As we pass into the middle of summer, I wanted to start a series of blog posts on clutter and how to calm it. As I see it, you might have a little more time or energy right now to step back from your daily routine, to evaluate what’s not working in your home, and to clear out all the junk. As we approach fall, we’ll take a look at daily scheduling in a larger family, to help us all ease back into the tighter routines of school.

First, let’s look at the basic principles of decluttering. You see, whether you’re cleaning out your purse or organizing six different grades of homeschooling, the principles are the same. Mull over these this week, then next time we’ll get more specific. First, let’s look at how I declutter a room.