Decluttering While Staying At Home

Decluttering is one of my joys of life. Seeing a clean, organized, decluttered area relaxes me like few other things. So since we are staying at home for another 30 days at least in the US, I thought I could give some suggestions on the what and how of decluttering.

Tip #0: Get help!
My favorite organizing site is www.flylady.net and it utterly rocks. She will give you encouragement and some tough love blended together. She has great advice and great resources. I recommend her!!!!!

Tip #1: Start small!
If we start by pulling everything out in a closet or a room, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. So start small. Start with one drawer, one shelf, or one clothing type. Once one area is done, move onto the next logical area.

Tip #2: Be consistent!
If we are working on a drawer in a kitchen on Monday, sorting through skirts in the closet on Tuesday, tackling books on a shelf on Wednesday, and so on, it is easy to feel like we aren't making progress and therefore feel discouraged. Decide to spend a week in a room before moving on.

Tip #3: Tackle the visible first!
If we start by organizing our desk drawers or our kitchen cabinets, things will be more organized, but we can still end up seeing a lot of visible clutter and again feel discouraged. So if we tackle the areas that stress us out the most, we will get the biggest gains for our initial efforts. There will be a time to organize our clutter in drawers and cabinets. And that time is AFTER we have decluttered our visible areas.

Tip #5: Schedule your decluttering time and stick to it!
If you're like me, you might need a little extra umph to get started with decluttering. So set a time that you will declutter (no more than 15 or 30 minutes per day).

Tip #6: Set a timer and stick to it!
If you are like me, cleaning can be energizing, so once we get started, it is tempting to use our momentum to keep on going and going and going and going and going and going and going and going...until we crash and burn and are stick of decluttering and cleaning!! So to avoid burnout, stick to a daily decluttering time with its time limit of 15 or 30 minutes per day.

Tip #7: Stay on target!
If we find something that belongs in the living room while working in the bedroom, it is tempting to try to put that thing away and then get sucked into decluttering a second area when we're not done with the first area. Things will look a bit more disorganized for a bit as we stay focused in our chosen area, but eventually, we will declutter each room and have space to put away all those mystery items we found in the wrong room.

Tip #8: Use containers to sort through things.
If we decide that something is trash or something we don't need anymore, put it in some sort of container, whether it's a tote, box, or bag. Have a trash bag handy for trash. Have a recycling bin or container for papers that need shredded. Have a tote for donations of things we once needed, but have outgrown.

Tip #9: Get stuff out of the house!
If we have a bag full of trash, put it in the trash barrel! If we have a pile of papers to shred and then recycle, get them by the paper shredder! If we have things that we want to donate, get them out to the trunk or backseat of the car! The areas we declutter will feel more open as things leave them!!!

Tip #10: Don't forget your cool-down/wind-down time!
If we forget this last step, our timer will ring and we will drop what we are holding and walk away! Take the last few minutes of your 15/30 minutes to wrap up any loose ends until tomorrow. That way, we won't leave things in the middle of the floor, but can enjoy our rooms as they are being decluttered.

Bonus Ideas:
-Ask yourself how many ____ do you need and then cut back to that amount. (i.e. I need 5 skirts, but I have 8, so which 3 would I like to donate?)
-Decide to get rid of clothes that don't fit, kitchenware you don't use, and other things that you don't need.
-Figure out how many _____ can fit in an area and then cut back to that number or less than that amount. (i.e. My cabinet can hold 6 tea cups on a shelf, but I'm trying to fit 8 there. Which can I get rid of?)
-It's okay if you aren't ready to get rid of something yet, but we do need to find a place to keep it.
-Decide if you can take picture of the item and donate it. That way you can remember it, without having to store it!
-Stop buying more things!! Put a buying freeze in place. Decide that we won't buy any more clothes/books/movies/kitchen utensils, until we have sorted through that area! It's not saying we can't ever buy things again, but it is nearly impossible to declutter an area that we are constantly adding more things to.
-If you do need to buy something, make sure it is exactly what you need. Buy only things that fit, meet a need, or are a planned (non-impulse buy). If something would need repaired or taken in before it's usable, leave it for someone else.

A lot of us have too much stuff for the areas we put them. That is why we are starting with decluttering tips before we tackle organizing tips. We can't organize an area that cannot physically hold everything we expect to be able to fit there. If I have a 1,000 square foot home, but enough stuff to fill a 1,500 square foot home, I need to declutter at least 500 square feet of stuff before the organizing can really start. So before we organize, let's declutter!

Loving People How They Want To Be Loved During Social Distancing

How can we still love others in other houses, while we are still practicing social distancing?

1. Request friends and family members take the free 5 Love Languages quiz and send you their top result(s)
2. For those who value words: Write a note
3. For those who value words: Speak kindly
4. For those who value words: Compliment their efforts
5. For those who value words: Send a text
6. For those who value words: Tell them why you like/love them
7. For those who value physical touch: Utilize hug emojis 
8. For those who value physical touch: Give a video chat hug
9. For those who value physical touch: Request someone in their home give them a hug for you
10. For those who value physical touch: Send them a "rain check" for future hugs
11. For those who value physical touch: Encourage them to give themselves a hug/pat on the back from you
12. For those who value time spent with them: video chat with them
13. For those who value time spent with them: connect with them daily
14. For those who value time spent with them: find activities you can still do together via the internet
15. For those who value time spent with them: eat a meal together over video chat
16. For those who value time spent with them: revisit previously mentioned topics to show you were listening
17. For those who value gifts: make them a bookmark and mail it to them
18. For those who value gifts: order something online to send to them
19. For those who value gifts: give them a gift card to a restaurant
20. For those who value gifts: give them a coupon book of ways to stay in touch
21. For those who value gifts: give them a gift card to a grocery store
22. For those who value service and work: ask if you can pick anything up for them
23. For those who value service and work: ask if you can do a virtual task for them
24. For those who value service and work: ask if you can send a card they've been meaning to send
25. For those who value service and work: remind them that you'd like to be helping them even though you can't go over to their house right now
26. For those who value service and work: ask what you can help them with after social distancing has ended
27. Have them take a Myers-Briggs test online and send you their results. 
28. Ask how you can best love them as an introvert or extrovert (where they focus their attention)
29. Ask how you can best love them as a sensor or intuitive (how they take in information)
30. Ask how you can best love them as a thinker or feeler (how they make decisions)
31. Ask how you can best love them as a judger or perceiver (how they deal with the world) 
32. Research more ideas for their specific love language or Myers-Briggs results and plan more specific ways to show them love.

Things To Do Outdoors (If You Have A Yard)

This is a brainstorm of things you can do outside, but still in the confines of your property. (If you don't have a yard, sorry...there's lots of indoor ideas in earlier posts!

1. Clean the gutters
2. Weed the flower beds
3. Plant some flowers
4. Plant a garden (if you don't have a garden filled out, this one may be difficult)
5. Pick up sticks
6. Walk around your property
7. Dig a firepit (according to your city ordinances)
8. Build a city-approved fire in your firepit
9. Take pictures of your flowers to share on social media
10. Prune your trees and bushes
11. Clean out your garage
12. Mow
13. Play croquet
14. Have a picnic
15. Start composting appropriate kitchen scraps and yard waste
16. Clean the dead vines from your fence
17. Watch the sunset
18. Have a campout in a tent or camper one night
19. Build a bird feeder and get it hung up
20. Learn to identify the birds in your yard
21. Build or utilize a laundry line
22. Pick up trash that has blown into your yard (with appropriate safety precautions)
23. Enjoy a cup of tea on the porch
24. Wash the car(s)
25. Find or make a bingo card of things to see outside and try to get a bingo
26. Try to hop on one foot all around your property
27. Build a rain barrel
28. Tackle an outdoor home improvement project
29. Wave to somebody while maintaining social distancing
30. Wash the outsides of your windows

Connecting Activities To Do At Home

How can we stay connected with others while staying indoors at our respective homes?

1. Call someone 
2. Text someone 
3. Video-chat with someone 
4. Write a letter 
5. Write a post card
6. Play with a pet (they need connection time too)
7. Figure out what games can be played over a video-chat and play with someone
8. Make care packages and mail them
9. Get an e-mail pen pal
10. Join an online book club
11. Join a social media group for a topic you're interested in
12.  Play an online computer game with someone
13. Participate in an online forum about a subject you enjoy
14. Send an encouraging message on social media
15. Write window messages to your neighbors
16. Ask someone how their day was
17. Ask someone what they had for breakfast
18. Ask someone what they had for lunch
19. Ask someone what they're planning for dinner
20. Ask someone what is something fun that they did today
21. Ask someone how you can pray for them
22. Ask someone if they need any supplies dropped off
23. Ask someone what they have been reading
24. Ask someone what TV shows they have been watching
25. Ask someone what movies they have seen recently (at home!!)
26. Ask someone what's something they learned recently
27. Ask someone what projects they have going on
28. Ask someone what they're looking forward to after things calm done
29. Ask someone if they want to have a virtual dinner party (using video-conferencing to eat a meal together, apart)
30. Share details of your life with someone

Things To Do in a Kitchen

What can you do at home while staying inside? Let's look at some activities kitchenward!

1. Make and drink a cup of tea
2. Make and drink a cup of coffee
3. Make a smoothie
4. Make frozen banana ice cream
5. Make a dessert
6. Make a soup
7. Make a salad
8. Make an entree (main dish)
9. Make a freezer meal
10. Bake some rolls
11. Bake some biscuits
12. Bake some loaves of bread
13. Try a new crockpot recipe
14. Try a recipe from a different country
15. Invent a new recipe
16. Bake something special
17. Cook something new from scratch
18. Cut up some fruit and eat it
19. Make breakfast for supper
20. Make lunch for breakfast
21. Find 10 things to donate from your utensils or cookware
22. Dig deep into the pantry and come up with a creative meal
23. Eat a vegetable
24. Make cinnamon toast
25. Make garlic bread
26. Plan a menu
27. Make a healthy snack
28. Make a classic family dish
29. Find a new favorite dish
30. Clean up after all your cooking adventures

Indoor Religious Activities To Do At Home

What can you do at home while staying inside? Here's some ideas of how to spend time with God in different ways.

1. Pray for your friends
2. Pray for your families
3. Pray for your city
4. Pray for your state
5. Pray for your nation
6. Pray for our world
7. Pray for those enslaved
8. Pray for those fleeing violence
9. Pray for the homeless
10. Pray for world and local leaders
11. Study the Bible with a new Bible Study method (SOAP, inductive Bible study, etc.)
12. Read through a Gospel
13. Read through an Epistle
14. Read through a book of History
15. Read through a book of Prophecy
16. Read through a book of Law
17. Set aside time to listen through the Bible while working around the house
18. Come up with a Bible reading plan (to get a big-picture view of a part or all of the Bible) & get started on it
19. Come up with a Bible study plan (to get a in-depth view of part of the Bible) & get started on it
20. Read a non-fiction Christian book
21. Watch a sermon online
22. Find something to be grateful for every day
23. Watch the sunset (through the window) and thank the Creator for it
24. Listen to some hymns
25. Listen to some praise & worship songs
26. Sing a hymn
27. Sing a praise & worship song
28. Spend time just being in God's presence
29. Try fixed hour praying (6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6 pm, 9pm, and 12am)
30. Practice a spiritual discipline

Indoor Hobbies To Do At Home

What can you do at home while staying inside? Here's some classic hobbies to dust off and some new hobbies to try!

1. Read a book
2. Learn an instrument
3. Play an instrument already mastered
4. Play a board game
5. Play a card game
6. Play a tabletop game
7. Figure out what games can be played over a video-chat and play with someone
8. Plan a game marathon and then do it
9. Plan a movie marathon and then do it
10. Plan a dance marathon and then do it
11. Build a fort
12. Read in the fort that was built
13. Do "minute to win it" games
14. Dream about future plans
15. Plan a stay-cation
16. Pamper yourself with a spa night
17. Find instructions for taking a mental health day and follow the relevant suggestions
18. Listen to an audio book
19. Indoor campout
20. Indoor day at the beach
21. Write a book (or a screenplay)
22. Design a board game
23. Design a card game
24. Design a tabletop game
25. Sew something
26. Crochet something
27. Knit something
28. Paint something
29. Scrapbook something 
30. Build a card tower
31. Do a puzzle

Indoor Productive Activities To Do At Home

What can you do at home while staying inside? My soul is thrilled by productivity, so while the other (allegedly "more fun") lists are being generated, I wanted to go ahead of get this first list out!

1. Make a daily schedule and try to stick to it
2. Clean the house one room or area at a time
3. Deep clean the house one room or area at a time
4. Dust furniture and knick-knacks
5. Polish furniture
6. Sweep the floor one room or area at a time
7. Mop the floor one room or area at a time
8. Vacuum the floor one room or area at a time
9. Declutter the house one room or area at a time
10. Rearrange a room or area
11. Exercise
12. Tackle those pending projects on the to do list
13. Catch up on emails
14. Reorganize the pantry
15. Learn something new everyday
16. Take advantage of free virtual tours online
17. Take advantage of free classes online
18. Take advantage of digital library resources
19. Learn a foreign language
20. Do the spring cleaning tasks we tend to overlook
21. Clean behind and under the appliances 
22. Clean the oven
23. Get dressed in regular clothes each morning
24. Do a repair that has been neglected
25. Clean out the garage or shed
26. Fashion Show!! Try on everything you own. Separate out the clothes you don't like or that don't fit
27. Sort through your seasonal clothes
28. Fill a donation box for a charity
29. Go through old boxes of stored things
30. Clean out under the bed

Being Content During a Pandemic

Sometimes, I have a disconnect when reading Scripture, because I haven't experienced the persecution of the early church or even the lack of resources that they faced. 

Tonight I'm musing on Paul's words to the Philippians about contentment in a variety of situations.

"I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:10‭-‬13 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/php.4.10-13.NIV

If I'm honest, I've only experienced the highs (and avoided all of the lows) Paul writes about here. I have had plenty and have been well fed. I haven't experienced the need and hunger that is the norm for many around the world and in our country today. 

Yet, as workplaces close and shelves empty, I ponder how to be content during a pandemic. The secret to contentment is not in how much I have or can hoard. The secret lies in knowing and following Christ. 

As I follow Him, He does lead through dangerous areas, like the Path of Generosity, which calls us to share with the needy while the world urges us to hoard away. 

He takes me along the Stream of Compassion, which can understand why the grocery store worker is frustrated at a parent bringing their kids to the store AND how that single parent can't just leave them at home.

He brings me an Inventory of Blessing which reminds me of all the books, games, crafts, methods of contact, projects, and food that I have at home. 

He guides me through the Cave of Promises which whispers that He is with me and He is the God who provides. 

He takes me to the Overlook of Joy where I can see afresh all the blessings that I have in my life.

And as I travel with Christ, counting my blessings instead of my fears, I realize that contentment is not gained through ideal circumstances, but through knowing God is with us whatever may come. 

And as we realize how richly blessed we are, we are moved to look out beyond ourselves and our loved ones to offer hope to a world that is hopeless. We can offer this, along with food and other resources, because we serve a God who does provide.

So be kind to our grocery store workers.

Buy what we need, but not too much.

Look for ways to share with others (and be open enough to share our needs when we have them)

Take this time to draw closer to God.

And be content, no matter what tomorrow brings.