Tell me your best purging/organzing tips

[bunnymendelbaum]

The rental is making us crazy. Too much stuff. Nowhere to put it.
Biggest culprits are toys, misc (keepsakes, knickknacks, funny stuff), everyday things that just don't have a home (tweezers, nail clippers, diaper pack, mail, bug spray, etc.)

Toys are hard because people give or hand us down SO much. I have a hard time getting rid of stuff that DD1 likes and play with. I'd like to keep toys for DD2, but it is just SO many. 

For the misc. Should we do the "take a picture and then toss it" method?

For the household stuff. I'd rather not spend a bunch of $ on organization containers when we are just going to move and these things will live in one of our new tall cabinets. What were the trick for this? cut up ceiling boxes? other free storage ideas?

thanks!
Edited for grammar

[mrs.jacinthe]

This is what worked for me when I was a kid, as regards toys and such. Hold a garage sale. Tell kid 1 that any money from the sale of "her" stuff is hers to keep and do what she wants with. (Obviously, this will probably only work for DD1 - kids DD2s age aren't really able to make those decisions). If garage saling doesn't interest you ... tell DD you will give her $0.25 (or whatever value you think won't make you broke but will motivate her) for every toy she donates and she can do what she wants with the money. My parents did both of those things when I was a kid and I was all "PURGE! GET RID OF ALL THE THINGS!" because I liked money and wanted to buy a Barbie horse. (And if I recall correctly, also a hula hoop. Which was WAY to big for a 3-4 year old, but whatever. LOL)

As regards your own stuff, I'd look at it and ask yourself two questions. 1. Does this provide benefit to my life as it stands or in the future? and 2. Could it provide benefit to others more than myself? That's our keep or donate guideline. If it provides ongoing benefit, we keep. Otherwise, if it could provide benefit to others, we donate. Everything else gets tossed. If you are wanting to store things that don't currently have a home and don't want to spend $$, I'd look for cardboard boxes with interesting designs from the recycle center (or on craigslist).

That said, take this with a grain of salt. Our house is a cluttered wreck at the moment, and that's not likely to change anytime soon.

[Deleted]

With toys I purge when kid is not around. Otherwise, everything is her favorite. If she doesn't see it, she forgets about it. Also "sometimes" unless it's craft supplies for Rubes rarely qualifies. She has to love it or it's gone. There's still plenty of toys for Kid 2. They won't miss what they don't have, you know.

Hooks help me a lot. I have them on a wall in all the bedrooms, the bathrooms and behind the doors in other rooms. It's great for that stuff you use all the time but just don't put away.

For storage...just use whatever box you have around and works. I think the internet has overkilled the pretty thing. WTH cares what the boxes on the inside of your closet look like, esp. short term.

One thing I did for that stuff that needs a home but nowhere: on my garage landing I set up one those wire shelves with a couple baskets. One is for junk I need to drop off at MILS, one is for stuff that goes to the barn and the third is for errands. Really keeps the clutter down on counters etc. It's so easy to just grab the basket and go.

For things like bugspray, sunscreen etc, I cleaned out a kitchen drawer for that. Easy access, easy return, out of kid reach. Sucks space but at least it's away.

Over the door shoe racks are also great for that little stuff.

As for the sentimental misc. stuff..I relegated it to two totes for me and H and 3 for the kid (She's still little) when it gets full, time to donate. I'm the least sentimental person ever though, so take my opinion FWIW.

[Deleted]

I also wanted to add: I learned to relax a lot. Toy clutter is just part of life with kids. I learned to at least not let that get to me. They're only little and will only have this kind of fun so long. I've moved onto to other things to declutter/stress over. Its not worth my battle now.

[emoflamingo]

I also purge toys when they aren't looking. I made H watch the kids one night while he made dinner so I could go through Monkey's toy box. I have ONE toy box and I only want things out of that box if it a) is too big to fit or b) it is a Lego or a Hot Wheel (we have tubs for those in the closet). If it's broken, I toss it. If he hasn't played with it in a few months, I rotate it to the top of the toy box. If it hasn't been played with in more than a few months, I store it in the basement until consignment but if I didn't do the consignment sale 2x a year, I'd just toss it in the Goodwill pile (which I take a few times a year when it gets big).

When it comes to my keepsakes, I have a harder time purging. I have a big Rubbermade tote in the basement of my own childhood things - random stuff I just can't let go, yearbooks, a box of greeting cards I was given, etc) and I restrict myself to the one box. With the boys, I have one smaller tub (still pretty large) that I allow myself to use. Baby clothes, their first pairs of shoes, their favorite baby blanket, etc. all go in there. Monkey's has gotten to where I can't really close it, so I know I need to go through and cull what I've kept, but it worked well because Baby W has worn some of the stuff out of that bin.

[ktzmoh]

Count me with the mean mommies who purge toys when they aren't looking. Like emo, I have one container for miscellaneous toys. Legos, hotwheels, art, trains and playmobil have their own designated storage locations (we have one of those ikea Hemnes storage things, and the four cubbies are convenient for keeping that stuff together). Puzzles, books and games are stored on a cheap target bookshelf. Everything else has to fit in that one miscellaneous container. When it overfloweth, I purge. Im notorious for giving stuffed animals and dolls the axe first. I hate them (though I've had to tolerate my daughters chosen dollies).

Here is my system for mementos and sentimental stuff: Each of us has a single one of those 15 gallon rubbermaid storage bins. I sorted baby clothes and things I wanted to hold onto for each of the kids into their bins, and DH and I each have one where we can keep stuff that we want to hang onto but don't really have a place for. They store so easily and everything is protected.

Household stuff - go to the dollar store and get some little plastic baskets and stuff to keep it all from spilling over everywhere.

[katie4253]

We get rid of stuff when he isn't looking. 

As far as space goes, can you guys rent a storage unit?  You are upsizing again after you move, right?  I'd put some furniture you don't use and off-season clothes in there.  It would help a lot with space I'm sure.  Then you'd be able to organize the stuff you have. 

[bunnymendelbaum]

We have a storage unit already. Ugh.
We went from 2400sf to 1400sf in the rental. The new house will be 1700sf and I REALLY don't want it cluttered.

DD1 has a mind like a steel trap, but I think I'm just going to have to donate half her toys or 75%. No joke. She inherited toys from 5 different kids and when we had the bigger house it was ok. Now we have toys in her room, the playroom, the basement AND the storage unit. I'll just have but the bulket ok this. Maybe I can keep everything she got new and then decide on all the hand-me-downs.

Good idea about the knick knacks. I was also thinking maybe we get a small box shelf and everything that doesn't fit there gets thrown away, then when DH brings home some funny figurine, he will have to get rid of something older to make it fit.

Good idea about the dollar store bins too.

We absolutely must get everything flushed out before we move. It's funny, my mom is such a hoarder. I think I hoard without knowing and then all the crap slowly makes me crazy.

[heygrey]

i've done big purges a few times and i do them in stages.

1) garbage. it's kind of amazing to me how much literal garbage i had/have in the house. mostly in the form of boxes that need recycled, but still.
2) the obvious stuff. look around your living room and identify 5 things that can go in the donate bin right now. do it again and again until it's harder and harder to find things. maybe do five things from each room everyday for a week - you set the standards.
3) pick one spot - one drawer, one cupboard, one shelf in a closet - and go through it thoroughly. i usually repeat this process several times over the course of a few months because i get more and more ruthless as i go.

be conscious of little things hidden away. half used lotion, soaps, make-up that you tried and didn't like. (you can often donate these to a women's shelter rather than throwing them away.) an office supply drawer with more pens, rubber bands, staples, etc. than one family can ever possibly need.

reduce the flat surfaces and storage options in your house. i just rearranged my living room and cut out the amount of flat surfaces by probably 60%. less space to display things (my brain HATES excessive decorations) and less places for random crap to land and pile up.

as for toys - if you think your daughter can handle it, i'd give her a designated space and tell her she can only keep what fits in that spot. if it would lead to complete meltdowns, i would purge little by little when she isn't looking :-)

[heygrey]

also, we've moved a few times, and i have to totally resist the urge to keep something because it might fit in a new place someday. if it's so important/beautiful/whatever that i should keep it for the future then i will find a way to make it fit and work in my current space.

[emoflamingo]

Oh yeah, heygrey is right. I go through all the toiletries, crap drawers, spice cabinet, pantry, etc. and toss EVERYTHING that's opened (and, in food case, stale) and/or expired. I keep the toiletries in those bins on the shelf to so it keeps everything tidy without having to actually be tidy. What do we need 300 rubber bands for? We do not use rubber bands!

[bunnymendelbaum]

Awesome tips! Thanks!

[auntie]

That Flylady 27 Thing Fling.

[hbomdiggity]

we downsized before our home search. i put wedding gift/hostess type crap in a couple of boxes marked "do not unpack." our guest room was essentially a storage room.

i don't have kids so i am no help there, but i think having the dedicated playroom space will help... eventually.

[pitterwoo]

In the situation you are describing, I would put more into storage and just keep out the things that are really used at least weekly. When you move you may decide to let a lot more things go as you will have gotten some practice at it. On the other hand, it's in storage so you don't have to make really hard decisions. More expensive but easier and less commitment.

[minniebee]

I'm not a mom, so I'm not sure if this works with kid stuff, but it has worked with husband stuff ...

My H (STBX) is a hoarder. Not as bad as those people featured on reality TV shows, but he has a really hard time getting rid of anything, even if it's broken, completely out of date, etc.

I, on the other hand, am not a saver. It drives me nuts to clutter up my house with stuff we'll never use. So, every once in awhile, I fill a box of old crap that H has been saving. I tape up the box and write the date on the top. I put it somewhere that he won't notice it (like the closet in the sewing room, or under boxes of camping equipment in the garage). If 9-12 months go by and he has not noticed that anything in the box is missing, I put it in the trash (or donate the items if they're still usable). Never once has he ever missed anything that I've done this with. Not one single thing.

I would think this would work with kid stuff. Put some of the toys/books away for awhile, and if they never miss the stuff you put away, just donate those items.

Of course, you still have to have room to store the stuff for awhile to determine if it will be missed or not before you trash it. :-)