Day 15 - Final Day of the Clutter Free Challenge - The Importance of Perspective

Well congratulations Ladies! 
You made it through all 15 days of our challenge. 


I hope that Glynnis' blog postings have been a blessing to you. 
They sure have helped me in countless ways.


It would be great if some of you decided to become a regular follower of Glynnis' blog and/or  buy some of her insightful books and resources. 
Glynnis a pretty neat friend to have around! Lol! (In every sense of the word!) She has so much wisdom to share on many other topics other than organization. Make sure to check out her entire website at www.glynniswhitwer.com


Also, if you are not already a subscriber to proverbs31ministries ...
I would love to encourage you to go on over and check them out. 
I have been receiving daily devotionals from their many talented writers every day for several years now and can tell you the Lord has truly used these women to bless me, encourage me and cultivate growth deep within my heart.


It's been a joy to share this 3 week study with you.


Blessings!
Brandy


COMING SOON!!

In August my beautiful mom, Irene, will be guest posting with me. Mom has such a gifting when it comes to saving money and finding incredible deals. She has agreed to share some helpful insights, wisdom and strategies to get you ready for the upcoming holiday gift buying.
These ideas can save you lots and lots of $ so you won't want to miss it!
Make sure to tell your friends...

Clutter-Free Day 15 – The Importance of perspective Posted: 27 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST Congratulations!  We’ve made it to Day 15 of our Clutter-Free Challenge. Since this is my first time presenting a series like this, I was unsure of the response.  May I just say you all blessed my socks off?!!  Every day I looked forward to your comments to me and each other, and every day my inbox contained sweet notes of encouragement and tender sharings of your lives and struggles.  Thank you.  I value you and your time, and consider it an honor that you signed up for my challenge. As we end this series, I have a few more thoughts to share with you.  Mainly because I know how defeated you might get in this area.  Keeping a home de-cluttered and organized is an ongoing challenge.  Life keeps changing.  What worked last month, might not work this month.  And just when you think you’ve got this de-cluttering thing conquered, something will happen to you (or me) to make us feel like giving up and accepting clutter.  What we’ll need in that moment is perspective.  Imagine this … You've just cleaned up the kitchen and family room and sat back with a Diet Coke to relax for a minute, when along comes a high school wrestler who will dump his stinky shoes and sweaty shirt on the counter.  Not long after that, backpacks will get dropped in a line from the door to where you are sitting.  Papers will be tossed on the dining room table.  Later, a tall handsome man walks in, kicks off his shoes, drops a briefcase on the floor, and sets a notebook and travel mug next to the shoes.  And five people will ask you what’s for dinner within a 15-minute time span. Four will come back to ask if they can have a snack. And you will look at the mess, and sigh. And it’s right here, right at this point, you have a choice. Hopefully … just maybe … with God’s strength and wisdom …  you will pause before attempting to make everyone feel guilty for unloading all their stuff and messing up your hard work.  And in that pause, before unkind thoughts can take root, or angry words can be spoken, God’s Spirit will give you a “hug” and remind you that life is messy.  Really. Messy.  And people are more important than clean counters.  And this won’t last forever. And LOTS of people would give just about anything to have someone they love walk in the door and drop their stuff. Then, after you’ve thanked God for stopping your gut reaction and giving you perspective, you will get up and hug that wrestler and tell him you are SO HAPPY he is home.  You will kiss those little backpack-wearers on the forehead.  You will cut up an apple and wash some grapes.  You will kiss your husband and put his travel mug in the dishwasher. And realize that this is much more important than having a perfect home. Oh how perspective has saved me from doing and saying so many regrettable things.  You see, our highest calling is to love God and love others.   Yes managing our homes and schedules is important.   Obviously I believe that strongly.  But maintaining a heart of love should always supersede our desire for a clutter-free home.  So when the interruptions come (and they will) … and when someone messes with your plans (and they will) … remember to keep perspective.  Keep first things first.  And  Jesus’ commands always come first. Let’s say you keep perspective, and you avoid a meltdown, but in the quiet of your heart you feel like a failure in managing your time and home.  And maybe you signed up for this challenge thinking, I’m really going to get it together now.  But three weeks have gone by and you haven’t made one change.  If the truth were told, you are actually further behind because now you’ve spent way too much time reading those long blog post by that wordy Whitwer. If that’s you, and you are even more discouraged than before, please take those thoughts captive, and hear what I have to say.   God is accomplishing HIS purposes for you through this challenge.   God’s ways are not our ways.  You might have signed up with the intent of de-cluttering, and God had another purpose altogether.  I learned long ago that I can sign up for one “class” but God had already scheduled me for another.  Be open to what God wanted to do during your time on this challenge.  If God did something completely crazy like heal a relationship or light a creative spark inside you that’s going to mean even more crafty clutter, please let me know. Just two more things. Really, and then I’ll end.   First, if you have taken any before and after pictures, I hope you’ll post them on your blog.  Then leave a comment with a link to your blog.  To leave a comment, click here to go to my blog.  My friend Julie Gillies posted some of her before and after photos.   I hope you’ll hop over there to by clicking here. Finally, I hope you’ll consider staying on as a subscriber to my blog.  I will continue to write two times a week about my passions: home, family, organization, time management and productivity.  I occasionally write about general faith topics, usually when I have a devotion running on Proverbs 31.  But if you decide to unsubscribe, I want to thank you for joining me for this study. Your time is valuable and your trust is precious to me. That’s it.  I’m done.  At least for today.  I’ll look forward to sharing more with you in the future. Grace & Peace, Glynnis Heavenly Father, I worship You for Your goodness and faithfulness. Even though my life feels out of control at times, You never are.  As I continue to bring order to my life, I know I’m going to need Your help.  I get so easily discouraged and want to quit. Help me to persevere.  But I also need to know when to let things go and just rest and enjoy my messy life.  Please help me know the difference, and have the courage to do the right thing.  I love You, Lord.  In Jesus name, Amen. If you’d like to read more of my tips for organizing, I hope you’ll consider getting my book.  It’s available through Proverbs 31 Ministries, Amazon or any bookstore.  Thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card  giveaways, etc. no longer apply.  Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog. You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com

Clutter Free - Day 14 - The Black Holes...Closets!!

Ladies,

Here are some more creative organizational ideas for our homes!

Blessings to you,
Brandy

1. Instant book nook area for your home or kid's room. All the shelving is from IKEA!! I LOVE how they creatively used the bookcases to create this effect.

http://www.thedormyhouse.com/images/shop/storage_tower_bench1.jpg

2. A special place for future de-cluttering objects!! Cool!!



http://theredchairblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/diy-storage-for-transient-items.html

3. Beautiful Craft Room ideas...



http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2011/04/sewingcraft-room-ideas-and-updates.html

4. Make your own cleaning wipes...


http://livewellnetwork.com/Deals/episodes/DIY-Wipes/8707415

5. Household cleaner storage idea!!


http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/upload/255227503851989282_lGWnBEMM.jpg

Clutter-Free Day 14 – The Black Holes … Closets Posted: 26 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST Welcome to day 14 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.  You've almost made it!  We are rounding third … actually almost to home.  And I’m so proud of you!!! We've got a lot to cover today regarding closets, so I’m going to jump right into it.  But I also want to remind you that I’m only dealing with de-cluttering – not organizing.  My inclination is to start with organizing when it comes to closets, but I don’t want you to worry about that right now.  Just focus on minimizing the clutter, and it’s very possible you won’t need to make major organizing changes. No, this is not my closet. But a girl can dream. My guess is you are frustrated with your closets.  And you might even think your problem is not enough closet space.  You could be right.  However, the reality is, unless you have a custom-designed home (or are already well-organized), no one thinks they have enough storage.  Why?  Stuff expands to fill empty space. So almost all of our closets, cabinets and garages get filled to capacity. That works until it doesn’t.  When our clothes are smashed and wrinkled, when we can’t find winter gloves, and when we spend money on gifts we forgot we’d already bought – then we realize it’s time to do something about those black holes.  Then we are forced to make decisions. Maybe the hardest place to make decisions is our clothing closet, which is our focus today. Before you start to de-clutter your closet, you’ll need some supplies.  If you haven’t done this for awhile, you are probably going to get rid of a lot of things.  My favorite piece of advice is to use black garbage bags.  Why?  Once you’ve removed an item from your closet and put it in the bag, you can’t see it.  And if you can’t see it, you are less likely to go soft and pull it out. Next, get ready to deal with broken dreams:  Dreams that we can still fit into that dress, wear those heels or that someday our favorite pink shirt will actually look good on us.  Clothing is associated with special events and seasons of our lives, and is very difficult to give up.  Having to admit that I’m older and can’t wear certain styles is painful.  De-cluttering my bedroom closet means I might have to let those dreams go.  However, I’ve found a way to make it easier. When it’s hard to part with a dress I once loved, there’s an image I bring to my mind.   It’s of a single mother, trying to get a job.  She doesn’t have anything nice to wear, nor the money to run to the mall and pick up a cute outfit.   Then I look at the lovely skirt I no longer wear.  That skirt can either hang in my closet gathering dust, or help a sister I haven’t met. There are always exceptions, but mostly it’s just wrong for me to keep things I don’t use, and likely never will.  I strongly believe we should be living more like the first Christians who shared everything they had with each other.  No one was in need.  Whether I give it away or sell it at a yard sale, depends on my family’s needs at the moment.  Either way, someone else is being blessed.  I want to live open handed, not closefisted.  For if my hands are closed, it’s very hard for God to place something new in them. So, with that in mind,  as you look at your closet, consider the following two categories of items to remove: 1)  What you don’t need or want anymore. Here are four reasons to remove items. Damaged or stained beyond repair.  Re-purpose these clothes when possible.  Use scraps for dusting or arts and crafts.  Give some to quilters you know.  Make clothing into other items like purses or tote bags.  Set some aside for messy or dirty jobs such as yard work, cleaning or arts and crafts. Not my style.  No matter how much you love them, remove clothes you don’t wear due to style.  Fifteen years after working outside the house, my dress clothes hung in my closet.  Even if I could have fit into them, they weren’t my personal style any more.  Or, they were too “young” for me. Not worn. Shari Braendel, author of Good Girls Don’t Have to Dress Bad, wrote, “Without emotion, take everything out of your closet you have not worn in the last 18 months.  The reason for the 18-month rule is that this gives you two seasons of the previous one you just went through.  For example, if summer has just ended and you have things hanging in your closet that you didn’t wear this year OR the summer before, chances are you are not going to wear it next year”  I like Shari’s advice better than the typical one-year rule. Undecided.  Some items of clothing present a challenge.  We don’t love them, nor hate them.  Professional organizer andMission: Organization guest, Monica Ricci offers this piece of advice, “Go through the ‘undecided’ pile piece by piece, and ask yourself what value each piece currently gives you.  Clothes that aren’t serving you need to be culled to make room for those pieces that are valuable.” Wrong size.  We have the opportunity to look stylish at any age or weight.  If there are clothes that don’t fit well, or not at all, let them go.  Of course, keeping some things makes sense if you are on a weight loss plan.  Just be honest with yourself. The other category of items to remove are those that could, or should, be stored somewhere else.  Here are some tips for them: 2) What can be stored elsewhere Sometimes our closets are catchalls for miscellaneous items.  As you evaluate the odds and ends in your storage spaces, consider if it would make more sense to store them elsewhere.  Try to keep items close to where they are used. 1.  Move items to another room.   When possible, keep like items together, and in a logical space. If you’ve stored golf clubs in your closet try to put them with other sports equipment.  This might involve a whole-house approach if you’ve got like items stored in multiple places. 2.  Remove items you want to keep, but seldom wear.  For example, formal wear or ski clothes.  These items can be stored in an attic or garage depending on fabric and weather.  If you have room, consider storing seldom-used hanging items on a rolling garment rack. Buy one with a clear or fabric zipped covering.  For under $100, you can get a large portable wardrobe with rods for hanging and places for shoes and other folded clothing. 3.  Remove off-season clothing.   Hopefully you can rotate seasonal clothing.  Store these items under the bed or in another dresser.  Or consider a portable garment rack tucked in a garage or work room. Clearing closets is often easier with a friend … an honest one … and one with some style if possible. I’d still be wearing somethings from the 80s if not for some honest friends. Once you’ve trimmed down your closets, I hope you’ll spend some time considering adding  organizational helps.  If you want ideas, visit websites like www.organize.com or www.containerstore.com. Please join me tomorrow as we wrap up this Clutter-Free Challenge.  I’ve got some final thoughts to share, one last giveaway, and I want to give you an opportunity to provide a link to your blogs to share your success stories with each other. Grace & Peace, Glynnis Heavenly Father, it’s going to be tough going through my clothes closet.  There are many emotions connected with those items.  Help me to trust You enough to release the past.  I don’t want to hold on to things that I need to let go.  Help me to see this as a chance to release the old, to share with others, and to be open for the new thing You want to do in my life.  There’s a part of me that’s afraid to let things go for fear I won’t have enough.  But today I stand on Your promise to meet my needs.  Thank You for your faithfulness.  I choose to trust You today.  In Jesus name, Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card  giveaways, etc. no longer apply.  Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog. You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com

http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2011/04/sewingcraft-room-ideas-and-updates.html

Clutter Free - Day 13 - Beds and Baths

Hi sweet Ladies,

Over the last few days of our challenge I am going to post some organizational ideas I have found for our homes. I hope you find these helpful!

Blessings!
Brandy

1. A creative way to store items. You'll need plastic storage bags,colorful duct tape, and labels.


http://www.theorganizedclassroomblog.com/index.php/blog/setting-up-your-student-ccss-data-binders

2. I absolutely LOVE this idea! What a clever way to keep track of major purchase items that come with manuals, instruction booklets, and even a great place to keep the receipt.

http://desiringvirtue.com/2011/07/when-you-get-stuff-you-get-papers/

3. What a cute way to store bathroom or even bedroom items. You can use cake stands, or even plant stands. Works for jewelry too!!

4. A great way to keep track of school memories!


http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/12-organizing-solutions-any-home-10000001026201/page7.html

5.Wonderful idea for an entryway table!

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/01/organized-dream-home-tour.html









Clutter-Free Day 13 – Beds & Baths: Havens or Hassles?

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST

Welcome to Day 13 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.  

Today we are going to address bedrooms and baths.  I’m sorry we won’t have time to address children’s rooms specifically (which could take a week if your kids are like mine).  But on Friday I’ll tell you about a back-to-school organizing series Karen Ehman and I will be co-leading in late August specifically for moms.  For today, the tips I’m sharing will likely apply to your room.

If you stood at the door to your bedroom, what would you see? A treadmill doubling as a clothes hanger?  Books on the floor?  Bills strewn on the dresser?  Laundry piled on the bed?  Now, ask yourself:  Why is it like that?

Here are some possible reasons:

• The closet is too full
• The dressers are overstuffed
• There aren’t enough hangers
• You need a bigger jewelry case, or less jewelry
• You need a bookcase, a bigger bookcase, or fewer books
• You hate taking the three extra steps needed to hang up your robe  

The answer to your clutter problem is somewhere in here.  You probably know what it is, but you avoid it because of the domino effect.  In other words, your clothes are draped over the treadmill because your closet is too full.  Your closet is too full because your under-the-bed boxes are filled with things you don’t wear any more. One problem leads to another, and it’s easier to ignore them all by doing nothing.

Perhaps the answer lies in solving one problem, while allowing another to sit until you can address it.  You can’t solve everything at once.  But you can change something … even if means loading books, magazines and clothes in plastic tubs until you can figure out what to do with them.  So, here are some suggestions to deal with clutter.

Minimize visual clutter

Even if your husband’s ties are organized by color – but are hanging in plain view – it’s still clutter.  When possible, avoid the temptation to install hooks or racks in your master bedroom, as these create visual clutter.  Instead, move these items to the closet, or hide behind a door.

Bedside table

If possible, invest in a bedside table with drawers or shelves.  Use it to store reading material, glasses, hand lotion, journal, pens and television remote controls.  Limit the number of items on top of your bedside table to one book and magazine, plus your lamp, clock and one decorative item.

If you don’t have the option for a bedside table with drawers, purchase a decorative box with a lid to store your nighttime accessories.

To get even more storage, consider putting a small dresser by your bed instead of a nightstand.  Or if you are a reader, consider a specially-designed reader’s table, with multiple shelves for books and magazine.

Under-the-bed storage

Fill every space under your bed with specially-designed boxes.  Spend a bit more to purchase the kind with wheels for ease of access. Make sure you measure the height of that space to avoid a second trip to the store.  If you don’t want to buy boxes, consider storing suitcases under the bed filled with items to store.  Another option are the space-saving bags.  Use these to store items that are bulky such as linens, comforters or heavy winter outerwear.  To hide this storage space, use a bed skirt.

Here are some ideas on what to store under your bed:

• Off-season clothing
• Seldom-worn dress clothes
• Shoes or boots
• Extra bedding
• Books, DVDs or CDs
• Craft supplies
• Photo albums

Dresser

To make the most of the space you have, take the time to empty each drawer in your dresser.   Consider the following tips:

• Store themed clothing elsewhere (exercise, pool/beach)
• Remove unwanted or off-season clothing
• Match socks; discard singles
• Discard stretched/torn/overly-worn undergarments
• Add drawer dividers to sort smaller items, like socks and underwear

Alternative storage

If you need storage but don’t have the budget or room for another piece of big furniture, consider these ideas for alternate storage:

• Hope chest or trunk. This can sit at the foot of the bed, and doubles as a bench.
• Vintage or antique suitcases stacked on top of each other. These suitcases could hold blankets, winter clothes, sweaters
• Decorative covered boxes.  Stack multiple boxes on top of each other.  They can hold lightweight items like scarves, belts, and jewelry
• Vintage picnic basket. Tuck the television remote, CDs or DVDs in a picnic basket with lid.

For years I focused on every other room in the house – except my bedroom.  It was a disaster.  Not restful.  Very stressful.  About five years ago I decided it was time for me and my husband to have a clutter-free haven.  So I applied my own tips and LOVE how orderly it is.  And I’m more motivated to keep it that way too.  Although I still leave my bathrobe on the unmade bed some days … just keeping it real.

I hope this post inspires you to focus on your own room first, then de-clutter the other bedrooms in the house.

I’ll end with some tips for the bathroom.  There are two places that seem to get the most cluttered in my bathrooms:  The medicine cabinet and under the sink.  Here are a few tips for de-cluttering these spaces.

Medicine cabinet

Here’s a step-by-step approach:

1. Remove all containers.  Clean shelves.
2. Throw away empty bottles.
3. Safely discard unused prescription medication (return to a pharmacy for safe disposal)
4. Consider storing medications away from humidity of a bathroom
5. Discard products you won’t use or don’t like
6. Combine like products when safe to do so (like suntan lotion)
7. Replace items in similar groupings
8. Add tiered wire shelving for small items
9. Add labeled drawers for small items
10. Create kits:  camping, manicure, beach, first aid
11. Make a list of emergency products to have on hand
    

Under the Sink

Don’t neglect to bring order to the space under the sink.  You can apply many of the same steps as the medicine cabinet.  By adding affordable stacking shelves, you can utilize every inch of vertical space.  Consider adding baskets to stand items like curling irons and blow dryers.  You might also add  stacked drawers.  These come in plastic, wire or mesh, and in various sizes.

Tomorrow will address the dreaded black-holes of our homes – the bedroom closets!

If you’ve taken any before and after photos of your decluttering, consider posting them on your own blog.  On Friday, I’m going to share a link to a friend’s blog who tackled a problem area.  And I’d love for you to post a comment with a link to your blog.  Who doesn’t love before and after photos?  Until tomorrow …

Grace & Peace,

Glynnis

Heavenly Father, You created us with a need to rest … our bodies and our minds.  I confess that I haven’t always honored Your request to rest, nor have I prioritized it in my life.  Help me to create a place of peace and quiet, where I can sleep without feeling like there’s something I should be doing.  Guide me as I de-clutter my bedroom and the rooms of those I love.  I want to be a woman who is rested, strong and ready to do Your work.  In Jesus name, Amen.
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card  giveaways, etc. no longer apply. 

Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog. You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com

Day 12 - Clutter Free- Reclaiming your kitchen!

Clutter-Free Day 12 – Reclaiming your kitchen Posted: 24 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST Welcome to day 12 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.   Today we get to talk about my favorite room in the house – the kitchen.  And it’s actually a room I spend most of my time in now that I purchased a laptop computer and started working at my kitchen table.  I get to stare out the window and rest my brain periodically.  Here’s my view: Actually there are also some pretty pink roses in front of the bird feeder that aren’t shown here. And this was taken last spring, so the grass isn’t green right now. I've discovered many of life’s blessings happen in my kitchen.  This room unites the values I hold dear:  home, family and community.  This is why keeping it organized and clutter-free is a top priority for me.  It’s not so I can boast of my alphabetized spices or labeled storage containers.  An organized kitchen helps keep me focused on what’s important, instead of mentally drained by a mess. My kitchen also needs the most work to stay organized.  Right now six of us live in this house, plus my husband and I both work here.  My front door should be a big hotel revolving door with the flow of people in and out all day.  As my loved ones move through the house, personal property gets set down in the most convenient spot … convenient to them, that is.  This normally means a kitchen counter.   Can you relate? Here’s the problem with a disorganized kitchen as I see it.  When there’s no room to work, I’m discouraged from starting anything.  Instead of making an affordable and healthy dinner, I am tempted to pick something up.   Instead of being creative in the kitchen, I choose something simple.   It just takes too much mental energy for me to overcome clutter. Not only does clutter drain energy from me, but there is no room for anything beautiful. It’s hard to appreciate a bouquet of roses from my garden if it’s set on bills, report cards and dirty dishes. So, in order to bring in more beauty, peace and order, I have declared a war on clutter.  If that appeals to you, here are some suggestions for how to de-cluttering the kitchen.   First, gather some boxes to store items that will be removed, whether to sell or give away.  Next … 1)  Sort through and remove all clutter from on top of your counters. Put away, recycle, toss and file those items you know what to do with.  If you don’t know where to start, pick a spot and work your way clockwise.  If you need to make decisions on other items, put those in a large box for later decision making.  Wash and put away dishes. Clean your counters and sink. Now stand back and survey your accomplishment with joy!  (clap, clap, clap … that’s from me). 2)  Move many of your kitchen appliances out of sight (toaster, bread maker, waffle iron, etc).    Clear counters will refresh you, and give you a clean palate for creativity.  You might need to work on step 3 at the same time so you have room to store these items. I know this is optimistic, but use it as a goal. 3)  Eliminate extra, unwanted, broken, chipped and incomplete items. This will take time, but start with one cabinet or shelf at a time.  Completely remove every item from that shelf or cabinet.  If you don’t use it, make a decision on what to do with it and put it in the giveaway, sell or garbage can.  Be honest and ruthless. I know this will be hard, because many of us are well intentioned.  I really intended to make fondue for my family … someday. But I had to be honest with myself. Clean the shelves with warm soapy water and return the items you want to keep, including those items that were previously stored on your counter. 4)  Store seldom-used appliances elsewhere. Can you store larger items outside your kitchen?  If you are holding out hope that you will start to use your waffle iron, then consider a shelf in an outside storage cabinet, extra bedroom or linen closet.   I have a shelf in my garage for larger items I don’t often use.  Another option is to purchase extra kitchen storage, like a free-standing cottage-style pantry or rolling island.  Consider buying something with doors to reduce visual clutter. Here are a few of my favorite random kitchen de-cluttering tips: 1) A bread box.  I have a charming bread box that does not hold bread.  Instead, it holds vitamins and medication.  If you’ve got lots of little bottles in view consider repurposing a bread box. We store bread in the refrigerator. 2)  Message center.  Most of us have phones in our kitchen.  Make sure you’ve got a pretty holder for notepads and pens. It can also be a temporary holding place for invitations, directions, etc. 3)  Bulletin board.  I put a bulletin board in my laundry room to keep coupons for restaurants or activities.  I put them here instead of on my refrigerator. Here's what I have on my counter right now. Once you’ve got your kitchen de-cluttered, put together some charming displays.  Do you love coffee or tea?  Create a hostess station with pretty mugs, tea bags, and a cream and sugar bowl.  Are you a flower gal?  Splurge and buy yourself some flowers from the grocery store, or better yet, plant some and harvest your own blooms. There are lots of other organization tips I could share for the kitchen, but I want to stay focused on de-cluttering.  Once you have trimmed and slimmed down your kitchen, research great ideas for organizing your cabinets, drawers and pantry.  I hope you’ll be inspired to keep going. And I also hope this sparks your creativity for cooking and enjoying more meals together with friends or family.  If your schedule is crazy, try aiming for one night a week to reclaim as your own. Tomorrow we will address bedrooms and baths.  Then day 14 we’ll tackle our closets.  And on Friday I’ll wrap up this challenge with general tips on managing clutter and some encouraging words. Grace & Peace, Glynnis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card  giveaways, etc. no longer apply.  Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog. You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com

Day 11 - Clutter Free Testimonies and Embracing Your Authority!

Hi girls! 


Welcome back to our final week of Glynnis Whitwer's Clutter Free Challenge!
I hope this Monday finds you inspired to make some new organizational changes around your home, in your daily planning, and even in your thinking. 
I honestly think our minds need de-cluttering THE MOST!


Now for a few of my own de-cluttering testimonies: 


#1:  In the spring I recently cleaned out my very messy garage. Let me tell you...THAT was a challenge for me!! 
In doing so, I came up with a plan for all of those "dreaded" boxes and bags of papers and keepsakes I haven't had time to deal with. I stacked up a neat pile of boxes and bags in the corner of my garage where I can easily get to them. Then I made this deal with myself.  At least 1 or 2 times a week, whenever I decide to relax and watch a movie in the evening after dinner, I have to go pick at least 1 box to go through as I sit in my recliner. And you know what? For some reason  dealing with 1 box at a time - from the comfort of my easy chair - while watching a movie...works like a charm for me. You have to understand, these are boxes that have been collecting dust in my garage for YEARS! Sweet freedom!!


#2: I love to ask the Lord to show me a way I can bless someone with something I already have in hand.
The other day, as I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit, I opened up my linen closet and began pulling out sets of sheets, pretty pillow cases, lace doilies, a quilt, kitchen towels, and even some fun Country Living magazines! It was a perfect opportunity to organize my closet! When I was finished - I called a friend up and asked if I could drop by - sharing that I had some goodies I thought she might like for her guest room in her home. She then proceeded to share that my call had come at just the "right time", uplifting her very overwhelmed and frustrated heart. When I ran by her office a little later that morning to drop off all of the pretty things ...she had a bounce in her step and a gratefulness in her smile. She felt cared for and pampered and it showed. 
The most amazing part was how God used this experience to bless MY HEART! I was aware that morning  that the Lord was using me at just the "right time" to remind this beautiful woman of His faithfulness, His goodness, and how He was watching over her and it was such a cool experience. 


#3: Finally, about 2 months ago I cleaned out my closet, getting rid of all sorts of clothes and shoes that I donated to a thrift store. A week later a dear, sweet friend called me up saying she had been cleaning out her closets, and was going through her clothes and shoes and wanted to know if I had need of anything. She buys only beautiful, quality brands! She said she had LOTS of nice pieces she would like to me to come over and try on and that we could make a fun girl's day of it. 
After I got off the phone with her that day I just broke down and cried. 
God knew and was providing for my needs AND desires!  


I hadn't bought anything new for myself in quite a long time. You ladies understand this....many times we women buy for our kids or even our husbands, before purchasing what we may want and need. Well that was the case for me and to be honest I just didn't have the funds to buy myself anything new. Since I quit my job a year ago to be at home with my daughter...well money just isn't viewed the same. When the Lord provides ...it is normally for food and bills...not pretty new clothes, or shoes.


Well my friend blessed my socks off... to say the least!!!
It was surreal....like walking into a department store with tons of beautiful clothes and shoes and walking out with sacks and sacks of beautiful treasures without paying a dime! 
I am not exaggerating. I know I made it home that day with about 20+ new outfits and 8 new pairs of shoes! I cried all the way home! I felt so cared for and pampered.  Sounds familiar doesn't it? Lol! God wants to bless us just as much as He wants to use us to be a blessing to others! 


So, the moral of my story is this: clean out and make room... for God's wonderful increase and blessing in your life! He has SO much in store for you!


Happy Monday! 
Brandy

Clutter-Free Day 11 – Embracing your authority Posted: 22 Jan 2012 08:47 PM PST Welcome to Day 11 in our Clutter-Free Challenge.   Only five more days to go.  As we wrap up our time together, I want to remind you of something I said in the beginning.  I never expected anyone to be able to do this in 15 days.  However, I do hope I given you encouragement to make some immediate changes in how you process your responsibilities, manage your schedule and de-clutter your home. Even one change will make a difference. Before I get into today’s challenge, I want to announce the winner of my book, “I Used to Be So Organized.”  Based on a random selection, I’m happy to announce that Kimberly, who posted a comment January 20th at 8:30 p.m. is the winner.  Thank you to everyone who posted and all the fabulous ideas.   I will have another giveaway at the end of the week.  Kimberly, I’ve sent you an email. Today we are going to talk about our main living areas.  If your house is like mine, there’s a lot of living going on in these spaces, and lots of clutter that gets left on tables, chairs and the floor.  It  requires daily maintenance to keep these areas de-cluttered.  But it can be done.  And once you make some foundational changes it will be easier. I've got some practical tips, but first I want to share some thoughts … thoughts that might help you overcome the common avoidance of dealing with clutter.  There are two principles that keep me motivated when I get weary of maintaining my home.  The first deals with conveying authority. In Proverbs 31:11 says “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.”  Whether you are married or not,  conveying confidence to those around you happens over time.  Confidence is built up through consistently doing what we say we will do.  You cannot demand someone trust you; we all see past words and evaluate actions. However, a woman who quietly brings order to her home conveys confidence and authority without ever saying a word.  Our husbands’ trust grows when we can find the passports before a trip.  Children can tell mom is in control when she pulls out the permission slip from a handy file.  We all have been given some level of authority over our homes, even a college student renting a room.  Do we manage with authority or is there chaos? Are we conveying trust or insecurity? The second principle which motivates me is based on the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30.  I won’t take the time to summarize, but please review the passage when you have time.  The verse that rings in my head is 23:  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” I’m convinced  God is watching to see how we handle every responsibility He gives us.  He longs to give all of us more responsibility, but we must prove ourselves faithful with what we have – no matter how little or how much.  I apply this verse to my health, my finances and my home.  I can wish I had more all day long, but if I squander what I have, I’m simply not a good investment. Having said all that hard stuff, I am SO THANKFUL FOR GRACE.  I’ve fallen short so many times.  At the end of the day, I’m just a dressed-up mess.  Instead of giving me what I deserve, God generously showers me with good things. He forgives my sin and sympathizes with my weaknesses.  And it’s in my weakness that His strength is revealed.  So if you are feeling weak today, please invite God to be your strength.  He is faithful. I know I got off subject there, but I believe the Lord wanted me to share that.  If that message was for you, I’d love to know. Let’s move on to some practical tips for de-cluttering your living spaces.  There are two main reasons for clutter.  The first involves items that have a home but aren’t in their home. An example would be remote controls sitting on the table next to the box you bought for the remote controls.  (ahem – yes, this happens in my house) This is a discipline problem, not a clutter problem. The second is items that have no home. This problem never gets better on its own.  And the older you get the worse it gets, what with all the tchatchkes we collect and are given. What to do with it all?  Here are some ideas for common clutter items: Little treasures A glass-enclosed curio cabinet.  Twenty years ago, my husband bought me a six-foot high, two-foot wide class case.  It sits right by my front door where I can see all my little treasures, safely tucked away, and dust free. Give items to family now.   If you’ve got children, nieces or nephews, plan to share some of your treasures with them now.  This can be an inexpensive Christmas or birthday gift.  It blesses both of you.  Give items away.  Find a ministry helping people be independent after a trauma.  This could be a battered women’s shelter, refugee ministry or a recovery program.  Your beloved items could bring hope and healing to someone else.  Sell on e-Bay or at a consignment center.   If you need to make some money, consider selling your extra items.  A good digital camera, and packing material, is all you need to sell online. After my father passed away, my mother created shadow boxes for my sister and me.  She carefully arranged little items my father collected over the years in this box.  For example, his army pins, a pipe and his school ID (he was a teacher).  This is one of my most treasured items. Remote controls Store remotes in a decorative box on the coffee table. Buy or make a fabric remote holder that fits over the arm of a couch or chair. Install a wall-mounted basket by the television Put a box or basket by the television. Blankets A chest of drawers can serve as an end table and storage for items like blankets. Position a quilt hanger by the couch. A vintage-looking sea chest can double as a coffee table and blanket holder. Craft supplies & games These items can take up lots of space.  Store them in boxes you can stack to make the most of your space.  Consider storing games behind closed doors of an armoire or entertainment center to minimize visual clutter. If the game box is damaged, transfer game boards and pieces to specially designed plastic game-keepers sold at specialty organizing stores. For crafts, consider a rolling organizer with multiple drawers that can be tucked in a closet while not in use.  A cubby system with boxes covered in wallpaper to match your design could fit nicely in a niche.  Make labels for each drawer or box. Toys Unless you have a designated playroom, keep most toys in bedrooms.  For a quick pick up, keep a large basket with a lid in the living room.  Rolling bins make clean up fun when a child can roll it back to her room. Multi-media Plastic boxes multiply like rabbits at a home with growing children.  Whether it’s a CD, DVD or video game box, it needs to be stored in a crush-proof place.  Consider adding pull-out drawers to deep shelving so that items in the back can be easily seen.  A specially-designed media tower protects boxes and keeps the titles visible. Framed photos Consider a collage of photos on the wall instead of cluttering the surface of an end or sofa table with frames.  Choose a common frame color, and complementary matting to make a design statement. Extra storage options Make furniture do double-duty.  Invest in accent tables with shelves and drawers.  If that’s not an option, store items in large baskets tucked under tables.  A chest can serve as a coffee table, or a bench with cushions.  And go vertical when you can. That was a lot for one day.  Thank you for sticking with me to the end.  Please join me tomorrow when I talk about cleaning out your kitchen.  Fun stuff!! Grace & Peace, Glynnis Heavenly Father, thank You for entrusting me with a place to call home, a body to care for and finances to manage.  I admit that I often fall short of where I want to be in many areas.  Sometimes I grow weary dealing with the same issues every day, and need a fresh breath of Your Spirit to fill me up.  I long to be a woman who stewards well her responsibilities, and know I’m in desperately need of Your help and strength.  In Jesus name, Amen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card  giveaways, etc. no longer apply.  Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog. You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com

Clutter Free - Day 10 - Does your front entrance say "Welcome"

Hi Ladies,

Thank you so much for hanging with us for this 15 day challenge. I hope you are finding this information helpful and reassuring. Today we are 2/3 of the way through to the finish of the Clutter Free Challenge! 

As the clutter comes under control, I'm praying peace for you in  your mind, as well as your home. God has amazing blessings in store for you! 

 Happy Friday!

Brandy

Please remember this Clutter Free Challenge was posted by Glynnis earlier in the year. Any reference to the January dates of the challenge, and her book or gift card  giveaways, etc. no longer apply.  Of course you are always welcome to subscribe to Glynnis' blog. You can find her at www.glynniswhitwer.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clutter Free Day 10 - Does your front entrance say  "welcome"? by Glynnis Whitwer Posted: 20 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST Happy Friday and welcome to day 10 in our Clutter-Free Challenge. For the rest of our time in this challenge, we will work our way through the living areas of our homes.  And we’ll start with the front entrance. Your front entrance sets the mood and first impression of your home.  Will it be one of peace and rest?  Or should there be flashing red lights and signs reading “Danger”?   Does your entry way convey confident authority or disordered anarchy?  Your family and guests will immediately receive the unspoken message. Without a plan, entryways can become a dumping ground.  Family members kick off shoes, drop bags and toss keys. Most often, that happens because there isn’t a place for those items.  With a bit of rearranging, you can create a beautiful front entrance, one that offers a “Welcome home” for your loved ones and their possessions. Before I start listing tips, I want to suggest a new way for you to look at your home.  It’s amazing what I notice when I take this approach. And I think you’ll have great ideas for your own home. Years ago I worked at a retirement center.  Before any public event, like an open house, we took a “Do you see what I see?” walk.  The marketing staff and I started at the street entrance, and walked through the entrance from the street.  Our eyes scanned the parking lot, the building, windows and landscaping. We looked with fresh eyes to see what a visitor would see.  It was always interesting how noticeable the chipped paint, cobwebs and dead bushes were from that viewpoint. We walked past them every day, never noticing. On that day, with intentional eyes, we saw what needed changing. Often it didn’t take much to correct the problem. Armed with clipboards, paper and pens, we recorded every item needing attention and created a master to-do list. Sensory adaptation is to blame for numbing us visually to things in our home as well. It’s a God-given gift to adapt to our surroundings.  Otherwise, we might be overwhelmed with aromas and sounds.  It also can mean we live with more messes, chaos and clutter more than we should.  Unless we perform our own “Do you see what I see?” walk, we’ll miss small areas of our home that could be de-cluttered with little effort. So sometime this weekend, I’d like you to walk up to your front door as if you were a guest.  Open the door and walk in.  Let your eyes see what a guest would see. But don’t feel badly about piles of shoes and broken toys.  Just determine to do a bit of de-cluttering. Here are some tips for common clutter items that most of us have around our entryways. Keys Provide a key hooks or key racks within a few steps of the door.  Make sure there are enough hooks for each member of your family.  It’s a good idea to store extra sets of all keys, but not at the front entrance.  Invest in a key storage box and put it in your laundry room or hang hooks inside a cabinet. Don’t forget to label extra keys. Back to the front entrance.  If you’ve got room, consider getting an attractive wall-mounted holder with hooks.   This might be a shelf, which you could also use to hold small items such as a wallet, money clip or cell phone.    Or it could be a letter holder with hooks at the bottom.  This could hold incoming or outgoing mail, or small items to grab on the way out. You might also consider a message board, and add hooks for keys.  There are multiple possibilities for getting double duty out of a key holder, so don’t limit your imagination. Purses, backpacks, bags The goal is to get purses, backpacks and miscellaneous bags off the ground.  To that end, position a coat tree or coat rack near the door.  If you have little ones, include a child size’s coat rack, or a double row of hooks with one row low enough for little arms.  A hall tree (a bench with storage, a back and hooks) is a great place to store items, plus provide a seat. If you have an entry closet, make sure it’s not jam packed.  Add shelving for purses, and hooks for bags. Loose items For books, mittens, iPods or small bags, consider cubbyholes with baskets.  Label a basket for each person in the family.  This can serve many purposes, and it’s an excellent way for everyone to keep track of little items. A table or small chest by the front door can be multi-functional.  Place a basket on top for keys and use the drawers to store those little items that easily get lost. Shoes I know many people like to keep shoes by the front door.  In case you do, some options include cubby holes or baskets, instead of having them loose on the floor.  However, may I respectfully recommend discontinuing that habit? Dirty shoes can mar your guests’ first impressions – both visually and with a less-than-pleasant aroma.  By providing adequate shoe storage in bedrooms, family members can remove shoes at the door, and take shoes directly to their closets. Hall closets Perhaps a good place to start with a hall or entry closet is to define your purpose.  Would you like to use this as a place for guests’ coats?  Do you use it every day for your own items? Sometimes this little gem is overlooked, and it becomes a haphazard storage place for that grab-and-dash cleaning some of us do right before company arrives. With a bit of planning, your hall closet has great potential for being a one-stop organizing center for items that get brought in and taken out on a regular basis.  For example, you could add additional shelves and store camera equipment.  Hooks on the inside of the door could be used for purses and bags.  Cubbies or stacked baskets on the floor could hold books, backpacks, shoes and gloves.  Install hooks on the inside of the door for keys. What is cluttering your entryway?  I’m sure you can find some creative solutions to your clutter.  I’d love to hear about them if you do.  In fact, I’ve got another copy of my book, “I Used to Be So Organized” to give away this weekend to someone who comments.  To leave a comment, click here to be taken to my blog.  Then, scroll down to the bottom of the post and click on “comments”. Next week, we’ll make our way around our homes as we wrap up our 15-day Challenge.  And thank you SO MUCH for all your kind and gracious comments to me personally these past few weeks.  You have been such shining examples of God’s love. Grace & Peace, Glynnis