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How do you know when you have too much STUFF? When you read all of the posts on Works for me Wednesday about organization in one sitting while taking notes, making bookmarks, and trying to formulate a plan to get your STUFF under control.
And it’s the STUFF that is the problem.
So, while having one of these may help, it’s probably not feasable for families.
My main hurdle in organization is I have too much of the precious STUFF.
I never have been one to hide the STUFF. I don’t even like to put STUFF away because I may forget where it is. I’d much rather just get rid of something than have to remember where I put it.
Tip #1
Here it is. The pearl in all the rambling on. I read this advice years ago in the wonderful book by Don Aslett called Clutter’s Last Stand.
If you are bogged down by your keepsakes, you know, all those birthday cards and beanie babies and valentine chocolate boxes, whatever it is you have clung to because it was a fabulous feeling … at the time. And really, those things are just cluttering up that bottom drawer of your dresser or the shelf in your closet.
So the solution is to take photos of the STUFF and then toss the STUFF and keep the photos. You can take individual photos or make a montage, whatever. But you don’t need to be able to touch the STUFF, you just wanna look at it sometimes.
You could even post the photos of the STUFF on your blog and then everybody can enjoy your clutter keepsakes.
Tip #2
I was very inspired by The Junk Pyramid. I guess she has quit blogging, but the concept is cool. Get rid of 7 things a day. Toss ‘em or recycle ‘em or donate ‘em.
Tip #3
Never, ever, no matter how much you want to, never get a ping-pong table. If you do, and you keep it in your garage, don’t ever expect to actually PLAY ping-pong on it ever again! Once it’s in the garage it becomes the biggest shelf in the whole house and is only useful for putting STUFF on (and under).
No related posts.
Alas, I’m known amongst my family members as “The one who throws things away.” When ever anyone can’t find what their looking for, I get accused of throwing it away. I shutter to think how cluttered the house would be if something ever happened to me. I’ve told my DH that he absolutely would need to remarry. No worries on the ping-pong table. We don’t have room for one anywhere. It would need to serve either as a dining table or coffee table when not in play. The kids would rather have a fooseball table too. Let’s just say it isn’t in my decor plan.
Stuff is my problem too! And one of these days I’ll get around to doing something about it
Great tips!! I like the idea of taking pictures of the STUFF, as pictures are so much easier to store.
Your last tip is too funny; we have a ping-pong table in our garage, too! Luckily, it’s folded up so we can’t use it as a shelf, but it still is pretty useless as we never play on it. Another big piece of STUFF…
ha ha Great tips! I like the 7 things a day idea!