de clutter guide

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Home Organization Guide: How To Organize And Declutter Your Home

2010 Martina L. Stuart - All Rights Reserved. http://www.YourWebsiteLinkGoesHere.com

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2010 Copyright Martina L. Stuart

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever,electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage o r retrievalsystem without express written, dated and signed permission from the author.

DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES:

The information presented herein represents the view of the author as of the date of publication. Because ofthe rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the right to alter and update his opinion based onthe new conditions. The report is for informational purposes only. While every attempt has been made toverify the information provided in this report, neither the author nor his affilia tes/partners assume anyresponsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional. Ifadvice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a fully qualified professional should besought. This report is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. You should be aware ofany laws which govern business transactions or other business practices in your country and state.
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Foreword

I do not usually get a lot of visitors at home, save for some of those who come knocking onyour door, offering you all sorts of gadgets. Maybe I just got so used to seeing all the clutter

in my home, I do not think there is any. Maybe I just got so busy and pre-occupied with work,

I hardly even n otice the entire scatter around me, I dont know.

Im a sentimental type of person. Every little thing given to me as a present, I would keep

even if I do not really need it. I always thought, someday, it would come in handy, so better

keep it on hand than to lose it later. The recent visit from a friend became an eye opener for

me. We have not seen each other for three years since she lived abroad with her husband.

The last time she stepped into my home was when she helped me organized the place when I

moved in.

As soon as she stepped into my front door, she was like, Whoa! What happened? Obviously, a

lot of things changed while I was gone, and I mean A LOT!

I know its impossible to have a 100% clutter -free home but at this time, my only goal is to

know where to start, how to get started and how to maintain any decluttering success I made.

In this report, I wrote about my success in one of the major re-organization I made with my

home and how I did it. It involved several planning and putting them into writing before I got

myself started.

Readers, I hope you also find the insights, tips and advices useful in your lives especially if

you think you are facing a major problem on the current state of your home. I wish for you to

enjoy reading it page by page to the end.

Cheers,

MARTINA L. STUART


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Introduction

Clutter does not always mean the lack of organization or of poor habits. Sometimes, the rate

at which we acquire things can also contribute to the clutter around the house. Small tokens

and presents given during special occasions may cause our home to become a little too

crowded for comfort. Sometimes, our attachment to certain things leaves a feeling of difficulty

for us to let go of those things.

However, there comes a point in our lives when we have to make a decision on each item we

possess, whether to let go or to let it s tay for keeps.

Organizers and home professionals recommend that you schedule your decluttering activity at

least once a year. Doing some minor re-organization and decluttering on small areas of the

house three times a year can also benefit you in the long run. You cant imagine how much

time it could save you on your major decluttering activity when you do some minor regular re-

organizations. Youll have enough clothes to start your own second -hand business especially if

there are four or more of you at home.

Based on surveys, the average household owns twice as much eating and cooking utensil than

they should have. This shows that any part of the house would need decluttering anytime, not

just your closet or your bookshelf.

Learn to remove items from your home. Change your mentality that you can save a lot in the

future if your try to store everything you have acquired over the years. It does not necessarily

apply to all things you own. Chances are the clothes you are keeping now at the back of your

closet will not be of interest to you anymore when the fad returns.


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Do no t hold on to anything and everything from the past. Some things should stay, while

some should go. It is a part of our letting go process, and thus, a part of our growth as a

person.


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How Do I Get Started?

Getting started with decluttering and cleaning up is the hardest part of achieving your goal.

If you find your entire home and not just a cupboard needs cleaning up, you are at a loss on

where to start and what to do first.

If you find these issues challenging your mind, try starting from the smallest, less cluttered

part of your home. You need to start with manageable, easy to achieve goals. It can motivate

you to go on with bigger, longer and more complicated tasks at hand.

As a general rule follow these simple guidelines:

The smaller, the simpler, the better . Decluttering a big room in your house and succeeding on

your task seem a very fulfilling idea. However, if you target on cleaning up the whole house, avoidstarting out too big. Should you not be able to finish decluttering a big room, you would end up not

wanting to continue with future tasks later.

Power Tip:

Add more motivation to your activity. Plan a reward for every task you finish. W rite this

down on a piece of paper before starting.


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Do not pull out everything out at once . Just like a closet full of clutter, hauling everything out

seems a lot tempting. However, avoid doing this or it may overwhelm you. Deal with smaller sections

one at a time. I used to be guilty of doing that every time I want to re -arrange my closet. I usually

haul everything out before I start folding them again and putting them back inside. Aside from beingtedious job, it is also a complete waste of time. It doubles all the work you have.

Take a break . Decluttering can be done throughout the day if you are aiming for a general cleaning.

However, take a break in between 30 to 45 minutes increments. Do something fun during your

break.

Power Tips:

Hidden areas of the house that needs decluttering also include:

- Medicine cabinets- Closets- Basements, attics, storage area and crawlspace

- Junk drawers- Garage

- outdoors


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Before starting your decluttering activity, have the following things ready:

Four rigid, sturdy big boxes or container

It can be anything from laundry baskets, wooden crates, plastic crates as long as it can

carry a lot of stuff inside.

Marking pens

Use them to label your boxes or container. You can also write on a piece of paper and

tape them later on to the containers.

The labels should read: RECYCLE, GIVE AWAY, PUT AWAY, TRASH.

Garbage bag

You need to line your trash box or container with a garbage bag. You may also line the

other four containers with the garbage bag for easy disposal.

Timer

You cant all you r time on one task at hand especially if you only have a day to finish

the whole house. You need to limit each of your tasks so you can finish right on t ime.


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4 Simple Startup Steps To Eliminating Clutter

1. Start decluttering from the door going clockwise.

2. Declutter the flat surfaces next. This includes tables, chairs, shelves,

desks, counters and everything horizontal.

3. Declutter last the hidden areas. Open all drawers, closets, storage bins

and other areas not outright visible as you enter the room.

Surprisingly, drawers need a lot of decluttering too. I usually find my

drawers full of tiny things ranging from a paper clip, bobby pin, hairclip,

staple wires, to small screws.

4. Pick all the items you w ant to sort. Now its time to decide which box or

container each item should go.

As soon as you picked the room you want to declutter:

Power Tips:

Do not let the garbage bag sit inside your house for a long time.

Schedule three dumping times in a week. You can do it on intervals like

M-W-F or T-Th-S. This will be enough to complete the dumping portion of

your decluttering activity.


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The Sorting

After gathering all the items you want sorted, the next step is to decide which box they should

go.

How do you know then if an item is a clutter or not? How do you determine if an item should

go into the throw away box? Ask yourself the following questions:

Are you keeping an item thinking you might have for future use? How long

since you last used the item?

I sometimes buy things I dont really need but since it went on sale, I thought I might buy it for future

use. Oftentimes, it ends up staying in one corner of the house.

If you cannot remember how long has it been since you last used the item, I th ink its time to put it in

the Give away or Put away container.

Do you find the item useful to you? Do you often use the item?

If the item brings you some assistance take for example an old but working desk lamp, do not put it

away no matter how old.

However, if the changing days make it impossible to use the item, such as a traditional razor where

you need to buy the traditional- looking blade (not the disposable ones), then its time to put it in the

Put Away or Trash container.


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Is the condition still working? Is the item broken, awaiting repair but you still

do not have the money and the time to do it?

I used to have this cute little rechargeable electric fan I would carry around during hot, summer days.

However recently, it just stopped working no matter if you fully charge it.

I said I would take it somewhere for repair but never did get the chance. I decided to put it away as

trash or else risk keeping another clutter around the house.

How many of a particular item do you need? If you have lots of a certain item,

what do you do with the excess?

I did not have a bridal registry during our wedding, so I received a lot of duplicate items. We have

three toasters at home. I use one of those and the other two; I just placed inside the kitchen

cupboa rd since I havent really decided what to do with it.

However, with the recent decluttering I made around the house, I decided to put the other one inside

the Give away and the other inside the Put away container, just in case the one Im currently

using breaks down.

Do you need the information your item brings? Do you really need to keep it?

If there is one thing overflowing in our house, that would be books, lots of pocketbooks. We wereraised as book lovers and during our younger years, my sister and I love to hunt for bargain books

and bestselling books alike.


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Even after I got married, I never had the heart to give it out away so I decided to keep it in my

bookshelf. I guess its about time to give it away so other people may appreciate it as well.

Do you like the item or are you just keeping it because somebody special gave

it to you?

I must confess, not everything my mom gives me during Christmas are put to good use. I dont know

why, but she seems to love giving me sweaters and mittens every Christmas. Well, things change

my tastes for fashion change, so I end up stuffing it at the ba ck of my closet. I decided to take it all

out and put it inside the Give away container. A lot of homeless people will surely appreciate itwhen winter comes.

Do you keep the item as a reminder of all the good times you had or to remind

you of one special person?

I have this wine glass I kept all this years. Its the one my dad used when he made a toast during my

engagement party some 10 years ago. I could never forget all the sweet and endearing words he

said to me.

I had always been a Daddys girl and ever since hes gone, I placed it with the other trinkets in my

bric-a-brac and decorated it with colored stones. However it means so much to me, I decided to put

it away.


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Are you keeping the item because of guilt?

I bought this ultra expensive even ing gown and I have been keeping it ever since. Though I seldom

use it nowadays, I had trouble giving it away because I spent so much money on it. I finally decidedto give it to my sister who is fonder of dinner and cocktails and fine dining. That way, I could still

borrow it once in a while.

If I keep the item, would I be able to clean it?

Im a busy woman; I have a career, two children and a house to manage. I own several big home

decors such as porcelain statues. I love them seeing them around the living room and some in the

dining area but admittedly, I could not clean it regularly, so it goes inside the put away container.

It helps you save time if you add another box for items you are still

undecided of.

Since you havent got all day to decide whether to toss or to keep a particular

item, just put it in an undecided box.

However , keep in mind, you can only put one item inside the undecided box

for every 10 items you successfully sort into the other boxes. That way, you

can control the number of items you place inside the undecided box.


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Do I have a space to store the item?

I have spaces allotted for my precious statues. However, as the family got bigger and bigger, some

things have to go to give way for more important things.

Does it get in the way of other things?

Definitely, if you need to move an item or shuffle several items in order to get what you want, its

high time to put away those items. It will just create more clutter every time you shuffle it around.

Does it bring a special use other than just look pretty?

Home accessories can spice up an otherwise boring home but there should be a limit to it. They are

there to enhance your home, but if they get too crowded, they make a room appear full of clutter.

Will I still be interested in it after six months?

You must ask this question before buying an item in the first place. But if you are the type to indulge

in impulse buying once in a while, that leaves you no choice but to pack it away or give it to charity.

For the sake of saving yourself a lot of money, try contemplating on whether you really need to buy

the item or not.


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Am I willing to pack and unpack the item if ever we move in a couple of years?

Luckily, I dont need to go through this, at least not anytime soon. But for those whose jobs or their

spouses jobs take them to several places, lose all the non -essential things, unless you want to packlarge home decors and duplicate appliances.

After you have done sorting all items in one room, take the garbage bag lining out of the

trash container. Do the same for the rest of the four bags and put away for a while to be

dealt with later. Do the same for the other rooms you want to declutter.


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Attacking Your Wardrobe

I like to stay in fashion; so naturally, I always

update my wardrobe with the latest style. I am

not really particular about signature clothes and

items; I even buy my clothes from thrift shops

and flea markets. I always end up with twice as

much clothes as my husband has so I really

have to declutter our closet regularly since we

both share a big built-in closet.

Crowded but neatly piled clothes are still

okay for me, if you ask my opinion.

However, if you are on a morning rush, not

finding a piece of clothing you are looking

for can be a pain, not to mention, it can

really ruin a day. It can leave you annoyed

and frustrated. It may even cause you to

purchase unnecessary clothing or it can

leave your c lothes especially those withspecial care instructions poorly cared for.

2 A closet before being decluttered

Photo c redit: Apreche

1 After being decluttered

Photo c redit: Liz (perspicacious.org)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apreche/http://www.flickr.com/photos/apreche/http://www.flickr.com/photos/perspicacious/http://www.flickr.com/photos/perspicacious/http://www.flickr.com/photos/perspicacious/http://www.flickr.com/photos/perspicacious/http://www.flickr.com/photos/apreche/


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Decluttering your c loset should be made separately from decluttering other parts of yourbedroom. Here are few simple steps to do it:

1. Have four boxes ready.

One box should be for clothes that you wont be using anymore. Label it for Charity /

Donation.

Power Tips:

To fold towels fold lengthwise into three parts. Fold into a perfect square .Pile

neatly and store.

To store sheets and pillowcase sets, fold the sheet neatly and put inside the

matching pillow case.

Tablecloths and runners are quite bulky. To free up space in your closet, you can

hang them over the towel rack on the back of the closet door.

Bulky linen such as winter blankets should be kept at the topmost part of your

linen closet. Same goes for out of season items.

Towels and kitchen linens can be placed in the middle part of the closet.


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The other box should be for seasonal items you would be using when the right season

comes. Label them Seasonal Items. If you want to be more meticulous, you can

separate each piece of c lothing according to season.

Dont forget to label each box. This bo x or boxes should be then put away on another

part of the house where you can still retrieve them.

The third would be for clothes that needed Mending or Repair. These are the items

whose hems needed fixing, missing a button or two and has minor tears that do not

really need professional skills. However, if the damage in the item cannot be repaired

or paying for repair is far more expensive than buying a new one, it is time to throw

them in the Discard pile.

2. Take out everything you want to sort out of your closet. These items will be

washed, ironed and mended (if needed).

Im sure you have also experienced taking out your old clothes from the closet and

found yourself s taring out at some nasty yellowish stains. Sometimes, these stainscome off after was hing, other unfortunately dont. If you really care for that piece of

clothing and you are willing to spend a few dollars on it, try taking it for dry cleaning.

Some stains not removed by ordinary washing can be done by dry cleaning.

After washing or dry cleaning, iron or steam clothes only if indicated on care

instructions.


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It would be easier for you to assess where the item should go after youve seen

permanent stains, wrinkles, shrinking or even tears and broken zippers.

3. Evaluate your clothing needs.

By now, the only clothing items left in your closet should be wearable items. The mending

or repair, charity or donation and the discard boxes should have been taken away.

All that is left at this point should be the Seasonal box (es). As soon as you start

returning your clothes, evaluate each of the items whether they are for work, casual

days, workout days, or party. Items belonging on the same classification are easier to

manage when grouped or piled together. They tend to be easier to find.

Power Tips:

Thoroughly cleaned and unused suitcases are one of the best storage containers

available at home.

They can be used to store seasonal items such as bulky winter clothing. Be sure to

line with acid-free tissue before storing items.

Avoid using cardboard boxes as temporary storage. They attract more bugs than

plastic containers.

To keep bugs out of your closet, line it with cedar blocks. Avoid using mothballs

especially if you have young children at home. Mothballs are deadly when ingested.


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All items which you fail to use a few years or so, should be inside the donation box.

They could anywhere be between items that do not fit anymore, items that went out of

style or items that do not coordinate with the rest of your wardrobe.

I used to have around six pairs of denim jeans. It took quite a space inside the closet,

when I took all six jeans out, I sorted those that I think were still in style and then I

discarded about two pairs for being outdated. At least, the reduction in the number of

items gave way for brand new, more fashionable ones.

Aside from clothes per se, try sorting you accessories such as belts, scarves, ties, and

handbags. Discard all unused items in the pile.

4. Make a list of clothes you need to buy.

After discarding pieces of clothing, several items may be needed.

For instance, my pretty white skirt needs two to three different tops. After cleaning out

my closet, all three tops I used to match with this white skirt were thrown away due to

stains and some badly needed mending.

I recall feeling excited about making my shopping list. I mean, who wouldnt be, right?

However, do not just walk in on some dainty-looking department store on any time and

day you want. That shopping list you have must be kept inside your handbag and must

be carried at a ll t imes.

Shop only when stores are on sale or you see some really neat thrift or surplus shops

selling very affordable clothes.


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Keep your shopping to those items found in the list. If ever you decide to go shopping

for items not on your list, you risk adding clutter to your otherwise organized closet

even before you pay for them.

5. What to do with the Charity / Donation?

Those items you placed inside the Charity / Donation boxes should go to charity such

as your local nursing home or shelter.

However, if you want to hit two birds with one stone and you feel like earning a few

dollars out of your declutter items, organize a garage sale or a yard sale. Aside from

those items, include other items you discarded from other areas of the house. Considergiving your unused clothing to family and some closed friends. Other people may be

more grateful to use them rather than keep them or throw them away.

Power Tips:

Keep a few dollars together with your shopping list. It must be enough to buy all

the pieces of clothing you need. Estimate a specific amount for the whole list.

When the time comes when you find yourself in the middle of a bazaar or clearance

sale, use this money for your purchases. That way, you wont be opening your

wallet and you would not be tempted to use your credit card or spend a few dollars

on some extra clothing.


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Closets and wardrobe cabinets need a lot of decluttering. Based on my experience, I declutter

my closet once every six months. This saves me a lot of time and money looking for the pieceof clothing I want.


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Living an Organized and Clutter-free

Life

There are times in

my life when I

suddenly realize I

need to keep

everything more

organized than it

really is. Although

most of the time, I

end up going back to

the same old me,

busy and

disorganized.

I know a clutter-free

home will keep

everybody more

relaxed and less stressful at home. It can, in an indirect way, affect relationships at

home.

If there is one thing I have learned with this whole decluttering experience, it is running

a well-organized home while improving your characteristic as a person.

You will be amazed at how spacious a clutter-free room is after the

reorganization.

Photo Credit : Rubbermaid Products
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbermaid/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbermaid/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbermaid/http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbermaid/


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In order to run a clutter- free life, you need to be all or at least one of these characteristics:

Avoid being a junk lover.

I dont consider myself a junk-lover, not really. But I know somebody who depicts the true sense of the word,

my mom. She keeps everything from old clothes way back in the 80s, shoes, souvenirs from each trip she

had with my Dad, tokens given to her; just about everything.

When I was young, I admired her for coming up with things we need at school such as costumes and

materials for art projects. However, when I grew up and had a home myself, I came to realize its not a very

good thing at all to keep everything you had in your home some 10 or 15 years ago. Some things just have

to go.

Clear everything you have not used for more than six months. Chances are, you have not even remembered

you own such an item, right? Things such as old candles, old make-ups, unopened canned goods, year-old

condiments and other things you can find inside hidden areas should be thrown away. If you still think an

item should stay, find a way to recycle it.

Be a regular declutterer.

Most of us only resolve to declutter our home the first time we do it. I know, because I am like that t oo. The

moment a few months have passed, we forget about what we have promised.

To keep yourself from forgetting a constant, monthly task, write it down in your planner, calendar or put a

sticky note somewhere you can see all the time such as your bathroom mirror or dresser. You need to dosome clean up once every two months. Employ the help of your husband or children to remind you to do it

on the scheduled date. It would be much better if they can also help you during your house clean up.


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System is the key to organization .

One thing me and my family always need to look for often are keys key to the main door, key to the

basement, key to the storage room and even key to the car.

To keep it more organized, I placed a peg right at the side of our main door. That way, we will be able to find

the keys easily as soon as we enter the house or on our way out of the house (if looking for the car key).

A particular warning though, all duplicate keys must not be kept together with the original ones. Keep the

duplicate keys somewhere safe such as a bedside drawer. It always comes in handy when somebody loses

the original one.

File all paperwork and important documents.

Just like in the office, I find having a filing cabinet right at home convenient to manage my files easily. I

bought a steel filing cabinet to store important documents such as land title, mortgage papers, certificates to

recent invoices and official receipts (within the year).

You need to keep your life and financial documents safely since it is quite hard to obtain a copy if ever the

original one got lost. It might cost you money and definitely time and effort to request for another copy.

A steel cabinet or at least a sturdy one can help protect your documents in case of fire. Be sure to keep it

someplace where you can easily move it in case of emergency.


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Make it a habit to donate to charity.

Give your familys old clothes and toys to orphanage or social welfare organizations. Give your CDs to your

neighbors teenage son. I dont think you would be planning on watching each CD or DVD copy you own.Besides, the Internet just makes everything easy. You can always download a movie if you want to watch it

(or watch it again).

File and compile.

My Dad used to cut news articles and magazine clips of some new recipe he finds in what he is reading. He

would then put it somewhere next to where we put our scratch pad and pen on the counter. It would

accumulate over the years and sometimes, our scratch pad holder becomes a paper weight for all those

clippings.

Power Tips:

When folding items inside the Keep Away box, heavy items should go to the

bottom most part while the lightest should be on top of the pile. Stack items

loosely so air can st ill circulate. This will prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

Avoid storing clothes in plastic bags where air cannot circulate freely.

A good storage area must be CLEAN, DRY, COOL and DARK.

A clean and dry area will prevent mold and mildew growth. A dark area, on the

other hand, will keep clothes from fading due to exposure to sunlight. It also keeps

the area cool since it is not exposed to the heat of the sun.


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ll h d h b k

To keep news and magazine clippings scattering everywhere, put it inside a clear file folder where you can

easily browse through it if you need it. This way, you can easily store them somewhere such as the filing

cabinet you have at home or maybe in your book shelf.

My decluttering and house cleaning lasted for a whole full day. Luckily, my friend was there to

help me out. She helped me keep things organized while we do the cleaning. She also

entertained me with a lot of her stories from living abroad. I never really noticed the time.

Luckily, we always set the timer for each room, so when it sets off, we only have five minutes

to wrap everything up before moving on to the next part of the house.

My friend and I agreed we will be driving some of my familys used clothing, toys and books to

nearest social welfare in our town. The rest of the give away items which were too bulky,

were kept in the storage room in the meantime. We talked about hosting a garage sale in our

neighborhood sometime next week. Since it has been a long time since she was back, we

would want to invite our other friends to join our garage sale. It would be some sort of a get-

together for us.

I decided right then and there to make it a regular event to organize a garage sale a fewweeks after my scheduled decluttering activity. Ill then make it a point to invite all of my

friends during the said event. It would be fun seeing my friends around plus I also get to earn

few extra incomes for my family.

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