Those are Barbie Valentines. The extra four or five that we didn’t need.
I’m overly proud of myself for throwing them in the trash on February 15th.
A few weeks ago, I had lunch at a restaurant with my best friend. (Yes, I realize this SEEMS to be a totally unrelated story.) There was a mix-up with the check, and they had to re-do it and brought us another one. Since we split it and she used a gift card for a portion of hers, there were about five different receipts that were now officially trash.
I watched in awe as she tore them into tiny pieces right then and there and placed them neatly on a plate for the busboy to throw away.
She didn’t unconsciously shove them in her purse.
Y’know, like I would have done. To deal with them later.
MUCH later. At a point when I would be sifting through sixty similar receipts . . . perhaps on my bed . . . while desperately wishing I could just get to sleep already . . . but unable to . . . because I dumped out my purse there earlier in the day . . . while frantically looking for something.
I’m pretty sure her way is better. Y’know, since she’s normal and all.
I’m trying to eliminate the half-way point for papers whenever possible.
I’ve been doing things like . . . not sticking the worksheets from our Sunday morning Bible Study class in my Bible, never to be looked at again. (Until I’m cleaning out the Suburban and find the ones that fell out.)
I’ve been consciously throwing them in the trash as I leave the classroom. I know that the teacher worked hard to prepare them (since I happen to sleep with him every night), but I also know he’ll get over it.
No half-way point.
I’ve also been going through my kids’ school papers over the trash can. Instead of making a decision about which ones to throw away, I’m making a decision about which ones to keep.
Somehow, that’s much easier.
No half-way point.
As a still-recovering must-keep-everything-that-might-be-worth-looking-at-later kind of person, it’s a weird feeling.
But I can feel my brain changing every time I do it.
Not bringing clutter in? That would be the most efficient form of decluttering, right?
I’m particularly bad with receipts. So good at throwing out mail, leaflets, school notes- but give me a receipt and it’s like it’s drawn via magnets into my purse.
Maybe this can be my March goal- no purse trash?
Nony, no! Sleeping with the teacher? Every night?! Oh…wait…right. Receipts? What receipts? Meanwhile, I drown in my kids’ work.
Hee hee.
I have been fighting the useless paper fight for ages. In Germany, most towns have their own “for free” weekly newspaper, with tons of ads and stuff. I would like to not receive it, but although we never even look at it, the BF insists we keep getting it. Gah.
congrats on the valentines…the receipt thing, i so totally get!!!! after shopping, my purse is bursting with useless paper…unused coupons, receipts, flyers, notes and lists…grrrr
the one battle i seem to have made progress on is the school piles that come home. i set up a blue trash can and hung it next to the computer desk where i deal with the kids as they come home with their ‘piles” …98% goes into the trash..after a “way to go kiddo , that is a wonderful grade..i’m proud of you..can i pitch it now????” lol most of it is busy work…any compositions or nice drawings are put aside.
so nice to not have this avalanche on my desk…and well all over the floor!!!
We are kindred spirits, you and I …. I’m on the same path …learning to throw away or give away more every day. I threw away the left over Valentines this year too…immediately. I’ve looked at them for at least 2 months before giving in during past years. It’s nice to read this and know that I’m not alone in this weird mental battle.
Such a great idea! I’m terrible with shoving multiple receipts in my purse, and church bulletins too! I’m doing going to make it a point to throw things away immediately instead of storing them and carrying them around until they overwhelm my purse! Thanks for such a great tip!
Good job on the Valentines!!! 🙂 My mom got some for the kids and we picked some up as well, so I’m storing mine for next year (at least I have the room to do it, I wouldn’t be keeping them if I didn’t have the space).
Since I enter my receipts on a sheet at home, I do keep them – but only in my wallet, never just stuffed in my purse. I used to do that, but they do get overwhelming quickly! Once they’re on the spreadsheet, they get tossed in the trash, which is right next to the desk in the front room.
The kids’ papers are hard; I keep too many now, but I do try to go back through and cull those after the year is out. My Aunt, rest her soul, did a wonderful thing – she got me those binder books that have a pocket for every year, with a spot to put the kid’s picture on the pocket face, fill in which grade, who the teacher was, little details, and then you put the best projects inside and are done! Whew! Also, my Mom came up with this idea – when the little wonder brings home a great art project, take a photo. Then just keep the photo! This way you can share the artwork with grandma, or whoever (or just put it in the trash after it’s been kicked around under the shoe rack for a week – never happens, just a guess!) and the photos can be kept in a scrapbook or printed and put in the same binder as the school papers. 🙂
Have a great March, and good for you!!! Love your blog!!!
I discovered that the easiest way to deal with junk mail is to go through the mail as I am walking back to the house (okay, that’s not the “dealing” part), but instead of going straight up the steps, I make a detour to the side of the house to where the recycling bin is. It’s an extra, oh, 10 steps over and 10 steps back. Anything that would just sit on the dinning table for the next two weeks until I got around to throwing it in the INSIDE recycling bin just goes straight into the OUTSIDE recycling bin.
I picked up your book yesterday! Really liking it so far! I knew I would, though. 🙂
Paper is my enemy! I am doing my best to come up with tricks to get rid of it. I have tried the “take a picture thing” for kids projects (or my projects) and I try to control my mail, but my purse is usually bursting with paper. When I write I usually write everything by hand first and then later transfer it to the computer (or sometimes not), I am also a list maker so my paper lists wind up everywhere. Unfortunately my problem is not only at home, my office is full of paper stuff that I need to get rid of. I should probably get back to that…
Thank you for sharing, it is nice to know that I am not alone in my stacks and piles.
Way to go on the Valentines, I recently uncovered last years left over cards, a few days after Valentines day, too late to use them, they are now in the recycle bin.
One thing I have doing to eliminate the half-way point is with the mail. Immediately after I get the mail out of the mailbox, I go straight to the trash bin on the side of the house and sort the mail there. That way the unneccesary junk mail doesn’t sit in an ever-growing pile on the counter. The bills do….but that’s another story. 🙂
Ha Ha! Guess I should have read the comments first. What I meant to say was, “Great idea ShannonP!”
I bought your e-book and it is awesome people! I feel no one has really ever taught me how to keep a clean house. I bounce between feeling like clutter is cozy and I need to clean because a house should be clean. You really motivate to feel the balance of a happy house.
Thank you so much!
I’ve been watching the show Hoarders lately. While I am not a hoarder, more of a messy person who sometimes gets confused on what to keep and what to throw away, I’m learning some things from the show.
When I see these people frantically trying to hold onto a 50 year old encyclopedia set, or a wall full of magazines they will never read again, it seems so obvious to me. I’m yelling at them – ” what’s more important???? Your useless paper or being able to walk in your home!!!!?????”.
And that has become a key question for me as I hem and haw over something I might use again. What is more important, holding onto this thing I *might* use or need in the future, or having a clutter-free home? Having a clean functional home is more important than most of these *things*.
Hmmm… “ironic” isn’t right… nor is “karma”, I hope… Not sure what word to use when the day I finally download your ebook to start again is the same day I find a chunk of black rubber in the bottom of my dishwasher. I guess we’re doing this the hard way. 😉
Looking forward to being able to say “I’ve done the whole book”.
@Amy, I find ‘Hoarders’ to be very motivating. Though I’m NOWHERE near a hoarder, I was told a couple times recently that I am. I don’t see it. Famous last words, right? Or is it “It’s all the kids’ stuff!”? lol! I feel almost like I’m stealing by buying your ebook for $2. For REAL woman! I know it’s going to be great! It’ll be great motivation for tackling the garage aka hoarding room. It just looks like a lot because of my “organizing” tote buckets! I swear!
Bahaha!! That’s totally me the receipts and looking for something else with all of it dumped out my purse on my bed. I just found you, bought your e-book, and believe we have very much in common!! Looking forward to reading more 🙂
Nony–you haven’t forgotten about the last link up, at Org Junkie have you? The Game Room? Or are you furiously working as I type? Looking forward to seeing the Big Reveal. (or not so big. whatever–no preassure.)
I like this “no-half way point” plan! I need to use this for some things too!
Good job on the Valentines.
You know, back in the day, the kids did the bulk of their school work on slates which were erased after they were graded. Mothers didn’t even have to deal with that avalanche. And, we think our methods are improved. Hum.
I’ve got to figure this out too.
My big no half way point is broken stuff, not even the broken stuff I am lying to myself about repair, but just somehow putting down broken stuff or wrappers or whatever instead of it going right in the trash or recycling.
The receipts thing though cracks me up, I have a special talent. That receipt for the $100 gift purchased at the store with a strict return policy-gone. The receipt for an expensive piece of electronics that I need to prove is still in warranty, vanished. The receipt that I need to get paid back for something I bought for someone else, evaporated. The receipt for a $5 muffin bought at the airport six months ago is not only in my purse it’s pristine as if it just came off the register.
I now buy almost everything on my credit card just so I can track things without having to keep receipts.
My problem with paper clutter is identity theft ! And it seems a pain to stand and shred all the junk that comes ! What is safe to toss what is not , without risking problems ?
We have a cross-cut shredder near the kitchen bench. Any paper waste (other than generic junk mail) goes in a container next to the shredder. Then, while people are sitting at the bench chatting to the cook, they shred the pile. One of my friends loves to shred the paper and says she finds it therapeutic. The shredded material goes to our local pet store for bedding.
Ahhhhh!! I can’t do what your friend did, though; because I have this problem of being a little OCD about recycling. ***You can’t tear that paper up and put it on the plate for the busboy to throw away in the REGULAR trash – THAT’S RECYCLABLE!!!!*****
Luckily, I have designated a special door-slot in my car where I (mostly) store receipts, and then put them in the recycling trash periodically when I get home from work. 🙂