Thank you so much for watching today! You can find Cambriea's channel here (for TONS of motivation!): th-cam.com/users/livingwithcambriea We hope you have a GREAT weekend! - Dawn
Also..... Dont forget...if you've had your things in Storage for awhile And Your moving YOU MUST HAVE A DONATION / OR/ TRASH BOX IM THEIR RIGHT NOW WHERE AS TOO... IM MOVING MY THINGS THEY HAVE BEEN IN STORAGE FOR AWHILE I GOT A SMALLER APT AND I INTEND TOO MINIMIZE, GET MORE ORGANIZED GET RID OF SO MANY THINGS I HAVE REALLY NICE DECOR ITEMS I'LL JUST HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE SOME NICE ITEMS OUT AND LET GO OF THE REST....we all know thats going to be tough THANKS FOR YOUR HELP👏👏👍💕
Great tips… I would always ask my self do I want to pack this item, most times it was a no. Ugh please any advice on husband stuff… my husband is a just in case kinda guy.
@@maribelquesada5651 1. Remember that sometimes he will be right and you will need that seemingly random stuff. 2. Try him out on the container concept.
Having moved several times, here's my main tip -- pack according to the rooms you are moving TO, not according to the rooms you are moving out of. And LABEL the boxes by the rooms they are going to also, then you or the movers can put them right there. Lastly, don't open any box until you are ready to unpack it all the way and put everything in it where it belongs. If you know this is how you are going to do it, it will change how you pack.
My favorite tip for moving is not so much about the decluttering but the packing. Whenever I move I always pack the most important non-negotiable things first (in regards to decor etc not items being used). That way if I have packed my favorites and I already have two or three boxes I know that what is left didn't make the first cuts and can probably be decluttered.
Several months ago I moved from Oregon to Florida. We are just recently moved into our house. Decor and wall art that I loved are not nearly as appealing to me here. Oregon is so grey that I was alway doing whatever I could to brighten up my life. Here in Florida I am already outside on my patio so much and my home is so much brighter that I’m finding my decorating is different. I think I will be parting with a few things that I thought were “non-negotiable” in the past. It is amazing how lightly we can hold onto things once we become accustomed to thinking of it all as just stuff.
@@bananaanna1373 Hi from France :) thank you for your testimony. I feel to move and change of place of living too, I do not have yet an idea of where how.. but I felt the wish to change for more light and colourful region too. I am in the north, quite grey too.. and your testimony resonates and inspires conforts my call ;) (sorry for my mistakes in English :) and happy to read how you seem so happy to enjoying patio and outdoor and how changing space can impulse us a real new cycle way of life, it is comforting as I feel I have to move as all the environnement is no more lovely as it was where I live.. before was green, now it is becoming grey.. so.. but I felt attached to the place so I was long to decide and decluttering helps me to process the detachment :) and feel now ready to look for how where to move next ;) and just having the idea I see your comment ;) thanks ;) and good new house so :)
I spent some time visiting an orphanage in Haiti. They didn't have much in the way of personal possessions, but in the playroom there was a big pile of toys that had been donated. The girls played with them sometimes, but they preferred to be outdoors running around. They loved to sing and dance. When indoors, they chose to engage in the crafts and artwork projects I set up for them while the toys were ignored. Children don't NEED the stuff adults think would make them happy.
Heidi Jensen True! It’s like when kids get a Christmas present or birthday present in a HUGE BOX - they’re enthralled with the gift for say, 5 minutes…then all they wanna do is play with the box!! Kids love to use their imagination. 😊
I thought I was a minimalist until last month when I packed to move to a new house and realized how much stuff I actually had! The kitchen took me all day long to pack!
When we moved last summer, we were in a different season of life (retired) and only moved to a different suburb about 15 miles away (to be closer to our 3 adult kids and 2 grandkids). We were lucky in that, in this CRAZY housing marker, we could buy a house we even listed our house. So I did a major declutter to get ready for listing photos. I started EARLY!! Like I'm talking the autumn before with the (unfinished) basement. Over the months, I probably got rid of AT LEAST 50% of what I had in our home. Let's be honest...a lot went in the trash. Then there were the things our kids took. But our local thrift shop took almost everything else. By the time photos were taken, our house looked amazing...like did I really want to move?!! Then, when the actual packing started, I got rid of even MORE. I just can not express the feeling of getting rid of all that 'stuff'...it was wonderful! And you know what?? I haven't missed on single thing I got rid of! And now, being here 9 months...I'm ready to purge yet again...
Save on packing material and use extra towels, sheets, and clothing instead of bubble wrap. Socks are perfect for glassware. It will also push you to unpack faster since you will want the sheets or other things!
We will also use paper towels while packing delicate items. Saves from rewashing the items later. A big plus, the paper towel can be reused for cleaning and such in the new home.
We moved last October from Oregon to Florida. It costs a LOT and I regretted moving as much as I did because it took us a full 5 months to move into our new house. Now I’m glad that we moved so much because of crazy inflation and transport delays. Everyone, please, keep in mind the times that we are in. Lightening our load is wise when we are getting rid of superfluous Knick-knacks but beware when you’re looking at decluttering glass storage for food, like beans and rice. You can put away some clothes for now in sealed up bags and then go shopping in your own clothes in several months. You just might be glad that you did when you need clothes but have a lot less money-power for making those purchases. I am all for decluttering but let’s apply wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the times in which we live.
I just used 1-800-got junk twice in the last 3 months when clearing out my sister in law’s house who had recently died. I highly highly recommend them- like Cambria said they will recycle and donate whenever possible. And the guys were super nice and helpful!
Just moved cross country a month ago after 36 years in a good-sized house. Since I didn’t want to shop for new furniture during the pandemic, I drew a furniture plan for the new apartment to decide which pieces would fit. When I knew which bookshelves would be shipped, I emptied them out and started refilling them with my just favorite books that I felt were worth their weight. Same idea for my clothes dresser. I collected used moving boxes on Nextdoor or Freecycle, just I am now finding the next people to take my emptied boxes and wrinkled packing paper. Standard box sizes make it easier for the professionals to fill their truck efficiently. Start as early as possible. Give away as much as you can. Sell your bulky items at a low price so other people gratefully haul them away. Take just the best, and label the boxes so you find the essentials quickly in your new home.
I'm kind of embarrassed to share this tip because I know it wouldn't work for many people but before I move I set a "declutter x amount of things" challenge. I moved a few months ago and got rid of 1,000 things. I just keep a sheet of paper in my main walkway and put tally marks anytime I donated anything or threw it away. It does feel like an extra step to mark it off but for me it's so satisfying to see the progress you're making when it isn't so apparent in the actual home. (Does anyone else have a disastrous house when you're packing)? Plus, I love that extra push to look for things that I can add to my list.
SO helpful even to those of us who aren’t moving and don’t have small children! Less stuff in a space is always more calming and I find that a second pass through a month or two later, and a third pass through a month or two later more and more stuff goes out the door!
Advice from someone who moved 8 months ago : Be RUTHLESS Accept any help offered. For every box you pack that you absolutely have to have, pack one box of donations & fill one trash bag. Budget enough to have someone come in at the end & pack EVERYTHING you just can’t deal with anymore.
I had to move in a hurry (with 4 kids, from a 14 room 3-story house to a 3-bedroom), because the buyer of my house was on a time crunch, so I "accepted any help offered." Dozens of people from my church came to help us pack up. So sweet! But afterwards, I did unpack boxes that were strange combinations of things. Everything in my recycling bin got packed and moved, for instance.
@@amybee40 , 😂 sounds familiar. Our first move I had a little baby so all our church friends came and packed us up and moved us. I tried to keep track of what went where, but …
Im so glad for Dawn’s guidance. My parents moved many years ago and moved everything! When we had to clean out their house after mom died and dad moved to assisted living, we rented a BIG dumpster and threw away a basement full of unpacked boxes of random junk! It took 2 full weeks, 12 hour days to clean out that house. They were both raised during the Great Depression so I understand their mindset. Im grateful to know there is a different way!
My parents' basement is the same. Boxes and totes to the ceiling, some of which have been moved several times without investigation of the contents. I was on the road to helping them declutter, and then we all got sidetracked by my dad's declining health... Ground floor done, upstairs is half-way, and who knows when I will look in their basement again.
I have one on you …. My mom has a ton of stuff. Beautiful stuff!! My sister and I are trying to get her to start giving away some to loved ones. Some things can be sold. Her heart is fine but she is in so much pain that she is almost paralyzed from it and has become an invalid for the most part. She won’t let us do anything and she is very literally incapable of doing any of it on her own. I’m concerned that when it is all done that most of if will be handled by somebody we hire.
@@bananaanna1373 If you can afford to hire someone to do that job for you, that's fantastic! Maybe if your mother is made aware of that possibility she might be motivated to declutter now. If not, well, hiring someone to do it is a great option that will lower your stress levels. 😁😁
We just moved 4 months ago. But I began slowly packing a good couple months early. In the kitchen, I went through each drawer and cupboard leaving out the bare minimum--1 spatula, 1 mixing bowl, 3 of each silverwear, 2 mugs, etc. I did the same with our clothing. I left one week of outfits out for each person. We just washed laundry more often, which was easy and fast because we had so few items! Funnily enough, I got really used to wearing the same things and I didn't mind at all! No decision fatigue when trying to get dressed! I also appreciate the reminder that we do need to revisit spaces we've already decluttered. I forget that extra things can sneak in on us and disrupt that minimal vibe! I love that Dana ordered the set of boxes and let THEM be her container limit! Smart!
I'll take this as 1 of my signs from God that my daughter and I will be finding our new home! I JUST met with my realtor today and submitted everything to be pre-approved for a mortgage. I have told myself IF we are meant to have our own home, then it will happen in God's timing for the place we are to live. I have been decluttering, donating, trash etc.. and even package boxes for about a year now. I'm getting even more ruthless and going through everything again and want to move as LITTLE as possible. Finding this video before going to bed was just what I needed.
I met your channel when I decided to amp myself up in preparation for a move 6 months later (about a year ago actually!) We had had a work move with packers and movers and had so much stuff! When I got estimates done for this upcoming move I was baffled at the cost and we decided to move ourselves. For that to work, we had to move as little as possible! I am a really crappy multitasker so in retrospect I can say my most successful tip was to go through every single room and space of the house (no rush!) being really ruthless in de cluttering, before I even started to think about packing. Over the course of about 2 months that’s what I did, getting into a minimalist mindset. The packing and moving went super smoothly and I feel like we are still keeping up with the good habits. What I first hoped would be a moving hack turned into a life shift that is super beneficial to our entire family. Thanks dawn 🖤
I have been aiming to make a thrift store donation daily as I prepare to move across the country yet again. My family has noticed that there is less stuff, and it feels so good. Why didn't I do this for myself earlier? I felt so overwhelmed by the stuff. It is absolutely overwhelming still as I look around at all there is to do, but I'm remember Dana K White's words ... I'm aiming to set aside between 15 minutes and half an hour to declutter. Every day, I'm making it 15 minutes better, and it's beginning to show.
I did that, too. When I got serious about decluttering, I'd wake up every day thinking: "What shall I declutter today?". By doing one categort each day, it quickly started to show. Very pleased with myself.
Until my last two moves, our boxes had always come from scrounging at the grocery stores or behind the liquor stores. To have only 3-4 types of boxes of uniform size (excepting Wardrobe) was a godsend. No more lining the bottoms of banana boxes. Also bankers boxes were a godsend for books, stackable and not too heavy.
I have a ton of excellent boxes that i've saved from online shopping. I won't flatten them because bugs & spiders LOVE to hide inbetween there and multiply, but that isn't a problem with intact boxes .. plus it saves time & money having to retape them when needed. I don't want to trash these perfectly good boxes or dump them into recycling. . . Plus after several moves that were sudden i am very insecure at not having boxes on hand to use when needed. Been down that miserable road of running around to every business & dumpster in town searching for boxes, so i end up either buying boxes (cost $) or saving every box that comes into our house (cost space .. even when flattened). I would post these good boxes for free online as i would like them to go to someone who can actually USE them, but there's always a lot of other people posting free boxes that nobody wants. So i've pretty much decided plastic bins of similar sizes will stack nicely until needed (only taking up the floor space of one bin) and i'll use those for my stuff and use up these cardboard boxes for donations. Our last move in my then pickup truck went fairly well until the last load when i got caught in a sudden torrential rainstorm, ruining most of what was in cardboard boxes so from now on it's going into plastic bins! No system is perfect, no move is ever perfect, but like ya'll said the less we take with us the better.
We are moving from the Pacific Northwest to Texas. Great tip if you are using a moving company. Meditate on the cost, lol! Great motivation for downsizing. For us, we started downsizing and packing almost a year ago, knowing that it was going to be a BIG job, since we have been in the house almost 30 years. We have been working on it at least once a week. Our move date is August 2022 and now I doing something regarding moving everyday.
I am moving in a month and 5 days! Amazing timing!!! :) :) :) With my Kitchen: I packed all of my pots and pans and cookware in a box and am pulling out pieces when needed to see what I REALLY use.. and putting them back in the cupboard, I still have to cook for over a month. What's left in the box will be donate. like a packing party before I actually move. I think I should do the same with bathroom things and perhaps other categories. Then in a bit less than a month from now just pack what I've actually been using.
I discovered your channel and minimalism when we were first preparing to sell our house. We had no idea where we were moving or what kind of home or even RV we would be living in after selling our house. It has changed my Mom life!! Thank you Dawn!!!
We moved 1400km last summer, from Ontario to New Brunswick. Planning and decluttering started in March, and when it came to packing and unpacking I still couldn't believe how much stuff it felt like we had. But the awesome thing was when it came time to pay the movers we were under the weight the price was quoted on and it saved us almost $500! I still think I could declutter more as we have settled in to our new house.
We are planning on moving overseas in July - from Australia back to Minnesota in fact! Dawn, your channel has been an absolute life saver to change my mindset to where I need it to be for this huge move! I started a couple of months ago with the first few layers and our house is so functional and peaceful, which I definitely needed because we are dealing with lots of extra work with visas, passports and planning other aspects of the move. I look forward to actually packing everything and just landing in the US with what we really need, and a clear plan on what we need to replace. Thank you so much for keeping me sane through this process! ❤️❤️ And thank you, cambriea for your great tips!
At one point in our lives, we anticipated a move. Having experience with moving twice before, I knew I needed to start with the basement. Well, lo and behold we decided to stay. I had an clean basement. If we could just trick our minds for moving mode, the declutter would have more meaning.
So lovely to hear you don't want things to go to Landfill, heartens my heart, I have that problem with getting rid of stuff because I just don't want it to go to landfill, I keep it till I can donate it some where suitable.
I do think buying moving boxes was worth the investment. Of course use sturdy boxes where you can. But the uhaul boxes are built to be put together, broken down, reused, they are stable, they have decent guidelines on weight to put in all of them. When I was done moving, they were in great shape and I gave them away to someone else who was moving. Made the move so much easier than moves in the past.
Awesome video! Thank you Ladies! I love your channel. I’m moving soon. I’m moving two houses into one so I seriously need to declutter. I’m thinking to move room to room. Kitchen to kitchen, dining room to dining room, master bedroom to master bedroom etc…. Easier than dealing with it all at once. Loving the idea of “Is it Container-Worthy?” My house and garden is my big container. Within that I have several smaller containers which should have a function (rooms, garden and shed) and then, within those smaller containers, even smaller containers (wardrobes/closets, chests of drawers, bookcases, cupboards, etc…). Your ideas about putting a limit on clutter this way is really helpful. Thank you! 😊
Wow !! Was so surprised to see Cambria !! I loved watching her when she donated her time cleaning peoples houses that had gotten out of order. Thought that was such a generous gift and blessing for those who received it. Hope she does when she comes to Florida, thanks ladies for all the helpful hints. Hugs Karen 🌴🤟
The tip about buying boxes for the size of your home is super smart!! Spend a little to get great results down the road!! Choosing to declutter while packing will save you so much extra work when you go to set up your new place!! Baby steps with our family members for sure!!!Leading by example is awesome!! Being honest with ourselves is huge!! I love the idea of involving kids in the decluttering process! Helping them to learn this early on!! Thanks so much Cambriea and Dawn!! :)
I close on my new condo Wednesday (after downsizing after my divorce!!) and I’m so excited to throw my stuff away and have a minimal amount of stuff to unpack!
Just a quick comment: If you can't pack a car or a family van/SUV and drive stuff to the new location and back a couple times the same day, and ESPECIALLY if you have to pay for a moving van or movers to transport your stuff, then it's better to sell or gift or donate your furniture than to pay for moving. When I move, there is very little I will take with me, furniture-wise. My grandmother's antique pedestal table, the 2 quality folding dining chairs, my 'periscoping' TV console, my full-size futon, a treadle sewing machine, and 3 Library Cubes. The Library Cubes are 16inches on a side, natural birch, and they're modular. I can make them a shelving unit 3-tall, a seating area or coffee table 1-tall in series; right now, two are stacked as an entry station, holding shoes and weather accessories and mail. I've never seen them anywhere before or since buying them from a Library, and they are infinitely useful and irreplaceable. Plus, I can pack them. The TV console is wood and iron, attractive, very heavy, and allows me to mount my flatscreen on its central rear telescoping arm. I rent, so I can't mount my 55in flatscreen on the wall, but it works well on the TV console. And I live in earthquake country, so having something that will securely hold my flatscreen is essential. I live alone, so a full-size futon is all the bed I need, but can also fold into a couch, so I don't need a dedicated bedroom. And the wooden futon frame breaks down into parts that can be transported easily by car or shipped/moved. Frankly, wooden futon frames and full-size futon mattresses are still common enough that I could replace it if I moved far enough. My grandmother's table is a sentimental piece. It does break down to 2 pieces that will fit in most cars, but I have questioned whether I should let it go, since neither of my kids want it after I'm 'gone'. The folding dining chairs were hard to find, but they fold and I only need 2. The treadle sewing machine I still love, as a functioning antique. If I had to, I could do without, but so few of these have survived crafters gutting them and turning them into console tables. The main thing about all these pieces is that, if necessary and even as a 70-some-year-old, I can carry any one of these. I can replace the accent armchair, the coffee table, and the bookcases. The armchair and coffee table came from a thrift store; the bookcases came from craigslist. Mostly it's far more economical to replace than to ship. It's only the irreplaceable that makes it difficult. Most of my kitchen stuff I'm likely to leave behind, because it's replaceable. Too often people don't think that they really don't need to hang on to all their old possessions.
When I first found you 2 years ago I started on my mission to declutter, mostly because I don't want to leave all this stuff for someone in my family to deal with when I'm gone. Plus I'll admit to the feeling of being overwhelmed with it all. I'm not a hoarder by any means, I would just by more cabinets to store things in an organized manner. LOL So twice I've already gone through everything and got rid of so much! But then I had to move last month after my house was being sold (I rent), and I literally moved across the street in to a house almost laid out exactly the same. I used my wagon to go back and forth and from one cabinet to another and pretty much avoided having to box anything up. But after all of that, I still have this HUGE amount of stuff that ended up in boxes! Now everything has to serve a purpose before coming into the house from the garage. The pile for Goodwill to pick up grows every weekend. My niece pickups up the small stuff weekly to keep it cleared out so I can continue with my clean out. It is exhilirating to say the least. This move and your videos of encouragement are what gave me the extra boost and incentive I needed to finally go off the "deep end" a get rid of the stuff I've questioned over the past 2 years! Hallelujah!
This is perfect timing! My husband just took the bigger kids to the new house while the baby naps and i pack up their toys! Toys are the hardest for me to declutter, so it's a little stressful even with a quiet house!
It helps to do it when you have a lot of angry energy. 😉 Just be careful not to get carried away and throw out something of value. To this day my heart hurts because the one thing i regret from one of my angry-purging of my daughters stuff many years ago was a little wooden gun my young son had whittled for her. She never played with it & to her it had little value but it would mean the world to me to still have it. All the other plastic manufactured items that were purged aren't missed at all by her or me, but that little wooden gun is irreplaceable.
That was really enjoyable and informative. I love your channel and I also love Cambriea's. Never thought of "what you can fit in the box goes and what doesn't gets donated", an awesome tip thanks, Dawn.
Terrific video 😁. We have lived in the same house for 23 years. This winter (Australia) we are going to pretend we are moving too help with the declutter. "Would I pay the movers to move this?" will be our mantra.
This is what I have been doing for the last 2 months! Fill the trash can weekly, donate and press on! It is working great because the kids have asked, "Are we really moving?" haha
We are moving soon and for boxes we hit gumtree ppl who moved sell the boxes on even for free! start now decluterring and project 333 is helping with clothes. we are giving the kids a limit. Other then clothing (I'm doing that) so 4 small boxes and they are allow 1 bigger item(bigger then box eg sons telescope.) Each area has a limit.
My sisters & I just moved my mom into a Condo on March 11th. It took us months to go through 60+ years of my parents life! After my dad passed in Aug of 2020, mom needed to downsize. We actually did all these steps to move her. She was a trooper and did great! She threw away a lot & donated so much!! We found treasures from our childhood that we hadn’t seen in 30+ years! My dad saved everything!!! My mom moved and is still purging things we moved! This video was spot on!! Thanks for the great info. I have the decluttering bug!! Now it’s time to declutter my house and “pretend” that I’m moving!!!
great tips! I have a tip for you from FL.... we do get cold weather. Keep SOME of your winter clothes. It can get down into the 30's for weeks at a time. Granted, even our "harshest" winters are still nothing compared to actual northern winters, or might be considered a mild winter for y'all. I was just surprised how cold it got when I first moved from PA.
My husband and I are are pretty good about passing along things we don't use, so the clutter crept up on us slowly. A few months ago I realized the last time we had done a major purge was when we had moved 7 years earlier. So I set about going through each cupboard, drawer and shelf treating it as if I was getting ready to move again. I was astonished by how many things I had forgotten I even had! We sold and donated heaps! When I looked at our stuff and spaces with fresh eyes, I identified several pain points and what I just didn't love and have been making small changes that make my home look and function so much better. Knowing that I don't miss anything I let go of and being more in love with my home than ever, I am feeling confident to do another round of simplifying and making little changes (in my habits as well as my space/organization). Less truly is more. Thank you Dawn for all the inspiration and great practical advice.
Excellent advise ladies! Start early (maybe set yourself a false deadline). Even if you’re only thinking of moving, start decluttering today! (If it turns out you don’t move, you’ll be in a calm, decluttered home.). Remember everything that’s easy to just drop in a box, needs to be unpacked and have a place - not as easy or fun - you’re tired by then. You’re going to love FL. We moved here several months ago and I can tell you, you only need 2 pairs of pants and a couple sweatshirts to get through the “cold” days :-). Happy moving!!
Men do have sentimental t-shirts - even if they no longer fit. Have your husband pick out favorites and have a company make a t-shirt quilt out of them. I did this and eliminated 49 shirts! He loves the quilt.
When I moved the last time, I took it as a chance to reset. My husband and I looked at everything to decide if we loved it enough to pay to move it! A majority of the answers were NOPE!! We had lived in our house for 25 years.
I have moved A LOT in my 57 years on this Earth. One question I always ask when I know I have to move is : Do I love it enough to move it? 95% of the time, the answer is NO. 😊
My husband has the same problem with T-shirts! He has 13 work t-shirts, and he wears the same one for a few days, and I do laundry every week, so he really needs half that at most. He also has 13 casual t-shirts, he wears the same one for an hour here or there all week.
I may have just laughed manically at the comment that by the end you are just shoving things in boxes... I was bordering on crazy tears - way too relatable!!
Very timely! I just got my lease renewal letter today. The increase is ridiculous ($350 increase) and I am already at a price I can barely afford. I moved 10 years ago and the memory is still vivid. It DOES take much longer to pack than what you would think. I have 3 weeks to declutter. Those 1-800 got junk guys are super expensive. When I told them 'no thanks' they continued to harness me with phone calls.
Yes!! The tee shirts were the biggest contention we had with my husband’s dresser. He had over 50 of them just in one drawer. He has volunteered for so many things that he always gets tee shirts. I finally Marie Kondo-Ed his drawer and slipped out the ratty old ones and then duplicates. It was a delicate process, but he seems content so far.
We're not planning on moving any time soon, but my Hubby & I have been talking about going through things in case we do have to move in with his Dad to take care of him. Great motivation to get rid of stuff. Great video!
Great tips! I did this 3 yrs ago and I am still so grateful! I started packing when I started house shopping. When we closed we were so excited because we could casually take things into our new house instead of stressfully trying to pack
I enjoy watching both of you. Good luck to Cambria and her family in their new endeavors. If you have time it helps to declutter before you move which isn’t always the case. It will really help if you think “must haves” so you don’t pack a lot of things you don’t need and can easily replace.
I miss our military moves. Even as we had kids, it was like it was suddenly easy to see what was trash and what was not worth transporting when it was time to move on. The first 8 years of our marriage it was very easy to remain streamlined. LOL
I agree you should start at a young age with your kids if you can. I started this journey once my oldest was a teenager so it is a lot harder for him than my seven-year-old who I started younger. My oldest has gotten a lot better over the years but it's a struggle for him. Recently we did an extreme purge of toys and kids items in preparation for a move. My oldest has realized since how much easier it is for him to manage his things and how it is easier for him to maintain a clean room. He agrees it was worth all the hard work to have less stress and more free time.
My neighbor has a huge table in front of her house intended for people to put give aways on. My decluttering is made easy....every time I walk out the door, an item to release comes with me, just like taking keys with me...and gets dropped onto the table. And I have not spent money on clothes in years...recycling removes the feelings of "I can't let go of that since I paid good money for it."
I 100% agree with decluttering first! We’re moving within the next few months and I have decluttered SO MUCH! We went ahead and got a storage unit so I’ve been taking things over slowly. I have donated and thrown out more than I’ve taken to storage so far! I have a huge bin of my 3 year olds toys in there so that way I could be “show ready” faster, but now I might just not open it like you mentioned, Dawn! Thank you for this! Cambriea is amazing! I’ve followed her for years! 😍
I like the idea of starting early and taking one room a week. It would only take a few months and plan extra time at the end for a garage! I always have the mindset that Once I start I have to be done within a week or so. It wouldn’t feel so overwhelming to do a room a week. Thanks!
I found you about a week ago when I was searching for decluttering videos because we are moving and I’m really struggling with it. Listening to your videos while I’m going through things, decluttering, and packing…. And prepping for a yard sale. Anyways, listening to your videos while doing it all has been a huge, huge motivator for me. I appreciate you so much!
I moved from MN to FL 18 years ago. Just bring a lot of summer clothes and just a few cold weather clothes! I have only one winter coat. You will love FL!!!
THIS is the whole reason I found your channel and subscribed!! God willing I'll be moving next year and I realized I'm not willing to carry soooo many things with me- especially when the majority of my clothes don't even suit my current season in life. I'm cleaning out a drawer as I watch this.
Oh my gosh! I needed this so much. We are getting ready to move cross states and it is so much to do. We're downsizing and getting rid of so much. Thanks for the ideas and motivation.
Thanks for sharing this conversation. I am not planning to move, but it helps to hear what values people bring to decluttering. These values remind me of the importance of assessing the usefulness of the items in my home. Thanks again!
I can totally relate to this situation. Getting ready for a big move and currently going through boxes that have stayed packed from previous moves. Thanks for the declutter motivation!
When we did our last big interstate move, I rented a truck that was about 1/2 of what we owned... and seriously downsized as we packed. It was very clarifying, and really satisfying!
Have lived in FL since 2003 and moved from Upstate NY and had sub zero temps and121 inches of snow the winter before we left. For you and your husband, keep winter gear for yourselves gloves, scarves, hats-better to know where you stored what you have then to buy new later! I have kept my same winter coat (called Grimace bc it's big and purple) for often longer than 2 weeks worth every winter since we came down here. If your kids are into any outdoor activities later - sitting on a bleacher for January football or soccer is crazy!) I had the room to store it, takes up zero space and it looks as good as it did the year we moved because it doesn't get a lot of wear.
I have moved several times and decluttering is so key. You accumulate stuff at each move. If you don’t get rid of thing not needed, you will get overwhelmed.
We moved from Kansas to Florida and they will probably declutter even more when they live here for a little bit. My husband and I saved 5 winter outfits for when we go back to visit family. We have one tub of winter coats, snow pants and winter boots. We left behind a large couch because we didn’t want to pay for a bigger uhaul. We rented before we bought our house and it made us realize how much we actually used and had a garage sale when we bought our house. It’s sometimes cheaper to buy new furniture rather than paying for it to be moved across country.
Sue Wolfe- I'm a native Floridian who moved north. You're right, in Florida, you need basically one season of clothes, with a few sweaters. We lived in shorts and only wore jeans maybe once a year! So, those heavy winter clothes can get left behind!! You'll enjoy the freedom, Cambria!
HI DAWN. I was watching one of your more current videos and did a search for this topic. Wish I would have done so before the day I am renting a storage space, but very helpful. My husband was also military so we have moved a lot. It gets somewhat easier, but really hoping to declutter during this process and not continue moving stuff I will never need.
Thank you so much for watching today! You can find Cambriea's channel here (for TONS of motivation!): th-cam.com/users/livingwithcambriea We hope you have a GREAT weekend! - Dawn
Also.....
Dont forget...if you've had your things in Storage for awhile
And
Your moving
YOU MUST HAVE A DONATION / OR/ TRASH BOX
IM THEIR RIGHT NOW
WHERE AS TOO...
IM MOVING MY THINGS
THEY HAVE BEEN IN STORAGE FOR AWHILE
I
GOT A SMALLER APT AND I INTEND TOO MINIMIZE, GET
MORE ORGANIZED
GET RID OF SO MANY THINGS
I
HAVE REALLY NICE DECOR ITEMS
I'LL
JUST HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE
SOME NICE ITEMS OUT AND LET GO OF THE REST....we all know thats going to be tough
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP👏👏👍💕
Great tips… I would always ask my self do I want to pack this item, most times it was a no.
Ugh please any advice on husband stuff… my husband is a just in case kinda guy.
Thanks so much!!! I’m spring cleaning :) And it feel SO GOOD!!!!
@@maribelquesada5651 1. Remember that sometimes he will be right and you will need that seemingly random stuff. 2. Try him out on the container concept.
Love the interviews with people who have had experience with clutter. So interesting and motivating too. Helping other people.. so cool!
Having moved several times, here's my main tip -- pack according to the rooms you are moving TO, not according to the rooms you are moving out of. And LABEL the boxes by the rooms they are going to also, then you or the movers can put them right there. Lastly, don't open any box until you are ready to unpack it all the way and put everything in it where it belongs. If you know this is how you are going to do it, it will change how you pack.
That is super useful as we are upgrading from a studio to a one or two bedroom.
Great advice. This is useful.
Love this~ We've moved so many times and I have never thought about this as a mindset.
My favorite tip for moving is not so much about the decluttering but the packing. Whenever I move I always pack the most important non-negotiable things first (in regards to decor etc not items being used). That way if I have packed my favorites and I already have two or three boxes I know that what is left didn't make the first cuts and can probably be decluttered.
Brilliant!
Yes!!!
super :)
Several months ago I moved from Oregon to Florida. We are just recently moved into our house. Decor and wall art that I loved are not nearly as appealing to me here. Oregon is so grey that I was alway doing whatever I could to brighten up my life. Here in Florida I am already outside on my patio so much and my home is so much brighter that I’m finding my decorating is different. I think I will be parting with a few things that I thought were “non-negotiable” in the past. It is amazing how lightly we can hold onto things once we become accustomed to thinking of it all as just stuff.
@@bananaanna1373 Hi from France :) thank you for your testimony. I feel to move and change of place of living too, I do not have yet an idea of where how.. but I felt the wish to change for more light and colourful region too. I am in the north, quite grey too.. and your testimony resonates and inspires conforts my call ;) (sorry for my mistakes in English :) and happy to read how you seem so happy to enjoying patio and outdoor and how changing space can impulse us a real new cycle way of life, it is comforting as I feel I have to move as all the environnement is no more lovely as it was where I live.. before was green, now it is becoming grey.. so.. but I felt attached to the place so I was long to decide and decluttering helps me to process the detachment :) and feel now ready to look for how where to move next ;) and just having the idea I see your comment ;) thanks ;) and good new house so :)
I spent some time visiting an orphanage in Haiti. They didn't have much in the way of personal possessions, but in the playroom there was a big pile of toys that had been donated. The girls played with them sometimes, but they preferred to be outdoors running around. They loved to sing and dance. When indoors, they chose to engage in the crafts and artwork projects I set up for them while the toys were ignored. Children don't NEED the stuff adults think would make them happy.
Heidi Jensen True! It’s like when kids get a Christmas present or birthday present in a HUGE BOX - they’re enthralled with the gift for say, 5 minutes…then all they wanna do is play with the box!! Kids love to use their imagination. 😊
I thought I was a minimalist until last month when I packed to move to a new house and realized how much stuff I actually had! The kitchen took me all day long to pack!
When we moved last summer, we were in a different season of life (retired) and only moved to a different suburb about 15 miles away (to be closer to our 3 adult kids and 2 grandkids). We were lucky in that, in this CRAZY housing marker, we could buy a house we even listed our house. So I did a major declutter to get ready for listing photos. I started EARLY!! Like I'm talking the autumn before with the (unfinished) basement. Over the months, I probably got rid of AT LEAST 50% of what I had in our home. Let's be honest...a lot went in the trash. Then there were the things our kids took. But our local thrift shop took almost everything else. By the time photos were taken, our house looked amazing...like did I really want to move?!! Then, when the actual packing started, I got rid of even MORE. I just can not express the feeling of getting rid of all that 'stuff'...it was wonderful! And you know what?? I haven't missed on single thing I got rid of!
And now, being here 9 months...I'm ready to purge yet again...
Your minimizing muscles are strong, Kay! Keep going if you want to keep going. Hooray.
"Allow for some margin of error!" I needed that. Give yourself grace and realize that it's ok if you make a few mistakes when decluttering!
Save on packing material and use extra towels, sheets, and clothing instead of bubble wrap. Socks are perfect for glassware. It will also push you to unpack faster since you will want the sheets or other things!
We will also use paper towels while packing delicate items. Saves from rewashing the items later. A big plus, the paper towel can be reused for cleaning and such in the new home.
Liquor stores will give you all the boxes you want. Free. The boxes are sturdy/strong and not so big that they're heavy after you fill them up.
What a great tip.. I wouldn't have asked there. I usually hit the produce section of grocery stores. Thank you.
Yes liquor store boxes are excellent for moving!
Pro tip!
And the wine crates make moving drink and stemware really easy and still safe too!!!!
The best!
We moved last October from Oregon to Florida. It costs a LOT and I regretted moving as much as I did because it took us a full 5 months to move into our new house. Now I’m glad that we moved so much because of crazy inflation and transport delays. Everyone, please, keep in mind the times that we are in. Lightening our load is wise when we are getting rid of superfluous Knick-knacks but beware when you’re looking at decluttering glass storage for food, like beans and rice. You can put away some clothes for now in sealed up bags and then go shopping in your own clothes in several months. You just might be glad that you did when you need clothes but have a lot less money-power for making those purchases. I am all for decluttering but let’s apply wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the times in which we live.
100% agree!! Which makes it all a bit tougher to make decisions on each item.
Congratulations getting out of Oregon! I am jealous!
You poor thing - Florida?! 😫🥵🌡🌀 (but maybe you are from FL & knew what you were getting into) 🤷🏼♀️
I just used 1-800-got junk twice in the last 3 months when clearing out my sister in law’s house who had recently died. I highly highly recommend them- like Cambria said they will recycle and donate whenever possible. And the guys were super nice and helpful!
Just moved cross country a month ago after 36 years in a good-sized house. Since I didn’t want to shop for new furniture during the pandemic, I drew a furniture plan for the new apartment to decide which pieces would fit. When I knew which bookshelves would be shipped, I emptied them out and started refilling them with my just favorite books that I felt were worth their weight. Same idea for my clothes dresser.
I collected used moving boxes on Nextdoor or Freecycle, just I am now finding the next people to take my emptied boxes and wrinkled packing paper. Standard box sizes make it easier for the professionals to fill their truck efficiently.
Start as early as possible. Give away as much as you can. Sell your bulky items at a low price so other people gratefully haul them away. Take just the best, and label the boxes so you find the essentials quickly in your new home.
I'm kind of embarrassed to share this tip because I know it wouldn't work for many people but before I move I set a "declutter x amount of things" challenge. I moved a few months ago and got rid of 1,000 things. I just keep a sheet of paper in my main walkway and put tally marks anytime I donated anything or threw it away. It does feel like an extra step to mark it off but for me it's so satisfying to see the progress you're making when it isn't so apparent in the actual home. (Does anyone else have a disastrous house when you're packing)? Plus, I love that extra push to look for things that I can add to my list.
I love this!
SO helpful even to those of us who aren’t moving and don’t have small children! Less stuff in a space is always more calming and I find that a second pass through a month or two later, and a third pass through a month or two later more and more stuff goes out the door!
Advice from someone who moved 8 months ago :
Be RUTHLESS
Accept any help offered.
For every box you pack that you absolutely have to have, pack one box of donations & fill one trash bag.
Budget enough to have someone come in at the end & pack EVERYTHING you just can’t deal with anymore.
I had to move in a hurry (with 4 kids, from a 14 room 3-story house to a 3-bedroom), because the buyer of my house was on a time crunch, so I "accepted any help offered." Dozens of people from my church came to help us pack up. So sweet! But afterwards, I did unpack boxes that were strange combinations of things. Everything in my recycling bin got packed and moved, for instance.
@@amybee40 lol that must have given you a good laugh.
@@amybee40 , 😂 sounds familiar. Our first move I had a little baby so all our church friends came and packed us up and moved us. I tried to keep track of what went where, but …
@@amybee40 oops.
Im so glad for Dawn’s guidance. My parents moved many years ago and moved everything! When we had to clean out their house after mom died and dad moved to assisted living, we rented a BIG dumpster and threw away a basement full of unpacked boxes of random junk! It took 2 full weeks, 12 hour days to clean out that house. They were both raised during the Great Depression so I understand their mindset. Im grateful to know there is a different way!
My parents' basement is the same. Boxes and totes to the ceiling, some of which have been moved several times without investigation of the contents. I was on the road to helping them declutter, and then we all got sidetracked by my dad's declining health... Ground floor done, upstairs is half-way, and who knows when I will look in their basement again.
I have one on you …. My mom has a ton of stuff. Beautiful stuff!! My sister and I are trying to get her to start giving away some to loved ones. Some things can be sold. Her heart is fine but she is in so much pain that she is almost paralyzed from it and has become an invalid for the most part. She won’t let us do anything and she is very literally incapable of doing any of it on her own. I’m concerned that when it is all done that most of if will be handled by somebody we hire.
@@bananaanna1373 If you can afford to hire someone to do that job for you, that's fantastic! Maybe if your mother is made aware of that possibility she might be motivated to declutter now. If not, well, hiring someone to do it is a great option that will lower your stress levels. 😁😁
We just moved 4 months ago. But I began slowly packing a good couple months early. In the kitchen, I went through each drawer and cupboard leaving out the bare minimum--1 spatula, 1 mixing bowl, 3 of each silverwear, 2 mugs, etc. I did the same with our clothing. I left one week of outfits out for each person. We just washed laundry more often, which was easy and fast because we had so few items! Funnily enough, I got really used to wearing the same things and I didn't mind at all! No decision fatigue when trying to get dressed! I also appreciate the reminder that we do need to revisit spaces we've already decluttered. I forget that extra things can sneak in on us and disrupt that minimal vibe! I love that Dana ordered the set of boxes and let THEM be her container limit! Smart!
I'll take this as 1 of my signs from God that my daughter and I will be finding our new home! I JUST met with my realtor today and submitted everything to be pre-approved for a mortgage. I have told myself IF we are meant to have our own home, then it will happen in God's timing for the place we are to live. I have been decluttering, donating, trash etc.. and even package boxes for about a year now. I'm getting even more ruthless and going through everything again and want to move as LITTLE as possible. Finding this video before going to bed was just what I needed.
I met your channel when I decided to amp myself up in preparation for a move 6 months later (about a year ago actually!) We had had a work move with packers and movers and had so much stuff! When I got estimates done for this upcoming move I was baffled at the cost and we decided to move ourselves. For that to work, we had to move as little as possible! I am a really crappy multitasker so in retrospect I can say my most successful tip was to go through every single room and space of the house (no rush!) being really ruthless in de cluttering, before I even started to think about packing. Over the course of about 2 months that’s what I did, getting into a minimalist mindset. The packing and moving went super smoothly and I feel like we are still keeping up with the good habits. What I first hoped would be a moving hack turned into a life shift that is super beneficial to our entire family. Thanks dawn 🖤
I have been aiming to make a thrift store donation daily as I prepare to move across the country yet again. My family has noticed that there is less stuff, and it feels so good. Why didn't I do this for myself earlier? I felt so overwhelmed by the stuff. It is absolutely overwhelming still as I look around at all there is to do, but I'm remember Dana K White's words ... I'm aiming to set aside between 15 minutes and half an hour to declutter. Every day, I'm making it 15 minutes better, and it's beginning to show.
I did that, too. When I got serious about decluttering, I'd wake up every day thinking: "What shall I declutter today?". By doing one categort each day, it quickly started to show. Very pleased with myself.
After doing it for awhile, it shows and it is such and accomplishment! It takes daily time.
Until my last two moves, our boxes had always come from scrounging at the grocery stores or behind the liquor stores. To have only 3-4 types of boxes of uniform size (excepting Wardrobe) was a godsend. No more lining the bottoms of banana boxes. Also bankers boxes were a godsend for books, stackable and not too heavy.
Banana boxes around here don’t come with tops any more! Now I ask on local FB groups for boxes from Hello Fresh or other food prep services.
I have a ton of excellent boxes that i've saved from online shopping. I won't flatten them because bugs & spiders LOVE to hide inbetween there and multiply, but that isn't a problem with intact boxes .. plus it saves time & money having to retape them when needed.
I don't want to trash these perfectly good boxes or dump them into recycling. . . Plus after several moves that were sudden i am very insecure at not having boxes on hand to use when needed. Been down that miserable road of running around to every business & dumpster in town searching for boxes, so i end up either buying boxes (cost $) or saving every box that comes into our house (cost space .. even when flattened).
I would post these good boxes for free online as i would like them to go to someone who can actually USE them, but there's always a lot of other people posting free boxes that nobody wants.
So i've pretty much decided plastic bins of similar sizes will stack nicely until needed (only taking up the floor space of one bin) and i'll use those for my stuff and use up these cardboard boxes for donations.
Our last move in my then pickup truck went fairly well until the last load when i got caught in a sudden torrential rainstorm, ruining most of what was in cardboard boxes so from now on it's going into plastic bins!
No system is perfect, no move is ever perfect, but like ya'll said the less we take with us the better.
We are moving from the Pacific Northwest to Texas. Great tip if you are using a moving company. Meditate on the cost, lol! Great motivation for downsizing. For us, we started downsizing and packing almost a year ago, knowing that it was going to be a BIG job, since we have been in the house almost 30 years. We have been working on it at least once a week. Our move date is August 2022 and now I doing something regarding moving everyday.
Moving is the BEST way to declutter!!!
I am moving in a month and 5 days! Amazing timing!!! :) :) :) With my Kitchen: I packed all of my pots and pans and cookware in a box and am pulling out pieces when needed to see what I REALLY use.. and putting them back in the cupboard, I still have to cook for over a month. What's left in the box will be donate. like a packing party before I actually move. I think I should do the same with bathroom things and perhaps other categories. Then in a bit less than a month from now just pack what I've actually been using.
these are smartt!! omg thankyouu
I discovered your channel and minimalism when we were first preparing to sell our house. We had no idea where we were moving or what kind of home or even RV we would be living in after selling our house. It has changed my Mom life!! Thank you Dawn!!!
We moved 1400km last summer, from Ontario to New Brunswick. Planning and decluttering started in March, and when it came to packing and unpacking I still couldn't believe how much stuff it felt like we had. But the awesome thing was when it came time to pay the movers we were under the weight the price was quoted on and it saved us almost $500! I still think I could declutter more as we have settled in to our new house.
Something about the delight on Dawn's face when she found out 1-800-Got-Junk sorts stuff out for you made me so happy. :-)
Literally working on decluttering to move THIS AFTERNOON while baby naps! Perfect timing! 💕
That’s awesome! Good luck!!!
We are planning on moving overseas in July - from Australia back to Minnesota in fact! Dawn, your channel has been an absolute life saver to change my mindset to where I need it to be for this huge move! I started a couple of months ago with the first few layers and our house is so functional and peaceful, which I definitely needed because we are dealing with lots of extra work with visas, passports and planning other aspects of the move. I look forward to actually packing everything and just landing in the US with what we really need, and a clear plan on what we need to replace. Thank you so much for keeping me sane through this process! ❤️❤️ And thank you, cambriea for your great tips!
Fun! I grew up in the Twin Cities and go back at least a couple times a year (Christmas and at least one other time).
We live just 60 mi. west of Mpls. Sending an early “welcome back” to the North Star state! 😊
Cambriea* Proper nouns have capital letters 😁👍
Ahhh!!! Yay!!! We are getting ready to list our house for sale in a couple weeks and I have already started packing. I am so excited thank you!!
I love idea of buying the set of boxes and limiting yourself to that. That’s exactly what I need
Dawn, how in the world did you know I'm about to move! This couldn't have come at a better time, thanks!
At one point in our lives, we anticipated a move. Having experience with moving twice before, I knew I needed to start with the basement. Well, lo and behold we decided to stay. I had an clean basement. If we could just trick our minds for moving mode, the declutter would have more meaning.
So lovely to hear you don't want things to go to Landfill, heartens my heart, I have that problem with getting rid of stuff because I just don't want it to go to landfill, I keep it till I can donate it some where suitable.
I do think buying moving boxes was worth the investment. Of course use sturdy boxes where you can. But the uhaul boxes are built to be put together, broken down, reused, they are stable, they have decent guidelines on weight to put in all of them. When I was done moving, they were in great shape and I gave them away to someone else who was moving. Made the move so much easier than moves in the past.
Awesome video! Thank you Ladies! I love your channel. I’m moving soon. I’m moving two houses into one so I seriously need to declutter. I’m thinking to move room to room. Kitchen to kitchen, dining room to dining room, master bedroom to master bedroom etc…. Easier than dealing with it all at once. Loving the idea of “Is it Container-Worthy?” My house and garden is my big container. Within that I have several smaller containers which should have a function (rooms, garden and shed) and then, within those smaller containers, even smaller containers (wardrobes/closets, chests of drawers, bookcases, cupboards, etc…). Your ideas about putting a limit on clutter this way is really helpful. Thank you! 😊
Wow !! Was so surprised to see Cambria !!
I loved watching her when she donated her time cleaning peoples houses that had gotten out of order. Thought that was such a generous gift and blessing for those who received it. Hope she does when she comes to Florida, thanks ladies for all the helpful hints.
Hugs Karen 🌴🤟
So nice to see Cambria here, she is an angel 🥰
The tip about buying boxes for the size of your home is super smart!! Spend a little to get great results down the road!! Choosing to declutter while packing will save you so much extra work when you go to set up your new place!! Baby steps with our family members for sure!!!Leading by example is awesome!! Being honest with ourselves is huge!! I love the idea of involving kids in the decluttering process! Helping them to learn this early on!! Thanks so much Cambriea and Dawn!! :)
I close on my new condo Wednesday (after downsizing after my divorce!!) and I’m so excited to throw my stuff away and have a minimal amount of stuff to unpack!
Just a quick comment:
If you can't pack a car or a family van/SUV and drive stuff to the new location and back a couple times the same day, and ESPECIALLY if you have to pay for a moving van or movers to transport your stuff, then it's better to sell or gift or donate your furniture than to pay for moving.
When I move, there is very little I will take with me, furniture-wise. My grandmother's antique pedestal table, the 2 quality folding dining chairs, my 'periscoping' TV console, my full-size futon, a treadle sewing machine, and 3 Library Cubes.
The Library Cubes are 16inches on a side, natural birch, and they're modular. I can make them a shelving unit 3-tall, a seating area or coffee table 1-tall in series; right now, two are stacked as an entry station, holding shoes and weather accessories and mail. I've never seen them anywhere before or since buying them from a Library, and they are infinitely useful and irreplaceable. Plus, I can pack them.
The TV console is wood and iron, attractive, very heavy, and allows me to mount my flatscreen on its central rear telescoping arm. I rent, so I can't mount my 55in flatscreen on the wall, but it works well on the TV console. And I live in earthquake country, so having something that will securely hold my flatscreen is essential.
I live alone, so a full-size futon is all the bed I need, but can also fold into a couch, so I don't need a dedicated bedroom. And the wooden futon frame breaks down into parts that can be transported easily by car or shipped/moved. Frankly, wooden futon frames and full-size futon mattresses are still common enough that I could replace it if I moved far enough.
My grandmother's table is a sentimental piece. It does break down to 2 pieces that will fit in most cars, but I have questioned whether I should let it go, since neither of my kids want it after I'm 'gone'.
The folding dining chairs were hard to find, but they fold and I only need 2.
The treadle sewing machine I still love, as a functioning antique. If I had to, I could do without, but so few of these have survived crafters gutting them and turning them into console tables.
The main thing about all these pieces is that, if necessary and even as a 70-some-year-old, I can carry any one of these.
I can replace the accent armchair, the coffee table, and the bookcases. The armchair and coffee table came from a thrift store; the bookcases came from craigslist. Mostly it's far more economical to replace than to ship. It's only the irreplaceable that makes it difficult. Most of my kitchen stuff I'm likely to leave behind, because it's replaceable. Too often people don't think that they really don't need to hang on to all their old possessions.
When I first found you 2 years ago I started on my mission to declutter, mostly because I don't want to leave all this stuff for someone in my family to deal with when I'm gone. Plus I'll admit to the feeling of being overwhelmed with it all. I'm not a hoarder by any means, I would just by more cabinets to store things in an organized manner. LOL So twice I've already gone through everything and got rid of so much! But then I had to move last month after my house was being sold (I rent), and I literally moved across the street in to a house almost laid out exactly the same. I used my wagon to go back and forth and from one cabinet to another and pretty much avoided having to box anything up. But after all of that, I still have this HUGE amount of stuff that ended up in boxes! Now everything has to serve a purpose before coming into the house from the garage. The pile for Goodwill to pick up grows every weekend. My niece pickups up the small stuff weekly to keep it cleared out so I can continue with my clean out. It is exhilirating to say the least. This move and your videos of encouragement are what gave me the extra boost and incentive I needed to finally go off the "deep end" a get rid of the stuff I've questioned over the past 2 years! Hallelujah!
This is perfect timing! My husband just took the bigger kids to the new house while the baby naps and i pack up their toys! Toys are the hardest for me to declutter, so it's a little stressful even with a quiet house!
It helps to do it when you have a lot of angry energy. 😉
Just be careful not to get carried away and throw out something of value.
To this day my heart hurts because the one thing i regret from one of my angry-purging of my daughters stuff many years ago was a little wooden gun my young son had whittled for her. She never played with it & to her it had little value but it would mean the world to me to still have it.
All the other plastic manufactured items that were purged aren't missed at all by her or me, but that little wooden gun is irreplaceable.
That was really enjoyable and informative. I love your channel and I also love Cambriea's. Never thought of "what you can fit in the box goes and what doesn't gets donated", an awesome tip thanks, Dawn.
Perfect timing as we are packing and getting ready to move
Terrific video 😁. We have lived in the same house for 23 years. This winter (Australia) we are going to pretend we are moving too help with the declutter. "Would I pay the movers to move this?" will be our mantra.
Great idea!!
I'm going to do the same!
This is what I have been doing for the last 2 months! Fill the trash can weekly, donate and press on! It is working great because the kids have asked, "Are we really moving?" haha
We are moving soon and for boxes we hit gumtree ppl who moved sell the boxes on even for free! start now decluterring and project 333 is helping with clothes. we are giving the kids a limit. Other then clothing (I'm doing that) so 4 small boxes and they are allow 1 bigger item(bigger then box eg sons telescope.) Each area has a limit.
Dawn and Cambriea! I watch both of you so excited to see you do a video together! ❤️
One of the best collaborations I've watched!
My sisters & I just moved my mom into a Condo on March 11th. It took us months to go through 60+ years of my parents life! After my dad passed in Aug of 2020, mom needed to downsize. We actually did all these steps to move her. She was a trooper and did great! She threw away a lot & donated so much!! We found treasures from our childhood that we hadn’t seen in 30+ years! My dad saved everything!!! My mom moved and is still purging things we moved! This video was spot on!! Thanks for the great info. I have the decluttering bug!! Now it’s time to declutter my house and “pretend” that I’m moving!!!
Loved chatting with you ❤️
So nice to see the two of you together in one video! So exiting for you Cambriea and your family to move to Florida. Good luck 😘
great tips! I have a tip for you from FL.... we do get cold weather. Keep SOME of your winter clothes. It can get down into the 30's for weeks at a time. Granted, even our "harshest" winters are still nothing compared to actual northern winters, or might be considered a mild winter for y'all. I was just surprised how cold it got when I first moved from PA.
My husband and I are are pretty good about passing along things we don't use, so the clutter crept up on us slowly. A few months ago I realized the last time we had done a major purge was when we had moved 7 years earlier. So I set about going through each cupboard, drawer and shelf treating it as if I was getting ready to move again. I was astonished by how many things I had forgotten I even had! We sold and donated heaps! When I looked at our stuff and spaces with fresh eyes, I identified several pain points and what I just didn't love and have been making small changes that make my home look and function so much better. Knowing that I don't miss anything I let go of and being more in love with my home than ever, I am feeling confident to do another round of simplifying and making little changes (in my habits as well as my space/organization). Less truly is more. Thank you Dawn for all the inspiration and great practical advice.
Excellent advise ladies! Start early (maybe set yourself a false deadline). Even if you’re only thinking of moving, start decluttering today! (If it turns out you don’t move, you’ll be in a calm, decluttered home.). Remember everything that’s easy to just drop in a box, needs to be unpacked and have a place - not as easy or fun - you’re tired by then. You’re going to love FL. We moved here several months ago and I can tell you, you only need 2 pairs of pants and a couple sweatshirts to get through the “cold” days :-). Happy moving!!
Men do have sentimental t-shirts - even if they no longer fit. Have your husband pick out favorites and have a company make a t-shirt quilt out of them. I did this and eliminated 49 shirts! He loves the quilt.
I decluttered 5 years ago, thought we were moving. We didn't tho. Really helped downsizing! I gathered free plastic totes from people 💙
Truth. Our boys are well trained that "everything gets donated". I've been in Ministry 27 years.
This video has come just at the right time as I'm packing to move! Some great tips! Thankyou!!
When I moved the last time, I took it as a chance to reset. My husband and I looked at everything to decide if we loved it enough to pay to move it! A majority of the answers were NOPE!! We had lived in our house for 25 years.
I can so relate...
I have moved A LOT in my 57 years on this Earth. One question I always ask when I know I have to move is : Do I love it enough to move it? 95% of the time, the answer is NO. 😊
@@SusanCSmith-ik3jy great tip - and I would add: do I love it ENOUGH to 1) Pack it, 2) move it or pay to move it, 3) Unpack it in the new house?!
My husband has the same problem with T-shirts! He has 13 work t-shirts, and he wears the same one for a few days, and I do laundry every week, so he really needs half that at most. He also has 13 casual t-shirts, he wears the same one for an hour here or there all week.
I may have just laughed manically at the comment that by the end you are just shoving things in boxes... I was bordering on crazy tears - way too relatable!!
Very timely! I just got my lease renewal letter today. The increase is ridiculous ($350 increase) and I am already at a price I can barely afford. I moved 10 years ago and the memory is still vivid. It DOES take much longer to pack than what you would think. I have 3 weeks to declutter. Those 1-800 got junk guys are super expensive. When I told them 'no thanks' they continued to harness me with phone calls.
Yes!! The tee shirts were the biggest contention we had with my husband’s dresser. He had over 50 of them just in one drawer. He has volunteered for so many things that he always gets tee shirts. I finally Marie Kondo-Ed his drawer and slipped out the ratty old ones and then duplicates. It was a delicate process, but he seems content so far.
We're not planning on moving any time soon, but my Hubby & I have been talking about going through things in case we do have to move in with his Dad to take care of him. Great motivation to get rid of stuff. Great video!
Great tips! I did this 3 yrs ago and I am still so grateful! I started packing when I started house shopping. When we closed we were so excited because we could casually take things into our new house instead of stressfully trying to pack
I enjoy watching both of you. Good luck to Cambria and her family in their new endeavors. If you have time it helps to declutter before you move which isn’t always the case. It will really help if you think “must haves” so you don’t pack a lot of things you don’t need and can easily replace.
I miss our military moves. Even as we had kids, it was like it was suddenly easy to see what was trash and what was not worth transporting when it was time to move on. The first 8 years of our marriage it was very easy to remain streamlined. LOL
We’ll be moving soon and I look forward to getting rid of things as we go ♥️ Fresh start with a new home!
Two of my favorites, The Minimal Mom and Living with Cambria!
I agree you should start at a young age with your kids if you can. I started this journey once my oldest was a teenager so it is a lot harder for him than my seven-year-old who I started younger. My oldest has gotten a lot better over the years but it's a struggle for him. Recently we did an extreme purge of toys and kids items in preparation for a move. My oldest has realized since how much easier it is for him to manage his things and how it is easier for him to maintain a clean room. He agrees it was worth all the hard work to have less stress and more free time.
My neighbor has a huge table in front of her house intended for people to put give aways on. My decluttering is made easy....every time I walk out the door, an item to release comes with me, just like taking keys with me...and gets dropped onto the table. And I have not spent money on clothes in years...recycling removes the feelings of "I can't let go of that since I paid good money for it."
THANK YOU!!! I'm in the middle of packing right now. I've filled quite a few trash bags of donations and actual trash 🥳🥳🥳 Blessings 🤍🤍🤍
LOL I’m moving in less than 2 weeks so I pretty much have to do a room a day …. So stressful. Thanks for the tips.
I love CambrieaI watch her all the time.She is so capable and motivating and such a good mother!
I 100% agree with decluttering first! We’re moving within the next few months and I have decluttered SO MUCH! We went ahead and got a storage unit so I’ve been taking things over slowly. I have donated and thrown out more than I’ve taken to storage so far! I have a huge bin of my 3 year olds toys in there so that way I could be “show ready” faster, but now I might just not open it like you mentioned, Dawn! Thank you for this! Cambriea is amazing! I’ve followed her for years! 😍
I like the idea of starting early and taking one room a week. It would only take a few months and plan extra time at the end for a garage! I always have the mindset that Once I start I have to be done within a week or so. It wouldn’t feel so overwhelming to do a room a week. Thanks!
I found you about a week ago when I was searching for decluttering videos because we are moving and I’m really struggling with it. Listening to your videos while I’m going through things, decluttering, and packing…. And prepping for a yard sale. Anyways, listening to your videos while doing it all has been a huge, huge motivator for me. I appreciate you so much!
You also have been super inspirational for minimizing so much of our stuff for our new place.
yes! such a great video! love all of this! the attachment to kids stuff is so true!
Love Cambriea! I watch both of you regularly and get inspiration with every video. Great tips all around.
Good tips. I donated 17 boxes to Diabetes one time that I moved. I started as soon as I knew we had to move and it made it so helpful.
I moved from MN to FL 18 years ago. Just bring a lot of summer clothes and just a few cold weather clothes! I have only one winter coat. You will love FL!!!
Planning on hopefully moving in a year or two…start the declutter now!
THIS is the whole reason I found your channel and subscribed!! God willing I'll be moving next year and I realized I'm not willing to carry soooo many things with me- especially when the majority of my clothes don't even suit my current season in life.
I'm cleaning out a drawer as I watch this.
Perfect timing! Your last video just got done playing!
Oh my gosh! I needed this so much. We are getting ready to move cross states and it is so much to do. We're downsizing and getting rid of so much. Thanks for the ideas and motivation.
Thanks for sharing this conversation. I am not planning to move, but it helps to hear what values people bring to decluttering. These values remind me of the importance of assessing the usefulness of the items in my home. Thanks again!
Love Cambriea she’s so real x
I can totally relate to this situation. Getting ready for a big move and currently going through boxes that have stayed packed from previous moves. Thanks for the declutter motivation!
When we did our last big interstate move, I rented a truck that was about 1/2 of what we owned... and seriously downsized as we packed. It was very clarifying, and really satisfying!
Y-Line has awesome moving boxes. We bought boxes with the same base dimensions, 16"x16" so they stack efficiently! Excellent!!!!
*Uline
Have lived in FL since 2003 and moved from Upstate NY and had sub zero temps and121 inches of snow the winter before we left. For you and your husband, keep winter gear for yourselves gloves, scarves, hats-better to know where you stored what you have then to buy new later! I have kept my same winter coat (called Grimace bc it's big and purple) for often longer than 2 weeks worth every winter since we came down here. If your kids are into any outdoor activities later - sitting on a bleacher for January football or soccer is crazy!) I had the room to store it, takes up zero space and it looks as good as it did the year we moved because it doesn't get a lot of wear.
Plus great for any travel to colder climates
Perfect timing! We are moving in a couple weeks.
I have moved several times and decluttering is so key. You accumulate stuff at each move. If you don’t get rid of thing not needed, you will get overwhelmed.
So good to see her on your channel!
I’ve been watching Cambriea for a long time!!
Thanks!!!
Good morning Dawn and Cambria!!! Loved seeing you guys together... loved all the tips! God bless you both🌷🌷
We moved from Kansas to Florida and they will probably declutter even more when they live here for a little bit. My husband and I saved 5 winter outfits for when we go back to visit family. We have one tub of winter coats, snow pants and winter boots. We left behind a large couch because we didn’t want to pay for a bigger uhaul. We rented before we bought our house and it made us realize how much we actually used and had a garage sale when we bought our house. It’s sometimes cheaper to buy new furniture rather than paying for it to be moved across country.
Yeah, I fell for it, thought you were moving, even though you’ve said you’re in your dream home! Many excellent tips!
Sue Wolfe- I'm a native Floridian who moved north. You're right, in Florida, you need basically one season of clothes, with a few sweaters. We lived in shorts and only wore jeans maybe once a year! So, those heavy winter clothes can get left behind!! You'll enjoy the freedom, Cambria!
Thank you, indeed, for this informative and encouraging video!
We’re just getting ready to move!!! Thank you so much Dawn!
HI DAWN. I was watching one of your more current videos and did a search for this topic. Wish I would have done so before the day I am renting a storage space, but very helpful. My husband was also military so we have moved a lot. It gets somewhat easier, but really hoping to declutter during this process and not continue moving stuff I will never need.