Sunday, May 1, 2011


The Challenge...

Since I'll be a 'stay-at-home-mom' soon- I thought I’d focus on a NEW CHALLENGE for the month of May. Once I get my house the way I want it- the REAL Challenge will be KEEPING it clutter-free!

clutter cramps my style

I loathe clutter. I know what you're thinking... but I DO! To me it’s just more stuff to look at, put away, pay attention to, or clean. I would much rather have less stuff so I can spend more time scrapbooking, playing with my kids, writing, or of course... faceboooking.

found money

Clutter also represents wasted money.When I go through things, I literally find money. Recently, I even found a money order from 2005- completely blank, completely unspent... I even tried cashing it- ugh. That was a $50 mistake. :o(

On the seldom occasion of finding ACTUAL cash- you may find also things which are sellable, and net a tidy profit from a few hours of decluttering. At the very least you can get the value of the items and take a tax deduction.

the NEXT 30 day challenge

I’m calling all you Clutter Bugs to come forth and join my CHALLENGE with me. 5 a day to keep the clutter away.

The guidelines are simple.

  • Find 5 things a day that you can get rid of. Size doesn’t matter. It could be a spoonrest or an entire wardrobe.
  • Put them in a box/bag/bin in an out of the way area (your garage, laundry room, a closet)
  • At the end of each week or the month (depending on your storage space) trash it, give away or donate all the items
  • If you find something that indeed is sale-worthy you have the month to sell it. If by the end of May- it’s still in your box, it goes, and you get a nice tax write-off.

Options for getting rid of your items include:

  • - Goodwill/Salvation Army/Savers/Homeless shelter... or other charities for toys/kid’s clothing consider a local domestic violence shelter

  • - CraigsList (free or for sale)

  • - Freecycle

  • - eBay

  • - Be creative! Maybe you have a friend who could use your old lawnmower, or you create a neighborhood swap.

By the end of the month you should have 155 things to go. Take a photo of it and upload it to an album if you want. (For me, I'll do a before and after picture of my worst cluttered areas- only 'cause Photos help me stay modivated.)

As you read this note- Let me know if you are up for the challenge, and as you start your own album- tell me what your struggles are with stuff.

I find that most people (especially ME) have issues letting things go for one reason or another, and I’m happy to help you work through yours. Feel free to email me, text, or comment here on facebook.

A few things that will tie-in with the 5 a day challenge:

  • live chat through fb instant message
  • before and after photos of my problem areas (if it helps you know- you're not alone!)
  • videos to show you how I determine if things are saleworthy, and how I choose what to get rid of
  • a possible giveaway! (working on sponsors for this right now, feel free to email me if you have a product that ties in with the challenge)

Looking forward to hearing what you think, and getting rid of the clutter with you! We all know that My house needs it!

1 comment:

  1. Either I was a good 'leader' for this group or I didn't have enough interested people... this idea has been put on hold until further notice. :oP

    ReplyDelete