Clutter Control

Clutter is in my blood, Sista. It is. My mother has cupboards filled with mugs. 6 shelves of mismatched coffee mugs and drinking glasses. She has three closets of clothes. Most of which she does not wear. She displays almost every pic she has been given. With all this she lives ALONE in a tiny bungalow. Did I mention that her pantry cupboards...ummm, there are 5 different official ones and others that just have food randomly placed within....could feed the village she lives in. As long as past due salad dressing wasn't a concern for her fellow villagers. Seriously. I am not making this up and it's the tip of the ice berg. So, there ya have it. Clutter is in my blood.

For the past month or so I have been working on decluttering our home. I have purged my closet and do so every time I do laundry now. Maybe I should have only 7 everyday outfits. Wouldn't this cut down on laundry too?

There are now only 7 tea towels and dish clothes in their appointed kitchen drawer. One a day.

The sideboard has been purged and extras delivered to Good Will.

Same with the kids craft cupboard, yet it is still too full!

Too small children's clothes have been shared with friends and Good Will.

Kids toys have been sold, given away and 3 bags out of sight because no cute little creature would put them away! And you know what? They have not asked for them once. NOT. ONCE.

Even people. A person or two who feel toxic to me. That I don't receive warm-fuzzies from. This is extremely hard but necessary. A lot of tears, a lot of swearing and a lot of validation from others and this clutter control keeps on ticking.

Kijiji has been my friend in helping with the clutter control quest. Selling my clutter to add to some other poor saps clutter! No, not really. These castoffs will be another's treasure, right?

It's become a slight obsession, although by the state of my home one may think the opposite. It's still an unorganized mess!

Reading material is Life is Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets, 10001 to Reduce Clutter, It's All Too Much, and so on. Now it's time to put all this knowledge into action so that's where Kijiji, Good Will, friends and family have come into play.

There's so much more to do and it's daunting. Oh! *sigh* I wish I could channel the Fly Lady. Or my sister in law. She is amazing. Their home is show home like, yet has a family's touch. Nothing extra and spotless. I need to hire her to come into my home and instruct me on what else can go.

What about you? Tidy, organized and habit following? What are your tried and true secrets?

Messy? Lived in? Clean? Too many goodies for your space?

How does your home environment make you feel?

Apparently, mine doesn't quite inspire me as I look to my right and see a folded basket of laundry that needs to be put away, a basket of the kids toys to find their way to Man's World, and a couple of dishes on the counter.

Tell me your deepest darkest clutter control secrets. I need help with this clutter gene!