November 12th ~ Arrowbear, California
I’ve been on a house decluttering mission the past few days. Well in theory anyway. I’ve spent the majority of the time watching YouTube videos on how to get rid of what you don’t love and then organize what is left over.
I’m finding it a challenge, but making some slow steady progress in that direction. I’m not a hoarder, but have a hard time parting with “stuff” that I have once again accumulated. I love it when everything has a proper place, there is no clutter, and my home is clean. Here at our tiny cabin, one of my stumbling blocks is finding room to put all my belongings. It was time to come up for air, take a break, and contemplate the next area I want to tackle.
It is dreary outside today, and our fall colors have just about disappeared. So, to give my mind a moment to reset, I decided to take a few minutes to sift through some favorite fall foliage pictures and do a quick post.
I hope you enjoy them…
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that there is so much information available on the Internet that can give you ideas, suggestions, resources, and plain old help with just about any project you can think of. I still have a long way to go to get our cabin/home as neat and organized as I would like for it to be, but feel encouraged that I am moving in the right direction.
WHAT IS YOUR #1 TIP FOR DECLUTTERING YOUR HOME? Would love to hear from you.
NEXT TRIP: We leave on the 20th of this month to fly to Illinois for Thanksgiving.
A Note From Abroad 
Beautiful photos!
In Japan, it is also autumn leave season “紅葉”.
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I’m wanting to return to Japan one of these days. Would you recommend that I visit in the Fall or to see the Spring cherry blossoms?
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Although Cherry Blossom season seems the most popular in Japan, my favorite is the Autumn Leaves “紅葉” season. I definitely recommend it more than cherry blossom.
I think it is better because:
1. The weather is chill and perfect for slow walks.
2. Ticket prices are not that high, cause it is not “hot season”.
3. More colors *___*
In addition to this, last two years during Cherry Blossom season there were heavy rains and it did not last long(
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Minira, thank you so much for your recommendations and explaining your choice. I appreciate your insights. 🙏
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You are welcome 🙂 It is my pleasure.
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I love your fall photos. I’ve been on a decluttering mission since summer. I still have a long ways to go. Sigh. I guess my best tip would be to take it in bite-size pieces. Or in other words, to break it down to one drawer or container or corner at a time. And keep chocolate within reach! 😉
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Thanks for your tips. And the chocolate idea is certainly a GREAT idea. I am a huge fan of dark chocolate 👍
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Me too!
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Nice photos. Love the colors.
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Thanks!
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Love the colours in your photos Joanne. I was once advised to take this approach when de-cluttering: have you looked at it, used it, worn it, or done anything with it in the last two years? I had to travel light a few years back and it’s amazing what you clear when you have too. All my stuff is coming out of storage next week (after two years)….eeekk….mass de-cluttering needed. Hugs for you and Tim. Xx
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It actually amazes me how little we can get by on when forced to. We managed just fine in 2014 traveling around the world for seven month with just carry-on luggage. This summer we were in our small 24 foot RV for 3+ months with just what would fit and felt very comfortable. There was very little that we missed of our “things” while on the road. I think your suggestion is smart. In reality we could get rid of 90% of our stuff and be just fine. Thanks for the hugs 🤗
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I am not very good at it, but I try. 🙂 For years, I followed flylady.net She has a whole philosophy about decluttering. Once you cut through the pink and purple preaching, it is a good system. 15 minutes at a time, if you don’t need it or love it, get rid of it. It gets hard when you do love it, but she talks about that, too.
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I have been watching YouTube videos that preach both Flylady and
Conmari methods. I’m liking ideas from both and will try to incorporate what will work best for me. When I see the “after” pictures some people share of their organized homes, I’m so jealous. Something to reach for 😃
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You are smart enough to be able to take what works from each and make it work for you. And living in a smaller space helps, I think. We don’t use our upstairs except as a giant storage loft, and it becomes overwhelming at times.
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We too have portions of our loft where we are storing things. Lack of storage space is a real challenge in small spaces.
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But one that should help in the decluttering, because you don’t have some place to just stow it! It does mean making tough decisions though.
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I do believe that staying organized is a gift that I am blessed to have been given. I do believe in cleaning as you go. We just did some remodeling in our house and I was forced to take everything out of the closets. This was the time to take what I didn’t need to the thrift store. I am one of those people that feel unsettled if things are out of place so I am constantly cleaning and decluttering as I go.
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I think that the well organized gene somehow skipped past me, laughing all the way – however I am proud of myself that I am working at it. Sometimes old dogs can learn new tricks! Your habit of cleaning as you go sure seems to make sense and not let things get so out of balance.
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Great photos Joanne. Decluttering the everyday stuf is one thing. But I’ve wondered how, with all your travels, if you don’t bring home special mementoes, and if so how you make room for them? I don’t mean cheap tourist souvenirs, but rather things that really speak to you from a place. For me, for example, it’s some fabrics and small statuary from Guatemala.
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Mike, we do on occasion bring home a souvenir, but when we do it is usually a painting/drawing by a local artist or a piece of jewelry. Those are easy to pack and don’t take up much room in a suitcase. The jewelry is not a problem when we get home but I do have a fair amount of pictures that need to be framed and hung to be enjoyed. That is just one of the MANY things on my list to do.
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My suggestion is if you haven’t used it or even touched it in a year or two and it has mounds of stuff piled on top of it. I don’t think I’ll need it again. TIme to get rid of it. That is the idea I am using now around my own house.
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I’ve been slowly weeding out my clothing this past week. Have not been able to be ruthless yet, but making progress. I have far too many things that have not been worn or used. I’m working on the mindset of releasing it so that someone else might be able to use and/or enjoy the item. I’m such a “work in progress” 😊
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Aren’t we all a work in progress.
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🙂
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Beautiful photos–fall is such a lovely time of year! Re: decluttering–a constant challenge. I like Flylady’s idea about one small area (corner kitchen cabinet, etc) at a time.But I also like the idea of completely emptying out an area (closet, etc), then putting items back one by one, starting with your must-haves. Seems like we usually start by thinking about what to dispose of, but this method helps us id our priorities a little differently. Another idea is to group things in threes (3 mugs, 3 shirts) and remove the one you like least. Keep doing that till you’ve gone through everything, then do it again with what you have left. Wherever I saw this, the point was made that if you just can’t say no to one of those three items, that’s fine. Maybe regroup them or just set that group aside at least for the time being.I haven’t tried this but it really sounds like a winner to me. Good luck.
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I love that idea of taking a group of three items and removing what I like the least from it. I may try that this afternoon. I too like the idea of tackling one area at a time. I seem to easily get distracted though and am soon off trying to do something else. It seems that if I can COMPLETE the task before moving on, I can then celebrate a win which gives me more momentum. I guess what I am learning from this is that small bites work best for me. Thanks!
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Always fun to capture the beauty of fall, Joanne. I can’t help but wonder what message nature is trying to send out. As for best tips to declutter: your favorite charity and a large garbage can! 🙂 –Curt
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That may be the best tip I have heard so far! Thanks Curt and hello to Peggy.
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Greetings –
Are these CA foliage photos? Or somewhere else? Or elses?? I love the reflections in the calm water.
Every time I do serious decluttering, I realize afterwards that I really needed that piece of copper, that felted sweater, etc for some project or person. I’m trying to do a better job at organized storage, and getting things to others I know will use them – that way I don’t kick myself for tossing something I later find a need/use for! Hope you don’t have my repurposing gene! It does get in the way of uncluttered space…
Beth
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Beth, the first two were taken in Southern California and the last two pictures were shot in Lithia Park which is in Ashland, Oregon near where I grew up. Organized storage is a big issue for me and one of the main reasons I have been searching the Internet for ideas. We donate most items we do get rid of to the Salvation Army which is one of the charities we feel does good work at helping others. One of my (many) challenges is fear that I may need the item someday. I take after my mother in that regard. She seemed to be most comfortable with three of everything 😳 ~ JJ
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Beautiful photos!!! WOW 🙂 My one tip is this – if I haven’t used it in over a year, it’s time to go 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed seeing the pictures. Your tip is certainly valid. I think it is fascinating that many of us use only a small portion of what we own. More decluttering coming up!
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Heh, we’ve been doing the same thing here … I think it has something to do with the season … being indoors more and seeing that which has been obscured by all that sun-n-fun. 🙂
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Hmmm, you may be right. When it is right in front of your face, it seems to give you a bit more incentive.
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Absolutely beautiful photos!
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Thank you Rebecca!
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So beautiful!
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Thank you!
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Tip. Review everything you have. If you dont use it or wear it on a regular basis you dont need it. and dont buy anything that does not meet those criteria.
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Thank you. Sounds like good advice to me!
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Lovely photo’s – reminds me of when I was in Edgewater, Maryland!
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Thank you Barbara!
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Three lovely, vivid, varied looks at fall foliage. Thank you, Joanne.
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Thank you Janet. Appreciate your kind comment.
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Thanks for coming by – if your images are taken in California, you must live in the North. part (have no idea where Arrowbear is!) We live in the Gold rush area, close to the 49 high way. To declutter? Am not a hoarder, and I’m not obsessive-compulsive, and I like to keep it that way. Am an artist, so methods and systems take all the fun out of living.
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Arrowbear is in Southern California in the San Bernardino Mountains, but two of those pictures were taken in Southern Oregon where I grew up. I can see how being more of a free spirit is helpful for the artistic soul 😃
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Love that area – the last years before we moved to Northern Calif. we sought refuge there – Santa Barbara, or Solvang, instead of San Diego for the 4th of July which became too traffic y that day.
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Lovely photos. We don’t really get much in the way of beautiful foliage in my part of the world which is sub tropical Queensland, Australia so I have to rely on images such as yours to enjoy it second-hand. As for de cluttering, you need to read a book called “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying” by Marie Kondo. In fact, I should do a post on it. It works!
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I have watched several YouTube videos on the ConMari method and they are helpful. I plan on ordering her book. Thank you!
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#1. Tip for decluttering is give it away to someone who needs it more than I do.
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Wise and compassionate!
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Well done
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Thank you
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Beautiful photos, Joanne, especially the one with the colors reflecting in the water!
I am so interested to hear that you are having a hard time decluttering since you seem so content with a small RV and few things on your travels. Following our two month trip this past spring, we came home, realized that we didn’t miss ANYthing in the house on our trip, so we mercilessly attacked our clutter, and we really didn’t have that much, to begin with. Still, it was incredibly cathartic and we even made a little money selling items online that would surprise you, such as extra china, silver, even nicknacks, and housewares. The area I have trouble with is my clothing. I still have things that I haven’t worn in ages. I have heard of something called a capsule wardrobe, which would be ideal for RVing, but I haven’t totally bought into the concept yet. 😉
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Hmmm, a capsule wardrobe sounds interesting. I’ll have to check that out. Perhaps that is similar to what I try to do when traveling where everything has to be able to mix and match.
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Yes, that is exactly the concept, although I have to admit I am not that skilled at it. Need to read more about it…
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Thank you anotefromabroad
Fantastic pictures
Good luck to you
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Thank you!
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