Is your heart and home cluttered?
With 4 boys and a husband, who must get about 1500 pieces of mail a month, not to mention living in the same home for a while (no cleaning out for moves), the accumulation of stuff seems overwhelming to me at times. When we moved into our home, our basement was almost empty, filled with a few boxes and several tricycles! Many winter moments of fun, while my then 2 year and 4 year old, and sometimes their friends, rode around and around the 1500 square foot basement. But after many years, this box and that table and the old clothes and the treasures that came from our parents' homes and so on settled in our basement. The basement bulged with belongings galore...As did many other rooms in our home.
Throughout the years I've been briefly motivated by different articles and speakers to fight the clutter battle. A few weeks ago, my husband and I listened to a radio broadcast that has spurred us on to ardent action. Listen here to Focus on the Family Radio Brodacast with Kathi Lipp http://www.focusonthefamily.com/media/daily-broadcast/clearing-out-the-clutter
The key points that helped me:
*Ask these questions;
- Do I currently use this?
- Do I love it?
- Would I buy it again?
*Your unused stuff could be someone else’s treasure. Kathi shared a story of finding an $8 pair of “perfect shoes” for her son at the thrift store at a time when her budget was tight. Someone else may love the unused stuff clogging your drawers. (Kathi J Miller, another excellent speaker and author on clutter-free living, describes this as passing our stuff onto our “family members”-other brothers and sisters in Christ.)
Taking the bull by the horns, I took the “2000 Things Challenge” http://media.focusonthefamily.com/fotf/pdf/fof_daily_broadcast/2016/ffde20160108-the-2000-things-challenge.pdf
My goal was to rid my home of 2000 things by spring break. “Oh Mom, you will have that done by the end of January, “ declared my son, Daniel. Well, Daniel was right! Easter Seals called about an hour after I listened to the Clutter-free broadcast and asked me if they could do a pick-up the following Monday. Six days later, with the help of my youngest 2 sons and my husband, we had already cleared out over 700 things. After a few days of taking care of “regular business”, I thankfully felt motivated to get back to work. Since the days of January have been dark and dreary, I figured the basement was my next target. Oh what a wealth of stuff to throw out or pass onto to my “family” in Christ.
In the meantime, a favorite blogger of mine, Sara Borgstede’s blog is also running a clutter-free series. Here’s a great one on how to go paperless. http://www.saraborgstede.com/5-easy-steps-to-start-going-paperless/
And if you have school-aged children, here is a must read (many of these ideas I have used to try to keep sane with four boys) http://www.saraborgstede.com/5-helpful-tips-for-organizing-kids-school-papers-and-schedules/
Here are my CLUTTER-FREE DELIGHTS so far:
*In December I could not find my Christmas rug buried in the depths of my laundry closet. Thankfully after I attacked the closet, I have found the rug along with other missing items. Every time I open the closet I breath I sigh of relief that I can now easily put my hand on whatever I need.
*My tupperware and plastics cupboard overflowed; I’m sure you know what I mean. After clearing out over 75% of it, I am so happy that I have room a handy shelf for my favorite crystal bowl wedding presents that were kept in a cupboard too high to reach.
*The once overstuffed drawers now easily close minus socks and other clothes that I should have ditched years ago. Let’s face it. I want to wear my newer thicker running socks and those old thin ones make better rags than socks. Everytime I open a cleaned-out drawer, I smile with delight.
*Having college-aged kids brings up questions, of which I can’t remember the answers. The unanswered questions of “What did I pay for college?” or “What did I earn during my internship?” are no longer unanswered... Answers found in boxes that I am sorting through!
*As I read old cards and letters, I am blanketed in the warmth and love of family & friends. So many fun memories. How blessed I am with the love of grandparents and parents, and even though they are now in heaven, I am still learning from their example and expertise as I read their words of wisdom and advice.
*Family reunion entertainment abounds. I am gathering old letters and cards to read at our family reunion this summer; I can already hear the laughter.
*I have found treasures of special family history. Now I have them filed where I can find them as opposed to a buried box in the basement.
*Money. Buried in cards or boxes, I have found a $50 gift card to a favorite restaurant, several brand new $20 bills from Christmas 2013, a jar of coins, and a Kwik Trip card.
On February 11, Orphan Grain Train, another of my favorite charities, has a collection date and I will be ready to deliver more gems! I’m starting on my second “2000 Thing Challenge”. Do you want to join me?
