5 Things to Get Rid of Today to Help Simplify Your Home
Are you feeling overwhelmed with stuff? Here are 5 things you can get rid of today that will help lighten the overwhelming amount of stuff in your home.
Maybe it's because I was preoccupied with a baby in the Spring, I don't know, but lately, I have been in the “Spring” Cleaning mode. I want to clear out all the stuff. It's driving me crazy.
If I'm not tripping over a kid at my feet, it's a toy, shoe, or some other random object that has lost its way home. Feeling overcrowded by stuff doesn't make for a calm, productive day around here. Stuff is overwhelming. Stuff stresses me out. Once everything is cleared out, I can breathe.
Exhale.
I love the feeling of letting stuff go.
5 Things to Get Rid of Today
1. Clothes
If they don't fit or that you haven't worn in the past year. We all have them. A shirt (affiliate link) that was so cute in the store but then you got home and realized it doesn't really fit your daily lifestyle. Pants that you bought for work but since becoming a Stay at Home Mom, they don't get much use. Sure you can play the “what if” game with your clothes. Sure you may wear them again. But if you're really honest, they will just sit there. Donate them or find a consignment store or sale near you and breathe.
2. Kitchen gadgets
That you haven't used in years. My inability to breathe lately has been due to an overflow of kitchen gadgets. The drawers are a jumbled mess. The counters are covered in all the stuff. It felt good to donate the extra kitchen gadgets and pans we hadn't used in a while. Check out these drawer organizers to help get your kitchen under control.
3. Paper.
Mail, flyers, notes from teachers, bills, coupons, crafts, coloring pages, movie ticket stubs, receipts, scraps with notes scrawled on them.
There really is a paper clutter system that needs to be put in place so you aren't overrun with paper. When I come inside with the mail, I sort and separate the important items from the junk. The junk goes in the recycling bin and the important papers in the “to-do” box.
Art and crafts projects go in the Art folder which is sorted at the end of every month. Receipts are sorted and the ones we have to keep are put in the tax drawer {this needs a system too!!} and the rest are thrown away. If you don't deal with the paper as soon as it enters the house, chances are it will find a new home on a flat surface.
4. Clutter.
My clutter and your clutter are going to look different. I get that. When all of our flat surfaces are covered in stuff, I feel overwhelmed. I am constantly reevaluating what we have as decorations out and what is essential. Sometimes I utilize decorations like boxes and bowls that can hide the clutter when I'm straightening up in a hurry.
5. Expired Spices.
Go to your spice rack, cabinet, or wherever you keep your spices and look at the dates on your bottles. Yup. I had spices we bought when we got married – oh, thirteen years ago.
For some reason, I never sorted through them when we moved. They are gone now. I replaced some of them and made a startling revelation. Spices smell! Strong! Sure the ones I had smelled some. But they weren't close to fresh. It is so much better cooking with spices that haven't expired!
Those were the five things I got rid of so I could breathe. It was just a start. Here's a list of 75 things to sell, donate, or throw away. I still have hall closets and linen closets to go through and toy bins. But every great journey starts with a small step.
Are you feeling overwhelmed with stuff? What are some things you can get rid of today to help lighten your load? Have bigger items you need to get rid of? Here are free junk removal services.
This post totally speaks to me. I was cleaning clutter out this past weekend….it feels so good to lighten the load!
It does! I feel 10 times lighter. I can breathe and don’t feel quite so overwhelmed. It’s a wonderful feeling!
Glad I am not the only one that tries to spring clean even though its fall 🙂
There should definitely be a Fall Clean! The crisp air and impending holidays beg for it. I also love to open the windows and let the fresh air clear out all the staleness.
I know I need this. I need someone to help me. I need to have a MAJOR clean out,
Small steps. If I think about everything I need to clean up and clear out, I get overwhelmed and either don’t start or start and give up. Make small goals. Clean out a drawer. Sort through your closet. Get rid of stained towels. Clean out the hall closet. Before you know it, you are free and things move along easily. It’s super hard in the beginning though.
I LOVE the feeling I get from purging, too! That lightness and satisfaction.. it’s awesome. I’m also always shocked that no matter how much I get rid of (I seriously got rid of like 2/3s of our possessions before our move!) yet I still keep finding more things to purge! Kitchen gadgets are definitely a weak point for me… Anyway. Great post! 🙂
I love Kitchen gadgets! Purging is great. I don’t know how we have ended up with so much stuff. I definitely have to stop myself from the “but I might need this…”. It’s hard but oh so good.
I’m currently trying to declutter my house
I swear I do this all the time! Seems like every week & I still trip over everything!!! I consider myself a minimalist, but with almost 8 kiddos there is stuff everywhere all the time!
Um, I need to go through my spices! Also, the medicine cabinet seems to have older stuff for us. I do the same thing with the mail! ☺ Thanks for sharing the ideas!
Yes to the kitchen gadgets- in particular kitchen knives. My mother is so overwhelmed with decluttering she didn’t even know where to start. I began with a few kitchen drawers. We took over 1/2 of the knives out because she never uses them. She enjoys opening her knife drawer know. (o:
I was just thinking about doing this today! The kitchen gadgets I think rings true for me. We got an electric can opener for our wedding five years ago that I’ve used less than five times I think. Thanks for the motivation!
Erin
I love when I get the urge to declutter. I like to take full advantage of the urges since my husband insists I’m a hoarder. I think expired spices, kitchen gadgets along with baby items (my son is now 3) are all my weaknesses.
I love it when I go through decluttering spells!!! Dropping by from A Mama’s Story’s linkup! Have a great day!
I append old technology (especially cables and such) that are just sitting around because you might use them.
Thanks for the info
I’m planning a big cleaning day tomorrow so you know I will be getting rid of these!
I started the habit of gathering unused clothes every 3 months to donate to the Red Cross.
De-cluttering is a good thing, but be careful using expiration dates for timelines to toss things. Those expire dates are created because FDA requires, but they are also created for another reason. I’ve had a big Costco size box of bay leaves and one of cinnamon for years and their flavors are still just as nice as the day I bought them. If it’s a fresh item like dairy I usually follow my nose. If it’s over-the-counter medicine cabinet items I toss them when they no longer work.
Thank you so much for sharing your story! Five things aren’t so bad to do today! Now it’s my turn!?