Among the answers to the ten questions post last week was a response from Cindy to question 2 (For Me)... Question 2. ~ My style of decluttering is “Slow & Steady†do you think that is a style that works for you and makes my blog unique? Cindy's Answer ~  Yes, I think slow and steady for decluttering, like weight loss and love, is better than “fast and furious†which often doesn’t last. In terms of your blog being unique. It must be, because I’ve read every single post, and I don’t read any other blogs except for a very occasional peak. In response to that answer from … [Read more...]
Simple Saturday – Cindy’s Shed
Even a major clean up can be fairly easily managed if you don't try to bite off too much at once. In this case, it was time (way past time) to clean our shed, which had not been attended to in the nine years we've lived in our house and which, in fact, contained items left behind by the previous owner. I spent a month working on it, once or twice a week, and never for more than an hour, except for the extremely pleasant afternoon I spent decluttering five bags of mulch and compost and some ground covers on a flower bed I enlarged. Here's how I approached this task. Unfortunately, we are in a … [Read more...]
One Minute Rule
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom As I mentioned back in January, I recently read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It’s full of rules, suggestions, tips, and research on making yourself, and by extension everyone around you, happier. In the very first month of her year-long undertaking, Ms. Rubin cleans and declutters, and she keeps it up throughout the year – helping out friends when she gets desperate for a tidying fix. One tip I got from her was the One Minute Rule. I doubt this is something she made up; it sounds like something nearly everyone’s parent said to them as they were growing … [Read more...]
Repeating the same action will never yield a different result
If you want to make changes in your life you are going to have to change the way you do things. Explore better options, be open minded, step out of your comfort zone and try doing things differently. Trust me, you aren't going to wake up one morning, do things the same way you always have and suddenly yield the desired effect that you have been hoping would miraculously occur. If you have a clutter trouble spot in your home and it has been that way for a long time chances are you are repeating the same habits in this area and until you change this habit the problem isn't going to go away. For … [Read more...]
Landscape Clutter
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom What is landscape clutter? Well, I’m a big gardener, but I’m not referring to anything you might see in the yard. No, landscape clutter is clutter that you are so accustom to seeing out-of-place that you no longer recognize that it’s out of place. It’s become a part of the landscape of your home. Here are some examples of things that have been landscape clutter in my house: A cocktail dress that hung in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room for 3 or 4 months A piece of furniture that we moved out of Clara’s room with the intention of … [Read more...]
Excessive clutter is often generated by two kinds of self indulgence.
Excessive clutter is often generated by two kinds of self indulgence - Acquiring too much and Feeling sorry for yourself. Strong words I know but keep with me and I will explain what I mean. I speak from experience here so forgive me if those words sound harsh. The first part of this statement is self-explanatory by sheer definition... Clutter - a confused multitude of things; fill a space in a disorderly way. Either we have over indulged in a multitude of things we don't need to the point where we don't even use most of them or cannot accommodate them easily in our space. AND/OR . We have … [Read more...]
Simple Saturday – Cindy’s Desk
Saturday is fast becoming a confession day for Cindy but if she is willing to keep sending me these pictures who am I to not use them. I am quite willing to take anyone else's confession if you are willing to send me your before and after shots. I promise I will be kind and not allot too much in the way on penance, maybe a couple of extra mini missions. The before shot of Cindy's desk Putting things away when you are finished using them is not always easy to do when you have two children and a husband to care for and a part time job. At some point though the mess will catch up with you … [Read more...]
Decluttering Anxiety
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom Perhaps if you’re like my mother – always organized, always together, the focused Energizer Bunny – you won’t understand this post, this post about why my house fell into complete disarray and stayed there for about 8 years. Well, perhaps not why it fell into disarray, but why it stayed that way, year after hateful year. Our house was almost literally always under construction, with my husband and I as the main worker bees. I had two young children. I find housework boring. All those reasons are true. But plenty of people offered to dig me out of my hole, and … [Read more...]
The Black Hole
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom Black hole - In astronomy- an object so massive that nothing, not even light, can escape its gravitation. In modern usage - a place where things get lost; a place or thing into which objects disappear and are not expected to be seen again. Do you have a black hole in your house? I bet you do. Maybe it’s the kitchen or dining room table, the chair in your bedroom, your desk, or the bench by the front door. It’s the place in your home that attracts everything that comes into your house and once there is difficult, if not impossible, to re-home. I have a friend … [Read more...]
Day 356 Decluttering Resentment
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom Audra is eight years old and a fashionista. The lucky girl gets hand-me-downs from her sister and her sister’s friend, plus she occasionally gets new clothes of her own, typically from the thrift store. Audra changes clothes many times a day (thank goodness she wears a uniform to school!) and makes some really wonderful outfits. I have been of several different minds about Audra and her clothes. Initially I would tell everyone, “Don’t buy her clothes. She doesn’t need any clothes,†etc. Then, as I started decluttering and reflecting on our choices, I realized … [Read more...]