Decluttering an is an on going process...

My husband and I come from a long line of clutter loving people. In the beginning of our marriage, we had our junk room! It was so overwhelming to find things. Truthfully, It was too much to even walk into the room.

We decided the only way to solve the problem was to move into a smaller apartment. The excess had to go with no mercy. There was a great sense of relief. We were able to pass the items along to family, friends, freecycle, and craig's list. The landfill was the very last option. It was the first of many declutter sessions over the years.

We have a few simple questions to ask ourselves when we start a new decluttering project.

Some examples:

• Have I seen this in the last 4 months? Is it a seasonal item?
• Will I use it in the next 4 months, if not is seasonal?
• Clothing
• Is it in good condition?
• How many do I have? Is it necessary to own that many?
•  Books
• Have I read it? If I yes, do I need to keep it?
• If I want to keep it, is there an ebook version instead?
•  Do I really need or want the item?

 For us it is about the balance between what we enjoy and what is needed. We want to live a simple, clutter free life while enjoying simple pleasures. My crafts and Mr. Zombie's movies will stay. We will continue to review as necessary so the house is pleasant and free of clutter.

Please share the methods that you use to declutter your home. Or, do you use different questions to help sort between clutter and necessary items.

Why we gave up the TV!

The television became an unwanted distraction. Instead of cleaning my house or cooking dinner, I would get caught in the TV. In an effort to become more healthy, we chose to give the TV away.


We still have options if we want to see a movie or a show that still enjoy. The bonus is that we don't get caught up in every new show that comes along. We don't get exposed to commercials each and every day. The websites that we view the most are Hulu.com, Netflix,com, and Joost.com. In the beginning, I would surf to the network sites but found myself checking out other programs. The extra sites plus watching new shows was a major time waster.


Instead of TV, we do an assortment of other things. We get our daily or weekly tasks out of the way. It might not seem like the most enjoyable activity. The free time that we have together allows us to relax. We listen the radio, old radio plays, and reading books together.


The bonus is our electric savings. We no longer have a TV, DVD player,  or surround sound system draining the electric. It was one small step to downsizing our cabon foot print.


Is there something that you gave up that friends and family don't understand? Were there positive unforeseeable consequences?