Decluttering My Life

There are piles everywhere.



Piles of unopened mail.... Piles of opened mail.... Piles of dirty laundry.... Piles of folded clothing.... Piles of To Do Lists.... Piles of toys.... Lovely Piles.

I ask myself daily, how do I gain control over all these piles? It feels like decluttering the house is a full time job as I go from room to room and return things to their “normal usual” spot. “A place for everything and everything in its place.” But what happens when you run out of places?

In our household, it seems that clutter can only be tackled by someone with the XX chromosome because of their superpower clutter-vision goggles. Somehow the clutter sneaks into my home and before you know it, every surface that I have just cleared is somehow full again.

My kids come home from camp with an armload of new paintings and crafts. (Sigh...) Although these art works are multi-purpose, they camouflage my 1970's kitchen cabinets while at the same time prominently display their potential artistic talents, they are beginning to get out of control. After 5 years, the cabinet space has diminished and I'm not sure where to hang them.

Next, Grandma arrives with new toys from Dollarama. Need I say more?

Adding to the heap of clutter, my kids like to collect garbage. If we are walking down the street and they stumble upon a lid to a pop bottle, a cracked piece of plastic, or a broken toy that has been run over by numerous cars, this then becomes their favourite item. God forbid you get caught throwing it out or they notice it missing.

Their second favourite pastime is making paper planes and other origami which involves cutting endless amounts of construction paper. I will be investing a good portion of my retirement in paper mill stocks when I return to work. Their bedroom is filling up with these paper planes and animals.

As the clutter becomes more pronounced, taking over the dining room table and kitchen counters, I start to have fantasies about buying more shelving, furniture with hidden storage compartments, just somewhere, anywhere to store more stuff.

I have this dream that clearing the clutter from my home will make my transition into the working world successful, and of course, stress free. It will transform my house into a state of nirvana, a peaceful place to rest my mind.

So, my goal over the next month is to organize the house and rid it of any extraneous items.

Hello Goodwill...hello garbage...hello Kijiji.

Do you think the kids will notice when I start selling their toys?