If your mother is getting older, it may be time to consider #downsizing before she needs to move to a smaller space or assisted living facility. #Downsizing can be emotional, says the Wellspring Center for prevention; the process takes time and energy, and Mom might be attached to her #things and the #memories they hold. Instead of rushing things, set aside several weeks or months to accomplish a thorough #decluttering. “Don’t force your parents to purge more than they are comfortable with in one sitting, especially if they have memory issues. Our brains can only make so many decisions before we hit a wall.” #HelpMomDownsize #MothersDay
Tag: stuff
Help Mom Declutter and Downsize
You can take Mom to brunch or otherwise celebrate her this Mother’s Day (May 12), but you can also do her a favor: Start helping her #declutter and #downsize. Her family home is likely the repository of decades of family memories, photos and other #memorabilia, and she probably could use some assistance in #organizing that legacy. Plus, she will appreciate the quality time you spend together sorting through that #stuff and streamlining her space. You’ll score major cheese points if you volunteer to do a few other #organizing and decorating chores such as framing family photos or hanging shelves. #HelpMomDownsize #MothersDay
Breaking With the Decluttering Trends
We at The Organizing Blog like to think that we’re a respected authority in the #decluttering knowledge space, continually lending tips and strategies to get your home and life in order while #donating the things you don’t need to a worthy cause.
We weren’t the first on the scene, of course, and we won’t be the last — dozens of experts and gurus have made careers out of helping people #declutter, and there are as many trendy strategies to help people #minimize and #organize their excess #stuff.
While the scholarship agrees that a #clean and #organized home environment is optimal for one’s mood and health, today we’re going to remind readers that there is no single “right” way to tackle the problem. The right way to #declutter is the way that works for you.
“Decluttering is very much a personal process — it’s your home and your belongings,” says Homes & Gardens. “Some may find it harder than others, preferring a more gentle approach to a more ruthless one, and vice versa.”
For example, Marie Kondo’s much-vaunted KonMari method asks you to sort every category of possession, keeping only the things that “spark joy.” But consider the lowly vegetable peeler: It probably does not spark joy, but it is undeniably useful — and you can feel good about holding onto it.
KonMari isn’t the only game in town, though. Other trendy strategies include the One-Hour Method, the Core 4 Method, the 30-Day Minimalism Challenge, the Move-Out Method, Swedish Death Cleaning, and the One In/One Out Rule.
Some #organizing schemes are just too gimmicky to keep up, Apartment Therapy says. For example, you may overlabel your stuff. You might buy too many organizing products. Or you may be too meticulous about folding and sorting small items such as socks and underwear, wasting time and energy on a single drawer.
Because #organization and #clutter are widespread challenges, the clutterati will keep inventing new ways to deal with them. Try one or invent your own. The strategy that works for you — the one that you can follow and get results — is the best to follow.
Giving Up Clutter for Lent and Life
Lent is a Christian observance commemorating the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert before beginning his public ministry. Those who observe the period typically mark it with prayer, fasting and personal sacrifice.
A Lenten sacrifice is a spiritually motivated, voluntary renunciation of a pleasure or luxury. Common modern-day Lenten sacrifices include abstaining from meat-eating, chocolate, sweets and alcohol. Some people attempt to eschew “sinful” behaviors such as profanity.
Not every faith observes Lent, of course, but each of the major religions has a holiday observed through fasting and sacrifice. Regardless of faith or level of observance, the Organizing Blog suggests that there is something you can give up today for the betterment of everyone: #clutter.
#Decluttering can help you lead a more spiritual existence. When you don’t have to tend to all of the #stuff you’ve collected over the years, you’ll have more time and energy to focus on what really matters: health, family and well-being.
Establish a simple Lenten goal: “I’ll spend one hour per day #sorting through my stuff.” “I’ll #declutter one #closet per week.” “I’ll #clean and #organize my kitchen and bathrooms by Easter.” “I’ll fill X number of boxes and bags with stuff I no longer need or want.”
What would Jesus do? Granted, we live in different times, but he almost certainly would not let a bunch of clothing that doesn’t fit, disused household appliances and mass-market tchotchkes pile up and bog him down. He traveled light.
There’s another aspect of Lent and other seasonal observances demand: almsgiving. It’s charitable giving that puts the needs of others ahead of your own — sharing your time, money and material possessions with others, and especially those less fortunate.
ClothingDonations.org can help with this. Once you’ve #decluttered and gathered up the things you don’t want, contact us for a #free #donation #pickup. We’ll take those lightly used goods and resell them to #help the nation’s #veterans.
Once you see the results from your Lenten sacrifice, decluttering could become a lifelong habit. Have a safe and happy Lent!
Resisting the Presidents’ Day Promotions
The Founding Fathers would never have believed the range of merchandise that American consumers have available today, though George Washington and Abraham Lincoln probably would have enjoyed advanced dental care and mattresses that weren’t stuffed with horsehair. Some of the best deals of the year are available on Presidents’ Day weekend, however, so if you’re in the market for a new vacuum, mattress or couch, now’s the time to buy. Good Housekeeping lists some of the biggest promotions, but The Organizing Blog urges readers to refrain from buying anything just because it’s a good deal; #stuff you don’t need creates #clutter. #PresidentsDay