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Bedroom tasks are done and now we move on to the final stretch of the challenge! From here on out we will be dealing with seasonal items and areas we need to declutter to prepare for Christmas and the new year. I can hardly believe we have so few weeks left! Have you completed all the challenges so far?

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!

Week 44: Footwear

The change in seasons means a change in footwear. I’m amazed we actually made it to the end of October and some of us are still wearing flip flops! Mostly it’s Micah and I but when the snow starts flying we can probably pack them away. Plus, look at this closet!

It’s overflowing with SOOOOO many shoes. Honestly, most of that is Micah and I once again. He has several pairs of shoes that he rotates between for work. I usually keep a pair of flip flops, slippers, tennies, and some flats. Then add in five kids with several pairs and it gets overwhelming. But I know there are more shoes than what we need in here.

In addition to pulling out the summer footwear we need to add in the winter footwear. This bums me out, not only because it means super cold temps are on their way but also they take up way more space than flip flops. Blah.

This bucket of boots… oh dear. I’m not sure why I saved these. How are these going to keep my kids’ feet warm when it’s -20* out? Or even 35* out? Geeze. I’m guessing I never checked them and it was more like, “Hey, it’s warm out! Go put your boots away in that bin.” I probably never even glanced at them. Now I know the big boys need boots.

I found a pair of toddler boots in good shape so I’ll be passing those along to a friend whose son is a year younger than the twins. Yay for hand me downs!

I finally decided to part with my much loved All-Stars. I’ve probably had this pair since Parker was a baby. I’ve got a new pair on my Christmas list so hopefully I won’t be without a pair for long but these don’t keep my feet dry when it rains anymore so it’s time they go. Micah, on the other hand, wore these All-Stars for about a month or two before they separated. He has the worst luck with shoes and they never last long. It stinks! He keeps several worn out and broken pairs for mowing the lawn or other house work tasks but he probably doesn’t need more than one or two pairs so I ditched these since they were in the worst shape.

Two piles of shoes to purge – one pile to the trash and one to the donation bin. I also put all the summer and extra shoes we are keeping into the bin the boots were stored in.

Look at how much neater this looks now!

Did your shoe closet need some help? How many pairs did you find to donate or toss?

Share a picture on social media with the hashtag #clutterbusterchallenge of what you found to declutter.

Come back next week for week 45 so we can check out all the coats and jackets and donate the ones that don’t fit and trash those that are broken or no longer worthy of the cold temps. Maybe you are lucky and only need lightweight sweatshirts – go through and only keep the items you love and wear!

If you are looking for a better way of keeping on top of your homemaking tasks now that you are steamrolling through all this decluttering you might be interested in a new course from Humorous Homemaking. Home Management How To: A Guide to Daily Success is open now! I’ve got a post about my experience with this course here but this is a great course for you to take control of all the household tasks in a way that is tailored specifically to your family and life.