The Clutter Queen

There are areas I am very organized, with a place for each item. My tack shed is one such place. I have a place for each saddle, bridle, halter and lead rope. Yet, there are some areas I am the “Clutter Queen”.

I enjoy seeing a home with everything in a place, easy to find and retrieve when needed. Six years ago, I started on a journey to have a home neat and organized. I started in my bedroom, with the clothes closet, then dresser. Next on the list was the kitchen, followed by the other rooms in the home. Now I am to the most cluttered room in the house, my craft room.

My craft room is more than just crafts supplies, it also contains the totes of memories in the form of the things my children created in school, pictures taken before cell phones were invented and before cell phones had cameras. The rewards and ribbons my children won. Of all the rooms, this is the room hardest to declutter.

One step to decluttering a home is to get rid of things you no longer use or brings you joy. The totes and boxes of memories of my children’s childhood brings me joy, although I do not have them hanging to where I can see them daily. I do go through the boxes and recall the memories. I have asked my children if they want these items, they have taken one or two items from the boxes I have, the rest they do not want at that time.

One of my daughters made some pottery in her senior year of high school. When she finally moved all her belongings out of the house, she did not want the pottery any longer, told me to get rid of it. I held on the creations. A couple of years ago she spied the pottery pieces on a shelf. “I thought you got rid of those.” No, I had not, she asked if she could take them to her home. I said sure, they are yours. It is these types of events that make the decision to throw something away or to keep it.

I have decided to keep the items created by my children from their childhood years. Each child has their own box or boxes. It would not be so difficult if their creations were just drawings or their first “A” paper. There is pottery, sand art, leather projects that won Grand Champion at the fair, or medals and ribbons on victories won. Now to come up with a plan to organize these items.

When I was young, there was no problem with having an uncluttered house or room. That was before children, and life events. These momentos of the past have accumulated over time, each marking an accomplishment. Perhaps that is why old people have so much stuff, they have memories they are hanging onto.

The photos are an easy organizing subject as I can scan and put on a digital disk saving the all the memories for each child in digital form that takes up little physical space. The other items, I can only place in boxes or totes.

A plan to organize memories I can not seem to let go of at this time. When I am gone, my children will probably through most of the items in the trash. But for now, my craft room will remain a little cluttered, as I am not ready to let go of the lifetime of memories I have with my children.

amtolle