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2 Minute Tips ~ #3 Letting Go of Sentimental Items

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Trying to declutter but having a hard time getting rid of anything because everything brings back a flood of memories?

Welcome to the next video in the Mindfully Organized 2 Minute tip series. In today’s episode I am going to give you some tips on letting go of items that are weighing you down but are hard to let go of  because they have sentimental value.

An important idea to hold in your mind as you make decisions is that the item is not the person you love, it is not the memory, or the love.  It is just an object that brings those thoughts to the front of your mind.

So as you start to go through sentimental clutter ask yourself the questions from last week remembering the anything you don’t have a use for or room to display is probably clutter.

So here are some ideas to help you decide what to keep.

1. Take photos of the items that bring up good memories.  When you are done decluttering create a photo album online and print it out as a coffee table book.

2. Keep the best of the best.  Keep one small box of baby things and donate the rest.  Keep 10 teacups that you have room to display and let the rest go

3. Share the wealth!  Are there others in your family that might enjoy some of the sentimental items?  Or good friends that would love to have something from you. Or people in need?

4. You can make something useful out of the items.  For example there are companies that will change your t-shirts into a quilt.

One last note. Just because an item was a gift do not mean that you have to keep it.  The giver did not give you the gift to weigh you down. they gave it to you because they care about you and that doesn’t change whether you have or don’t have their gift.

What do you think?  What ways have you used to let go of sentimental items?  Leave a comment below.

Mindfully Organized 2 Minute Tips – #2 Decluttering 101

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Have too much stuff?  Have a room or a whole house you are a little embarrassed to have people see?

Welcome to the next video in the Mindfully Organized 2 Minute tip series. In today’s episode I am going to give you some tips on starting to declutter without creating an even bigger mess.

First thing DO NOT TAKE EVERYTHING OUT!  There are only so many decisions that your brain can effectively make in one day.  If you have been building up the clutter for awhile you can NOT get rid of it in one sitting even if you want to.

First set yourself up 5 bins.

  1. Refuse ~ Trash
  2. Recycle
  3. Regift ~Donate
  4. Relocate ~  Has a set home already somewhere else in the house or someone else’s house
  5. Retain ~  Keep

Now pick a spot to start.  I like to start in a corner and work my way around the room but if the room is too full you might just need to start with whatever you can reach and then try to work your way around the room.  This will give you some clear space to put the keep boxes back as you go.

Ask yourself these questions, the same questions I would ask you if I were coaching you:

  • Have I used this item in the last year?
  • Does it make me smile?
  • Do I have a use for the item somewhere in my home or office?

Anything that you don’t answer yes to at least one of these questions you probably don’t need to keep.

Remember to stop sorting before you get too tired.  You want to leave enough time and energy to take care of the mess you made, and you will make a mess, it always looks worse before it gets better.  Leave enough time to take the trash and recycle out, to put the donations in the car  and to put away what is left.

I made a printable graphic of the three questions and the 5 bins that you can print out to remind you how to get started.

Don’t miss any 2 minute tips.  If you aren’t on the MO mailing list yet register today and get a free ebook on How to Tame Your Inbox at tameyourinbox.gr8.com

What do you think?  Leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts on decluttering or suggest a topic for future 2 minute tips.

NeatDesk Desktop Scanner

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I am loving our NeatDesk scanner! When my fiance purchased this last year I wasn’t convinced that it was a time saver, then I started to see the light.
Your scanned receipts are searchable by vendor, date, amount.
The documents that are cluttering up your desk because you may need them one day…converted into 1s and 0s to be found with a quick search if you ever do need them.

Sooo Cool!

Recycle your old shoes

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Have a lot of shoes that you don’t need?  Want to do something different than just take a box down to the local thrift store?  Want to know who the next owner of your old shoes is? Shoebox Recycling is just the ticket.

 

From the Shoebox Recycling website:

“As a for-profit recycler, we know that we can only do good if we do well. Every shoe we collect will be distributed for reuse at various local market places around the world. When you place a note in your shoes and tell the next owner what is special about them, you can trace the path they take and ultimately find your ‘Sole Mate’.”

*One thing to note, Shoebox Recycling is a for profit.  This is not a donation.

 

 

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