What does de-clutter mean to you?? De-clutter = De-stress!! to me! I’m passionate about de-cluttering…. I really am!! Are you having a laugh?? Infact… if my home is clean and clear… I can tackle the stress and pressure at work with so much ease!! I don’t know why! Basically means that I am at utmost peace when my home is clean, clear and simple!
De-clutter is the art of removing anything that you don’t really need. Be merciless… If you haven’t used it for 6 months, you sure don’t need it. That’s my simple policy towards have a clean home. I don’t have ‘maybes’… I either need it or not… Today I spent the evening clearing my girls room… which means.. I have two boxes ready to go to charity… with toys (some new – unopened… some old), clothes, bags & books.
I am the queen of de-cluttering… I do it nearly once a month I think!! *smiles* I can write a book on de-cluttering…
So… here are a few simple tips on de-cluttering…
- Start TODAY.. No!! Start NOW!! Once you start… you wont be able to stop.. so start NOW…
- If there its lots of clutter, even 15 mins a day will be a great start.
- Make a schedule – will you do one room in one day?? will you be able to do one closet in one day?? What ever is convenient.. make a schedule.. stick to it!!
- Have a deadline for sure!! So you have to de-clutter before your guests arrive… or de-clutter before Christmas?
- Don’t expect a clutter free home overnight… It’s a long process. Be ready to invest in your home.. and in your life in return!
- Be realistic – You haven’t used it for 6 months now!! You sure don’t need it… It will not come in handy one day!!
- Don’t move clutter from one room to another.
- Have a charity box or bag ready.
- Try investing in new storage items – boxes, wicker baskets, bookcase, filing cabinets, shoe racks, photo albums, etc. There are lots of pretty options out there..
- De-clutter again… maybe after a month, after two months… but repeat the process.
De-cluttering is a way of life… Not a one off chore!! Change your habits to – ‘one in, one out’.. and if you need any more help on de-cluttering simply write to me on torresp27@hotmail.com
Have you seen my purple rug?? Linking in to these blog parties....
Did you notice my little box… In one of my de-clutter moods…. I decided to store my ‘remote controls’ in there… We’ve got three in the living room – projector, amplifier and DVD player.. I kept them there.. and hubby darling couldn’t find the remotes for three days.. But he wouldn’t ask me… Only coz he knows I cant be bothered to use them… Finally three days later.. the girls showed him where they were!! Do you like my ‘remote control’ box!!
“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein
Oh I love your remote control box! Have you seen mine?
ReplyDeletehttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_P-FAHrM7Iqo/TFmyePYAwTI/AAAAAAAAA98/g2YYcaGhUA4/s1600/4845760074_fbf73fb1ce_b.jpg
(the box peeping through from under the table! :) )
I am a super minimalist. so can very well understand ur clutter = stress funda..:)...more pics of your lovely new home pl
ReplyDeleteI cannot agree more with you on declutter=destress. Love it when it's cleaning day, usually on the weekend, when I have a good night's sleep because everything is so tidy :)
ReplyDeletebtw, love the remote control box.
Wow..ur living room is so vibrant n colourful...totally agree with u..if my home is not clean i won't get sleep either ...love ur remote control box..
ReplyDeleteOh Patty..you are so right! If I am to think clearly, I have to have a clutter free space! Even my painting studio is so neat, people remark its not like a painters studio at all. I am the queen of decluttering...my mantra is, when in doubt, throw it out!
ReplyDeleteLove your remote box, I have a wooden tray, cos if I put the remotes in a box, my hubby would keep asking where they were! Men!
Oh, thats a wicked funny story about your hubby and the remote control :) And do I need to declutter - but I get distracted half way thru and end up with a mess inplace of clutter :(
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you ..on the declutter part,patty..!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the remote control box... great idea... Guess I can try that out at my home too..
Super post!! I threw and donated half of our stuff from furniture to clothes when we moved to Singapore!! You know I thought I had got rid of everything I don't need.. But guess what I have two big bags filled with clothes..I am finding it so onerous to even open them!! My declutter mantra is that if it is not on the priority list ..then pack it and shove it somewhere you cannot see it and when you have time and energy then take care of it!!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you on this...a few days back i got so disturbed cos of all the clutter we had " accumulated" that I was up one whole night clearing it. The story about husband is so cute...men..wink:) That is why I keep mine in a square glass vase I painted...
ReplyDeletehmmm...its been long since i wantd to declutter my craft room...at times i even succeed in doing so, but it just takes hardly 24 hours to get cluttered again.... this post is inspiring, let me see if it works me....
ReplyDeleteLike it??? No No No.... I LOVED IT! I was like droooooooling over it... Can I hv it plz :-P.
ReplyDeleteHa don I love ur energy! Ur blog exudes such positive vibes......
Got to learn a lot abt decluttering, I for one don't throw or give away ol stuff hoping that I'll use them sometime, but these days after seeing super clean homes like urs, I am changing slowly..and trying declutter often. Gr8 tips Patty, I surely needed them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Patty. I really really needed this push. I have been procrastinating and procrastinating forever now. Thank you. I am on the job right away :)
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. When I come back from work, I like to come to a tidy house.
ReplyDeleteLove your remote control box.
The purple is divine!The remote box is awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow.. your purple rug looks gorgeous. I had no idea purple blends in so well with other tones.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your de-clutter views. I love recycling or throwing out unused things once every while. Piling up unused objects for later use leads only to a houseful of clutter.
Wow.. your purple rug looks gorgeous. I had no idea purple blends in so well with other tones.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your de-clutter views. I love recycling or throwing out unused things once every while. Piling up unused objects for later use leads only to a houseful of clutter.
I hear you about the de-cluttering leading to less stress. Wish I would do that more often. Haha.
ReplyDeleteLove the remote control box. We also have 3 remotes that we use on a consistent basis, so it would be nice to have something to store them in - they are rather unsightly!
Thanks for sharing!
Lauren
http://31diy.blogspot.com
Yes, I remember you beautiful purple rug!
ReplyDeleteAnd you are right: cleaning is therapeutic and its lovely and makes you feel less stressed and happier if your space is clean.
Once in a blue moon, we hire a huge dump truck to "de-clutter" . After 3 days of spring cleaning, you can find me squatting amongst the rubbish in the dump truck looking for things I absolutely cannot throw out.
ReplyDeleteI bought a similar box from Sri Lanka but it's a box with secret openings. Not a good idea to keep remote. :)
beautiful colours!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could adopt this One in and One out policy. Patty much much needed tips but seem impossible :-).
ReplyDeleteOh Pats...loved your post - and y'knw? I too have a declutter box (an antique iron box) placed under my coffee table containing odds and ends and scraps of paper with unfinished jobs that I have saved for later...it's such a pleasure to see the simialrity..
ReplyDeleteI adore your purple rug and as the Purple Chocolat Home blogger, I need one that is that bold and purple. The pink pillow looks great on it too.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of decluttering, when we remodeled the house including the kitchen we used a bedroom in the basement to be the catch all. By the time we finished it was almost to the ceiling in 2/3 of it. We would try to declutter it and it was too overwhelming. Then guests were coming and we needed several rooms so we said to each other, "you can eat an elephant one bite at a time." We got up and spent 1/2 hour each morning (many mornings I was hooked in and spent longer) and by the time they got there it was done! My best declutter story ever!!!
What a lovely remote control box! I love how decluttering makes a space much more efficient and beautiful. Have a gorgeous day, Kellie xx
ReplyDeleteIt's so cleansing, getting rid of extra stuff. I think it's good to get rid of nice stuff, too. I tend to toss things in the giveaway box because I don't want them, but I'm going to try to give away stuff I do want, too.
ReplyDelete