Junk, Junk, Junk!!!!

Constant argument with myself this weekend: "Want to save stuff." vs. "Need to throw away clutter." In the end "Attack the dirt" won out. Two rooms down (plus the laundry room, but that doesn't count, because it's more of a closet than a room), four to go. And it only took me two full days. Ugh!

My biggest problem items to get rid of are books. I love to read, love books, but never have time and don't have the room to keep them, if I am to be completely honest with myself. I can make myself box them up and put them in the attic, but then I feel so badly that they are just sitting there and can be no use to anyone where they are. I've gotten to be OK with throwing out the ones that the kids have completely or almost completely destroyed. Baby steps, Janners, baby steps! For now, not being used in a box in the attic is better than not being used gathering dust on my 3-too-many bookshelves.

Second biggest problem issue: papers from school. It's going to start up again in a week and a half, and I have to figure out a way to determine what is a keeper, and what is a tosser. I am thinking it's a good time to start the boys scrapbooking, and limiting them to one page a week for stuff from school to keep. I would feel much better about keeping a nice book that they made themselves than a pile of papers that I couldn't throw away.

I will say this about de-cluttering: it is SO much easier to keep a relatively clean, uncluttered house clean than to clean all around the junk. Picking up after dinner tonight was a cinch, and it's so nice to be able to lay out on the couch without folding and putting away clothes for 20 minutes first. Of course, the first thing my hubby says to a room that I feel finally looks as it should: "It looks empty in here--needs more pictures." That can be HIS project--I don't need any more!