Clean house

I like to organize. That is not to say that our house is always neat and tidy, I still make my share of messes (just ask Phil), but I like to go through, sort, and get rid of things. A lot. (You should have seen me in my pregnant nesting stage, all things cluttered were unsafe). For me, organizing and getting rid of items is therapeutic. I always feel better when I have done some good sorting and throwing out.

I like to follow a few steps when I decide to clean something out:

1. I prepare myself for things to get messier before they get cleaner. When organizing or cleaning anything, it usually requires pulling all items out (of a cupboard, box, drawer, etc) so I can see what I have. It always seems a little chaotic at first. But don't worry, it gets better. 
2. Make piles. As I sort, I usually have a keep, maybe, and a throw away pile. I go through the whole mess and put each piece in its pile, then put it in its place once I'm done. 
3. When deciding what to keep (usually the items in the maybe pile) I ask myself: "Is it useful? Is it beautiful?" If I answer yes to either of these then I will probably keep it. But its important to not be too vague, even to yourself. Useful should mean its something I actually use, not just something that could be useful because I don't want to throw it out. And beautiful means that I currently find it beautiful, or that it helps to beautify my home/office/self/etc. Something that I loved in seventh grade may not still be beautiful in the sense I am using it here.
4. Finally, everything has a place (Phil is big on this). Once I have gone through my piles, I consider this as I am putting things back. Even if I initially put the item in my keep pile, and I find it useful and/or beautiful, if I have nowhere to put it, it defeats the purpose. I think this is where my biggest desire to throw things out comes from. I don't like things to just be out. I want them to have a spot. So, if I can't figure out how to store an item appropriately, it will probably end up going to Goodwill.

We almost always have a donation bag or box around our house because we get rid of items pretty frequently. It a great way to clean out the house, and contribute to your favorite thrift store. However, in an effort to make a little extra money (see why here), we started saving our donation items over the past couple of months to participate in a garage sale with some friends from church. That sale will be happening this weekend. Can't wait to see what sells and what we make!