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Monday, January 4, 2021

Out With the Old In With the New



A new year is here. One of the traditions listed in the Spiritual Literacy blog post, in regards to holiday celebrations such as Yule and Omisoka, involves decluttering. After all, holidays tend to arrive with gifts, and if you are looking to make room for the new, you may just have to do a little "out with the old". Here's to a fresh start and may 2021 bring you what you need.



"New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup feels your pain--she has been there too. Through personal stories, Biblical truth, and practical action plans, she will inspire and empower each of us to finally declutter not just our home, but our mind and soul as well. Unstuffed is real, honest, and gets, right down to the question we are all facing--how can we take back our lives from the stuff that is weighing us down? ,"--Amazon.com.



The decluttering craze meets a passion for sustainable living and interior design in this gorgeous new book for readers of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. 

This book promises an opportunity for self-reflection and lasting change, by getting to the bottom of why we've accumulated too much stuff in the first place, therefore allowing us to transform our lives. Professional decluttering and design team Cary and Kyle of New Minimalism will take you through every step, from assessing your emotional relationship to your stuff to decluttering your home to then turning it into a beautifully designed space that feels clean and tidy without feeling sparse or prescriptive. And all of this without filling up a landfill--you'll find resources and strategies to donate and reuse your stuff so you don't have to feel guilty about getting rid of it



In Sweden, there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." Margareta instructs readers to embrace minimalism and suggest which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you'd ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children's art projects). Digging into her late husband's tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way, readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.



Modern life has produced so much clutter that the thought of packed closets, attics filled with storage bins, and rental units specifically used to store odds and ends produces its own stress. The decluttering movement offers solutions for those interested in reducing the amount of stuff in their life and embrace a more minimalist, tidier lifestyle. 

Professional organizer Jane Stoller helps you bypass the stress of a tidying project by offering simple, proven methods for organizing every space in your life--even your mind 
Build a new mindset for minimalist living
Declutter your home, office, and digital life
Develop new routines for a tidier life
Establish minimalist practices 

From adopting a decluttering mindset to finding new homes for unwanted items, this is the book you'll need to keep handy after the big cleanup 



"The workplace is a magnet for clutter and mess. Who hasn't felt drained by wasteful meetings, disorganized papers, endless emails, and unnecessary tasks? These are the modern-day hazards of working, and they can slowly drain the joy from work, limit our chances of career progress, and undermine our well-being. There is another way. In Joy at Work bestselling author and Netflix star Marie Kondo and Rice University business professor, Scott Sonenshein offers stories, studies, and strategies to help you eliminate clutter and make space for work that really matters. Using the world-renowned KonMari Method and cutting-edge research, Joy at Work will help you overcome the challenges of workplace mess and enjoy the productivity, success, and happiness that come with a tidy desk and mind.."--Amazon.



"With clarity and humor, bestselling author of The Four Tendencies and The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin illuminates one of her key realizations about happiness: For most of us, outer order contributes to inner calm. And for most of us, a rigid, one-size-fits-all solution doesn't work. In this easy-to-read but hard-to-put-down book, Gretchen Rubin suggests more than 150 short, concrete clutter-clearing ideas so each reader can choose the ones that resonate most. The fact is, when we tailor our approach to suit our own particular challenges and habits, we're far more likely to be able to create the order that will make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. In the context of a happy life, a messy desk or crowded coat closet is a trivial problem--yet Gretchen Rubin has found that getting control of our stuff makes us feel more in control of our lives. By getting rid of things we don't use, don't need, or don't love, as well as things that don't work, don't fit, or don't suit, we free our mind (and our shelves) for what we truly value. In this trim book filled with insights, strategies, and sometimes surprising tips, Gretchen tackles the key challenges of creating outer order, by explaining how to "Make Choices," "Create Order," "Know Yourself--and Others," "Cultivate Helpful Habits," and, of course, "Add Beauty." At home, at work, and in life, when we get our possessions under control we feel both calmer and more energetic. With a sense of fun, and also a clear idea of what's realistic for most people, Gretchen Rubin suggests dozens of manageable steps for creating a more serene, orderly environment--one that helps us to create the lives we yearn for"-- Provided by publisher.



Can a decluttered space fuel a creative mind? Heck yes, says organizing expert Fay Wolf, who has helped everyone from Hollywood celebrities to schoolteachers to work-from-home parents achieve a simpler, more fulfilling life. Wolf outlines her basic rules for saying goodbye to the stuff crowding up your space and hello to new habits that free you up for the things you're passionate about. And it can all be done in as little as a few minutes a day.



One of today's most influential minimalist advocates, Joshua Becker used to spend his days accumulating more and more. But then he realized his possessions were not only failing to make him happy, but they were also keeping him from the very things that do. Instead of bringing fulfillment, they brought distraction. In The More of Less, Joshua helps you recognize the life-giving benefits of owning less; realize how all the stuff you own is keeping you from pursuing your dreams; craft a personal, practical approach to decluttering your home and life; recognize why you buy more than you need; discover greater contentment, less envy, and more joy; experience the joys of generosity, and learn why the best part of minimalism isn't a clean house, it's a full life. It's time to own your possessions instead of letting them own you. After all, the beauty of minimalism isn't in what it takes away. It's in what it gives.--COVER.



Offers tips for helping teens to become organized at school, at home, and while out, in a guide that shares step-by-step recommendations for decluttering, overcoming disorganized habits, and managing a schedule.

For a bit of fictional decluttering try:



"Ellen Curtis runs her own business helping people who are running out of space. As a declutterer, she is used to encountering all sorts of weird and wonderful objects in the course of her work. What she has never before encountered is a dead body. When Ellen stumbles across the body of a young woman in an over-cluttered flat, suspicion immediately falls on the deceased homeowner's son, who has recently absconded from prison. No doubt Nate Ogden is guilty of many things - but is he really the killer? Discovering a link between the victim and her own past, Ellen sets out to uncover the truth. But where has her best friend disappeared to? And is Ellen really prepared for the shocking revelations to follow?"--Publisher.

And here's something to help declutter the spirit:



"An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down. Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a breakup, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time but embraced the singular opportunities it offered. A moving personal narrative shot through with lessons from literature, mythology, and the natural world, May's story offers instruction on the transformative power of rest and retreat. Illumination emerges from many sources: solstice celebrations and dormice hibernation, C.S. Lewis and Sylvia Plath swimming in icy waters, and sailing Arctic seas. Ultimately Wintering invites us to change how we relate to our own fallow times. May models an active acceptance of sadness and finds nourishment in deep retreat, joy in the hushed beauty of winter, and encouragement in understanding life as cyclical, not linear. A secular mystic, May forms a guiding philosophy for transforming the hardships that arise before the ushering in of a new season"-- Provided by publisher.

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