Life Less Cluttered

Practical DIY No 2: Art Display

In my very first post, Manager of Stuff, I mentioned that we throw away 98% of the papers my kids create. One life ago, before we decided to homeschool, my kids attended church preK programs and then public school.

The first few years of school are so much fun, especially for a first-time parent until you realize that you are never going to stop getting papers – tests, art, daily work, newsletters, lunch menus. ALL. THE. PAPERS.

The Season We’re In

Tis’ the season of ~~giving~~ buying. Sometime shortly after school supply madness in July-September, we roll into the holiday season of buying all the things. First Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and Christmas is on the list for all of October through December.

I’ve realized over the years that one of the most helpful solutions to declutter my home is to buy less. That doesn’t mean buy nothing, but rather, buy intentionally.

Practical DIY No 1: Bread Ties

Back story: I like bread. I like bread ties. That’s about it.

I find bread ties to be useful for just about everything; and to be clear, I mean the wire kind, not the flat plastic squarish ones. Those are useless.

Need to tie some cords together? Bread Tie. Need to close a non-bread open bag of food? Bread tie. Need to hold your jeans together if the button falls off or you’re feeling a little full? Bread tie. Need to hold your hair back without a scrunchie? A bread tie will be there for you.

Manager of Stuff

I throw away my kids’ art in front of them. Sounds brutal, doesn’t it? It’s not always easy, but I can promise you it’s never harsh. Sometimes there are conversations involved, sometimes it’s because the piece in question has been hanging around on the floor for one too many days. Nevertheless, they have been trained. I have been trained! I can’t keep every iota that my child has graciously stroked with a pencil, pen, or paintbrush – nor do I want to.

Hi All, And Welcome!

So you’ve stumbled across a Declutter Blog. Hi, my name is Amanda and I am passionate about simple living, specifically in relation to the items in our homes. Not so much simplified schedules and how to be more efficient, although those are good pursuits ideally, but how our possessions aid or hinder those possibilities.