Decluttering Day 2 and Working on My Hotspots

Yesterday I spent day two on my decluttering.

I have been on a mission since retirement to downsize my stuff even though we aren't planning to move.

As I have shared before clearing out things after parents have passed has really made me think of how much we have and will have to be dealt with by our kids. While that is just a reality, it is so magnified in this day and age of "buy, buy, and materialism".

My parents were from the Depression Age and saved things because they thought they might need it.

I have the closets done, so now it is time to do the stuff that is out in front of me. The goal is a little more simplified and easier to clean.

On my second day, I got rid of some vases and knick knacks in my formal rooms. I don't necessarily dislike any of it, but it is not special or a story behind any of it. I feel like it just makes the rooms more breathable. It will give me room to put out some seasonal things in the fall and Christmas and then breathe with the remainder of the year.

I also moved some houseplants around and actually removed one from the house altogether. It had just not faired well in the foyer where it gets almost too hot in the summer.

Next week, I plan to tackle the sentimental items in two of the closets again, and my sewing room. I have a lot of craft stuff that I need to purge. I have gone through it once, but I think it needs to have a second round.

Then I want to tackle the garage by the summer's end. My goal is to go into the fall with a lighter load.

When I have been though it all, then it will be just trying to take note when things are getting to full looking again and address it at that moment.


I also need to stay diligent on my zone cleaning so I don't have to do all out deep cleaning. I ought to be able to handle that better now than when I was working. I need to apply a bit more discipline to that.

One thing I have been mindful of is my hot spots. I have three that still can get out of control quickly.
-the kitchen island
-my desk in the sewing room
-my basket by my chair.

Clear for now.

More space doesn't always equate with being more organized. It just gives you more room to add junk.

I think I have done much better by my chair since I changed to a smaller basket.

I had a bigger basket here, and honestly it filled up with junk so that the basket wasn't even useful. I started thinking about what I really needed there and moved a smaller basket to house those things. I had to be pretty deliberate for awhile to put nothing else there, but I think I have got there area under control.

The new smaller basket contains my Bible, the two books I am reading (I almost always have two going at the same time), my journal, and my iPad. I keep my cross stitching in a bag. That has worked out very well.

I have got to tackle the desk and be just that deliberate with that area.

The kitchen island is just so hard. It is a clutter magnet. I have tried to make sure I clear it twice a day.

I have to do a few things for mom today, some ironing, and a little outdoor flower work. I will say I have bought so much less this year, but I am really thinking I am going to cave on some new candles for dining room. It is hard to find tapers locally, and I have seen the most perfect color on a website, so I may allow myself an indulgence.

One more note... I think the reason I have so much decor is the simple reason of materialism. Not in an all out bad way, but just you go out and see the cutest stuff and purchase it with no thought to where you will put it. Bam, you are staring at so much. I know I am not the only one, so these minimalists have thinking about it at least... Now, I just can't go with all bare, I need some "treasures."

Speaking of treasures, I am going to link a video that I just found simply fascinating. It is kind of slow, but while they are talking about how all these people ended up with stuff, they show pictures of their homes. While it is not straight up hoarding, it is what I have seen people do in some part to the busy lives we lead and the sentimentality of things. It is about 20 minutes if you are interested. Like I said, I found it fascinating.

Toodles,
Sandy