After a long, cold winter, I think all of us are ready to welcome some nice spring weather to our Mitten State! Hopefully, someday soon the grass will start to green and there will be flowers everywhere we look. There is something so refreshing about spring. And nothing is quite as refreshing as a good ol’ spring cleaning.
This year as I’m preparing for my big spring cleaning purge, there is one phrase that keeps replaying over and over in my mind: Less is more.
I don’t know where all the stuff comes from, but one thing is for sure, more stuff equals more chaos. When things are piled up on the counters, in the playroom, and in all the corners of the house, you can bet my anxiety is piling up, too.
When your goal is to pull a sippy cup out of the cupboard without causing an avalanche, that’s probably a good sign something’s gotta go! Literally, less is more. Less stuff means more space. Space for the things you use and space for the things that make you happy.
By getting rid of all these things that take up prime real-estate in my home and flat out drive me crazy, I am hoping it will help me find more peace and make our space more relaxing.
Declutter your home this spring by getting rid of these 50 things:
Kitchen
Expired or stale food
Old takeout menus and coupons
Extra kitchen utensils that are never used – we know you have that favorite spatula! And do you ever really use the ladle?
Sauce/condiment packets from restaurants
Leftover candy from more than one holiday ago
Tupperware missing its match or extra that doesn’t fit in its assigned space comfortably
Duplicate spices – why do I have 3 containers of paprika?!
Extra coffee mugs or glasses that don’t fit in their assigned space
Decorative dishes that don’t stack well and are never used
Travel mugs or water bottles that leak
Bathroom
Travel/sample-sized toiletries you’ll probably never use
Dried up nail polish
Old medications/prescriptions – Please dispose of properly. Find a drop off location near you.
That lotion or shampoo you can’t stand the smell of
Extra bath toys that overflow their storage space
Old make-up or that lip color that you hate
Stretched out hair ties
Extra/worn out towels – many animal shelters accept these as donations
Closet
Worn out tennis shoes
Shoes that are uncomfortable or don’t bring you joy
Clothes you haven’t worn in a year, don’t fit or don’t make you feel good when you wear them
Plastic hangers you get from the store
Socks with holes or no matches
Jewelry you never wear
Old purses you never use
Bras that don’t fit right
Outdated belts, scarves, or other accessories that were once cool
Kids
Broken toys/junky party favors/kid meal toys
Child’s art – keep the handprints and special pieces – take photos of the rest
Toys you can’t stand picking up over and over (at least box them up for special play)
Dried up markers/paint/Playdough
Toys that have been outgrown
Stuffed animals with no special attachment
Clothes/shoes the kids have grown out of and you don’t need to save
Leftover diapers if the kids aren’t in diapers anymore or in a different size
Sippy cups/bottles that are missing parts or are never used
Office
Any appliance or instruction manuals you could find online (that’s most of them)
Old CDs – copy into a digital format and get rid of ones that don’t hold a special place in your heart
Pens that don’t write
Old phone chargers/cables for electronics you don’t even own anymore
Old check stubs/bills/receipts
Boxes electronics came in – even though the iPhone box is just so nice
Home
Home décor that doesn’t match your house or make you happy (picture frames, art, candles, furniture, etc.)
Gift bags you’ve saved – especially holiday-specific – keep 3 general ones in different sizes and lose the rest!
Holiday decorations that are never used
Sheets that do not fit the beds you currently own
Books you won’t ever read again
Movies you have no intentions to watch ever again
Old magazines or catalogs
Holiday/birthday cards or past invites that have no sentimental value
What else should we declutter? Let us know what is on your of things to toss!
Check out our guides and resources to the Mid-Michigan area!
From the best pizza to playgroups and where kids eat free – We’ve got you covered.
