Southern Scraps

This isn't my normal type of post but when I find something I think is helpful, I want to share it with you. I just finished doing my taxes this afternoon. And what does that have to do with clutter? Well, ask my hubby. We spent a considerable amount of time looking for a 1098 that was misfiled, but that's another story. We all know one way to eliminate clutter is to sort and purge. Some of you like to make a little extra money by having yard or garage sales and I'll do in once per year(or two), but I prefer to donate clothes and household items we no longer need or use. When it comes time to do taxes, those donations can be taken as deductions. I haven't been paid to say this, but I use Tax Act to file my taxes. They have a calculator built in that helps you value your donations, but you've got to have a list of how many and what you donated. I used to make a generalization on my receipts and then estimate, and I've been cheating myself! Last...

The first project in my "non" resolution to organize and declutter the house was the hall closets. They were tackled first in part because I had to put away the Christmas wrapping supplies and decorations. The first closet is where I store my grandmother's handmade quilts, crocheted ornaments that cannot stand the heat and humidity of the attic, and other seasonal home decor items. I purchased some plastic containers to store some of the things in. BTW, these closets are very hard to photograph.  The very top shelf has some extra electronic and computer supplies- spare keyboards and cords. Next is ornaments and vases and candle holders. Then there is a container for filler items for the vases and one for candles and miscellaneous items that can be altered and gifted for various holidays. Some of the filler items have been bagged and are not in the container. (It's not perfect.) The bottom shelf and containers in the very bottom have more seasonal decor. The ...