This week, I’ve focused my 15-minute decluttering sessions on the pantry. We have a walk-in pantry that is approximately 10′ by 7′ with a 5′ by 3′ counter in one corner and shelving on three walls. Our second refrigerator is in there and a chest freezer. Last summer, I decluttered the shelving that holds small appliances and vases, etc. I unearthed of a bunch of crock pots that didn’t work anymore but had perfectly nice removable ceramic crocks and now our chickens have some lovely ceramic water dishes. I got rid of tons of vases that I knew I would never use again, too.
But, that was last summer. This week, I was tackling the paper products, specifically. When I approached decluttering the pantry this week, I was, as I’ve mentioned before, struggling with the thought of having to make a bunch of decisions about what to throw away or give away. Okay, let’s be realistic. How difficult is it going to be to throw away or give away unused paper products? But I wasn’t thinking realistically when I started decluttering this week. I was still in mythological decluttering mode.
As I spent time sorting and organizing our paper plates, napkins, plastic cups and flatware, I kept thinking, I’m not giving away or throwing away very much stuff. I mean, you can’t organize clutter, right? Maybe I was kidding myself and not really decluttering properly. When I was all done, though, I was happily admiring my organized paper products, looking forward to how easy it was going to be to use those products, now, when I had my thought on decluttering the pantry: when it comes to decluttering, giving away and throwing away are not necessarily more valuable than putting away! If decluttering my pantry means that now I can easily get out the paper plates and napkins when I have Bible study tomorrow morning, that I can see how many plastic cups I have left so I don’t buy a lot of extras unnecessarily, that I use the plastic flatware because I can see it, then putting away is as valuable as giving away or throwing away.
As usual, Flylady keeps me thinking.
Tags: decluttering
365 Days with Flylady 
February 11, 2010 at 9:35 pm |
I may as well follow your lead. I walked into my relatively small (compared to yours) pantry today and allowed myself to shift some items that were just in the way of getting to items I use more often. I wish I could have more control over that space.
I don’t know if you see it, but there is the teeny tiniest little smiley face at the bottom of the screen as I type this. Is it yours?
February 11, 2010 at 11:36 pm |
I believe that getting organized so we can always find what we want and have it look neat and clean is the objective, not necessarily to get rid of all our things. If you know you will use it and it isn’t in the way, then it isn’t clutter. Or even if you really love it and parting with it would break your heart, then it isn’t clutter.