Dear Carla, I would’ve preferred to contact you personally and privately, but I couldn’t find a way to do it. Perhaps it was meant to be and that my situation can somehow help somebody else. I really just want to let you know how much I enjoy your videos, and of course Sweet Sampson. ran across your videos quite by accident a few days ago - - actually longer than that. The first video I watched in its entirety was the garage clean out where the man’s wife was out of town, and he wanted to surprise her. There was something very captivating about the video - about decision making process as you were clearing things out. I enjoyed the upbeat mood that both you and the gentleman had as you worked. The end result was amazing. I went on to watch other videos, and I’ve spent several evenings taking mental notes and watching amazing things happen. A little history of my situation is a sad one at the moment. In June my husband was diagnosed quite out of the blue with cancer. By July 16 he was gone. I am 67 and he was a very active 79. We had over 42 years together and we were as much in love on the day passed away as we ever were. It was only today today that I have felt strong enough to begin moving a few things around in the house. I started with the bedroom because that was the last video I watched of yours as you organized a couples house. My bedroom seems to be the biggest trigger for my emotions. Specifically, his slacks are hanging on the hook where he left them and so many things that are truly just his and his alone. I began by cleaning out my entire side of closet. (I don’t have the strength or the heart to move anything in his closet.) I got everything out of my closet and donated two bags of clothing - took all the knickknacks off of my shelf - all the stuff off the very top shelf and that took about four hours. I decided to go buy the containers. (baskets) I also found a large canvas picture to put over the bed that says some thing I don’t remember right now something about I’m blessed and a beautiful picture of water with a small bridge, I just want you to know how much I appreciate your videos and the effort you put into them. I live in Houston Texas and lately I feel really alone. My 19-year-old grandson is staying with me and has been since my husband got sick. He’s a very special young man. When I’m all done, I’ll try to send you an after photo. Just want you to know I appreciate the motivating videos and tell you how much it helped me find the strength to make a move to what seems to be the right direction. Much love to Sampson and a huge thank you for you. Holley
Carla, I'm 72 and still learning how to edit out what is not meaningful. Thanks for the inspiration. Lol at Samson's bedding hoard. That boy is shameless.
Thank you Carla!! I legit have tears, you are SO real (and so beautiful! 😍), showing us the actual details like phone calls, breaking down boxes, rest breaks, thinking it through…all of it, just normal, is SOOOO refreshing! 😭 I feel like you’ve lifted a huge weight off my shoulders, that I’m not doing this alone. I live realistically and just thank you, thank you, thank you!! 🥰💝🦋
This was good to watch. I’m a professional organizer and sometimes the only thing I do in a session with a liner is help take out their garbage and break down boxes. It makes the most impact. Great job!
I feel really lucky that I live in an area where you can just leave stuff next to a trash can on the street and it will be gone within the day, most times within an hour actually. Anything that is not broken gets picked up by someone really fast. I've even had instances where I would bring stuff down in pieces and the first piece was already taken by the time it took me to climb up the stairs to my flat and bring down the second piece. Saves so much time and energy.
Hi Carla! Great job on clearing out your home from the goods designated to leave. To avoid the overload of getting these kinds of tasks done, I created a system that works for me. I have bins in my trunk for different donations, returns, etc. When I head out each day, I take anything that needs to leave to my car. I have an e-waste box, a battery recycle bin, dog shelter donation bin (old towels, linens, beds, etc), can & bottle recycling bin, returns tote, donations tote, hazardous waste bin, and blankets/coats bin for homeless shelter donations. It may seem like a lot but it really isn’t. When I see a place where I can drop stuff of at, I can do it right then. And it keeps my home clutter free!
Great suggestions and I donate to several organizations. I’m going to create several bins today. 1 bin for the local homeless shelter, 1 bin pet shelter , 1 bin for food drop off and 1 for the domestic violence shelter. Hazardous waste and old tech bins as well. We have recycling pickup here. We also have the VVA pickup here. Thank you.
Carla, I was watching a video by Rajiv Surendra the other day. He mentioned a quote by William Morris,”Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” What you said at the end of this video reminded me of the quote🙂
Hey Carla I appreciate your channel. You start from the beginning to the end, we hear your thoughts, we hear about your decision making and you don't fill your videos with crazy music (house/pop) . I enjoy the music selections. Please continue to post your videos. It's a struggle sometimes just trying to get through all this clutter and indecisions.
My biggest obstacle is lack of time and energy. When you work 10 hour shifts and the last thing you want to do back home is to declutter. I might need a whole month off to declutter everything in my house 😅😅😅
I love your videos and following the progress on making your flat a home. Tip for hanging the art - you can get metal wire to attach to the back of the corners on the frame and then you just need to find the center of your wall.
I always procrastinate on boxes getting broken down, too. You may not have this problem since you're in an apartment, but if you have more cardboard than will fit in the recycling, you can wet the boxes down with a hose outside and leave them for a few minutes. They will get really soft, so you can easily tear them into pieces and make them fit in your recycling bin better, and of course they can still be recycled. I saw a guy doing this on Instagram or something and I was like WHOA. Not that it makes me get to them any faster, but at least I have a trick for when I finally do it! :) IDK if you see comments on old videos but I'm enjoying going through your back catalog Carla. :)
The struggle is super real. I live on the second floor and I swear the garbage bin seems like it’s a mile away some days…lol 😅😂. We did the same thing today. I got a new dining table so the old one got taken apart and put by the dumpster and I did a Home Goods run to replace things like ugly dish towels and oven mitts. Old glass storage ware that was hard to open and some that had old lids. I was doing the wipe the drawer out wash the new stuff and reorganize it. I did repurpose some drawer containers to hold the lids so they’re not doing a dance when I open the drawer. I’ve been waiting 4 years to get the cabinet I want in the living room and the dining table is my 4th attempt (SMH) at the right fit. We are all right there with you trying to figure it all out ❤👊🏼
Well done Carla! Procrastinating is my big dilemma too, plastic tubs still sitting in the dining room. You did great and hope you got a nice reward! That cutie Samson just loves all the beds. 😊🎃🧡
This morning I bought a battery organizer at Costco. Best decision I ever made! The baskets in my junk cuboard where out of control. Batteries everywhere. Now everything is organized and in it's place and the organizer came with a battery tester, which allowed me to test them all and threw out the dead ones. Like you said, inch by inch, is a cinch!!
I'd decluttered 114 Things from my home today. It feels so good. Tomorrow i'll bring it all to a donation place. Have a nice week, love your videos. Greetings from Germany 🤗
I love this video! A few months ago, I took 5 big bags to donate, books to a little library, trash out, recycling out too and it was such a huge weight lifted and gone! It felt so good to get rid of so much and hopefully bless others! Great job you! I bet you feel great too after all that!
Such a relatable video! The hang-ups are REAL! I do have some things I need to declutter, but right now, I'm more so working on curbing the urge to ACQUIRE more things!!
What has been extremely helpful to me is instituting a "no buy" policy & asking myself whenever I go shopping if it a need or a want. If it is a want & I already have something like it at home I don't buy it. Also the painful declutters of years past has stuck with me & made me very mindful as well as intentional of what I bring into the home. Good luck on your journey.
Hi Carla 👋 I have a love hate relationship with boxes. I used to have a small business so I kept boxes to keep from buying new ones when I mailed my orders. I also find crafting boxes fun😊 I need help🤣 I've been living in my apartment for nearly 12yrs & I feel like I haven't stopped decluttering since moving day. It's super hard to find anyone who wants to help me or has the time. Decluttering is a monumental task & doing alone is daunting. I love watching your videos they are super motivating 💗 Thank you 💗
It’s so much easier when you have someone there to help!! that’s why whenever I shoot a Declutter with friends episode, were able to get so much done in one day !! ❤️
Good job Carla! It does feel good to get the donations/recycling out of the house. I just ran a trunk load to the donation drop off today also. When the corner of the room I use to stage bags/boxes of donations gets filled, I drop it off and start the process over. A layer at a time.
Love this - it's so real, and not something other decluttering videos have shown! Also your dog is adorable 😍 I did laugh when he sat on the 'Donate' dog bed. I recently sold a cat tree on fb marketplace because my cat didn't use it. Sure enough, the day I sold it, he plonked himself right on it! Keep up the good work, you're inspiring us all ❤
You are so right. The hardest part of decluttering for me is taking donations to their final destination. I can get it to the car (trunk) or garage, but it seems to get stuck there. The closest donation center is out of the way from my normal routes. Bigger items (e.g. furniture) have to be picked up and the local center doesn’t pickup in my neighborhood, nor do any of the usual donation places for furniture.
Just when I thought you couldn’t get any cooler! 🎸 I also had an electric guitar when I was a teenager but never learned to play. I don’t have it anymore. I still want to learn to play one day. It’s on my bucket list. 😉
Hanging art tip - take some masking tape ( think it's called the same in the states) tape it to the back of the art work. Mark where you need to hang/where the hooks are onto the tape with pen/pencil remove the tape and stick it to the wall you can then play about getting the tape straight and centred on the wall without yet committing to a nail or command strip ( it shouldn't be too sticky now and rip the paint) When you have it right use the marks you made to place the nail/ command strip to the wall. :)
The thrift stores close to me have all closed so now I have to drive farther away. There is a thrift near my job but I usually want to go home to let my dog out. I need to plan out this week.
I use the big paper bags for garden waste (like you buy at Home Depot) for my cardboard. As soon as the box comes in the house, it gets broken down and chucked in the paper bag. The paper bag goes out on Tuesday (there’s a reminder in my phone). I found that if there is a designated system, then no decisions need to be made. Just execute on the plan.
It might be helpful for you to have a recycling container that’s a size you can comfortably carry downstairs to the dump container. That way when it’s full you know to take it downstairs. Also have errands post-it-note in your car and by the door you leave your apartment. In this way you can be aware of what recycling, donating chores you have to do and when you’re in that area you can drop it off. That way you’re not spending a whole day on recycling, donating errands.
I had a problem getting everything out too. I started putting it back where I put the groceries. I HAVE TO empty the car before I can get groceries. Works great!
It’s easy to accumulate stuff, it’s hard to get rid of it. It’s easy to spend money, hard to make it. It’s easy to say something, it’s hard to take it back. And on it goes.
I have had those days, after weeks/months of procrastination on the last step on decluttering. It feels amazing! Currently, building a stack of donate/sell/returns to get rid of before winter.
Samson is so funny i love him so much. Also thank you Carla for these videos they help a lot, i have been procrastinating about cleaning and decluttering my room for over a year now, i have made progress this weekend only from your videos. You are an inspiration to a lot of us. I wish you the best
Really dislike how not streamlined donating stuff is. Like ideally we would have one place to drop off anything and then someone would sort it out to libraries, animal/homeless/women’s shelters, etc. But of course that would cost money so if anything it encourages people to just throw things away out of convenience. Proud of you for making all those trips to make sure everything has a good home ❤
I get throwing things in the trash some of the time. It isn't always cost effective to get it to the right places. I live in AZ and I tried researching places that could take different types of items and materials. A few companies I did find no longer take a lot of things and companies in other states that do are too expensive to ship things to. I'm not rollin' in money like that so if a donation center won't take it then it goes into the trash. On another note. I LUV your little reading nook.
I bought a large old school garbage can (like you'd leave on the curb for garbage day) with the specific purpose of using it as a "get it out of my house" device. I tell myself that once it's full of donations, I HAVE to take care of it. As usual, right now it is currently completely full, AND another pile sitting next to it. LOL! Getting the darned stuff out of the house, after I've made the decision to, is one of my biggest hurdles, without a doubt. I feel ya!
Regarding put wall art use a painters tape. Put it on the back of the art frame mark where you need to put a nail etc. Then remove the tape put on the wall level it adjusting tape as needed then right on the tape nail in your nails and remove the tape from wall and hang your art🥰🏞
Your video reminds me of how blessed I am to live in a single story place with a staging place in the garage (more blessings having a garage) for donations on the ways the car. And further to have a donation place that takes Everything and parcels out to other places including the food bank and animal rescue. I would wish some or all of that to other people and continue to ket my donation place know how much I appreciate them!
Awesome clean and declutter again ! Thank you so much for filming while emptying and taking out the trash at 13:59 👌 As I struggle so much to declutter stuff that can't be sold/donated I love that you've filmed while tossing the decluttered bag into the same bag as the bathroom trash so you can't go back on your decision of whatever you've put in that bag 😁 I tend to use a clean bag for decluttering things I struggle (magazines/catalogs/nicer clothes stores flyers and clothes that can't be donated) and then I leave that bag in the garage for months 🤭 I just hope you've didn't had any of those things in that bag as if you have, I hope you'll film while tossing any of those things 😊
Samson and the “dog beds” 🛌 was hilarious 😂😂😂😂when he got into the one he never uses I busted out laughing 😂❤Great video as always Carla, I really like new chair and guitar 🎸 stand❤❤❤❤I can’t wait to see how it comes together once the art 🖼 work is hung up 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
When I started watching this video I literally turned it off and went to the hardware store to buy things to hang my paintings. I’ve had three leaning against the wall for months now. Ty for the inspiration!
I have 8 dog beds currently in my 2 bedroom place. (2 big dogs). I literally don't even know where some of them came from. AND, my current 2 dogs don't even like beds. They prefer the floor (huskies, what can you say). I'm going to donate a couple to the animal shelter. I didn't know they would want used beds. I honestly think some of these beds may have multiplied, because I don't think I bought all of these. :)
Packaging really is such a pain the arse. Deliveries stress me out, because I know I'll have to deal with all the 'stuff' - and I don't even shop that much!
Great video! That’s such a real issue, what to do with all the stuff we decluttering!! Thanks for addressing that and how difficult it is and for showing how to work it out. Very inspiring! Oh and I love how cute Samson is!! Laying on the bed you decided to donate. 😂
Carla - I can SO relate to making the decision to let go of things & as you said - it's the thousand mile journey to then actually get it out of the house & to where it's ultimately going....uughhh!! Why is it always like that? To that end - one thing that became a deal breaker after a while w/premade food delivery services are the boxes & packaging which I find overwhelming!! But I say good on you to whomever it does work for!! And I know that being out of breath feeling too! I live in a third floor walk up & it's 4 flights to the recycling - lol! - I have all these neatly broken down boxes in larger boxes right behind me as I type this - lol!! And right now I don't have a working vehicle - so the struggle which is normally a struggle - is Real!! But first world problems I guess - tho it does affect the mind & the spirit having those things hanging around & over our heads! I know it felt so good for you to get finally get all of that stuff out of your apt! So Inspiring!! 💫 On another note, those Yoga style leggings look bomb on your tall self!! Very flattering! Your apt is also coming together & looking lovely! 💚Gurrl - just hang the art by eye! I have never measured to hang my art & it has always looked great! I think you're putting too much stress on yourself about it.... here's a hack - put a bit of toothpaste on the hanger or hangers on the back of the art even if u plan to use Command strips - find your spot to hang - press the piece firmly against the wall in that spot- the toothpaste will leave the mark or marks & hammer in your nail or use Command strips & boom art hung!! Looks like u managed to hang a mirror on the wall successfully!?I have a guitar (mine is also full of dust right now) that has lived in my apt for many years. Still trying to decide if I want mine to sit in a stand or hang on the wall...it's always just leaned against the wall in the corner! Sorry my comments tend to be so lengthy - but I can relate to you on so many things !! Hope you are well my friend! Take good care! 🙏
I've only ever ordered one thing from Amazon. It was a pair of shoes, that I needed to replace, that I couldn't find anywhere else. I never realized just how much stuff people order until I saw it on RU-vid. It's mind blowing. I have professional art handlers in the family. I can tell you that the center of your piece, or grouping, should be 57" from the floor. And, I wouldn't suggest using Command Strips. Samson laying on the bed, that you decluttered, made me 😅. I love the little library!
It's true. There can be a lot of resistance in terms of getting rid of donations, recycling, trash, returns, etc. It's not even necessarily that you aren't willing to have a bag of, say, blankets leave your house. In my case, I don't have a car. I use car sharing services, the most common of which costs me $0.45/minute. I have a big bag of bottles to return for refund (that will return money to me I've already spent but the car will cost as much or more than the refund), some boxes of fragile memorabilia that I packed up and brought from my rural place that will have to go in my small city storage, some items for donation, a return to take back to IKEA. You get the idea. Some of these things will be done after mid-week, when I get paid again and when I already know I have items from my storage that I need to bring back for use (outside on my deck) over the first week of October. But it's easy to put stuff off when taking things is somehow not easy or not convenient. And, in the meantime, my tiny studio is overwhelmed by the extra items! Good work getting those things out of your home!
Your Samson commentary was spot on and absolutely hilarious 😂. I have the same trouble getting that last step done with decluttered items. I am guilty of driving around with a bag of donation clothes in my trunk for a couple of weeks. your little reading corner looks amazing. It’s nice that you can still enjoy it now while you look for the exact piece that you want.
You got sooo much done. I love checking things off my to do lists. Although I’ve had the same box of donations in my trunk for about a month, oops😂😂 Another great one Carla, love the reading nook❤
So many little jobs. I decluttered my bedroom last week. Feels so good to do. But hundreds of little jobs yet to go. Thanks for the inspiration to keep going.
I also am afraid to hang pictures in our house. 😜 We have plaster walls & it’s tricky. PS be aware that the smart plugs you plan on using may emit very high-pitched frequencies that negatively affect Samson!
Hi Carla... I always look forward to your videos. Thank you for keeping things real. I appreciate the slow pacing - like I am just a fly on the wall in your home, going through everything you realistically do on a regular/normal day. Please keep the videos coming. I always get excited when I see a new one up!❤
I’ve had 6 boxes filled with donations that have been sitting at the end of my bed for months. I’m going to try my hardest to at least take them downstairs tomorrow 😂 Getting it out of the house is the hard part for me!
