Organizing

Moving Clutter and Trash

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Have you ever noticed that when someone has just moved out of their house the trash waiting for pick-up is a mile high? Have you ever wondered where they were keeping all that trash? Why did they keep it?

My theory is that things get stored out of sight and are forgotten. Even if they are in plain sight they can be forgotten amongst all the other things that are just sitting there. We may be saving it for “someday” when we have time to fix it or clean it up so it can be used again. But when we move we decide it isn’t worth bothering with and throw it away.

The more items we keep because of this thinking the more difficult our move will be. So if you are planning a move soon you may want to start cleaning out all those “someday” things. You old home will be easier to pack up when the time comes. You new home will be easier to unpack if you don’t have to mess with the clutter.

If you are not planning a move then you can still pretend like you are. Go through each room and ask yourself the following questions about all your things.

  • Is this item worth paying good money for to move to a new home?
  • What wouldn’t you take because you don’t like it or use it?
  • Why are you keeping it in your current home?
  • If it isn’t worthy enough to be in a new home what makes it worthy enough for you current home?

You deserve to live in a clean “new” home even if you are not planning on a move. Clear out the clutter and you will feel like you are in a “new” home. Add some new paint or other decorative touches and you’ll have a fresh start in your home.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Back to School Shopping

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Many states are having the “School Tax Holiday” this weekend. If your state participates then you will want to take advantage of it especially if you are in need of a big ticket item like a computer.

This week’s Decluttering Tips Newsletter has suggestions on how to take advantage of these tax savings. You don’t want to buy more than you need because the extras can easily end up as clutter. If you haven’t signed up to receive this newsletter then please do so on the right sidebar. I will be sure to send out a copy to anyone who signs up in the next couple of days.

If you are already signed up to receive the newsletter then please check your inbox.

Back to school shopping can be exciting or stressful. Planning ahead and writing down what you need to buy will help reduce the stress. It’s important to keep children enthusiastic about going to school. Their whole future depends it.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Being Decluttered Makes Life Easier

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If you read my last post you know that I am going through a health crisis. Since I have spent the last six years as a Flybaby, (Flylady.net) I have been decluttering my home. I now realize how grateful I am to have reached the point of being organized with minimum clutter around.

The past six weeks have played havoc with my mental and physical health leaving routines by the wayside. Since I have reduced my incoming paper clutter what does come in is manageable. The majority of my bills are paid electronically so the few paper bills have been easy to handle on time. With facing a lot of future medical bills my finances are now under control and that will make it easier later.

The biggest advantage I have seen has been in my home. Although I haven’t kept up regular routines of cleaning, the house has still not gotten out of control. Yes, the dust gets thick enough to write your name in it and the beige carpet sometimes is sprouting a layer of black hair (black dog). But I get to them when I can. Without the clutter the dirt isn’t as noticeable. When the toilet bowl starts showing that distinct water line I take a couple of minutes and clean it.

It’s the organization of my home that has kept the clutter build-up at bay. The books, magazines, papers, trash, etc. have been manageable because I have limited the incoming traffic of them. The groceries have a place to go and are put away immediately. Since I don’t have a lot of clothes (only what I will wear and fits) I am forced to keep the laundry up. Either I wear dirty clothes (not good for the mental or physical health) or wash them and put them away. Smaller loads are easier to take care of without getting overwhelmed.

So whenever there is a disruption in your routines due to vacation, back to school, holiday season, home remodeling, health crisis (yours or a loved one), etc. if you have less clutter around it will make your life so much easier to manage. Just think if it is easier during a routine disruption how easy it will be during the regular times.

Time to evict the clutter and take back your home.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Decluttering From a New Perspective

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You may have noticed that I haven’t blogged or sent out a tip newsletter for the past several weeks. It’s not because I have given up on building this blog or my website. I haven’t. Sometimes life takes an unexpected detour and it takes time to adjust.

I have been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be undergoing surgery tomorrow. After that I will have a round of chemotherapy followed by radiation. I’m telling you this because the next 9-10 months of my life will be in upheaval. The doctor calls it a temporary inconvenience. The last time I had a 9 month temporary inconvenience was when I was pregnant with my youngest son. He turns 23 in August. That “inconvenience” had a good end result. With some luck, at the end of this one I will have a clean bill of health and a rebirth of my spirit.

I plan on continuing this blog and my newsletters during this time. I cannot promise that the “Decluttering Tip Newsletter” will come out weekly or the “Organize By The Month News” will be out by the first of the month, but I will do my best. I also plan on writing articles for my website plus e-books on different areas of decluttering and organization.

I have spent the last 25 years reading, researching, and practicing many ideas and systems to keep control of the clutter. It doesn’t come natural for me so it is an ongoing process. It started when I found a book in the store called; “Sidetracked Home Executives” by Pam Young and Peggy Jones. I was a new mother and full time employee back in the early eighties and chaos was beginning to take over my home. Their system helped me keep some control over the growing clutter that came with a growing family. The one downside to their system is that I didn’t have a built in buddy like they did. My sisters, mother, mother-in-law, and most friends were either born organized or didn’t want to admit they had a problem. I had to go it alone.

Six years ago I found Flylady and a whole world of SHE’s. I wasn’t alone anymore! With lots of new friends (flybabies), both locally and online, I found the support needed to motivate me to dig even deeper to release the “hard to let go of” clutter. With most of the clutter gone I have been able to pursue my passion of writing and share my knowledge and experience with others.

Since my home is in good shape (not perfect) it has been a lot easier to keep it under control as I deal with the emotional part of my health crisis. However, with this new detour in my life I am finding a new perspective on what is clutter. Many things I thought were important to keep don’t seem so important right now. At the end of my newsletters I sign off with the statement; “To a lighter load along the way.” That has taken on a even deeper meaning. Life is precious, very few “things” are.

If you have read this far, I thank you. This blog will continue to focus on decluttering and organizing. So will my newsletters, articles, and e-books. I will be creating a new blog that will be a diary of my journey through breast cancer treatment. I will let you know when that is started for anyone who might be interested.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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July 4th Fun

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July 4th is this weekend and there are many fun and safe ways to celebrate. If you didn’t receive my July newsletter then you can check it out on this blog. It’s located on the sidebar under Newsletters. I have included lots of links to sites that can give you ideas of how to celebrate this holiday with your children.

If you are having a barbeque with the traditional hot dog and baked beans then there are lots of recipes for you to try. Ice cream and/or watermelon for dessert are also summer time favorites.

If you are getting ready to send your children off to overnight camp then check out the best way to pack them up.

Planning a vacation this month? Then make sure you pack everything you need and not one thing more. Many airlines are charging for each piece of luggage now so you don’t want to take any extra suitcases if you don’t have to. Check out the July newsletter for ideas of what and how to pack light.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

P.S. Be sure to sign up for the for the weekly Decluttering Tips Newsletter and the monthly Organize Newsletter. One sign up for both newsletters. Sign up now so you don’t miss out on all the great tips and information!

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