Taming the Clutterbug

Hi. My name is Beth, and I'm a clutterbug.

Well I used to be. I got rid of everything unwanted and unused before we moved, and all was right with the world. I don't even have a junk drawer! Then I relapsed. But I have good reasons- I swear!

I've been caring for my mom more and more for the past year. Housework was sacrificed (happily) to make her meals and go for visits. More of my time was spent working out of my home and visiting hers. Now that she's gone, I realized just how important being an at-home mother and wife is.

My house is a mess. Not just any mess, but a volcanic, lava leaden hot mess. Mess that has the potential for TV greatness.

And after going through my mom's apartment, I have a pile of keepsakes and items I really have no room for- all piled in my living and dining room.

I want to keep it, but I can't. I don't have the room!

It's time to tame the clutterbug once more. 

Thanks be to God for past experiences, for I now have the tools to deal with this mess- however, time is still a problematic factor, since I'm in the middle of getting ready for a writer's conference. I'm both an attendee and faculty. That's me, always taking on new jobs!

Maybe I should join a club for Multitaskers Anonymous? I'd start one, but that would just add to my 'To Do' list. Ugh.

Not to mention I haven't worked in almost six weeks. Between the money and time factors, This stuff might be here a while. But that bug needs serious taming. Soon.

So here are a few decluttering ideas I'm working on:

I have three totes filled with photo albums. There isn't room for all of them, so I'll take digital pictures of the pictures and download them onto discs. One goes into each of the kids' folders, and I'll have at least two copies. The photos themselves will be put into acid-free envelopes for storage. I might keep one or two out on the shelves, but the rest won't be needed for display in an album. The empty albums will be donated or thrown, depending on their condition.

Framed photos will be displayed all over the house, since I have yet to put up any pictures since we moved! Photos I don't use will be distributed among other family members. Any photos not wanted will be deframed and stored. Empty frames will be given away or donated.

Other random items will have a spot, or will be donated. I don't store anything but pictures anymore. I took what I thought I could use, but some I might not have room for. Those things will be given to family or donated.

Do you see a trend here? Once I get the ball rolling, there will be no clutter in my house. If it doesn't have a spot, out it goes. Period.

The clutterbug hates this. I like ticking off the clutterbug- that means I'm doing the right thing!

The last time I began decluttering, it took me nearly five years and moving to a new house to get rid of it all. I'm hoping this go-around won't take more than a few months. Why that long? Time constraints; with two teens, three cats, and a husband, it usually takes three times as long to fix what took a few weeks to mess up! 

Once the prep for the conference is finished and the conference is over, then comes the tough stuff. I have to go back to work, get back to editing and writing, and become a homemaker/decluttering whiz.

Get back, you Clutterbug! Back! *Cracks whip*