The Treasure Hunt

When going through the decluttering process, a fun way to find out what to keep is to go on a treasure hunt through your home to find the items that are most meaningful to you. Put those in a pile or separate place. Whatever is left over is fair game for the garbage or the thrift store.

Five Boxes

I was reading Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui which is a nice little introduction to decluttering, not only your space, but your body as well.

I liked the quick five box rule for decluttering. Items go into boxes or trash cans labeled Keep, Recycle, Trash, Repair or Dilemma, for those items we are just not sure of. The Dilemma box should be sorted through at another time.

Number 4 on the Resolution List

According to FranklinCovey getting organized is the fourth most popular new year's resolution. And like most resolutions only about 8 percent of the 45 percent who make a resolution, end up achieving it.

The habit of disorganization cannot be changed in one day. It usually takes about three months of continuous positive change to create a new habit. Most disorganization and hoarding comes not from a too-small house or not enough time, but from a person's brain. The thought process of hoarding and organization has to be addressed first.

This year, make organizing first on your resolution list and your other resolutions will fall right into place.

The Story of Stuff

Here is another reason not to load up on stuff and to scrutinize our consumption. What shocked me was that 99% of what we purchase ends up in the trash within 6 months. Twenty minutes to change your life.

Holiday Decorations

The holidays have become so full of plastic crap. At a big box store the other day I noticed the shoppers frantically loading up on giant, outdoor plastic Santas, snowmen and snow globes. How many hours do you think it will take to purchase these holiday decorations, set them up and light them? How many minutes will it take for a big gust of wind to knock them down?

Our attics are home to holiday decorations that only see the light of day for one month out of the year. Getting the decorations out and up is a full weekend job that most people grumble about. Not to mention taking them back down again.

I think the most wonderful things about the holidays are not the lights and the wrapping paper and bows, but the things that affect the senses. Go natural this holiday with the real scent of pine, the bright red of berries and the sound of birds or soft music. A walk through the woods on a winter afternoon will show you how nature decorates itself for the holiday: in a soft blanket of peace and quiet.

Multiple Uses Rule

Unclutterer has regular Unitasker Wednesday posts about ridiculous products that can only be used for one thing...panini makers, juicers, dog strollers. When buying an item, ask yourself if it can be used for more than one thing. If it can be used for up to three things, buy it.

7 Things You Might Not Realize Can Be Clutter

1. Too many knick knacks, souvenirs and collections.

2. Walls covered with artwork, photos and other hanging stuff.

3. Too many pieces of furniture in a room.

4. Papers, magnets, and other stuff stuck to the front and sides of the fridge or kitchen cabinets.

5. An abundance of drinking glasses or plastic ware in kitchen cabinets.

6. Sample sizes of anything, especially makeup, that are not the colors or brands you use.

7. Sheet sets for sizes of beds you do not own, well worn sets, mismatched sets, or more sets than you could use in a year.

From 1000 Best Quick and Easy Organizing Secrets by Jamie Novak (great book!)