Are you ready to be Clutter Free? Start the 21-Day Clutter Free challenge! Sign up now!
I was thrilled to join Kathi’s launch team for Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space. I frequently blog about cleaning and organizing. (My blog is even named This Simple Home. Unfortunately, simple living is more of a goal than our current status.) I have a much deeper problem of STUFF. With a home overwhelmed with stuff, cleaning and organizing are futile. Kathi doesn’t just challenge and motivate us to remove the clutter from our home, she asks us to examine ourselves to get the heart of the matter of why we bring more into our homes so it can stop.
I’ve read a number of articles and books about cleaning and organizing, but Clutter Free is the first to focus upon my problem of clutter. In addition to the typical, “Do I use it? Do I love it?” questions, Kathi has added an all-important question to ask myself: “Would I buy it again?” Whether I am going through my kitchen gadgets, my children’s clothing, or my office supplies this question is key for me.
In about twenty minutes, I cleaned out my kitchen gadget drawer. Using Kathi’s three-box and two-bag system, I found 18 items to donate, 14 to trash, and 20 which needed a new home. That’s 52 items which didn’t deserve to be in one drawer!
Next, I took my boxes and bags to the basement. The whole basement is a problem area (linked to additional photos of my reality). As Kathi suggested, I chose a smaller area to work and filled my boxes and bags.
That’s right. The cheap, white piece of furniture is missing a drawer front. Don’t worry…it’s empty. Just sitting there taking up space in the basement. It makes perfect sense, right?Yet, before long, I made some excellent progress.
This is the new area. As I work to clean the entire basement, I’m sure this desk will be a bit of a work space. After that, we’ll reevaluate its usefulness. I set the crate of children’s books in that convenient spot so I can fill it with even more book to remove from our home. The shelf has the craft items on it. This past summer we set up the shelf and purchased the plastic shoeboxes. Before that, all of that shelved items were on, under, and around the desk area. Though I haven’t labeled the plastic boxes yet, I can now find what I need.
My husband typically holds onto even more stuff than me. He may not be as enthusiastic as me, but he has surprised me at just how much he is helping by saying we can donate items we’ve been holding onto for far too long…just in case we need them. (Obviously, I related well to the chapter titled “Just in Case.”) I think we both needed Kathi’s 2,000 item clutter challenge.
Within about a week’s time, I have collected 200 items to remove from my home. (I’m keeping track on a 2,000 item printable I created. I even made a separate one for my children.) It’s invigorating. Thank you, Kathi, for writing Clutter Free. It has truly inspired me. I can’t wait to pass it on (to keep my clutter minimal) to another who is ready to make some big changes in her life.
Annette
Visit me at…
Thanks so much! I also loved “Do you use it? Do you love it? Thanks for sharing your photos!
Thanks, Mary Lou. Since I wrote that post, I’m past 600 items. It feels so good to declutter!
That’s great Annette!
Do you have a calendar with the challenges for all 21 days? I understand the idea is to do small chunks at a time, but it would be nice to look ahead at what’s coming so I can plan my time accordingly.
Thanks!
Is this the wrong place to ask for a calendar overview? I haven’t seen a reply.
Yes there is one here: http://www.kathilipp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/KL-Clutter-Free-21-Day-Challenge-Calendar.pdf
I always like to see before and after pictures. But what some times is puzzling is why the photos are not taken from the same perspective. I see it in decorating magazines and with organizing ideas. Seeing things fully in context, as I am a very visual person, really helps. BTW, I have 30 pieces in my own 2000 thing challenge ready to go out.
If others are like me, the reason for the different angles in before and after shots is because of forgetfulness. I don’t always remember where I was and how zoomed in my camera’s lens was. Other times, one of the photos I thought turned out was actually blurry. However, I’m just an average person. If I was a photographer for a magazine, I would take notes. 🙂
Thank you for sharing my guest post, Kathi. You are a great encourager and motivator.