when clutter takes over, i can't think. seriously. i know it sounds completely doolally, but it's true. it starts so small. some junk mail comes and instead of throwing it out it gets shuffled into my important papers basket. i go to a work seminar and bring home the pamphlets and notes and they get added to the basket (i used to call it a bin...but since meeting steve i can't do that. bin = garbage can in british speak...i'd say it's in the bin and he'd go looking in the garbage). throw in some magazines, cards, receipts and before you know it you have a mountain of dead trees. the pile gets so big you need a whole other basket and eventually the paper takes over a room. you see where this is going.

it's so easy to become overwhelmed with paper and all the other 'stuff' in a house. the basement has really become a lost land. anything that we don't want to deal with goes into the basement (except for bills, even though we don't want to deal with them they haven't made their way into the basement--yet). what was once a wide open empty space is no almost packed to the ceiling in parts.

today i declare, THE DECLUTTERING MUST BEGIN! i've had it. totally had it.

i tackled most of the paper last weekend. everything paper related is in one container all filed all nicely. steve bought me a shredder and i've been madly shredding everyhting with personal information. now i've got the shredder on the kitchen counter and as things come in i've been shredding them. it feels so good to not have the mountain of paper.

THE PLAN OF ATTACK -- i'm going to identify 1 area that needs decluttering in every room in the house and go from there...

• KITCHEN - CUTLERY DRAWER: somehow all the cutlery that i had in a box stored in the basement got unpacked by a certain husband and dumped into the cutlery drawer. now it's overflowing and nothing fits. i need to get rid of about 100 spoons.
• LIVING ROOM - ENTERTAINMENT UNIT: our movies and tv shows are out of control. nothing has cases and there's CDs mixed up everywhere. got to get a system of some kind.
• BATHROOOM - UNDER THE SINK: just needs to be cleaned out and the old stuff thrown out and maybe a nice basket for everything to sit in.
• 3RD BEDROOM - COMPUTER DESK: is a crazy mess of tiny little pieces of receipts. 'nuff said.
• ANDREWS BEDROOM - HIS CLOTHES: we sort through them every couple months and still somehow they end up all crazy again days later. i hate little kid clothes. seriously.
• MASTER BEDROOM - OUR CLOTHES: need to take out old and not worn clothes. same as always.
• BASEMENT - SHELVING UNIT: it's a zoo down there. i think the animals rearranged when i wasn't looking. *sigh*
• ANDREWS TOYS - these are strewn about the house and really we need to get rid of his infant toys and only have the ones he plays with.

i wonder how long all this is going to take me? & i promise i won't turn into the fly-lady.