Once children entered the picture, we became hoarders. It was as though our house suddenly became a vacuum and all the clutter from our friends, family and even strangers made its way into our living room or stuffed in a drawer. I can’t live like that. My brain moves slower, I lose patience faster and I become real. Unpleasant. Once I figured out that I needed a relatively clutter-free home to function, I came up with a few surefire ways to get rid of some of the mess that comes with children.
Here Are My Tips:
- If you haven’t used it in the past year, get rid of it. In a climate where often, every season yields an entirely different wardrobe and home goods (blankets, indoor vs outdoor toys, etc.) it can be hard to discern between the used and unused. However, that newborn toy that your five-year-old hasn’t touched since they were, well, a newborn can be donated now.
- Set a limit for sentimental. I struggle with this one so much. Everything feels so important. I set a limit for myself by getting a reasonably sized box and throughout the year, filling it with what I feel is important. If it doesn’t fit, then maybe something else should come out of the box. Every year can get a new box and at some point, you may even be able to combine a few years into one.
- Leave open space. I can easily wrap my head around the idea of “everything needs a spot” however, I quickly took advantage and was stuffing every nook and cranny instead of moderately filling the area. Now that’s just relocating the problem…. Leave a drawer half full. Don’t worry, clutter will hit at some point. With this extra open the rooms will feel lighter and allow for those dollar section toys that inevitably happen.
