There is not a day that goes by that we don’t have something to do with the kids.  My husband and I love keeping busy with our children, but our busy schedule really takes a toll on the cleanliness of the house.  With 4 kids, we have managed to collect quite a bit of toys, clothes, and who-knows what is in that box!  For many years our method of dealing with the clutter was to organize all of our piles of stuff.  We bought expensive organizers and crammed them full to overflowing.  We crammed as much as we could in closets, the basement, the garage, under beds, and in the attic.  Does this sound like someone you know?

I finally decided that I really had enough of the clutter when I realized how much our family’s clutter was stressing me out.  I felt guilty and embarrassed.  How could I possibly have anyone over and how was it that other people managed to keep their homes clutter-free and I couldn’t?  I found that I was really having a hard time relaxing both physically and mentally.  All I could think about was clutter!  I would finally get a chance to sit for a bit and all I could see was clutter.  I really felt like my work was never done!  Instead of dealing with the clutter, all I wanted to do was go to bed and hide under the blankets.  Unfortunately, I would wake up to clutter first thing in the morning and start the cycle all over again.  I needed to find a way to put the focus back on my family and away from the clutter. 

As a busy family, I knew that I didn’t have time to declutter all at once.  I would have to chip away at it bit by bit.  I figured if I knew that I was working on decluttering projects and seeing some progress that some of the stress would start to slip away.  I was right.  I literally feel the burden of clutter coming off of my shoulders as I work on decluttering projects.  You can’t organize clutter, but you can organize decluttered spaces.  The feeling of being organized is amazing and encourages me to keep working on projects. 

It can be difficult to figure out where to start decluttering if your house is overflowing with clutter.  I really struggle with this too.  If now is the time for you to get out from under the burden of clutter, I encourage you to pick a room that you would like to work on……. or a drawer or a closet.  It doesn’t really matter.  The important thing is that you start.  If you are at a loss as to where to start then start with these 10 items.  As you declutter you will want to throw away the garbage, donate what is still good, and recyle anything that can be recycled.  The important thing is that you remove these items from your home right away.  Don’t let your decluttering project become………………..well, clutter. 

10 Items to Declutter Right Now!

1. Old Hair Accessories – I bet you have a ton of them all over the house.  No need to keep anything you will never wear again.  Stretched out ponytail holders and clips from previous decades are not needed!

2. Shoe Boxes and Electronic Boxes – My husband insists on keeping boxes……….just in case.  Just in case what?  I don’t know, but I found electronic boxes from all sorts of things that we no longer owned.  Do yourself a favor and toss those old boxes. 

3. Extra Belts – You know how you buy pants and only wear the belt that comes with them once?  Yep, I bet you have a bunch of belts cluttering your closet that you will never wear.  Today is the day that you get rid of them!

4. Free Samples – Use within 2-3 days or put in travel kit.

5. Single Socks – Single socks are the bane of my existence.  For a while it was cool when my daughter wore mismatched socks.  I just tossed them in her drawer and she picked two to wear.  Actually, I’m not sure that is a thing anymore, but she is still doing it.  For the rest of us though, we need to wear matched socks.  If you have looked and hunted, just go ahead and get rid of the mismatched socks.  Start over if you have to with new socks.  Just don’t hold on to all of those single socks which are taking up valuable space in your home.

6. Old Dish Towels/Cleaning Cloths – Toss anything that is torn or stained.  They aren’t expensive.  You deserve to have nice dish towels and cleaning cloths.

Old or Uncomfortable Shoes- Do you or your family have shoes in the closet that you will never wear again because they are out of style, uncomfortable, or just not needed anymore?  If you do, today is the day you find a new home for them. Only keep what you love and will use. Whew!  That feels good, right?

Extra Shopping Bags and Cinch Sacks – Reusable shopping bags were great at first.  Great for the environment, right?  Then, you had more and more of them and nowhere to put them.  The same thing with those cinch sacks.  The kids brought them home from school and every event they went to.  How many bags does one kid need?  Keep what you actually use and get rid of the rest.  Today is the day you make it happen!

Small Kitchen Appliances You Never Use – Have you ever walked through the store and decided you needed a smoothie maker when you already have a perfectly good blender at home?  Do you have a Panini press and a sandwich maker appliance?  Perhaps, you don’t need both.  Today is the day you go through the kitchen and decide what you really use.  Only hold on to those items that you use on a regular basis.  Donate the rest to a new home. 

Décor You No Longer Love – It’s ok.  Your tastes change.  That doesn’t mean you have to hold on to your home décor forever.  Sure, I love all of my peach colored 80s home décor, but let’s be honest………..I will never put it out again. Today is the you get rid of the items you will never use again.

One tip before you get started. Make decluttering fun! Put on your favorite tunes and dance while you are decluttering. The more up-beat the music is, the better! Not only will you enjoy your music but, the time will pass faster and you’ll probably work faster than you would without the music.  Ok, it’s time to get to work.  Make sure you report back on how things are going by leaving me a comment.  I can’t wait to hear from you.  Oh!  I would love to hear what you are listening to while you are decluttering.  We should start a decluttering playlist.  That would be fun, right??

 

For more decluttering tips and motivation, check out my Freedom From Clutter in 40 Days series and all of the other decluttering resources I have here.