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Okay, the closets are done. And I must say, they look fabulous. I have so much more room now! I’m tempted to go buy new clothes, my old ones look so lonely now. But I won’t. The point is to clear out, now clear out and refill.

The next part of my de-cluttering weekend is to tackle the rest of the house. Now, it sounds like a big job when I lump the entire house in one unit, but I’m going to do it in phases. The first phase will a quick once-over, going through each room with a trash bag and seeing what can just be tossed away and what needs to be put away (books back in the bookcase, shoes in the closets, etc.)

The next phase is to go through and see what things I have that I don’t need or want anymore. A lot of things in our homes are special to us. Antique furniture handed down from Grandma, a vase given to you for your wedding. Other things might not have a special meaning, but we just really like them. Like the picture frames that perfectly accent your living room, or the rug that you bought at a flea market and always get compliments on. All of this stuff is what stays.

The rest, however, is stuff that we bought or were given and have found room for, but maybe we don’t necessarily like. Take a look around and I’m sure there are knick-knacks and home accessories, even small pieces of furniture, that are just taking up space without any real function (or sentimental attachment). Box all this stuff up and give it to Goodwill, where it can be adopted by someone who really does like it.

The third phase is to beneath the surface, the stuff that’s hidden away. We’ve tackled the closets, but what about the cupboards, the drawers, all the places that aren’t in plain sight? Sort through the DVDs in your entertainment unit, clean out the junk from the kitchen drawer, clear out the old notebooks in the kids’ desks. It’s stuff that may not be out for everyone to see, but still causes clutter, it’s just hidden.

This will be one of the biggest parts of my de-cluttering. I’ve given myself a day for the second and third phases each, which hopefully is a generous estimate of how long it will take me. I realize that I might no be able to get rid of absolutely every bit of clutter in my house this weekend, but I will be off to a great start. And I can always pick up where I left off next weekend.

Hopefully you’re making progress in your clutter-busting. It’s hard work, but it’s worth, so don’t give up!

Amy

Maybe your closet is neatly kept, but has so much stuff crammed in you can barely shut the doors. Maybe your clothes are in a heap on the closet floor, covering your shoes and making it impossible to get ready for work quickly. Maybe the top shelf of old comforters, boxes, purses and general crap have slowly been gathering dust for the past year.

Unless you’re a total neat freak (in which case you can stop reading now), your closets are most likely a problem area in your home. The first part in my de-cluttering marathon is tackling the closets, getting rid of all the old clothes and accessories and things my family and I don’t need anymore.

The first step: Have a critical eye. I will not be emotional about this. I will not say “Oh, but I love this” about outfits I haven’t worn in years. I will not protest that one day they will be back in style. And I will not hold out hope that all those jeans that are five years old will someday fit me again. I will be ruthless. If it’s not a vital part of my regular wardrobe rotation, then it’s gone.

Next step: Organize. For some, this might mean going out and buying a bunch of new shelves or fancy containers for everything. For me, it means simply putting everything in its place. Shoes lined in the shoe rack, not just tossed about. Belts and purses hung on the door. Sweatshirts folded neatly and put on the top rack. Instead of just cramming stuff in wherever it will fit, I’m going to designate specific areas for specific items.

And finally: See what’s left. Do I have anything in my closest that could best be stored somewhere else? I’m not talking about moving clutter to another spot, since all of my closets are getting cleared out. I’m talking about utilizing each closet in the best way possible. Why do I have towels in my bedroom closet when they could easily go under the bathroom sink or in the hall linen closet? Why is extra detergent in the linen closet and not the laundry room? Once all my closets have space, I can put things in their rightful places, no longer having to cram in stuff wherever there’s extra room.

So there’s my game plan for my closet de-cluttering. Simple, no-fuss, just get in and get the clutter out. Easier said than done, I know, but I am determined. By this time tomorrow, I will have clean and de-cluttered closets!

Good luck with your own closet adventure,

Amy

If you’re like me, you don’t have enough storage space in your house. The closests are full, the cabinets are full, the basement are the garage are full. Simply put, there’s no where to put everything.

The problem, however, probably isn’t our lack of storage space, but our inability to get rid of things we don’t need. Well, no more. This weekend I am going to celebrate Labor Day by cleaning out my clutter! I am going to be merciless, anything that I haven’t used in the last year, anything I don’t like, anything that takes up too much space is going to be gone. And at the end of the weekend, after the dust clears, I will have a clean and uncluttered house.

In celebration of this, my next few posts will be all about how to get rid of clutter in your home. I’ll be sharing some ideas of my own, and a few I’ve found on the web. And now, to kick off our clutter-busting right, is a story that can inspire all of us. Real Simple magazine features a woman living in an historic house that had no closets. NO CLOSETS! If she can make it work, and with four kids no less, then we should all be able to do it.

Happy cleaning!

Amy

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/0,21863,1827168,00.html?xid=weeklynews

As you know, I’m all about decorating, especially if there’s a chance it can help me get ahead in my career, improve my relationships with the hubby and kids or help me sleep better at night. That’s why I’ve always been fascinated with the art of feng shui. Simply put, feng shui is the ancient Chinese art of arranging furniture and objects to balance the energy in your home and maximize opportunities and good fortune.

There are many levels and layers to feng shui. You can even go so far as to get professional training to receive a feng shui certificate. So for all of you feng shui newbies out there, I’m cutting through the confusion and offering a few tutorials on the basics of feng shui, with easy tips to help get you started. Welcome to Feng Shui 101!

The first step when starting feng shui sounds simple, but it cannot be overlooked: Clean out your clutter. Feng shui experts say that clutter stagnates the energy in your home, while at the same time blocking any abundance or new opportunities.

So grab those boxes and trashbags and get rid off all that clutter. Decide what gets trashed, what gets recycled and what goes to Goodwill. (Just don’t let those boxes sit the garage for weeks and weeks. I’m pretty sure that’s qualifies as moving all the clutter into a different spot, therefore still throwing your energy off-balance.)

And don’t focus just on the clutter you can see on the surface. Organize your kitchen cabinets, your desk drawers, the bathroom closet… de-clutter everything from the refrigerator to your sock drawer. The more space you clear out, the more space you make for new opportunities. For some unique no-clutter tips see http://jdorganizer.blogspot.com/.

While you’re de-cluttering, why not take a few minutes to clean and fix a few other things? Clean your windows (which represent opportunities) so you can see opportunities coming. Tighten any door knobs, drawer handles and locks so you can get a better handle on things. Replace light bulbs so you’re not left in the dark in certain areas of your life.

Once you’ve done all that, you’ll have a clean slate. Now you’re ready to layout your Ba-gua, basically a feng shui floor plan of which areas in your home represent the areas of your life. We’ll cover that in part two of our feng shui tutorial, so stay tuned.