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thedeclutteringcorner

Five Decluttering Myths that will derail your progress!

It’s hard enough to declutter. Here are five myths we can bust and help make decluttering a little easier…

Minimalism: Inspirational or Dangerous?

(Spoiler alert – I’m about to recommend that you read books about minimalism, AND I’m going to warn you about the dangers of reading about minimalism. You’re welcome.) Minimalism traditionally meant that you kept only the bare minimum number of objects that you needed.  Think – five people in the house, so you only need five plates.   But that definition has, for many authors, adapted to be more in…

Marie Kondo’s…Betrayal?

In which we discuss  the absolute outrage/vindication/betrayal/etc. that people felt, as Marie Kondo admitted that she no longer prioritizes keeping her house tidy, but rather prioritizes time with her kids. The press has had a field day with this.  One of the foremost tidying experts no longer values a tidy home?! But here’s the thing. Marie Kondo’s entire method was always about choosing what you truly wanted in…

Traveling? The perfect time to hone decluttering skills

I just spent the better part of a week in the hospital after what should have been an outpatient surgery (yay, me!), and one of the nurses commented at one point that my bedside tray and bag of “supplies” was one of the most organized spaces she’d seen. This was a pretty big moment for me, because since surface clutter does not typically bother me much day to day, it&#8217…

How Decluttering Makes Holidays FUN again!

Hello, amazing humans, it’s STORY TIME. This is the story of how decluttering has given me back the joy I used to feel as a kid when holidays and birthdays were approaching. One day recently, I went to the grocery store for milk, and left with an extra bag full of party supplies. (Yay, ADHD!  This is why my husband does the grocery shopping.  But I digress.) Here’s the thing – the…

Take Your Before Photos NOW

If it hasn’t happened yet, be prepared – it will. You suddenly find yourself halfway through a spontaneous decluttering project – or even finished! – and realize: You forgot to take before pictures. And you are probably gonna be bummed. So here is my recommendation: take before pictures NOW! Right now. Right this very minute. Or at least today. And when I say before pictures, I mean of absolutely everything. Every drawer, every…

Five forms of “Trickster Clutter”

Here are five types of “trickster clutter” that you probably have in your home.   I call it “trickster clutter” because at first glance, you don’t even register that it is clutter!  But…are these tricky little imposters actually serving you?   While each of these clutter types deserves a post of its own, if not an entire book, let’s take a quick look. 01: Aspirational Clutter This one…

Know Your “Big Rocks” To Achieve Your Decluttering Goals

There are many versions of this story (just google “Big Rocks and Jar”), made famous especially, perhaps, by Stephen Covey. I’m going to share the story, and then show you why this matters so much for our decluttering journeys – because this blog is all about decluttering – and really decluttering is about making your home support the life you truly want. The Story of the Big Rocks and the Jar…

When decluttering 15 minutes at a time is the fastest way to declutter!

There seem to be two very popular decluttering trends at the moment. Let’s call them: The Decluttering Bunny (inspired by the Energizer Bunny…which just keeps going and going and going); and The Decluttering Tortoise (inspired by the Tortoise and the Hare). To be clear, you can successfully declutter like a Bunny or a Tortoise. Neither holds a claim of moral superiority, and neither is inherently more effective than the other. For…

Laundry Myth: Fewer clothes doesn’t make less laundry

Minimalism Myth: “Owning fewer clothes means less laundry to wash!” Ummmm…. Okay. So. Math is sort of one of my big things, and this is just mathematically wrong. Math Fact: You will have less laundry to do when you wash fewer clothes. It doesn’t matter how many clothes you own. It just matters how many are going into a laundry basket at the end of the day. Think about it…