BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality New Age Clutter Zones

Phew! I've just decluttered the little shed, garage & the utility room all in the last month. The garage involved two trips to the tip where fortunately they recycle and extra elbow grease from my boyfriend. You can walk in there & get to stuff now!

I can now stop cringing and apologising when people walk out through the utility too. I'm good at keeping my main living space neatish and presentable, but I do tend to have dumping areas- naughty, naughty me

Nice site Lisa I liked the clutterfree gifts page- I'm always conscious that I don't want to fill up someone else's living space.

Until recently, my philosophy for life was to keep something to remind me of every adventure, event, mile marker, etc. Mind you, I have raised 3 children. When the oldest 2 left, everything they didn't want right then got left with me. I'm sure when my youngest moves to the dorms in a few weeks, She'll do the same. I currently have a 4 bdrm house with a full basement, but plan to downsize to a 2 bdrm, possibly 1 bdrm, house. A basement would be nice, but not a must. This will be a decluttering of massive proportion. Any suggestions? It's a bit overwhelming and I seem to be jumping around, getting nowhere.

Hi Nadaurz,
Have you tried scrapbooking? I haven't jumped in the deep end yet, but it looks really terrific for putting together photos, ticket stubs, programs from concerts etc. What I think it might do is honor the memory of the day but with fewer pieces... if you know what I mean. Three photos for the memory on a page with the "proof" of the day etc. rather than the whole film roll that resides in a box in my closet etc.for the look-see I give them every time I move -usually every 5 years.
Then- brilliant idea- make a scrapbook of memories for each kid and give it to THEM to store at their place! All of the rest of the less top shelf mementos then can go... easier said than done I know. It's easier to get rid of old bank statements than things with happier connotations... but really- who needs the matches, wedding cake AND personalized napkin from the wedding of people who aren't even married anymore???? And all memory collectors who are being truthful will admit they've harboured those items at one time or another!
I like the idea of making memory frames too... same idea as scrapbooking, but to frame as art. Keeps it more visible than even in that book tucked away.
Let us know what you work out or other ideas that folks have out there. After writing this I'm inspired to tackle the photo memento box myself. Have fun!

Don't know how I missed this thread! Helping others Declutter is one of my passions.

Hey, we all have our quirks ;-)

Really though, as a Home Organizer for the past 7+ years, I have learned a lot about people and their "stuff". Some are offended at the term "clutter" while others have different terms for it (junque, things, etc.) and many folks are just plain overwhelmed with so many belongings.

Decluttering is a very individual thing and for most it's a journey. None of our cluttered homes got that way in a short period of time. Most of us live in a materialistic world and even if we aren't materialists, we bring stuff into our homes on a daily basis. When you multiply the amount of stuff coming into our homes by the number of people living there and then let some time lapse, that's a lot of stuff!

Here's an example. In my home we have four "keepers personalities" (keeps most things) and one purger (gets rid of most non-needed things on a regular basis). Can you see the challenge right there? It's a constant four against one.

Some people become emotionally attached to "things" too. Memories (usually positive ones) are associated with things and because of that, we keep them.

Some people are just plain busy. They have jobs, kids, etc. and don't realize how fast the house is filling up until they experience a slow-down in the pace of life.

I could go on with hundreds of examples of why homes become cluttered but I think the important point is that most of you express an interest in decluttering and how to go about it.

Remember, it's a journey. Spend some time thinking about what you want your cluttered room/area/home to look like. That becomes your Big Goal. Now break your big goal down into small do-able steps which can be reasonably accomplished with the amount of time you have to spend decluttering. Write them down. This becomes your blueprint for "decluttering sessions". Schedule a time slot for your first decluttering session. Gather up supplies you'll need such as boxes, garbage bags and storage containers. Then go to it. Toss, Toss, Give Away, Keep, Toss...

Keep decluttering sessions short (unless you're on a roll and have lots of time) and be patient with yourself. Most people tire of decluttering pretty quickly. It can be emotionally draining and making so many decisions tires the mind quickly. You don't want to experience burnout after the first session!

For those who have a hard time parting with things, just start with one thing. The next item you give away will become a tiny bit easier. Then keep doing so until it starts to snowball. Giving things away can be very freeing.

We spend a lot of time taking care of the "things" in our lives without realizing it. Clutter can be a huge time stealer. If you reduce your stuff, think of all the time you'll be creating for more important things like time with family and friends!

Decluttering can be life changing.

For those of you who want to read more on the subject, I address a variety of clutter-related issues on my Web site. If you'd like to check out different approaches to decluttering and getting more organized, I hope you visit.

Here's to freeing ourselves of stuff!

I find that most of our cluttering does happen on a short-term basis. We'll leave magazines, cups, empty soda cans, etc... around then we will get a bug up the heiny and get rid of it all. We don't have any true grossness lurking in the house, but we are on this binge-and-purge clutter schedule. Drives me crazy, but we never seem to stop the cycle for very long... Personally, I blame my husband.

I have noticed that as I pack up(yes, I am also packing up the clutter) that clutter seems to reappear faster than I cam pack. How do I stop the clutter? I am afraid by the time I'm packed and moved, I am gonna need a whole room just for clutter. I had no intentions of bringing it with, but thiose intentions are falling by the wayside!

My sympathies! I know I got rid of loads when I moved- but I still had a couple of 'miscellaneous' boxes because I just ran out of time. If you have the same issue get a couple of big boxes and dump the stuff to sort in them- then after you have been at your new abode one month get them out and sort them (you can mark the sort date in big numbers on the lids!) Don't let it turn into 'we moved five years ago & I can't even remember what I put in those boxes'. Best of luck!

We're on the same page. I don't know of Karen Kingston's book except indirectly. I just posted something on the Home & Garden post about some clutter clearing tips from Christan Hummel who has a space clearing book as well. Glad to see that this topic is getting the attention it deserves.
Here's that posting;

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Ancient Principles Help You Clear Your Clutter

Expert Christan Hummel Shares Dramatic Effects of Feng Shui Space Clearing Practices to Improve Energy and Wellness

Space Clearing expert Christan Hummel says that sometimes clearing away the energetic clutter lingering in one's house or office can produce major, even dramatic improvements in the environment you live in. Drawing on an aspect of feng shui known as space clearing, Hummel describes personal and social examples of how space clearing can remove the hidden clutter that drains energy by blocking the invisible life energy flowing through a living space known in China as "Ch'i" which is the foundation of the science of feng shui.

According to Hummel, author of the "Do It Yourself Space Clearing Kit" (ISBN-13: 978-0975479308), kicking the clutter habit can not only clean up the visual appearance of your home, but help your health, finances and even relationships.

Lauren D'Silva, New Age forum moderator writes:

Hi Deva Girl, thanks for joining us. I have edited your post down as the forums are for discussions not running articles- please see the forum code of conduct for more details. However you are very welcome to stay with us & discuss these mutually interesting topics and are permitted to add a link to a site you feel would interest readers.

We also need to ensure that we respect other authors copyright. I don't appreciate people running my articles without permission & it is actually illegal to do this. You can however rave about the points made in your own words & provide a link back to the article that impressed you!

I just cleaned out my closet in the bed room and i feel so much better!! we have a king size bed in a very small room so I wake up and when i set up I am almost in the closet and my husband is by the wall and crawls out of bed to the foot. the closet is open because I trip over a cutian and there is no door for it and it takes up the whole wall!!! I hate it! but anyways it is what we have! but every day i wake up and see junk in my closet cloths that i dont like or dont fit so I cleaned every thing out that i dont wear or like and I feel so much better. I sleep better because i dont think OH what a mess!!! and I look forward to the day because My life is not a mess! lol I love it! there is not a bigger room in the house and a smaller bed just dont work because me and hubby NEED space to sleep! it is not an opption! so for now i am happier!

Well done you! This is a great example of the environment reflecting our inner wellbeing and vice versa.