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Did you clear off or out your nightstands last week? I still can’t really believe (even though I totally can) how much junk was in that drawer. How did I put up with it so cluttered for so long? At least it’s clutter free now and I can find exactly what I need when I go looking!
If you are just joining us, here’s the deal:
I still had this mindset of decluttering being a big ol’ chore up until a few months ago when I read this fantastic post from Nony at A Slob Comes Clean. It was like a huge light went off in my brain! Decluttering is simply the act of getting rid of what doesn’t belong, isn’t needed, or belongs in the trash. It doesn’t mean buying a whole slew of new bins for your things to go in or coming up with some type of system that you hope will change your life – that’s organizing. It’s a whole different ball game. Right now, I’m in the game of decluttering. I just want things GONE.
When there’s less stuff, especially less of what has no purpose in your home anymore, organizing can often happen naturally. You won’t be cramming thirty towels into the closet because you only need ten and they fit nicely. You don’t need to dig through a tub of medicines to find what you need only to keep coming across bottles that are long since expired.
Here’s my challenge: Each week, take on ONE area of your home. I’ve already made the list for you so that part is done. Go to the area, throw away trash, put items that you no longer need but are still in good condition into a donation box, and put other items where they belong. Simple!
You can read more about the challenge on the week one post.
Week 16: Under the Master Bed
We actually make really good use of under our bed. We have three storage totes under there and we just went through them after Christmas because that’s when those items get the most use. One is filled with wrapping supplies, one with gifts we buy ahead of time, and one with seasonal wall decor that I swap out frequently starting in the fall. Those totes get lots of use between September and March so I know what’s in them and that it’s all items to keep.
The floor next to the bed? Not so great. Apparently this is where I’ve tossed all the stuff that normally would end up under the bed. I see loads of paper – mostly Christmas lists from the kids – several toy magazines from various stores, old Mother’s Day items, and a few other random bits and pieces. Pretty much all trash. And it’s all taking up precious floor space and making the room look untidy and not very nice to spend time in.
This is an EASY fix. First up all the old holiday magazines, Christmas lists, and other trash papers went where they belong – the garbage. In fact I used the Walmart bag from the “before” picture.
I also found all these empty or so-close-to-empty-I-can’t-get-anything-out bottles of lotion that went to the recycling bins.
And this super sweet picture from Parker Mother’s Day ayear or two ago went down to the keepsake box.
Ah, so much better! Why did I wait until now for that? Because slob-vision is real and if it’s not affecting my day to day life I can completely ignore the mess that accumulates. But I’m working on that.
Now go clean out under or next to your bed and let me know what you got rid of this week!
Share a picture in the comments or on social media with the hashtag #clutterbusterchallenge of what you found to declutter.
Come back next week for week 17 of the Clutter Buster Challenge when we take on the tops of our dressers. I know that flat surfaces in our home are magnets for “stuff” in every room and the tops of our dressers are no different. Try not to jump ahead to inside the drawers because we will do that in week 18. Remember, we are doing this little bit by little bit to make it more manageable and not overwhelming!
