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Thursday, July 11, 2019

The Big Sort Out

Wow what a whirlwind of activity has taken place in our home and how refreshing it feels. I started to de-clutter our home two weeks ago, I have now gone through almost everything and have donated four van loads of stuff to a variety of charity shops throughout Fort Wayne. I have a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

My kitchen counters are clear of all stuff, my cabinets are organized and contain what we need, the drawers are neat and tidy, items are easy to locate. The pantry is pleasing to look in. My book shelves are a treat, all of our rooms look peaceful, tidy, calm. My husband caught the bug, he cleaned out his side of the closet and his dresser and end table, he is keeping everything picked up and put away too. Hubby is talking about sorting our the garage and barn, this will be quite an accomplishment, I will help, but he needs to lead the sort out as the bulk of the stuff is his and it is not my decision to make in regards to what we will keep, sell, donate, or trash.

Cleaning the house is so easy, there is no picking up to be done, simply dusting as needed, and vacuum as needed. I give the bathrooms a good wipe down each morning so they stay fresh and clean until the next deep clean. I have a few small areas to finish sorting, some shelves in my sewing room,  a few storage bins in the attic, some paperwork in a file cabinet drawer, and my sock collection, that is it. I cannot believe how much I got taken care of in just two weeks, and some areas I did twice!

All my closets are organized and I know where everything is, as there is a place for everything and everything has a place, what a wonderful feeling. And my basement, it is neat and tidy again :) I even tackled a lot of the attic, just a little more to go.

My concerns. I read that due to the "Marie Kondo Effect" charity shops this year have had record amounts of donations, in fact have received so much stuff that many have had to resort to renting storage space. And, I would think, the flip side of this is that as people are realizing they need less, and want less, they are perhaps not shopping as frequently at charity shops so they are maybe having a harder time shifting the overwhelming haul of stuff they have had donated. I hope that all the people who have rid themselves of excess possessions and stopped mindlessly consuming will continue to do so, it is good for them, good for their bank account, good for the environment, but it is not so good for the manufacturers and the retail outlets and I hope it doesn't result in people at the low end of the totem pole being laid off because less of the items they help produce are wanted. Knowing human nature, many who have had a good old clear out and want of life of minimalism will pursue it for a while but will find old habits die hard and unless vigilant will find that "stuff" will again enter their homes. I hope I am vigilant, I hope I continue to feel motivated by the peace and harmony created by a neat and tidy home, and hope this is a way of living that continues for the rest of our lives.

My best suggestion if you want to begin a big sort out, start small, decide to sort a book shelf, perhaps one kitchen cabinet, a bureau drawer, do something each day, baby steps add up fast and before you know it you are on a roll. The more you do the easier it gets. Watch some YouTube videos, The Minimalist Mom and Joshua Becker are both excellent and offer practical advice. A book on YouTube, The Joy of Less by Francine Jay - an excellent primer, listen to it as you purge areas of your home, she will motivate you with good advice and sound philosophy. Whatever you decide to do don't feel intimidated, just get going and I don't think you will regret it.

Bean




2 comments:

Pen Wilcock said...

Four van loads! Gosh, how pleasing. Well done you!

Bean said...

it was a lot of clothing. we had also accumulated so many throw blankets over the years, I kept a few, and donated many, along with a fair number of bed blankets and lamps, and excess kitchen wares, two laundry baskets of vhs movies. We still watch vhs movies, so over the years we became the recipients of "gifts" of movies from people who moved onto newer formats, that meant we had tons of movies we had know interest at all in watching. It is quite liberating to let go of stuff, I think in January I will have another purge of all rooms, I doubt I will have too much to part with, but it will be interesting to see.

Bean