Clutter Busting With a Friend

I’d finally had it.  The clutter in the basement seemed as though it would soon take over the house.  Outgrown children’s clothes were taking over one corner while Christmas decorations were strewn all over another.  Rarely used scrapbook supplies seemed to lurk everywhere.  The fact that I’d managed to carve out a small space to wrap Christmas presents seemed like a miracle.  The treadmill escaping the clutter was only a testament to my husband’s dedication to workouts.

Perhaps I could have left the basement to its cluttered self if it would have kept the door shut and stayed put.  Instead, the cluttered space had set the tone for the entire house.  Flat spaces were soon covered.  Piles began to collect in places that used to hold simple decor or (gasp!) nothing.   Enough was enough!  It was time to call in reinforcements.

Less than a week later, my friend had already come and gone.  In her wake, she left a perfectly organized shelf of bins.  They are neatly labeled with their contents.  She also left a pile of things that I need to donate to charity. (Please don’t tell her I haven’t quite cleared it all out yet!)    But the best thing she left behind was a sense of accomplishment and a can-do attitude.  The basement no longer intimidates me.  I’ve sorted and put away the Christmas decorations.  I even looked through my other holiday decorations to make sure I was only keeping things I love.  In the process, I found Valentines that I’d bought on clearance last year.  Perfect timing!

It turns out friends make lots of things better, including cleaning out clutter!  My friend was able to look at things with a fresh eye.  She wasn’t sentimentally attached to my belongings.  Frankly, some of the things I had kept seemed downright silly when I looked at them with a friend.  We definitely shared a few laughs! 

As I write this, my basement is close to becoming the playroom I once envisioned.  All that is in my way is one more large pile of clutter.  Fortunately, I know just who to call to help me get the job done!  Have you ever worked with a friend to clear out clutter?  Do you have any other clutter busting tips to share?

If you liked this, you might like to read my other clutter busting post here, but don’t tell my kids!

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