here we are in the middle of january and the meyers family is in the middle of what i am affectionately referring to as "purge 2.0", even though we spent basically all of 2015 cleaning, organizing, and downsizing in order to simplify our life and home. if we did all that, then why are we doing it all over again? well, as im pretty sure ive mentioned before, decluttering has a way of just uncovering an entirely different mess that was lurking below the mess you just cleaned up. also, between the new baby, alices birthday, and christmas, weve kind of had a little extra "stuff" coming in to our apartment lately.
it seemed appropriate that with the new year, wed do a quick (but thourough) purge of the house in order to keep on top of the clutter situation. after we decided to do this, i got to thinking about how small, frequent purges are a lot faster, easier, and less emotionally draining than trying to do the whole house in one go. so i decided to come up with a handy list of great times to do some decluttering:
after the holidays. holidays = presents, wrappings, decorations, and just, like, so much stuff. we chose new years for an annual (starting this year) purge to help us get out of "holiday" mode and back into "real life mode" as quickly as possible.
after birthdays. birthdays are like mini-christmases that happen at all different times of the year, and it really helps to clear out the old to make room for the new (especially when you have kids. why do kids have so much stuff?)
before having a baby. not only do babies have a lot of stuff, but do you know whats really hard to do when you have a new baby in the house? clean. getting rid of as much as possible before the baby comes means youll have WAY less to clean (and more time to enjoy that new baby).
when you move. if its not worth moving, its not worth keeping is what i always say. packing and unpacking forces you to see everything you have and you might as well get rid of anything youre not into while youre at it.
before school starts. for us, things get really busy and hectic during the school year and it really helps to start the semester with a fresh, clean house.
after school gets out. on the other hand, sometimes stuff piles up during the craziness and needs to be cleared out over break.
after kids growth spurts. before i had kids i thought they grew slow and gradually, but apparently they dont grow at all for a long time and then SUDDENLY are an entirely different size. these times are great for getting rid of not just outgrown clothes, but also outgrown, broken, or unloved toys.
when you have unexpected free time. sometimes youre just bored, and decluttering is a really great way to use that downtime productively.
when youre stressed out. maybe its just me, but there is something SO calming and therapeutic about getting rid of stuff and making clean, empty spaces in my home. as i get older i realize how much clutter totally stresses me out, so when i get stressed, i get rid of stuff.
basically, any time is a good time for some decluttering, but some times make a little more sense than others. after talking things over with james, we decided that it would be a good idea for us to do a quick purge at new years, and at each of our birthdays (which are in april, july, and october, respectively) so that we can all work together to keep clutter at bay.
when do you like to declutter? do you do it on any kind of schedule?
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