Yesterday I mentioned Flylady. I'm not sure it's usually used as a verb, but I say I'm going to "flylady" when I clean my home, or that I'm going to "fling" when I declutter, both terms from the book "Sink Reflections" by Marla Cilley, who also created the web-site flylady.net to help women everywhere on the road to an organized home.
When I worked a lot, sometimes seven days a week, I actually hired someone to clean my apartment. I spent so little time at home that a stranger came into my home to superficially clean and keep the surfaces of my home from looking like a total disaster. For reasons I won't get into, I regretted hiring her, and wondered why I should have anyone else clean my home at all. It was my home, and I should take pride in cleaning and maintaining it.
Mrs. Cilley suggests removing anything from the home that isn't either useful or beautiful, to begin. Excess furniture and decorations, unworn clothes, old magazines, all of it. What you do with it is up to you...if it's in decent condition, feel free to donate it or pass it to someone who could use it. Spend some time each day on decluttering. The more you simplify, the easier it is to clean your home.
If you come across items you aren't sure you want to get rid of, store them in a box and put it aside for 6 months (date the box). If after six months you never went looking for anything in the box, toss or donate the whole thing, unopened. Opening the box may tempt you to rescue something from it that you don't really need but feel guilty about throwing out (like grandma's unattractive knick knacks that she no longer wanted herself, so "gifted" to you).
After your home has been initially decluttered, it's time for a second round. Look at what is left. Do you really need two dustbusters? Keep the newer, better one and donate the other. Even if something is useful, you don't need four of them. Even if something is beautiful, if you have a lot of beautiful things cluttering the walls or desktop, it's clutter. Remove it from your home.
Your home should be your oasis, the place you return to everyday to relax, rejuvenate, reenergize. It's where your family sleeps, and eats, and enjoys eachother's company. It should be an oasis, neat, orderly, welcoming. My home is my favorite place in the world. I look forward to coming home and being at home, as does my husband. Isn't that worth more than the guilt of not storing grandma's unwanted knick knacks?
When I worked a lot, sometimes seven days a week, I actually hired someone to clean my apartment. I spent so little time at home that a stranger came into my home to superficially clean and keep the surfaces of my home from looking like a total disaster. For reasons I won't get into, I regretted hiring her, and wondered why I should have anyone else clean my home at all. It was my home, and I should take pride in cleaning and maintaining it.
Mrs. Cilley suggests removing anything from the home that isn't either useful or beautiful, to begin. Excess furniture and decorations, unworn clothes, old magazines, all of it. What you do with it is up to you...if it's in decent condition, feel free to donate it or pass it to someone who could use it. Spend some time each day on decluttering. The more you simplify, the easier it is to clean your home.
If you come across items you aren't sure you want to get rid of, store them in a box and put it aside for 6 months (date the box). If after six months you never went looking for anything in the box, toss or donate the whole thing, unopened. Opening the box may tempt you to rescue something from it that you don't really need but feel guilty about throwing out (like grandma's unattractive knick knacks that she no longer wanted herself, so "gifted" to you).
After your home has been initially decluttered, it's time for a second round. Look at what is left. Do you really need two dustbusters? Keep the newer, better one and donate the other. Even if something is useful, you don't need four of them. Even if something is beautiful, if you have a lot of beautiful things cluttering the walls or desktop, it's clutter. Remove it from your home.
Your home should be your oasis, the place you return to everyday to relax, rejuvenate, reenergize. It's where your family sleeps, and eats, and enjoys eachother's company. It should be an oasis, neat, orderly, welcoming. My home is my favorite place in the world. I look forward to coming home and being at home, as does my husband. Isn't that worth more than the guilt of not storing grandma's unwanted knick knacks?
Fascinating Womanhood is a wonderful book. And, yes, I'm also a "flybaby" - what gifts of grace these are!
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