I was asked to post on a subject near and dear to my heart; Clutter. This all began when the children were small . Come each Dec. the itch would begin (like Salmon swimming upstream) it’s time to start the coming New Year  by clearing the house of items no longer fitting or of further use. To St. Vincents it would go. When the first 3 children were launched, 10 years later the 4th was born, I was so old I could imagine attending his High School graduation in a wheel chair. Little did I know,  in the years to come his Estate Sale business would bring a request: “Mom could you help?!”. That would meant culling out, then organizing contents that hadn’t been touched in years, just recently we did a sale where there was an attic with NEVER BEEN SORTED when mother  passed away brought her Things by the dozen and boxes and vintage trunk  full, then added that to all the items from 60 years to all decades of children’s clothes and all school work added to the collection.

If I accomplish nothing else with this piece it would be to ask each and every one of you reading this to NOT LEAVE IT UP TO YOUR KIDS to complete the time consuming project that they are not responsible for and most are geographically and time constrained.

There are 2 solutions for this

1. Tackle it your self

2. Hire it done

You could wander endlessly through the chaos or set your objectives , its easy to plot your course. Decluttering can be very emotionally challenging through the stages.

1. Anger

2. Denial

3. Bargaining

4. Depression

5. Acceptance

When ready a clutter coach may be necessary. I am not here to insult or judge, only to kindle a spark for you to go through the process . If some of you are way ahead of  me, God Bless You.

So the mission today is to present some guidlines , there are different types of circumstances…

1. Accumulator- what ever the root cause, they no longer have the space, but do not see the problem, *it can steal your life

2. Tosser -gets rid of it

3. Collector concealer-Just do not bring anything into your house faster than the person whhose dream has come true to organize it.

4. Comfort accumulator – *the gathering of objects to make up for something missing in there life.

5. Sentimental keeper-keeps children’s school papers and baby clothes.

* back in the late 1930,s or early 40′s I remember reading about The Colliers: twins who had inherited great wealth and a Mansion in in New York City no one had seen either one for some time so police broke the door down and found both dead in a sea of clutter from stacked sofa sleepers rollaway bed frames Newspapers etc…

If you can visualize the end results, then go through the 4 easy steps

1. Make a wish list- I want to tackle the most difficult first.

2. Be realistic, take into account the Sq. footage, time and and money.

3. Set priorities- First should be the most important….

For example:

A. Store seasonal clothes- Hang boots by hooks.

B.Catalogue family Memorabilia.

C. Organize Holiday Decorations, so they are more accessible

D. Identify the Clutter Problem.

Dcluttering will improve your life.

1. You will have more space.

2. Less sress.

3. Easier cleaning.

4. More free time.

Now how to approach your work…

1. Rescue heirlooms and Treasures from Never Never Land

2. Use beautiful keep sakes.

3. Have antiques appraised before you sell.

4. Uncover family gems and wear them.

5. Divide family treasures.

    A. take a number.

    B. Donate memoribelia to Museums.

6. If storing paper items and photos use acid free archival storage containers.

Pass the keep test

1. Do I use it.

2. Do I absolutely love it.

3. Do I really need it.

4. Recognize garbage if it is beyond repair.

5. If I can not decide: Put it in a box date and label if not needed or used in 6 months/ 1 yer then toss.

Clutter busting goals

1. Imediate messes- clear refrigerator of spoiled food.

2. Short term remove broken dishes

3. Long term- Clear all surfaces, keep things that are functional or bring you pleasure.

PURGING RULES

1. Keep                        6. Decide quickly

2. Toss                         7.  Handle items once.

3. Donate                     8. Set limits

4. Sell                            9. Recognize garbage

5. Pass on.

Lets now consider one successful method of decluttering:

Place a sheet on the floor where there is room.

1. is being considered.

2. Empty contents of closet or drawer onto sheet.

3.  Have 3 boxes available… SAVE-TOSS-CONSIDER

As the process progresses we are now at the point of searching for containers to house the possessions you are keeping.

I am someone with many interests and hobbies: Decupage(now in the past), Jewelry making, Constucting tote bags and table clothes, flower arranging and Cooking. especially now that we are in a condominium where to go with all this is merchandise is an ongoing process. Usually my organizing bug is kick sarted after an especially bad jampacked house we have tackled this  has the same effect on my Sister and my Son.

The answer to the question of where to go is Storage. There are on the market a wealth of containers…

1. Baskets not only useful but attractive.

2. Portfolios(can be found at an office supply store).

3. Under the bed boxes raise the bed frame.

4. Stackable containers( Big Box Retailers are a great source for all sizes and shapes of containers).

Let me give you some suggestions for donations: Library- for their book sales, Schools, University- Vintage clothes for plays & Musicals

or Thrift Stores, Senior center.

To Get Organized: Break a big project into stages, Set deadlines, visualize yourself finishing task, do the most difficult first, reward yourself, prioritize, Take care of yourself (sleep eat and exercise).

To bring this subject to a close let me vent about my least favorite areas of the home; Garage, Basement(unless nicely finished off) and Attics… why? Because they are the black  holes of storage. People Shove, Dump and Throw thing into them.

Several years ago we were comissioned to do a House 50 miles south of Oshkosh, where the crew, including my husband cutting string with his boy scout knife and bundling thousands of magzines up in one of the Attics, where I found a duffle bag filled with unfinished needlepoint projects one in particular especially caught my attention it read:

THIS IS MY PLACE I CAN DO AS I DAMN WELL PLEASE      YOU MAY ALSO DO LIKE WISE BUT PLEASE FOR YOUR CHILDRENS SAKE BEGIN THE PROCESS IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO.

Thank you for your attention

Jeanne Crane

 

 

We all have heard the saying you can’t take it with you. But what do you leave behind ?

I received a phone call today from my mother letting me know that a beloved member of our family had passed away.; my cousin Larry’s Wife Ruth. Having been plagued with devastating Rheumatoid Arthritis for all the many decades I knew her, never hearing her complain and remembering her good sense and sense of Humor.

This got me to thinking about when My cousin Larry’s Mother died 1998 at the age of 96 she being part of a triad of Women who doted on me and my brothers and sisters, cousins and my mother’s brother, sister her cousins at the family lake cottages from 1920’s and thru the 1980’s.

Having been in the Estate Sale Business since 1990 I have seen and handled many difficult situations and am always grateful that one of the best memories and story of a great legacy comes from my own family. Aunt Jean’s Life was filled with much hard work and devastating loss but she did not withdraw or ever give up. She lost a daughter in child birth, a husband in a tragic car accident and a Son in Korea. Almost giving up she decided to continue with here college education in her late 50’s getting a teaching degree and enriching the lives of many children until her retirement.

When Her older sister Aunty Gladys could not stay in her apartment she moved in with Aunt jean so many things were commingled together (Gladys a retired Teacher and Principle had no children).

I was just starting a large Estate sale store and business and undergoing a big shake up with partnerships and other struggles When I offered Cousin Larry a hand with cleaning out his mothers house, very inspired to help with all the memories of her love and support and The beautiful tribute and Eulogy he had given at her funeral.

Larry thought I had my hands full so he and some helpers cleaned the house gave helpful neighbors few things, Some family antique heirlooms went to grandchildren, donated and disposed of other things , Then knocked on the back door of my store while I was out on an appointment. When I got back they had left 2 loads of all the other furniture and good salable house items and an antique table. I called Larry to tell him I would do a consignment sheet inventory and he changed the subject then said forget it just keep it.

I was very touched because it sounded like something his mother would have loved.

The following summer when my mom and dad and other family were up at our cottages and visiting Larry and Ruth at there lake home they were taken down to the basement where Larry had built shelves putting all kinds of colored glass china and porcellain and serving pieces and told” Take anything you like I am leaving this up for a year and next summer donating the rest.

The follwing spring I came to the back loading dock door to find several boxes and suitcases filled with collectables… I started writing these on an inventory and calling around trying to figure out who left these things I was so caught up in my busy hectic life that it took me more then a week to finally figure out that this was Larry’s promise; he had packed all the remaining things up and didn’t want to argue with me about consigning them again I felt his mother was smiling her beautiful smile.

Right before my mom fell and broke her hip she gave a talk to a group of seniors about clutter.

It makes her crazy that people save all the clutter and stuff and say “I’ll leave it for my kids to sort out and fight over” I am going to work with her to turn her “Talk on Clutter” into an rticle we can post here next.

Thank you for checking out the new blog!
Brian