Find one item each day to get rid of. (Trash, goodwill, family member – it doesn’t matter, but it has to leave the house).

Take a photograph of it.
Blog it…
Call it something like “today’s item”

Of course more expensive stuff could go on eBay, or you could offer it to your blog readers….

Anyway – here’s the nutshell: If you’re donating, make sure you read up on the new tax laws:

http://taxguide.completetax.com/tools/form8283_m.asp

I like all of the suggestions. Thanks from a working-on-it packrat!

Start with another area in the house. Somewhere that has far fewer items that you “might need someday” or items that have memories attached.

Then, be brutal with that area. Ask yourself, Do I love it? Do I use it? Do I have another one I like better?

If the answer to any of those is no – find it a new home. You’ll bless yourself (with more space) and you’ll bless others who may really need those things that are sitting there doing nothing.

The reason I suggest starting elsewhere is because I, a 100% certifiable packrat – started in a back closet full of “stuff” – I was (what I thought at the time) was brutal and bagged up everything that didn’t pass those 3 questions.

Decluttering is addictive.

That new spot you just decluttered will look so awesome, that you’ll want another spot to look like that too. You’ll want another spot that you no longer have to dig to find a specific item.

So then you’ll move to the next place.

The thing is, what I “thought” was brutal at the beginning of my decluttering obsession, by the end, I knew wasn’t nearly brutal enough, and went back through the first spaces and probably got rid of just about the same amount of stuff.

Sorry for the novel here, but honestly, decluttering my home was an amazing journey . It gave me the gift of more time in my day because now, everything has a home and when I need something, I can lay my hands on it in moments.

When someone else needs something, I can direct them to exactly where it is without having to get up and go hunt for it myself.

My husband says “In 18 years she never threw ANYTHING away, now I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find my butt in the dumpster”

Me, the packrat, is actually organized! Sounds silly, but it’s given me more peace in my life than I ever could have imagined.

Good luck, be strong, you’ll be giving yourself a wonderful gift.

Knowing that I am helping other people, really made my decision a lot easier about what to keep and what to get rid of. The tax deduction for next year helped a bit too

As for the shoes… well, donate them to a charity! They could really be a blessing for someone who can’t afford to buy shoes for their foot problems. If you need another pair later, you can always order something else, right?

Other items can be passed on to other family members, who might also have an emotional attachment to things and have use for them.

Lastly, remember that your memories of special people and places you’ve visited are in your heart and mind (and photos), not the “stuff.”

Maybe we could make that one steamer trunk per person?