Random Stuff I Found

You made it to Day 10 of the Declutter Game!  Congrats!!  I hope you found it just as helpful and motivating as I did!  

It’s amazing how good it feels to clean out the clutter and create a home that is organized and neat.  With the past year focused on healing from surgeries, this project was way beyond due for me!  And if I’m honest, it’s still not done but I definitely made progress these past 10 days.  In fact, I got rid of 101 items!   From clothes I had not worn in a long time to books and magazines I had already read, I was able to donate a carload of stuff.  Certainly more than I could have imagined when I started this declutter challenge.

The declutter game has helped me to put a focused short-term effort on creating a clutter free, serene living space.  The best part is that with a more organized home, I won’t be wasting time anymore chasing around for lost items and I will have more time to create art!

I want to share a couple more reflections on these past 10 days:

• I found that it is most often easiest if you clear everything out of a drawer and then only put back what you truly need and want.  Donate or trash the rest.
• Once you get started with clearing out the clutter, you will find that it is easier to make it a daily habit.  Even if you spend just a few minutes on a small area, it makes a difference over time.
• Make sure you dispose of medications in a safe way.  I wrote about reorganizing my medicine cabinet in this blog post.  Here in Portland, you can dispose of medications in special drop boxes at the police station. Please check what is recommended in your home town.
• Reward yourself after the 10 days are up.  It doesn’t have to be anything big. A reward gives you something to look forward to and it keeps you going!

Now the fun part….  Here are some random items I found these past 10 days hiding underneath the bed, beneath piles of stuff and in the back of drawers, spanning many year's worth of family activities, celebrations and holidays from Halloween to Valentine’s Day!

---

• a paper heart cut out
• a skeleton ring
• a mint (no idea how old it is so into the trash it goes; apparently decluttering is good for the waistline too! ;0) )
• toy milk bottle for a doll (our daughter is the prime suspect for hiding this item in the back of my purse drawer many years ago!)
• fall "treasures" (acorns from how many seasons past?!)
• a little beaded chain
• a floppy disc (a what?!)
• a pink thingamabob to hold helium balloons down
• a yellow wooden bead (yep, just one)
• a green ribbon
• a blue piece of yarn

Thanks for playing along!  Please leave a comment to share about your experience!