How do you get down to one box for each kid?? I’m not on your level! Aside from their memory boxes, my kids want their Playmobil, Lego, and American Girl toys, and a few favorite stuffed toys. And books. Oh my, the books! I think I have 4 large tubs of their favorite books…
Same here - one giant plastic box for each child. They still call it their “keep it box”.
Threw my three things away tonight from my monster zone. A glass fish bowl and two insulated drink jugs (we don’t need three so paired it down to one!)
I have one giant monster zone right now on my dining room floor and table! The entire contents of the kitchen are spread out there while the cabinets are being refaced. Easy peasy target! Placed a number of pots and gadgets in the Goodwill box and tossed a couple of plastic tubs!
I was out of town till tonight. I need to start tomorrow!
@gouf78 One of my DDs lived abroad for many years so had a great excuse. The summer she visited after being offered a job in the states, I made her go through all her stuff. Then when we drove down to her new town to help her move in, we helpfully brought everything with us, including her piano which I had been tripping over for a decade. 
Another of my DDs has a basement so we took all her stuff there, she also has two sons. Just this week she gave away all her porcelain dolls saved from childhood. Either this means she’s done having kids or she’s gonna get a surprise girl.
“How do you get down to one box for each kid?? I’m not on your level! Aside from their memory boxes, my kids want their Playmobil, Lego, and American Girl toys, and a few favorite stuffed toys. And books. Oh my, the books! I think I have 4 large tubs of their favorite books”
I really emphasized to them that stuff in tubs is a waste and a shame. Someone out there would love an American girl doll and put legos/playmobil to great use. The memory box may contain a small AG doll accessory for example but to keep it all unused for years for “ someday” was against my beliefs. And I did not present this as a choice but a given.
I have a different feeling about the toys since the kids hope to give them to their kids (and we only kept the quality toys that will last).
I do think one tub each is a good goal for memorabilia like artwork, stories, report cards, school pictures, etc. My MIL started sending tubs home with H every visit once we bought a house. She had literally kept his entire childhood through age 18.
I am keeping their timeless toys - Magnatiles, wooden blocks and play food - with me. They will stay at Grandma’s house someday, lol. At least they are corralled into one plastic tub.
I don’t consider the toys/games as S’s or D’s. Each has one large bin with their “stuff”. There is one cardboard
Drawer system that I have forgotten about! But will look at it this weekend. One silly box of books D wanted me to keep-- mostly books girls like. Of course she is pg with a boy.
The legoes, matchbox cars, games, dollhouse and more have now been used by two kids when they visit,
the neighbors visiting kids and so on. When G’son has a birthday or we visit we free buy from these toys
as his gift. We buy jackets and sweatshirts to help mom and dad but his toy gifts come from the toy closet.
It is sort of embarrassing how many quality toys my two had but they are so useful the second time around .
All of the young kids like the old toys the best…30 year old stuff. I did not keep any toddler stuff which I regret.
S and D have a bin of Tree ornaments each. Goal this season is to get them to purge them. If they don’t then I
will. We have loads of storage space right now but I still don’t want so many things in my home. Objects
weigh me down.
@oregon101 - I would have probably gotten rid of all the Christmas ornaments, but those were the ONLY things ds wanted us to keep. I also agree with your sentiments that having a lot of stuff in the home makes it feel weighted down.
We initially kept the Brio train, some wooden puzzles, and all the Dr. Sues books (those had originally been mine). After awhile, we decided to let them go (after double checking with ds) partially for reasons that @maya54 stated, but partially because they had to be held in off-site storage. If I still had a large home, I probably would have kept them, though.
." And books. Oh my, the books! I think I have 4 large tubs of their favorite books”"
I took pictures of the book shelves (so I didn’t have to write titles) and asked what to discard. Then I boxed them up and sent them media mail which was cheap.
Our “keep it” boxes (one per child) are just for memorabilia - not toys - we have plenty of those saved!
Today, Day #4:
Today’s Assignment:
Do a 20-minute decluttering sweep of your entryway.
The 20-minute sweep is a staple of the September Sweep program, and here’s how it works: Set a timer for 20 minutes and head to your entryway area. (Be it a foyer, mudroom, corner, porch, basement, or wall area—we’re targeting whatever room or spot in your home that acts as a reception when you come home each day.) You may also want to grab a laundry basket or something similar.
While the 20 minutes are counting down, do a fast but thorough pass through parts of that space, discarding anything that doesn’t belong (because it’s trash, or belongs somewhere else, or maybe because it’s ready for another home) into your basket.
Where to Look:
console tabletops
shelves
drawers
inside cubbies or baskets
the coat closet
What to look for:
backpacks, handbags and purses
shoes
coats, jackets and scarves
commuter gear
umbrellas
old mail
magazines
extra keys
things waiting to be taken away
other trash
Once you’re finished in the entryway, take your basket and empty it: Return misplaced items to their homes, and discard anything you no longer need into the trash/recycling or the “sell,” “donate,” and “wanderers” boxes you set up on day one.
And don’t forget:
Clear three things from your monster zone.
Our entry way is at our back door and honestly is not a problem. There are a couple of things there I could straigthen up but it’s not a problem area or a gathering area. There are a few wall hooks for the dogs leash/harness, doggie coat and a small recycle basket there. Not an issue.
When the kids were younger I had a shoe cart there - three kids, three drawers - thats where they dropped their shoes.
I will admit that near this area there is a section of the counter that is Mr. Abasket’s dump “monster zone” for random stuff - papers, little tools, etc. - but I cannot make him sweep and I know enough to leave his stuff alone!
I’ll get three additional things from the attic tonight. H did ask about this last night - I assured him I would only dump my stuff though truth be told, much of the clutter is his!!!
I love how easy it is to send a picture for these situations. I did that with S’s remaining clothes after he moved, so now only the favorites remain.
I like the idea of one box per kid, I’m going to start that.
I went to one of my monster zones and cleared 4 items. One was big and I’m thrilled to have dropped it off at goodwill. DH had wanted to save it for a garage sale. Well, that $5 we would have made is not worth the frustration ever time I walk into our storage room in the basement.
I was a Princess Dianaophile. I had saved books about her and her fashion back since 1981, maybe 8 though the years. They are heavy. I kept one.
Again, he is such a packrat. We have 2 old monitors there, an old TV and …argh.
I’m thinking…if I move in 5 years, will I want this.
We just moved, and we culled a lot (a couple of tons, literally!!!) of crap, and I still find things to cull which I thought we would use here, but after a few months we realized that they were not needed.
It’s interesting how much stuff we buy that we don’t need. First-world problems.
Today’s Assignment:
Declutter your closet, getting rid of clothing you no longer need.
Here’s how I’d handle the logistics:
Take everything out of your closet and drawers.
Group similar pieces together into piles (for example: jeans, work clothes, gym gear). I like doing this so it’s easy to see where you have redundancies.
Work piece by piece through your piles, picking up each item to consider if it’s worth keeping. Try things on if you need to.
If you’re keeping it, hang it back up or fold it back into your drawer.
If it needs to be fixed, set it aside (maybe into your “wanderers” box) to address later.
If you no longer want to keep it, drop it into your “sell” or “donate” boxes.
Step 3 here is tough, I know. Sorting through your clothes is an emotional challenge. I think the strategy you use here needs to be emotionally-driven, too. In other words, you should follow whatever rubric that speaks to your soul.
“The Rules” from the September Sweep
Yep, the rules from day two of the program can be applied to cleaning out your wardrobe as well. If the answer to all of these questions is “no,” get rid of it.
Have I used this item in the past year?
Will I use it in the year ahead?
If I was shopping right now, would I buy this again?
If it is broken, is it worth fixing?
Would I keep this if I moved?
Fashion Stylist Laurel Kinney’s Four Key Questions
Kinney’s approach might speak to you best if you’re style-minded, or have a lot of pieces or categories of clothes that you cycle through. You can read more about her process here.
Does this fit me physically the way it should? Is there something I would change about it?
Does it say “you”?
Is it nice enough to give away? If not, why are you still wearing it?
Can you mix and match it?
I actually did some of this last weekend by chance. I’m headed out of town today for the day but will still make another attempt this weekend at today’s task.
I try to do this every season when I’m putting away clothing and once more as I’m changing out closets. I have things I want to resell, but then I have to keep them for 6 months as resellers only want current. Frustrating! Maybe it’s time to just donate everything.
I just dropped off two suits, six skirts, five pants and a few tops at a Dress for Success drop-off place. Delighted to no longer have these [unworn] items in my house. I hope they help some other women.
I think this is a GREAT one today - “clutter” isn’t just about physical objects in your home - I’m definitely going to do a round of email clean up including unsubscribing to mail I don’t need!
Today’s Assignment:
Do one thing to “attack the source” and stop clutter from coming in.
That’s it. Just one preventative thing. Choose from the ideas below, or dream up your own solution (and please share it in the comments).
If you finish the one thing and want to call it a day, that’s perfect. But if you feel great and want to do a few more, I won’t stop you!
A Dozen Ways to Prevent Clutter:
Cancel a magazine subscription
Get your address off physical junk mail lists
Unsubscribe from email and paper newsletters
Request electronic delivery of your regular paper mail, like bills or bank statements.
Set a recurring weekly reminder to digitize any papers you’re keeping “just in case.”
Put a trash can or paper shredder by the door where mail comes in
Set up a permanent donation basket near the front door and commit to making weekly or monthly trips to empty it
Make a budget or set up a spending plan for shopping
Implement a one-in, one-out rule for clothes or books or toys
Talk your friends or family into a “no gift” pact for the holidays this year, or for next year’s round of birthdays.
Tattoo “Say no to free stuff” on the palm of your hand. (Or a reminder like that that’s a little less permanent.)
Watch an episode of “Hoarders” and restore your commitment to the #clutterfreelife
Don’t laugh at that last one, a night of “Hoarders” is a surprisingly effective tactic.
One more tip: There are services that will help you get off junk mail lists and unsubscribe from emails. Check out How to Eliminate Junk Mail (& Email) Once and For All.
And don’t forget:
Clear 3 things from your monster zone.