Day Nine :: Get Your Home Decluttered in 28 Days

Yikes! Where do I start?

 

 

It has been a few days since my last declutter/organize your home post because, well, I’ve been decluttering, and then some more decluttering. Boy am I pooped! But taking it day by day, step by step, I do see some light at the end of the tunnel. So don’t fret – if you are just starting at Day One (our front porch) jump in when you can! My daughter recently turned eight and wanted to get a bigger girl room. She even requested a new paint job (all white with one wall painted an apple green) which we may come to next year, but for now, my goal was to get rid of toys, books, clothes, etc., that she no longer plays with or wears. This way, we clear out her space so she can actually enjoy what she does have and not be overwhelmed with too much stuff.  So let’s get started!

 

 

 

Books:

I stared with this first as we had ions and ions of books (can you tell I collect children’s books for her?) that were too young for her. Go through the books together, ideally, and see what your child would like to keep, give away or sell.  We put a pile together to give to our local Ronald McDonald House and plan to drop them off this week.  Check with your local library, school or children’s hospital to see if they might have a need.  Or you could put this box aside and sell them at your upcoming garage sale (yes, we are going to plan a big garage sale to make some cash so you purchase some new goodies for the home or place in the bank!).

 

 

Toys:

Here is the really fun stuff right?  Argh – this took me pretty much all of one day but you can take it step by step, section by section if you don’t have a day to spend on it.  We are taking a trip this next month so I am aiming to have things organized before then so I was working like a banchee to get her room done.  Here I found using the boxes most helpful.  Label one Give Away, Sell, and Donate.  And I also used some large Ziploc bags for the little odds and ends – like Nerfgun ammo.  After you are done make sure to put the items you are donating in the back of your car to drop off either that day or the next.  Best to get them out of the house quickly so they don’t add to the clutter.

 

Clothes:

One of the ideas I came across for a successful garage sale was to label the boxes of clothes according to age.  She labeled them 12-24 months on up.  She said this helped people easily find the sizes they need and sold a ton of her children’s clothing this way.  If you are selling at a local boutique like Children’s Orchard, they just require that the clothes are clean and spot free, no need to organize them according to sizes.

 

Items that will help keep it organized:

 

A Bookcase:

We purchased 2 bookcases from IKEA a few years ago and have found them to be really useful for organizing her books and games.  We cleared off the top and donated some of the stuffed animals we have collected over the years.  Plus, the baskets help store away smaller items.

 

 

 

Shelves:

I like having shelves and plan to get a few more from IKEA because by keeping things off of dressers and desks, helps keep things organized and streamlined.

 

Hooks:

There are a ton of great hooks you can pick up at your local discount store like Marshalls or Target.  You can store backpacks, hats and other knickknacks that tend to make it on the floor if you don’t have a place for them.

 

 

A Large Basket:

If you can image, this basket has already been sorted through and many items were donated or will be sold.  I find having a basket is a real-life solution to all of the toys kids have!  Yes, ideally, these things are stored away in the closets, but I like that she can quickly grab a toy and have a impromptu sword fight with a pal and not have to open any doors to get access to her toys.  Check around to see what size would work best in your space.

 

 

Closet Organizer:

I found this IKEA organizer to be really helpful in keeping toys she doesn’t play with as much (but doesn’t want to give away quite yet).  Plus, we store her arts and crafts container in here as well.

 

Under the bed storage.

We also picked up some plastic bins with lids to store more games and such under her bed.  IKEA has some inexpensive ones that work fit perfectly under most beds!

 

Good Luck!  I know you can do it!  And try to get the kids to help for a bit (attention span allowing) and show them after you are finished where you organized their toys and books (if in any particular order) so they can help keep it organized.

 

 

Take it a step further:

Maybe with the money you get from your upcoming garage sale you can paint the kids room a new color!

 

 

Now enjoy your new space!  I am loving her new organized room – that is until she gets home from school!  Kidding aside, now that everything has a place that it goes to, I believe this will help her help us keep it picked up easier!  Plus she has more space to enjoy playing in her room.

 

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