New Year, New You

One thing the holidays are great for is reminding us how much stuff we have. Do we need it all? Do we even use it all? Start off the New Year right by following some or all of the following tips on ways to declutter your life. For the best results, don’t try to do all of these in one day. Ideally, take a day for each task. They should not each take a full day, but it’s best for your mental state not to try to do too much at one time.

Closet Clean Out

When you open your closet, can you remember the last time you wore every single garment hung up? Chances are, you have clothes in there you haven’t worn in years. Worse, you probably have clothes in there you haven‘t fit into for years. Keeping clothes that are too small can be a constant reminder of an internal battle every time you open up your closet. If you are truly confident that you will fit back into them, that’s great! Box them up and store them. Otherwise go ahead and throw them into a bag for Goodwill, or a clothing exchange with friends. Pull out every piece of clothing you own, one at a time. Try it on, and if it doesn’t fit, throw it in the “get rid of” pile. If it does fit, how does it make you feel? Do you feel sexy? Powerful? Like you can conquer the world? Keep it. Does it make you feel frumpy? Have you not worn it this entire last year? Toss it.

De-Stash your Craft Supplies

Three years ago you saw the coolest cross stitch on Pinterest and decided to give it a go. Now you have a box of mixed up embroidery thread, unused hoops of varying sizes and a few spare yards of muslin that are all collecting dust, and all you have to show for it is a half finished sampler. Don’t even think about feeling bad about this; almost all women have a graveyard of failed projects. But stay one step ahead of the game and get rid of anything you haven’t worked on in years or know you aren’t going to work on. This will clear up space for projects you do work on and make it easier to work on them!

Simplifying the Kitchen Cupboard

If the fondue pot you registered for at your wedding is currently collecting dust in your pantry, this section is for you! There are some amazing new products that can be used in the kitchen that get people really excited: quesadilla makers, panini presses, cake ball makers, cappuccino machines, bread machines, and so many more. And these are great… if you actually use them. More than likely you have a few of these space wasters in your kitchen that are used maybe once a year. Unless it’s used at least 2-3 times a month, kitchen appliances are often more work than they’re worth. Yes, that cake pop maker is fun once a year at your kid’s birthday party, but is it the end of the world if you buy the cake pops or just make cupcakes? The same with the Bundt pan; is it really worth the space it takes to make a fruitcake once a year? Really think about the return on space investment on each item in your kitchen before you put it back where you found it.

Tackle Your Junk Drawer

This is where we end: the junk drawer. While it is the smallest physical section of the house, it often takes the longest to declutter. How is it that so much junk can find its way in there? I challenge you to completely clean out the junk drawer and assign it a new purpose!  If you really need a “catch-all” section for your house, find a nice bowl and put it out on the counter. This way you will be forced to keep up with it and won’t be able to just hide it away, which will cause it to get out of control again.

There are plenty more spaces that can likely be de-cluttered, but let these four be your stepping stones into a New Year, and a New You.

 

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