cat can't be clutter, they move!

Ah Laurie - you are the voice of reason I need. I moved into a huge house with the fiance and our four cats earlier this month. In addition to just unpacking all of our stuff, I am overwhelmed and stressed out by all the other things that need to be done. Part of me wants to run out and buy more "organizational thingies" to throw our stuff into instead of taking the time to figure out what we really need. Thanks for focusing me! Love the kitty pictures too!

You are a superhero and your power is the "anticlutter"! I decluttered last year during a move. I have about 5 boxes to unpack yet and am just being lazy. But I love the freedom of having stuff gone! I don't shop much and have no reserves about getting rid of stuff! Being a superhero feels good - doesn't it?

Inspirational - as always. That is true discipline and eyes on the prize - not just a quick fix. How to deal with overhwlem. As I read, my mind kept seeing my piles...arghghg. OK, why do I hoard wrapping stuff and gift bags? Why do I keep things that might, could be, sometime for someone, possibly be a gift? Why do I have enough office supplies for an...office, instead of a person? This post is a line drawn in the sand and I will take courage and be disciplined and change. Bob is elegant.

You give me hope that someday my little flat, crowded with random junk, can be a little flat with open spaces and no boxes!

After reading "It's All Too Much", I decided to take on my clutter. It was hard work (and it's not done yet!)- but I was unprepared for how freeing it was to let go of all of that stuff. Not only was it taking up physical space, but it took up emotional space too; projects I was going to do ,clothes I was going to fit into, all of it carried tons on guilt and regret. Enough! Time to let go and move on.

Fantastic! You are an inspiration to me. I am a hoarder (you've seen my house!) but I am trying so very hard to pare down. It's hard with 2 kids in the house and a pack rat of a husband but I'm doing it. I've sent boxes and boxes of magazines to be recycled and cans and cans of garbage to the curb every week. I've saved every piece of school work that my kids have done (and they're 15 and 17!) (YIKES) and have boxes of my deceased mother's belongings that I still haven't been able to sort through. That's my goal for the summer.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful office with us. I'm so proud of you!!!

I saw this article at Zen Habits and thought of you. It just so happens you posted about what they talk about 'Kaizen' little changes for a big effect later on.
Congrats on your constant little changes!!

http://zenhabits.net/2008/07/how-to-establish-new-habits-the-no-sweat-way/#more-737

what a bright, pleasant room you've created!

congrats on the wonderful job of paring the extraneous and keeping only the heart of yourself adn your needs.

:)

What's so interesting is that I just read half of your book last night and you were talking about how cluttered your little home was and how it seemed to require too much energy to even begin to think about going through all those boxes of memories and things. And here you are today with a totally different tone and a totally different mind frame. It's really awesome. Good for you!

I'm in the middle of trying to declutter our house too. My problem is that I'm getting married in less than two months and gifts keep piling up. Oh, and I'm marrying a pack rat. And I work from home. So, this is my mountain - but I hope that my desk will look that clear one day! Thanks for posting!

Ah, if only this post had been written about three years ago. Within the last couple of weeks, hubby has lost his job, but found another very, very far away. Now I have to figure out how to pare down my stuff in a matter of weeks. Gah.

I just wanted to say that, Laurie, you are an inspiration! You are so real and genuine. You are awesome!

Bob is not clutter. He's a design focal point. He keeps the room from looking and feeling sterile and lifeless. Personally, I can't stand a space with no cat in it.

Candi -- me too! I think all home decorating books MUST have a cat. Cats are the perfect home accessory!

Notice how well the Bob goes with both the desk *and* the little sofa. He is a multi-purpose decoration....

I'm not sure but I think Bob is suggesting you are quite right -that HE is never to be considered clutter ;-)

My husband and I recently moved house, and my brother-in-law, Rich, came to visit us.

Rich has access to a lot of free furniture, and was walking around our lovely spacious rooms saying "I'd put a dining set here, and a cubby here, and a table in that corner etc etc." He even started making a list of stuff that we "needed"!

It was very sweet of him, but I was really worried that we would end up filling the house with ugly furniture just because it was free, and that we would take years to replace because we didn't really need to. My husband was more worried about all the space Rich was eyeing up to fill with stuff!

I think we talked him out of most of the things he was planning on bringing, but we still have a pair of the most hideous bedside lamps you have ever seen, and a desk that smells funny.

I really like the desk! Too bad the store had to be asshats about it to the point that you wont shop there again. But, you dont really need to shop there again, seeing as how you're de-cluttering.

I'm actually thinking about getting rid of some of my yarn that I think I will never use. I'm either going to crochet a big scrap afghan, or I'm going to give the yarn away.

I need to go thru my scrap stash, and choose enough yarn to fit into one of my smaller plastic totes, that I think I will probably use in a scrap afghan or two. Then, whatever is left over can get donated somewhere, or sold on eBay in a big pile. (it's all Red Heart)

I used to work in a Hobby Lobby, and later, a Walmart's fabric department. I spent a lot of my paychecks on yarn. Yes, I hoarded it. But, then when I had to stay home with my mom because she was having health problems, and didnt really have the cash to go to the yarn store everyday, I actually used that yarn. I've stayed home with my mom for probably the past 6yrs (yikes, I need a real job) and then I got sick myself with a chronic neurological problem that's not going to go away. So, I was able to use up most of my stash of new skeins of yarn.

I'm now left over with several large bins of scrap yarn. I figure, if I can jettison that, I'll have a bit more control over the space in my room, and will have places for things like books and a place to actually sit and use my sewing machine. (oh, I guess I should either use up my 100+ yards of fabric in the two bins in my closet too...or give it away)

I have a fantasy of building a shelf unit on one wall of my room that has shelves and a built in desk that I can put my sewing machine on one end, and my computers at the other end. With my tv on the wall in the middle somewhere...and cabinets underneath the built in desk area.

I think I need to get a dog. When I had my old dog, I was much more organized and tidy. Had to be with a 100 pound dog that thought that anything on the floor was his. Now, I let things sit on the floor. My dog helped me keep my things neat and clean.

Erin, my cats have helped me keep things clean. I worry about them being so low to the ground and breathing in dust so I vacuum a lot and keep the house clean for them. I have never heard anyone else admit to this -- being tidy for their pets! -- so thank you for admitting that, too!!

Heavens to Murgatroyd -- you've even given ME new hope. I am an old lady who lives in a shoe -- not only too tiny a house for 4 kids and some of their friends and other homeless folks bunking in over the years, but 3 of my adult kids have moved back home, and the 4th one did also, until she remarried a 19-hrs-drive-away. :-| If I thought the kids were packrats before they moved out (um.. there are papers in the attic from the 80s, so it's not just the kids, but husband, too!), it was overwhelming, then, what they moved back in here WITH. Also, all our old folks died, and they didn't take their stuff with them.. guess where it came to? :-| Yeah. I have clung to much because it's someone else's, or it's history of some sort. Yet I am losing my marbles in all the clutter AND dirt I cannot get to. We cannot enter the attic anymore, nor the garage (2-car garage that has never seen a car in it). Seriously, it's very depressing, and you've given me new impetus and courage. You're a lovely girl.

I almost bought one or two white particleboard cabinets like yours ... and then came to the same realization you did. Why buy something to hold stuff you WANT TO GET RID OF?! So, my decluttering continues. It feels so good to get rid of stuff, and the latest to go were the three bags of my daughter's outgrown clothes and shoes, to a friend. Whatever her daughter can't use will be donated to charity.

Now for the clutter pile in the center of my bedroom ...

Wow! Your office looks awesome!

Thanks for continuing to inspire me to not buy stuff and get rid of stuff. =)

Good for you! It makes me so happy to read this -- and it's also very helpful to read it, so thank you for that.

Perfect timing, since I was on a really good decluttering pace until the Fourth of July weekend. I was taking a room a week, and all was going quite well. But then the holiday hit and I realized, "Oh crap, I did all the easy ones already." Heh.

Anyway, you just motivated me to get back on the wagon. My craft/linen/wrapping paper/empty box closet is practically bursting at the seams...And your house looks so CLEAN. (Jealous.)

Thanks for the latest chapter in this ongoing effort. Because of you, I also have made the midyear "buy only the necessary" resolution. This weekend was a true test. I went to see a friend who was my co-hort in buying things from "the store with the bull's eye sign." I don't have one in my small town. I felt a momentary pang of guilt, but in the end I bought some summer clothes that I really NEEDED to stretch out my wardrobe through the next hottest months. Things for work. All told, I spent $100 and have the equivalent of five outfits now, using what I have with the new. The only questionable thing was the purchase of a necklace and earrings for $8, but I love them so I have forgiven myself that treat. And I will wear them often, I am sure.

And a personal note about the clutter? I had been saving my discards in a box in the corner of my living room for a garage sale. Two other friends and I went in together this weekend to sell our stuff. I made $7 on my clutter. That's not even two gallons of gasoline. So I donated all the rest that didn't sell immediately afterward. I have space now, and someone else will have items they can use. It was not worth storing those items "because they were worth something." No, they were not.

When two cats are sleeping on MY side of the bed, I consider that clutter. ROFL!

Good job, Laurie.
.

ps

Your photos make me miss my cats (true buddies, aren't they)-- I have a whole folder of them in My Pictures. All I have now is son's cat until he returns from Iraq, but it's a girl cat. I need say no more, right. Give me back my goofball Larry or that languid and hilarious Gary. Wow.. I want a kitten..

i love you, crazy aunt purl.

you are my hero. I have been trying to declutter, but with 3 others in the house it is slow going. I am doing excellent on not buying any more stuff though, and I have you to thank for the realization!

a couple of things or not. GREAT JOB on decluttering.

#2 I haven't been to the mall in years. The last time I went I noticed something, people looked sad, and were constantly turning their heads looking at the wares that all the stores were offering. People, buying something will not make you feel better. Take a look at the real cause of your unhappiness.

There is a blog that you should connect with it is below. All the things you are saying. Maybe this will help, but I think you are already there.

http://unclutterer.com/

Cats are definitely NOT clutter - - they are a very important part of any decor! :-)

Laurie, you get TEN gold stars for all of your progress. Better yet, you get a serene, clean office space.
Thanks for sharing and inspiring us all. It's great to know that I am not alone in this battle.
Earlier this year, I hired the Clutter Patrol to come help me declutter. I made progress, then regressed down my old paths. It's a constant battle. Thanks for showing that the problem can be licked.
By the way, my decluttering expert said that the main mistake clients make is spending megabucks on containers and other organizers that don't work for them. Plenty of people besides yourself have been down that road.

You are a very smart young woman. It took me years and years to figure out I was shopping to fill a need. I still have some clutter, but within that clutter, organized in a holder, was my knitting yarn and needles that I just got out this morning because it is too hot to work outside. I am retired, so it will be fun to knit again. I had to go onto the internet to remember how to cast on, though.

I kept what I loved and got rid of a whole bunch of crap that I just didn't. I'm still using a particle board desk for my computer, because...well, I can't figure out how to combine all our computer stuff. It may be getting out of hand. But, I am NOT buying anything to put all of it in and compounding the problem.

Kitties make clutter and leave a path of destructivness around them. Hey, you are only making it easier for them to tear up the good stuff. (that was sarcasm) We have been decluttering but not a very fast clip. We will get there. Sooner of later.

C

How funny is it that I looked at that picture for about 2.3 seconds and knew exactly where you had bought to furniture?

Wow Laurie, you have inspired me yet again. I understand the whole buying to make yourself happy thing. After a lot of soul searching, I gave my first child up for adoption. It took me a long time to realize that "stuff" was not going to fill the void or the gaping hole in my heart. I've gotten a lot better, but I still find myself wanting to buy every now and then when I'm having a bad day etc...You wouldn't believe the collections that I have started and gotten rid of. I am so much more organized than what I ever have been, but it's hard because my husband is a pack rat who refuses to get rid of anything, I just want to pare down and enjoy what we have. It would be great to save enough money so that we can buy a house (and I can finally get a cat or 2!). Like I said, you are such an inspiration. I'm going to go thru some more of my crap today, and just let it go! Just because I have a basement doesn't mean it needs to be fill with stuff.

One of the good things about reading blogs is that there is a common theme that is really helping me out, at least psychologically.

Almost every blog I read has periodic posts about how the blogger is dealing with clutter.

All this time, I thought I was the only one.

But these people are showing me how to get out from under all the clutter.

In some ways, I DO need some things to get organized. For instance, I want to get back to sewing. I now have the room to put the sewing machine on a table and leave it set up all the time. All I need is the table.

And, although I haven't DONE it all yet, I'm starting to see how it can all fit together and be organized. Once the plan is firmly in mind, I can start doing things that will produce the desired result.

Little by little, one thing at a time, I'm starting to get organized.

Laurie, you are an inspiration to us all.

Being still in college, I'm not into clutter yet (a beautiful combination of being poor and having to move my entire life every four to six months) but I know it could happen in the future. Thanks for giving me more inspiration to head it off at the pass.

Laurie - you're my hero! I'm sitting here green with jealousy over how nice your desk space looks. I'm afraid I'm one of those "just gave up" cluttered house people, but I did make a commitment this year to trying to tackle a little bit at a time. It's so frustratingly slow, though. I guess by nature I like to tackle a project and go full steam on it until it's just DONE and if I think I don't have time to do that then I never start. Still, seeing the results you've gotten by just doing a little bit at a time gives me hope. Maybe two years from now, my office will look as beautiful as yours does ;-)

...shopping away unhappiness... Check.
...white Target cube thingy... Check.
...cat named Bob on my desk... Check.
You're my sister from another mister.

Oooh, I saw Messiest Home in America! It was sooo gross. I mean really disgusting. And it bothered me because the show went through so much time and effort to declutter the whole house and these people were not ready to commit to a clutter-free lifestyle. And they want a baby!!!!! So wrong. So very wrong.

Congrats! You've worked hard and steady, and what a wonderful pay off.

This post is perfectly-timed inspiration. Thank you!

Congratulations, Laurie. Decluttering can be empowering. Over the last couple years, my husband and I built (to quote: 'never again, as God is MY witness.') a large-ish home. So many open, echo-y areas to fill. Then he got laid off for a long while. While a layoff ALWAYS sucks, in hindsight, it forced us/me to think twice and again as to whether I REALLY needed that (noun). Now my husband is happily working again, and my home is happily clutter-free and I don't plan to fill it up.

If things aren't selling at garage sales or you choose NOT to have another one, I suggest www.freecycle.org -- a great opportunity to share your no-longer-needed items and give to someone else in need.

three thoughts:
1) great post, and congrats!
2) doesn't Bob need a little cushion or a folded towel or something? glass is *harrrrrd*
3) I heard "your" boyfriend's speech last week, and I say this in the nicest possible way: Get in line!

;)

Ah, great post. I recently found your blog and am really enjoying it. Thank you.

I so love your blog.

I've read through it all over the last few months, and you have no idea how you have inspired me as a young, single gal living all alone in the lonely suburbs who taught herself to knit online and loves her kitty.

Thank you. That is all. :)

~Natalie

Laurie, your next book needs to be able how to declutter our lives. I'm serious - I would buy it in a heartbeat. You are a wonderful writer and you have this fantastic ability to get me excited about cleaning my crap. The one thing the book MUST have - pictures of your kitties helping you declutter. It just wouldn't be the same without them :-) Thank you for your many tips - I probably have you to thank for my good cholesterol and blood pressure (yay to smoothies with flaxseed oil!!)

Thank you. Thank you.

Great job! It's loverly. It's liberating, letting go of stuff. It almost becomes addictive. I had the "benefit" of growing up with a hoarder (read: slob (sorry mom!)) which drove me crazy. I'm not talking clutter, I mean floor to ceiling, wall to wall crap, stuff, junk, purchases. My mom actually bought the book "How to Get Organized" but lost it in all the crap and had to buy another! Anyway, despite learning early on the benfit of letting go of stuff, I still have way more than my fair share of crap. You inspire us all! PS: If you ever need another motivational tool, episodes of How Clean is Your House (similar to Messiest Home in America) are on YouTube. It is somewhat disheartening to watch how people's lives have been upturned by serious hoarding issues, but it also lights my get-up-and clean-up-this-crap fire every time!

My husband has devised a novel strategy for getting rid of things he doesn't want. He puts a price tag of $1.00 on it before he puts it on the curb. We've done this with two items and made $2.00.

If you don't have something out there doing the job yet, drag that white cube shelving unit outside to hold your gardening stuff, pop some plants on it, etc.

I'm trying to declutter, just a bit at a time - sometimes I open up a box and wonder why in the world I even thought I might need to look at some of that stuff again. But then again I didn't get rid of my huge box full of notes/letters from JR High and High School until I was a divorced 4 years :)

You know what's really sad?

Today is the day the cleaning lady my dad hired so my mom could have a clean house. (all of us are sick with something here, neurological crap, mental crap, or a heart problem...but that's not really the sad part...)

The sad part of cleaning day is...that I have to clean my room, which means I just move my crap into my dad's office (which is off limits to the cleaning lady) That's just so the cleaning lady can dust and vacuum my room.

If I dont put it in my dad's office, I stuff it in the drawers under my bed, or I stuff it in the empty computer armoire...or even my closet. My closet floor hasnt seen daylight for over a year now, and the lightbulb in the closet burned out 6 months ago. I cant get in there to change the bulb!

Once the cleaning lady is gone, I drag all my crap back into my room again and spread it back around. A laundry basket with laundry, crochet/knit projects, and assorted electronic stuff, a plastic tote full of yarn, a footstool with junk on it, and my computer chair, full of laundry, eletronic junk, no less than 4 crochet projects, and maybe 3 bags of yarn that hasnt been put away yet. Not to mention the 2 Harry Potter books that are only half read, 2 dolls, and some junk mail that I could throw away.

My computer desk is overflowing with junk. I havent used that computer more than twice in the past month, and I've only turned it off once in that time. I've been mostly using one of my laptops lately.

I am a serious packrat. I just dont have the energy to really get down to actually cleaning things up. I just move it all around. (stupid misfiring nerves of mine)

I'm thinking of at least sitting down and cleaning my desk off, so that I can at least use that computer a bit more comfortably. My back is hurting from sitting on my bed to work on my laptop.

I sincerely HOPE I can convince my husband to read this! He is my clutter issue (not that he is clutter, just his stuff is). I am very neat, or try to be and clutter drives me nuts. Perhaps he will see you as the voice of reason and not just think that my neatness is my problem....

Thanks.

what a lovely picture of desk and serenity and cat...i can feel the good feng shui from here!

i had not thought about needing to clean for the cats sake...yikes, i am not a good cat mother, but you are right, they are close to the ground and i need to do better with the dust!

noallatin - did the people put the dollar bill in your mailbox or something? cool idea...the no effort yard sale, one item at a time!

Ha! you should see my clutter iceberg. No, you shouldn't, for you would never be my friend again. But I may yet adopt your strategy, as long as I can keep my yarn for the time being.

OH, thank you for the discussion and the encouragement. I used to move every 2-3 years, and that was my de-cluttering moment. But now I have lived 6 years in the same place, so I need to do this too -- you're right that it takes time, but getting started is SO worth it!

ErinLindsey -- I used to do the same thing, put my piles and boxes and baskets and bins in the office when people came over for dinner or whatever and then pull it all out again after my guests were gone. It was exhausting!

Your idea to just start with the desk is awesome. I didn't amass all my clutter in one day and there was no way I could purge it in a day (or week, month, year! LOL) but doing a tiny bit at a time has paid off, finally. For me the big turning point was deciding not to add to my stuff -- no purchasing -- while simultaneously decluttering. It has taken me three years but I started so small . One little bag at a time!

Laurie, thanks for reminding me this can be done. I am a rightbrained a.d.d and it is SO Damned hard for me to declutter. I struggle with it everyday. It makes me crazy!
I am getting better about really thinking about stuff I want to buy...why do I want to buy it, where would I put it once I bought it, and can I really afford to buy it.
Thanks again for the great post!

Cats can't be clutter, even though sometimes I think clutter does have feet. How else can it spread so much?

I think I'm going to tackle the clothes situation tonight. I only do wear 20% of what I have anyway. So what's the point of having so much of it?

Thank-you for sharing. I too am inspired to at least think about your approach...it just feels so much like 'one, baby step forward and two (or ten) steps back' whenever I attempt to declutter.
Two kids, a husband that isn't home very much, three cats, a young labrador retriever, big house and a SERIOUS wool and fabric addiction---and I mean SEROUS ADDICTION!!
I've made notes about a couple of websites mentioned in your blog and will see if I find something there to give guidance.
But enough about me; can we see your shoe closet?

I figured out a way to recycle and perform a random act of kindness at the same time. I used to save Vanity Fair magazines and usually had several months of US News, Time, etc. in the house too. Instead of recyling I save them in a neat pile and pick up a good handful on my way to my next doctor/dentist/hair appointment. I leave them in the waiting room. Anyone who's spent any time in a waiting room knows what it means to find reasonably recent reading material. Just remember to cut out your address if it's printed anywhere on the magazine. See what I mean - a twofer!

I am so glad to read about your successes with de-cluttering. I feel overwhelmed everytime I go into my basement. We moved into a new house a year ago and still have 'stuff' in a storage locker because there is no room in the basement of our house. I feel at this point that I could de-clutter successfully but much of the stuff is not mine. How do you convince the other half to get rid of the stuff that he has hoarded for years? We have only been together for 5 so most of it is from several other lives. One box at a time I guess.

I love this blog. You are a great writer and so insightful.

I'm planning to declutter as I move (over the next 3 weeks!) Your desk is beautiful - it looks like a fabulous space to work in.

So inspirational! Thank you. Beautiful office and kitties of course!

Laurie, I second the suggestion that you need to write a declutter book. You motivate in such a kind way. I have years of de-cluttering work ahead of me and seeing how far you've come is a gift. Thank you.
And ErinLindsey, I could have written your post except that my clutter couldn't be moved from one room to another because they are all full! I know how disheartening it is to have no energy and so much to do. I am ever so slowly working on my space -- I've learned to laugh when I finish a task and think that no one but me knows it is better than it used to be because I do know it's better. The first place I was able to clear was my desk and, with some backsliding, I've managed to keep that one place usable which shows me I am not completely helpless and out-of-control. I'll think of you as I do my de-cluttering baby steps and send you thoughts of hope and strength.

Congrats! I bet you feel better and are at least a bit happier with having less stuff. I recently went through a purge of my own. We tried the yard sale thing but ended up giving almost all to Goodwill. Yea!! I am happy having less stuff as well. We had recently moved and I had packed all these things with us and then decided that nope I dont use or want some of these things anymore so we did our own purging.

I haven't yet mastered the skill of decluttering, but I'm working hard at it. I've had much more success minimizing what comes into the house since I've cut spending to just necessities -- groceries and school supplies are about it. I almost never buy clothes, and my daughters long ago decided that second-hand items were fine (my friends and I pass a lot of things around among us).

The payoff is (in addition to less STUFF lying around) more disposable income. That money has been put to excellent use (and I believe you, Laurie, will agree with me on this)in the form of travel. So far this year our family went skiing in Vermont, spent a week in London, and will later go to Hawaii. The enjoyment we get from these trips together is worth any amount of economizing when we are at home, and the girls have grown to appreciate a new travel experience much more than pricey jeans or a designer handbag. I'm totally with you on the importance of travel, and am planning a trip to Barcelona for 2009. Looking forward to these adventures makes it easy to not buy stuff HERE and NOW.

Great post. Very inspiring to read about your journey.

My husband seems to think we should just go to a bigger house. I'm in the let's-get-rid-of-stuff camp.

Easier said than done, but wow! You did it. Your desk looks inviting and wonderful.

Your office space is so beautiful - what a lovely reward for all your efforts. I've been reading for a while and love the inspiration and solidarity I get from your writing and all the comments. My husband and I just separated so it's all overwhelming at times. One day at a time though, right?

Just wanted to add that you've inspired me too. I've been trying to get my DH to move to another state, but I know that we will never sell our house in the condition it's in, and it's been that way since we moved in (except for one window that I insisted we replace this year - it's had a hole in it, also since we moved in!).

So, I looked around and thought "What can I live without, right now that will make it easier to fix this place up?" It was the books! We're both book-a-holic's and I think I was a librarian in a previous life! I **LOVE** books! So, while I can't get rid of them, I can store them until we get our house built with the main room being a library! So that is what I am doing. One smallish storage tub at a time - sorry, Not parting with my precious knitting/crochet books/mags!

Yes, the world economy is bad, but I think as we stop buying junk and concentrate on living, we'll not only force the suppliers to price things more moderately in order to sell to us, we'll force them to up the quality so that we'll want to buy, when we need it.

I had put myself on a yarn "diet" long before you had mentioned what you were doing. Not because I couldn't find anything that interested me, but because I had reached my saturation point. My mantra has been: I have, I don't need, I'm fine.

You're a great person, Laurie. Keep doing what you're doing, as you're inspiring us to do what *we* need to do!

Have a Great Day!

Well done! I applaud your grit and grace!

Ok- you are my new hero. I am in a similar situation, was married 7 years, went on a business trip for 2 weeks and returned home to find my ex-husband gone- he had run off with his mistress while I was gone (and I haven't seen him since!) Ouch. I went from having a 2 bedroom house to living in a tiny spare room at my Gramma's (where I still am) ALL of my clutter went into storage and still sits there. Now I am about to move out on my own, into a small but comfy mobile home. And I have been living in total fear & dread of my clutter lurking in storage!!! But I just stumbled onto your post randomly (what luck!), and it inspired me completely. I think I can do it too! So, thanks so much for sharing this!!

Hi,

I just voted for your blog for Bloggers Choice Awards.

Could you please return the favor at

http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/21620

Thanks,

SpEdLaw2

I'm sorry you had such poor customer service but I just love that white desk. I have the same general setup but mine is way ugly. I think a can of paint is in my future! And to figure out some way that makes all the cords underneath my desk somehow look neat/make sense. This winter, when traveling out of state to attend a wedding, I got to stay in this really neat motel/hotel something. Had a little kitchenette and a little loveseat and then in the bigger area the bed, desk, reclining chair and tv. I wanted to stay forever! When knitting time was over it went in it's little bag and in a drawer and there was NO clutter anywhere. Only time I've been able to recreate the feeling was when I had dragged almost everything out of the living room so I could shampoo the carpets. I'm trying though. Right now I have 5 big boxes of stuff sitting by the door waiting for the Habitat for Humanity truck.

Cats are definitely not clutter, even when you have 6 like I do. Their toys, on the other hand, can become outrageous clutter!

We only buy toys for the cats maybe once a year, and half of those are in a drawer at any given time (I rotate them periodically). But the empty teabag wrappers, crumpled receipts, milk jug rings and empty boxes seem to multiply when we aren't looking! We have to purge these every few weeks. When we move furniture for major cleanings or rearrangement, we find the stash/breeding ground of lost toys.

Yet another inspirational post! Plus the comments on your posts always add a whole 'nother dimension. I'm, like you and others, dealing with moving from a large (2700 sq. ft.) home to a 1600 sq. ft.one. All of our *stuff* is in the basement of our *new* 100 year old house, which floods every time it rains... Add to all that, (btw--can you call it clutter if it's in the basement?) I am trying to deal with all my eldery mother's stuff which is stored in the garage attic of where she lives. We try to do Ebay, but even so called "valuable antiques" are not selling now. I just don't want our children to have to deal with our collections of the past 40 years when we are gone...

How perfect is the timing of your post? My youngest child moved away 6 weeks ago and I'm in the midst of getting rid of years and years of clutter, not just mine but also that of two creative, acquisitive kids. I also indulged in an unhealthy amount of retail therapy when my husband left me.I was gleefully buying things that he would not have approved of. Then I was so overwhelmed; having so much stuff, and not enough money or time or energy. It was/is so hard to organize and clean. Sometimes I would just give up.
It doesn't say good things about our western culture,does it, that we are so angst-ridden about our stuff when so many people are in terrible need.

This clutter thing is not totally our fault. We have been programmed to be a nation of consumers by advertising, the media and the notion that all our problems will go away if we drive this or wear that. Go to Target today and you will see aisles and aisles of school items our kids must have to succeed and be happy. Next week, it will be the Halloween stuff, Once we buy all this crap they then sell us all manner of containers to store it. And when it's all to much we go rent storage units for $100 per month to keep the excess.

And it's all excess. We need to decide to keep only what we need and stop participating in this viscious cycle. I applaud you for writing about this.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the worst part. We charge this crap and possibly pay 18% or so for the priviledge of drowning in it.

Great post today Laurie!

Oh. My. Goooooooood! I *heart* me some Bob today, what a sweetiepie!!!!

I totally understand about buying crap to put our crap in. I'm a quilter(as well as a yarn addict) so I have stacks and stacks of fabrics. Now, I'm not a rich quilter, I have no sewing studio, not even a closet to hold my totes of fat quarters. So, after Christmas, I found a wonderful(so I thought) metal shelf unit at Target and brought it home to my bedroom. It is freaking huge!

Finally, after 6 months of that thing looming over me, I have had it moved(son and hubby) to the laundry room so the cats can sling litter over the contents of the bottom shelf. It is a monster and needs to be in the garage but we have "critters" right now, ok they are rats. Big. East Texas. Rats. And I can't have my fabric out there. Besides the oppressive 130 degrees it gets out there in the late afternoon would dry rot it fast.

I am beginning to regret my purchase.

BOBBLES!!

I just anti-cluttered and it felt SO great!

I wish cats could collect stuff though. Soba would probably be collecting works by Dostoevsky and Neitzche. Frankie would get a full length mirror and fur stylist. And Bob would probably try and and get a panic room :)

Do I see a book in the making? Lead us not into temptation for we shall be overtaken by particalboard shelving................
You go girl, and come to my house next week.
sm

don't know if i mentioned this before, but i recently bought a book about the psychology of clutter. currently it's easier to read and understand my mental junk instead of dealing with the physical junk.

maybe if i set a goal... one room each month.

look out august!

p.s.
i think you're fab. honest, quirky, fun, sincere.

you're a keeper.

mck.

There is a sensational show on cable called "How Clean is Your House" and it's hosted by two lovely British ladies, Aggie and Kim. Hysterically funny, but this show changed my life forever. I have never been quite as messy/dirty as the people on this show, but it sure made me see areas for improvement in my own housekeeping skills! Another great cable show is "Neat" which also gives great ideas on de-cluttering! Love both these shows.

oops - I'm not really anonymous!

congrats! your living space is ready for you to enjoy living!

not buying crap is one way to go green.

bob is most certainly NOT clutter, he is l-u-v!

comment eight million, checking in to say thank you. you have officially given me hope that my office can someday be clutter-free. we live in a 1200 square foot home, if you count the basement (which i don't because it's scary and all that's down there is the wash machine and all *his* tools). and it's packed to the gills.

we've been slowly paring down, one table full of crap at a time, and i'm slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. we still have to shut all our upstairs doors when people come over, but we don't have to do *as* panicked a cleaning at the same time. which is a step.

so yeah. thanks!!

I am always so inspired by your decluttering posts! And coincidentally, I had just checked "It's All Too Much" out of the library at lunchtime. Now if I could just be as good at sticking to it and finishing up each area as you are. I tend to give up partway through and just stash the rest of the clutter pile in a closet, or the basement...

Thank you for this post. I hold on to things for sentimental reasons that serve no practical purpose. I think I can start paring stuff down little by little as well. My problem is that I often find a new hobby to take up the space of the stuff I got rid of. But taking the time to save and get the right organizational needs is a good first step.

I guess the organizational mis-fires did actually serve an important purpose in helping you evolve your thinking.

I do understand what you are saying though. I think I finally get my grandparents who bought pieces of furniture years ago and have kept them forever. When I do finally get something that works for me, I'm sticking with it. Replacing it is exhausting and a hassle. Both in the buying it, getting it home, getting it up and integrating it into my life.

Dropping in to say I joined you several weeks back in the "stuff diet". Since then, other than groceries, I've bought 1 pair of shoes. Also I realized that 90% of the stuff I give to charity is either books or clothes, so I'm making a lot of use of the public library (and their web-based "hold" system) and prior year's clothes. And I'm still knitting from Gramma's stash that downloaded into my basement 3 years ago - will still be knitting from it for years, I expect. But what to do with the sweaters she knit that don't fit anyone? Or were stylish in the 80's? They're still in plastic storage containers about the house, for now...

While I really enjoy all your posts, I really love the ones about de-cluttering! I did the 2500 sq. ft. into 700 sq. ft. math too when I divorced and moved to a small apt. But then I moved to Australia and nothing is more motivating than the thought of having to pack everything and pay to have it shipped to the other side of the world. I got rid of almost everything - include a storage unit full of stuff I'd had for 3 years and had NEVER opened! It was SO liberating! I brought 4-5 pieces of furniture that I loved, were useful, and had meaning to me. I brought all my kitchen things b/c they were collected from my travels around the world. And I brought my books. Books are not and never will be clutter to me - but I only buy and keep ones I love enough to read again and again. And they all have a place on my bookshelves.

Your posts about de-cluttering help keep me from "re-cluttering" and remind me how amazing it feels to have space to breath. Thanks!

Oh - and I DEFINITELY brought my cats with me - because as we've all agreed - cats are not clutter! I think of them as performance art! :)

Honest and open. It's good to re-evaluate sometimes. A cat could never be clutter, more a piece of art.

Dear ErinLindsey, My sister (the neat freak--I am so jealous of her mad skillz at throwing junk away) has a hubby who cannot let go of paper. Their spare bedroom was full of junk. She made that his room for his junk, and the junk had to stay contained in that room. You cannot change your hubby, but you can set some healthy boundaries. You have a right to live in a calm, clean environment. I think Peter Walsh would agree. Best of luck to you!

Gotta start going through more stuff. some of it not technically mine...no, must make children go through their own junk. The hard part is making them get rid of some of it. Things are getting better, we all have had to just be ruthless and if we aren't going to use it, out it goes!!! You are right, the organizational stuff doesn't work until the clutter is gone!!!
Good for you for decluttering !!!
It is all part of a process of being happy with yourself and not stuff making you happy.
We are all works in progress, at least speaking for myself, I am.
Cats are essential for living. What is a room without a cat? An unhappy room, that's what it is. A person without a cat is an unhappy person, that is my credo. Or several cats, whatever works for you.
They listen to you and never laugh at your bad singing.
Bob is such a cutie!
And he has an awesome mommy!

WHOOAH! I think we (and by "we" I mean you....me...and the rest of the world) are onto something here! I've tidied up my den to turn it into my Writing Room (this is the year I resolved to *publish*, which you can't do unless you WRITE, if you know what I mean) and I have finally gotten to my purge point. First - I'm packing up the huge number of icky dishes and set out just enough, of my good stuff. Then on to Bigger and Better Things. My problem? I'm sentimental. Literally to a FAULT. I DON'T need all my kids' school papers. They're done with elementary school. In fact, my "baby" is 36, and if I throw away his book report from 2nd grade I don't think he'll be upset (UPSET is what he'd be if he knew I still had all that chazerai, I'm sure!) Yes, friends, neighbors, fellow-knitters and CAP admirers, THIS is the season to PURGE our nests. Laurie, you have Done It Again! (And may I add, I agree that a house ain't a home without which it has at least one cat in it....although there are people for whom one can substitute "dog" or "teddy bear" or "ferret" or "horny toad" or even "horny husband/wife/partner/leman, &c &c.) Thank you, my dear!

I cleaned out my computer chair so that I could sit in it tonight! It didnt last. I had to clean off my bed (where I put the chair clutter) so that I could lay down to watch the History Channel and crochet tonight. But, the chair isnt as cluttery as it was. I actually threw away some stuff that was in the chair.

Tomorrow, I might attempt to clean the closet so that I can at least get a light bulb in there so I can see well enough to clean it out.

I have clothes in that closet that are older than a friend of mine's kids. (one of her kids is now old enough to drink alcohol) I think those clothes could be put on the truck for the Veterans of Foreign Wars that's coming this week.

I seriously doubt that I'll ever fit into those outfits again anyways. Too many sweaters with big-ass shoulder pads in them. A couple of the sweaters will be staying here to be dissected into something other than a sweater. (the yarn is too nice to give away) Plus, I have about 75 t-shirts in the other room on hangers that are laying on the couch, waiting to be hung up.

I'm going to clean my desk off tomorrow night when I talk to my boyfriend on Skype. I need to pair up all the empty CD boxes with their CD's. I have Blue Man Group's CD in my Douglas Spotted Eagle CD box, and the Monkees in the DVD box from a set of Boston Legal DVD's.

I really need to learn to put my cd's back in their original CD boxes. I'm really bad about that.

And, if I've ripped those disks onto the computer, then I might as well put the CD's back in the cabinet so they'll be there when the computer melts down and I have to re-rip the disks onto a new computer.

I'm not sure I've ever told you how normal you make me feel. Or maybe it would sound better to say that I don't feel so alone.

I'm not the only person who has downsized into 720 square feet and taken years to figure out the clutter. I'm not the only person who bought (and scaveneged - oh I love to fix out other people's old furniture!) to fill a void.

I haven't been as courageous as you about putting pictures of my "stuff" on line. (I've almost got all the yarn corralled and I'm thinking I'm way past the trend but it may be time to flash my stash.)

One trick I've learned - assign a space and only accumulate what fits in that space. If it doesn't fit, something leaves or I can't buy it. There's a space for sock yarn and books. If the kitchen gadgets don't fit in the kitchen, I don't need 'em. Too many clothes for the closet? Out they go.

And I love the kitty pictures. (O.k. in my current place, there is no room for a litter box. Now that I realize you're in 800 square feet, what have you found that works??)

This blog entry was hugely motivational. Great job! Your rooms look fantastic, and I want to go tackle my bedroom now. I don't think I even notice the clutter most of the time, I'm so used to it.

On an interview on NPR, a French guest commented, "You Americans have houses for your stuff." Meaning garages and storage units. That comment has really stuck with me.

It looks like Pottery Barn to me.

You are an inspiration. Would you like to stop by my place and help me de-clutter?

Your office looks great! You've inspired me to maybe tackle that back room (trash hole) again! :)

I recently read your book and loved it. I picked it up as a knitter, but it was the decluttering aspects that really spoke to me. I bought my first townhouse about 15 years ago, moving from a small one-bedroom apt. A year or so ago the clutter started to get to me - for me the house was so big I just kept adding more stuff and never had to think about getting rid of stuff. I took six big contractor's bags of clothes out of the closet and it still doesn't look empty to me. The hardest thing for me is letting go of "good stuff," even if I'm not using it and can't see myself ever using it. It feels wasteful, but I need to keep telling myself the waste happened a long time ago.

So I'd read a decluttering book from you!

That is it. I am going home and starting my unclutter project again. I will have the resolve to declutter. I never really thought about that if you have a piece of organizational stuff that isn't working, that it is just making the problem worse, but you are so right.

In my case, the ex took so much clutter with him when he moved out last month, that I am like "oooh, wow, I have space!" Now I want to free myself of more stuff. This is the year of the declutter.

I need to convince my kids to do the same, at that's a little tougher.

I wish all your articles about decluttering, reorganizing, decorating... were in book form :0)
I always enjoy reading them and get inspiration. Love the cats too.

Timely, as always. I recently made a cross country move with my husband, then, decided I would like to move back, without the husband.

For the first move, there were 5 trips to Goodwill, each with at least 4 garbage bags full of clothes. We gave away 5-10 major furniture items, such as couches, etc., and actually simply left a few of the larger things there. Still, we needed a massive truck and trailer to get from Point A to Point B.

For the move back, I fit everything I cared about into one little trailer. I took no furniture (save for one chair that I actually didn't want, by my husband insisted), just the kids clothes and books, my clothes, cat supplies and a few things I really wanted. Everything that I brought with me fits neatly into a one-car garage at a friend's house (with room enough to navigate around it, by the way...).

And...I feel like I brought TOO MUCH stuff. Coulda done with less.

Clutter and stuff were actually one of the reasons my marriage ended. He was addicted to stuff--thought life was a race, and the only way to win was to have more stuff. Then one day I woke up and realized that I was spending most of my waking hours maintaining stuff that I never even wanted. It was all just stuff he wanted. Obviously, there were other reasons why I left him, but, "stuff" actually made the list...

I've always heard that the golden rule in de-cluttering is that if you haven't used it in a year, you don't need it. But that is a very difficult rule to follow. Your mind always plays that "What if?" game. What if there is a flood and I need this old beat-up bucket to take the water out? What if I need to find this article from my 1998 Time Magazine?

Congrats to you. And I love your desk.

Hey Laurie! I know you're a busy lady, but if you get a minute, would you consider checking this out? http://emilytheslayer.livejournal.com/240715.html

A friend of mine is writing stories about handmade things to raise money for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, and there is some yarn and some knitted things up for auction as part of it.

Thanks!

your desk is so cute! and congratulations on getting your clutter under control and on quitting buying so much. i wish i'd quit buying stuff a long time ago (like at birth) and here's why: my family of three people is about to move halfway across the country--and we can't afford a uhaul trailer. we have to somehow fit enough to last all of us six months into our little town car! it's tough, i'll tell ya.

Oh-oh-oh, we share the same screensaver! I feel next-to-famous, sharing a screensaver with a published author and master (mistress?) blogger! Whee! (Yes, I am pathetic, and yes, I love rocks.)

Hi from a fellow KD and knitter....

Allison

About every time I read your blog I bawl.

I am so with you about decluttering. I used to move a lot and when the old house was nearly empty and the new house barely filled, that was my favorite time. Last time I moved, I felt like pushing the moving truck off the cliff and be done with it. Alas, I have to work box by box, a bit at a time.

Yay for non cluttery Bobness! (I think the world of Soba and Frankie, but Bob (and Roy) really knock my socks off.)

I've been a bit late in reading your posts the last few months. I just wanted to say that I sooo agree with you. I've just moved countries (that's why I haven't been reading your blog) and I've been forced to get rid of things that I just held on to because I had them. It's kind of liberating to throw caution to the wind and say "If I haven't used this in 6 years I might not need it in the next 6" (I also like to be prepared for absolutely any event)

you are right. i live in too much clutter, and it makes my brain feel fuzzy. time to get rid of.

I agree with the other posters; cats can't be clutter because they're both perfect works of fine art, and fascinating pieces of performance art!

I love hearing about your decluttering efforts! I'm feeling completely overwhelmed by all the stuff my family of three has crammed into our apartment, and hoping that our move next week creates some breathing room (that I don't try to fill with more stuff!)

We are a family of four living in 900 square feet. Do I wish we had more space, and an extra bedroom? Yes. But deep down, living small helps me. I am prone to the same clutter-accumulating habits as you, but as a way to get myself to purge it, and not allow any more into my house through my auto-pilot shopping or well-meaning-gift-giving in-laws, I just know that there is a LIMIT. And when I try to de-clutter, a box at a time like you, I know that I don't have a scary basement overfilled with crap, because there is no basement. Novel concept, indeed!

Thanks for the inspiration, and all of the photos and thoughts. It really helps.

Love this post...and today's post (7.31).

I just donated half of my yarn stash, HALF, to my daughter's school. In the declutter project that has taken over my home, I have come to see with every donation of clothing, books, toys, yarn how much money I have wasted. Less is more.