SRKindredSpirits

So, most of you know by now that I do not like clutter.... we have been on our minimalist journey for a few years now and it makes me so happy! We have gotten rid of trailer loads and car loads full of stuff over the last few years, and although I still try to walk through the house daily to see what I can get rid of and still make monthly trips to drop off unwanted items at goodwill, it is getting harder and harder to find items that I want to get rid off. So, I thought I'd try The Minimalist Challenge. Today is the start of a brand new month and a perfect time to try The Minimalist Challenge . Here’s how it works… Find a friend or family member: someone who’s willing to get rid of their excess stuff. This month, each of you must get rid of one thing on the first day. On the second, two things. Three items on the third. So forth, and so on. Anything can go! Clothes, furniture, electronics, tools, decorations, etc. Donate, sell, or trash. Whatever you do, each m

Don't just sort through stuff without getting rid of it. Put it in boxes/bags, and donate it! Don't just organize- deown! Your clutter wars will never be over if all you do is keep re organizing... it's a never ending battle, one you will NOT win.  Don't keep something you no longer enjoy because a family member/friend/ busybody says that you need to keep it, or that it's an heirloom peice, or whatever excuse reason they want you to keep it. Don't let them make the decision for you. It's not their stuff. It's ok to let it go.... it has served its purpose.  Don't keep something because you may need it someday.... someday has come and went. Let it go. My husband and I have gotten rid of trailer loads of stuff and there has been only a couple times (in the years since then) that we think oh, man, I had one of them and got rid of it, but we made do perfectly without it, so in reality, we didn't need it at all. Someday hardly ever com

We painted the girls room a couple years ago, however I never messed with their closet.   See a trick for saving money on window dressing here. You see when our kids was little, my husband built shelves in the closet for the baby clothes and they worked great for the baby/toddler years, but the kids are older now, and it was starting to not work for us anymore. Everytime I put the girls clothes away or walked into their room, the closet always looked messy, clothes half falling off of hangers.... it was always a mess. The other day I had an idea. I decided enough was enough. I went to town and purchased some paint, six tubs, and two storage drawers, that you stack. I took out the shelves, and the extra clothes rod, then I started making over the closet. Here's a breakdown of the cost:  1 gallon paint = $15  (I bought a cheaper paint, as the girls usually change the color of their room every 3 years or so.) 2 storage units with drawers = $20

It's interesting to me how you can tell a lot about an individual by their home.  Is it welcoming, cluttered, dirty, orderly, mismatched, displaced, unwelcoming, or chaos? What does your home say about you?  Does it smell clean or is there unpleasant odors?  Is it clean and welcoming to all, or is it dirty, cluttered, and make people feel suffocated? Is it Immaculate with no place to relax or put up your feet? I am not a perfectionist by far but I do try to have a clean home not only for my guests, but for myself; with the beds made, dishes washed, counters and tables cleared, laundry put away, and things put where they belong.  Every item needs its own home. And it needs to be put away and its place. For example I often let my kids bring toys out to play in the living room but each evening the toys are put back into their proper place and my house is picked up and clean, ready for the next day.  Same for school - after we are finished for the day everythin

I think the main reason most people get hung up when it comes to decluttering their homes is because of storage. M any people try to keep too much of the same kinds of things, so they will buy extra hutches, drawers, totes, baskets, etc., to hold all their stuff - they have no limit to the amount of stuff they choose to keep....  Let me explain.   If you have an office, you have paper clutter. Most people have at least one filing cabinet and a desk, but still have too much paper. So, they will buy another filing cabinet and in a few years, still have too much paper clutter.... The same thing with our closets and dressers. We all usually have one of each. We fill them full and overflowing. Then we have clothes in baskets, sitting on chairs, lying on the floor, and our drawers and shelves are running over.... most of us go buy storage containers... we fill them with seasonal clothes, or too big, or too small clothes, or clothes that we used to love, but are out of style, et

Let's just say you have five special dishes from Aunt Susie, five from Great Aunt Betty, and five from Aunt Helen. You have four from Great-Grandma Judith, and two from your next door neighbor. Your mom gave you three, and your sister gave you three more. Now you very seldom use any of those dishes but you can't get rid of them because they are all special, (and what if your sister came to visit and didn't see the dishes she gave you?) , so you have them stacked all together, with all the other dishes in the China hutch - that you seldom use.  But, you are now holding onto 5 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 3 = 27 dishes. Maybe each of the dishes are unique in its own way - it might be a special color, or a special pattern, or maybe it has a special memory of Aunt Suzie serving mashed potatoes in that dish..... but here's the thing -  do you really use, and love, and have special memories of all 27 dishes?  You see, when you have 27 special dishes it's really

Anyone that has followed my blog any length of time knows how much we try to live a clutter free life. That being said, I'm always on the look out for different approaches of getting rid of more stuff... (my long term goal is to get our stuff down to fit inside a 20x30 ft cabin that the hubby and I would like to build and live in after the kids are grown.) But even in our current house, I love having a clutter free home and with living on a hobby farm and 3 kids, we are always bringing in stuff, so there is always things to get rid of. I will just put this out there.... I am a huge Joshua Becker fan and have read all his books. But I also enjoy reading different peoples approaches to decluttering and minimalism; like the Kon Marie Method ,  Courtney Carver's Project 333 , or  The Minimalists    so I was excited to read Dana White's  step by step approach, using the 5 steps. Step 1: Trash Step 2: Easy Stuff Step 3: Duh Clutter Step 4: Ask the Declutt

Here's our bedroom before we started decluttering.... I never thought of us as being packrats or having a cluttered home until we started going through our house room by room and getting rid of stuff. ... Here's some ideas to help you unclutter your bedroom and make it a beautiful, relaxing space. Closets - clean them out! Get rid of all the clothes , shoes, purses, scarfs, and anything else you don't use reguarly or items that you have more than enough. Get rid of all the fake plants, they only collect dust. I'd like to add a few more live plants in here. Wall decor - less is more! For example: In our room we have four wall decor items. One is a picure fame with our  wedding photo , an old window frame from my Grandpa that I decorated, an old windmill blade and my jewelry holder which I made.  We do have a mirror hanging on the back of the of the bedroom door. Decor items, shelves, display cabinets - get rid of at least 75% of the

It's a brand new year, so how about starting it off right with a simple closet challenge. It's common knowledge that with very few exceptions, it's likely that clothing you haven't worn in three to six months is clothing you will not wear again. It could be donated and used by someone who needs it. Often, we have good intentions on getting rid of clothes that we don't wear, but very seldom do we follow through with the idea. There is usually something that keeps us from completing the task... we don't have time, someday we might fit into them, they remind us about a memory or special time in our past, we don't know where to start, we think we'll do it later..... etc. If you find it hard to let go of clothing even when you never wear it, this is for You!  Take all of your clothes that are on hangers and put them in the closet backward, so that the open end of each hanger now faces you. Set a calendar reminder for three months from no

When it comes to cleaning out your closet.... many people find that taking everything out is the easy part. It's knowing what to put back in that's a little more tough to figure out. I recommend making four piles. Put each item of clothing on one of these piles..... 1. Throw out 2. Give away  3. Repair  4. Soul stirring   - Take inventory then put in one of the above piles. (see what you love about each of these items)  Keep only clothing items that you love - not like Stains, holes, doesn't fit well, wrong size, wrong color = toss it out 70% of your closet should be meat and potatoes = solid, working clothes. 30% of your closet should be icing and fluff = color, pattern, shine, and accessories.  Make a list of gaps in your wardrobe so you know what to buy.  Buy clothes for your life style and not for your fantasy world. Buy one piece you love vs. 10 pieces that are okay.  Buy less - buy better. Make this your ne

Today, I'd like to give you three Ideas to minimize stuff you don't need. Many people often think that getting rid of clutter is a long, hard process, but in fact it is simple. 1. Look around your home and see what items you would take with you in the event of a hurricane, flood, tornado etc... I bet there's not a super large amount that would make the cut.... I did this a few months ago and realized there's not a lot of stuff that means a lot to me.  So, now you know what items you treasure....  2. Next add in the items that you need. For example sheets, towels, dishes, toilet brush, lawn mower, broom, toilet paper, clothes.... these are the items I'm talking about.  Everyone knows you need these items, but most of us own way too many. For example two towels for each person and 2 sheet sets per bed are plenty.  Dishes.... do you really need and use all that you have? For years I have collected a Chutney Corelle dish set , which I still use and love,

If you wish to bless someones life in someway -give them an experience, a memory or a consumable item, but please don't be offended by someones lifestyle choice to not want things to add clutter to their lives....  Here are some ideas: Take them out to eat Gift cards to restaurants, a favorite store, a gas card, or music download Give them the gift of clean water for a year A membership to the zoo, gym, garden club, Shaklee , etc. Buy them lessons/classes - florist class, music lesson, dance lessons, pottery or art class Make them some yummy food - most people love homemade goodies Put together a fruit basket Box of chocolates - who doesn't love chocolate?!?! Gift certificate to a massage therapist, hair appointment, or a nail salon  Give them a Get Clean Kit to get chemicals out of their home and help them live better. Energizing tea or snack bars make a great gift. Lotion or bath salts (make sure the person you're gifting too ac