tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post8328426681637344358..comments2024-03-29T15:12:29.437+10:00Comments on down to earth: Decluttering and moving forwardUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-45068196024235423332014-08-06T21:21:43.851+10:002014-08-06T21:21:43.851+10:00I took up decluttering in earnest about five years...I took up decluttering in earnest about five years ago when I counted up how many pairs of pants, shorts, trackies etc I had and they totalled 39. Nobody needs 39 pairs of pants. I stopped shopping for clothes and as garments wore out I threw them away. I'm now down to a more sensible dozen or so pants and the number of tops, dresses, skirts,shoes etc has also decreased. Less is more. More space in my wardrobe too.<br /><br />I've applied the same strategy all over our home as well. There is less cleaning and less stuff to maintain.<br /><br />This week my grand-daughter's school asked for donations of bedding for the homeless and I have emptied cupboards of stuff that has been sitting there unused for years. It's good to know it will help to keep someone warm in this cold weather and reminds me to appreciate out warm cosy bed more.<br /><br />Was surprised to read that decluttering can be done every decade. I do it almost daily now. It has become an entrenched habit and I love it. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11244652534913006932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-91996049362915734342012-09-19T01:31:03.637+10:002012-09-19T01:31:03.637+10:00Yesterday, while I was at work, my sister
stole m...Yesterday, while I was at work, my sister <br />stole my iphone and tested to see if it can survive a 40 foot drop,<br />just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad <br />is now destroyed and she has 83 views. I know this is completely off topic but I had to share it <br />with someone!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.info/swim-trunks.html" title="Prescription Swimming Goggles<br /><br />Prescription Swimming Goggles" rel="nofollow">Prescription Swimming Goggles</a><br /><i>Stop by my web blog</i> : <b><a href="http://www.prescription-swimming-goggles.info/swim-trunks.html" rel="nofollow">Prescription Swimming Goggles</a></b>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-40239261477765343922012-04-25T21:03:38.905+10:002012-04-25T21:03:38.905+10:00Although I love the idea of decluttering it is ver...Although I love the idea of decluttering it is very difficult for me. There have been times when I have decluttered and have given away family heirlooms about which I have deep regret. I went overboard so to speak. It overwhelms me. I do not like the clutter. It plagues me, but clearing it out seems like it is too time consuming in the face of so many other things I have to do (single mom/full time job/part time student/urban homesteader).debiwebihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07204261367231611422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-28369856074293051722012-04-25T11:48:49.393+10:002012-04-25T11:48:49.393+10:00My de-cluttering tip: put things you're not su...My de-cluttering tip: put things you're not sure about in a box, label this box with the DATE ONLY. Then put it in the shed, or somewhere else out of the way. Then after a year, if you haven't opened the box to look for something, take it to an op shop WITHOUT opening it. If you open it, you will take stuff out you want to keep, but you haven't used of thought about it in a whole year, so you really don't need to hang on to it. I've taken many boxes away like this, and don't even know what was in them, and don't miss whatever it was.<br />AnnekeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-24815569366332755792012-04-25T11:14:32.227+10:002012-04-25T11:14:32.227+10:00Loved this post and all the comments. Have been wo...Loved this post and all the comments. Have been working on the declutter for awhile but lost momentum. We are accumulators and sentimental so we have a lot of stuff. Nice to know we are not alone. <br />Note to Dragonfly-my Mom had to put up with a lot of what you are going through and it is not easy. If you can, find a therapist who deals with hoarding to help you find ways to work with this problem. Not being able to sit at your own table is not good for you. Your feelings are important too-it sounds like you could use some support. Sending you good wishes to get some of that support. Good luck to all of us! Karen from CTThiftedBlisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13783570455281374166noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-41613467479427292262012-04-25T08:08:21.645+10:002012-04-25T08:08:21.645+10:00I used to be a sentimental hoarder when I was sing...I used to be a sentimental hoarder when I was single and lived at home. Getting married and having to share hubby's small flat gave me a new perspective on just how much I had accumulated. His philosophy...if you haven't used it in a year out with it. <br />My favorite hoard was photos, his take: what does looking at that photo do for you, in years to come will it mean anything?<br />Having 2 kids and moving once again (to the downstairs of his folks house, which we renovated, so that we could save to build our own house) and having to share a space with 3 people now also refocused me.<br />Then once again moving into our finished home put the final pruning to our worldly possessions.<br />Now for the last 9 years I have found my pattern to be to declutter before birthdays, Christmas and in august before a new school year begins. Really helps to focus on what you actually use and need.<br /><br />Vicki<br />Trinidad & Tobago<br /><br />p.s. I have however fallen victim to a new site for hoarding: the computer!!! Oh the many photos, oh the many bookmarks for sites and blogs, oh the many recipes to attempt ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-78294979104360243982012-04-25T07:20:47.972+10:002012-04-25T07:20:47.972+10:00Your kids' families will really appreciate thi...Your kids' families will really appreciate this. It is difficult visiting family when their homes and especially the guest room is full of knick knacks and breakables for our little ones to easily get at. It makes it feel very stressful. Looks great!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-50218176857582789652012-04-25T03:53:57.953+10:002012-04-25T03:53:57.953+10:00Greetings from New England. I just wanted to gigg...Greetings from New England. I just wanted to giggle -- we have three baby chicks in our living room. My motherinlaw lets our 5yo bring some home from her flock while they're still too small to get them out of the box. Then they'll go back with her other chicks to get settled in before it's time for them all to move to the coop.<br /><br />For Teaching of Thom -- we have the same desire to re-use. My big Aha! moment was realizing that I could find SOMEONE ELSE to do the re-using. Our daughter's daycare and school have received donations ranging from extra office supplies to old magazines & toiletpaper tubes to use for kid crafts. <br />Goodwill & freecycle & St.V-de-P have all helped me start to separate.<br /><br />Be well all.maryhshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02749000668044537058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-5467373375393152472012-04-25T02:46:59.648+10:002012-04-25T02:46:59.648+10:00Must be something in the air. I got up this morni...Must be something in the air. I got up this morning and, out of the blue, decided to go through my kitchen drawers. (You know all that stuff that you just throw in there because someday you might. . . . and you never do). <br /><br />Half sack on its way to Goodwill. I'll put my dishtowels back in one of those drawers -- after a sift through those as well.mdoe37https://www.blogger.com/profile/03019276985594142350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-54429585922444311712012-04-25T02:02:03.798+10:002012-04-25T02:02:03.798+10:00Rhonda, I enjoy so much and look forward each time...Rhonda, I enjoy so much and look forward each time to read your blog, that on my first blog anniversary I'm passing a little sunshine your way. I'm nominating you for the Versatile Blogger Award! <br />NaturallyFunDays.wordpress.comMarcela : Naturally Fun Dayshttp://naturallyfundays.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-30778041045448788202012-04-25T00:57:22.959+10:002012-04-25T00:57:22.959+10:00This winter my guest room has looked like a clutte...This winter my guest room has looked like a cluttered mess!!! I have 3 large totes in the room that has all my yarn stored in them that I brought down for the winter so I could crochet. When we moved 1500 miles away we bought a much smaller house than what we had had. The bedrooms are very small and I've had to do some creative decorating. Unfortunately, our guest room still has the queen size bed that was in our other house and it takes up a LOT of that small space. I've tried several times to try to talk my DH into letting me get rid of this huge bed but he doesn't want me to, so it just takes up valuable rel-estate. I also have to use this room for our computer room. <br /><br />I've been seriously thinking of having a garage sale this summer and sticking this large bed up for sale. Our grown kids live 3000 miles away so they aren't visiting too often.Colleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05012718481371649308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-87221803011766865842012-04-24T20:05:30.061+10:002012-04-24T20:05:30.061+10:00We moved from NZ to Aus 3 years ago and it was a g...We moved from NZ to Aus 3 years ago and it was a great opportunity to 'purge' and its such a great feeling! I think a clean out every decade is a great idea. Your guest bedroom looks so light and airy and any guest would love to stay there I'm sure :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-483734993037556182012-04-24T18:40:01.097+10:002012-04-24T18:40:01.097+10:00It looks nice. Very clean, airy and fresh.
I am r...It looks nice. Very clean, airy and fresh.<br /><br />I am resisting decluttering because I hate to be told by my sister that I should. She is doing it, telling me I should and then giving me things! Terrible reason to resist, but I will do things in my own time. I am just finishing converting my garage into my sewing/art studio. This is not a large room and will be crowded, but it will clear my creative mess out our family room. To get the complete result, I will be asking your three questions (plus "will my son need it later?") of what was in the garage and is in the family room and a lot will end up at Goodwill. This will also give my mom a much nicer sitting room and eating area since her bedroom is right off the family room.Faithhttp://airynothing.net/Blogs/anblognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-24085745271355636062012-04-24T18:26:01.652+10:002012-04-24T18:26:01.652+10:00We are also in the middle of a major de-clutter. ...We are also in the middle of a major de-clutter. We thought we had de-cluttered lots last year but then we moved to a much smaller place and during the move realised that we were filling it up way too much.<br /><br />With my lovely Mum in Law and then my Dad both dying during the last 6 months we also have lots of their things to find new homes for, so this Summer will be the year of the Car Boot Sale. To turn un-wanted and no longer needed items into cash to enable us to move forward with our simple lifestyle. Whatever is over at the end of the Summer is being donated to charity where hopefully someone who really needs them will benefit.<br /><br />The act of making space in your home is very cathartic I find. With each bit of space you make comes more room to breathe, and like you say it's lovely to open a room door and look in at what you have created and the space you have made.<br /><br />Good luck with doing your wardrobes, I've yet to do that one!<br /><br />Sue xxSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04177854521955532744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-52886991389311892532012-04-24T14:49:47.682+10:002012-04-24T14:49:47.682+10:00I am sure your family will appreciate the guest ro...I am sure your family will appreciate the guest room and your thoughtfulness for the baby. We have visited my parents in law for one weekend a month for many years starting with when we had one child and carrying on now that we have four. It's a tight squeeze these days but we always feel welcome in their home. I am also decluttering at the moment as we are a large family in a small home with busy lives and clutter tends to make your life feel like an unmade bed!Urban Homestead South Africahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15744814544809179491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-20167081440666387532012-04-24T14:19:06.315+10:002012-04-24T14:19:06.315+10:00Wonderful discussion as always and I congratulate ...Wonderful discussion as always and I congratulate you on the simple serenity of your guest room. I think eclair addressed a very important issue relateds to 'stuff' we've been given or inherited from precious people. Things that have sentimental value but no other good reason for being retained need to be dealt with in a different way. It can sometimes feel disloyal to give up those items and you really need to challege that. Keeping a good photo of the item in a "treasures album" can assuage the discomfort and help you move on.CassieOznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-64749953673613174122012-04-24T14:03:23.580+10:002012-04-24T14:03:23.580+10:00Painting is a great excuse to declutter. Every tim...Painting is a great excuse to declutter. Every time we start renovating/restoring/painting a new room in our house we clear out all the junk and only put back what is needed. I'm a minimalist decorator. I get stressed by loads of stuff!<br />I also really like the grey-blue paint you've chosen for the bedroom walls. Looks fantastic! <br />~S.xo.sorcha.oxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17431135816635778553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-7935522681197285022012-04-24T13:17:38.383+10:002012-04-24T13:17:38.383+10:00I just looked in my TV cabinet and found 4 little ...I just looked in my TV cabinet and found 4 little photo frames that I've carried around with me since high school. I could put them away for my daughter as I am sure if she is anything like me she would put them on a shelf even without a photo in them. I realise now she will accumulate her own stuff over her lifetime and doesn't need mine. I also think that if I donate them to charity someone will snap them up and love them, take them home and store a treasured photo in them.<br /><br />I plan on starting decluttering in June when I can get baby no. 2's room ready. As this will be our last bub I plan on spending the year decluttering and only keeping a few sentimental things in a box at the top of each child's wardrobe. Then hopefully the rooms might look a little like your guest room.<br /><br />Angela.Living on onehttp://livingonone.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-2733906761481951482012-04-24T12:48:09.092+10:002012-04-24T12:48:09.092+10:00Hello Rhonda,
I think we may be psychotically c...Hello Rhonda,<br /> I think we may be psychotically connected? I only found your blog last week & the posts you have written are like my own thoughts if that's possible? even though at the age of 50 I/we are just starting out on the road to doing things for ourselves eg: growing veggies. My husband has ordered me your book for my birthday in a couple of weeks & as I will be off work after shoulder surgery I will have plenty of time to devour/savoir it. My daughter & I have already gone through two bedrooms in our home & decluttered, we are now working on our craft room where we make cards & gifts, any scraps that we no longer need go to the day care centre just around the corner. I think decluttering is good for the soul.<br /><br />Thank you. DebbieDebbienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-29080210179765022152012-04-24T12:28:06.498+10:002012-04-24T12:28:06.498+10:00Hi Rhonda
Great post! My house is too cluttered. ...Hi Rhonda<br />Great post! My house is too cluttered. With 6 kids we do have too much stuff for sure. I have been in a constant state of decluttering for a number of years now and the amount of stuff we have given away is mindblowing. The last year or so though I have turned my decluttering into a way of making a little extra money. I am now listing things on Ebay etc and am contributing little bits to our income, no its not huge amounts but every little bit helps. I get sad when I see things that were just a waste of our money. <br />My plan now is to tackle one wall of each room at a time and as the house needs repainting etc I will declutter each shelf/drawer etc and once the wall space is decluttered we will paint that wall. This may take a while but gradually our house will hopefully become more homely. I am calling it our redecorate/declutter mission. First room is the toilet lol and work our way up to the larger rooms.OurGangof7https://www.blogger.com/profile/11112909755671690941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-63977370736210391362012-04-24T12:19:34.635+10:002012-04-24T12:19:34.635+10:00Thankyou for your lovely post and I agree with eve...Thankyou for your lovely post and I agree with everyone that your spare room looks lovely. I grew up with parents who kept things and I could see the burden they place themselves under. Quite early in life I decided not to endlessly keep stuff, but decluttering did not come up on my list of stuff to do as a priority for many years: as recent as the last 5 years.<br /><br />I found it hard at first due to two things: fear I might need the item in the future, and guilt: guilt about giving away gifts as if that diminished or was disrespectful to the giver or guilt that giving away old stuff linked to memories meant I did not value the memory anymore. <br /><br />The more I do it the more I love it! Items I can't bear to part with on one round, often become easier to part with the next time round. <br /><br />I feel lighter, relieved, I can find things more easily, I don't forget I've got something and buy it again, my house looks better and is easier to clean and maintain. Often stored items deteriorate with age/lack of use, so keeping them can be a waste of time.<br /><br />Not finished yet but definitely converted<br /><br />KrisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-12921209745828663702012-04-24T12:09:00.357+10:002012-04-24T12:09:00.357+10:00Yet another incredibly timely post Rhonda. I spent...Yet another incredibly timely post Rhonda. I spent yesterday decluttering my kitchen cupboards. How liberating it was plus there is the plan to install a small wood fired oven so room had to be made as some cupboards will have to be removed to fit it in. It's all part of our plan to be less dependant on the power and gas companies and more self sufficient (we can get loads of wood from friends - the only cost is a day out and the exercise to cut it). Today I shopped - only buying just what we needed and second daughter and I are starting to work our way through the very old cook books my grandmother had to made simple and nutritious meals that don't have a heap of expensive or one off ingredients in them. I have also renovated my vegie patch - and dug over another bed today. Fresh veg here I come...vbg. Thank you for the motivation and inspiration to clean and sort my home. It was a much needed reminded that hubby and I live in this house - not our "stuff".Calidorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07118238727781108509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-44492546368728541052012-04-24T11:21:13.352+10:002012-04-24T11:21:13.352+10:00I am married to a hoarder and it is impossible to ...I am married to a hoarder and it is impossible to declutter. For me it is a slow and gradual process so a war does not erupt however newer stuff appears almost as fast as the old disappears. Slow and steady does it – like the story of the doormats. It takes 6 strides to walk along the back veranda from the sunroom to “his” office at the other end and at each point there was a carpet rectangle, one at the beginning and end and six along the length of the veranda. They grew mouldy, stained and frayed and I was not allowed to move them. Firstly I bought new weatherproof mats for the beginning and end and tossed those two out then gradually, over several months, when he was away I would tidy the veranda and toss one mat out and space the others a bit further apart. Now they are all gone and he did not notice but did notice when I removed a stained and torn rug from under the sunroom table which he insisted go back – the compromise was I rolled it up so the canvas backing was showing, tied it up with string and “hid” it behind a big plant in the corner. <br />It is a really depressing situation; I don’t invite friends over to my home as I am embarrassed about what my life has become and have little space of my own for what I consider the essentials of my life – craft materials, books etc. I cannot see the surface of the coffee table, dining room table, sunroom table – all covered with “important” piles of his work documents. I have reclaimed four areas, bathroom / toilet, kitchen, bedroom and back veranda that I attempt to keep clutter free, tidy, dusted and polished but some days I grow despondent and give up. It’s been years since I have regularly watched TV as I cannot stand being in the living room for too long and have not eaten at the dining room table for longer than I can remember. I long to live in a clutter free environment.dragonflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757674703623718835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-1920492598124174062012-04-24T11:14:49.234+10:002012-04-24T11:14:49.234+10:00Decluttering is an ongoing thing for me. I find th...Decluttering is an ongoing thing for me. I find the most difficult though is children's toys. As much as we say they don't need it, they have so many - there's the gifts and birthdays and Christmas, etc. It's a real challenge for me but I find I'm getting better at letting go. We've also changed tastes over time and so it's easier to let go of stuff that we don't need or use anymore and be more conscious of this stuff coming into the house.Soniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05272874599732564999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-58728531129104215212012-04-24T10:54:16.185+10:002012-04-24T10:54:16.185+10:00I also recently de-cluttered our guest room, just ...I also recently de-cluttered our guest room, just in time for overseas guests to visit. That dressing table is beautiful! the room looks very restful and inviting - good job.africanaussiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16660727599623626163noreply@blogger.com