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Having all the extra coats and boots in the closet takes some getting used to each year. It feels so cluttered but I suppose with seven people using one smallish entry closet that is simply bound to happen. I know that what is in the closet is the minimum of what is needed and there is no way to eliminate further so instead we need to focus on keeping everything put away where each piece belongs rather than letting it spill out onto the floor.
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 46: Seasonal Gear
I separated this from boots and coats and now I’m thinking it was kind of a silly thing to do. If you are going through one area you are probably going through all the stuff you need. But in my desire to make these tasks as simple and short as possible I broke it down into different parts. Maybe you are smarter than me and did it all in one fell swoop so you are off the hook this week. I’ll be in my closet while you catch up on your favorite show 😉
Each kid is supposed to have a hat and pair of mittens or gloves. We also keep a stash of extras for days when theirs are wet or “misplaced” which is fairly frequently. I went through this as one of my very first decluttering/organizing projects back in 2016 so I figured I wouldn’t find a whole lot to get rid of but I did expect some mismatched mittens.
This drawer is a tangled mess because of the scarves. Clearly that needs to get fixed. But otherwise the drawer closes easily enough so there doesn’t seem to be a lot of extra but I pulled everything out, matched up mittens and gloves, rolled up the scarves, and piled the hats together.
I found two mittens that didn’t have a match and one hat that no longer fits our kids. That was easy!
And now it’s all back in there. Seriously, you guys, this project took about 5 minutes but I kept putting it off. I think that is a lesson I learn over and over with each new task. It’s never as overwhelming as my brain has made it out to be.
Share a picture on social media with the hashtag #clutterbusterchallenge of what you found to declutter.
Come back next week for week 47 to dig through all the board games and puzzles. This one might take a bit of time because there is no point keeping games and puzzles that are missing pieces. Hint – don’t put the puzzles together, simply count the pieces! Unless you really like putting together puzzles and have the time and patience for it right now 😉 I’m so ready to take on our game closet before Christmas!
