This is THE year. One of our New Year's goals is to get organized at home and do some very serious de-cluttering. For an organized person as I tend to be, combining two lives at mid-life in a less than large place, has been a huge challenge. I've never lived this way...and neither has he. It took a huge truck to move me here. We had a vinyl shed out back that a storm took down and there's still left overs out there. Inside, we're living in half the space that we could be due to plastic bins, etc. To look at it you'd think I just moved in. I'm so ashamed....and disgusted. We both know there's a psychological effect in coming home to this. We put in a new pellet stove in the living room right after Thanksgiving last year. So everything that could....came out....into the dining room!!! This year we hope to add on a room through the living room. We know this will help somewhat. Anyway, all that just to say....I'm overwhelmed. Part of it is simply having time to do anything at all these days. I'd love to have us share some tips on Spring cleaning, decluttering and the like. HELP!!!!!

If you can´t use it..loose it. A friend told me this once and I use the thought when I can get down to cleaning out clutter..it´s toughest with my beloved books..but I do try.

Someone else once told me..if you haven´t used it within the year..then you don´t need it..or was it within it 5yrs..I don´t remember. Perhaps you can set your own limit. It really does help!

GOOOOOD Luck!!!!

This is one of my favorite subjects, next to finance, so I'll try and find some good resources for you, or just give my two cents worth.

In the meantime, if you have a lot of books and you don't want to go to the trouble of selling them on "half-off.com" (is that right Princess?) or Ebay, or anywhere else (I sold a lot of books on Amazon)...then you could try this site:

http://www.paperbackswap.com/

It's free to join (for now) and all you do is assume the cost of shipping the books someone might want (usually around 2.16). It's a great way to get rid of books and GET books if you want them.

I'll see what else I can find. I applaud you for taking action!

…and make a point to not put anything in your hands twice. Decide then and there what to do with it.

I once had a house to sell with hundreds of knick-knacks, which the couple collected during their worldly travels. Finally we got a buyer, but the sellers withdrew their house from the market because they couldn't downsize and get rid of their stuff. They were miserable with their decision, but they couldn’t let go.

The moral of the story? Control your clutter, before it controls you.
(Believe me… I can identify more with the couple then I would like to.)

Jane
could you have a yard sale...we call them garage sales here.
think how grand it is to have your stuff together call it LOVING CLUTTER .better than being lonely..
On a serious note .."a place for everything and everything in its place." I was reared like this..lived like this and hit a clutter phase a while back.Craft projects teaching materials home..I used my sons room whilst he travelled..then it like Topsy grew..into too much.So day by day I spent the odd half hour...took stuff to the charity shops..gave teaching stuff to a newbie..and like Edelweiss says have some thing in your hand only once.
Good luck.
Mountain ash

I don´t get it..have something in your hand only once...??? . I am serious here..what do you gals mean??? MountainAsh and EW.. I am probably exposing myself here..so if you are imagining stacks of books in the bedroom..and bookshelves in the livingroom..you are looking at the reality. So that´s why I probably don´t understand this..only in the hand once thing..but please explain!!!!

In your hand only once means;...decide whether you keep it or throw it away. Too often you may pick up a book, or something, and you can't decide what to do with it. Then THAT pile of "can't decides"...turns slowly and surly into the pile that you originally had. Yikes...like a wandering sanddune.

Here is a woman that sends out a newsletter I enjoy. http://zines.webvalence.com/sites/Clutter_Challenge/current.html

I think you might glean some things from her newsletter and don't forget to read the archived ones.

Here's the thing. Can you let go? If so, then do what someone else suggest. Put three baskets down (use clothes baskets or any kind of box) and label them STORE, DONATE, TOSS.

As Di says he hubby tells her, use it up, wear it out, throw it out. HAHAHAHAH....

I used this same method on my work desk. EVERYTHING has somewhere to go...a distribution, of sorts. Where does item X go? What good is it? Is it serving a worthwhile (to you) purpose? If not, do you know of someone who could benefit from it? And if the answer is no, toss it.

Don't forget to be eco-friendly if you toss! Go to http://earth911.org/ and put in your zip code. Then you can find a Recycling or Re-Use Location.

"In your hand once"...the dry stone wall (dykes in Scotland) builders have a saying..."Never pick up a stone twice" meaning plan and plan again. Suppose they lay the stones out and know from experience what goes where.
After I read this for the first time I though how it applied to mistakes,,that we should learn and not pick up the same mistake.
I like old sayings and disect them in my mind until they explain themselves.
Mountain ash