Decluttering feels SO good!

After we got back from our vacation, Kevin still had almost two weeks left before he had to go back to work. We all know how it is when daddy is home--no schedule, no school, no normality--so what should I do all this time? I knew it would be the perfect time to do a whole house decluttering.

This was the plan. Go from smallest room to biggest room. Once each room is finished, maintain it and make sure it is still clean before going on to the next room. That makes the list for my house bathroom 1, bathroom 2, hallway, bedroom 1, bedroom 2, bedroom 3, bedroom 4, kitchen, living room, basement.

This is how I did it and it worked really well. I think from now on I will do this about once a year as a get the chance.

1. Gather 3 large boxes or plastic tubs. I used 3 big tubs I usually use for toy bins. It is important to use boxes rather than bags because you can just throw things in them from where you are instead of having to walk over and put in it a bag. Then of course each box is labeled "put away", "throw away", and "give away".

2. The next step sounds overwhelming, but it really is easier and more effective than not doing it. Take EVERYTHING out of the room, one thing at a time, sorting into each box as you go. That even includes every piece of furniture that is not too big to move. Start from one corner of the room and work your way around until the room is empty.

3. For each thing you pick up, ask yourself "Do I really need this? Would I miss it if it were gone? Do we use it?" etc. Don't hold back--your goal is to get rid of as much as possible! Then ask yourself, "Would someone else find a need for this?" If so, put it in the giveaway box. If not, throw it away. Ahhhh--that feels good!

4. Once every thing is out of the room. Give it a good cleaning. Don't be too obsessive. This isn't like Spring cleaning. The focus is on decluttering. I just gave all the floors a sweep and mop (we have wall to wall hardwood--hate it) and all the surfaces a spray and wipe down. Also, clean any furniture you may have moved out.

5. Now it's time to put everything back into the room. I don't know if this is normal, but this is very important to me: Try to make as many things as possible different. I mean, rearrange the furniture, reorganize things differently, put things into different spots or even different rooms. This change feels so nice and fresh.

6. Empty the "put away" box one item at a time. Dump the "throw away box" into the trash (hopefully you filled it up 2 or 3 times!). Put the "give away" box aside to take to a thrift store.

Then you are done and ready to start over on the next room. This is a long process if you have small children, but it is so worth it. It saves so much time and makes it so much easier to maintain each room. And nothing feels better to me than a room that is free of STUFF. I love clear surfaces and floors.

I still have half the kitchen, the living room, and the basement to go. When I am done, I will post pictures of every room in my house. I had been getting discontent in this house and wanted to move so badly. Now I love it again and it feels so good to be home. STUFF steals your time, your energy, and your life. Get rid of it! It is so fun to see it all falling into the dumpster, never to be worried about again!