Heap of Change Challenge

Hello and welcome to a big ol' heap--heap of change that is!  'Tis the season or the month so they say to start afresh, make changes, move life in a more positive direction.  

I, along with 4 fabulous blogging friends are "baring it all" to hopefully inspire you to do the same. 

Yep, there is nothing to hide, no embarrassment here.  You will not hear the "tsk, tsk" of a disapproving in-law.  We are here to coach and encourage and inspire.

You see, we are all junkers.  And by nature, that means we are savers and collectors, dare I said hoarders at times.  And with all of those names come messes--spaces that are overflowing and cluttered, spaces that we often just shut the door on.

But, no more!  We are challenging ourselves and you to pick a space and declutter, clean, organize.  We are giving you hints and tips to help you.  I am sharing my dump room, ahem spare bedroom.

Now, let me share a little of my philosophy on spare bedrooms.  Unless you have company on a weekly basis, I do not believe in letting square footage in your house sit unused for 360 days of year, only so that it looks perfect for the possible 5 days of company you might have.  My spare room is also my craft room and as such, it has stuff.

Stuff in the closet,

and stuff in an old TV armoire.

Stuff on the bed,

oh, and that "craft work desk" I made in the closet to work on is unworkable because it has stuff on and under it.

I started small because I have been in bed with the flu.  I focused on the bed 

and pile o' suitcases. 

Heap of Change Clutter Control Hints:

1.  Try to touch an object as little as possible, only once if possible.  What that means is don't move something to another place, only to have to move it again.  Pick it up and make a decision--keep, where does it go?, throw-out, donate.

2.  While cleaning, never go anywhere empty handed.  If you are moving something to the basement, pick-up something from the basement that needs to come upstairs.

3.  You have to set limits, and that can be hard.  If you love to collect old books (ding, ding, ding--me!) you can only have one container full of them.  When it is full, that is it, no more come in without some going out.  Period.  No exceptions.

4.  There are things you like, love, know you will have a use for in the future.  Out of the hundreds of things I have donated and thrown out over the years, I can count on one hand the items that I wished I would have saved.  Out of sight, out of mind.

5.  Sometimes it has to get messier before it gets cleaner, that is okay.  Keep working, keep pecking away.  

6.  DO NOT just move piles around that will become a problem again in a month.  Stuff has to have a place--find one or get rid of it!

So what did I do.  I broke down the cardboard boxes from Christmas and put them in the recycling bin.  I saved 3 very nice gift bags that looked like that had not been used and recycled the rest.  I cleaned the pricetag off of the toy gun I bought MONTHS ago and priced it for my booth and put it in my car to take there.  I put the rest of the Christmas decor away in the Christmas boxes.

The suitcases that held "Pinterest of Days Gone By" i.e., hundreds and hundreds of magazine clippings I have been saving for years were emptied. I didn't look at them, I didn't lament them--I threw them in the recycling bin (note to self--hubby needs to take recycling in) and bid them farewell.

Then to clear up floor space I screwed the suitcases onto the wall.  

I put some of the pillow forms from the old TV cabinet in them--it is the next item to tackle in there.

Now it is time to check out the other coaches heaps of change for inspiration and then come back to join the challenge!

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors                 Marianne at Songbird

 

  Angie at Knick of Time                           Breida at Breida With a B   

  

Heap of Change Challenge    

Inspired and ready to make a change of your own?  Great!  Here is what you need to do:

1. Pick a space, large or small that needs help.  Take a before picture.  Link it up.  If you are not a blogger, you can share your picture on my facebook page-look for the post and share a picture in the comments. 

2.  Get to work using the hints and tips above and on the other coach's blogs.  

3.  Take after pictures and be ready to share them here the next 2 Thursdays (or on Facebook!)

I can't wait to see your transformations.  Come on, I know you want to join the challenge.  Pick a space and go!

An InLinkz Link-up