Uncluttered Home Leads to Uncluttered Life

Reduce Clutter; Create Space Spotlight #3

I'd like to introduce to you Cary, AKA: Dear Mrs. Pickle.  She is a teacher, a crafter and an inspiring mommy who is committed to reducing clutter in her home life to make space for what matters most to her and her family. Here is her recent journey of "conquering the clutter."


1) Why have you chosen to join the "Reduce Clutter; Create Space" challenge for 2010? 
I stumbled upon this challenge and felt that it suited my life perfectly at this time.  About 10 years ago, I read a book about Feng Shui and decided to cleanse my home.  At the time, I was living in a teeny tiny, 1 bedroom apartment, so the job was a lot more simple than what I now face!  Every year, I have made it a point to go through every single thing in our home and rid our lives of needless clutter.  However, after the birth of our son in 2007, I have had very little time for anything else.  My husband and I have (an almost!) 5 year old daughter, Charlotte, and our son Parker, is 2.  Parker is quite a handful!  Since his birth, all of my time has been spent focusing on our children and very little time spent on our bulging cabinets and drawers!  I have decided it's time to play catch-up! 

2) What does "clutter" mean to you? 
"Clutter" to me is anything in our lives that is A) unused; B) unnecessary and could possible benefit someone else; C) an overabundance of personal belongings.

  3)  What kinds of reducing have you started?
Charlotte and I started in her bedroom last week.  I was so proud of her!  She went through every single item in her room and chose where the item should go.  She would A) keep it; B) "give it to another little girl that doesn't have as many toys as I do, Mommy"; C) donate it to her school; D) toss it!  She was able to part with an unexpectedly large amount of "stuff".

4)  Have you noticed any new space being created as you let things physically, mentally and emotionally go? 
It is always so rewarding to let things go.  In the wake of the tragedy in Haiti, I look around my home and my eyes well up with tears because I have SO much.  I am so blessed and it is necessary for me to say "thank you" for my blessings, and then say "I'm sorry for acquiring so much, let me give back from the gifts that have been given to me".  A lot of the items that I am able to part with are items that can be used by others.  Decluttering also helps me to refocus on the important things in my life.  I have spent a lot of time spending unnecessary money on things that we don't need.  When I see the piles of items that we are able to give away, it helps me refocus on a budget and the millions of other things we could be doing with our earnings. 

 5) What's been the easiest part for you? 
The easiest part is always the planning!  I am a planner.  It is very difficult for me to find the time to follow through!  With two children, a very busy husband, a new puppy AND a new job, it is very hard to make space for "making space"!  I can work well only when I am alone and not distracted and only for a few hours at the time- I HAVE to take a break or I start to question the items that I am getting rid of.  I start to think "well, maybe with a fresh coat of paint....." (like I have the time to paint!)

6) Any surprises so far? My biggest surprise is the realization of how much "stuff" we actually own!  Our upstairs has two walk-in attic spaces that span the length of our home on either side and most of those spaces are full!  My husband and I both had our own homes before we were married, so when we combined homes, we had two (or more!) of everything.  We packed away a lot of it, gave away a lot of it, sold a lot of it and we still have a lot of it!

I love to see the different ways that people go about the decluttering process and what they do with their living spaces once the clutter is gone.  I love to see a life that seems to have such a burden lifted from it because their home is in order and they know where everything is.  When you need something, you should be able to go right to it.  You should be able to open the door of a room and know everything that is in that room.  I love to see pictures of rooms where every single object in it has a home and is an object of use to its owner.

7)  What are your intentions for joining other "explorers" on this journey? 
I sincerely believe that a cluttered home leads to a cluttered life.  There is no way to describe the pressure that is felt by a person that has too much stuff.  It is such a cleansing process of the mind, body and spirit to rid our lives of unnecessary objects.  When you begin your journey, ask yourself- do I absolutely love it?  Where will its home be?  Would someone else benefit from my willingness to give it away?  Could I possibly sell it and add the profits to my savings?  I'm sure that if you are completely honest with yourself, you will be able to part with over 50% of your earthly possessions.  Besides, we cannot take our possessions with us when we die! 

8)  Any tips, thoughts or suggestions you want to share with others who are interested in starting to "reduce clutter" so they can "create more "space" in their lives? 
Start small- choose a room in your home that isn't used very often and use that particular room as "home base".  Use one corner for "KEEP", another corner for "SELL" and a third corner for "DONATE".  Get rid of trash immediately- you don't want anything to get mixed in with the trash or the trash to get mixed in with anything!  Devote an hour or so every day to your decluttering process.  When you know your time is almost up, finish the sort and leave the room nice and tidy so that you won't mind entering it the next day.  Use boxes or even trash bags as containers and be sure to label the bag first so that you are sure to put the correct items into it.  It probably wouldn't hurt to label the corners as well, so that you don't add a bag to an incorrect pile!

9)  Anything else you would like to add?
Good luck on your journey!  I know that the process can be grueling at times, but I assure you, it will be well worth it in the end!

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Thank you, Cary, for sharing your insight and mindful reflections!  Your ability to organize and your infectious enthusiasm have inspired me to keep on this journey.  My husband and I delivered two more loads of donations this past weekend, and although the basement feels amazing, I know there's much more to conquer!
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On a side note, for those of you following the amazing travels of Inside Out explorers, here are some new inspiring posts to check out:

On  Manon's blog, she shares her beautiful reflections of how she's sharing her creativity and inspiration from Inside Out, with her children.  You can translate her post by clicking "google translate" on the right side of her blog.

Love Gypsy Forest and her description of her best friend (who won my spring give-away!).


Eileen's post makes me want to call up my best friends and plan an art getaway!

Your Personal Reflection:  Do you have a Reduce Clutter; Create Space story you'd like to share?  Email me livefreely@mac.com

And, the winner is...

Congratulations, Stephinie!  You are the winner of my random drawing.   Stephinie just finished the course and had entered, hoping to win a spot for her special friend.  Well, Steph, get on the phone and call her up!  What a great friend you are.  She now has a reserved spot in my upcoming e-course, Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery!

Spots continue to fill quickly, so if you are thinking about joining us, visit here to learn more.

Thanks to each of you for your mindful, warm comments.

A special thanks to Heather for interviewing me on her lovely blog last week.  I felt a little vulnerable sharing so much, and yet, I've met some new friends from doing so.  I believe that the more we open up and share, the more we can connect on deeper levels.  So thank you, all, for that opportunity.

Thank you, Dena, for sharing how Inside Out has changed your world!

And the biggest thanks of all, goes out to you, my sweet Christopher.  Today, we celebrate 7 full, amazing, transforming years of marriage.  I've said it before and I'll say it always, you are my home.  Thank you for that, and thank you for being you.

Your Personal Reflection:  What are you thankful for today?

Love Yourself; Love Your Life (and a sweet give-away!)

Today marks the end of the first session of my e-course, Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery.  It has been such an amazing experience.  I'm left feeling so overjoyed at the amount of deep connecting, sharing and exploring that has taken place over the last 28 days.

I light this candle, as a symbol to honor the "closing ceremonies" of class, and to show that today is not the end, but rather the beginning of the rest of our lives.  May each of you see the direction you're heading, stay connected to your community, and radiate your authenticity, from the inside out.

To celebrate this incredible journey, I'd like to give away one spot to my spring session.  The next Inside Out e-course starts April 5th, and to learn more, visit HERE.

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post by Sunday, Valentine's Day, at midnight US Central time.  I will announce the winner on Monday!

Enjoy a few of the beautiful comments shared by the bold explorers who just completed the course.

By giving my thoughts some space and time, it has helped me to see my inner wishes better.  My intentions have showed up and now I feel the need to realize them in art.  They have been ready for this for a while.  I have questioned myself with, "Why have I waited so long?"  Life is life.  I had to do other things to get to this moment.  This is not the goal and there is a lot to discover.  I think I found the very right source - ME!

I'm loving all the creative ideas.  I have learned that I don't have to just sit still and think through the hard parts to write them down.  I can paint, draw, glue...when I'm stuck!  It gets my juices flowing and opens me up which makes the 'writing-down-part' so much easier!

Allow softening of the edges of the walls and paths of history.  Grow leaves and branches out.  Come home to my own, my heart - my self-reliance will give me peace.  And every day, in every way, I am becoming more me.

 I am learning that to live life I have to participate, but that I don't need arbitrary rules.  This course has been a fabulous opportunity for me to practice just that: to take it as it comes, to resist the perfectionistic tendencies that leave me stuck in the mud, and to explore my creativity without self-editing.

Over the last few weeks I have let a lot of emotions out that I have been keeping inside for some time and it feels liberating.  I have learned that I choose my thoughts and that I can change the negative into the positive.  As a result of this course I became brave and told my husband my dreams and wishes.  I knew he would be supportive, but I had to let go of my own self-doubt first and believe that I could make them a reality before sharing them with anyone.   Now that I have said them out loud, they've become more than just thoughts, but tangible goals.  Another thing I have learned is to let go of the guilt.  This is hard to do, but every time I feel like I'm not living up to the person I think I should be, I step back and repeat that "I am enough."  The positive affirmations have been so healing for me.

I love the things that have come 'out' of 'Inside' me!  I so truly love me and am ready to BE BOLD!

I have learned that I have lost my own personal confidence, and most importantly, I have learned that I can get it back!  I have learned that I can be a creative person, that I am a creative person, and that I am good enough to be the person that I have always dreamed of being.

Your Personal Reflection: Are you creating a life you love?

*The art journaling photos were provided by class participants.

Enjoy the "opening ceremonies" of the Olympics tonight!  If anyone is interested in reading behind the scenes, my father-in-law works for the US Ski Team and is blogging about his adventures in Canada HERE.

One Small Change - The Month of Love

I love this time of year!  Spring is just around the corner, and yet, overnight we received a new dusting of snow and today the sky is gray.  A perfect excuse to stay home in pj's and get messy with paint.

  

My one small change goal for the month of February is to return to using cloth grocery bags.  They've been sitting in the backseat of my car and I keep forgetting to take them in.  I foiled my plan this past week when I found myself in the grocery store, yet again, empty-handed.  I felt bummed as I walked to the car holding three paper bags.

As a way to make it up to this poor tree and to stay creative every day, I decided to repurpose the bags into vibrant Valentine's Day cards!

I started with very simple supplies:  the bags, scissors, acrylic paint, water, brushes, scrap paper and magazines.

I put on my Ani DiFranco Pandora station and went to town covering the paper with a mixture of background colors.

I played with my brushstroke and added swirls on top.

I used white fabric paint (Tulip Matte) to add some texture.

After the paint was fully dry, I cut out a variety of hearts of different sizes.

Then, I used the colorful paper and hearts to make my cards.  Here I stitched an outline with my sewing machine and glued the painted paper to a scrap piece of card stock.

I cut the brown paper bag in card shapes and added fun sayings from magazine clippings.

I loved this project because it gave me a wonderful opportunity to slow down.  As I played with paint,  I enjoyed memories of how much I loved Valentine's Day as a kid.  I remember the excitement of decorating the boxes to collect candies and cards from the boys I had crushes on.  I thought about all of my friends and family that I care so much about.  I thought about my grandma, living in a nursing home, and that her biggest excitement of the day is when the mail arrives.

I'm so excited to write messages and send my colorful love notes the old fashioned way.  I'm happy that using paper bags wasn't a total waste.  (Although I'm still planning to use my cloth bags next time!)

Your Personal Reflection:  Receiving a handwritten letter in the mail is the best, and it rarely happens.  Think of someone you love and surprise them with a handmade love note today.  

Inside Out Registration NOW Open!

I am so excited to announce that I'm opening registration for the spring
session of my e-course early, due to the amazing response.

The next session of Inside Out: A Creative Adventure of 
Self-Discovery starts April 5th, 2010. Registration opens today!

To learn more about class details, visit HERE. To learn why I 
created this course, visit HERE.

Feel free to email me with any questions. livefreely@mac.com

Here are just a few lovely, mindful and reflective blog posts written 
by current explorers taking the course: My True Self,  
The Creative Journey, and Affirmations.

Your Personal Reflection: Are you ready to make 2010 the best
year yet?

Follow Your Heart to Happiness

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.  What you'll discover will be wonderful.  What you'll discover is yourself. -Alan Alda

Self-doubt is probably the number one thing that I've struggled with in my own life.  Doubting myself, because of fear, has kept me from taking risks, living my truth, trying new things and being ME.  It wasn't until I started observing my negative thought patterns that I really saw big transformation and felt that both of my wings opened more fully, allowing me to fly higher than ever before.

Practicing the art of self-study and reflection has allowed me to change how I think, what I say and the actions I take in my life.  Recognizing that I was keeping myself small because of my fear of the unknown, and definitely my fear of failing, I practice now daily to live aligned with my true, authentic way of being.  The key word here is practice! 

If you find that self-doubt keeps you from taking risks, living your truth, trying new things and being YOU, then yeah, we're not alone!  There is no room for doubt in a healthy, open heart.  Now is the time to remember how to reconnect to your intuition, because that is where your inner wisdom and courage lives.  Letting go of doubt will allow you to feel more connected to the flow of your life.

Do you ever have a gut feeling or a hunch about something?  Do you ever hear a voice in your head and then discount it?  Do you ever have a re-occurring thought you might consider to be a sign, and yet ignore what it's trying to tell you?  Do you ever have a feeling in your heart, but don't know how to listen to it?  We all have done that from time to time.  Many times, that voice we hear is our intuition, and we must relearn how to listen and trust it again.  

Your intuition is a gift.  It is an incredible teacher.  It is your inner wisdom, and it is there to help guide you in life.  So often we are taught to discount those "inner voices" that we hear.  The more we discount them, ignore them and stuff them, the more disconnected we become.

How do you relearn to trust it again?

Here are some of the techniques that have worked for me.  Experiment and find what works best for you.  It is in the "direct experience" and the practice of self-study, that will help you relearn how to deeply connect, become more aware of, and TRUST your intuition. 

1) Stillness:  Slow down.  Stop doing so much.  Find space in your life for rest and renewal. Even 5-minutes-a-day of quiet space and stillness will help you feel more centered.  Feeling peaceful and centered will help you hear what your heart is saying.  Examples of stillness are things like; connecting to your breath, laying in a yoga pose, listening to a guided meditation, writing in your journal, painting, taking a bath, going on a walk in nature, saying "no" to activities and things that fill up your time, knitting...anything that helps to quiet your mind.

2) A Beginner's Mind:  Stay open, remember what it's like to be a child and to see and experience things for the very first time.  Try new things, ask questions, and practice saying, "I don't know."  The ability to stay curious will give your inner voice a place to go.  When we close off and act like we know the answers, that voice gets trapped, nowhere to go and no way for you to hear it!  Keeping open about the "process" of things, rather than looking ahead to the final outcome, will help you cultivate present-moment awareness.  Living in the present moment will help you hear that inner voice more clearly.

3) Spontaneous Play and Creating:  Allowing yourself a regular practice of play and creating, without rules and less "right" ways, will help you release judgment, negativity and doubt.  Let go of being so serious. Laugh more. Dance more. Have more fun.  Keep playing. Keep creating.

4) Take risks:  You've heard it before, but do something that scares you, every day.  Seriously.  When you do things out of your normal routine and step out of what feels comfortable, you'll spontaneously stumble upon new things.  Go places you've never been before.  You'll be surprised at what you find!  The more healthy risk you take, the more you learn, the more practice you get and you'll build your confidence to try more.  Taking risk gives you strength and helps you trust the inner wisdom that's guiding you to take the risk in the first place!

5) Compassion:  Give yourself a break. Practice being kind to yourself (and to others), with the thoughts you think, the things you say and the actions you do.  

6)  Eliminate:  Negativity & Clutter  As we've talked about, observing what you think is a great first step in eliminating negative thoughts.  Also, become more aware of other negative toxins in your life.  These toxins include negative words, negative images (the news, movies, TV...), negative people, junk food etc.  Feed your soul with things that are positive and nourishing.  Another BIG change in my life happened when I limited my time around negative people and things.  Notice what a bummer it is to be around someone who complains and talks about other people.  Limit your time around negative people and continue to be a source of positivity.  The less you join in with others who judge people, the less you will judge yourself.

Along these same lines, let go of the things that clutter your mind, body and spirit.  Let go of more.  Let go of even more.  This will create space where your intuition can flourish.  (Many of you know that reducing clutter to create space for what matters most in life is my personal quest for 2010.  If you'd like to join me, visit HERE to learn more.)

7) Gratitude:  There is so much to be grateful for in your life.  Focus on the things you are most grateful for, every day, and good things will happen.  Check out the Go Gratitude Experiment.  You can sign up to receive daily gratitude reminders.  I have participated in this and LOVE it.

Today I'm grateful for Manon.  Thank you for this award, sweet friend.

And, Anne, I am grateful for you and appreciate this kind award!

Your Personal Reflection:  Let your heart lead the way and reawaken your happiness, from the inside out.  (Registration for my spring e-course opens this Thursday.)

Reduce Clutter; Create Space Spotlight #2

Here is my second Reduce Clutter; Create Space spotlight interview with Nancy from Summer Sky.  You will enjoy her honest and inspiring look at how to manage the clutter in your life.  Take a deep breath...and dive right in.

1) Why have you chosen to join the "Reduce Clutter; Create Space" challenge for 2010?

After the birth of our second child in 2005, I started to really let things go.  I no longer found the time to put things away properly.  I certainly had no time to sew.  Then, two years ago, I broke my ankle.  Many people recover from such injuries within a few months, but I ended up having three surgeries and much healing before I could walk well.

As I recovered, I chose to find some creative outlets (sewing, photography, crochet) but I found myself deeply unhappy with our home as a whole.  Clutter started interfering with every part of our lives.  Aside from misplacing things, I’m now reluctant to undertake ‘big’ projects, no matter how fun they might be.  Games with small pieces, paints, sewing a costume, cooking with the kids—these can be daunting enough with little ones, but the clutter has been making it impossible

Here's Nancy's entryway, "looking unusually neat."

2) What does "clutter" mean to you?

Clutter to me is the stuff of life that should be stored, given away, or trashed.  It’s the things that bog you down and prevent you from living a fuller life.

I find clutter highly distracting.  It fractures my mind:  I’ll go into the laundry room (which doubles as our pantry) to put clothes in the wash and fold some clean laundry. But I see the groceries from my morning store run are still sitting out. That’s because the shelves are too full, even though the pantry’s quite adequate. Soon I’m rearranging jars of food, but then the phone rings or my son needs help, and before you know it, I haven’t finished any task and the room might even be worse off than before.

It’s useful to consider what your clutter represents. For me, it’s a visual reminder:  the broken toy that needs to be glued, the laundry that needs washing, the form to fill out, the project in progress.  I have a secret fear that if I put these things away, I’ll forget them entirely, until they become an emergency.

3)  What kinds of reducing have you started? 

I’m focusing on three areas to start—each with “high impact” on our daily lives. 

First, the entryway, where we store our coats and shoes, and where mail gets dumped.  I need a couple more hooks for the kids, I need to empty and sort the drawers of a bureau that’s right by the door.

The second is our “office / library,” a small room that our whole family uses.  We keep our computer and most of our books there, but there’s also a small table where the kids can sit and create things.  The main problem here is piles of unsorted paperwork and cluttered shelves.

"The boxes are full of papers of every kind that need to be sorted and filed."

The third is the pantry / laundry room, which has some stand-alone shelves that are taking up too much space. But first, I have to find a home for all the things on those shelves.

This is just the beginning—the upstairs is full of boxes of unsorted children’s clothes, books, and toys that need to be given away or sold.

4)  Have you noticed any new space being created as you let things physically, mentally and emotionally go? 

Yes. It’s amazing how easy it is to let go of things once you get started.  You have to get past the phase of simply moving everything to a new location within your home.  That’s the biggest mistake:  just shuffling clutter from place to place, even if it’s in an organized fashion.  You don’t need it right now, but you might need it “someday.”  Chances are you don’t need half the stuff you’re shifting around.

Yesterday, for the first time, I wrote down the long list of sewing projects I’ve been contemplating.  They’ve been rattling around my brain, but because I didn’t want to get started on another “mess,” I didn’t get them down on paper because what was the point?  Now I’ve made the list plus written down the “next step” (choose fabric, find a pattern, etc.) toward achieving the higher-priority projects.  And I finished a little project that’s been on the back burner since last fall:  a case for my friend’s cell phone.

5) What's been the easiest part for you?

Finding some time every day to do a little decluttering, even if it’s just for 5 minutes.

6)  How about the hardest?
Realizing how far we have to go. It’s just the beginning.

7) Any surprises so far?
Finding lots of cabinet space for my fabric stash that was lying about by getting rid of items I never use and consolidating the rest.  Also, finding two copies of a book I’ve want to read, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons.  I wonder if, without decluttering, I would’ve acquired a third copy a few months down the road.

8)  What are your intentions for joining other "explorers" on this journey?

To see what comes of the decluttering—the special moments with our families, the feeling of coziness in our own homes, the creativity that’s allowed to flourish in big and little ways.

9)  Any tips, thoughts or suggestions you might want to share with others who are interested in starting to "reduce clutter" so they can "create more "space" in their lives?
Yes, there are some wonderful books out there to guide us.  I recommend checking them out of the library, for obvious reasons! 

If you’re a parent, I suggest Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne.  He can really light a fire under you to ‘declutter’ every part of your family’s life. He has a wonderful checklist for sorting your children’s things.  There’s a lot more to this book—it’s about creating space in order to see your child more clearly for the person that they are.

Another book I suggest reading (vs. owning) is Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping.  The book encourages “visual” organizers by explaining why the tend to have clutter.  Now my goal is to create an inspiration board to remind myself of WIPs, rather than relying on piles of WIPs themselves.

Last is a book I own because it’s so orderly:  Jennifer Ford Berry’s Organize Now!  It’s spiral bound (stays open) and it’s highly specific (which I need).  For example, pages 110-111 are devoted to “Organiz[ing] the Kitchen Countertops.”  Her suggestions are insightful because she avoids the obvious. She has practical suggestions for every part of your life (recipes; pets; medicine cabinet; vehicle; purse; photographs).  Then she has ideas for staying organized (once a month, every 3 to 6 months, once a year).

10)  Anything else to add?

I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  And I’m very curious to see what ideas and thoughts others on this journey have to share.

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Ahh...Nancy, thank you for sharing your journey.  You have provided some amazing, insightful tips and I am inspired to keep moving.  Now...on to the pile of tax papers and monthly bank statements I've been avoiding...

Your Personal Reflection:  What clutter in your life have you been avoiding?  Are you ready to let go so that you have more space for what truly matters most?  Leave a comment here and grab a Reduce Clutter; Create Space badge if you want to join this year-long quest.