Decluttering in 2016!

If you need motivation, well I just loved the advice in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

http://www.amazon.ca/Life-Changing-M...ds=Marie+Kondo

Her rule of thumb is if something doesn't "spark joy" - get rid of it. Lots of good advice: don't collect paper, ever. Throw away all those manuals to courses you took that you'll never refer to again. And so on. It's an an easy read that will coach you on how to get rid of stuff if you can't let go.

One of my favourite pieces of advice from this book is about hand-me-downs: Don't! They just make everyone unhappy.

I hear you Wimbly on paperwork..huge pita. Get one of these (or two) files labels and folders.
I did this last year, it took a while but once it's done it's done! And then if papers need to go anywhere they immediately go into a file, they don't end up on a catch all table collecting more clutter ;)

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Originally Posted by lecale

If you need motivation, well I just loved the advice in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

http://www.amazon.ca/Life-Changing-M...ds=Marie+Kondo

Her rule of thumb is if something doesn't "spark joy" - get rid of it. Lots of good advice: don't collect paper, ever. Throw away all those manuals to courses you took that you'll never refer to again. And so on. It's an an easy read that will coach you on how to get rid of stuff if you can't let go.

One of my favourite pieces of advice from this book is about hand-me-downs: Don't! They just make everyone unhappy.

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I used to use Flylady but she's too busy shrilling her new "premium" services and her husband's books and such like now..Not looked at Konmarie yet..

Can't he watch Netflix and sort at the same time? @wimbly11

So much stuff....

This is one of my goals this year too. We don't need all that we have. Give it away or sell what is not used/needed. I would love my husband to get rid of his miniature train set which covers most of my basement. He doesn't use it but it was his father's, who passed away, so memories are hard to part with.

does anyone else save boxes? under my bed i have the box that my Ooma phone came in....box from my HP tablet from 2010, box from 2 yr old laptop, box that our bluray player came in.
in the basement we still have the 2 boxes for flat screen tvs..... when do you let them go?

;-(

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Originally Posted by wimbly11

I tried to help him start last night. Had brought a bin upstairs. I was feeding baby so I took a pile of papers to start sorting. He freaked. Doesn't want me touching it. I give up. Ended in a huge fight....he says he'll do it. But he won't. He hasn't for years.


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I keep a box with discarded financial papers and once a year I take it to Staples to get shredded. There is no point in shredding it myself - I have destroyed expensive shredders and wasted hours getting rid of paperwork on my own. Just to be able to dump and be done with all the paperwork - priceless.

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Originally Posted by Linda Evans

does anyone else save boxes? under my bed i have the box that my Ooma phone came in....box from my HP tablet from 2010, box from 2 yr old laptop, box that our bluray player came in.
in the basement we still have the 2 boxes for flat screen tvs..... when do you let them go?

;-(

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Well....if you are going to resell it is awesome to have the boxes, but if not...

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Originally Posted by Darth Penguin

I used to use Flylady but she's too busy shrilling her new "premium" services and her husband's books and such like now..Not looked at Konmarie yet..

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It sounds corny but she really helped me. Another tip she has is do it all at once, and yes, I think you have to tackle the whole home at once to be successful. Pull out all the papers from everywhere and have at them, rather than do just the papers in one room, for example.

I found Konmarie to be an excellent cheerleader and I really fixed the place up as I read the book. When I finished it I gave it away so I wouldn't have the clutter lol. But now I am in maintenance mode.

One of the most refreshing things was to clear the kitchen out of processed foods and walk them back to the grocery store for donation. Cans, ugh, heavy! So the walk was not refreshing but getting all that stuff cleaned out of my home was.

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Originally Posted by Linda Evans

does anyone else save boxes? under my bed i have the box that my Ooma phone came in....box from my HP tablet from 2010, box from 2 yr old laptop, box that our bluray player came in.
in the basement we still have the 2 boxes for flat screen tvs..... when do you let them go?

;-(

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Unless you are moving very shortly get rid of them as you really don't need them.

I decluttered my whole apt back in October, threw away things we didnt use or that were broken. Then I got married and now my apt is cluttered with tools and drive way 3 vechiles, he only drives one Grrr men that fix stuff.

We've gotten a little done. Moved a lot of clothes out of the house this week. Hoping to tackle more this weekend!! Stay motivated :)

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Originally Posted by Darth Penguin

laughs..I still have uncluttered boxes from when we moved in 2000...

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My in laws left the UK in 1970 something, they still have boxes they did not unpack. It's art & childhood stuff of DH and his brother. Someday I will get my hands on it.

We tackled some things this weekend. Fairly pleased with the progress. Added more to a box to go for donation. Organized the recycling and got the refundables in the car to be dropped off today. Starting tackling some clutter in the basement...baby steps lol