A Slob Comes Clean

I’m answering questions around the theme of dealing with gifts while you’re actively decluttering your home!Do you have any tips for dealing with gifts? After every holiday, I end up with a pile of items in the garage that were given with love, but I have no use for or room for.What do you do with very personalized gifts you don't want to keep? They're too nice to throw away but it feels weird to donate.How do I declutter items my son made as gifts for me that I no longer like. My son still lives with me, they are displayed in the living area and I don't want to hurt his feelings but would love to re-decorate this space.What do I do when “gifts” (receiving & giving) is the love language of everyone in my household?I *tried* to do an alternative to gifts this year. Joke's on me, hubby still bought everyone gifts, kids still bought everyone gifts, apparently Mom is a Grinch trying to steal Christmas.My mother in law knows how far we've come decluttering and simplifying and she knows I usually say no to most items she offers. What do I do with these highly sentimental gifts we never wanted?I’m having a hard time getting rid of gifted Christmas ornaments — even when I know they haven’t made it on the tree in the past few years.Take Your House Back is on SALE!

Beth is a Mental Health Professional with a very busy schedule in a family of people who also have very busy schedules. We discuss how to apply the decluttering process to her calendar to free up more time for decluttering her house!

Function is so important in the kitchen because it is a space that needs to be used every day! Decluttering with function in mind will take you far. I’m answering these questions about decluttering in the kitchen: I love to bake! I must have every size, shape, and type of cake pan and sheet pan ever made! But I "know" that the minute I donate them, I'll kick myself because someone will request something, and I'll either have to buy another pan or turn down the request. Thoughts?What kinds of things do you or people you have worked with keep in the upper corner kitchen cabinets? They are awkwardly sized, and the back area is hard to reach.Our most visible space is our kitchen. This is the main door we use and the door visitors use. It seems like such a big project. Any advice to help me focus on seeing progress on anything?What do you think about storing new kitchen items until I build my "forever" home? We currently have a temporary pantry sitting in the living room to house extra food, which is super ugly and weird. Do I keep my ugly pantry until I have eaten all this weird stuff?

I’m answering your decluttering questions that were submitted at AskDanaKWhite.comWhat is the best way to downsize/go through Christmas stuff?I am doing your "14 Days to Opening Your Front Door to Guests." It is lovely, and if I didn't have anything else to do, I am sure I could accomplish it. What do I do about all the random holiday activities that take up time I need for my room cleaning schedule?How do I tell the difference between everyday holiday chaos and a sign my house isn’t nearly as “under control” as I thought it was?How do I get the quantity of linens down when we often have guests who need a sheet set on a mattress or extra pillow cases, and it's hard to estimate what we will need? I’m tempted to keep more.Please show me how to declutter my ornaments! I feel everything is sentimental. Help!

Guilt-free rest is the very best perk of having a decluttered home. I didn’t know that when I started decluttering, so I’m sharing it with you now.https://www.aslobcomesclean.com/2022/05/338-real-progress-in-a-hoarding-situation-podcast/

I remember being scared that I’d never figure out how to get my house under control! I was petrified of someone ringing my doorbell without warning! This week, I’m sharing some common fears around decluttering and how to remove those fears!

We (those of us who struggle with clutter) tend to love collections! But we also know they can get out of control. I’m talking about collecting in a way that doesn’t send the house spiraling into clutter.

I am doing something kind of fun. As you know, I have a Patreon group, and we had an in-person retreat.  I asked some of them if they would come on and share a pivotal or transformational moment for them in their own process of getting their home under control. It's all private, but they've agreed to do this for the podcast.  And I think it's really fun to hear from others what has been the difference maker for them.