LPO Clutter Scavenger Hunt 6

Welcome to the Laurel Plum Online Clutter Scavenger Hunt. If you missed the explanation post, take a minute to read about the scavenger hunt.

Today I’d like you to go through your home looking for anything that is broken. Some things will be small enough to carry in your hand to a central point. Other broken things around you home are repairs on the house itself. Take a notebook around the house with you and make a point to write down anything that needs attention.

Normally I have specific suggestions on what to do with the scavenger hunt item. Where to look for it, how to sort it, and mentions of how to keep it in check. But with broken items, I can’t make specific suggestions without knowing what the item is. If you let me know what the item is, I would be glad to try to offer some assistance.

There are some general suggestions I can share.

Determine if you really need or want to keep the broken item.
If you really do not want to keep the item, let it go, let it go, let it go. (Think Let it Snow…)
If it takes a moment to fix, do it now and get it over with. In the future try to fix similar items right away.
For house repairs, determine if you can save time or money by getting the repair done now. If by putting the repair off, the damage will increase or spread, it is an urgent repair. Get it fixed. These are the first types of repairs to try focus on. If you spend a lot of your time repetitively cleaning up or managing damage that comes from the broken area, it is a nuisance. Your time is too valuable. Get it fixed. These are the second types of repairs to try to focus on.
If you want to fix it, but are unsure how, do a Google search for “broken (item name)” or “how to fix (item name)” including the quotation marks for instructions. You can also post a question or look on several websites: Instructables, Yahoo Answers, Ask.com, eHow, How to Do Things, YouTube, Lowe’s, Home Depot, DIY Network and Do It Yourself – Just to name a few of the multitude available.
If the repair will take more than simple instructions and if you can see using the skill again, take a class. Find someone who would enjoy sharing their knowledge to show you how. Go to the library to research all you can on the subject.
Think of other ways to use the item. If you have broken heirloom china that you just can not bare to let go, learn to do tile mosaics; use a shadow box frame and include it in a collage; get creative.
Find someone that needs the item and could either fix it or afford to have it fixed who is willing to take it off your hands.
Plan specific dates on the calendar to work on bigger projects. Then keep those appointments. In our household we typically spend three weekends a month playing, socializing and relaxing. But one weekend we tackle projects as a family. That’s at least twelve projects each year. There is nothing like accomplishing something yourself. Start small and work toward the big projects. You will gain experience (and confidence) along the way that will make the more difficult jobs easier. Plan before you begin. Do include the family. Not only are bonds built, but the kids gain so much for later. I love that my seventeen year old girl knows how to patch drywall and wield a drill.
Be able to admit when the job is too much and call in someone with experience. It does not make you less of a person, it is just recognizing a skill set that you have not yet acquired.

When we get conversations going in the comments we all learn from each other and can encourage one another. So, share your stories in the comments. Did you find something unusual? Have you had something laying around forever that you finally fixed today? Let us know if you learned something new or did something you didn’t think you could.