Decluttering my life
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I have been adding to my “go away” pile for weeks now.
Question: And this question is specifically to people who are getting rid of large quantities of stuff like me: Where do you put this stuff until you are ready to haul it all away?!?
I started my decluttering journey with just placing the items that were going away in my walk in closet. Then when I started really understanding that I wanted to give away most of the things that were just taking up space in my house, I upgraded to a large laundry basket (after I destroyed a small one by overstuffing it). Eventually, that laundry basket grew too small and now I pile, quite literally, all this stuff on the large landing off of my living room where my childhood piano sits and never gets played.
You guys. This is seriously screwing with my mental happiness. Most of the time it overflows into my living room, which hinders peaceful interaction with my family. Also, it just makes me want to scream. The whole point of this exercise is to make my home our sanctuary. Where we want to be. Piles of things that have already been deemed “the go away and never come back here again” sitting and staring me in the face isn’t working out.
I already know the answer to the question I asked. It’s always the same answer, I have discovered. Donate this stuff weekly. Put it on my to do list and actually DO IT. This is my problem: I am an excellent planner. I love everything about planning. I love my planner, I love filling in the items that need to be done. But executing them? Yeah……
Let’s see what’s getting a new life outside of my house:
I questioned the kids and wanted to know if they were going to be upset with their sleeping bags from more than a decade ago going to live with some other human: No.
I cleared out one of the linen closets downstairs to make and “extra’s” section in my house for the overflow things we need to keep on hand, like shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper, and hand soap and I found two more shower curtains that I didn’t even remember keeping. Also two king sized shams from a comforter set that I gave away about fifteen years ago. 😯 
More extras that are just taking up space. Do you have a favorite whisk? I obviously do and its not these two.
Have you ever used this laundry detergent before? I used to use Arm and Hammer all the time, but with my new washing machine this stuff will just not get my clothes clean. 
More extras. Those two knives are Chicago cutlery, but you would not believe how many times I have had wet hands and almost slices off a digit with them. Also, my boat motor as Emeril Lagasse calls it. I have had this one for 26 years. I received it as a wedding present. But it doesn’t come apart and I HATE cleaning it. So I found a new one at a yard sale Liv and I were socially distancing at for $2.00 and it makes me very happy that it goes into the dishwasher. It’s the simple things.
More things that were just waiting to leave my house.
The always there pile of magazines that I am slowly reading my way through…..
An “extra” magazine rack, and two food savers that I apparently have as extras. Good grief. There is another one in my kitchen as we speak.
More extras of extras.
Parting with my dishes isn’t as painful as it once was….
Things that have never been used.
This is a perfect example of why I no longer put things in my garage to await donation day: this has been waiting for months.
Self explanatory.
Are you decluttering?
This laundry basket has to go. It is collapsible which is a fantastic idea, but in reality is a giant pain in the butt to use on a daily basis.
