Wednesday, March 22, 2023

30 Days To A Bigger Home

 


There is absolutely nothing in my house that any of my children will want after I pass away, save for my great grandmother's aluminum dutch oven and maybe my recipe books, so I'm confident that whatever is left at the time of my demise will end up at thrift store.  No need to hang onto any extras so I've been diligently going through my home, space by space, and getting rid of everything I no longer need, want or use.  It is quite a job, but it is also extremely liberating.  At the end of the day I feel really good about the things I've decided to let go of.

 


Our stuff can be good and helpful impacting our lives in positive ways.  However, when we have too much, it can weigh us down to the point of causing stress, anxiety and depression.  When we have too much stuff the walls of our homes start to close in on us.  We waste countless hours moving, cleaning, maintaining, storing and navigating around hundreds of items we no longer need or use, or even care about.  Now is the time to let it all go.

 


I know it can be overwhelming to even know where to start.  Here is a list to help you get the ball rolling:

 


Day 1 - Make Up & Toiletries

Day 2 - Books & Magazines

Day 3 - Water Bottles & Coffee Mugs

Day 4 - Purses, Belts & Scarves

Day 5 - Food Storage Containers

Day 6 - Art & Craft Supplies

Day 7 - Cooking Utensils

Day 8 - Old Electronics - Cell Phones, Laptops, Cameras, TVs & DVD/VHS Players, PCs, Monitors, Etc.

Day 9 - Games & Puzzles

Day 10 - DVDs & CDs

Day 11 - Cleaning & Laundry Supplies

Day 12 - Towels, Washcloths, Dish Towels, Dish Cloths, Potholders, Cleaning Rags & Scrubbers

Day 13 - Socks & Shoes

Day 14 - Throw Blankets & Pillows

Day 15 - Broken Toys

Day 16 - Candles, Candle Holders & Essential Oils

Day 17 - Blankets, Sheets & Pillowcases

Day 18 - Pots & Pans, Bakeware

Day 19 - Rugs, Doormats, Bathmats

Day 20 - Broken & Worn Out Furniture

Day 21 - Art, Wall Hangings, Posters, Picture Frames

Day 22 - Coats, Jackets & Backpacks

Day 23 - Office & School Supplies

Day 24 - Mail & Junk Mail, Piles Of Papers, Owner's Manuals & Instruction Booklets

Day 25 - Stuffed Animals, Age Inappropriate (Too Young or Hazardous) Toys

Day 26 - Jewelry & Accessories

Day 27 - Nail Polish & Manicure Supplies

Day 28 - Placemats, Cloth Napkins, Table Runners & Tablecloths

Day 29 - Food & Condiments

Day 30 - Clothing, Pajamas & Underwear

 


To begin with you can start with trash.  Anything that is old and worn out, broken, stained, has a hole in it, is expired, is dangerous, or you absolutely do not like it, it can go.  Like peeling a layer off of an onion you can get through the stuff in your house.  Take it one step at a time and soon you will see a change.  And you will start to feel really good about it too.

 


Decluttering our homes and our lives is a constant process.  Once you've completed the list start over.  You will be amazed at how much stuff you will end up getting rid of, but also, it will be easier the second time around.  And the third and the fourth and so on.  As time goes on we get better at this with each pass through.  Remember too, any progress is still progress so don't get discouraged if you don't think you did a good enough job.  There is always tomorrow and we get to start again.

 

 

12 comments:

  1. We did a serious declutter about 25y ago when we replaced the carpet in the entire house. Well, it looks like crap and we are about to replace once and for all with an engineered hardwood this time (we are 61 and want this to last our remaining decades!).

    As we did the first time, we're dividing the house in half and emptying it into the garage. Everything will be touched and evaluated again-into the house? Into the garbage? into the trunk for thrift store?

    I'm nearly giddy at the thought :-) I know you understand this enthusiasm.

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  2. Thank you for this little push to get going again. There is always something to get rid of it seems.

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  3. What a good list! But I would caution that some of those items will take more than 1 day.

    For example, I recently cleaned out my pantry. And it took DAYS. So many days to sort through expired or unneeded items. It was quite the job. It would have been much easier if I had just tossed full cans/bottles in the trash, but my conscience would never let me do that to the environment. So then it was days of work to empty the jars/cans, wash them for recycling, and compost the expired contents. I'm so very glad it's done.

    I would have to say the hardest part of decluttering is all the decisions you have to make. It's very, very tiring to evaluate every single item for keeping, for donating, for trashing. Donating and trashing are fairly easy to accomplish. But if you do decide to keep an item, where will it best live an active, useful life?

    Decluttering is good work, but it does take its toll...

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    Replies
    1. So true. You just do what you can with the time you have to work with. Any progress is still progress and you can always start the list over!

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  4. That is quite a list. I did a major purge about 8 years ago but a couple more family members passed and I need to do another. I have no grandchildren - doesn’t look like I will so yes, my stuff will end up in a thrift store. I’d rather start giving things away - the deal with that is the ones who want it are older than me and who haven’t taken the big purge yet. Oh well. I will copy that list and try to get started on part 2.

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    Replies
    1. It is crazy how stuff creeps back in. Good luck with you next go around!

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  5. Thanks for the list. And, I so agree.. each time I declutter, I find more and more. It feels fabulous.

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  6. This is a great list. Thanks for sharing. I moved five years ago and went through every single item I owned. It was amazing how much I got rid of. Downsizing is a great motivator. Despite my best efforts, things seem to be creeping in again so I look forward to working on this list to reign things in a bit.

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  7. We decluttered a lot 10 years ago, when we moved to California. And, then again six years ago when we moved into our current house. During the height of COVID/WFH, I prioritized decluttering some small space every day. I loved it.

    I'd describe our house as in "pretty good" shape from a clutter perspective, although things always do creep up and it requires constant vigilance. We also have two teens, and try to respect their space, although I do have them clean/declutter occasionally. One, in particular, is a clutter bug!

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