WHAT’S IN YOUR GARAGE?
What’s in your basement/garage/storage room?
If you are blessed; those are probably the most cluttered rooms of your home.
If you are really bad with the clutter and constant accumulation of “stuff” this may be a problem that is just about everywhere you turn.
Do you have to move at least five things from the sofa before you can sit down?
YOU MIGHT HAVE A CLUTTER PROBLEM IF:
You might have a “clutter” problem.
Do you have piles of laundry stacked around your bedroom?
You might have a “clutter” problem.
So – Let’s talk a little bit about clutter!
I MIGHT HAVE A CLUTTER PROBLEM
If you read THE HOUSE DOCTOR blog every week, you have surely picked up on the fact that I love to do a lot of seasonal decorating. The whole process gives me great joy!
However; this same lovely and joyful process can also lead to a tremendous amount of clutter in my home if I’m not careful to be very organized and methodical about how I sort, store and rid the house from unnecessary, useless items that consume our spaces for no particular reason.
Not only do I need to deal with this “clutter” problem constantly; but there are several areas in our house that just seem to become big huge clutter pits if I allow it to happen.
LOCATING THOSE CLUTTER PITS
Those areas at our home would be the over-the-garage storage area, the double garage in our basement, our den, the downstairs room we use for an office/study/craft area and the walk-in closet within that room, and the kitchen pantry.
So I think by just talking to you about the issues, without even trying, I just went through that first big step in getting the house uncluttered.
The first step is to identify the areas that seem to be clutter pits.
Do you have spaces similar to those I’ve named above?
List them out and let’s do this together! It is more fun to work through cutter problems with a little moral support.
TAKING STEP TWO
Now let’s put these problem areas on our list in the order that we will want to begin to eliminate them from our home.
That was step two!
Just by reading this article you are already two steps ahead of the rest of the world in the quest to eliminate unnecessary clutter.
I’m going to start with the easiest areas to clear and work up to the hardest.
Most people would choose to do that in reverse order; but I like to feel an immediate sense of accomplishment!
If you clear the easiest areas first, you will then be more enthused and motivated to tackle the hardest areas.
So I’m going to put my cluttered areas in order from the easiest to the hardest and divide and conquer one space at a time as I find the time.
1. Kitchen Pantry
2. Den
3. Downstairs Study
4. Double Garage in Basement
5. Over The Garage Storage Area
All the beautiful seasonal decorating in the world will just look tacky and defeated in the midst of a cluttered, overcrowded home.
So how do we begin to combat this?
GATHER SOME IDEAS FROM THE EXPERTS
Over the next several blog articles for AN APPLE A DAY and/or THE HOUSE DOCTOR (this will be healthier, and it will improve the peace of your home;) we will look into and gather up some tried and true concepts and ideas that will help us declutter our trouble areas.
At least with this crazy new schedule in this present cluttered season of life; I MIGHT reach my goal of de-cluttering the whole house before next year turns its page. That would make me feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment.
How about you?
Want to join in with me?
To achieve this little thing in the middle of so many other important aspects of living the life that God has chosen for us, we would be amazed when done to achieve a much greater sense of freedom.
How about you?
Are you with me?
TAKE A FEW ”BEFORE” PHOTOS
Just for fun take a few “before” photos of your cluttered areas and save them to compare with your “after.”
Feel free to hide these in a drawer until you are done. You will be proud to show them next to your “after.”
I hope you benefit from some of the tips I’m planning to share with you as I do the work along side of you in our home. If you have some ideas for me – I want to hear them! Please. I need all the help that I can get.
Let’s do this!
Feel free to share any ideas that have worked for you in the comment section below.
ORGANIZED IN 2022
We all made great strides in 2021; but now 2022 is going to be the year that we really and truly DO get ORGANIZED! Let’s vow to stick to it till the end this time.
Today we are just getting motivated.
Let all of this “organizational” talk and discussion sink into your head and next week we will find a way to move our feet and hands further than our thoughts to get it done.
EXTRA MOTIVATION HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Let’s just remember that we need to be patient and stay the course. This is going to be a bit tedious; but I’ve found that scriptural motivations are useful and inspiring.
When searching the web for the most motivational blog on this subject I stumbled across an article from 2015 by Megan Starbuck of MCStarbuck.com. The article was posted in The Praying Woman blogsite. Megan gives the clearest reasons I’ve read in a long time for de-cluttering our lives. They all fit right in with our IN SEASON way of life based on 2 Timothy: 4:2.
Here is the link to Megan’s suggestions: http://theprayingwoman.com/what-does-the-bible-say-about-clutter/.
Part of your homework between this post and the next is to read Megan’s article. It will give you that last little lift that you need before we get started with this very BIG task.
A big thank you goes out to Megan who gave everyone permission to share her inspiring article freely. We liked her suggestions so much that we are posting the Amazon link to purchase her book too. Just check the ads below.
The deeper you delve into this “de-cluttering” part of a healthy lifestyle; the better. Go ahead and purchase Megan’s book called “Packrat to Clutter Free” if you want to be the best! You can also purchase it directly from her website.
My “fairy-blog-mother” Ruth Soukup has also written an amazing book on getting your life de-cluttered. Any time Ruth gives advice my ears perk up. She has some great tips in her book too.
These two informational sources should give you plenty to do until we “officially” get started.
Rest now as you read; because we are going to be VERY BUSY later!
So until we meet again (very soon) be blessed and begin to think de-cluttering thoughts!