I am not really a person who intentionally holds onto a lot of stuff. I don’t feel the need to keep every free shirt or save every Christmas card. But somehow, we accumulate so much stuff. I don’t even know where it comes from! I used to struggle with decluttering because I would get easily overwhelmed. It was hard to determine a ‘stopping point,’ too. I’d clean one closet out and feel compelled to do the next closet… and the attic… and the pantry… until it was 3 AM and I was having a mild allergy attack from all the dust.
However, about a year ago, I read about a little game called the 100 Item Toss. The challenge – go through your closets and drawers and set aside 100 items to throw away or donate to charity. I loved the idea for one reason: it was decluttering with a set end point. Since participating in the 100 Item Toss, I’ve done other (naturally smaller) tosses every few months. When you have a set number in mind, you get brutal. You don’t really need to hang onto three pairs of worn out sneakers.
I recently did a 30 Item Toss and – man – it felt good to reduce my closet even further. Most of the items I tossed and donated were pieces that I considered getting rid of in my last toss, and because I haven’t used them since, it was easy to sort them into the trash/Goodwill bags.
I got to 21 items and then I went on a crazy rampage, checking through storage bins and bookshelves to find 9 more items to get rid of. And then, once I reached 30, I stopped – and felt oh-so-satisfied.
I also boxed up every single piece of clothing that no longer fits the baby bump. I’ll store it in the attic until the baby is born and the weight comes off. It was getting mighty annoying to have to dig through 15 pairs of regular pants just to locate my three pairs of maternity jeans/pants!
Ahhhhh, organization. I love thee.
Beyond the fact that it was very easy to find something to wear today, it’s been a crazy and hectic day so far. Thank goodness it’s Friday.
I had a mid-morning meeting with Molly at an awesome restaurant in Uptown Charlotte called The King’s Kitchen. The King’s Kitchen donates 100% of profits from sales to feed the poor and homeless in Charlotte, the region, and the world. The restaurant also strives to provide employment opportunities to individuals who recently experienced homelessness, run-ins with the law, or rehab. A wonderful business concept, right?
Plus, The King’s Kitchen has really, really good food. All Southern fare! We went to the restaurant because I had a serious pregnant hankering for deviled eggs.
And I got the buttered beans and sweet potato mash.
So – tell me. What’s your secret for decluttering?
Sadly I have no strategies and we have a lot of junk. By the time the weekend rolls around decluttering is the last thing on our minds. Maybe 50 things each would be a good place to start