What To Throw Away?
By Alice Henry
@IreneVincent (15960)
United States
March 14, 2016 3:39pm CST
I’m still cleaning out my “ home office” that was used for storage as well as an office, and I’ve really made a lot of progress. Now I’m down to the final stage, I think. And I’m having a difficult time deciding what to toss.
Yesterday, I filled up the trunk of my car and the back seat with things that I’m taking to my friend, Mike, who does Flea Market booths all summer. What he doesn’t want will be donated to the Goodwill. I let him decide, instead of taking it to the Goodwill myself. He may want to keep some of it. Whatever he gets out of it, is his. I don’t want anything for it.
I was reading an article in the AARP magazine about decluttering your home and there were certainly some great ideas there. They mentioned several things that can be tossed or otherwise disposed of and one statement really hit home with me, because that’s my problem right now.
It said: “When you’re up against your memories, remember you’re simplifying your life not erasing your past.” Hmmmm.
Then they listed some things that fit into this “memories” category, like “wedding dress, greeting cards, love letters, photos, books, luggage, china, antiques, and kid’s stuff” and gave some interesting ideas about what to do with them. It was a helpful article.
Do you need to “declutter your home?” Read this article, if you get a chance.
4 people like this
6 responses
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
14 Mar 16
Me too and I wish I had them back. The article said, that if they were parents letters to toss them, but if they were YOURS, keep them.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
14 Mar 16
Good questions. I'll have to check out the KonMari method, I guess.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
14 Mar 16
Yes, the rest of my house was not cluttered but this ONE ROOM, that I used for my home office and storage was ridiculous. You would not believe what all I have gotten rid of. Mostly, paperwork, receipts and sales meeting notes, none of which I need anymore.
@AmbiePam (120988)
• United States
15 Mar 16
I started reading a book that changed my life. "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo is an amazing book. I bought it as an ebook because it was cheaper, and I'm not quite done with it. However, I was blown away. So many critics hailed it as transformative, and so did some famous people. I was skeptical until I read it, and I'm glad I did. It makes choosing what to keep and what too toss less stressful.
Of course I have a bag for Goodwill too!
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
16 Mar 16
I'll have to see if I can find that book you mentioned. My youngest son is all about getting rid of things that are no longer useful to him. He says it makes him feel wonderful to get it out of his way. Of course, I watched him and his wife as they sorted through the things that had been in the laundry room and he FOUND some things that he had been wondering where they were and he was absolutely ELATED about discovering them. I had to laugh. Because he is always telling me, not to worry about what might be in a box. He always says: If I haven't looked in the box for a year or more, I obviously don't need anything that's in the box, but I can't do that and him finding these things he was missing sort of confirmed my need to LOOK in the Box before tossing it.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
14 Mar 16
That's for sure, on both counts. I have found quite a few things that I had put away and had not know where to find them. What I'm keeping, I'm labeling and then making a list as to where things are. It's been time consuming, but will save me time later if I ever need to find something.
And I'm getting rid of a LOT of things.
@IreneVincent (15960)
• United States
16 Mar 16
I have a lot of old cards also. I need to toss them too, I guess. They just sit in a box and take up space.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382337)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Mar 16
@IreneVincent I have baby cards when our first son arrived. He isn't married, doesn't have kids and he doesn't know any of the people anyway so there is no way he wants the cards. It's just more stuff they'd have to throw out when we go - so I might as well do it now and save the boys the bother.
