February 29, 2016

The Clutter Shuffle

The Clutter Shuffle: The act of moving clutter from one room to another in order to make the first room appear neat, clean, and orderly.

I quit cleaning house, really cleaning that is, a long time ago. I figured I kept a sparkling clean house for twenty-five years and I had done my time. No one noticed when it was clean, and they immediately messed up everything I had just done anyway. And then we moved to this house where we had more stuff than room to put it, and no one would part with their beloved stuff. That's when the clutter shuffle began. And even after we added on to this house, we had more clutter than space because we had had years to collect more. A phone call that someone was on the way over and the whole family sprang into action like a well-trained tactical unit, clearing the clutter out of public spaces and stashing it behind closed doors.

When the kids left home, they left most of their clutter behind too. Most of that was packed into the attic, and they have retrieved some of it over the years. A request to come get it or it's going to the thrift store is met with wails of "Noooo, please save it until I get settled" and so it stayed.

Hubby and I have been talking about getting rid of all this excess, and we've even talked about becoming full or part-time RVers. But we look over the stuff, and can't let it go. It would be a lot easier if we didn't know how much we originally paid for this stuff we aren't using anymore. Or maybe not, a lot of things are picked up by one of us only to hear the other say "I have a plan for that," and so it remains as it is, unloved and unused.

Then, last month, I opened my big mouth and said I would host a neighborhood game day. Since I had a month, I figured I could go through this clutter, take loads to the thrift store, and not only would I have a neat and orderly home for guests, we would be that much closer to being able to downsize to an RV or smaller home.

But that hasn't happened. So now we are days away from having guests. Not enough time to sort through all this stuff, only enough time to hide it. If I can clear out three rooms every day for the next three days, I can present the facade of a neat and clean house. Let the clutter shuffle begin!

And then I join Hoarders Intense Denial of Excess. H.I.D.E.

3 comments:

  1. We have a bedroom that is the clutter shuffle you describe. As I go through each section of the house remodeling and fixing it up, the clutter ends up in this one bedroom because either I don't know what to do with it or the space for it is not ready for the item. It will be the last bedroom we go through and I am resolved that if the item does not have a place, it's heading to a garage sale, thrift store or trash. No more hanging onto stuff! At least, that is the plan. :-)

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  2. Oh I do hope you let go ~ I have learned it is just 'stuff' and recently read 'If it doesn't give you joy ~ get rid of it ~

    What is important is you and your hubby ~ take good care of each other ~

    Happy Week to you ~ ^_^

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  3. How fun that you are going to have a game night. What games will you be playing? How will things be arranged? Sending good thoughts!

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