I do get to put the things away that were removed from the counters and behind the door. This is a great time for me to get rid of clutter. As I dusted off everything I evaluated whether I really wanted to keep it. I also decided to re-purpose some things. The vase in the photo is often used for flowers but I threw away the container my shells were in and re-purposed this vase with some of the shells. It is like having a whole new collection.

What have you done to re-purpose items in your home when you get rid of clutter? It will be fun to see what you do—inspire us!

To get this clutter under control I took one bin at a time and went through it. I was able to consolidate into fewer boxes. It was so much fun getting rid of clutter and making more space!

There are several ways to label and my favorite way when I have large plastic bins for storage is to write on a 3 X 5 card (or in this case larger) what the contents are and then tape it on with clear packing tape.

Another way to label is with a hand held label maker. I find this most useful in other parts of the house rather than on bins in the storage room.

I am thrilled with my labeling “job” because now I know exactly what is in each bin and by getting rid of clutter I made more room to store the important things.

What have you labeled lately? And how did you label?

I found turkeys on sale for .40 a pound and bought two of them with the upcoming holidays in mind and thought wow what a savings. I thought I could get a friend to store them for me. After 9 phone calls later I still needed a freezer to keep my new turkeys in so I went freezer shopping (This has be on my to do list for quite some time). Then needed a truck (Rav 4) to transport the freezer—- all for the two turkeys I got on sale. What a sale, two turkeys a freezer and truck later…

P.S. Have any of you tried to clear clutter, create more space and it went from one simple act to something much larger? ? I’m sure glad I got those turkeys at such a good deal.

P.S.S. Turns out I didn’t have to buy the truck after all because the store delivers but it would have been a great excuse to get a new vehicle!

We just found a cool gadget to mix and froth cocoa. Before purchasing an item I find it is valuable to read comments by those who have purchased the product and have used it. We decided to buy this Gourmet Cocoa-Latte hot drink maker. It is made by Back To Basics.

Reasons we chose this product:
•5 Star reviews
•Price
•It warms and froths cocoa which is what we wanted. (A BIG YUM)!!
•Size is just right (Just like in the goldilocks story—this one is j-u-s-t right)
•It warms it to just the right temperature
•No more lumpy cocoa
•Great for getting rid of clutter- no more messy pots and pans, AND spoons for stirring are no longer necessary

If you love hot chocolate, café late, cappuccino, chai tea latte or wassail then it could be time to get rid of clutter in your cupboards so you can find room for a machine that makes frothy cocoa with no more lumps.

We bought this at Bed Bath and Beyond, the other 6 stores I called didn’t have them in yet, they said it is a holiday item they usually stock. Have you tried a hot drink maker? If you have wanted to I recommend this one.

I was told I had to take it e-a-s-y for a minimum of 7 days. My friends said they would have to attach a harness or a chain to keep me down. I do admit it was hard to stay down when I was feeling so good. Yes my knee hurt but I had better things to do than just sit. But then I decided to be good so I would heal faster. And the thing that helped me the most was to have a goal that was important to me.

I sat with my food propped on the table and hand quilted two large wall quilts. My goals were to get better faster and get the quilts quilted. Once I settled on those two goals I was happy to sit and heal.

That is how it is with clutter control. Once we make up our minds and set goals for ourselves it becomes easy (at least it becomes easier) to reduce clutter in our drawers, closets, cupboards and other places in our homes. Until it is a priority it just won’t happen.

What do you think? Are goals important for clutter control?

It is like a little diamond that you have to find, and dig in the dirt to be able to enjoy. (Or go to a fancy restaurant and order it off the menu).

Getting rid of clutter can be like finding a little diamond or truffle. Why? Because it is so sweet to be clutter free. Don’t settle for chaos when you can choose a clutter free home.

Ask yourself the following questions to see if it is time to get rid of clutter:

•When was the last time you got up in the night and were able to find what you were looking for without turning on a light—or at least making it to the cupboard without stubbing your toe?
•Are you tired of the same old hassle of getting ready for work and looking in your closet and not having anything to wear because it isn’t organized?
•Are you drowning in a sea of clutter?
•Have you ever thought about hiring a professional organizer?

What are you going to do today to get rid of clutter? We would LOVE to hear your successes!!!

We all handle these situations differently. The next day I removed Rue’s water bowl and her bed. Now I don’t have to think about taking care of these things later which would make it harder on all of us. We remember her in so many other ways without these reminders around.

It is easier to get rid of clutter when clutter happens rather than waiting to take care of it later when it is overwhelming.

I have some “lightening” ideas on clearing clutter that no matter what the clock says is a sure winner to clear clutter.

1. Take it slow when clearing clutter; don’t try to do it all at once. If you can’t get it all done you may become discouraged. Sprints aren’t always the best way to tackle a project. Enjoy the journey.
2. Set a timer when starting a project—especially one you dread doing. This will make the time go faster and will be an incentive to keep at the task until the timer rings.
3. If you wake up a bit earlier get out of bed and do some clutter clearing you have been putting off—consider this bonus time.

What did you do in October to clear clutter? Isn’t it wonderful to have a new month to look forward to?

This is how I Trick myself to get rid of clutter in my home:

•I pretend I am moving and I evaluate everything in one room at a time by asking myself, “If I was moving would I keep this?” This helps me to be clear on what to keep and what to let go of by donating or discarding.
•I pick a room and choose 5 things to get rid of or to put in their assigned homes.

To Treat myself :

•I look around at all the clutter I have gotten rid of and I enjoy feeling more peaceful and happy.
•I give myself a pat on the back and I tell myself—“Way to go Marilyn, you did good!”

What are you doing to Trick or Treat yourself when it comes to getting rid of clutter?

P.S. Cindy, this is the best picture you posted. It makes me laugh–Dracula’s dentures, how funny. Thanks

But to make it like hers—as in it melts in your mouth–it takes a rotating waffle iron. The machine I bought is made by Gourmet.

Reasons I recommend it:
•Just the right size—Easy to store
•Fair Price—it was on sale for $30.00, regularly $70.00
•Cooked waffles to perfection
•Easy to use
•Easy to clean

Here’s the recipe for the most delicious Belgian waffles in the world:
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Lukewarm water - 105*
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast - 1 package
2 Cups whole milk - warmed 105
1/2 Cup butter - melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
2 Cups flour
2 large eggs - lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
The night before, or at least 8 hours before baking, combine the warm water, granulated sugar and yeast. Let stand 10 minutes, until foamy. Stir in the warm milk, melted butter and salt. Beat in the flour until smooth; (this may be done using a hand mixer on low speed). Wrap bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight (or for 8 hours) on the countertop - do not refrigerate. (Be sure to put it in a LARGE bowl—ours rose and spilled all over the counter).
When ready to bake, preheat your Belgian waffle maker on setting # 4 or preferred setting; for best results, do not open waffle maker during cooking process. Doing so will offset the timing mechanism.
While the waffle maker is heating, stir the eggs, vanilla extract and baking soda into the batter. Use measuring scoop to measure out batter. Pour onto waffle grids. Use a heat-proof spatula to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close cover and rotate 180 to the right. Bake in the waffle maker until blue light goes on. Rotate 180 to the left. Remove waffle and repeat with remaining batter.
Waffles may be kept warm in a slow oven. Place waffles arranged on cookie sheet on a rack in the oven. Serve with sliced fresh fruit, jam, powdered sugar, warm fruit syrup or whipping cream.
Yield: 6 waffles

Diane, thank you for sharing! All of you out there in blog land that try these; please share what you think about them. Get rid of clutter by getting rid of that icky old waffle iron and get yourself one that is “worthy” of this delicious recipe. YUM!!!