Since cleaning out my closet last week, I’m a de-clutterin’ fool! It just feels so good to get rid of stuff I don’t really use and pass it on to folks who could.

I learned about de-cluttering from my niece Caitlin who, as I may have told you, is a certified Feng Shui consultant. This is before it was all the rage with that guy Peter Walsh on Oprah, and all them “Hoarder” shows. Which I know about, ‘cause I’ve seen the commercials. I can’t really watch ‘em, though, because they make me kind of anxious. No, that’s not really true. A small pile of junk mail on the kitchen table makes me kind of anxious. But one of them hoarder’s houses’ll give me a full blown-panic attack.

Caitlin has a great little de-cluttering exercise that makes it easy. She calls it, “Twenty–Seven, Feels Like Heaven.”

She says, “If you’re feeling stuck in your life, and want to get the energy moving try giving away one thing a day for twenty–seven days.”

“Why twenty-seven days?” I ask.

“Well, Aunt Ida, nine is an auspicious number in Feng Shui, so we try to do things in multiples of nine.” (I don’t really know what “auspicious” means, but I’m thinking it’s some highfalutin way of saying “lucky.”) “Besides,” she continues, “experts say that if you do something everyday for three weeks, it forms a habit.”

“How did you get to be so smart, dear?’

“I inherited it from my aunt!”

Gotta love her. Then Caitlin goes on to explain that “Twenty–Seven, Feels Like Heaven” is a pretty standard Feng Shui exercise. “Lots of experts recommend it. That’s because its amazing what a little thing like this can do. As you give away the things that are no longer of any use to you, set the intention that you’re making room for new things that you want: new clothes, a new job, new relationship, happiness, you name it.”



Makes sense, right? One–thing–a–day thing is manageable and will keep you from getting overwhelmed. But me? I like to move things along a little faster. Besides, I’m not about to go to the Goodwill everyday, and couldn’t stand drivin’ around with a bunch of give-away stuff in my car for days on end. So, I do the “Twenty–Seven, Feels Like Heaven” in one day. If you’re speedy, you can probably get this done in an hour or less. Plus, it’ll count as your aerobic workout! How’s that for “auspicious”?

I call my version “Chuck it in the Bucket.” Get a big bucket, laundry basket, or garbage bag and quickly go around the house, your attic, basement, drawers, jewelry box, whatever, and grab stuff that you haven’t used in a year: clothes that don’t fit, things you never liked in the first place. When you get at least twenty–seven, stop and sort the stuff into throw–away, give to a friend, bring to a thrift store, and sell on consignment. Then put the stuff into your car and take it where it needs to go. Do not drive around for more than a week with this junk. That’s just moving the clutter from one place to another. Let it go, and be done with it! Make room for the new. Trust me: it’s very liberating!

That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!

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