Ahh yes. Some people thrive on spring cleaning. Others wait until after Christmas (or even before) to do the purge of all purges. I, myself, find that with each changing season, I get a major ‘ants in my pants’ attack and decide it’s time to give away, throw away, and maybe even sell ‘all the things.’ And I’ll tell ya, it’s that good ole school-is-out-kids-are-home-life-is-outside summer declutter session that feels amazing. BUT then you actually have to take the time to do it. And then I am all gahhhhh uggghhhhh blahhhhhh. Can ya feel me?
So here I was a few weeks ago. I seriously text one of my best mom friends every day, probably twice a day, with statements like “I just need to take all the clothes out of their closet, but I don’t wanna” and “Why can’t I just focus and get it done?” Do you have a friend like that? One that you can text all the obvious statements to knowing she will either tell you to just sit down and sip coffee or to shut up and get it done? I do. And I love her honesty.
So, once I got over myself (and the need to actually commit time to my purging sessions), I made my list, stopped multitasking, and got er done. Slow and steady won the race, and after the focused declutter sessions, I felt 10 pounds lighter (as did my home). So I am here to give you some tips on a QUICK and COMPLETE summer declutter session (or two or three) that you can spread out throughout a week (or heck a month, or all summer long).
- MAKE A LIST – What exactly is your goal? Do you want to go through all of the kiddos’ clothes? Purge the hall closets? Clean out the bathroom drawers? Or all of the above? Make a short but sweet (and achievable) list of all of the areas you want to declutter. I like to do this a few times a year, because it is amazing how many random pens, highlighters, bouncy balls and chapsticks one can acquire. I kept my list to a few main areas in our house that I knew needed a quick (or not so quick) look-over and stayed true to that list. My summer declutter list included purging and reorganizing both of my girls’ closets/drawers (as well as my own), hallway closet, pantry (because why do I have sauce packets from 2017?), desk, and an ‘extra’ cabinet in our kitchen that ends up being a catch-all. If you are someone who NEEDS detailed guidance in this list-making, I hear ya, sometimes it’s not easy to even know where to begin. There are a TON of decluttering and purging ideas online, for starters check out this 30 day declutter challenge.
- MAKE TIME – I mean, yeah. You have to make time, but ugh, I hate this part. I am not going to lie. It’s the STARTING, but once I start, then I am off and running. If you have never read the 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins, I will give you a quick rundown. Come up with an idea that has an end goal. Count to five. And GO. The irony is when it comes to a declutter session, you have all the tools you need at your beck and call. Your crap, your arms and legs, your bags. Count to five and just start. Set aside 15 minutes even (refer to my past post the 15-minute purge) and achieve one thing off your list, even if it is simply emptying all the drawers so you can go through the kids’ clothes after dinner. Start it in a manner that you can end it. Once I start, then I get that umph and I go!
- GRAB SOME {LITTLE PEOPLE} HELP – Now before you go ‘what are you thinking lady?!?!’ hear me out on this one. It all depends on the age and stage of your kiddos. My girls are 5 and 7, and actually like to be involved (once in a while) when I declutter and purge, especially if their things are involved. Every once in a while, my photographic memory will come across something that no longer fits them, but I recall exactly when and where they wore it, and nostalgia kicks in. I have found that when I involve them in the purging of their items, that nostalgia tends to dissipate. Many times I ask them to pile up all the toys they want to give to a kiddo who doesn’t have any or to help me pick out the T-shirts they won’t wear anymore. Their candid and honest spirits help me remember that STUFF is just that, STUFF. I also can help teach them the importance of passing on things to others as well as not accumulating too many things. Because who really needs 65 Barbies. Can you relate?
- HAVE A PLAN – You went through the kids’ clothes and have piles of sizes that don’t fit them. You have a gallon Ziploc bag full of pens from a year’s worth of business conferences and six unopened boxes of sparklers. On top of that, you have eight cans of black beans you won’t eat and 10 “in good condition” body towels that you simply don’t need. Now what? First of all, don’t put clothes or other items in a giveaway pile that you wouldn’t want as a hand-me-down yourself. There are folks who need much in today’s world, but stained and ripped t-shirts or old grungy and stinky towels may not be that. Some things just may have to be trashed (yes, I said it). Make a giveaway pile, trash pile, and ‘sell’ pile (if that’s your thing). Or just trash and giveaway. With the recent tornadoes in the Dayton area, my giveaway pile has become greater than anything. Identify where you plan to give your items to, and make it a priority to complete the delivery within one week (or have them pick up if that is an option). We had three garbage bags of kids clothes just loitering in our garage. Staring at me every time I left. It wasn’t until the other day that we added three boxes and two more garbage bags to the pile that I knew they had to go. St. Vincent is typically our local donation site of choice, so off I went, and away those bags went into the hands of those who could use them.
In our house, summer is for late nights, bare feet, dirty kids, and grilled chicken and veggies. Sorting through random piles of nonsense on the daily is not on my to-do list. I try to set time aside to ‘clear out’ the prior school year, save what is memorable and give away what is no longer needed. Take a few days or hours to do this mama, get that summer declutter conquered, and then sit back and soak up the sun.
Do you do a regular declutter of ‘all the things?’ If so please share your method!
