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[KentuckyWoman]

Very interesting.  I agree most everything except the hobby thing and mirrors.  I personally love mirrors.  An unmade bed on the on the other hand is depressing.  I never leave our bedroom in the morning until our bed is made up.  Can't stand an unmade bed for some reason. 

We (me mostly) are in the process of de-cluttering our home.  It is a chore but hallelujah it is so mentally and emotionally freeing.   I can't wait to get rid of all the stuff we don't use or need and haven't for years. 

I guess the conundrum is what to do with all the stuff we don't use.  Some has been donated, some tossed in the trash.  I hate to throw stuff in the trash. 

[Sooner]

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@stevieb wrote:

Personally, I'm a little weary of (and not buying for a minute...) all this verbiage about what 'brings me joy'... 'Decluttering' has become a hot topic in recent memory and let's face it, the motive behind all these supposed experts writing primers about 'how to' is revenue... for them... I guess I've become jaded by it all because it seems to me that the only way to un-clutter is to dig in and do it, deciding for ourselves what stays and what goes... To be sure, clutter creates a certain level of anxiety, but really, I'm not sure we need the 'experts' to tell us that nor to tell us how to go about deciding what to keep and what to part with. For most people, I believe the task is simply daunting and I don't personally think a 'how to' manual makes it any less so...

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@stevieb  I agree with you 100 percent.  I fought with this for many years, and through the agonies of going through other people's stuff.  I finally got so sick of other people's "stuff" (and a good part of it stuff THEY never used either) I lost a lot of the sentimentality I'd had.  

And one day I thought "I am not a  museum!"  It was an epiphany.  I realized that I simply could throw out stuff I didn't want or other people didn't want or didn't own any more.  Simple.  Take it to the Salvation Army if it's good, trash can it if it isn't.  Get rid of it.  It isn't worth anything and it's ruining my life.  

Yes, I think really one has to get to that point. 

[jeanlake]

Love that phrase -- I AM NOT A MUSEUM. I'm going to share this with friends who are downsizing, thinking they need to keep parents' items siblings or grown children refuse.   

[151949]

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@Sooner wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

@Sooner He is very content with the way things are. 

Would you allow a messy hoarder free to make a shambles of your living room and kitchen etc? And, God only knows - if I cleaned that garage or den  and threw out all his clutter - I'm sure it would stress him so much he'd have another stroke.

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@151949  Well, I guess we don't use the word "allow" with one another.  And we'd work out something where he had places for things, baskets, drawers or closets to have for his own and places where his stuff wouldn't be,  and go from there.  We think of home as both of our spaces, so we make room for one another's things.  

But if you both are happy, that's what is important!  

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Well, your such a better wife than me it is just amazing that my hubby is so happy & content living here with me isn't it.

Seriously, you've not lived with someone who is a hoarder of junk nor a slob - so you really don't know what your talking about." Give him boxes to keep his stuff in " - LOL -yeah that would work -- NOT.

[151949]

@Mominohio - It sounds like your DH's problem is worse than mine. When we moved the fact that movers charge by the pound was a real ephinany for him. It took 3 months for him to clean & pack the garage.I packed his home office - we eventually found we needed a dumpster but instead of renting one our pastor let us use the ones at the church.He was very embarrassed about the amount of trash we had - recognized it was 90% his and admitted he has a problem with this.

Now that we have someone who comes in to clean , he has to pick up his stuff so she can dust. You'll get a kick out of this - he picks up all his clutter & puts it in a box which he puts out in the garage, then after the housekeeper leaves he gets the box and puts all the old magazines etc. back out all over everything.The sofa , the end tables , his desk - all cluttered again. I just sigh & close the door.

He says I make too much trash and people like me are the reason the landfills are overflowing. OK then...

[Regal Bee]

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@Mominohio wrote:

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@Regal Bee wrote:

This is a great article....thanks for sharing.

 I always make our bed, keep the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and keep the laundry done. To me, these are essential to a peaceful home. 

I like everything picked up and ordered all the time and yes, it is work but worth it.

Never a television in our living room. That space is for talking and entertaining.

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@Regal Bee

I've not had a TV in the living room since my first apartment over 30 years ago. 

Even in my small first home, I made a bedroom into a TV room. I don't like TV in the living room either. I like a more formal setting, and a place for people to interact with each other.

Now we are lucky enough to have a big family room, so TV is in there. 

I like when people enter my home (which is through the front door in the living room) to see a neat and orderly room, which does't always go with having a TV and all the relaxed atmosphere that goes with watching (remotes, throws, comfortable pillows etc.)!

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@Mominohio  I also made one of our bedrooms into a television room at one time. I try and keep all our televisions in cabinets but made the mistake of purchasing one too large for our family room. Actually, it was my darling husband who did this. I hate it and I'm constantly trying to figure out how to get rid of it. 

[stevieb]

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@Sooner wrote:

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@stevieb wrote:

Personally, I'm a little weary of (and not buying for a minute...) all this verbiage about what 'brings me joy'... 'Decluttering' has become a hot topic in recent memory and let's face it, the motive behind all these supposed experts writing primers about 'how to' is revenue... for them... I guess I've become jaded by it all because it seems to me that the only way to un-clutter is to dig in and do it, deciding for ourselves what stays and what goes... To be sure, clutter creates a certain level of anxiety, but really, I'm not sure we need the 'experts' to tell us that nor to tell us how to go about deciding what to keep and what to part with. For most people, I believe the task is simply daunting and I don't personally think a 'how to' manual makes it any less so...

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@stevieb  I agree with you 100 percent.  I fought with this for many years, and through the agonies of going through other people's stuff.  I finally got so sick of other people's "stuff" (and a good part of it stuff THEY never used either) I lost a lot of the sentimentality I'd had.  

And one day I thought "I am not a  museum!"  It was an epiphany.  I realized that I simply could throw out stuff I didn't want or other people didn't want or didn't own any more.  Simple.  Take it to the Salvation Army if it's good, trash can it if it isn't.  Get rid of it.  It isn't worth anything and it's ruining my life.  

Yes, I think really one has to get to that point. 

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Precisely @Sooner you have to be ready to get started and nobody can instill that in us but us!

[Sooner]

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@151949 wrote:

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@Sooner wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

@Sooner He is very content with the way things are. 

Would you allow a messy hoarder free to make a shambles of your living room and kitchen etc? And, God only knows - if I cleaned that garage or den  and threw out all his clutter - I'm sure it would stress him so much he'd have another stroke.

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@151949  Well, I guess we don't use the word "allow" with one another.  And we'd work out something where he had places for things, baskets, drawers or closets to have for his own and places where his stuff wouldn't be,  and go from there.  We think of home as both of our spaces, so we make room for one another's things.  

But if you both are happy, that's what is important!  

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Well, your such a better wife than me it is just amazing that my hubby is so happy & content living here with me isn't it.

Seriously, you've not lived with someone who is a hoarder of junk nor a slob - so you really don't know what your talking about." Give him boxes to keep his stuff in " - LOL -yeah that would work -- NOT.

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@151949  I am sorry.  Sometimes I forget.  I should not have posted that to you.  I will try to be more careful next time. 

[feline groovy]

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@on the bay wrote:

@feline groovy-

That has some helpful advice.

I don't totally agree with her last statement. The things we do vs what we have. I think both can be important to us.

Your signature line-so true!

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@on the bay:

I get your point and mostly agree.  But also concur with the researchers that have found that it's experiences (more that things) that make us most content.

[on the bay]

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@feline groovy wrote:

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@on the bay wrote:

@feline groovy-

That has some helpful advice.

I don't totally agree with her last statement. The things we do vs what we have. I think both can be important to us.

Your signature line-so true!

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@on the bay:

I get your point and mostly agree.  But also concur with the researchers that have found that it's experiences (more that things) that make us most content.

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@feline groovy-

I agree with that too I think of all the times I am with those I love and care for, and nothing can take the place of that.

But I can also enjoy some stuff

I get what they are saying though.