I wrote EVERYTHING that come into my house in Dec. | Over 1,350 items!

[@thrifty_wifemomma_of2331]

Since you automatically put recycling in your laundry room, try to beat the system and put a recycling bin in your laundry room and possibly a trash can as well. I realize the space is small and it isn’t ideal, but it will trick you into forming the new habit of putting it in its appropriate bin since it’s the location you put it in anyway. You can always move the bin and retrain later once it’s established routine. Being in a designated bin will still look and feel more organized than it being in the floor. It also will be contained 😊

[@greatauntlizbethg9137]

Please pit a like on the original comment, I really eant ms heart to see this

[@lisemeitner3915]

Could locate the recycle bin to right outside the back door. That way it’s easily accessible and doesn’t take space in the laundry room.

[@katia_gabriella]

When I lived in an area that recycled, I had a big brown paper bag in my room next to the trash can. Guess what? Most of my "trash", actually almost ALL of it, was recycling!!!!!

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so much my friend 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼 That’s a great idea and we were planning on doing that!!!

[@Rose_is_a_Rose_]

Shocking! Starting to understand my situation too now. Its management of all those things that come in. And a lot of those things are just inevitable. Groceriee for example. To make dec easier, i try to buy as many groceries as possible in november. Also non holiday things that are on the list and need to be bought sometime soon. To get it off my mind. And avoid an avalanche coming in all at once. Truly of course, it also is, all the unpacking, dealing with boxes (keep or trash..) and recyclingbof all the tiny parts (in hollands recycling is very strict ) amd washing of any new sheet or towels or clothes. All this on top of an already full life. And trashimg the house by decorating and pulling all kinds of stuff from the attic..

[@o0Theresa0o]

Some strategies to consider: - make the other people in your household responsible for their own things. If they need candy for a meet-up, that's their job to orchestrate (e.g., ask for a ride to the store and pick it out). It is not on your task list, it's on theirs and they need to take ownership of it. It is *so* important that the kids are learning these skills so they can be functional adults who know how to manage their own stuff. Planning, scheduling, organizing are key skills that the boys need to develop. - put a sign on your mailbox that says "no unaddressed mail". There are tons of free print-outs you can get from google images that you could tape to the box. At least this should reduce the amount of junk you're getting. - start developing a dedicated clear out time that EVERYONE in the household engages in. An hour every Sunday night or something. Again, the kids need to learn how to take care of this themselves, but also, it is NOT YOUR JOB to manage every teeny tiny item that comes in and out of your home. - create systems that work with the flow of your home. As others have pointed out, if recycling always lands somewhere, put a recycling bin there. If you all dump your stuff at the door when you come in, create a dedicated dumping ground for your stuff. Go around and look at your hotspots and ask "what system can be put here to make this easier/more efficient?". Who cares if it looks pretty. It just needs to work. If you consider that you spend, on average, 1 minute managing every item, that's 1350/60 = 22.5 hours!! You spent nearly an entire 24 hour day of your life dealing with stuff in December (and that's probably pretty conservative). Is this how you want to live your life? A whole day, gone, every month because you're managing stuff instead of enjoying your time or using it to be meaningfully productive? Relinquish control and come up with systems. This isn't entirely your burden and those kids *NEED* to learn how to manage this, too.

[@amara560]

Love all these tips! So well put

[@kaycee625]

Brilliant!! For all the mama bears out there who do way too much for their families.

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so so much for writing all this out for us!!! My children do have their tasks and chores that they manage, like their rooms and their own laundry, etc. But it might be time to add some other chores too ❤️🙏🏼❤️

[@usflin]

That was one of my first thoughts as well. Why is she cleaning up their candy? If they are old enough to go to swim meets and exchange gifts, they are old enough to be responsible for their gifts. Parents can set an example of how to manage their (parents) own things, and get kids involved with managing their (kids) own things.

[@josephdaly2015]

Omg that’s unbelievable. What an eye opener. It would be interesting to see how much less comes into the house in January and definitely do a comparison with December 2025. Hope Tyler is better. Have a great week. Mary, Joes wife 🙇‍♀️👏👍💪🙏💐🐈🦄

[@Minimalistmomlife]

I did this in 2020/2021 and called it the “gate keeper challenge”. 12 months of counting everything that came in and went out. I didn’t include mail/food/toilet paper type stuff. It was very interesting. We are a family of 7 and we brought in 759, and 791 went out. I even calculated what was bought by us, given to us, used up, donated, outgrown, and broken. I highly recommend everyone do it. Simplifying is just as much about decluttering as it is about limiting consumption. Cheering you on! ❤ I hope Tyler feels better soon!

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so much for sharing with us my friend!!! Easier to do without counting mail, groceries, etc!!!

[@sevenjane1]

Happy New Year and I hope Tyler is better now xxx

[@myonlinepresence7833]

Amazing. You're doing social science with this analysis. What a brilliant discovery and a great encouragement for all of us to be mindful about what we are bringing into our homes.

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so so much my friend ❤️🙏🏼❤️ I hope it’s helpful for everyone!!!

[@mcembra2546]

I absolutely LOVE your dedication to understanding yourself, your habits, your environment, and your desire to both learn about and alter behaviors that you were unaware of before.

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so much for your kind words! ❤️🙏🏼❤️ That means so much to me 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼

[@almariekuit56]

Flabbergasting! This year my friends and I went to no gifting each other, except for a beloved 4 year old. We had a fabulous lunch instead. That cut down on things coming into the home. Feel better Tyler. Greetings from Australia. 😊

[@katia_gabriella]

Mom gifted us adult kids a hibachi lunch for Christmas 😄

[@ahoardersheart]

Oh I just love that you and your friend had a fabulous lunch together in lieu of gifts ❤️🇦🇺 We’ve cut down our gift giving to friends over the years!!!

[@milenaperdigao6959]

Praying for Tyler. I hope your son gets better sun.🙏🙏🙏 I love your videos. xxx

[@AgnesVandenBosch]

I do something similar on my iPad ‘notes’. I don’t track consumables or mail because if it is junk it will go in the trash right away. I keep a list of items and the number of items coming in to the house and the number of items going out. I’ve been doing this for 4 years now. It is encouraging to me when I see a larger number going out than coming in 😊.

[@RaeC5280]

I've done the same for the last 2 years! It's been so impactful to see how many things have come in and out of my house

[@josmith2002]

@@RaeC5280Wow- I love this ❤❤❤

[@HBSVMom]

Prayers for Tyler & entire family for full recoveries❤

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so so much my friend!! That means the world to me right now ❤️🙏🏼❤️

[@HBSVMom]

@ahoardersheart ❤️sending more prayers & healing with extra hugs from your Florida pal, Michelle 🌞

[@crowcalls]

Holding Tyler and your family in the light! I have been cleaning my parents’ place slowly and gently and have recently seen them starting to join me in that spontaneously - very encouraging!

[@ahoardersheart]

Oh that’s wonderful news to hear!! So happy to hear your parent’s have been helping you too 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼

[@teeouleeks5814]

This is such an important thing to do when you want to get on top of having a more simplified home with less stuff in it. Well done to you! I have ADHD but my brain is wired more for order and uncluttered spaces. I watch a lot of decluttering channels where the people clearly have ADHD (diagnosed or not) and so many seem to miss this important step of reducing what comes in to your house in the first place. Though I understand why people buy stuff because like me, it's a nice little shot of dopamine at the time! But you see it in videos where the person does a great job decluttering and then a month later they have to do it all over again because their room is filled with packaging from all their purchases, take out containers, junk mail, freebies, etc. So they're trapped in this cycle of wanting to have less stuff but not making the connection. I'm also a fan of getting rid of furniture eg bookcases that encourages buying/sourcing more stuff to fill up the bookcases. So the house is clutterd with storage type furniture to begin with, and then the stuff to put in it. Get well to Tyler!

[@karenhaire5451]

Make sure to count the receipt and bags when you are counting your groceries. Those have to be managed as well.😊

[@IceCreamHoldingFee]

That's a very interesting observation! And a lot of stuff coming in. There are lots of "little things" you can do to reduce the intake. One is stopped junk mail before it ever gets in. your mailbox. Another is asking for gifts of experience or at the very least, gifts of consumables like food rather than objects as gifts. You keep going! You're doing great! 💜

[@ahoardersheart]

You are absolutely right! We’ve gotta slow down the intake to make progress 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼🦄💜🌟🙏🏼

[@pamelafreeman4548]

Prayers for Tyler & all of you as you get better!!❤😊 This is a good way to see what is actually happening! 😊

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so much my friend!! Your prayers mean the world to me right now ❤️🙏🏼❤️

[@wendyinegbenedo1307]

Praying for speedy healing for Tyler. God bless you all. ❤

[@johnwolfe2616]

Sue Wolfe- Since December is such a busy month, give yourself some grace next year and choose a different month to count what comes in! If you have another year to declutter, you will be that much further ahead and will see a drastic change even if the charity items don't come to you. Keep on decluttering in 2025!! 👏👍👌💪❤️❤️

[@gaylathrom]

This is so interesting. I lean on the minimalist side and learn so much on your channel. I have a sister who I just realized isn’t full hoarder but her clutter is in the management of stuff “perfectly”. My junk mail is sorted straight over my wastebasket. Rarely lands on a table and I rarely open ads. She puts it down, sits or changes clothes then reads it or tears it before tossing it so there is a chance that it will collect. Both of us get it done but I have fewer steps. I have a close friend with strong hoarder tendencies, this channel has helped me understand the anxiety driving her behavior and I have been more helpful in supporting her declutterring process. My prayers for Tyler for a speedy recovery. May you be richly blessed …but not by more stuff 😂

[@rebeccaplasters2964]

Wow! I love this experiment. I am going to try it for a month. It is so helpful for understanding that we have to continually be decluttering and moving things out

[@ThKiwi]

What a good idea! I’ve never thought about tracking what comes in, but I bet it would be eye opening!

[@barbaradevaney4904]

I open the mail next to the recycling bin as soon as it comes in - only keep hold of anything important x

[@AriLo-d9g]

You are in the thick of it! Trying to help so many people and still battling the clutter! You got this! 💪🏽 2025 here we come with more A Hoarder’s Heart videos!

[@halfheartdead7149]

i believe a lot of people find themselves less productive at home vs. working somewhere else like an office! people associate the place with productivity while home is associated with relaxation. it's a kind of compartmentalization i think.

[@tgayer1]

Plus, I think that at home there are so many other distractions and items on the to do list.

[@Nana-lx6bf]

🙏 for Tyler, get well soon! ❤

[@dlcarbonneau3750]

Fantastic idea to do an actual count. We need to recognize that it won't matter how much we get rid of if more comes in than goes out.

[@ahoardersheart]

Yessss, absolutely my friend 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼

[@priscillacarvalho-lovell2898]

I hear you with the organizing of everything. I just feel that people do not realize how much work that is.

[@ahoardersheart]

Yessssss!!! It really does take a lot of time 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼

[@ilanapeters4239]

Wow your dedication to figuring out how to make your stuff work for you is amazing! I'm so grateful you share your ideas and findings with us, it's very eye-opening to see how much we manage just with groceries. Well done and congrats on such a beautiful idea

[@aileenreynolds5604]

That's so crazy Melanie! I feel better knowing that actually, because doing the 30-day challenge for 6ish years, I sometimes wonder why I still have cluttered areas. Now I know why!

[@laurajanakatja123]

A really interesting new perspective!! Thank you so much for sharing ❤️🦄🙏

[@pinadelmonico]

What a Smart idea! I had no idea it could add up that quickly in a month!!😮

[@pamelawantsmusic]

Awesome concept, very enlightening!

[@AprilsHome]

Prayers Tyler feels better soon! 🙏 What a great idea to see how much comes into the home, definitely a good thing to be aware of! 😀

[@Ripplesinthewaters]

Oh, poor Tyler!! I hope he recovers soon! Big hugs to all of you!

[@poturtle]

Get well soon Tyler! Sending healing thoughts to you and your family!

[@leahirvine3522]

Great job! Soo eye opening!!!

[@ladydragon76]

May Tyler get well quickly and have no lingering troubles.

[@ahoardersheart]

Thank you so much for your kind wishes, I appreciate it very much! 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼

[@nancycosgrove4005]

Good video! Glad you are feeling better! Poor Ty hope he feels better soon💕

[@DaijaGrinage]

Happy New Year ❤❤ great video 📸 thanks for sharing 😁 Stacey from Virginia 👋🏽👋🏽❤❤

[@francespettigrew9646]

Excellent video. A real eye opener. Happy New Year🎉

[@asavannah7439]

Do it again and also write down what leaves the house

[@ahoardersheart]

That’s a great idea!! I can do that since I’m already doing a decluttering challenge!

[@tngirlz4622]

What a good idea! All the best applying what you learned from this experiment. Praying for Tyler to recover quickly!

[@moparat]

Praying for healing for Tyler 🙏

[@saltandpepper9389]

Prayers 🙏🏻❤️

[@vampirebloom]

Food for thought. I’ve been trying for every item 2 or 3 must go out. Well im trying to 😅get well soon Tyler I had this bad cold/flu back in may last year took me a month to recover 😢. Hope everyone feels better soon ❤

[@denisemarie6131]

I was thinking…. Count every grocery item?!!! Yes, the total count on the receipt! 😃 Happy January!!!! So glad you are feeling better. Keep warm. More snow on the way

[@janeorr3074]

Prayers for a healthy and happy 2025! Prayers for a full recovery for all!!! love the tracking of things coming into house and what to do with them!

[@isabellerininger6249]

That’s a fascinating thing to count all the stuff! Wow!🎉

[@CAGChannel1]

Really, really pretty sweater by the way :)

[@JessieBenson93]

Ooo this is interesting! I'm going to do this for January and February and see what I find out.

[@stefs3460]

Poor Tyler🥺 I've had pneumonia a few times in my life and it can be quite painful and takes a long time to fully recover. I would tire more easily for many months after I was "better" My thoughts and well wishes with Tyler❤

[@usflin]

I see your husband heard us commenting on his night stand from your last few videos. 😆 I see progress, well done! 👏

[@bethstratton3391]

Meditating that Tyler and Brandon will recover from their Pneumonia and Flu as soon as possible. Sending good wishes and hugs. 🙏📿🤗 Ms Heart I think you tracking all the things that came into your home during December was such a brilliant idea. Like you say, this enables you to see the areas where accumulation of things happens and also in what areas you spend the most money. It also meant you could see how much wasteful packaging was being accumulated and how quickly or not you were recycling that packaging. You can also evaluate whether or not you are actually using the products or stuff that you have gained throughout the month, to see if any needs to be decluttered because it didn’t prove useful or wanted. Well done on doing this evaluation exercise. I think it would be useful for you to continue doing this for a while longer so you can plot the trends over a more lengthy period of time.

[@rg-mi5hh]

As mail comes in stand by the trashcan and go through it. Then put it in your workstation if it nweds tending to later. It helps.

[@CAGChannel1]

Oh, people can have huuuuge problems with overbuying food. After Covid, someone in our house could not shake the scarcity of items feelings and began couponing digitally and stocking up waaaaaaay too much. It has definitely become a hoard. I think this is quite common unfortunately with scarcity mindset combined with mega good deals found.

[@kristagmcg3785]

Thank you for bringing this to light. I was looking at all the stuff that came into my family’s home in the month of December. I swear mail and candy grow!😁 By watching you account for everything really makes me take a look at where my home’s weaknesses are. Thank you💕

[@colemine7008]

We stopped exchanging gifts for xmas for the last ten years or so. The littles got stuff while they were little but quickly graduate them to cash gifts or experience gifts. The xmas boiled down to exchanging gift cards and after the second year of that we all realized it was silly to do and gave up on gift giving all together. SOOOO much less stress. Skip the stores. Skip the influx of stuff you don't really want. It is nice. Treat is like Thanksgiving. We also avoid parties. People just get sick. It is just not worth it.

[@catherineferrari7710]

What an interesting concept. Never thought about doing this. Great idea and good for you for doing all the tracking. Gives us all something to think about.

[@amara560]

I love that you are looking at this! Looking at what was coming in was such a break through in my own process ❤

[@susannem6192]

I have no doubt that you will accomplish your goal for 2025. Sending best wishes to Tyler.

[@tabbycat4606]

Just an idea. If you are doing a gift exchange with your friends. Instead of giving personal gifts why not do gift cards or tickets to favourite places, events, etc. (with a limit of course). That way you can get something you really want or have an experience (dinner, movie, yoga class, etc) Might be more meaningful that way.

[@jacquig1939]

Can you get a temporary PO box and then do pick ups at your convenience and drive it to the charity house? Idk if that would help but at least it wouldn't be in your house.

[@ahoardersheart]

That could work! Thank you for sharing that great idea 🦄💜🌟🙏🏼

[@kateroro6024]

Oh my gosh I love this idea! It will clarify for me why I get so much clutter! Thank you

[@caramoonlynn]

It's a battle! Great video.

[@melanietrester]

Hello from Germany and hi miss heart. Prayers for Tyler. A cuddle for pepper. Very good video. ❤🎉🎉

[@alanbirkner1958]

I hope Tyler is feeling better. I try to fill a bag with donations at least once each week: craft items go to kids' groups and seniors' groups. Glassware went to Goodwil. Extra warm clothing went to our Food Pantry. Extra blankets and towels went to the animal shelter. Remember progress, not perfection. Tina, Al's wife

[@nikedoesthings]

Last video I saw your laundry room gathered empty boxes etc again and I remember you cleared it out and tidied it up a few times before, but it somehow just gets cluttered? It still seems a lot more of 'don't put it down, put it away' ? Like when you open packages, immediately take the boxes apart and put them with other paper trash etc. Don't put them in the laundry room? But then for all the other items as well. It's probably hard to learn this, epecially when you live with a family who might just copy the behavior like 'oh this box goes onto the pile of boxes in the laundry room lol'. Anyway, I love you counted all the items that came in because you're tackling one of the problems, and I love you showed that messy laundry room again, since you realize it piles up /somewhere/. Baby steps, right? :) Also I missed pepper asking if I was ready for the video haha

[@melissahoneybee1417]

Churn

[@francinehogsett3065]

Your are such a wise woman who knows herself…..you are such an inspiration….i just want to hug you 😊❤️2025 will be a great year cant wait to go thru the journey with you

[@lindamusser7370]

Prayers for Tyler! ❤

[@debratakagawa4764]

Sending love and healing vibes for Tyler. That was quite interesting the counting of the items coming in. Keeping the house from getting more cluttered is always going to be never-ending. Here is to a home you are happy with in 2025.

[@MakaylaOrtz]

Considering you were counting groceries and tissue paper, I think you did pretty great!

[@christinerosenquist7657]

Prayer for Tyler in strength to overcome in a timely manner.

[@katjabohm7731]

in germany we can place stickers on our mailbox which say no advertisements. maybe try this?

[@LemonLime2404]

Sending a prayer for Tyler ❤

[@Wave2680]

Wishing you all the luck and sending all the support for you to reach your goals in 2025

[@queenmarynovelwriter5397]

Tyler, feel better soon. 🙏🏽

[@helenelindholm656]

Poor Taylor. Hope he is feeling better. Wow that it's a great thing to do👍. Thanks for sharing with us. Love your videos. Take care❤

[@katschwind]

Hope Tyler is completely healed soon! One idea for next year if the boxes do have to come to your home - put the packages directly in your car and take them to the holiday house before opening.

[@katia_gabriella]

😂❤❤ Yet another similarity! I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum, and I love saving tissue paper too!

[@lisaann6267]

prayers for healing for all your family 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@denisemarie6131]

Awww. Man. My Son is also sick. Prayers for our Boys 💞

[@colettenewell4634]

What an interesting thing to track. Great idea. Though perhaps December is not representative of a normal month. Between huge meals and gift giving probably a lot more coming in than usual

[@josiee4657]

Sending prayers for Tyler!

[@davidmerillat7475]

Love it!❤

[@tarat26]

Prayers for Tyler 🙏. Wishing you a speedy recovery & good health ❤. I have done this but didnt personally keep a record of the post or consumables such as food and drink. However, anything else we have brought or been given through party bags, gifts and everything else. Personally didn't buy too much for myself - I tend to try the 'one in and one out rule. Wow, my partner gets so much from his mum still and finds it difficult to part with anything. Also, young children cycle through so much stuff - clothing, toys, books, learning and life. It's being fast enough to move it on before it becomes sentimental. Best wishes for 2025. Wishing you and your family a wonderful year xx

[@judenebaer9997]

Hope Tyler feels better soon 😊 and wow .unsally every one talks about whT does out. Not what comes in ❤

[@helentaylor4911]

Happy New Year to you and your family. Maybe for the charity next year have a mail box at the post office. That way you could pick it up and take it directly to the charity house.

[@andreachristensen693]

Praying!! He is Mighty. He is able!

[@KendelsBestDays]

Perhaps you could put your recycling bin right in front of the back door, so you can easily throw your recycling right into the bin. Eliminates a step. Once full, you could switch it with another empty bin.

[@vanessawhitneypro]

This would make me CRAZY. Slowing me down & distracting me from what already slows me down & distracts me… LOL…

[@sharonsomers5513]

🙏Tyler feels better soon. I never counted things that came in,it would be very interesting

[@RadCenter]

I decided a few years ago two discard two types of mail before they even have a chance to become clutter: mail-order catalogs and coupon/sales inserts. They go straight into the recycling bin unopened. It would help if you had a small recycling container in the room where you normally open your mail. Also, could you move your large trash and recycling bins so they are just outside that door leading from the laundry room to the garage? That way you just have to open the door and toss the items out. It's just as easy as piling them in front of the door. Seems like your recycling gets "stalled" when it hits that door.

[@bunacat1]

One of my Sunday jobs is to go through the mail on our dining room table, it never ends!. Most of it goes into the bin. A lot needs to be shredded first. We stopped buying most things years ago, so we no longer receive any kind of catalog. We used to get so many. We keep a recycling bin in our garage right next to the door so that we can just throw it in.

[@anadevera2905]

Praying for Tyler and everyone in your family 🙏

[@cynicallyyours61]

The only items that come into my house are items we use or need. Most of our mail has been replaced by emails. Bills can be sent via email. And my husband and I share the workload of taking out trash, etc. We keep a recycle and a trash bin in the house, so it is all organised. When my stepdaughter stayed with us she had her chores to do. Which involved maintaining her room and ensuring all dirty dishes and laundry were put in the right places.

[@Mary-e7i6w]

Good idea to track how much items get into my house! I bet it would be too many😂

[@cosmeohana2376]

Prayers for Tyler ❤

[@Siures]

Best wishes to Tyler! Hope he feels better soon. I can relate so much to him as two years ago my husband and me both caught the flue so badly and my husband couldn’t work a whole month and had to take antibiotics to not get an inflammation in his lungs… Good experiment! Do you have a number without the consumables? Could be interesting for me, too. But I would leave out groceries as we’re good there.

[@sherrygantt2158]

I think you did great in December. I hate you, and your family got sick. Prayers for Tyler.

[@suzanneroelofse5970]

I really miss Pepper asking me a question at the beginning of the video! 😂❤ Is she on a talent strike or a holiday? Happy New year to all of you. Wishing you a very happy 2025 🎉🎉

[@tgayer1]

Too funny! 😂

[@chantalturcotte4410]

Can I ask? Why don't you put all the stuff from the laundry room down in the basement?!? It would clear a lot of space and besides the craft room will be downstairs anyway right... So when you have more to recycle it will not block your door as much. Just an idea to consider maybe...