I'm learning some things as I declutter.  The biggest realization has come over the last couple of weeks as I tackle small projects here and there:  I like empty spaces.  Empty space can just be empty, it does not need to be filled up.  It sounds silly to some, I'm sure, but it's quite a revelation to me.

I've been increasingly frustrated by the pile of shoes by our front door.  Solution?  Clean out the front hall closet so that the shoes can go in there.   Well, it took all afternoon (I tackled it on Veteran's Day since I had the day off), but I did it.  I have one kitchen trash bag full of outgrown coats to donate, and I  filled a black trashbag 2/3 full with random junk (holey shoes, school papers, etc.).   That closet was literally packed with junk.  Ugh.  

The final result?  I have my front entryway back again.  There's no ugly pile of shoes.  I thinned out the coats piled on the coat rack, so now there are just a few there, and the rest are on proper hangers in the closet.   And every time I walk through there I feel lighter... all that free space looks good!