So, as you know, so many people in the United States and I am sure other countries as well, have a problem with accumulating way too much. I personally have been getting rid of things steadily for years, but especially for the last 12 months. If you were to look on the shelves above my washer and dryer or in my over-sized walk-in closet, you would be surprised that I have been on an elimination mission (I still have a lot!).

There are many folks out there (myself included) with a bit of an obsession to have their surroundings have a minimalist vibe. Perhaps it is because: people’s minds feel cluttered because of the disarray, celebs showcase their zen homes, magazines like Real Simple (https://www.realsimple.com) have appealing articles about it, or because it is the current trend.

I have a category attributed to organizing here on WordPress and a board on my Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/simplydeeindc). After moving 8 times in a 12 year period, I got real invested into passing items on. Trend or not, I am glad to see so many other people are as passionate about clearing out as I am! It is really a thing right now. At least now I don’t feel like the only one!

I have a small flat/condo/apartment, and with the 2 of us (one being a kid), it is easy to obtain things. And, because my kid looked “so cute” in 99 percent of her outfits or playing with certain toys, I have a hard time letting go, as I have mentioned before. But I am getting better! Now that I am organizing my pics both digitally and hard copies, I can see pics of her with these items and not feel so bad about not keeping everything.

There are more mementos than just material items. Kids’ artwork, greeting cards or postcards sent by someone special can pile up! By using a service like Snapfish (snapfish.com) to compile picture albums of these treasured masterpieces, there will be so much room on shelves and elsewhere because everything can be in a neat little book. When finished, it will be easy to flip through them when nostalgia strikes.

I am pretty good at letting go of what is necessary, though I do have my challenges as well, but I have a monster bag by my front door to get rid of as we speak and usually do on the regular :). There are articles like this everywhere, but this one really speaks to me and may help those of you who really have a hard time saying goodbye to memories. http://www.cluttergenie.info/declutter-for-clarity/

The article isn’t saying a lot that we have not heard, but the idea of a memory box and re-visiting it in 6 months is great. Adopting that one simple principle could help a lot. I went through my daughter’s toy and clothes bins in my closet in February. Some of the things in it were easier to say goodbye to then when I first put it all together. I think I will open them back up in August and see what happens.:)

Many of us have this organizing ideal as a resolution or a desire for our homes and our lives. But as more piles up, it can be more difficult to let go, or the desire to sift through things wanes because there is so much to deal with. Keep in mind if a move or downsizing occurs how overwhelming it will be. Speaking from experience, attacking the problem one section at a time is key and there is no time like the present to get it done!

No one can be expected to turn their entire home upside down in a few days and go crazy de-cluttering and straightening up. I did that, but that is not the norm for most. Like any other plan, write down goals and try your darndest to stick to them. At the end, you will feel better, freer and someone out there will be glad that you gave them the chance to love whatever you parted with and so will your space!

simply

~Dee