Paper clutter, kid artwork, junk mail, sentimental items! Decluttering the stairs, bedroom & lounge

[@michelleh9312]

I had my kids go through their school boxes when they were in middle school. There was a lot of, “Why did you save this Mom?” It really helped me with the mom guilt.

[@rhondalockrey9592]

Your getting it done pile by pile you are also making permanent homes for items so as you continue to clean & declutter it already has a place to go & that is awesome too. Very motivating for the rest of us to keep going.

[@samanthabostic7624]

I can’t wait to see the office transformation

[@cantocant2346]

Your room with the blue and orange rug is so beautiful! It feels cozy and elegant. You did so much hard work.

[@Lisas660]

Cats are photo bombing your video. 😂

[@helsbels7686]

Paperwork is the WORST, I hate sorting though it the most. You've done an amazing job & can't wait to see how claiming back the space in your house progresses ❤

[@ronnavarney7318]

Great job❤I love the globe in ur living room ❣️❣️

[@hollyedmiston3332]

getting your stuff zoned is huge

[@kar3nhuck183]

A lot of pharmacies have med disposal boxes… I’m in California too. Great job on decluttering! I don’t have piles but my closets and cabinets are FULL… and my office as well! I need to sort through documents and file them or toss/shred. This series is very motivating!! Keep it up! You can do it!

[@karengillett8994]

The cats at 15:50 😂 They were going at it. They made me laugh. Small gains, little by little, are gains that feel big. It's moving forward and that's a good direction. You've got me motivated. Thanks for sharing. Kids school/artwork: I have a few from my kids still, they're not interested in having it whatsoever. I gave space for it through the years. I wish I would have only kept one or two items for each year and gotten rid of more through the years. So I gave it more real estate than I needed to for many years.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

Oh those cats. It’s especially great when they attack each other on our bed at 3am 😂

[@shirleyjackson9894]

Love declutter stuff

[@amandab.6815]

Dawn from the minimal mom recommends creating a bin or bins for keepsakes and limiting yourself to that boundary. Then when you find new items, you can weigh them against what you currently have and see if the new item or existing item holds more importance for you. Because without any kind of a limit it can become totally unmanageable and you can't even find or enjoy the items you felt were so important.

[@karenpage9383]

Just recently found your channel and have enjoyed several videos. I wanted to share that I have saved Every.Single.Paper/Project/Art Piece my son ever did for school... and he's now turning 23 next month. While it was all fresh, it was too precious for me to part with and I figured it would get easier as he got older. NOPE! I pulled out a box the kindergarten box a few months ago and couldn't pitch a single thing!!! I should have started with middle school or something, but I got overwhelmed and stuffed it all back in the closet. Now, in my defense, I have a *ample* storage in this house and the closet dedicated to memories and sentimental stuff does not stress me out. But kudos to you for being ruthless now before it gets to be an entire closet worth of stuff. My son would pitch it all because he's young and doesn't see the value to it now. I can only hope that one day his future wife will have a blast going through all of it with me, and maybe I'll get to share some of it with future grandkids too. Fingers crossed.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

I say hey if you have the room for it, keep it! 😂 I have only a handful of things from my childhood and that makes me really sad. Which is probably why I hold on to so much. I agree his future spouse/children will love digging through it someday!!

[@karenpage9383]

@@Jamie_Chaotic A couple friends have said the opposite. They think I will be burdening them with it. I figure if they don't want it, its all in easy boxes that can be just thrown away when I die. I am trying to swedish death clean the house, but they are stuck with all of that stuff because I'm too attached to it!

[@Emmaslaysinroblox3.0]

I am sooooo proud of you and Blake. This one was my favorite one so far. And I have been binge watching you all night. Great job!!!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@alwaysemilia]

I can’t imagine how good it feels to have that stuff out of your way! You must float through those areas now ☁️☁️ I’ve been watching your videos out of order, but this is the last one I haven’t sent 😢 I am convinced this will be the most satisfying series on the internet for me haha great job and just keep plugging along with step by step progress 🎉

[@pinadelmonico]

Great work!! Love that speed thru declutter! So satisfying! Ur working bit by bit & really making progress!!🥰🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@Gosia11111]

I just LOOOOOVVEEEE your cats :D They are always supervising your hard work :)

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

They’re always in the middle of it! 😂

[@katespurgeon5572]

I want to see more of your prohects!

[@lynfalienergy4781]

You are powering through the clutter! Please recycle the mess. I keep all my old meds in a bag & once a year take the bag to the drug store. So easy & nothing toxic ends up in a landfill. Can't believe how your cat just sat there through the vacuuming! Keep up the hard work.

[@michelem9277]

You are doing a great job. Concentrate on what you accomplished, not what you still have to have yet to do.That is a problem for future you. Just getting things in the room they belong to is a big accomplishment. Keep on going, you are making good progress.

[@MetroDetroitMaria]

I got a lot of decluttering done while listening to your videos.

[@cherylross2718]

Rah rah sis boom bah! You’re doing amazing work, far better than me. I love you being real, but also love your peace of mind benefits for all. Thanks for sharing real life.

[@SimplyShannanigans]

Kids school work and art projects you can take pictures and make a photo book of all the images through the schhol years ❤ that way you dont have to actually keep.

[@BlueBird-nf2gp]

Great job! Paperwork can pile up so quickly. It’s easy to get behind. I hope you’re feeling better since you’ve made some good progress. 😊🐦

[@lisaann6267]

If i cant get to a pharmacy for old meds, i seen an interview on news, you can pour meds in heavy ziplock and contaminate with coffee grounds. then put in regular trash. then what you are already doing-removing label & recycle bottle.

[@terryruiz7417]

I was truly impressed when you cleaned your closet, and that drew me in. I am concerned about your office inventory and your ability to eventually get that organized. Hoping that eventually conquered to help you be effective at your job. Certainly, at the least, floor to ceiling shelving in your future. Keep going, you'll get there.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

The office will be a beast for sure.

[@debraburgess2764]

Just curious have you ever done a bid declutter before and ended up cluttered again or is this your first really big shot at it. You will also need a system to deal with incoming paperwork. I do find paperwork problematic.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

@@debraburgess2764​​⁠I’ve decluttered my own things before but it’s definitely different now that I have children, a husband, and my reselling business clutter here too. Before I had a family I was nearly OCD level organized 😂 When my kids were infants/toddlers I was also starting my business so everything spun out of control really fast!

[@kristinestocker]

I wear a dust mask when I dust or vacuum. It really helps with allergies and asthma. Looks silly, but worth it.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

I’m going to have to start doing that once I get into the really down and dirty things

[@lindadiesing7890]

There is a drop off spot at many hospitals. It is locked so you just put the bottle in

[@vtw8825]

It looks so great ! Paper is the enemy!

[@lisae7976]

Your video is fantastic motivation for me! You did great, it's incredibly satisfying to see the process and the before and after pictures. Talking through some of your thoughts was also encouraging to listen to. I get stuck on the kids art work. I love your solution for the kids school papers and art work.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

Yay I’m so glad I can help motivate you!

[@lisae7976]

​@@Jamie_Chaotic❤

[@marlapalmer2725]

Awesome job!! Kids paperwork was always the hardest for me to go through.

[@victoriasieger4779]

You have so much energy! I poop out after 2 hours. Your lounge room is really cool. What a fab collection of Vinyl and Reel-to-Reel tapes. Love the vintage furniture here and in bedroom. You have great style. Nice to see Blake helping with the shredding. As you finish each room you may want to set boundaries for the family. My sister started a list on a 6 foot tall erase board hung on the back of the kitchen door. She called it family rules. Ex.Trash only goes in trash cans located in each room. When full dump it in outside bin. Ex. Dirty clothes go in the laundry hamper not on the floor. Ex. Make your bed every morning. Ex. Hang wet bath towels on the hook to dry. Ex. Dont leave dirty dishes in your bedroom. Take them to the kitchen, rinse them. Put in dishwasher. Whenever anyone disregarded a Rule she'd take the stuff and dump it in the middle of their bed. She said there had to be consequences or a Rule just got ignored. She put up a sign that said "I am not your MAID" I thought it was funny and a bit extreme but it worked. Am looking forward to the Office since mine is a floor to ceiling mess! Thank you once again for the inspiration. You are a Wonder Woman!

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

I definitely agree with setting up rules/chores/standards in the house. It’s just a matter of getting everyone in the house on board. Of course I already have this running checklist in my mind but getting Blake and the kids to keep up with things will definitely take more work on my part at first, managing and reminding (aka nagging) them to remember to do it. The kids have a chore chart already but we’ve been slacking on it lately. Because if I don’t stay on top of it, they don’t think to do it. I think they’re just starting to be the age where they can really understand and remember these types of things on their own, so i need to set up these expectations of them (and Blake is certainly old enough to pick up after himself! lol)

[@victoriasieger4779]

@@Jamie_Chaotic Once the whole house is clean and everyone is loving it they'll be more open to your asking for help. They probably need an incentive. My neighbor assigns a value to each task. $5 cleaning the kitchen, $3 take out trash, $1 a day for making the bed. Then she subtracts the value when they dont do their assigned chores. She figured out if they did everything it'd amount to $40 a week, She has 2 boys. They started competing and asking "How much is mopping the floor worth?" It got a little out of control- they wanted to be paid for every little thing - so she set 5 tasks each that were mandatory, no payment, and then 10 tasks where they could earn money. Tell Blake he needs to set an example. They wont do it unless he buys in to the program. Good Luck! After all the work you are doing you deserve help keeping it decluttered and clean.

[@debraburgess2764]

You could consider a flat backed basket with a handle or a linen bag with handle hung on the right side of stairs so items could go there instead of on steps.

[@yolandapagan5656]

Just found your channel! I’m so impressed. Great job going through the piles. Since paper is my nemesis, I’ve pared down on what I let into the house. I keep a box in my office for shredding, pay bills on auto pay (I check my transactions online and only print the year end summary.) I file as things come into the house or if busy I have a “to file”section in my desk. Recycling removal happens daily bc boxes etc take up too much room for the space we have. I have so much respect for you-you’re managing so many things. It’s going to feel better and better as you declutter.

[@PIDGEYGURL]

❤❤❤Thank you for these videos! So helpful!! LOVE the lounge room!

[@joseelacasse3189]

Fabulous work! I don't know if this is just a Canadian thing, but all unused medications can be returned to the pharmacy for safe disposal

[@nettie8060]

I just got rid of my birthday cake 🍰🍰FFF box 😂. I. Watching your videos hoping to get motivated to finish the declutter project I started 😂

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

😂 the cake box was cute!! It was hard to throw out haha but mine was destroyed so I couldn’t reuse it

[@nettie8060]

@@Jamie_Chaotic same. Mine was exposed to the elements and it wasn’t worth saving anymore.

[@plynn136]

Totally awesome job.

[@EsterHorbach-it9tb]

The problem with boxes: they kind of have a life our their own, bc their contents seem to increase and/or you have to you through them over and over again, which is excausting. Like laundry and washing dishes, it never stops. 😢

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

I whole heartedly agree. It’s definitely a goal of mine to not keep piling up things in boxes once the whole house is finished!

[@amandaholt1979]

Hello. I came across your channel a few days ago. I have watched several of your declutter and organize videos. Just wanted to let you know when I empty my vacuum container I go outside and dump it in a bag. I am also highly allergic to dust. Dumping it outside has helped me a lot. Then the dust allergens are outside and not flying around in the house. I have noticed a difference when I do it that way.

[@nettie8060]

One of the pharmacies we used to go to had a bin for disposing old medicine but not all of them in my area have that. I have taken the meds and put them in coffee grounds and dirt and then the trash. I read to do that somewhere 🤷‍♀️

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

Oh I could definitely do the coffee grounds thing. Thanks!

[@brendabatt6874]

My local police department has a box for the unused medication. You are doing a great job. I feel you on the kids paperwork. I had so much of Bronsons school work. I kept some things and sent alot to his mom's house 😂.

[@amberdavies3178]

Some pharmacies take back unused medications. If you haven’t found Dawn the Minimal Mom and Dana K White they are great sources of info on KZbin. For memory stuff Dawn recommended a memory box for each family member and to curate a collection for them. Dana adds to apply the container concept to one in one out stuff.

[@amydrdn7161]

I second Dana K White!!!! No more new piles and stuff shuffling!

[@Nwladylaura369]

Please take a Benadryl it will help even if your already started sneezing! I have allergies too.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

Unfortunately that puts me straight to sleep!

[@susanwalgren3939]

Great job! What’s with the area rug patches?

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

Not sure what you mean about the rug. Are you talking about the pattern? It has an overall abstract pattern on it.

[@shannonw6604]

@@Jamie_Chaotic It really took me a hot minute to figure that out. I kept thinking it was torn up. I honestly love it.

[@weeklystruggle4205]

so satisfying

[@lindatuell164]

I take medicine to the fire station - they have an outside bin you can use. I'm also in California

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

Oh I’ve never heard of that! I’ll have to look into it more around here. Thanks!

[@kathleenfielding]

Yes, there is pill recycling. some of the major drug stores like CVS and walgreens has boxes for old prescriptions. I take them to city hall where I live and right in the doorway there is what looks like a mailbox to properly dispose of old medication

[@kristalpower292]

I’m in Australia we take old medicine back to the pharmacy/chemist

[@rebeccabice6159]

My pharmacy disposes of my old medications or police department has a drop off box.

[@michelleperea7407]

Be careful with keeping so many items for your kids. Once you realize they are actually for you then you realize why it’s so funny.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

I think it just depends on the person. I wish my mom had kept stuff from my childhood, I don’t have hardly anything. So I can see that I’m probably swinging too far in the other direction, hence why I’m trying to let some of it go and keep only the stuff I think is the most special.

[@terrybrennan2055]

You take old prescriptions to the local police and they have a collection bin.

[@CynthiaMiller-cc3qj]

You can call your pharmacy & ask if they accept expired meds. If they don’t, they will tell you who does. Don’t throw it in the trash or flush it.

[@katespurgeon5572]

You might have already had this comment, ( I'm viewing 8/24). The kids won't want their school work. Just keep the extra special items that you will enjoy reviewing.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

A few people have made this comment, but who really knows what they’ll want when they’re older. My mom kept hardly anything and I wish I had more cute little projects to show my kids what I did when I was their age. I have room to keep it and it’ll be fun looking through it with them as they get older.

[@kmccoypta]

ADD Doom Piles

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

🤷🏻‍♀️

[@kmccoypta]

@@Jamie_Chaotic Sorry. Attention Deficit Disorder. We sort things to deal with later which leads to “doom piles” and “doom boxes” all over our homes. It’s one of the first clues I learned when I realized I might have ADD.

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

@@kmccoypta I haven’t been diagnosed with anything but I do suspect I’ve got some sort of neuro-spicy thing going on. 😆 My oldest has ADHD (you’ll see a fun dose of that in the next video) and while I definitely don’t have the fidgety/always moving and making sounds aspect of the disorder, I do see some other signs in myself.

[@karenradford9456]

I think you can take meds to the police for disposal.

[@stupiddude2706]

😅👍🏼

[@RoseofSharon3]

Find a pharmacy in your area that recycles old medications. 💊 In my area we only have location that does it.

[@debraburgess2764]

Where we are you can take old pills, etc to the pharmacy but without containers. I keep a bag of those by front door to take next time I go to pharmacy.

[@williamhawthorne1375]

Saving all the kids stuff sadly is a waste of your time cause they will never go through them and in twenty years they will just bin them,do yourself a fav and let go, i have a couple scraps paper kept ,one a cute letter to the tooth fairy another a sweet mothers day card she made at 6.🤷‍♀️Lizzie

[@Jamie_Chaotic]

Every person is different and I’ll leave that decision to them. I wish I had more stuff I made as a kid.

[@lorraineas1888]

Put your old pills in the dirty kitty litter. That way no animals or children will eat it.