One of my biggest challenges in decluttering my house is simply too much stuff.  I've very sentimental, so I keep things I no longer can use just because it came from a loved one.  Or I think I might need this or that some day, so I don't get rid of it.  The problem is that this philosophy can leave you with a cluttered, uncomfortable house.

What are some of the "hot spots" that attract clutter?  Let's take a look at a few and get some ideas about clearing them out.

First of all, closets can be a storage place for all kinds of things you no longer use.  My husband and I each have a closet.  He has a walk-in closet, where as mine is just a regular one.  Oh, I hate to admit this, but when I don't know what to do with something, I "store" it in his closet!  (Well, I don't want to mess up mine!)

One suggestion I have heard for closet organizing is to pick out the clothes you haven't worn for six months to a year.  Consider taking them to Goodwill or another charity.  Or if there are clothes your children have grown out of, they could also be given away.  You could also organize a yard sale and sell them.  I never wanted to go to the trouble of setting up a yard sale.  I would rather bag them up and take to Goodwill.  But that is completely up to you.

Kids' rooms are another area that can really become a mess.  Take an afternoon with your children to organize their rooms.  Together with them, sort toys, games, books - whatever is causing the most clutter.  Let them decide what they don't want anymore.  Again, you can either donate these toys or sell them.  If a toy is broken and unfixable, it is better to throw it away, unless it really has some kind of value to your child.

Now, let's move on to paper.  I don't know about you, but this is my very biggest problem.  I feel overwhelmed just thinking about it.  An idea that has worked for me is to get a plastic box with a lid, just for paper sorting.  Any urgent things, like bills, are put in my desk drawer.  But clippings, interesting magazine articles, and other optional paper items go into this box.  When it starts getting filled up, I take time and go through it.  I put the paper in two piles - keep and throw away.  After it has been in the box for awhile I might decide I no longer want it.  The papers I keep can then go into file folders that are labeled accordingly.

One problem with paper sorting is that you start reading the contents.  That can be very time-consuming and cause your paper sorting to come to a halt.  It would be better to make yourself sort now, and reward yourself when you are finished by taking a stack of them to read.

There are many other areas that can become easily cluttered, but we will address those in later posts.  What helps me the most is to take baby steps.  Even 15 minutes a day of decluttering can make a big difference in the months to come.

Need More Help?

Here are two places that really zero in on helping you with homemaking and organizing.  I am a member of both of these sites, and there is a lot of valuable information in both of them.

1. The Homemaker's Mentor offers lessons to give you a better homemaking experience. Your homemaking skills will be increased and refined to make your home a haven for family and friends. If you have ever wished you had a friend or an older woman to guide you through what it means to really run an efficient home, this site is just that. Mrs. Martha Greene & Mrs. Rebekah Wilson are seasoned homemakers who will be your mentors.

2.Keeping Up With Keeping Your Home is a step-by-step, Christian based program that walks you through exactly what you need to do to get your home organized. This wonderful program gives you access to online courses, monthly keeping-up calls, printable forms, homemaking partners, contact with other Christian homemakers, discussion forums, daily digests, private online messaging, chat rooms, audios, newsletter archives. You get so much for a small monthly fee.