Today I thought it would be fun to share my favorite tips and tricks. I've heard a lot of different ways friends, family, and bloggers declutter and simplify their house. There are so many good ideas for decluttering out there! Here are my favorites tips and tricks that really have worked for me....
Make sure the house is already some what put together. Dishes done, laundry caught up, supper planned, toys picked up, etc. It just makes things so much easier to start in an already semi-tidy home.
Make a list. Yes like I mentioned yesterday, I am a compulsive list maker. It really does help to have an outline wrote out of how you will accomplish your decluttering mission tho. I write down the rooms in order of how I want to conquer them and some areas in the room that may have "hidden clutter" {piano bench, a certain drawer, just anywhere I don't want to overlook!}. I also write down an estimated time I want to get it done. I tend to get sidetracked so to have a timer on and just keeping track of time in general really helps me.
Do one room at a time. Don't move room to room decluttering. If you are anything like me, you might start pulling stuff out of a drawer in the kitchen, then decluttering the TV cabinet in the living room, then sorting some clothes out of the dresser. Before you know it the house will be an overwhelming big mess. Not cool at all! I tend to get sidetracked, so I follow the one room at a time rule to keep the house free from complete chaos. I even follow it one step further, before I move on to one part of a room, I finish the area of the room I working on.
When I start decluttering an area, I pull everything out and lay it on the ground. For example, I just decluttered the TV cabinet so I pulled out all the DVDs, wires, games, etc. I have my decluttering tools I mentioned yesterday handy. A laundry basket for things I need to find a good place for. An empty bin for things I to sell. A trash bag I put inside a collapsible laundry hamper for things to throw away.
Once I have these in place, I go through each item one by one. If I pick something up, I try to figure out which category it will go into right then. If it is something I will be selling, I go ahead and mark the price on it right then too. This saves me so much time and sanity when getting ready for my yard sale.
Something that has been the greatest advice I've heard for decluttering: be merciless. It's hard to get rid of things you bought. You spent money on those things. You kinda sorta like those things. You may need it one day right? Wrong! {Ok well in a lot of cases}. I have to show no mercy to my belongings when I'm decluttering. I can't keep everything and if I did....oh my what would my house look like?!
I once heard to view your house and square footage as precious. I love that. We only have so many square footage in our houses, do we really want to fill it up with clutter? Or would we rather have a house with things we truly love and need? When our closets get too full of clothes, it's sometimes impossible to find that one dress that you love. I have been guilty of looking in an overcrowded closet and thinking "I have nothing to wear!". When we fill up our houses or closets with mediocre things, we can't see the things that are most precious to us. The decorating items that truly make us smile, the clothes that we love to wear, and so on. The point of all this babbling I'm doing right now is be merciless when it comes to getting rid of clutter and think of your square footage as precious.
Some questions I love to ask myself when decluttering:
Do I use this? Do I really need this? Do I love this?
Simple questions but the answers tell a lot. Sometimes I keep things for the wrong reasons. When I really answer those questions truthfully I get rid of so much more.
So those are the things that really help me declutter and simplify my house. I am still in the process of decluttering my home right now. I've gotten rid of so much junk by following those little tips! I really can't wait to share my progress and how my yard sale goes {I have it planned for mid-October}.
Oh and I also found crazy things when I was decluttering that I am planning on sharing with ya'll. Because everyone has a pair of Spice-Girl-like platform shoes in their closet from 1997 right? Anyone? Ok yeah just me!
Sharing with these awesome parties:
{What's Shakin'} link party @ Shaken Together
Flaunt It Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Creative Inspirations Linky Party @ Embracing Change
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Lovin' It Fridays @ Tidy Mom
Share your creativity @ It's Overflowing
Spotlight Saturday Link Party @ Classy Clutter
Thursdays are your days @ 52 Mantels
Live, Laugh, {Linky} Thursday @ Live Laugh Rowe
Great tips! I need to get a little better about getting rid of junk just sitting in boxes after our move. I think I should go tackle a room now :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Janell! It's hard to unpack moving boxes, but I'm sure you can do it! :)
DeleteMy favorites tips and tricks that really have worked for me is that in order to keep the clutter at bay, it is good to think twice before buying anything new.
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ReplyDeleteAwesome Files Of Mine