Decluttering and Decrapifying 2017
I live in a 900 sq ft house. As such, I have limited space and it's easy to make my space cluttered.
Add to it my 6 dogs and a teenager; my passion for vintage items, cooking, reading and weaving; a bit of poverty consciousness and my belief in repurposing thing ... well it's easy to have too much stuff.
It's 2017 ... thing is, I'm not doing this because it's a new year ... it is because I am taking time to really take a hard look at the things THINGS in my space. I do this a lot. This just coincides with the time of the year where I've got a bit of down time.
I live in 900 sq feet and have for a long time. In this small space it's easy to get overwhelmed with things. Stuff. Things. Clutter. They think faeries are hoarders ...sometimes we are not ;)
When that happens, it's time to move things out.
So, this link popped up on my Facebook feed the other day and it was a nice list of things to move out ... and it got me started. I decided that daily I am going to remove some unnecessary and or unused items from my life. Throw out, recycle, give away, sell. However it goes ... it's going away. buh bye.
Some are little things and some are bigger and some don't even show up at all here. but it's a good list. I'm looking through this list and as I find things on it, I find other things I don't need and it just grows exponentially.
116 things to throw away
The other side of a pair of lost earrings
Scraps of wrapping paper
Cards people have given you with no sentimental value
Receipts you don't need
Ticket stubs
Socks with holes
Old t-shirts
Leftover change
Dried flowers
Magazines
CDs
Hair elastics that have lost stretchiness
Hair accessories you don't use
Shoes that don't fit or that you don't wear
Extra photo prints
Little knickknacks (designate a bowl and fill it)
Kitchen things you don't use
Cooking utensils you have two of
Tired bras
Scarves you never wear
Clothes that don't fit
Gifts you don't like
Old towels
Old makeup
Old toiletries
Old or unused hangers
Expired or sample-sized toiletries
Extra buttons
Expired sauces
Toys your pets don't play with
Expired medication
Dried-up nail polish
Bills you don't need to keep
Expired coupons
Old paperwork
DVDs you don't watch
Snacks your pets don't eat
Damaged clothing you can't mend
Stained clothing you can't clean
Old prom dresses
Scratched nonstick cookware
Old underwear or swimwear that's losing its stretch
Outdated electronics
Rusty jewelry
Stockings with runs
Pens that don't work
Clothing you've outgrown
Necklaces and bracelets with broken clasps
Cables and wires you don't use
Worn-out sheets and bedding
Empty or near-empty bottles of cleaning products
Old mending buttons for clothing you no longer have
Worn-out bath mats
Broken electronics
Purses you never use
Flatware, plates, and glasses that don't match the rest of your collection, plus dingy children's plates you no longer use
Old pillows
Worn-out shoes
Wedding invites
Save-the-dates
Wedding favors you don't use
Old wallets that you don't use
Broken kitchen equipment
Spare furniture parts you don't need
Furniture manuals
Boxes
Unused vases
Extra tupperware you don't need
Old mail
Junk mail
Travel brochures
Bobby pins
Old crayons or art supplies, plus markers that have run out of ink
Random containers and jars
Unused stationery, stickers, and sticky notes
Ripped denim
Old artwork or old children's artwork
Used and ripped envelopes
Broken or old iPhone cases
Old unused batteries
Extra and unused coffee mugs
Old spices
Address labels for your old house
Wrinkled ribbon and bows for gift wrap
Cards or gifts from exes
Frequent shopper cards you never use
Matchbooks
Old shopping bags
Old calendars
Old folders
Magnets
Clothes that are outdated or from college
Broken Christmas decorations
Christmas lights that don't work
Frayed towels
Expired food
Computer cords, firewire cord, etc. that you don't use
Old and outdated software
CDs for old computer programs
Old cell phones
Hand-me-downs that you're guilt-tripped into keeping
Freebie or promotional t-shirts you never wear
Old fortune cookie fortunes
Old bank statements
Old planners
Delete email subscriptions from sites
Delete emails you don't need
Delete unwanted music from your iTunes
Extra buttons that come with newly purchased clothes
Games that are missing pieces
Old schoolbooks you'll never use again
Papers you have backed up on the computer
Books you've already read and don't want to display
Cell phone covers you're over
Old manuals to electronics
Cell phone accessories you don't use anymore
I've already begun tackling the papers ... I have a corner section of my kitchen counter that's a crap catcher of papers and I recycled almost all of it and moved the rest to my business office so I can further designate a few I had left over. I have a bunch of color markers that my daughter doesn't want ... and if she doesn't? then off it goes to someone else.
I cleaned the aged condiments out of the refrigerator and sorted and tossed old spices in the cabinet. I had plenty to share.
After working today, I will touch on this list and check it twice and toss out things not needed. I'm continuing in the kitchen.
Yesterday, my friend posted this (which I did last year) and will touch on it too ... let's get 2017 going.
