Tintinnabulation

Tintinnabulation! (the ringing of bells)

Looking for a really fun and super effective way to declutter your house? Just read on...

My husband and I are considering becoming perpetual travelers or possibly renting furnised homes in places we'd like to live for a few years. But we have a house full of furniture, doodads, art and just plain old stuff. We've talked about going ahead and starting to winnow out unnecessary things, but it seems overwhelming. Consequently we've made no movement towards our dream of living even more simply and being able to travel light. Remember, we have already downsized from 2100 Sq Ft to 1200 Sq Ft, but we still have a lot of stuff.

So my brainchild, Tintinnabulation (T!), was born! It's a game my husband and I play every day. One of us, either of us, at any time during the day, but usually only once a day, shouts "Tintinnabulation!" At that point, we must both get up and find ten things each to throw away, give away or sell (Craig's List, Ebay, Half.com, etc.) We've been doing it for about three weeks now every day. It's so amazing. We've donated 11 bags of books to the local library. We've listed 50 books on Half.com and made about $35 (11 books) so far. I've sold several items on Craig's list (craigslist.com). The best part of all is that we're having fun!

My 4 year old grandson visited and we did the Tintinnabulation game during his visit. He joined in and found 10 toys and books to let go of. If I had children or roommates, I'd ask each to participate. The decluttering would go even faster.

My husband started with his books, of which we have many. I've been shocked at what he has been willing to let go of. Stuff we've been carting around for years. I started with books, but have moved on to kitchen drawers, bathroom shelves and the closet. I just pick one drawer or one shelf and find at least 10 items to throw away or give away or sell. We've gotten rid of so many books, that I think we'll be able to get rid of a bookcase or two as well.

My friend, Dorothy, visited the other day. First thing she said was, "wow, it feels different in here, what's going on?" Now the room she was in hadn't had any significant decluttering, but she noticed the change in the energy of the house. She said everything feels lighter.

So what are the rules? Not many. First, anyone participating gets to begin the game by shouting Tintinnabulation! Then everyone drops what they are doing and finds 10 things to throw away, give away or sell. If you're going to give it away or sell it, it must be done quickly, say within a few days. The idea here is to get stuff out, not to move one pile of junk to another pile of junk! Things that qualify include trash, say picking up the newspaper off the coffee table and putting it in the trash. And no decluttering that is done at other times, counts towards the 10 items. So, for example, if you are picking up your living room in the morning and throw away a dozen items, and then later in the day you play the T! game, those dozen items do not count toward your 10 items. Why? Because you lose momentum and it's not as much fun.

Playing the game with someone increases the energy, the fun and the accountability. If you don't live with someone, get a few friends or relatives to play by phone. After you've done the clean-up, call by phone and talk about what you threw away.

So, are you ready to play? Get set, ready, Tintannabulation!