Blogger's note: This post was originally published in January of 2010, and was updated in October of 2020.Magpies are known for picking up shiny things to take back to their nests. My friend and her husband used to joke about magpies; whenever one spouse wanted to buy something that might clutter up their home, the other spouse would call out, "Magpie! Magpie!" This reminder helped the couple keep impulse buys to a minimum.
In the spirit of simplifying your home, I've created The Magpie List, a free, printable de-cluttering tool that you can use to help you when you're clearing clutter. These are questions to think about when you are deciding what to keep and what to purge. Read the questions when you're on the fence about something and see whether one of the questions gives you just the answer you need. Some of these questions were inspired by a list in The One Minute Organizer, Plain and Simple by Donna Smallin. The rest are my own.
To print the list, double-click the image to see it full-sized, and then right click to save it to your computer. From there you can print it on your printer or send it to your local 1 hour photo shop. Alternatively, you can screenshot it and keep it on your phone for reference. Enjoy!
A Note for Bird Enthusiasts: Yes, I know that the cute little round bird in the image looks nothing like a magpie. Its beak isn't "beaky" enough and its tail isn't long enough. If this bothers you, just assume that the bird in the image is the Bluebird of Happiness!
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