Cleaning out clutter

I've found that a lot of stress in my life comes from my room being cluttered, messy, and disorganized...I found some suggestions on how to keep the clutter at bay and am ready to start using them...i hope this is hopeful for those of you who have this same problem!!

excerpted from Good Housekeeping

Clean Out The Clutter
By: Julie Mihaly

Save the Date

• Note birthdays, anniversaries, or other important events in a date book or PDA, and while you're at it, jot down a "send card" or "mail present" message to yourself a week before each event.

Personal/Business Documents

• You can toss supporting personal documents after three years and supporting business materials after six. Be sure to shred any items that include your social security, credit card or account numbers, and recycle the ragged results.

Clothing

• Forget the fads and hold onto clothes that will stand the test of time: a great pencil skirt; a never-goes-out-of-style suit; sleek neutral slacks; a camel hair coat; a tailored white button-down shirt; great-fitting dark denim jeans and the like. Keep these classics in mind next time you're tempted by fashion's flavor of the moment. Go ahead -- get wild with accessories

Family Photos

• Place family snapshots in acid-free archival albums (lightimpressionsdirect.com) to make sure they'll be in happy-to-hand-down condition for generations to come. Remember to make prints of your digital photos so they don't get lost or forgotten on your hard drive.

Home improvement records

• If you intend to sell your house at any point on down the line, you'll be able to show potential buyers what you've invested in the property, and the records may also help lower your tax bill when you sell the house. For more information, visit realtytimes.com.

Plastic take-out food containers

• in addition to storing leftovers, clean these and use them to store art supplies, beads, or anything else of the like

Donations

• Be sure to keep an inventory list of what you donate to share with your accountant at tax time. A write-off is very likely. If it hasn't been worn or used in 18 months, it probably should be donated if it is still in good condition. Donate old books, toys, eye glasses, small appliances, and clothing if you have no use for them anymore.
  

Old electronics or computers

• generally, there are facilities that will take these items, even if they are not functioning anymore...be sure to recycle these instead of trashing them and depleting the environment

Recycle

• find a recycling facility near you and take your glass, cans, and newspapers and magazines every week or so. If it is a subscription that you don't use anymore, cancel it.

Throw out:

• expired foods, medicines, and makeup