10 Things You Can De-Clutter NOW!
1) Robes....is anyone in your household really wearing them? If so, great--keep them. If not, donate them. They're bulky and take up a lot of closet space.
2) Jewelry! Re-gift, Donate, Sell. Separate out your jewelry into piles: First, by whose jewelry it is: partner's, yours, kids. Then, sub-categorize into like piles of bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, etc. Each person then sees how much of each kind of jewelry they have. And then start purging what you don't like, want or wear. Do you even wear Wrist Watches any more? Or do you just use your smart phone?
3) Returns. Gather up your returns and receipts, and put them in your CAR. Don't keep them by your front door--does no good there. Next time you're out and about doing errands, you already have them right there with you to easily return. This also counts for things that go back to friends/family.
4) Glaring Alarm Clocks. They are loud, obnoxious, annoying, take up space, collect dust, collect other things people like to pile on top of them on the nightstand or dresser, and studies have shown that the glaring red or green numbers actually hurt your adjustment to falling asleep. Most people use their smart phones now as their alarms. Donate the chunky alarm clock collecting dust.
5) Clothes. DONATE: If you havent worn it in a year, don't absolutely love it, don't care for the material/color/feel/fit, needs fixed and you KNOW you arent going to realistically fix it yourself or take the time and money to have someone else fix it, it's out of style, it doesn't fit you NOW. **Don't keep clothes you eventually hope to fit into one day--open up your wardrobe and FEEL GOOD about yourself! Know that you can fit into and look and feel great in everything you have in your wardrobe. If not--donate it!
BONUS: The Less Clothes You Have, The Less Laundry You Have.
6) De-Clutter Your Coat and Linen Closets--Donate the linens you rarely use, the coats that no longer fit, and keep others warm this Holiday Season!
7) Accessories. Purses, Shoes, Scarves, Gloves, Hats, Fancy Umbrellas even--what are you REALLY using? What are you not? Donate!
8) Books and Magazines. Drop-off at your local library or Goodwill the books you have never read after all this time, the books you will not re-read, any outdated reference books period, most reference books because are you honestly going to pull a book out of the shelf and look things up or are you going to Google search in seconds to find your answer? Recycle Magazines, or take them to the local women's shelters, hospitals or doctor's office (including therapist offices or grief and crisis centers). Also, your kids can take them to school to drop off at the art class room for student art collages. Books and Magazines you aren't READING don't need to be taking up space in your home. If you haven't read them in all this time, donate/recycle.
9) Folder of Tear-Outs. A lot of us have these nifty little folders of tear-outs and cut-outs of things we WANT or are beautiful or are ideas of things we want to one day get to, like recipes and remodeling ideas. They are from newspapers, magazines, sales ads, printed emails. We stash them away, and then forget about them. Go through them--what are you realistically going to spend the money on to get? Is it going to be extra clutter? Can you afford it? Are you no longer interested in it? Do you have time to do it? Instead of having the paper collection--create a Pinterest.com free account to boost your oxytocin levels of looking at beautiful and creative things. You can even keep everything easily organized into categories on Pinterest. :-)
10) Your Nightstands. Yep. Nightstands are mostly good for collecting clutter and dust. If you read in bed, add a light that can attach to your headboard. It will help prevent you from bringing food and beverages into your bedroom, as well as work. Add bins in your closet for extra storage for things you were keeping in your nightstand (keeps your 1 year old from grabbing the box of condoms out of your nightstand drawer and walking around with the box, shaking it like a musical instrument! Oy, how embarrassing--and ironic. If that box had actually been opened, he wouldn't be here walking around shaking a box of Trojans! .....See, there's a joke for those of you who read everything all the way to the bottom! ;-) Out with the nightstands!
