10 Spaces To Declutter to Start The New Year

Declutter Your Space

The New Year has come! I will say that 2016 was  a weird year. It was both the best and worst year I have witnessed to date. With that being said, 2017’s arrival is exciting! This year will be about growth, taking chances and creating stability in my life.  What are your plans for this year?

No matter what you have planned, we can all use a fresh start at the beginning of a new year. Here are 10 places around the house that you can quickly declutter and reorganize. Focusing on the biggier picture leads to neglecting the smaller places. Take the time to organize these spaces, it won’t take long, I promise. Once you do you will see what you need, what you don’t need and how to make your spaces work better for you. Each one shouldn’t take too long so you can tackle one a day or a couple a day! Either way, don’t stress out, use this time as stress reliever!

Best of luck!

1. Medicine Cabinet

   • Throw away any expired or unused medicine. Reorganize the medicine and supplies that you have left and restock on the essentials like alcohol and bandages.

2. Old Makeup

   • Expired makeup can be horrible for your skin. Go through your makeup and check the dates. Throw out anything unusable or anything you just don’t use anymore. If it’s something that is still good and you just don’t want, give it to a friend or family member.

3. Old Hair Products

   • Yes, I know how easy it can be to become a product junkie. There is always something new to try and you’re always looking for a better product for a particular reason. However, if you use a product and see it’s not for you, give it away or donate it or trash it, just don’t keep it. Also check on those products you haven’t touched for months, if something is old, you don’t really want it on your head do you? Get rid of the things you don’t find yourself reaching for often.

4. Glasses and Mugs

   • You don’t need that cup you took from that random restaurant that one time. Sort through your glasses and mugs and get rid of plastic cups, mix-match cups and mugs or things you never  touch. Cut soon on clutter with a more cohesive and organized cabinet.

5. Tupperware

   • I believe you when you tell me that you bought the tupperware set with all the tops and all the bottoms, I do. I don’t know what happens to them, I wish I did. But it is a fact that somehow over time, tupperware becomes unmatched and worn out. Toss the ones without a match, and toss the extra food containers such as your old butter container. Then, you can see what you’re working with and if you need to invest in an entirely new set or a few filler pieces. But, more importantly, your sanity will be saved. Stop the treasure hunts for long lost tops.

6. Junk Mail /Old Paperwork

   • Junk mail tends to pile up fairly easily. We sit things aside to look at them or to keep a coupon and they stick. This pile often includes important papers and bills also. Go ahead and sit down and sift through that pile. Trash old coupons or junk mail. and make piles for bills, coupons and important documents. Once you’ve done that you can store them in folders or organizers that can be found at the dollar store. Now you will know exactly where everything is, and its not an eyesore.

7. Books/ Old Notebooks

   • This one is particularly hard for me. I love books. I love to have them just to look at or to fish through old ones once I’ve forgotten what they said. I also do this with notebooks, especially school related notebooks that I can find useful later. However, make sure to keep only things you will truly come back to. There is no reason for me to have a Quantum Physics book on my bookshelves, there just isn’t. Sort through the books that you have outgrown, that have become unusable or things that you just won’t use again. Lots of places are always looking for donated books, let them do more good for someone else.

8. Old/Unused Cords

   • Those pesky cords that you keep around because one day you will figure out what they are for, get rid of them. If you have held onto them this long without needing to use them or figuring it out, its not to something important or vital so trash it.

9. Closet

   • This may very well be the hardest place for most people to declutter. Because clothes are a necessity, we tend to think ALL clothes are a necessity. Realistically however, if you don’t touch 50 percent of your clothes, your money is being wasted and so are those clothes. However, you can donate them to someone who actually needs them or rid yourself of them to make space. Once you declutter your closet you will be able to see how your preferences have changed and what you really need to add to your wardrobe. So, listed below are some areas that you can declutter. If it isn’t in good condition or you haven touched it, get rid of it. I know, you’re saving it just in case (insert oddly particular scenario here). If that day comes, buy something for it, don’t hold onto something in hopes of it.
   •          Shoes
   •          Underwear
   •          Clothes that don’t fit
   •          Clothes you haven’t worn all year

10. Unused Jewelry

    • We all have those old reliable, favorite pieces of jewelry. Put those aside and sort through the pieces you don’t tend to go for. Decide if you really want them or if you don’t reach for them because you don’t actually want them.

Best of luck!