Cleaning.

I have been trying very hard to organize and declutter my life.  This is a lot harder than it looks!  I have been reading up on some other blogs on how to start this process in order to get my foot in the door. 

Let me just tell you, I am a partial pack rat (OMG! did I really just admit that?!).  I have stuff from back when I was in elementary school (and probably older if I go through my boxes that are in my moms attic).  It is so hard for me to get rid of things when I have such strong memories attached to them.  Things, clothes, you name it and I have it tucked away somewhere.  I had every letter that anyone ever wrote me in school or otherwise all organized in a binder for years, before we moved 2 years ago I started going through them and getting rid of some of them.  The majority of the letters I got rid of are the ones I wish I still had as that person was killed in a hit and run car accident a little over a year ago now.  Needless to say the rest of the letters will remain tucked away in the binder for a rainy day laugh or cry. 

I have been going through my numerous clothes so that I can eliminate some of the never ending laundry that I have to do.  I hate getting rid of clothing, every time I do I want to wear what I got rid of, even if I haven't touched it in years!

I have a lot of paper!  It is everywhere!  I have a shredder, but it can't handle the paper that I have.  I'm thinking I may just need to start throwing it in the grill and light it on fire!  What do I need to do to control the paper?! 

Kids toys.  Enough said. haha.  They are everywhere!  I have been going through them slowly (so that it goes unnoticed) and they seem to find their way back.  hmmm....Maybe Toy Story isn't just a cartoon!!  What is a good way to contain that mess!?  I have a cubby shelf and bins, but my kids just dump them out and don't ever put things back from where they got them.  Ugh.  I am seriously thinking about donating a lot of them to ::gasp:: a preschool, women's center, or something...any suggestions?!

School Stuff.  Any one have a good suggestion of how to store my active school work?!  I am very organized with my class stuff, but it's all the syllabi that I have to keep for "future" reference (as the College says) that are starting to clutter up my life. 


I have been proud of myself for getting rid of my kids baby clothes though!  With my son I had his clothes (and still have some) in the event of having another boy.  Well, I had a girl and she is the last one I'm having.  I find it easier to get rid of her clothes because I pass them down to my best friend's little girl (the girls are 6 months apart). 

Any suggestions or ideas on how to tame the clutter would be greatly appreciated!!!