Ok, I’m finally going to take the hint…
I don’t know if you have this problem, but it doesn’t seem to matter how much I tidy up, within a few minutes, the house is a tip again. I can’t find anything… (Maybe a slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean!).
It doesn’t help having a baby and a toddler, but I have to admit there’s simply too much “stuff” here.
I’ve had “declutter” sliding down the slippery slope of oblivion to the bottom of my “to do” list for some time… But today might be the day.
The final straw was stumbling across an old, familiar quote, that felt like it was talking just to me:
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful……William Morris 1834-96
Ok William. I’m finally listening.
It’s time to get ruthless. No time for sentimentality – that’s why I’ve got too much stuff in the first place, hanging on to memories, things I feel guilty about giving away or things that “might just come in useful one day”.
So armed with a free-cycle account and a pile of charity bags, I’m going to do it, one room at a time!
Wish me luck!
Clare
P.S. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Hi,
I love reading blogs and found yours via a link that was kindly sent by a girl who organises a local veg box scheme. I am about to collect my very first box tomorrow – I’m so excited!
Anyway, thanks for the great recipes, not being much of a cook I will need all the help I can get to think of ways of using lovely fresh veg.
As for the declutter – erm I need one myself so can’t offer any help at all except that you might like to have a look at this website, http://www.flylady.com She is an expert on organising everything!!!! I’m sure she was a sargeant major or something in the past!
Great blog by the way!
aha, i was just about to recommend flylady and see someone else has beaten me to it. we are gradually decluttering, taking ‘baby steps’. she also has some tips for the office which i am slowly taking on. she’s not quite as into recycling as i’d like so when she has the box sort (put away, throw away, give away) i add an extra ‘recycle’ one. when i see how full my boxes gets i try to remind myself to reduce before reuse recycle. my children find her methods easy, though i do still have to remind them. we also do her 27 fling boogie, but with a theme. e.g. 27 things to the charity shop (with 5 in our house, 27 does not take long believe me!) I introduced this to a friend who was finding weeding too daunting. Now everytime she goes out her door for ‘fresh air’ she pulls 27 weeds. Look forward to hearing how you get on.
Hi Gail & Susie & everyone else reading this post!
Will check out the Flylady – and I love the sound of “27 weeds”!
Progress so far: I have only 1/3 of my clothes left. Anything I haven’t worn for 2 years has gone. No matter how much I loved it. Really tough as I was quite attached to some things, even though I hadn’t worn them for many years.
Am selling / giving away lots of baby clothes, as Theo outgrows them.
Have sold 60 books so far on ebay and Amazon – another 50 to go. That one’s really tough for me! But it’s raised a few hundred so far
I’m doing it a little bit at a time – a single cupboard or drawer, whenever I’m in the mood. So I’ll get there eventually! The next step is the attic. Wish me luck!
Wow, well done you. Shall look into selling books on ebay and Amazon. I won a big box of hardbacks in a short story competition so not all my cup of tea. This weekend we are doing the games cupboard as we need the space.
Think I need to get back on Flylady myself hearing how well you two are doing. I’m ok with clearing out clothes and usually have something to put in every charity bag we get through the door. It’s all the stuff in the attic that will be difficult as some of it was my mums and as much as I know I will never use it, will be hard to part with. Still she would rather someone appreciate it than have it sitting in a box.
keep up the good work!
interested to read that you sold books on Amazon and Ebay… what kind of books? Novels? Non-Fiction? I’m interested.
Sponsored my young neice and nephew 10p per item over the half term as their mother was having great difficulty motivating them. Nephew is already at £13.00 and neice at £5.00, all stuff bagged and taken to charity shop. (I set an upper limit of £20 each)