my first ever blog post would be about the real estate market or the best practices when selling your house or getting pre-approved for a loan before you even start looking but no….today I am all about clutter. Not de-cluttering your home to sell but clutter in my home and office.
I have been wanting a blog for some time and I even made a list of blog topics (so no worries, I will address all above at some point) but every time I sat down to write I would get distracted by my cluttered desk or closing table or the chairs with random items on them. So before I could start writing, I would have to straighten up. Well of course then as it usually does, one thing leads to another and I have cleaned my office and home (they are attached) and I have garbage to throw out and bags to donate but still no blog post.
Today I am ignoring the stuff sitting around but it’s hard. I understand that not everyone is wired like I am but I grew up with a southern grandmother that liked everything in it’s place and it rubbed off hard on me. Nothing makes me happier than my living room in perfect order. It gives me that space to sigh contentedly and snuggle into the sofa for popcorn and binge watching.
My 3 teenage sons don’t understand this charming aspect of my personality but I have every confidence when they get their own homes, they will be exactly like me, maybe not Joseph, but definitely Matthew and more moderately Luke. So maybe not exactly like me but hopefully they’ll understand my complete freak-outs over their stuff on my perfectly styled coffee bar or lovingly designed dining room table.
How do I keep the clutter monster at bay? I open my mail over the garbage can. I love plastic storage bins and the things I just cannot part with, at the moment, go in a clear storage bin and in my basement. (I will confess that last year the herd of storage bins in my storage space weighed on me until I pulled them all out in the driveway and we had a purge – that felt amazing!!!!) Removing items from your everyday life space and re-visiting them months or even years down the road take away the emotional ties.
Kitchen clutter? We have a problem with mugs and travel cups in my house…..we have a lot of them and keep bringing them in. There are times you just have to be brutal…drag all dishes, cups, storage bowls, gadgets, all of it out and put it on your counter, table any surface you can find and once you get over the “wow! How did this happen?” start making cuts. If you don’t love it and can’t live without it remove it from your life, donate, yard sale, whatever works for you but get it out. This will lead to you wiping out cabinets and shelves (remember that one thing leads to another?)
Bathroom chaos? Bathrooms are easy because they are smaller but shew can you really accumulate here. Do you have personal care products you haven’t touched in years? Toss them! Do you have lotions, bath gels, shampoos you bought and don’t like and {gasp} they are practically full? Reach out to friends or family if they want them and if not use it or throw it out. You aren’t wasting money if it’s been there for 2 years and unused…..you’ve already wasted that money.
I think you are getting the picture here. You don’t have to do it all in one day. Just start somewhere and when you don’t melt into a puddle you’ll see it isn’t scary. I feel lighter when I don’t have a lot of stuff sitting around or crammed into a cabinet.
Hopefully you found this helpful.
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