OT to Disney - Downsizing to eliminate clutter?

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

Is this even possible?

Okay. I think about this a lot. My house is full of a lot of stuff and is harder to keep clean. We were at a friend's house tonight, and although I realize they probably cleaned up some for our visit, it was really clean and tidy. They don't have TONS of stuff.

We HS, so we have all that stuff. I have tons of kitchen stuff, including cake decorating items. My girls have lots of clothes and stuffed animals and toys in their room. We have a basement with a toy room. I hand down clothes from child to child. Our garage isn't spotless like practically everyone else in our neighborhood. And, our laundry room needs a good spring cleaning.

I've tried Flylady before, but her methods are too vague for me, and I've even gotten rid of stuff I ended up needing (like maternity clothes!). My DH and kids sometimes fight me when I'm trying to get rid of stuff. No one but me is bothered by any of this. Our house isn't a disaster, but I sure would love a tidy house that is easy to keep clean.

I know as our final child gets older, I'll finally be able to get rid of the baby stuff and stop saving clothes, but in the meantime, I just don't know what to do. Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in stuff. (Although we aren't even half as bad as our parents are!)

What kind of criteria do you give yourself for getting rid of clothes, toys, and other items, esp. when you pass them down from child to child?

Any advice/help? TIA!

 

[tinaluis]

No advice -- I know how you feel. I keep saying that if we didn't buy another thing, we'd have EVERYTHING we need until our DDs go off to college. And, like you, I got rid of all of my maternity stuff (and baby stuff too), only to decide to have just one more baby. Fortunately, we've managed to find everything we'll need for the new baby (including my maternity clothes) on Craigslist, from friends and at garage sales, so I don't feel too bad for having gotten rid of all my stuff. Like you, we have three DDs, so we're always saving clothes, shoes, etc. to pass down. Fortunately, our youngest DD is now 5 and has started to outgrow some things and we can get rid of them for good. I'm actually relieved to be having a baby boy (and to having my tubes tied after delivery) because I can get rid of clothes and toys as he outgrows them.

 

[jagafen]

What kind of criteria do you give yourself for getting rid of clothes, toys, and other items, esp. when you pass them down from child to child?

I am the QUEEN of de-cluttering (at least, I THINK I am! ). We live in an apartment, so space is limited and we have to maximize it as much as possible. Here's how we handle the job. In common areas, I believe in covered containers (e.g photo boxes in the den to control the desk and book shelf clutter, to hold items neatly on the shelves in our desk. The only thing on top of the desk is computer equipment and a pencil caddy (another container!). We keep all of our CD-ROMs, game manuals, computer things, etc. in the photo boxes (we got ours from Ikea, but they're easy to find). They fit perfectly on the shelves, and really help to reduce visual and physical clutter. There are baskets and pencil boxes to hold the young cub's are supplies. He also has one shelf of books. We also have covered baskets in the living room...a total of 4 that are on the bottom shelves of our coffee and end tables. They hold a bunch of stuff that does not have a home! Since they are covered (with hinged lids) you can't tell what's in them, and they just look like a decorative touch.

As far as the young cub's room...we have a rule, before every birthday and Chirstmas, he helps us decide what he no longer plays with, and we put it in a box and donate it to Goodwill. In my opinion, if it's missing pieces, or looks well played with, it's not worth donating. IF your kids don't play with something for more than a month, I would "hide" it and see if they notice. Involve them in the proces too. With our son, I find that he wants to keep something as soon as I suggest that he doesn't play with it. But he responds well to logic, and when I remind him that he hardly ever plays with something, he usually relents and agress to "share" it. I also don't force him to "share" something he really plays with or is attached too. So far, it's worked for us! I try and go through his things with him about every 5-6 months or so and see if there's anything he's lost interest in. Or, if it's appropriate, I take it to work (I work w/kids with disabilities). As far as storing toys...everything has a home. My son as 4 lidded bins in his room stacked near his "play area" One holds his Spiderman guys, one his Rescue Heroes, One his Legos, and the other has his playdough stuff. There is also a small plastic 3-drawer "cart" that has all of his Bob the Builder and Deigo accessories in it. His tv stand/shelf has 4 shelves with baskets....they hold the Rescue Heroes accessories, his cars, his "vehicles that are not cars", and his "happy meal guys". The nice thing about this is, he cleans his room every night by himself. He knows exactly where everything goes, and puts it there. We also have 2 drawers on his bed, and an extra dresser that we use to hold his board games. His head board has 3 cubbies, to hold his sleeping buddies. Some thought went into the selection of his furniture, he has lots of toys, but his room doesn't look cluttered or messy (unless he's playing of course!)

As far as clothing...as soon as the "season" beginning to change, I start going through his clothes. Anything that is stained or worn looking gets tossed. The nice seconds get put in a box or bag to be passed on to my girlfriend. There's no use in saving/re-using ratty looking clothes. I am also a fan of "under the bed storage boxes". We have 4 under our bed in our bedroom. That's where we (hubby and I) keep our out of season clothes. As far as our clothes are concerned, If I haven't worn it during the season, it gets donated. There's no use taking up storage space for things that aren't getting used.

It might seem like a lot to start with, trust me, this happened in bits and peices. I woould start with one room, and get containers (our bins all came from Walmart....reasonable prices...sales frequently) and to it a bit at a time. Keep at it, and before you know it, you'll be able to see a difference. For the home schooling stuff, I would go with the bookshelf/basket/container idea. That plus maybe a few filing cabinets, but I realistically have no idea how much stuff you're talking about!! We like Ikea becasue their prices are reasonable (we stay away from the particle board contstructed stuff...doesn't last long.) and they have the accessories right there to fit their bookcases/shelves, etc. Honestly, my biggest flaw is getting the stuff out of the house!! I will keep a bag in a closet "to go to Goodwill" for months before it makes it out the door!

I do not keep a perfect house!!! We do have a 4 year old!! One of the reasons I have such a bug in my bonnet about clutter is becasue of my mom. She saved EVERYTHING....10 years worth of Nursing Journals she never read, clipped out recipies she never did anything with..COUPONS, expired YEARS AGO!! I had issues living in my house growing up, and swore I wouldn't "keep house" that way. My husband used to Joke that if the cat didn't get up from the couch and move to the bed, I'd donate her too!

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I used to save everything. My biggest one was saving my decorating magazines-what a space killer. I learned to pull out what I was interested in and organize that in a binder-tossed the rest.

Clothes are a big one for us and like the PP, we go through closets and drawers with each season. We do not hang on to items that no longer fit (that we hope will again some day). About the only thing we keep for sentimental reasons are my wedding gown/kids christening gowns/outfits kids 1st came home from the hospital in. Everything else is fair game. If we have something we did not wear last summer and it is summer time again and we know we won't wear it...off it goes to the Salvation Army.

We also had a yard sale 2 weeks ago. The kids were great with all that they got rid of. My daughter went from having an overstuffed closet to one that she can actually fit much more in. One of the biggest things that convinced the kids to part with things they didn't use is that they kept all the money that was made on the sale of their toys. They loved the thought of selling what they didn't use anyway and buying some new video games.

We also do the clean out before the holiday-Santa just does not come if we have no room to put new items. Now that two of mine are teens, they are obviously not into Santa...but same premise holds true...mom and dad don't buy when there isn't any room!

I've also learned that I don't need ten zillion knick knacks on the wall or on my tables-they are merely dust collectors and make things look cluttered and unclean. I have pared things down substantially. My DH put shelving and cupboards in my pantry and utility room and that has helped house items that are not used so much-like my mixer, food processor, cake pans, rolling pin and food sealer.

I also don't stock up on items. Those warehouse clubs are great, but certain things just don't get used that often-it'll take me years to go through some things, so in the end they are not bargains.

I also clean out the linen closets frequently-20 different sheets for my sons bed is just crazy! My daughter hasn't put Hello Kitty on her bed in at least six years...off it all goes!

Sometimes I have a hard time decluttering-it is hard to part with something well loved or that is new or nearly new, but in the end if you never or rarely use it, it doesn't seem worthwhile to keep. In my mind, it costs me more in space and storage than it would to go buy the item again if I truly needed it. Clothes-unless it is a truly classic piece, it will go out of style...buy new later if necessary.

We do hold onto some sentimental items, but they are few and far between. I do have ONE bin per child that I use to hold special things-momentos or projects they did over the years that I could not part with-but not their everyday coloring pages.

I cringe if someone buys my kids stuffed animals and we don't buy them anymore. I make it a point to tell everyone DO NOT buy any stuffed animals for my kids. My daughter was the major offender with stuffed animals-her room was overtaken at one point. We don't do boardwalk games to win them and the kids do not do those machines with the crane to win one. Just too much and they end up in the trash (if I have my way) in the end anyways.

Good luck...it takes time to declutter.

If it makes you feel any better, I know of NO ONE that has one of those nearly empty and spotless garages. On the off chance I see one, I always figure those folks must be newlyweds, without kids and without a darn thing to put in the house yet. Do real people actually live like that? That tells me their house is just too big for them!

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

Thanks for all the good tips and advice! I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with this. My 2 girls are like mini tornados, and I'm trying to teach them to clean up after themselves, but you know kids! With another on the way, I'm trying to make room for the baby and get the house reasonably baby safe.

Well, I worked this weekend on closets and storage, and I donated 6 garbage bags (plus 1 box) of clothing and threw out an additional bag!!! My husband even went through his side of the closet b/c he knew it was important to me!

During the winter, I donated 2-3 garbage bags of stuffed animals (we still have tons) and my girls didn't even really notice they were gone b/c I made sure to keep the ones they did love and play with.

I'm trying to spoil my girls less when birthdays and Christmas come around too, which means more $$ for Disney, which they are happy about!

 

[solgent]

I highly, strongly recommend the book Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern. This book really helped me understand that things can look neat but not be neat, or they can look messy but you might be able to tidy up really fast because everything has a place. The book begins by exploring some of the psychological/emotional barriers to de-cluttering. That was so soothing and helpful to me. She doesn't come on with the attitude, "What's wrong with you? Throw this junk out!" She seems to understand that there are a lot of issues that lead to accumulating and keeping stuff and she just wants to help you make your environment work for you.

 

[kinntj]

I know what you're talking about. I just started decluttering this weekend and boy is it alot of work. I just did our closet and boy was it a chore that took close to the whole day. I have the 4 box system. One box for keeping, donating, put away (things that belong in another place), and one for garbage/throw away.
Since I'm losing weight slowly, the only clothing I kept was one size down and the rest I donated or threw away.
I did buy an over the door shoe holder for the misc items in the closet, like belts, ties, and Dh's swim trunks. The belts and ties kept falling on the floor and I was tired of picking them up. This has saved my sanity.

Next is my dresser and end tables. The only thing we have under the bed is wrapping paper. We also have a linen closet in the bathroom and 2 in the hallway to go through yet.

Baby steps and one area at a time. I keep putting off the laundry/craft room because it's our catch all.

We're having our basement finished and have all of our stuff in the garage and it was great to go through the boxes and throw stuff away and get a couple of donation boxes out.

As far as kids toys, we've pared down quite a bit and the girls didn't like it. I was so tired of tripping over the toys when I put their clothes away or tucked them into bed. They are now down to 5 stuffed animals.
I hate those things!

Everything is now in bins sorted and that works wonders. Once the basement is done, we'll have 2 storage rooms, a play room for the kids and a family room. I get to go to Ikea to buy a coffee table and organizing bins...I can't wait.

Good luck!

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

You might want ot check out flylady.net. I really think that she "speaks" to the packrat that lives within me. I've been following her website and hints for about 3 months now and it has helped me tremendously with getting my house decluttered and minimized.

 

[DawnM]

I struggle with this one too!

I hate getting rid of things, but I KNOW I don't use 50% of my stuff!

I have GOT to get rid of stuff and my problem is that I will be good about donating and trashing and then I will go garage sale-ing and in it comes again!

Dawn

 

[snowangel72]

Ok we live SMALL. Our house is 1600 sq. ft. but we did finish the basement, so that has given us lots more. But we live smaaaaall compared to a lot of people I know. We have two kids, aged 2 and 4.
Because we live small, we are forced to keep things to a min. I can only buy small toys, no kitchen sets, or ride on John Deere's or anything too too big. The toys have to fit in a bin. Whenever we buy something, we have to decide where it is going to go before we buy it. And we get rid of lots and lots. I cycle through the toys and donate what we aren't using to the kid's daycare.

We give away or Ebay all their old clothes. We send lots to Goodwill. We really make an effort to keep on top of the clutter. I do long for a bigger house, but honestly, I know if I buy a bigger house, I will just fill it with more crap!!!! So I kind of like it this way. Plus, we live in the city and don't have to commute and you can't beat that.

I use see through bins for most of our stuff because I like to see what's inside without having to open it up. I have tons and tons of these. They are soooo great for toys. I use them for mail and other stuff too. Bins are a must.

As for stuffed animals, we are maxed out. If they are given as a gift we return/exchange them or give them away. Or we get rid of some old ones to make room for the new ones.

Don't get me wrong. I am a shopaholic!!! I love to shop and bring stuff home. That is my joy in life. But, I try to get rid of the old stuff to make way for the new stuff. And if something isn't used, I give it away or donate it. No sense in keeping it if we aren't using it.

I have gotten rid of all my baby stuff too. That better not come back to haunt me!!!!

 

[kowalchicky]

I'm so happy to see that I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I swear my house can stay clean for all of 5 mintues....there is just stuff everywhere.
One of my biggest problems is paper work. I'll have a pile on the table, finally go threw it and 2 days later the pile is stacked up again especially during the school year.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

I'm so happy to see that I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I swear my house can stay clean for all of 5 mintues....there is just stuff everywhere.
One of my biggest problems is paper work. I'll have a pile on the table, finally go threw it and 2 days later the pile is stacked up again especially during the school year.

That's our biggest problem too...too many papers! 1/2 my kitchen island is a filing cabinet! I also moved my shredder from my office to the kitchen to shred all the paper clutter and junk mail. I'm not sure you can ever fully win the battle against paper accumulation though.

 

[1of6]

This is my problem too. Clutter, clutter everywhere!! It seems that as I make headway, the kids are bringing more things in. (School papers, new rock collection, "but it's my favorite NOW")

I have fallen off the Flylady wagon and need to get back on. It really helped me see a difference in the day to day stuff.

Keep your chin up and keep chugging along.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Okay, I have found the best way to declutter. While it is a bit extreme it forces everyone's hand to throw out things!!

We had a flood! Okay, it wasn't a planned flood and we are still recovering from it but we tossed out so much junk!!! My DD's play room was on the first floor and while we did lose things that I normally wouldn't have thrown out, we got rid of so much junk. She asked to move her bedroom to the first floor and we will move the playroom to the basement. While she only moved into her new bedroom on Friday she is already enjoying the spotless floor. The few items that did make it she plays with and puts back!
Oh and we no longer have Barbies in my house. I don't know who is happier, me or my DD. Apparently she has never really liked Barbie but never knew how to tell us. My DSis kept buying them for her and she didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Oh and its a great way to go through clothing. Hmmm, do I really want this enough to drag it to the laundromat and wash it? Nope, throw it out!!

Good luck with decluttering.