Give yourself a shopping mantra. What to do when you are the one causing most of the clutter build-up in your home? Know where your weak spots are (Target decor aisle, I’m looking at you) and prepare yourself to be strong when you face them. It can help to come up with a brief but powerful word or phrase that gets to the heart of how you want your home to feel, such as “clean and spacious,” and repeat these words to yourself while you are shopping. Is that metallic gold horse sculpture you just plunked in your cart going to help your home be clean and spacious? If not, put it back.
@comfy by design: It's only happened to me once that someone has asked, 'Where's that [thing] that I gave you?' As it turns out, it was a candle-holder, so I was able to say that it was in the bedside table because I used the candle in there. I have a ready answer for the day when someone might ask me, 'Why isn't my [thing I gave you] on display?' I intend to say that the 'problem' with decorative items is that when you display them, after awhile you stop really 'seeing' them; they blend into the background and you no longer appreciate them. So I like to rotate through different things, creating a fresh look from time to time. This way, I really appreciate it every time I put it out again. In the meantime, it's carefully wrapped and stored someplace inconvenient to get to right now. If they don't visit you often, they'll never know that you gave it to Goodwill.
Always express your heartfelt thanks for the sentiment behind a gift — but don’t beat yourself up about giving it away. When someone gives you a gift, the appropriate response is a heartfelt “Thank you.” What you are really thanking the giver for is thinking of you and taking the time to shop for, select and wrap a present just for you. The confusion comes in when we start thinking we must always love the item itself. That’s simply not the case. If you have warmly received the gift, your end of the deal is complete. It is not your responsibility to store, display and care for the item forever. If this sounds a bit harsh, remember that the person who gave you the gift cares about you and wants only to bring you happiness. If the gift is causing feelings of guilt and resentment, it can be far better to donate the item to a charity, so someone will be able to appreciate it. Caution: There are times when it may be more important to keep the gift: Family heirlooms, art, hand-knitted items and quilts come immediately to mind. I know a few knitters who would rather have an item returned to them than hear it had been given away.
Instead of kitchen gear, homemade preserves or cooking lessons. Instead of toys, a membership to a local children’s museum Instead of clothes or jewelry, a gift certificate to a salon or an appointment with a stylist Instead of artwork, a trip to the city to go gallery hopping Instead of decor, a donation to Habitat for Humanity
Kasey Buick Save Email What no one tells you (but I will). When your closet (or your house) is full of things from your past, things that only remind you of who you were, you very literally have no room for who you are now and who you are becoming. Granted, lots of people simply will not go down the philosophical road with me here: “Seriously? My closet is a mirror for what I think about myself? Yeah, right.” So look at it this way: What is the point of spending money on new clothes if you lose them in a sea of stuff you don’t even wear? At least think of it as making room for all the new things you’re going to buy this season.
Q