Less Is More

Or so they say! But it's January, and things are 'bugging' me.

So, I'm doing the go-through-each-closet, room, garage, drawer-thing and organizing and purging. I haven't gotten very far yet, but oh, it feels so good. Like two days ago when I went through a stack of papers that I had downloaded and printed out who knows how many months/years ago and have never looked at since. Into the shredder they went. AHHH. Clean space! I think one of my motivations is to have it close to done before Mike and Adrianne move in at the end of the month. Probably an unrealistic goal, but it keeps me focused. (With Mike back in school full time and the economy, they are going to spend a little 'time' with us.)

Here is some information I found from SRBI Public Affairs and the National Association of Home Builders: "It's called the big box syndrome. We buy more stuff at big-box retailers. (Could this be my beloved Costco and the like?) We drive bigger cars to get all of that stuff home. We have bigger homes to put everything in. And somehow we still don't seem to have enough room for everything.

"Here are some specifics: In the 1950's, the average woman in the U.S. had four pairs of shoes. Today it is 13 pairs (and many more for a lot of women!). In 1970, the average size of a home was 1400 square feet. (My Westminster home for 10 years with 4 children). Today it's 2340 square feet. So, if more space and more stuff/clutter go hand in hand, even with that additional space, how can you get it under control?"

I found in my files a flyer, from a realtor I'm sure, that I kept about just such simplification! I've been using it as a guide and I think it's pretty thorough so I thought I'd post 5 of the 10 steps today. And the rest tomorrow. And maybe you just might find it useful too!

1--Pretend That You Are Moving. It's time to pare down. If you had to move, would you take it with you? Do you really need 3 hair dryers? Or what about all of those books; do you really need to keep all of them? Donate what you don't need.

2--Keep Only What You Love. Ask yourself, do you really have to keep it? If not, go ahead and get rid of it. Put more focus on using the things that bring you happiness.

3--The Benefits Of Less. Less stuff equals more time. With less stuff, there's less to clean, organize and dust. With less stuff, your house looks uncluttered and cleaner. Let this motivate you.

4--Learn To Love Containers. Containers instantly add order to choas, and are the secret weapon of organizers everywhere. Put all the kid's shoes in a tub, the newspapers in a bucket, fingernail polish in a basket, and so on.

5--Everything In It's Place! YES, this is something your mother always said, BUT SHE WAS RIGHT!! When everything has a place on a shelf, in a cabinet or in a bin, you'll avoid counter clutter and junk-filled drawers.

And now I'm pondering the pros and cons of wearing shoes in the house??? What do you do, and why? Shoes vs. taking shoes off when you come in the door.

That is the current question.....