Home as Haven - Part III

Hopefully by now you have begun to sort through the holiday chaos Part I and to incorporate some comforting winter luxuries Part II into your home.





While these two steps have hopefully been easy and fun, what we want to tackle next are those nooks, crannies, attics, basements and spare rooms that are victims of clutter.

Is "clutter" too offensive a word? Okay, let's take a gentle look at those spaces that are home to unused sporting equipment, filled with boxes never unpacked from you last move, boxes of unsorted photos, craft supplies, fabric, high school yearbooks, shoes, purses and clothes that are outdated but "perfectly good", bags of children's school papers and artwork, old stamp collections, girl guide outfits, the wedding dress (from the first marriage), coffee tins filled with old drapery hardware, keys for places you no longer live and for luggage you no longer own.

Providing sufficient time has passed, it may also be time to evaluate what to keep and what to donate in the way of inherited items; at the time it seemed fitting to haul home all of your great-aunt's books and dishes, but you can re-evaluate that now.

Yes, this is difficult, emotional and time consuming; but until you deal with this heap (be it large or small) your home will always have a stagnant, toxic pond or ponds brewing behind a closed door or hidden away on a seldom seen level. These areas affect the energy in your home whether or not you see them, whether or not you are thinking about them.

Personally, I can motivate myself for this task in one of two ways, either I pretend that I am getting ready to pack up and move, therefore forcing me to ask, "Do I really want to pay to have this 1970's era exercise bike moved?" or, I imagine that if I suddenly died, my daughters would be forced to sort through what was left in my home. I picture them regarding dried up nail polish bottles, macramé hanging plant holders, old bills, receipts, ten year old magazines, socks with holes and wondering "What in the world was she thinking?"

The other consideration is that from what I've been observing, this task of decluttering only becomes more difficult with age. The older people get the more reluctant they seem to let go of used wrapping paper, clothes, purses, old linens and especially furniture. I cannot tell you how many situations I have heard of (and witnessed) recently where a senior is forced to move into smaller quarters yet cannot accept the fact that a sofa, loveseat, occasional chair, two end tables, a coffee table, a book case a television stand and several overgrown climbing plants are just not going to be squeezed into a 10 ft x 10 ft. room.

Now is definitely the time. You know the drill: three piles - trash, donate, keep. Be ruthless, be honest and don't expect to complete the entire task in an afternoon. Do reward yourself with a cup of your favourite tea and something sweet when you need to take a break, your ultimate reward will be a home that envelopes you in serenity and beauty.


Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a productive day,

Sandra