At least once a year, I play the Minsgame, usually by myself. A few months ago, I challenged the family to join me. The conversation went something like this. Me: What if we play the Minsgame? Son: What's that? Me: Day 1, get rid of 1 item, Day 2, 2 items and so on, up to Day 31. Son: Mom, now you're talkin' crazy! Me: Ok, what if we did this as a family competition? Son: What would be my reward? A new video game? Mom, you can get a new phone! What about the Bahamas? Me: (Ok - clearly I have some work to do here.) Well...Mom doesn't need a new phone. And we'll need to discuss the budget with dad but I think a digital download game could work. Should dad join the game too? Son: Of course. So Mom, how much stuff will this be when we're done? Me: 496 items per person in 31 days. Which means nearly 1,500 things we won't have to clean, maintain, organize or take care of! That's my reward. Let's talk to dad. (As he rattles off 3 or 4 …
Organizing and Decluttering
Get Uncluttered This Fall
I've been feeling stuck in my decluttering efforts. Yes, it even happens to me! I know there are things left to donate but sometimes life gets in the way. Good news, I have a plan! Fall Edition of the Uncluttered Course It's the Uncluttered Course by Joshua Becker of becoming minimalist. Several readers signed on to the Spring Edition of the course. I followed them on their journey and encouraged their progress. Here's a quote from one of them... "The space I have cleared for myself and my family is life-changing. It has made a huge difference in the atmosphere and stress-level of the house already. I am so grateful for your help." Becoming Minimalist offers the course just three times each year. Registration ends this weekend, Sunday, September 02 at 11:59pm. If you want this to be the season you declutter your home, own less, and get ahead financially, this is the right program for you. The course includes… Videos with …
Decluttering Challenge – Day 31 – Sentimental
We did it! Day 31 of the Simply Enough New Year's Decluttering Challenge is Sentimental Stuff. If you've completed even a portion of the challenges, then a lot of stuff has left your house! Congrats! And you're building new habits for managing clutter in your home. We tackled the kitchen, bathroom, kids art, storage, clothes, shoes, photos and so much more. Many of you have told me that you plan to revisit the challenges. They will be available on the website for several months. I'd love to hear about your progress. Send me an update or a picture. I saved this particular challenge for last because it's one of the hardest areas to downsize and declutter. If you're still working through other spaces, keep going and come back to Sentimental Stuff later. I field questions all the time about sentimental items. "What should I do with Grandma's China?" Memories of loved ones are not tied to the items they left behind. However, we still have trouble letting go. To …
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Decluttering Challenge – Day 29 – Crafts
I had several requests for the topic of Crafts and Craft Rooms. One reader even ask that I NOT suggest California Closets or other expensive storage designs. No problem! If you haven’t read my story, below is an excerpt or you can read the rest HERE. We installed cabinets that neatly hid my clutter. Many of these same cabinets are now empty. I purchased furniture and fixtures that I’d rather donate than dust. In this former life of acquiring stuff, my weekends were spent purchasing, organizing and cleaning. I am now ruthless in my efforts to donate and sell unnecessary items. I’ve learned that the clutter does not add value but in reality it detracts from the life I want to lead. Reading my story, you know that adding more storage is never the answer. That said, crafts create a lot of clutter. So, how do we get a handle on them? In the past, I enjoyed many different crafts including: Sewing Stamping Card Making Jewelry Making …
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Decluttering Challenge – Day 28 – Digital
Hundreds of unread emails, lost contact information and a desktop full of icons…if this describes your digital life then this post is for you! I won’t address photos today but you can read about digital photo organization, here and here. Digital clutter may not have the same impact on your physical space but you are still aware of the disorganization. It weighs on you every time you search for a file, address or phone number. The key to organizing this information is to know yourself and establish new habits. Creating new habits has been the theme of this January Challenge. Perhaps you’ve also noticed that I don’t typically advocate for a specific system. Part of knowing yourself, is to know what will work for you. Consider the following questions: Do you use a computer? If so, MAC or PC? Where and how do you work online? Through which device? Phone, tablet or computer? Is it feasible for all family members to have their own primary device or do you share? Sharing is …
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Decluttering Challenge – Day 27 – Photographs
I know, you're overwhelmed by just the headline of this post - Photographs. Sometimes, I feel the same way despite having a pretty good handle on my photo collection. But in this digital time, photo taking is constant. Volume increases daily. Keeping ahead of it is difficult. I wrote a detailed post about how to handle both paper and digital photographs, but I want to offer some tips and a challenge for today and what seems like an impossible task. Like many areas of clutter, it starts with creating new habits. Decluttering Challenge Day 27 Delete - Delete photos each time you snap a few shots. How often do we take several versions of the exact same view to be sure we got the best one? Only to never delete the terrible ones? Going forward, keep just the very best photograph of each event. Delete in real-time. Delete Some More - In honor of Day 27, delete at least 27 bad photos from your phone. Start with the easy ones, like the grocery store picture sent to your spouse …
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