Post-Summer Clean Out

I’m a change-of-seasons type of gal. I love each season in it’s entirety, but when the next season comes, I always welcome it! And one of those reasons is…

PURGING time!

If you’ve followed me over the years, you know I have a weird love for clearing out, cleaning out, and simplicity. Having clutter and stuff thrown everywhere completely stresses me out! We made a big move last summer from Minnesota to Michigan, and we got rid of A TON. It was the best feeling! But as many of you know, having moved yourselves, as you live in a new place, new things are needed, but also you realize that somethings you moved, you ended up not needing.

Well, that’s where I find myself right now. Now having lived in our “new” home for a year, I find myself walking around the house, feeling like it’s a little “full.” I am hanging onto things that we don’t need, cupboards are a little more full than I like them, some things that I used to care about, I don’t anymore, and it’s just time to do another “clean out.”

For many of you, school just started and I’m sure you’re thinking, “I’m just trying to survive here, Kristin!” You bet! Maybe now is not the time for you! But with winter knocking on our doors, when we are spending more time in our homes, I find that if it is cluttered, it is not a relaxing place for me. So, that is why I want to do my “clearing out” now. We have a long to-do list already this winter, and I know that cleaning out stuff now, is one thing I can do right now.

So where to even begin?

To be honest, because we went through a large purging session last year before we moved, I have certain areas of our home that get cluttered, so I don’t have to do a whole house purge. But here are my main areas:

• Mazy’s toy room
• My dresser/closet
• Mazy’s bookcase
• Mazy’s dresser/closet
• Storage closet
• Kitchen cupboards
• Bathroom cupboards
• Garage
• Basement storage

That may seem like a long list, but actually it goes pretty quickly! The garage is going to have to wait until we get our fishing boat out of there, and the basement, well, we need to build some shelves down there first, but nevertheless, all the other areas are pretty manageable.

The key to keeping it manageable?

DON’T HAVE SO MANY PLACES WHERE YOU STORE THINGS BECAUSE THEY WILL ONLY COLLECT WHAT YOU DON’T WANT!

I know this isn’t rocket science, but I think it’s the very concept that causes clutter – the more storage areas you have, the more you will have, and the more it will spill out into other areas of your home! Having more than what your house can literally hold, is the very reason why we have clutter! It’s a simple concept – if you don’t have a place for it, you shouldn’t have it!

Yes, I deal with this too. Mazy’s toy room can easily get messy because she spends most of her time in there. It’s also a room that is visible to all – an open front room that you immediately see. But I realized that I was poorly storing things, and it was spilling out into other areas of our home that I didn’t want. So, I realized I had to slyly go through her things and get rid of some things she has outgrown or things she no longer plays with.

And then there are my dressers – my style hasn’t changed in umpteen years, so why do I think it’s going to change now? As I work and rework my wardrobe to fit ME, and not the culture around me, I am able to get rid of more and more! It is the BEST feeling! Not necessarily shirts, but can I say socks? Wow, why did I have so many SOCKS?

So where do you start?

1. Write down all the areas of your home that you want to declutter.
2. On a calendar, write one of those areas on the Monday of that week. That way, each week you know that you will tackle one area of your home. That way, by winter, hopefully you will be close to being done so that you can enjoy those snowed-in days!
3. Make 3 piles – Keep – Donate/Sell – Trash. Don’t have the “I don’t know” pile. Deal with it and be done with it!

Start your decluttering list today! You will be so glad you did and so will your family!