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[qvcfreak]

I got rid of everything I didn’t need, use or knew I had when we downsized 2 years ago. I go through my closet after every season and if I didn’t wear something I donate it. I read somewhere to hook all hangers from the back, once you use the item, rehang it from the front. All items left hooked through the back were not used. 

[jeanlake]

This subject interests me because I've known both tidy/minimalist and disorganized/stuff collectors in my extended family. I used to work with a college counselor who gave presentations on affluenza crisis in young America, or consumerism among upper middle class, wealthy and new rich. According to his research, needing excess doesn't just happen, it's a psychological malaise.

Well, that's not a happy thought, is it? 

It used to mildly annoy me that my dad worked at not having quantity, but he did like quality. Now I get where he was coming from. It was especially nice when he passed and his tidy apartment was easy to pack up.    

[GCR18]

I had stuffocation, but I have been freed.  I have too many clothes, but they fit in one closet.  As I get free time, I will continue to pack some things for goodwill.

[BirkiLady]

@jeanlakeWe were raised like your father. Cannot imagine having anything around that hasn't been used or worn in a year. It goes to Charity or the trash. Life is so much easier when its lived in an organized manner. Have always been grateful my husband was raised with the same attitude.It certainly made frequent moving simple! All of this talk of "decluttering" makes me cringe; I have pictured some  kitchens and closets . . . and hope my mental images are so wrong. 

[queendiva]

@lolakimono: what a great post! You have no idea how timely this is for me.

I have posted on these boards that I am preparing to downsize this summer. Stuffocation: what I great term! That is what I have been suffering from. My New Years resolution for 2018 was to cure my stuffocation, which I now know is the name of my disease. I am  appalled at the amount of stuff in this house and how much I moved here when I last downsized in 2006. Kids are grown and moved out. It's my stuff not theirs. And a good amount that is their childhood stuff is my attachment. 

I am doing this for myself, my mental and physical health and for them, so that they will not have to deal with it all when I am gone. I want to have more space and time in my life so that I can do more now and enjoy time with grandchildren in the future. It all starts now.

[queendiva]

@lolakimono: would you be able to share the link for your OP here? I would love to print out a hard copy to post inside my closet for frequent referral in my future un-stuffed home  TIA..

[lolakimono]

@queendiva

The flooring project has been difficult, working around two kitties.  They want to know where we are at all times, so if the door is closed they get crazy.  My approach has been to go through EVERYTHING, and take it out of the closets, drawers, etc. so that while we do this, we can also declutter/organize.  Everything is in chaos right now. We are 75% finished pulling up the main floor carpet, which is the LR and DR, but we just keep moving things around, pulling up another section, and moving things back.  Right now our main floor has two chairs and two ottomans for furniture, and that's it for seating.  We have no overhead lighting in our LR, so we have a chest that holds two lamps and some side tables/bookcases that hold others.  Of course, we have the scratching posts and cardboard scratchers.  We have a media console, with a giant TV that we are working around since it's so heavy.

In the meantime, I applied for a new job, so every day I am checking messages to see if there is any news.  I have bins in my basement that are related to teaching, which I can't really purge until I find out if I am changing schools and changing levels.  If I end up going to HS, it is a less privileged school, and many of the supplies I have could be used there, but I don't know if I could take them to the new school until school starts.  I don't want to take them to my current school, in case I end up switching jobs, so they stay in the basement.  If I change jobs, I would have to empty the entire classroom (have moved about 7 times in 9 years), which is its own project.  I just keep plugging along day after day.

I had to tell my mom many days during her office makeover to art studio, "does this fit in to your new art space?".  It was hard for her to let things go, but there were many "business" items that were no longer needed (e.g. 17 reams of copy paper).  I did the math and showed her how many pages she would have to print EACH DAY to use up that much paper in her lifetime.  She loves the space now, but it was a long ten days getting her to purge.  

[lolakimono]

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@queendiva wrote:

@lolakimono: would you be able to share the link for your OP here? I would love to print out a hard copy to post inside my closet for frequent referral in my future un-stuffed home  TIA..

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@queendiva

Here you go:

http://decluttrme.com/2015/12/20/stuffocation/

[lolakimono]

@queendiva

Here are some (I hope!) motivational pictures from helping my mom this summer.  She has a three BR house.  One BR is a designated guest room, and one was the office/extra guest sleeping.  My brother has four kids, so she wanted a space for when they come over that the whole family could have a place to sleep.  (I was not successful in getting her to purge any wall art.  As an artist, many of the paintings are hers or from her friends.  It's like having a gallery, LOL.)  It is not a large space, but everything placement wise needs to revolve around the futon and being able to get into and out of the closet.

[lolakimono]

The bookcase only holds things related to art- inspiration books of things she wants to paint or has painted, and things about techniques.  The bottom shelf is for works "in progress."  She still works part time, so there are only certain days in which she can take classes and work on art.