Giving Up Clutter for Lent and Life

Lent is a Christian observance commemorating the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert before beginning his public ministry. Those who observe the period typically mark it with prayer, fasting and personal sacrifice.

A Lenten sacrifice is a spiritually motivated, voluntary renunciation of a pleasure or luxury. Common modern-day Lenten sacrifices include abstaining from meat-eating, chocolate, sweets and alcohol. Some people attempt to eschew “sinful” behaviors such as profanity.

Not every faith observes Lent, of course, but each of the major religions has a holiday observed through fasting and sacrifice. Regardless of faith or level of observance, the Organizing Blog suggests that there is something you can give up today for the betterment of everyone: #clutter.

#Decluttering can help you lead a more spiritual existence. When you don’t have to tend to all of the #stuff you’ve collected over the years, you’ll have more time and energy to focus on what really matters: health, family and well-being.

Establish a simple Lenten goal: “I’ll spend one hour per day #sorting through my stuff.” “I’ll #declutter one #closet per week.” “I’ll #clean and #organize my kitchen and bathrooms by Easter.” “I’ll fill X number of boxes and bags with stuff I no longer need or want.”

What would Jesus do? Granted, we live in different times, but he almost certainly would not let a bunch of clothing that doesn’t fit, disused household appliances and mass-market tchotchkes pile up and bog him down. He traveled light.

There’s another aspect of Lent and other seasonal observances demand: almsgiving. It’s charitable giving that puts the needs of others ahead of your own — sharing your time, money and material possessions with others, and especially those less fortunate.

ClothingDonations.org can help with this. Once you’ve #decluttered and gathered up the things you don’t want, contact us for a #free #donation #pickup. We’ll take those lightly used goods and resell them to #help the nation’s #veterans.

Once you see the results from your Lenten sacrifice, decluttering could become a lifelong habit. Have a safe and happy Lent!

Resisting the Presidents’ Day Promotions

The Founding Fathers would never have believed the range of merchandise that American consumers have available today, though George Washington and Abraham Lincoln probably would have enjoyed advanced dental care and mattresses that weren’t stuffed with horsehair. Some of the best deals of the year are available on Presidents’ Day weekend, however, so if you’re in the market for a new vacuum, mattress or couch, now’s the time to buy. Good Housekeeping lists some of the biggest promotions, but The Organizing Blog urges readers to refrain from buying anything just because it’s a good deal; #stuff you don’t need creates #clutter. #PresidentsDay

George Washington, Presidential Pen Pal

Many of the “facts” people know about George Washington are actually myths. The cherry tree anecdote was fabricated by a creative biographer, he powdered his real hair rather than wearing a wig, and he never wore wooden teeth, instead relying on dentures made of ivory, brass, horse teeth and human teeth. But Washington established expectations for all U.S. presidents to come and was a prolific letter-writer, says Mental Floss, writing between 18,000 and and 22,000 letters during his lifetime. Those papers are now historic, but today, people can correspond with much less #waste and #clutter. #PresidentsDay

Honest Abe Had a Problem With Clutter

As a young lawyer, Abraham Lincoln “was a frightfully #messy person” who stored important speeches in his hat in order to not lose them in the #clutter, according to President Lincoln’s Cottage. “Papers, briefs, letters and notes scattered to the four corners of his office,” and his desk had an envelope on it marked, “When you can’t find it anywhere else, look into this.” As revered as Lincoln is for his accomplishments as president, take advantage of this Presidents Day to clear your desk or another space of space of clutter — and donate any lightly used #stuff to ClothingDonations.org. #PresidentsDay

U.S. Presidents Aren’t Immune to Clutter

The holiday reserved to celebrate the birthdays of founding fathers George Washington and Abraham Lincoln is often recognized with sales on mattresses and other household goods. But U.S. presidents had a range of organizing habits, says Clutter.com. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, for example, had bookshelves built into every available space in his “Little White House” in Warm Springs, Georgia. His successor, Harry S Truman, had a desk built of scrap wood from a White House renovation that had at least 10 drawers, but nonetheless attracted a lot of stacks of important paperwork. So if #clutter ever gets you down, remember that  it’s a problem even for the most powerful. #PresidentsDay