These last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about a garage sale. I have already been de cluttering on a regular basis for the last year and a half. So I was afraid I would find little to sell. At the same time, I wanted this to be our best yard sale to date since I want to do all that I can to help our family prepare for the trip to California we plan to take.
In the end, we hauled four truck loads worth of stuff to the local Good Will.
As I was hauling items to sell out of various locations through out the house I noticed a trend.
Alot of items were what I like to call “someday” stock pile items.
Some day I will have the time to scrap book again so I should save these supplies. (never mind that I switched to making photo books, years ago).
Some day we might go back to tent camping and these lanterns will be needed again.
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Perhaps it was because I recently listened to the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, or that I am currently following fellow blogger A Slob Comes Clean. But suddenly my eyes were opened that holding onto someday items even if I did have space for them in my house – was costing me money.
Each year you hold on to some day items they are losing value.
New and improved models for just about everything come out every year and rarely do older items go up in value, at least not the type of items I was holding on to.
Each year you hold onto some day items there is a riskthat they will become damaged and there fore lose more value.
I had stuck several some day items in the basement and when I brought them upstairs into better light, I realized some items had mildew growing on them that would not wipe off and I had to toss them. Had I simply sold them right away after realizing I wasn’t going to get the project they were intended for anytime soon, I would have been able to recoup some of my initial investment.
Each year you hold onto someday items you have less room and this can lead to storage expenses.
This has not happened to our family yet. I hope it never does, but I know better than to say never, that word always has me eating humble pie. It is so easy to think out homes have become much too small and either spend money getting a bigger home or money on a storage unit for our stuff.
Its much cheaper to buy back things should your someday ever arrive than to pay either storage fees, more rent, or higher mortgage costs. Plus with a larger living area come larger heating and cooling bills and often higher property tax.
Each year you add to your someday pile your home becomes more cluttered, which comes with a hidden price.
I have been decluttering for the past year and a half now. And I no longer want to escape my home. Instead, I want to stay home and enjoy the haven it is becoming.
Going out is rarely free. Either we spend money on food, entertainment, or more someday stuff.
How to cure the someday stockpile problem.
Thankfully the solution to the financial cost of someday stockpiling is pretty simple.
When you are about to buy something new
If you are about to buy something new (or new to you) no matter how low in cost the item ask your self “can I fit the project this item creates into my calendar with in the next 6 months?” Be brutally honest and if the answer is no, don’t buy it.
Also ask your self “how many projects have I already added to my calendar?” And will adding this item to my list be too much.
These questions can apply to supplies for a new or existing hobby, buying supplies for a home renovation project and more.
When you are decluttering.
If you are de cluttering ask your self the same questions, realistically, will I be able to use up these items in the next 6 months? If the answer is no, sell the items and get back more now for them than when you finally give up on the idea 3 years from now.
The key is to be brutally honest about your life and what fits into it and what doesn’t. You also have to be confident in who you are and what you enjoy. Perhaps you thought you could become one of those cool moms that sew up cute outfits for their babies, but truth be told sewing just doesn’t interest you.
Asking these questions day in and day out both as you purchase items and as you de clutter your home will save you a significant amount of money over time as well as put money back into your wallet through re sale.
Stop stockpiling for someday and start living today clutter free. Your home and wallet will thank you!
This post contains affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
How to make your house smell really good.
The first step in any fresh smelling home is to get rid of the bad smells. We don’t want to mask existing odors. Sometimes a little “house deodorizing” is in order.
Here are a few ways to rid your house of any bad odors first. (Feel free to skip to #5 if you already know these tricks).
How do you deodorize a house?
1 Empty garbage cans regularly.
When it comes to removing house hold smells, you have to find the source. Some of your bad odors might be coming from your trash. And it can quickly go from fine to nasty Because you need to change your kitchen and bathroom can liners every couple of days, or more often if you detect an odor.
2 Clean out your refridgerator.
Your fridge is another bad scent culprit. Go through it once a week and toss items that are past their prime. A little hack is to put an open box of baking soda in your fridge to absorb the odors.
3 Sprinkle some baking soda before vacuuming.
To deodorize your carpet, mix baking soda and some essential oil drops in a bowl, then sprinkle on your carpet or rug. Let it sit as long as over night to really absorb odors.
4 Open the windows.
Weather permitting. A great way to freshen the air in your home is to open the windows. Even just for an hour or two! You can get rid of cooking smells, or any other stale lingering odor this way.
How can I make my house smell good all the time?
5 Use your crock pot.
Did you know that you can use your slow cooker to eliminate odors in your home?
Here’s how:
1. Put some water in your slow cooker. (a small one works great for this) But any size will do the trick
2. Add in 3 or more tbsp of baking soda.
3. Keep the lid off, and just let this concoction work its magic.
6 Get an air purifier.
To keep your home smelling fresh all the time, run an air purifier regularly. In addition to eliminating house hold odors, it also reduces dust and pollen.
7. Make your own pet deodorizer.
If you have pets, you know that they just come with their own set of odors. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your house smelling good with pets, try making this natural pet deodorizer.
Mix 2 tbsp baking soda with 2 c distilled water and 8-12 drops of pet safe essential oils in a spray bottle.
You can spray it right on your pet, or in their bed to help neutralize odors.
Also be sure to brush your pet regularly, in addition to vacuuming the carpet and furniture. And of course, if they have an accident, use a pet stain and odor eliminator as quickly as possible.
8. Get rid of those musty towel smells.
One of the lingering odors that could be jeoperdizing your home’s freshness, is the moldy towel smell. Here’s an easy trick to rid your towels of that gross mildewy scent.
Soak your towels overnight in hot water and cup or 2 of vinegar. You can lay them in the bath tub or put them in the washing machine (but dont run the load) Then the next day, wash them like usual, and ta-da! No more musty smell.
You may not even realize that your shoes are contributing to the odor in your home. Spray the insides of your shoes with “shoe-pourri” to eliminate any bad scnts. Another hack is to spray so dry shampoo inside your shoes to soak up any funkiness.
10. Use drain cleaner.
Your sink drains can be another contributing factor to the way your house smells. Plink is a product I find to be a great way to freshen things up.
11. Use a daily shower cleaner spray.
The benefit of daily shower spray is two- fold. Your shower will stay cleaner longer, and it will prevent a mildewy smell.
What can I use to make my home smell good?
12. Use a linen of room spray.
When wanting to make your room smell good, just spritz the air, or your furniture, or linens with a room spray. Grove collborative has many to chose from. https://www.grove.co/referrer/3825420/ this is my referal link if you’d like to make an order!
13. Put essential oils on your furnace filter.
Sprinkle a few drops of your favorite essential oils right on your furnace filter to keep the scent pumped through out your home.
14. Use good smelling cleaning products.
To help motivate you to clean and keep your house smelling fresh, use cleaning products with scents you love.
If you want to make your house smell good with out candles (because having a lit candle in your home kind of freaks you out), let me introduce you to the wax melt warmer. I use mine daily. It creates scent by melting wax cubes with a light bulb, so there’s no need for a flame.
17. stove top pot pourri.
Simmer some pot pourri right on your stove top by adding pot pourri to some water in a pan. You can also make your own mixture with things like citrus peels, cinnamon sticks, and your favorite herbs.
18. Clip fabreeze vent clips to your home vents.
Typically designed for the car, try using the fabreeze vent clips in your home. Your furnace or air conditioner will push the scent out into your home.
19. Use coffee beans.
Fill a small jar with coffee beans. Then place a tea light in the center. When lit, it will warm the beans and make your home smell delicious.
20. Try an oil diffuser.
I absolutely love my essential oil diffuser. Just add some water and drops of your favorite essential oils, and enjoy the scent all day long.
21. Hack some scent boosters
If you know the beauty of downy unstoppables I’m about to drop some knowledge! You can use them for more than just fresh smelling laundry!
Put some in a little mesh bag and place around your home or in your drawers! Your clothes will smell good, and keep your drawers from getting that stale odor.
If you have a wax melt warmer, you can also use scent booster instead of traditional wax melts.
22. Put essential oil in your toilet paper roll.
Yup, just sprinkle a few drops of essential oil right on the card board part of your toilet paper roll. It makes your bathroom smell good, and the lovely scent will waft out everytime someone grabs some toilet paper.
23. Get some fresh plants.
You could treat yourself to a bouquet from the grocery store, or buy some flowering plants to keep in your home. Growing your own herbs is another idea to make your kitchen smell good.
In conclusion
When it comes to making your house or appartment smell good, these strategies make a really big difference.
I really hope these fresh smelling home tips and tricks gave you some inspiration for new ways to keep your house smelling good.
Do you ever work really hard to clean your house and it feels absolutely amazing about how great it looks, then wake to a complete disaster zone the next morning and immediately become discouraged?
You are far from alone! I think we’ve all been there – the laundry, dishes, and clutter piles sometimes feel like they form out of no where! And while my house wont clean it’s self, I have learned a few tricks about keeping it manageable and nice looking most of the time, and I want to share those tips with you.
10 ways to keep your house clean, after you clean.
This post contains affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
1 Give your home 15 minutes a day.
You may not be able to clean the entire house everyday, but you can still spend 15 minutes doing something. Whether you unload or reload the dishwasher, tidy the living room, or fold one load of laundry, you’re making forward progress.
Many days, you’ll be able to do more than one of those but even on days you can’t dedicate alot of time cleaning, accomplishing just a little bit will help keep your house in decent condition until you can get to the rest.
2 Having a cleaning day (or 3) every week.
Regularly give your home a little extra time to take care of anything the 15 minutes couldn’t do. The more cleaning sessions you have planned each week, the better, because a few days worth of stuff is easier to clean up than a full weeks. And, if you have multiple cleaning sessions scheduled each week and need to skip one, you know you’ll have another coming up soon.
3 Skip playing catch up.
Is vacuuming supposed to happen on Mondays but now it’s Tuesday? Don’t vacuum – simply move on to the next chore and wait until vacuuming day rolls back around. The same goes for scrubbing bathrooms, mowing grass, cleaning out the fridge etc. Just move on and catch up those chores the next time around. This will allow you to take needed breaks and enjoy your loved ones instead of becoming a slave to your schedule.
4 Focus on blessing – not impressing – visitors.
When we try to impress people, our entire mindset changes. Instead of putting things away and considering it good enough, we start shoving clutter into corners and closets so we can dust or mop or shine things up to a higher standard than what we’d normally do.
Focus instead on blessing your visitors with a welcoming attitude. This way, your cleaning in a way that’s beneficial to your family, not just potentially impressive to company.
5 simplify your routine.
Do you really need to dust on top of the fridge or sweep your side walk on a regular basis? Somethings can wait for longer inbetween.
6 Forget about perfection.
The Pareto principal states that it takes 20% of time to complete 80% of the job, and the other 80% of the time to finish 20% of the work. Most of the time, it’s perfectly wonderful and freeing to quickly complete your 80% of the house keeping and not worry about the final, more time consuming 20%.
7 Think positively.
If you think you can accomplish something then you can likely accomplish it. On the other hand, if you can tell yourself that homemaking isn’t important or you don’t have time, you’ll end up living in a constant mess. Believe that you can succeed, and make sure your actions validate that belief.
8 Hit your clutter spot.
Think about the one room you really love to clean – for me it’s the kitchen. If the rest of the house is a mess but my kitchen is clean, I feel like my house is under control. On the other hand, if the rest of the house is tidy but the kitchen is a mess, I feel overwhelmed and stressed out.
Maybe your hot spot is the laundry, or the living room, or the toy room. What ever that one place is (and don’t say it’s your entire house) clean that first. Every time. I promise it will make the biggest positive difference in your home, which will likely help your stress levels and mental health.
9 Speak kindly to those around you.
A clean home isn’t worth a damaged relationship. If you have a Martha Stewart type home but your family members are harshly criticized everytime they leave something out, they’ll remember the criticism, not the clean home. On the other hand, if a mess house full of love, hospitality, and encouragement, the love will be cherished and the mess will likely become a faded memory.
But there’s no need to choose – you can work on both your attitude and your house to provide a clean home as well as a loving environment.
I know the idea of de cluttering annually sounds crazy at first, but just hear me out on this. We live in our homes, and especially if there are children in the house, there’s a steady stream of Christmas presents, birthday presents, Easter baskets, school projects and every day clutter that comes with it.
So once a year, take a few days (or weeks) and really focus on thoroughly de cluttering your entire house from top to bottom. Out of all the things on this list, de cluttering annually has by far had the biggest, most positive impact for my family.
Completing chores first thing in the morning, then spending the rest of the day outside is a little trick I learned when I was a teenager and earning babysitting money. The kids had a blast, the adults were happy because their house was clean, and I was happy because someone was actually paying me money to play outside all day.
Doing this with my own kids keep everyone smiling, the house in great shape, and bed time a breeze because they’re so tired they fall alseep in two 2nds. WIN!!
I’ve mentioned to a few people that I run the dishwasher every night, and empty it every morning.
They think its strange not to just wait until it “needs it”.
They don’t understand because they’re normal.
I’m not!
I have to make myself run it every night for two reasons.
First, by running it every night, I’m able to empty it first thing in the morning, leaving myself no excuses to let dirty dishes pile up in the sink all day long because there’s no room in the dish washer. Or, if I run it randomly during the day, I may or may not have the time (or the occurrence of of thought) to empty it, leaving me in basically the same situation. Second, if it isn’t a non negotiable for me, I tend to assume that there aren’t enough dishes to fill it, and so I don’t bother to put the dirty dishes from the counter, or the table, or the computer desk, or the coffee table in it. And generally, I’m wrong.
Knowing that have to run it every single night (because I’m a slob, and I’m compensating for how my slob brain works) means that I go gather up every dish in the house in an attempt to fill it full. Generally, I do fill it full. Since we don’t use paper plates anymore, and as a germaphobe. I don’t like to drink out of a cup if I can’t remember for sure if it was mine… We have lots of dishes at the end of the day. There’s also enough room for the bigger stuff that I used to hand wash because the dishwasher was completely full with cups or plates.
Occasionally there are days when it isn’t full, and generally that’s when we’ve been gone. If that’s truly the case after every last dish has been gathered, and I can justify that the next day won’t bring an overabundance of dishes, I won’t run it. But I can only make this decision after I have made every attempt to get it full. And at that point, at least there are no dirty dishes laying around.
In this post we’ll discuss nine reasons why so many of us fear decluttering clothes. To successfully de clutter your wardrobe, it’s imperative to recognize many of the seemingly logical excuses we make are actually based on fear.
It’s harder to de clutter clothes, so we’ll also talk about mind set shifts and strategies you can practice to conquer your fears about getting rid of clothes you don’t wear.
This post may contain affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
These are part of my essential de cluttering tips to help you enjoy a clutter free home and life whether you struggle with one of all of these issues, I know you can reach your goal of a de cluttered and amazing wardrobe.
There is some tough love in the post… Please understand that it comes from a place of wanting you to be happy and comfortable with your home.
Ready to stop feeling like a clothes hoarder and end the fear of de cluttering your clothes? Keep reading…
How to recognize that you fear de cluttering clothing.
The first obstacle many face when learning how to de clutter your wardrobe is thinking it’s necessary to keep everything. We may not recognize this fear, but that’s what it is.
We often phrase this fear in a way that gives us a logical – sounding reason to keep too may clothes.
But in the end, fear is just an excuse. Which is awesome because it means you can find even better reasons to get rid of clothing you don’t need.
Here are some of the fears I and many others have worked through, along with some tips to help you stop making excuses due to fear.
1 What if I de clutter too many clothes?
Are you afraid you’ll de clutter so much that you wont be able to assemble complete outfits?
The odds of that happening are so low that you really shouldn’t worry about it. If you managed to dress yourself daily now, and you don’t wear everything you own, then you have nothing to worry about.
Besides, after you declutter, you will still have at least a base wardrobe. Many people call this a capsule wardrobe and find it makes creating a variety of outfits easier than when trying to work with an overwhelming wardrobe.
Try this:
Store half of your current season clothes in covered bins.
Put the bins somewhere you wont see them everyday. If you don’t have the space for bins, store them in zippered bags under your bed.
Then, just see how it goes for two months. Set a reminder on your phone or in your planner to do a wardrobe review.
Did you miss anything? Did you forget about those clothes you didn’t wear?
If you didn’t miss anything, pack those bins in your vehicle and drop them off at a donation center. Don’t even open them, just let them go.
Do this every season for a year.
2 I’ll be sad if my closet isn’t full.
This fear is so powerful. Triggered by our need to fill and desire to exceed the basic necessities of life, we start to equate a smaller wardrobe with an empty closet. We confuse it with lack, poverty, and failure.
Turn that thinking on its head:
Rejoice because you can find all your clothes which means you are successful at organizing.
Everything works together… or works on its own because it’s an amazing piece. This means you continue to provide well for your self.
Your clothes have room to breathe, so they will be less wrinkled and require less preparation time before wearing. You care for yourself and your possessions admirably.
3 My clothes are my identity. Getting rid of them would be like losing part of myself.
No, a wardrobe is simply a collection of inanimate objects.
Keeping the best of your clothes is making a positive choice. And when you keep and wear only the clothes that make you feel amazing, it means you’re not afraid to be your very best self all the time.
Or – a related fear – you just know people would talk about you… how you used to dress so well, but obviously now you can’t afford a decent wardrobe.
Well, first of all, most people really wont notice. We’re all naturally less observant of what others wear then ourselves. So, stop letting that concern you.
Second, if you have friends like that, it may be time to expand your circle to include people who really care about you and don’t gossip. I know, not exactly the point here… but not all of our decluttering is about physical objects.
4 What if I have to go back to work.
Maybe you successfully work from home right now, but in the back of your mind lives the niggling worry that something will happen and you will have to get a “real” job again.
So you hold onto your old work clothes, because you want to be ready just in case.
Plus the idea of replacing those expensive work clothes makes you cringe.
Been there, felt that. This ones very personal. Guess what I kept in my closet for two years after I quit a job which I knew I would never return? Yep, work clothes that I had no other reason to wear.
Here are some things to consider.
If you do decide to return to work outside the home, wearing newer clothes that are more stylish will give you a confidence boost.
Your old work clothes may not be appropriate for a new work position.
Most importantly, hanging on to those clothes is a limiting belief. You’re telling yourself that you don’t truly believe in your abilities or your decisions to work from home.
Let go of the old clothes, let go of the doubt, and go all in on your belief in yourself.
If you want to move forward in your business – and your life – you have to release things from the past. That includes the clothes that represent the old work you – you aren’t that person now. You’ve moved on.
Try this:
Keep a few things from your previous professional work wardrobe that are comfortable to wear and make you feel confident and productive. Then, wear those clothes even when you’re working from home and nobody can see you.
Don’t worry about wrecking them. You weren’t wearing them anyway, so what would it matter. You just may boost your productivity and your business. If the clothes don’t help and you don’t love them, then its truly better to let those clothes go completly.
5 I have a hard time finding clothes that fit.
For many of us, shopping is difficult because stores carry limited sizes, and anything outside that selection is hard to find and often expensive. We feel like we have to keep everything even if it’s not particularly comfortable or we don’t really like it much.
A couple things to try.
From your closet, pull out the things you like and fit us. The ones you wear all the time. See how many outfits you can make from those. It’s likely you really do have enough clothing you love and you can just let the other things go.
If you have a difficult time finding clothes in brick and mortar stores, check online. If you have a Amazon Prime membership, you can often purchase clothing with free prime shipping. Also check the description because many companies also offer free return shipping when you buy through Amazon. It’s a good way to try on clothing with out as much frustration.
So don’t be afraid to get rid of those things that aren’t you… That aren’t comfortable… that don’t make you feel good when your wearing them. A good base wardrobe means it’s simpler to plan outfits and keep track of your stuff.
6. Shopping is overwhelming.
Oh, I hear you! Even when most stores carry your size, simply finding them can feel an immense effort.
Walking into a store and seeing so many options that you forget what you needed to purchase, searching through racks and racks of clothes just to find a few things that you like.
Then, finally you try them on only to discover they look weird. Or suddenly you realize they wont work with anything you already have.
You end up keeping all of your old unworn and unloved clothes simply because you already have them and it makes you feel like you don’t have to search for anything new.
Once again, online shopping is your friend. It might take a while to find a store that caters to your personal style with clothes that fit and make you feel amazing, but once you do, sign up for their email list and periodically browse their site.
It’s so much less overwhelming than shopping in person and you’ll often end up with clothes that are more unique than what everyone else is wearing.
In the mean time, slowly weed out the clothes you’ve hung onto and either never worn or that don’t work with your favorites. Keeping them isn’t helping you or preventing the need to occasionally have to replace your favorite items.
7. What if I gain or lose weight?
I often hear people say something like “my weight fluctuates so regularly that I have to keep all the things”
I can understand that. I’ve been there.
But I would suggest just keeping only one or two outfits in one size higher and lower than where you are now.
What ever size you’re in right now is probably the one you wear most often, so just go with it and build your wardrobe around that base.
Then consider… What can you do to stay in one size clothing? Some of that is personal health choices, some if it can feel out of control.
For now, work with your body. Keep clothes that have a little bit of give, some stretch, ect. Use your current accessories to help you feel more stylish in your outfits even if they don’t fit perfectly.
If you are a large size right now and your hoping that your going to reduce 5 sizes into things your still keeping from years ago, you really need to let all of those very tiny clothes go.
Realistically, it will take a while to lose enough weight to change that many sizes. Plus, something you can look forward to… clothing in those smaller sizes will be easier to find when the time comes.
If your afraid your going to gain 10 or 20 pounds because that’s been your history… what can you do to prevent that?
Dress for the person you are today. You’ll be happier because you wont have to face negative reminders every time you open your closet.
You might be surprised that it’s easier to stay one size if you don’t have so many “just in case pieces” on hand.
8. Everyone saves their special clothing.
No, many people don’t. That statement in your head is simply more flawed thinking.
Keeping all those old clothes for the memories is doing you no good at all. How often do you pull them out to help you remember events from your past?
Probably never.
As an example, here is how I learned that lesson.
I saved my wedding dress, high school graduation dress, and several other “special pieces” for many years through several moves. I don’t recall ever pulling those things out to look at, only packing them up to move.
Then we had an incident with one of out pets. My special clothes were ruined and discarded. I definitely shed some tears.
But, most importantly, I made a discovery… I didn’t actually need these clothes to remember those events. It kind of blew my mind, but it was also incredibly liberating.
Try this.
Pull out some of the memory clothes you have been saving. Take a picture. cut a swatch of fabric, if you enjoy the texture, make a scrap book or quilt.
Keep the memories, let the clothing go.
9. What if I make a mistake when decluttering my clothes?
At the root of everything, this is our biggest fear. It encompasses everything I’ve already talked about in this post.
Some where deep inside, we’re sure that we’ll regret our decisions. Or tat we’ll accidently give away our all time favorite piece of clothing.
Try this:
Trust yourself and trust the decluttering process.
People who have been right where you are now have been successfully decluttering their clothing every single day with out regrets or mistakes. Believe that you can do this, because you really can.
You can read more about decluttering your wardrobe with these 3 posts as well.
De cluttering clothes? Or… trying to declutter clothes? Over whelmed because you have a hard time identifying which pieces are clutter?
I feel your pain, clothing seems to multiply when I’m not looking, and de cluttering clothes is a constant battle in our home. While a big purge is awesome, there are clues I find on an on going basis that help me stick things straight into the donate box.
This post contains affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
Clue #1: It’s in the dirty clothes (again), but it’s clean (again).
This is a common frustration for moms. I roll my eyes and think unkind thoughts when it happens in our home. I lecture, remind, and re lecture.
And usually, after a particularly profound lecture, I run across one of my own still clean items of clothing while sorting for laundry day. UGH!
When that happens, I’m reminded that many clean things which end up in the dirty clothes pile actually need to be De cluttered. Usually they are there because I thought about wearing them but changed my mind. I might even have tried them on.
The beauty of de cluttering these clothes is that they can never end up clean, but in the hamper again, once they are gone.
Yay for that!
Clue #2: They are at the bottom of a drawer that wont close.
I put away clean clothes and the drawer wont shut. Instead of throwing my hands in the air at the pointlessness of even trying to do the right thing (right thing = putting clothes away), I take a look at the clothes in the bottom of the drawer.
The ones I’m putting away are ones we’ve recently worn. We like those. If the ones in the bottom of the drawer have been there a while, we haven’t worn them.
Which means we don’t like them as much as the ones we’ve worn. Clothes we wear deserve drawer space more than clothes we haven’t worn.
Clue #3: There’s a dust line on the shoulder.
This is hanging – clothes specific. And a little embarassing.
If a closet is over stuffed and I know we need to purge, I look for clothing with dust on the hangers line.
We haven’t worn those items in the amount of time that it takes for dust to become visible on them. This isn’t a perfect or thorough strategy. Its simply a clue to help me yank out some easy stuff and get on decluttering clothing.
Getting going cures de cluttering paralysis, and even if I stop after I remove the dusty shouldered items, we have less then we did before.
There is little worse than walking into your home and feeling stressed out and over whelmed. You want to love your home but, all you see is a chaotic mess.
Let me tell you I’ve been there. For 20 + years, we’ve lived in a pretty tiny home of less than 900 square feet. When the kids were little it was hard not to feel like there were toys and clutter everywhere, even though I did my best to keep it at a minimum. Any time family came to stay, there was always the comment about how tiny out house was, only adding to the discontentment.
We often thought about adding on, but it made no sense financially. At the same time, I knew that the environment in our home generally effects everything else. You see, if you don’t love your home it’s going to reflect itself in the rest of your life.
It was easy to see that when ever I allowed my house to get out of control I was much more likely to snap at my family and be easily irritated. Plus, I found it so hard to just sit down and relax. Its hard not to allow discontentment to show itself in your general attitude.
So if you’re like me, and want to love your home again, then its time to get intentional.
Start by being clear on what you want from your home. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be a reflection of you and a place that inspires you.
In addition, it’s important for your home to be a refuge where everyone feels safe and cozy. I also want my family to feel relieved to be home when they walk in the door. Ultimately home is the place I want everyone to feel at peace.
To achieve these tings, there is no need to wait for your “dream home” There are things you can do right now to be intentional and love your home.
The best part, loving your home isn’t about making big changes: Its about learning to appreciate the little things.
By making a few simple changes I was able to change the entire atmosphere of my home and most importantly my attitude and mood.
So are you ready to rekindle your love affair with your home? There are 7 simple tricks that will make you love your home again.
This post contains affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
1 Have a clear and organized space.
It is so true that a cluttered space creates a cluttered mind. In turn, a cluttered mind leads to overwhelm and stress. If your feeling over whelmed and stressed there is no way your going to feel at peace and love your home.
Studies have shown that a clear organized room is actually good for your. Instead of feeling discontentment, it creates a feeling of satisfaction. When you keep things clear and organized, the feeling of your home becomes restorative and restful. On the other hand, a space filled with clutter and unfinished products actually creates depression and fatigue.
To truly love your home take the time to clear your space. Here are a few simple ways to keep your home clean and orgainized.
A: Make your bed every day.
There are so many benefits to making your bed everyday. But, with out a doubt, the greatest benefit is no matter what, at least one room will feel clean.
B: Limit your laundry.
I can’t tell you how many times I would have my kiddos come to me, “hey mom! I have no socks or undies” UHG, I would get theirs done, and mine would pile up.
Honestly, laundry was always one of the hardest areas for me before I started paring down my wardrobe. To be completely truthful, I love clothes and I’ll probably never have a minimalist wardrobe. But as I have worked on downsizing and building a capsule wardrobe my laundry load has definitely lightened.
It is very rare that my laundry piles up. Because it takes me so much less time to fold and put my clothes away its become a no biggy to do laundry.
While my family generally still has the same amount of clothing, lessening mine has been incredible.
C: De Clutter
Plain and simple, clutter equals stress. Lets be real, nobody walks into a cluttered space and feels a sudden sense of relaxation and peace.
If you really want to love your home, you MUST clear the clutter. I realize that if you have alot of clutter this is not an easy task. But I have a ton of help for you on this. You can find links below to my many decluttering post.
As I mentioned above, for the past 20 something years I have lived with my boyfriend and all of our kids and pets in a small 1300 square foot home. Trust me, at various points we have used every square inch of our little space.
But here’s the thing, creating clear areas of floor space made a dramatic difference of cleanliness and order in my home. This simple adjustment made the entire house feel less cluttered and less over whelming.
You really don’t have to have hours of free time to maintain a clear and organized space.
2 Use home decor colors that make you happy.
We’ve already talked about the impact our environment has on our mood. This include the colors in our home.
According to an article in country living “the five paint colors that will make you happy” the shade of paint on your walls can bring you down, help you relax, even suppress your appetite. Amongst a number of other feelings.
For me personally, warmer neutral tons are what helps relax me and love being home. I’m just naturally drawn to warm tones. When ever I’m pursuing pintrest or scanning a decor magazine, I’m always drawn to the photos of those gorgeous rooms with pops of color from natural plants to throw rugs.
So when your looking to love your home again, focus on how you feel around certain colors and how you can incorporate them into your home. Go to pinterest or pick up a decor magazine and pay attention to what colors catch your eye, then start adding them to your home.
You don’t need to redo everything or break the budget. You can pick up some throw pillows or cozy couch throw from Amazon pretty cheap.
The point is to incorporate those colors that make you feel happy and at peace. As you do, you will love your home again.
3 Bring a little nature indoors.
Haven’t you noticed how simple little tings like fresh cut flowers or new plants can brighten your day?
Not only has it been shown that these can benefit your physical health, but simply seeing a plant subconsiously makes you feel calm and relaxed.
Flowers and plants have an immediate impact on happiness! Adding a few plants or fresh flowers is such a simple and fun way to love your home.
4 Display framed inspirational words and quotes.
We know our environment impacts our moods because we’re taking in what we see. So it only makes sense to fill our home with things that evoke a positive emotion.
Words are so powerful, in fact, they are the most powerful thing in the universe. With words, the entire universe was created.
The words we speak not just to others but to ourselves are hugely impactful. Because words matter, displaying your favorite inspirational quote creates an atmosphere that inspires you to be your best.
5 Let the light shine in.
During the day time hours make sure you regularly open curtains and windows and doors. Natural light is a natural mood lifer and so is fresh air.
Make your home a place you love. Let the light shine in.
6 Remove things that don’t make you happy.
If theres one thing in your life you should NOT make room for is its negativity. So why would you want to keep things in your home or life, that doesn’t make you happy.
To love your home, keep only those things that you love or are truly useful. Remove everything else.
I’m not talking about general de cluttering here or Marie Kono sparking joy. I’m talking about things like that incredibly ugly but expensive vase great Aunt Jenny gave you. You know that every time you see it, you want to get rid of it, but you feel too guilty. Honestly, it’s time you give it up. Your home should be a place of comfort and joy, not guilt!
We’ve already talked alot about the impact our physical environment has on our mental state and our emotions. In light of this, it’s evident that creating a beautiful ambience can help you love your home.
You can do this so easily by adding some soft lighting. I love my salt lamp and diffuser for creating a soft glow. Add a few candles and you’ll instantly create a beautiful ambience in your home. Candles have the added benefit of infusing a fresh clean scent.
The right lighting naturally adds a feeling of comfort and a cozy warmth.
You deserve to love your home! Take some time to de clutter, clean and organize. Add a few decor items with color that makes you happy. Mix in a few plants or fresh flowers and hang those inspiring words. Once you’re done, pour yourself some tea and set back and enjoy the home you love!
If you’ve struggled in the past to de clutter your closet, you’ll want to try these easy doable steps.
It doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. And it wont take you all day.
I’ll walk you through 5 easy steps that will help you de clutter your wardrobe in as little as 15-20 minutes. Really!
Getting your home de cluttered is about consistent progress. It isn’t about perfection. Progress is not perfection.
The same thing applies to your wardrobe.
So don’t worry about completely overhauling your closet and creating the perfect capsule wardrobe right this minute. (unless you have the time, energy, and motivation to do just that).
5 steps. 15 minutes. You can do this!
This post contains affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
How to de clutter your closet.
Before you get started, grab 3 large bags: One for donations and two for items you will remove from your closet for now. I like to use white trash bags that I can label with a permanent marker.
Don’t get hung up on difficult to get rid of pieces. If there are clothes that you never wear, but that you are not ready to get rid of, put them in a “maybe” bag for now. You can reconsider them down the road and de clutter your closet today.
work quickly.
1 Quickly remove everything youready to donate.
3-5 minutes
This can include: clothes that don’t fit, that you don’t like, and/or that you never wear anymore. Put these items in your donation bag.
Work quickly! This is your first pass through. Only pull out the things you definitely want to de clutter. We’ll get to the harder stuff in a few minutes.
2 Pull out clothes that don’t fit right now, even if you are not ready to part with them.
3-5 minutes
Try to keep only a small number of clothes that don’t fit, favorites only, especially if these clothes haven’t fit for a while.
Don’t get hung up here. If you are struggling to let something go, just keep it for now.
I know this isn’t advice you normally hear, but I want you to make progress quickly today.
Progress, not perfection, remember? When you look through this bag of clothes that don’t fit i n 3 or 6 months from now, you may be ready to get rid of more at this point.
Put these clothes that don’t fit, but you want to keep for now, in the second bag, label the bag.
Shortly before Christmas, I sat looking into my closet. My goal was to get it organized in one day. It wasn’t a big project (my closet isn’t that big) I hadn’t bought anything for this project, as I was just going to tackle it as quickly as I could. I could think about purchasing products afterwards if I so decided.
In the middle of organizing, I realized I was out of good hangers to use. Instead of stopping, and running out to get more hangers, I just kept on going through the clothes. I found more hangers from clothes I was no longer keeping.
I have written other posts about organizing on a low income or while being on a budget. I thought this is the perfect time to talk about how you can organize with out having to buy a thing! You do not always have to purchase supplies, you can just use what you have on hand.
This site contains affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my links.
Clear out the closet.
Clearing out the entire closet is always the very first step I do. I do this because once you can actually see the pile of clothes you own, you are more likely to truely evaluate what you have. And I found, I have a much easier time to part with things because I see how much I actually have.
Take everything off of the shelves and make sure there is nothing left hanging in the closet. If you have room, I would even recommend taking all the other clutter out of the closet! That includes shoes, purses, belts, accessories.
Starting your organizing with a clean space can help you visualize how you want the space to look, how the space can work for you, and how you can best use the space. Because you are no longer limited to a system you currently were using.
Down the road, in the future, you may want to consider heading over to EasyClosets for easy affordable ways to help maximize your closet space.
Declutter all your clothes.
Now comes the fun part…decluttering your wardrobe! I know, you think I’m crazy for thinking this is fun. But it really can be! Let me explain…
Start by sorting your clothing into categories, such as shirts, pants, dress, jackets, ect.
Once all the clothing is categorized, then you will be holding up each individual piece of clothing. Ask yourself, do I love how I feel when I wear this? If the answer is yes, out it in the keep pile. If the answer is no, put it in the donate pile. If the answer is well… or ummm…. or I guess…. then put it in the maybe pile.
After all the clothes have been put into piles, its time to go back to the maybe pile. Start by turning on some music and trying on each piece of clothing you have in the pile.
Be totally honest with yourself when you look in the mirror. Only keep clothes that you love to wear, because why would you want to keep something that doesn’t make you feel good.
Put away clothing by type.
Get piles of unwanted clothes out of your space. Put them in your garage or your car to donate and/or sell. Only keep the clothes that make you feel great in your space before you try to put those things away. It will give you a clear visual for what actually should go there.
If your closet is on the right side of the room when you are standing in the doorway, you should hang your clothes from left to right. If your closet is on the left hand side, hang your clothes right to left. I know it sounds funny, but think of it like this: you are hanging all your clothes so they face the door. The are some exceptions to that based on the type of closet you have. And set up of your closet, but for most closets, this system seems to be the most effective.
When hanging up your clothes, start by putting away all your pants. Try to use the bottom hanging space for your pants. I recommend going from dark to light. Then move to your dress pants.
Hang your tops by color, but sort by type of top with in each color. So an example would be to grab all your white tops. Then, hang your tank tops first. Then t-shirts, followed by quarter sleeves. Long sleeves are next, followed by jackets and sweaters. Continue this until you have gone through all colors of your clothing.
Dresses should be hung in the space where you have ample space for longer hanging clothes! And keep belts and scarves on hangers, preferably near where the dresses are hanging because there will be room for the length.
Use what you have.
While I love using beautiful organizing containers and bins from Dollar Tree. Sometimes, budgets, or space don’t allow for them. If that’s the case, I’m pretty sure you might have something around your house you could use.
Shoe boxes
I really love using shoe boxes to organize almost anything. All my kids drawers have their shoe boxes holding all their clothes. I will cut the shoe box lid to use as drawer dividers. If I need to make it sturdier, I will cover it with duct tape. And I love all the colored and decorative duct tape that you can find at Dollar Tree. So you can even spice up your space with some colorful tape.
Hangers
While I love using velvet hangers, sometimes the investment isn’t feasible for your entire wardrobe. That’s perfectly fine. Just use what you have. The biggest thing about organizing your closet is to make sure that you can see all your clothes, and that you feel good about every item you own. That’s how you will be able to keep and maintain an organized closet.
Organize your closet with you spending anything!
I have some super random tips. Some you might laugh at. But once you follow them, you will no longer laugh. So give some of these tips a try. And I promise, if you laugh at them, I wont be offended. I mean, I talked about how to set up your closet based on where it was in your room. If you weren’t laughing at that, well, that is pretty silly to think about at first.
The curve of the hanger should be facing you.
All your clothing should be going the same direction.
Make sure your clothes are not inside out before you hang them up.
Hang your pants with the butt facing towards the wall.
Set up your closet so that all your clothes are facing the doorway, unless you have a walk in closet with a U shape. Then all clothing should be in the same direction all the way around.
Make sure you can reach everything you hang up in your closet.
Try to keep seasonal clothing in your closet all year long. It gives you a better visual for what you have.
Store a bag for dry cleaning in your closet or near your laundry basket. This makes it easier for you to collect your dry cleaning with out it piling up on the floor.
Color coding
*Start with lighter colors then move to darker colors
*When color coding your closet follow this color system
white
pink
red
orange
yellow
green
blue
purple
brown
gray
black
Now it’s your turn to get your closet organized with out spending anything. Take everything out of your closet and declutter all of your clothes. Put things back in your closet by category and color code your closet.. Use what you have to help organize your space, and don’t forget to follow my random tips for keeping your closet organized.
I love the idea of minimalist living. I strive towards it, in fact. (At a snails pace, yes, but still – I’m striving).
Those who are naturally minimally inclined don’t quite understand the emotional turmoil that some of us feel when we try to take on the task of de cluttering so this post is for all you emotionally attached clutter bugs out there. The ones who want to live in a clutter free space, but struggle because you feel controlled by your stuff.
I get it. I’m high anxiety, seriously over sensitive, and easily over whelmed. Or at least I can be. I work every day to bring my sane self to the surface (that’s what I like to call that little voice of reason that allows me to function – when I choose to listen to her – and I do that more and more these days).
SuperAreaRugs.com Now that I’m able to see my floor… they have the most amazing rugs, and ALL affordable!
This post contains affiliate links. I can make money if you make a purchase after clicking on one of my link.
I’ve learned 4 little tricks to make de – cluttering easier.
De – cluttering is something I have worked on alot in the past couple of years. And man do I love how it feels to live in a home with less stuff. It hasn’t been easy.
If any one can benefit from these tricks I’ve learned to make it easier – well that’d be the icing on the cake. So let me walk you through a typical (for me) decluttering session.
First I tell myself that I will do it no matter how hard it is, because I can do hard things.
Dollar Tree has so many affordable, and pretty things to help with organization. Its one of my go to places if I find I need anything.
#1 Get permission
The first drawer goes ok.
I get the unused ,broken, don’t even know what this is into a box and I feel pretty proud of myself. Then I pick up something that I know needs to go… but it can’t because… (insert ridiculous reason here).
In the past I would have become discouraged, given up and probably drank some wine. But, now I do this…
Getting rid of the thing trick #1 I call someone who I know values a tidy house and understands the burden that excess stuff can be, and I explain that I need permission to get rid of the thing.
I’m no psychologist and I can’t tell you why this works, but having someone else’s permission and support to get rid of the thing helps immensely.
Until I pick up something that some one gave me. (this totally derails my decluttering train).
I want to get rid of it (oh the guilt)
But I can deal with it because I’ve learned:
Getting rid of the thing trick #2 I imagine that I was the one who had given this thing to someone else and I know that if the thing I gave them was causing the this much stress, I would feel terrible! I would want them to get rid of the thing.
I never gave it to them to burden them. So chances are good that who ever gave me this thing wouldn’t want me burdened with it either. They would want me to get rid of it. Plus it helps to remember that I am emotionally attached to stuff, and other people are not. There is also a good chance that the gifter doesn’t even remember giving me this thing, and just sees it as a thing.
#3 Ask for help
Then, I get to the thing I can not get rid of.
There’s no way. I sort of want to, but my resolve is going and I need this thing for absolutely no reason. I can’t.
Getting rid of the thing trick #3 I get someone else to get rid of it for me. I have to say, I don’t do this very often, and I do it less as I get better at allowing my sane self to be heard.
#4 Get rid of the thing now.
I’m done for the day, so I set the box of stuff on the spare bed. I’ll donate it next time I go to town. I feel ok right now about the things I’m getting rid of and even if some of it was difficult to imagine parting with, at least I get it in the box so I can start coming to terms with the fact that its gone.
Oops…
I’ve noticed that 89% of the time I never even thing of the thing again after its out of the house.
I’ve also noticed, that if the box stays on the spare bed, the stuff will get out of the box.
Hofdeco Has beautiful pillows and other decor to help your home look pretty after you have finished your decluttering projects.
Getting rid of the thing trick #4 Get rid of the thing! Now, while you feel determined, while you have permission, while you understand why it needs to go.
Drive that box right to the thrift store, to the donation bin, to the dump if its stuff no one else will use. Do not let all your hard work go to waste.
You can do this! You can conquer the clutter your stuff does not have to control you.
Also, consider addressing the disorganization in your home – for good. Some times just deluttering isn’t enough.
Addressing the disorganization in my home took me a long way towards keeping the clutter at bay.
But I din’t know where to start, with getting organized and I actually needed someone to teach me how to do it.
