Decluttering and Organizing the House

I'm on a mission to get my house decluttered and more organized. I am ready to start throwing stuff away or donating it. I don't care...just get. it. out!  Spring must be on its way - and none too soon, I might add!

I ran across an article I'd pulled out of the January 2011 issue of Better Homes & Gardens on 25 ways to declutter (it was for the New Year rather than spring cleaning - but really, six of one, half-dozen of the other).  And there are several ideas I like.

1. They suggest that every three months of so, you reserve one Saturday morning for a "family cleanout." Set a timer for 30 minutes and have each person in the family find things in his/her own space that can be thrown away or donated. Donated stuff is to be boxed up and donated right away. They then suggest that you reward the family with lunch out. That could be fun. I like the idea of a timer (making it less overwhelming), getting it out right away, and then there is a reward at the end of the work. 
2. Focus on one room at a time - and within that room, one section at a time. Efforts have more impact that way. Makes sense. 
3. Do I love it? Do I use it? Could someone else use it? 
4. Set up a solution that is a natural extension of your habits. Set up solutions where the clutter collects to deal with it immediately. 
5. Create a repair center - clothes that need to be mended, toys that need new batteries, stuff that needs to be glued - put it all together in one spot so when you have time to tackle something, it's all right there.
6. Sentimental items that are boxed up and stored away are of no use. Take a picture of it and then donate it. We actually did this with some baby blankets (some I kept, others I've passed on to our Baby-Cousin)
7. At seasonal clothes change over, go through your closet. If it doesn't make you feel wonderful or look fabulous, it's OUT of there! Donate it right away!
8. Keep a tighter focus on your to-do list  in order to clear mental clutter. Deal with your three most important tasks and then move on - only after those three are finished.
9. Spend a few minutes every night putting order to your purse. 
10. In the kitchen, tackle the junk drawer first. Remove what is not used at least monthly and then completely fill the drawer with drawer organizers so you can't just stash stuff in there. 
11. Every time you come home from somewhere,  clear the car of anything that doesn't permanently belong there. Nobody leaves the car empty-handed!! (We have started doing this and it makes a big difference!!)
12. Use a ceramic egg tray for office supplies storage (paper clips, thumb tacks, etc) - this is a great idea and I have a really cute egg tray that is going without use...which is wrong, given how cute it is
13. Make two coffee dates with a friend. First date, go through her kitchen cabinets to get rid of lidless plastic containers, mismatched glasses, petrified spatulas, old spices, etc. Second date, do the same in your kitchen. 
14. Declutter your calendar, too.
15. Give the kids a list of exactly what should be done when they are to 'go clean their room'. 
16. Procrastination breeds clutter! Have a do-it-now policy for everyday tasks like the dishwasher, folding and putting away laundry before starting another load (man...do I wish I could get someone to pay attention to that one)
17. Tackle the attic and garage first as they're prime candidates for purging. Stuff we never use ends up there!