GET UP, GET STARTED, GET MOTIVATED!
Ten Not-so-Difficult Items to Discard
Recently when Kirstie Alley was on Oprah, she told everyone that she likes to decorate, and that she can decorate a home in no time. She and Oprah selected a couple willing to let Kirstie, the “Ding Dong Decorator,” show up — unplanned — to redo their master bedroom.
So just for fun, and to help you get motivated, let’s imagine that Oprah’s camera crew is on its way to your house. What could you do quickly and easily to get things decluttered? Start by grabbing a box, bag or basket. Zip around your home and gather up the following items to discard or donate:
You know that decluttering and dehoarding are two things I enjoy helping people do. Clients often tell me that one of the toughest hurdles is getting started. If this is true for you, I hope this list (and the prospect of TV cameras!) will help you take that first step. Getting started will get you motivated.
I can think of few things more horrifying than having Kirstie Alley show up at my house! I don’t think I’d even open up the door! If it were you and you came to declutter, that’s a different story! I’m going to look around the house and see what needs to go! Thanks for the inspiration!
Really?
Kirstie Alley is *really* funny so it might be worth it to open the door if you see her (and a camera crew!) standing outside. Plus, the makeover-couple received a lot of nice furniture, paint, flooring, etc. in exchange for being good sports. (It was a before and after-type of show.)
Now, to be perfectly honest, I’ve gotta admit, I’m pleased to hear that I’m not going to be left standing on the porch but instead would get a ‘green light’ to enter your home. That’s sort of like me one-upping Kirstie. LOL
Thank you!
In 2010 we cannot just zip around the house. We have to dispose of items properly i.e. batteries, half empty products, meds, recylables…too much trouble. If I toss them in the trash I feel guilty for not taking care of the environment so they just sit and sit and sit in my house.
You are 100% correct and I never suggest that anyone toss medications or batteries in their household trash.
Each town/city has slightly different ways to dispose of both medicines and batteries so it’s best to check with local sources.
In my own home, we have an old cigar box where we keep dead batteries. When it’s full, we discard them responsibly.
Thank you for mentioning this.
I gotta admit that I was a little disappointed in this list. I was expecting a quick pick up in the event of unexpected company. This is kind of more an overall declutter of your house. Definitely a good thing, but not if Kristie Alley or Geralin comes a’knocking. Remember, if you want the best seat in the house move the cat. And yes, cat hair is a fashion statement. And hey, those half-empty bottles of products and vitamins are that way because I use them!!! But you are right, if I toss my eyeglasses, I’ll never know how cluttered things are….
I’m sorry to hear that you are a little disappointed in this list but if you are willing to post photos or send them for me to post, I am more than happy to give you my tips on where I’d start decluttering, Most people benefit from picking up newspapers, magazines, mail, coffee cups, and stuff like that if they have company drop in, unexpectedly.
Cleaning off the largest horizontal surfaces like countertops, table tops, couches, beds, etc. makes rooms feel less cluttered.
When I wrote this post, I was thinking about pounds/units/or sheer volume of clutter. For example, what’s the fastest way to fill up a couple of grocery bags or shoe boxes with clutter. Make sense?
We have a plastic pretzel jar in the garage that we put used batteries in, then once it’s full, we take it in to our local WalMart and they recycle them with the car batteries.