Too Much Stuff

"Things come in, but nothing EVER goes out!" cried "Kathy" as I sat in her home with her husband talking about what can be done to get a grip of their home. They have lived in their home over 30 years, slowly items built up. The time had come to let go.

"I know there is stuff that has not been touched in YEARS," "Bill" exclaimed. We need help to get rid of some of these items. I was ready to help this wonderful couple feel better about their home.

As with all projects (this one or your own), we walked through the home and took notes of any thoughts and comments about each room: items to stay, things to go, what the room should look like when finished.

A bedroom was the first area we needed to conquer. This had become a catch all room for items, some gifts others purpose or function in the home had past. Grabbed a chair for Kathy to sit down and we went to work.

I pulled items out of the closet, she shared a memory and let it go. It was not easy for her, though as we continued to work she began to feel better about what we were accomplishing. "Wow! I had no idea there was that much stuff in this little room that we were not even using anymore." Items were bagged/boxed up and loading into my car for donation. Quick sweep of the floor and the room looked bright and shiny.

The next spare bedroom had a lot of empty boxes that were easily crushed and packed for recycling. Kathy and Bill had gone through the closet and created a "safe area" of clothing to keep.

The remainder was to be donated. The safe area clothing was returned to the closet. Christmas decorations were consolidated into fewer boxes. Personal family memorabilia was set aside for future review. With the extra space in the closet, the luggage was tucked away. Another sweeping of the floor and another bright and shiny room to enjoy. Ready for a family sleepover.

This project was quite a challenge for Kathy. It was quite difficult for her to let go of the items she had accumulated over the years. She wanted to clear up the space and knew she needed a bit of help.

I encouraged them to keep in mind: If a new item comes into the home, an item must leave (2 if they want to gain ground on the clutter battle).

What have you brought into your home and what went out?