How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I am constantly cleaning up the same stuff:

I constantly have mail/papers on my kitchen counters, clean clothes that pile up b/c I dont get a chance to put them away, dirty clothes that pile up throughout the week.

When it comes to cards for birthdays, christenings, anniversarys...which ones do you keep and which do you get rid of? I kept all of my wedding and shower cards and cards for DS's christenings but I think to myself, why? I'll never look at them again and I know who came but I still have a hard time throwing them out.

What about gifts that you received that you never used? I have a ton of picture frames and blankets that I got for gifts when I had DS that I never used b/c I got so many. I feel bad getting rid of them so they are sitting in the closet.

I NEED to DE-CLUTTER but feel guilty doing it!!!!!!!

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I feel the same way and go into a cleaning frenzy before the cleaning lady comes.

I stopped saving cards - I just throw them out. As far as gifts that I don't want anymore - I donate them.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I only keep cards from DH and DS.

I have the same issues. It think because I am not consistent with it. I am a HUGE packrat. It's in my blood. It's a real disease. I have to constently watch myself or it's out of control again.

I have finally accepted to trash junk mail right away.

I must say. Paper control is my biggest problem.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

The night before garbage comes, I clean out the fridge. I never go upstairs to the bedrooms without bringing something that is sitting around to go up, up. I do the same when up with down. I actually walk around the house w/the kitchen garbage bag the night before garbage and just throw out. As for cards, I can't throw them out and they are weighing my house down. I can't break that sentiment.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Allow yourselves ONE bin, you pick the size. Fill it up with your cards, once it's filled, go to the bottom and take out the ones that seem silly to keep... like the ones from your bridal shower, baby shower, etc... just keep ones from DH and DCs.

I have one small-ish beautiful tin. I leave it out because it's so pretty. So, this way, i don't let it overflow...

Now... those blankys that you don't use. Mine went to Church. Someone will find a great gift to give to someone, still in packages, etc... i like to think i helped someone in need, rather than hoarding.

HTH

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I am still trying to perfect my clutter free life but here are the things I've gotten under control

Mail-if I bring it in I open it immediatly, shred, toss, file or put in basket to be paid. If DH brings it in, he opens it & leaves it where ever, then I pick it up & follow system above.

Cards-I have a basket in my craft room with cards & some other things I may want to add to a scrapbbok page at some point. I toss about 70% of the cards right away.

I'm still a garage sale lover even though I'm trying to simplify. My rule is I give away or donate the same number of things I bring in. So if I buy 3 things at a yard sale, I put three things on craigslist. If I buy two things at pier one, I give two away.
I try to have one yard sale a year & I donate clothes to a church that picks up about 4 or 5 times a year.
When DSD was younger, I put her clothes that didn't fit into "lots" & sold them on Ebay.

There are still issues like my DH's newspapers that I struggle with, I wish I could get him to care that they are everywhere by midweek. We canceled the full week & were just getting the weekend but now he's been getting it daily at work & bringing it home.

I canceled all of my magazine subscriptions. I saved all of the ones I love on a book shelf in my craft room.

Laundry, I fold in the laundry room now to prevent the cloths from getting wrinkly if I decide I'm too lazy to fold by the time i get upstairs.
Again, I wish I could get DH to purge his wardrobe so his dresser would have more room & it would be easier to put his crap away.

I charge my phone, IPOD, Bluetooth in the same spot everytime. This is another thing DH doesn't do & he's forever looking for his crap.

I try to make trips up & down the stairs more useful by looking around to see if there's anything I can take with me to put away.

That's all I can think of now, I'll try to think of more.

Message edited 6/13/2008 6:05:05 AM.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

My roommate before DH was such a packrat that it forced me to become less of one (although I still have a ton of clutter).

I don't keep cards, except ones from DH and ones from our wedding.

I go through mail immediately.

I put laundry away once it's done - I hate doing it but, if I don't do it then - it's never going to happen.

I bought a coffee table and end tables with drawers and cabinets to move stuff.

I also consolidated all of our "important" papers lying around into bins.

We also try to maintain all paper clutter in the office -I've given up on that room!

It's hard though - especially when you aren't the only one living there!

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I also have a ton of gifts from my bridal shower that I have NEVER used...like my huge kitchen aid mixer that is so heavy I can't even get it out of the box and these serving trays from Crate and Barrel that I had to have for entertaining that I've never even taken out of the box. This stuff is over 2 yrs. old. Do I sell it on e-bay or wait a few more years in case I need to use it...KWIM?

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I'm not a fan of appliances & clutter on countertops, but my kitchenaid mixer has a spot. I LOVE it & use it regulalry. You've got to find a spot for that bad boy & start using it. You'll LOVE it!
As for the platters & stuff, sell them on Craigslist or ebay if you'll never use them, or maybe even post them here.
I entertain very often so I use all of the serving stuff I got. Do you do holidays? If so use them, or just start using them when you have people over. I use formal stuff all the time, i don't want my things "reserved" for some really special occaision. If they get broken or whatever, at least I enjoyed them!

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I hate clutter- it confuses my life....what I do is walk around my house every day with a garbage bag and throw everything that I dont use, havent worn in a year, or dont need, out!
See those cards you saved? they would be SO gone in a sec in my house! lol

or if you really cannot part with them, get one of those accordian folders with the dividers and store them away!

I find that if I throw a load of laundry in and make my bed FIRST thing in the morning as soon as I wake up, it makes a difference!
GO to flylady.com, that website taught me a lot about de-cluttering & organization when I first became a SAHM!

Message edited 6/13/2008 8:59:58 AM.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I got rid of all those small appliances like Juiceman juicer, Kitchen Aid mixer. They were taking huge space I don't have on counters. I had used them 4-5 times in 5 years. So I got rid of them. I just use a hand mixer if I want to do baking.

Clothes: I have all different sizes. Too big/too small. I only keep a few pieces for "just in case". But if I were to lose a ton of weight I would most likely want to buy new clothes. So I only keep timeless pieces.

I do yard sales. I sales curtains, pillows and decorations (prints, etc...) I have changed over time in my house.

I did a complete overall of my Christmas decoration. Keep the ornaments I like best and use. Trashed the broken ones. Sold the one I never used.

I have those slim rolling bins for underbed storage. I put my out of season shoes in them.

Shoes/clothes: I am no longer buying mass quantities of them. I buy mix/match pieces. I am now using accessories (jewerly, purses, etc..) to update my wardrobe. Then I sell on yard sales what I don't like/use anymore.

Did I say YARD SALE????

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Chrissy,

Get a pregnant woman over to your house while she is nesting. She'll organize everything for you.

Not making light of the situation, but it is true, i've already re-organized everything in my apt into bins, and re-organized the closets as well as my clothes drawers.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Posted by jellybean1420

I also have a ton of gifts from my bridal shower that I have NEVER used...like my huge kitchen aid mixer that is so heavy I can't even get it out of the box and these serving trays from Crate and Barrel that I had to have for entertaining that I've never even taken out of the box. This stuff is over 2 yrs. old. Do I sell it on e-bay or wait a few more years in case I need to use it...KWIM?

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Posted by SweetT

Posted by jellybean1420

I also have a ton of gifts from my bridal shower that I have NEVER used...like my huge kitchen aid mixer that is so heavy I can't even get it out of the box and these serving trays from Crate and Barrel that I had to have for entertaining that I've never even taken out of the box. This stuff is over 2 yrs. old. Do I sell it on e-bay or wait a few more years in case I need to use it...KWIM?

Keep y our mixer, you never know but I too just get rid of what I never use! Feels better!!!

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Clutter has become the bain of my existence. I feel like we get the house sparkling, and by the next day there is crap all over. My problem is, I make a mess, I eventually clean it up, but if my husband makes a mess he doesn't. Two messy people in one house is not a good combo. We ARE doing better, but it's a constant struggle. I let go of things much easier than I used to. I am having a garage sale this weekend, and CANNOT wait to GAIN some space back!!!!!!

Whatever doesn't sell gets donated or tossed. YAY!

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I have the hardest time with my kitchen counter island. I just can't seem to keep it cleaned off. Any suggestions? We open the mail when we get home and recycle the stuff that is garbage right when we get home, bills go into the office in their spot until they have to be paid. I can't even talk about my office, there is paperwork everywhere. I will organize it at some point. I guess once we are done with the major projects in the house this year. As for my laundry, I usually fold it right away or I put it on the bed so we can't go to sleep until we fold it. I'm very lucky, my DH always helps me fold the laundry. As for clutter, I hate it and I try to keep it to a minimum, but it does sneak up on you and then you have more to clean up afterwards. We try to put things away after we use them to keep the clutter down. It has been working for us lately. I try to put things by the stairs that need to go down or up and then I don't have to make as many trips. I only keep cards that are from DH & my Mom. When we have kids I know I will keep those too. I just recently throw out most of our wedding cards and kept the important ones from family. I also throw out my bridal shower ones. It's just too much to keep. I wish I could go home right now and clean or organize something, but noooo I have to be at work right now.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I read an organizing book once that had a great advise.

Keep the items you use in the room you use them.

For example, don't keep your books in your LR if you only read while in bed. Otherwise, you will have all the books all over on your side table and floor. Keep a bookcase in your bedroom.

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

Posted by NewlyMrs

Posted by SweetT

Posted by jellybean1420

I also have a ton of gifts from my bridal shower that I have NEVER used...like my huge kitchen aid mixer that is so heavy I can't even get it out of the box and these serving trays from Crate and Barrel that I had to have for entertaining that I've never even taken out of the box. This stuff is over 2 yrs. old. Do I sell it on e-bay or wait a few more years in case I need to use it...KWIM?

Keep y our mixer, you never know but I too just get rid of what I never use! Feels better!!!

seriously keep it! Or use it once & you'll realize you love it!!!!!

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

- i kept close family member cards from my wedding.

- mail and papers i take care of right away when i get the mail. Either I throw it away or it goes in the bill pile. I get a lot of magazines that i leave on the coffee table until i can read them

- clean clothes are folded as soon as they come out of the dryer. I dont take them out unless DH or I have the time to fold them

- As far as stuff we never use, we have a garage sale every April/May. If i havent used the item in at least a year, it gets sold. I keep "potential garage sale items" in a section in the garage

HTH

Re: How do you stay organized? How do you de-clutter?

I feel like I clean constantly but I try to take care of things as I use them. Like mail right away. Right now I am on paper overload because or comp. desk has not been assembled and we have no place to put all that stuff. And yes it is driving my crazy!!