Declutter my world

Decluttering coming on apace here. I often begin to declutter, then it all becomes a tiny bit tedious far too soon. I have so much stuff, and I never get rid of any of it, just in case. I am going to end up as one of those old ladies who can't get out the house because of huge, teetering piles of mouldering newspapers in the hallway. Besides which, we are doing major, scary renovations this year. Half our house has been ripped up, so all our possessions are in half the house. There is nowhere to put almost anything. Another reason to throw lots away. And I have so much stuff, although I think I already mentioned that. But I am not one of these terrible mindless consumers. Oh no. I do not own acres of expensive plastic crap from department stores. I am an ecologically aware hoarder. I own acres of cheap, irresistible vintage crap from op shops, and books. Oh, the books. And the papers. Every piece of paper that my children have ever written on. Photos. Menus. Tickets from Tram Rides I Have Taken. Pieces of string, because you never know when you might need one. It all really has to go. It is going.

I think our success this week is due to boundaries, and a deadline. Thursday is bedroom cleaning day according to my new cleaning regime. So I am only decluttering bedrooms. And the girls are quite enjoying the challenge, although we have to hide all the 'throw out' bags from the four year old, who suddenly becomes passionately attached to anything she sees heading out the door. It is all going into the back of the stationwagon, and when it is too full to enable me to see out of the back window, we take a trip to the op shop and unload it all. It is very, very cathartic. I feel lighter. I feel more energetic. I may actually be getting thinner. I can see the floor in my bedroom, for the first time in months. Who knew housekeeping could be this exciting?

Comments

50sgal said…
I, too, am going through such a change. Slowly becoming a 1955 housewife is both enlightening AND rewarding. Good luck and you do it all with homeschooled children, you must be superwoman!
Jo said…
Not superwoman, chaoswoman having a hissy fit. But we will get there...thanks for your kind words.
Anonymous said…
So will the renovations include a Library (yes, that word does deserve capitalisation!)? If I remember rightly your books are wonderfully stacked all over the shelves in layers. I couldn't get rid of a single one of mine so I would include a Library in any house changing plans. How about you?

Jen in NSW
Jo said…
Jen, I'm waiting for one of the children to leave home so I can redecorate one of their bedrooms with wall-to-wall bookshelves. And a comfy chair. And a reading lamp. But there's the rub - to gain a library, I will have to part with a child...and I am not in a place where I can even imagine that yet, although that is a reality that is creeping closer by the year...
Anonymous said…
In fact, there is some evidence (somewhere, somewhere) that suggests people do lose weight after de-cluttering. Something about regaining a sense of control, perhaps?

Kris

Popular Posts