Decluttering 100 Things

In the process of moving to Oregon, I was determined to use the opportunity to declutter our stuff. Kevin is a bit of a…collector (I call him a hoarder), so convincing him to get rid of some of our things was definitely a challenge. At first we were donating things to the Goodwill, but then we realized we had enough to attempt a yard sale. Normally, people have yard sales before they move, but because of the locations of our house before (middle of nowhere) and the new place (urban neighborhood) we decided to pack up our garage sale boxes and bring them along.

I had recently read this decluttering article over on Jess Lively's blog about intentionally removing 100 things from your home. Of course, I love lists, so I wanted to try this. Of our 100 things, only one of them ended up in the trash can. The rest were donated, sold at the yard sale, sold at a book store for extra cash, or gifted to friends. Technically speaking, we got rid of well over 100 things, but I chose to group things in categories, so instead of ending the decluttering process after removing 100 books (which, honestly, is a HUGE feat in itself!), I counted the books as one item. Doing it this way really pushed us into decluttering as much as possible.

Decluttering is a constant process, but here are a few tips if you're not sure where to start:

1. Don't expect to finish decluttering your whole house in one day. Take it one room at a time, or even one drawer, closet, or basket at a time.

2. Do you really need three spatulas? Try to cut down on duplicates.

3. If you've upgraded, get rid of the older model. No need to let it collect dust in the closet.

4. Don't hold on to clothes you sort of like. You either like them or you don't. On that note, don't hold on to clothes you *really hope* to fit into again someday. You and your closet deserve better than that.

5. Not everything needs to be kept as a potential, future craft supply.




On that note, here is our complete list of 100 Things:

1. Various garbage cans/buckets
2. Hula hoop
3. Extra Space heater
4. Fan
5. Over 100 books
6. Two tomato cages
7. Two trash can lids (we originally purchased because we wanted sleds and couldn’t find any…but now we have sleds)
8. Ceramic water dispenser
9. Wooden bench



10. Folding chair
11. Mirror
12. Sifting litter box
13. Planter box
14. Bulletin board
15. Framed poster of a turtle
16. Extra tool kit
17. Three cans of spray paint
18. Rolls of paper table cloths
19. Bag of paper napkins
20. Bag of plastic cups (#18, 19, and 20 are all from our wedding)



21. Water socks
22. Dart board
23. Shower curtain rings
24. Various vases
25. Spare fitted sheet
26. Clock puzzle
27. Miscellaneous cooking utensils
28. Plastic jar
29. Wool overalls
30. Ear buds
31. Water bottle
32. Various jars
33. Mismatched silverware
34. Big yellow plate
35. Ill-fitting jeans
36. A few sweaters
37. Plastic citrus juicer
38. Multiple terra cotta pots/plastic pots



39. Two ceramic plates
40. Canvas bags
41. Measuring spoons
42. Two strainers
43. Plastic platter
44. Various jars
45. Salt and pepper shaker
46. Teapot set
47. Tea cups and saucer set
48. Head board
49. Side table
50. Book case
51. Futon w/ frame
52. Video camera (with cassette tapes)
53. Vacuum
54. More CDs than I even want to count (300+?)
55. Two very outdated digital cameras
56. Futon frame (without a mattress)
57. Car vacuum
58. Book making supplies
59. Table
60. Bean bag chair
61. Rocking chair
62. Craft sticks
63. Fabric glue set
64. Fabric markers



65. Snorkel gear
66. Suet feeder
67. Plant hangers
68. Two garden trellises
69. Garden soil
70. Fabric that I know I'll never use
71. Two lavender plants
72. Catnip plant
73. Rosemary plant
74. Pillow batting
75. Recycled quilt batting
76. An iPod running band
77. Gas can
78. Oil pan
79. Water bottle
80. Lid organizer
81. Coffee funnel
82. Tea strainer
83. Set of owl figurines
84. Old, outdated modem
85. Various old cords (usb, ethernet, firewire, etc.)
86. Shower caddy
87. Adhesive wall hooks
88. Headbands
89. Washable markers
90. Bike tire
91. Chair cushion
92. Dinner napkins
93. Two sets of speakers
94. Computer microphone
95. Various tupperware containers
96. Mismatched forks, knives, and spoons (that don't match my silverware set)
97. Foam katana (don't ask)
98. Several Nerf guns with ammo clips
99. Plastic drawers
100. Watering can