How a girl who grew up in a third-world country could accumulate massive quantities of junk is beyond me. I am ashamed. I have been known to hoard things: unnecessary things; rainy day things; sunny day things; miscellaneous, random, where-did-this-come-from things. What can I say? Life happens. Babies happen. Ten years of marriage happen. Busy lives and transitions happen. And the next thing you know…you’ve got stuff. Even in a small home.
The thing about accumulating junk in a small house is that you notice it a lot more quickly because, well, space is limited. And before you know it, that little pile of junk has become a mountain of junk. It’s scary. The temptation that I struggle with in moments like these is to start entertaining thoughts like, “This house just isn’t big enough anymore,” or “I can’t handle this cramped space. We need a bigger place.” Thoughts like this happen when you live in a small house. It’s inevitable. However, thinking like this can be a distraction from the bigger issue- the hoarding of useless junk.
After I’ve put the “I-need-a-bigger-house” thoughts out of my mind, I can start tackling the mountain before me.
As a rule of thumb I go through my house 2-3 times a year and do a massive purge: clothes, old toys, papers, magazines, and miscellaneous things that find their way into my home. Now that my kids are getting older, and we seem to be bringing unbelievable quantities of papers and binders home throughout the year, I find that a good paper purge is in order on a daily – yes, I said daily – basis. The paper alone will eat up your house and spit you out if you don’t keep it under control. This I promise you.
Small-space living calls for some serious de-junking of your life. It’s the only way to survive. And I might add, the more you get rid of the more free you will feel. Simplifying is rewarding in more ways than one.
De-Junking the House 101:
- EXPOSE your junk! Go through your house and open up closets, cabinets, drawers. and kitchen pantry. Pull things out from under the bed.
- ASSESS what you have and start making piles.
- KEEP anything that you use regularly or absolutely love.
- DONATE anything that is in good condition that you no longer need/use. Bag items up and haul to Goodwill/Salvation Army or any other non-profit organization that will receive donations.
- SELL any items that could possibly put a little extra $$ in your pocket.
- THROW AWAY anything that is broken, torn, over-used, or stained.
It’s a simple practice – EXPOSE, ASSESS, KEEP, DONATE, SELL, THROW AWAY. Next week we’ll take a more focussed look at closet purging and how to bring your kiddos along for the ride, turning the process into teachable moments. Join me for Part 2 of getting rid of that junk! 
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was an eye sore to me for three years. I hated it. Because of its odd shape, I had a difficult time seeing its potential to be anything other than a giant toy box with a desk. I rearranged furniture on a regular basis, hoping to make peace with my zig-zag shaped room.
time, but they are well worth the wait. I love our window seat. It’s a great place to flop with a good book or catch up on a little e-mail. There is a place for random toys, shelves for books, nick-nacks and pictures, and ample seating for people. The transformation of this room has been an incredible gift to our family.
Other individual spaces can be created with a little tweaking. In our living room we have a big red chair. It is my special spot. That’s where I have my quiet time in the morning, and where I like to flop in the evening (Joel loves this special spot too, so in the evening it’s first come/ first serve 
year I finally broke down and bought patio furniture. In the past it’s been “pay for a root canal…or buy patio furniture?” You can take a guess at which one we opted for. This year we were able to take the plunge and add a little patio seating to the exterior decor of our home. And I must say, I am loving it.
I get asked this question…a lot. Honestly, I’m no supermom, so I don’t usually have a good answer. I guess the one thing we had going for us was that our kids have never known anything but sharing a room together. This is the way it has always been. I shared a room with my sister until we were in junior high. And even then, we would sneak into each other’s rooms every so often just to be together. Siblings sharing a bedroom was not a foreign concept to me, so naturally I always figured that my kids would share a room, too. However, the idea of having my son share bedroom space with my girls was a little foreign to me. This mental block had to be removed quickly because there really wasn’t any other option in our case.
or frustration, regarding small-space sleeping arrangements. You don’t have to fake it, but I would try really hard to work out your own feelings before working with your kids. When you have come to a happy place with the idea, then you can start talking it up to your little ones, including them in the planning process.
care of her part of the bedroom. Because we are working with small space, extra clutter, clothes on the floor, and unmade beds are magnified. For some moms this might not be a big deal, but it is for me. Therefore, my children have the primary jobs of making their beds in the morning, picking up clothes and putting them away, cleaning up their toys when they are done playing with them, and tidying up their room. I believe it is very healthy for them to have these responsibilities because one day they will be sharing space at college, dealing with flatmates after college, and then later on in marriage. What a great skill they are developing in showing respect for others.
well go around throwing all their special things away, as tempting as it is at times. Therefore, I have made sure that each child has a place (shelves and baskets) where they can stow their special treasures away. They each have a place to display keepsakes as well as storage for journals, papers, and miscellaneous items they hold dear. The small space keeps them from saving everything, so they really have to think about what is truly important to them and then get rid of the rest.
