Cutting the Clutter for Christmas!

[Kim Loves Snow]

Katrina - I have way too many winter coats, too, but I wear them but they are so bulky to store.

How has everyone else been doing? Me, not so good. I'm really back sliding some.

 

[SparkleNana]

Don't worry, Kim Loves Snow! You are just having an overwhelming amount of hours of work to do now!!!! We have to keep reminding each other that this is a Marathon... Not a Sprint!!! AND.... every little bit really does help! You are just storing up some "ambition" to work on clutter.... and when you have rested up... you will start again! After all.... the Holiday Grand Plan (official) oesn't even begin until..... when is it? I keep thinking it is September 1st... but I don't really know.......

For me.... it has finally cooled off enough to work outside a bit..... so that is where my energy is going..... even though I would MUCH RATHER be working on Christmas stuff....... and... I hope this time is building up my own "ambition" for dcluttering too!!!

For one thing..... I am really going to try not to give the adults I love any more "clutter" gifts.... the kids? No... they love their stuff.... until they outgrow it!!!!!

 

[SparkleNana]

Grabbing a rash bag.... today, I will try to fill it with clutter!!

 

[aggy]

Kim I am having the same issue with my coats. The pole is sagging so that if i add one more it is going to come down.

Yesterday i pulled out my fall totes. Today i will go through them to see what I will keep and what will be given/thrown away.

 

[Kim Loves Snow]

Aggy - Are the fall totes for clothes or decorations or both?

 

[MinnieCo]

We just did my daughters room at the begining of summer and she went through it AGAIN and got rid of 2 more bags full of things. Clothes and purses that she's to OLD for now!

 

[aggy]

Aggy - Are the fall totes for clothes or decorations or both?

The totes are full of fall decorations. I have two large ones. I started putting up some of them around the house Sunday. What I don't use I am getting rid of.

 

[Colleen in PA]

Parts of my house look good, unfortunately it's not the Public Spaces! We (all) seem to have gotten out of the habit of putting things away when we first come in the door...shoes, backpack/briefcase/diaper bag, stroller, mail, etc. My entryway is a disaster. And the shutters on the windows are ready for Halloween they have so much dust on them! *sigh* It's a good thing HGP/HHP begin Agust 29th! I need a kick in the tush!

baby steps!

 

[SparkleNana]

Clearing the Clutter is so strange!!!!

Before I began working today (in the guest room/office).... I thought..... I don't know what to do in here! Nothing makes sense! I'll never get anywhere! There is too much stuff and the house is too small!! Etc., etc.

After a while.... things seemed to magically fall into place. "The next step" was always clear! In other words.... the next thing to do --- was obvious!!

????????

I don't know how this works.....

I HAVE figured out that there are millions of wonderful, beautiful, bargain-priced things in the world..... and that I don't have room for ANY of them!!! OR.... I don't have room for any MORE of them!!!

The simple answer seems to be -- do not bring things into the house!!!!

Excuse me.... but that is just no fun!!!!


However.... having a clear, clean, serene home IS fun!!1

Life is just full of mysteries!!!

 

[aggy]

SparkleNana I feel your pain - and your joy. lol

 

[JeniferDwn]

For a couple of years now, I've wanted to get rid of some Chrsimtas and Halloween decorations that I don't use, but I feel guilty doing that for some reason. Like I'm doing something wrong by giving them away! I can give away other stuff in the house, but not my decorations.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

JeniferDwn...i know what you mean. I cannot give away any of my Christmas stuff. I think it is because
A) I LOVE Christmas and everything about it,
B) Everything seems to hold a special meaning or memory.

Oh well I will just have to put up with having a lot of Christmas stuff.

 

[Kim Loves Snow]

I really thought I was the only one who had trouble pairing down holiday/seasonal decorations. I have a very hard time with that! I did give away a portion of my snowman collection two years ago and I felt guilty for months. Silly, I know.

 

[snowqueen]

Isn't it funny how we feel about things. I get a feeling I'm betraying the holidays by getting rid of stuff. Almost like I'm saying I don't care about them if I don't keep the stuff. I have let stuff go and it does feel better after but it's so hard

 

[AnnieClaus]

A suggestion: Give the decorations to a low income family, single mother, or a young person just starting out.

It will make your heart sing knowing that you are creating an atmosphere for holiday celebrations for someone else. Your decorations will live on.

Annie

 

[housewife2]

i know i have alot and cant part with it now. maybe somewhere down the road. to many memories i cant do it.

 

[AnnieClaus]

I know there is a lot of emotional attachment to holiday decorations- especially for us Holiday Enthusiasts.

Annie

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Annie...is that what we all are, Holiday enthusiasts ?? I just thought that we were Christmas nuts.

 

[Kim Loves Snow]

For me, I think that I pick out decorations with loving care or they are given to me by people I love, some of which are no longer with me and it just pains me to give them away. Annie - you made a great suggestion of giving away to someone in need. I HAD to pair down my snowman collection - there was not a shelf big enough to contain them. Most of them had been given to me by a distant family member when she found out I collected them. Some I love, others not so much, but those eyes...those eyes that looked at me when I was deciding which ones to keep and which ones to give away. I'm serious - it was hard! I had to turn them over so they would not look at me! LOL! I gave them away on Craig's List and I got an email back from the guy who said that he loved them and was recently single with a small child and they would be perfect for their new home. That made it worth it!

 

[JeniferDwn]

Some of my stuff was bought when we first got married. It was cheap and I just wanted to have decorations. Some are out of style now. Like the pretty teddy bears that were dressed all in a pretty dress sitting in a big straw chair. Very pretty, but it was stylish many years ago, not today......Some are stuffed animals that I dont' want sitting out now......I have the whole set of Rudolph stuffed animals that was at CVS several years back. I don't have anywhere to sit the whole set....I will try to do better this year and actually take some to the mission.