#2013alive: How are you Decluttering?

This week, we’re sorting our clutter. Our alive staff also shared their decluttering experiences.

Lina, Graphic Designer

The best way I have found for decluttering/organizing my house is to do it regularly on a set schedule. I do a full house cleaning each weekend, and usually my family gets involved in helping me out. It gets done faster when you get others involved. Also, using plastic boxes, especially in the garage, to store all your items that you don’t need as often is really useful and keeps everything organized!  

Amy, Editor

My mom is moving out of her townhouse and I’m taking it over, so the place is an absolute disaster mid-switch. I don’t have much stuff, so the four-box method isn’t necessary in my case, but I definitely want to make sure that everything has its own “home,” so that after the luster of having a new place wears out, I’ll be able to keep things tidy and organized. I like cutting off the tops of tissue boxes and other small cardboard boxes and lining drawers with them to create simple upcycled storage in otherwise cluttered junk and makeup drawers.

Ellen, Editor

Paper is something that clutters up my home if I don’t keep close tabs on it. Whether bills, correspondence, newspapers, flyers, or magazines, they tend to create an unwanted paper trail. I’ve learned to be selective about what paper enters my space.

I recycle all flyers I don’t want in the recycling bin in my lobby. I have a small extendable file folder that I keep bills in—but I shred and recycle them after one year. I also keep warranties, insurance papers, and important things in an accordion file and shred and recycle old policies each year.

After six months, I donate magazines to my local library. I now read newspapers online to save trees and avoid newspaper clutter. Keeping down the amount of paper really helps to keep my space tidy plus, by keeping important papers organized, I know where to find them when I need them. I also scan some documents and store them on my computer, but I always make a back-up copy on a memory stick.

Amanda, Graphic Designer

Decluttering feels great! I recently went through my summer wardrobe and all of my jewelry and began to make two piles (one for giving away and the other to take to a local second hand store). For me the hardest part of getting rid of and decluttering things are the books and sentimental objects, notes, cards, etc. I find myself feeling guilty or disrespectful throwing away the sentimental obejects that clutter and trail dust around the home. I seem to feel as though I am throwing the memory away, as the visual piece is a physical reminder. So I am still searching for resolution in this decluttering area of my life.

Tell us how you’re doing!

How is your sorting going s far? Drop us a line via blog or Facebook comments, or by using the Twitter hashtag #2013alive to let us know how you’re doing on your 2013 journey!

Plus, tune in to find out how we’re doing by checking our ongoing Twitter, Facebook, and blog posts. While you’re at it, download May’s goal sheet to track your progress.