It’s the last day of January!
January 2012 has been a very busy month for me with all the details involved in getting out my e-book, 28 Days to Hope for Your Home.
What? You haven’t purchased your copy yet? It’s okay, click on over and get yours and then come right back. It’s only $4. UPDATE: This e-book has been retired, but the information is included in my NEW books! For detailed guides, check out my books: How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mindand Decluttering at the Speed of Life.
Good. Now let’s talk about decluttering.
As I’ve shared, my home was sorely neglected while I enjoyed the justifiable (to me) tunnel-vision that came with putting out the e-book. But . . . I noticed last Sunday (while getting the house straightened up before our home group arrived), that my Donate Spot is quite full. We did some significant purging in my daughter’s room one day after Christmas, but most of my decluttering . . . has been unconscious.
That’s right. Unconscious decluttering.
Unconsciousness in regard to housekeeping is second nature to me, but generally only in a negative way. So I was pretty proud of myself when I saw that there were full boxes of stuff to get out of our house.
Not that the boxes are out of the house yet . . . but still.
As we put away Christmas decor, I purged a little.
As I’ve worked to catch up on laundry, I’ve dropped outgrown clothes in the Donate Spot.
As I’ve re-cleared certain trouble spots, I’ve pitched the repeat offenders.
Maybe I’m making progress, because stuff is starting to get on my nerves.
Stuff in my house.
The stuff in the back of the Suburban that hubby put back there when he cleaned out the garage? The stuff that just needs to be dropped off at the thrift store? That doesn’t bug me at all.
Now it’s your turn to share! Maybe you did what lots of people do and completed some big decluttering projects in January. Maybe you didn’t stay in your pajamas for days on end writing an e-book . . .
I’d love to hear about your decluttering progress (or frustrations) in the comments or in a post on your blog. How did January go for you?
If you link up a post below, be sure to link back to A Slob Comes Clean. If you don’t know how to do that, just email me and I’ll explain.
Sharon says
Ok, I just bought and downloaded your book! I love your blog, so I’m looking forward to reading it. Since February has 28 days, my logical brain tells me to start tomorrow on my 28 days to hope! But then my slob brain remembers that’s it’s a leap year, so I can procrastin…, umm, I mean spend one day reading the book, before I put anything into action.
Heather :) :) :) says
I’m trying to declutter my walk-in closet. Most of the time when I come home, I just throw stuff in there, instead of taking the time to put it away, or hang it up…and now it’s really messy…I just don’t have any real desire to clean it up right now..but at some point I will get it done 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Rebecca Burgener says
I’m one of the reading-it-from-the beginning people, but I had to respond because I just decluttered my walk in closet, and I LOVE it. I have a whole house to declutter but I started there where no one will ever see. I went through EVERYTHING. Then I added a nursing chair and a little shelf for deodorant, perfume, make up and a few pretty or precious things. My closet has become my sanctuary. When the day is starting on the wrong foot, I can tell the kids to play in their bedrooms, and I can go sit in my clean, decluttered, and organized closet to breathe. It saves everyone from a lot of crazy mama yelling. My next project is making the master bedroom a sanctuary for me AND my man. I’ve been starting with the kitchen for years and seemingly spinning my wheels never getting beyond the dishes. Now I am excited to move forward.
I hope this rambling makes sense. I have a crazy love for my closet. 😛
Linda says
Hi! Just found your blog, looking forward to reading more of it. I can sooo relate! I actually did get a big closet emptied, decluttered, (lots of pitching) and put back together neatly this month. It was a two full day project. Ok, I must go run my dishwasher. Oh, wait, I guess I have to empty it first! 🙂
Mary E.S. says
I’ve been slowly purging since I found your blog and used your inspiration to help me let go of stuff.At this point I have two boxes and three bags to donate.I’m taking it one day at a time and one step at a time but now there is a light at the end of the tunnel.Even my hubby said he can see progress.I now have two cleared counters in my kitchen and can see most of my bedroom floor so, thank you for the help and inspiration.
Mary Stephens says
Good job! It’s great when it becomes a habit! 🙂
Lacy says
I have been a slob for such a long time, and I have never purged like I’m purging now! We’re moving in 3 weeks, and I know what you’re saying about just being tired of the STUFF! I seriously just don’t even want to own things anymore. I’m so proud of myself because I am only packing items that I actually want to own and are useful, and it feels so great to let the rest of it go. I’m going to try and leave you with a link to a facebook picture. We’ve been getting rid of stuff by listing it for free on Craigslist (there’s just too much for us to drive to thrift stores) and a scrap metal family showed up and hauled away a whole truck and trailor’s worth of stuff from my house! It was awesome! Hope this link works:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100610300230367&set=a.613749958127.2285484.12608239&type=1&theater
Tina says
I purchased your book! I use to be a neat freak … now I’m in the CHAOS (can’t have anyone over syndrome). My problem, I have soooo many knicknacks that I love that I just don’t know how to get rid of them and some of them I paid lots of money. I tried selling, I tried consignments, I tried craigslist. I just have not succeeded in getting rid. Pray for me!!!
Sakura says
I just bought your book and read day one. And now I’m off to complete day one, looking forward to day two!
Julie H says
I am keeping track of how many items I get rid of in a month. January it was 210 items {not regular trash stuff} plus 5 huge bags of clothes {didn’t feel like taking everything out and counting individually}. I am following a year-long declutter calendar….it has a mini-challenge for each day. Of course, I skipped ahead and did several things in a day. But, it’s nice if I have a really busy day I can just do a quick, 5-minute declutter and still feel like I accomplished something.
My plan is to get rid of 50% of the “stuff” in my house/basement this year…pretty lofty goal but I am ready to live a more simple life.
Cherish says
Unconscious decluttering…look at you!
Brigitte says
Unconscious decluttering is the turning point. All that training for a new habit finally kicking in! That’s amazing! — (Reading backwards)