Operation: Get Organized 2011 is under way!!
Maybe it’s the freshness of a brand new year or all of Target’s wonderful container displays, or the fact that nothing makes you take a good, long, hard look at all your stuff better than a move, but I seriously need a Peter Walsh intervention.
If you aren’t familiar who Peter Walsh is, he is the brilliant Australian who hosts Clean Sweep on TLC and is regularly featured on Oprah as THE decluttering and organization guy. He’s hard core and I could benefit from his tough love.
I am NOT a hoarder by any means, in fact I am one of the most organized people I know. Everything has it’s place in my kitchen, bathroom, purse, wallet, and car, HOWEVER, I do tend to hold on to things for far too long.
Things that don’t matter, but represent a memory.
Things that mean absolutely nothing to you, but everything to me.
Things that, at the end of the day are nothing but clutter and take up very valuable space.
Things that, in some cases may be hard for me to part with.
Things like: magazine clippings, receipts, hotel room keys, dried flowers, matchbooks, movie, concert and airline ticket stubs, notes and cards from friends and family (and not like meaningful handwritten letters, I’m talking postcards, thank you cards, birth announcements, birthday and wedding invitations), restaurant business cards, notebooks I kept when I was in college and papers and poems I wrote in junior high and high school, books that I have read and re-read and marked up and pictures up to my eyeballs.
All of my mementos are kept neatly in several plastic containers in our garage and every once in a blue moon (hardly ever), I’ll go through them and wonder, why do I keep all this stuff?
This year I vow to go though these containers and purge!
The truth is, I DON’T need this stuff and it’s time to let it go.
We (I) also have a lot of candles, candle holders, vases, picture frames without pictures and other knick knacks of absolutely no significance. They were impulse buys, gifts, or no longer go with my lifestyle or decor. If they’re not being used, these things have got to go too!
Yesterday, my husband took Lucas to a yard sale in our old neighborhood and came home wanting to have a sale of our own. Not a bad idea! What’s the saying, one mans junk is another man’s treasure? I doubt anyone will want my wine cork collection, but the other stuff might be worth something to someone.
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Take those wine corks, buy one of those frames that you can design them in and hang them somewhere.
For anything that you love and can't imagine getting rid of (but don't want to keep because you'll never use again), take a picture of it. You'll always have the memories, and a picture of it too.
Pitching stuff is such a good feeling!! And moving is usually what brings that out of a person. Good luck with the cleansing!
Sounds like a yard sale in the works… I, myself, would rather just cart it off to a consigment store or goodwill and be done with it. But these are some fabulous goals. And Liz is right. There is no greater feeling in the world than that one right after a hardy purge. Good luck!!
Although I am far from being a hoarder, I do collect alot of my memories in things. I have boxes of baby clothes, toys, preschool artwork. I have every jersey ever worn by one of my boys. I have my husband's old train set. I even have cards and notes I passed in high school. Some days I wonder why I keep all of it, but then I figure I've held on to it this long why toss it now?
I am an organized hoarder I think. I am every, and I mean every note that I was given from 8th grade through senior year. I have every card that has ever been given to me. I even have speical boxes for each one of the kids, with things I just can't part with. I have a strange feeling Peter Walsh would not be happy with me!
I'm constantly trying to stay organized! It's a constant give and take battle. I'm not a big hoarder either and just today, I went through all my clothes and I'm getting rid of a ton! Yay! : )
I spent the whole weekend PURGING! So far I have emptied out 5 Big Rubber Maid containers. most of it was old receipts that my son moved back from college.
You are on a good track. If your time is valuable you may decide to donate the reusable stuff. My granny always said Salvation Army actually helped families after WWII so that's what I do. But I've had garage sales too. They can be tons of fun.
Good luck
Citymom