Life Less Cluttered

Don’t Blame Your Mama

How much stuff do we keep for the Great One Day? We say things like, “My mom taught me to keep everything in case I need it One Day.” or “I’m going to fix that One Day.” or “I’m going to make something else with that One Day.” One Day is not a day. Today is a day. Tomorrow. Yesterday. This Thursday is a day, but One Day is not a day.

There is a generational curse of Clutter Keeping and I think it’s roots are embedded in learned behavior.

Practical DIY No. 5: The Bird and The Squirrel (Lamp)

My husband says I’m difficult to shop for. It’s probably because I say things like “I hate lamps that look like lamps, but we need some lamps for the house.” In my head I know what I mean, but in his head anything he buys is going to be wrong.

Stewardship

“Getting rid of stuff is freeing. It’s so freeing… It’s addictive… It’s empowering…” It’s… it’s… it’s… all of those things, if you’re ready to get rid of stuff. But maybe you like you’re stuff. Maybe you don’t want to get rid of a lot of stuff but still feel overwhelmed organizing and caring for all of it. It’s OK to like your stuff. We (collective we) buy, keep and store many things for many different reasons. Many. Different. Reasons.

The Fastest Way to Clutter

It’s like there’s some right of passage we must all make to grow up and be able to fill a home with furniture. Don’t believe the social lies.

I honestly think the quickest way to clutter a home is to overload it with furniture. Furniture is big, bulky and often offers some form of storage, giving more opportunity to hide smaller things.

64 and Partly Sunny

That was the forecast two days ago, Christmas 2019. Felt like a nice spring day without all the pollen and bugs. This whole week has been in the mid 60s and I kinda chuckle when I see snowman blow-ups in every other yard around town. I’ve always thought it was strange that we “snow frost” everything for Christmas in the Southeast US, but we do because we just do. I kinda wonder if they do the same in Arizona.

The Junk Yard

Our printer died. It was a sad day for a homeschool mom. Fortunately we were two days before Christmas break and the ink was about out, but still… It had been a trusty printer. We’d had it for years. It was given to us. Not what I would have bought for myself, but I couldn’t find a good enough reason to replace it while it worked. However, the $60 cost of replacement cartridges always left a bitter taste in my mouth and the print quality was just ok.

Practical DIY No. 4: Phone Pocket Thing

I had some Command Strips left over from DIY No. 1 and I really needed a place to keep my phone close by but off of the kitchen counters, which is frequently wet or gross, because… I have kids, or maybe I’m just gross. I wanted something relatively cheap that didn’t look like I’d cut up an empty shampoo bottle to make a phone wall pocket, because apparently that’s a thing.

Outta Hand Closet

As we are nearing Christmastime, I’d bet there are a few wardrobe related items on the wish list of most adult women (and men, too).

In the Life Less Cluttered curriculum I go into more detail about closet organization, but one general rule to apply to your wardrobe to keep it from getting out of hand is Buy to Replace.

Practical DIY No 3: Spool Stool

I don’t know why we called it that, because this DIY is not a stool at all. It’s an end table. I’ll be honest, it didn’t turn out as lovely as I’d hoped but good enough to keep.

I should mention that we moved three months ago after living in our first home for twelve years and we donated nearly half of our old furniture. Keeping in mind that I do not want to purchase items just to fill a house, it’s been a slow-go at decorating and adding a personal touch to our new spaces.

Mess and Clutter

Clutter is usually messy, but mess is not always clutter. I try to be tidy even though I tend to be messy. Artist life. I see mess as potential in progress. Mess allows your possessions to be used, and sorted, and used again. Mess is a part of life.