Disclosure: I was sent a Bliss in a Box kit from Extra Space Storage to facilitate my review.
My husband has not said a word about the piles, the stacks, or the mounds of stuff. These mounds are EVERYWHERE. Upstairs. In the family room. On the staircases. In the living room. And he has not said a word. He walks by them each evening when he comes home from work. The bins overspilling with stuff must be in his line of sight, right? Surely he sees the racks of clothing in the garage? And what about the books stacked in piles on couches, chairs, and coffee tables? Or the stacks and stacks of school papers and artwork?
My house resembles that of a hoarder. Not all the time. But right now it does. Most of the time my home is just slightly messy and cluttered. Normally, I go through phases with my binging and purging. I’ll purge a shelf or sort through a stack of papers, but when I am in full-on decluttering mode…watch out! Every so often I get a wild hair. Once I start the decluttering process I am all in. No holds barred.
This summer I was in an all out decluttering mode. The planets aligned or something like that. You see this summer was the summer of hospitals, surgeries, and doctors’ appointments, as well as the usual smattering of swim team practice, meets, summer camps, and work. First one of my children needed surgery and then I needed surgery. With surgeries penciled on the calendar, my need to take control of something….anything…kicked in with a vengeance. I was like someone who was 9 months pregnant and frantically nesting and getting the house ready for the new baby. You know how you want to get everything done before the baby arrives? Well, that was what I was like this summer. I knew that once I had my knee surgery that I would be unable to do much more than sit around and watch movies.
So I set about tackling the mess. We have A LOT of books., toys, games, DVDs, and just about everything else. Take the books, for instance. I was an English major with a Drama minor. @DadKnowsBetter was an English Education major who went on to get a Master’s degree and a PhD. If you want a book, we probably have it. And then there are the toys…toys are everywhere.
I had to start somewhere, so I started with the books. I sorted and sifted. I assembled piles…
…baby board books and toddler books…
…readers and chapter books…
…princess and animal chapter books…
…and even some of my books…
I was overwhelmed by the piles and stacks of books. Too overwhelmed. I took a break to declutter the storage room. That was an easier job. Once I was finished with the storage room. I returned to tackle the book piles.
First, I found all the books that were favorites of the kids. Treasured books they had been given by grandparents or godparents. I knew that when they have children of their own that they will want to read their children these favorite stories…just like I did!
I had received a Bliss in a Box Kit from Extra Space Storage that was exactly what I needed for this massive decluttering job. You can get a free Bliss in a Box Kit, too. While you are at it, you can write a blogpost about how you used the Bliss in a Box kit. You could win a $100 Zappos Gift Card. Enter here. The Extra Space Storage boxes were perfect for preserving these treasured books for my children and their children.
The Bliss in a Box kit came with an assortment of products by Extra Space Storage:
- 5 Small Boxes
- 4 Medium Boxes
- 2 Large Boxes
- 1 Tall Box
- Clear Packing Tape
- Airtight Bubble Wrap
- Carton Maker
I used three of the small boxes so that each of my children will have a box of treasured books. The boxes are roomy enough that I can add in a few baby toys and other assorted keepsakes and still have room for each of their blankies. I’ll wrap several fragile keepsake ornaments in bubble wrap to avoid breakages.
Second, I filled a few of the medium boxes with toys…
…doll house furniture…
…action figures and horses…
…DVDs and more DVDs…
DVDs, and games to sell at the online yard sale group I belong to on Facebook. I liked the sturdiness of the boxes. I need a sturdy box since I am constantly loading the boxes with stuff to sell and then unloading what doesn’t sell.
Third, I will use the two large boxes to collect items for donation. About once a month I get a call from AmVets or Purple Heart or a children’s welfare organization seeing if I have items to donate. We have a lot of stuff. Once I sort through the toys and books I know the children are still playing with, store the treasured keepsake items, stack items for sale through the online yard sale, I’m still left with a tremendous amount of stuff. Enter these large boxes that I will fill to the brim and stack at the end of my driveway for the donation truck.
Are you decluttering your home? Do you have a move planned? Why not order a FREE Bliss in a Box Kit from Extra Space Storage? When you have used the boxes in the kit for your decluttering project or when you move homes, submit your blog post here or a chance to win a $100 Zappos Gift Card.
