Oh Man, I've Been Bad!

There's been a good lot of weeks where I've gone well with my decluttering. But over the past few weeks, I've just been the biggest collector of crap, so much so I'm ashamed of myself!

I've got books, artwork, canisters, mugs and other things I really shouldn't have around the place and they're all sitting in bags in and boxes awaiting for me to do something with them! 

I mean, oh my god! My main mission statement of this has fallen apart!

And you know, this does happen from time to time with even most devoted decluttering queen/king. They fall off the decluttering wagon and they have a bad lot of days and weeks and the place is a complete mess for around a week or a month and then? Then, as quickly as they have mucked it up, they tidy it up!

The unwanted gear is donated to the nearest charity store, the floors are washed and vacuumed, the wardrobe is tidied up again, the bedrooms are cleaned and the living room and kitchen are back to looking their best.

There's nothing wrong with being a badass with decluttering at times and having the house being a mess - and having it in the inbetween mess at times. I mean, you have to have the place look like tornado has gone through it while you're reconstructing it to make it look its best, right? Well, of course it's not going to look its best when you're decluttering or reconstructing it into a new look.

And when I've been bad in every sense of the word, I know I'm not going to have too much room in my place. But once it's all tidied up and put away, it looks like it did before - nice, neat and tidy. 

Well, that's until the next time I bring in something to make it messy again. 

Habits

Over the last year, I've learned new habits in my decluttering. What I need, and what I don't - what will be donated and what will be thrown out in the bin.

However I've also brought into my life habits which I've stuck by. Now, scientists say that it takes 3 weeks to create a new habit and make it stick - so it took time for me to get into this to prove it'll work out. 

And it works! The washing up get done every night and counters are wiped over. I put away my toothpastes in exactly the same spot they were the night before and clean my hair brushes every few days. The bins are emptied every day and the big rubbish bin is put out for collection on the morning of bin day. But these are only the usual habits I've added into my life.

I've still got to get in and make my bed every day and put away the laundry every time I do it. I'm still finding it hard to throw out or donate items - even though I've been doing this decluttering journey for some years now. And now it's an on-going challenge for me to keep the house in some kind of order, I'm hoping to work at saving up some money; instead of going out to op-shops to buy something. 

Yeah, I've been spurging a little too much - and I know it - instead of donating my unwanted gear. But I'm getting there.

So far in the past few weeks, I've posted off three 5kg bags across Australia and have had happy people enjoy the books I no longer want. But I still have books I no longer need; so I'll be looking at donating them to an old folks' home or somewhere else soon.

I have to fix up the back yard and repot my plants this Winter and so I have to get in and stock up on bags of potting mix and then save up big for a few larger pots and then reuse other pots around the place - yeah, it'll be another reuse of old items if I can find them around places or garage sales. 

Getting into the habits of giving and donating as well as bringing things into the home is a delicate balance. You have to remember how much space you have, what you need and what you don't and if you really want to keep all your things in one place. And to make those decisions at the op-shop is good thing; however, when you make the decision and bring it home and realise that item doesn't fit anywhere? Well, it's time to really look at what have; and do you really need it? 

So, what habits have you worked on for yourself to bring your decluttering and organising around to a better place? Leave a comment for us below and we can all help each other.

The Basics

You know it's not just the big declutters that make a house tidy. Nope, it's the normal clean-ups that do the greatest things around the house as well.

Like making sure the rubbish goes out every day to keep the bugs and cockroaches out of the house. Cleaning the kitchen sink to keep it nice and tidy every time - as well as the benches so you can use them anytime you wish.

Then, there's the laundry - doing it in small loads so you're not stuck with a huge lot of it and wondering how it got to that stage is a good idea as well. 

I call this stuff the basics. 

It's the ordinary things which keep a house running like an well-oiled machine and make it feel as though there's no effort to what you're doing to keep it feel like it too.

Personally, I keep a shopping list on my phone through the Playstore called 'ShopShop' and it's free! It's a great thing to have and I make a list when my pay is about to come in. The thing to do is to only buy what you need, not what you think you need... so yes, go through that pantry and the fridge and make sure you have enough pasta, sugar and cereal before going out and buying too much of it all; and thus wasting your money.

I've gotten into the habit of making my bed at around 2pm or so. It's so my bed is aired out during the day (no matter what the season) and it's ready for me that night when I do want to sleep in it. 

But really, there's a hundred small habits I've gotten myself to do over the past few years, which I've stuck by, to keep my place running better and to make my life easier. 

What habits have you picked up and utilised to make your life easier? If you think they're useful, please do share with us in the comments below.

Good Planning

Along with good planning is the follow-through. 

I'm great at planning to do things, but sometimes, the following through takes time. It's not that I'm lazy, it's because I have other things going on in my life at the same time.

This is okay - it's how things turn out for most of us.

However, I've planned a lot of things lately, and they've become plain and ordinary things which have sat on the sidelines until I've had to get in and really do them at the last minute. This isn't okay for me. I don't like leaving things like that.

Well, this weekend, I'm hoping to get in and do more around the place which will help me work out next week. And like in one of my other posts, I did say that the devils' in the details, didn't I? It's the small things which turn into bigger things that keep us from getting on with our lives.

So, this is where all of this start to really stop us from doing what we want to do. 

I've got laundry to put away, a painting to wrap in cellophane, a vinyl collection to put into an index book (this is because it's ever-growing and I'll find it easier for insurance and legal purposes to have it all written down). Also, I have to get in and make the bed, vacuum and bedroom, clean the bathroom and toilets (yes, I have two) and then wash the floors of my house as well. 

Like I said, I've left things until the last second; which isn't a good thing. Oh well, it happens to everyone. I have got some planning organised - which is playing well for me. The dishcloths for the market are ready, and I've got the painting all organised, as well as my business cards - these are good things. 

So, how's your place doing? Is it going well? Or have you let it go a little like I have? This does happen to people from time to time. 

More New Habits

In February, I wrote a post 'Developing New Habits' and said I'd come back to you and tell you about how I'm doing with these new habits.

Well, I'm going well. 

But it starts with baby steps. 

My new habits start before I even go to bed. I wash up everything from the day and put it on the drainer, wipe down the counters, the sink, and the kitchen table and then put away all the remote controls, turn off the television at the wall, throw out the tea from the teapot. Then, I put out the rubbish in the outside bin, put in a new bin liner, lock the doors, check that my alarm is on on my phone. 
I put away anything I have been using that night too. If I used a footstool and a rug, I put the footstool away and fold the rug and put it on top of it. Then, I straighten up the rest of the living room and the kitchen table. Anything on the kitchen table from dinner (salt'n'pepper, sauces, a spare fork or knife?), I put them away or wash them up (nope, I haven't emptied the sink yet). Once it's all done, I get in and make sure the cloth is spread out on the sink so it dries and the kitchen towel is over the items in the drainer.

When I go upstairs, I find that my bed was made during the day. Before the end of the day - before the sun goes down - I have to make my bed. I don't mean just pull the covers up and throw everything on there and pray it looks okay. I mean, pull the sheets back, the pillows off and make the bed complete. Then, when I go to bed, it feels fresh and lovely and I can go to sleep happy. It makes you feel great when you shuffle into your bedroom and you find a lovely, nicely-made bed greeting you; instead of something that resembles a teenager's bedroom - all messed up and turned over.

I've gotten into planning my meals as well. It doesn't take much; and it's saving me around $30 a week on my budget. I've been writing down only what I need to get on my shopping list and sticking to it. If I don't need to go anywhere, I just don't drive the car - the amount of petrol I've been saving is amazing when I've been walking places which are local too. Like the post office and to get the paper. 

More recently, I've had a Radio Silence Day. This was on 31st August and it was because this is the day Lady Diana passed. I was over in the UK when it happened and it really struck a nerve with me - and still does. So, what I've been doing over the past 10 years is having a Radio Silence Day on the day... but still it wouldn't hurt to have more of them throughout the year on particular dates. You see, on this day, I got so much decluttering done!
I did all my laundry, decluttered my vinyl collection, washed the kitchen floor, mowed the lawn, put away all the wiping up (which caused me to clean the entire sink with Gumption - and it's now nice and sparkling clean) and then I sorted out the price tags for a Pop-up Store I'm taking part in at a local gallery. Then, I ended the day with a great set of vinyls being played while I did some needlepoint and had a nice cool drink... now, that was a great and useful day. 

Yep, a Radio Silence Day is a good idea. I will need another one soon to clean out the office and my wardrobe, as we come into Summer here in Australia. Well, what have you achieved over this time? Have you developed any new habits, which have turned into good habits over time? Do share with us all what they are and how they've helped you in your place and in your life of decluttering.

10 Days

It's been 10 days since my last post.

Yep, I planned it this way just to see how I went with the house.

I've been cleaning up the living room which was filled with old VCR tapes from my life in the 1990's... and okay, they play, but I can't see what's being played. Damn! So, onto dvds those things go.  Until I find the time to get to do that, those tapes are put away into storage.

Then, I vacuumed the floor, and pulled out the donation box, sub-woofer and one of the cd towers to vacuum the carpet there. So much dirt came out of the carpet! But then, I only put back what was needed.

The tool box was put away until I needed it.

All of my laundry has been done, dried, folded and put away. I also got in and did my folks' laundry too - yep, we've had a few hot days here in Brisbane; so why not?

Then, I've created a couple of new habits:

Making the bed in the morning.
Taking out the rubbish to the wheelie bin every day.
Washing up before going to bed at night.
Cleaning up the living room before heading off to bed at night.

Yep, four new habits which have been difficult to keep up, but I'm working on them. It's been working out well too! It's nice to get out to the living room and kitchen and find there's nothing there from the night before waiting for me to clean up. 

The kitchen table has even been tidied up - and I've worked on making sure it stays that way! It feels so much better to sit down to a tidy table than a messy one. 

In just 10 days, I've worked on the house. In just 10 days, I've formed 4 new habits, which aren't big, but are useful. In just 10 days, I've changed the way the house runs completely... and it feels great! 

Seeing I've worked on cleaning out the house over the past 4 -5 years, I'm glad to say the new habits have worked out so well. And like Peter Walsh has been saying to everyone: it just takes 10 minutes. 

And it does. 

Three Steps Forwards, Two Steps Back...

As with anything in life - and any new habit you're starting to do - there will always be a few teething problems.

Like with this blog. 

There's not many people jumping in this place, because they're unsure about what this whole thing is about. 

'A Work In Progress'... it could mean artwork, building a house, the inner workings of somebody's mental state... yep, it could mean anything. But it's about how to go about working on the clutter in your home. And let's face it: I'm not the perfect role model for this either. I have a cluttered home and I'm working on my place as much as you are.

So, when I have a drawback - like I have had recently - it's because I've had personal matters interfere with my life. When this happens, my mindset gets screwed up and so does how my house looks, works and how my decluttering goes on; or doesn't. 

When you do have a week or two where you're wondering exactly how you got to have more crap in your house than you initially thought, sit down with a glass of water or a cup of tea and breath. You're going to be okay. This is what is known as a curve ball - it's a small one compared to what's been tossed in your direction in the past (and what you'll get in the future) and it's one. But breathing through your stress will help in some ways as it'll get your mind to settle down and stop you from panicking.

This week, I'm having a three steps forwards, two steps back kinda week. A neighbour and I had a misunderstanding and she took out her frustrations in such a way, I just don't know where I stand with anyone around my area anymore. And, I feel really out of control of my surroundings right now and so my house has become messy. So, the first thing I have done is fix a few small things around the place that have needed fixing for a long time.
They were the tiniest things, but they needed doing to make my life that much more easier in the tiniest ways. I bought a 1 metre extension cord from Bunnings so my other bedside lamp worked and the rock salt lamp worked too. I find it's the small things that help make the bigger things less important. Sounds a little silly, but for me that kind of thing works so well and helps me get back onto working on me and making myself happy. 

What has been happening around you to make you look to something small to help you stop, breath and get your mind back onto what you feel is the right way of thinking? What was your three steps forward, two steps back moment? 

Op Shop Heaven

A huge part of decluttering is passing your unwanted goodies onto a place you feel comfortable taking your unwanted gear off to. Most times, this is a charity like Life Line, The Salvation Army or St Vincent De Paul (aka: Vinnies here in Australia). Other places can take your unwanted things as well, such as your local community centre, RSPCA or animal shelter or vets and the local retirement home as well.

I know some of them won't take certain items. I draw the line at donating underwear. I just don't think it's nice for a place I have chosen to want to deal with my knickers when I don't want to deal with them either. So, I just toss them in the rubbish. That goes the same for socks and lingerie... if you wouldn't buy it at a charity store, don't expect people to take that kind of thing off your hands. 

But I have found the best things to furnish my home at charity stores. 

I know this is a blog to help declutter a home. However, if you're in the market to replace certain items of clothing, furniture or kitchenware, a charity is your best bet. This is especially if you're aiming to make your home have a certain feel to it. 

Personally, I have aimed to have a very 1970's feel to my home, so it feels cosy as well as retro. I have all the mod-cons, without it feeling too high-tech, and yet there's a lovely Chiswell dinner table I sit at, a credenza and a very 1970's style upright piano against the wall. Now, I scored the dinner table on Gumtree for almost $400 (untouched; and well worth the bother), the credenza was given to me by some family friends and piano was inherited from my late-Grandmother and really suits the feel of home. I do love that the credenza fits all my cassette tapes and vinyls in it as well as books and other great little items. And yet I have all the comforts of my high-tech television set and dvd player not three feet away, which funnily enough fit right in as it's sitting in a very old-fashioned, early 1990's television entertainment unit from Super A-Mart (when they actually made furniture to last). I was given this piece by my Uncle a year before he passed away; and I adore it! I don't ever wish to let it go because the longer I have it, the more it looks as though it belongs in my house.  The best thing is that it's on wheels and I can move it on my own if I need to.

That's the thing with second-hand stuff and furnishings, though. It's been preloved and is gorgeous to look at. It's got all the scuffs and dents in it from the previous owner... it's got history and has had a life before getting to you. And that's the absolute pleasure of owning something preloved. 

So, when you drop off some of the bags to your charity store, stop and window shop (no, don't buy anything yet... just look) and see what's available to you for when you are ready to replace your worn out things in your home. Once you have your house all cleaned out and sorted, only then do you start looking through the op-shops at furniture.

Developing Good Habits

I have found that people with clutter tend to have bad habits around the house. This doesn't mean they're lazy; it just means that their clutter got in the way of them trying to do things.

I've watched those 'Hoarder' shows and noticed that the people on them fall into a few categories. They'll have something really awful happen in their lives and they mentally just stop, while their lives continue on. This means that their house also stops. It stops being pretty. It stops being something of pride. It stops being a lovely place to come home to. They stop bringing friends home. They stop cleaning anything. They stop doing anything around the place because they forget how to in the end. And this is where they're friends or family (or both) end up getting involved; because their lifestyle is starting to kill them.

Then, you have the hoarder who has lived with another hoarder and doesn't know any different. They don't know how to develop good habits because they've lived in an environment where they haven't been able to develop them (there's a video on Facebook about a woman who's at the extreme end of this, all because her mother hoarded the worse possible thing... I won't go into detail here. It was gross). People like this, are almost beyond help because they have to be taught how to clean, taught how to put things away, taught how to throw things they don't need out. It's starting with a clean slate pretty much.

But then you have people who have inherited their family's things. They don't know what to do with them; and feel guilty as hell if they let them go or sell them. They feel the need to hang onto old things from their Mother and Father's place just in case they're worth something - and don't get me wrong, some things are worthwhile. But some of the things aren't. The best thing to do is to get things valued, then go from there.

I fall into the last category and the first one. I've had a rotten relationship where I was beaten up and it made me stop mentally. I started hoarding and I almost turned into one of those poor souls on 'Hoarders'... and just watching that show for one season made me realise I needed to get off my butt and do something about my junk (yep, see, I have junk too! I have stuff too, but we'll cover that on another post). 
The one thing I had to do was make myself start on developing good habits. This meant putting out the rubbish every night, washing up every night before I went to bed, cleaning up the living room before I went upstairs, putting the remote controls for the tv and stereo system where I could find them every time, doing my laundry on a weekly basis and putting it away every time. 
I've gotten into doing my laundry, putting out the rubbish, washing up, putting the remotes where I can find them and ... well, I've started developing other new habits I'm hoping will stick. Just last night, I spent 45 minutes cleaning up the living room and washing up before I turned off the lights downstairs and going upstairs. And this morning, when I went down to have breakfast, I didn't feel as though I was going to be ashamed of my house today... I felt as though I could breath for the first time in a long time.

This is what forming good habits can do for you by decluttering and cleaning up. I know it sounds simple, but for some of us, it's an ongoing battle. It is for me - and it may be for you. So, how is your battle with the clutter and cleaning going?