If you are just now joining us and want to jump in with us you can! However, if you want to start with Part 1 of How to Organize Your Home.

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Eliminating Clutter

Before we begin. Please let me say. I am doing this with you. How to Organize Your Home is just as much for me as it is for you. I’m not just posting about it and not joining in. Everything I’m writing about I planned out, wrote it all at once, and I’m joining you. Join me in the Facebook Group (I will give instructions below) if you want and let’s chat about it. I found my Five (and told you about them in Week 1). And now I’m organizing my home. Lets get to work.

Sometimes when I walk through my house. I’m okay. I’m not focused on the stuff. But sometimes when I walk through the house I sort of freak out about the stuff everywhere. Do you ever feel like that? This week for 6 days we are going to be eliminating clutter. I’m not talking about a china collection your grandmother gave you (unless you want to see it go). I’m talking about the Paper, the toys, the books, THE STUFF.

Organize Your Home

Last week we found our five. This week we are breaking up our houses into Grids. You can read about the Cleanup Grid Game for your kids here. Basically it’s the same thing. You Break your house up into 6 parts (one for each day of the week) and then I like to make it fun. I tear up a piece of paper and write the numbers 1 through 6 on them with an area by each of them. Then each day I draw a piece of paper and go to that location.

You can include your garage, porches, sheds, or any location that causes you stress because of the stuff. Here are some examples for my house and what I do.

1 – Master Suite
2 – Family Room/Dining Room
3- Den
4- Kitchen
5- Game Room
6- Garage

I put all those into a hat and then draw one each day. For example, if I drew, 3-Den, I would go into the Den and set a timer for 30 minutes. And get my 3 bags out (you can subscribe to my newsletter below and get that PDF) and go to work. This is fast paced.

Kon Mari

When I was originally de-cluttering my house 2 years ago or so I loved using the KonMari method. I would hold things and if they didn’t bring me joy I would get rid of them. If you have time to read her book or watch her Netflix series… do! Maybe even put Netflix on WHILE letting it go! Or maybe not, because she doesn’t speak English so there are subtitles.

Get your family in on it. Do it as a family activity one night. Just draw a number/space out of a hat and go at it. Maybe at the end of the week whoever lets go of the most STUFF get’s to choose movie night.

Here are some tips I go by when organizing my home:

TIPS to Eliminating the Clutter

Is the ITEM something you NEED?

If so then don’t get rid of it. I think this is common sense. But just wanted to add that in case it wasn’t.
Is the ITEM useful?
Did someone buy this item for you but you will never use it? If so, pass it on to someone who WILL use it.
Have you worn the piece of clothing/shoes in over a year? If not, did it cost a lot? Is it sentimental?
This is hard for a lot of people. But remember there are adults and children out there that NEED clothes. Donate them!
Dishes/Kitchen gadgets and things
I once went to a friends house and she had 3 George Foreman grills. She hardly cooked. I kid. That’s my house or used to be my house. I kept one and gave the other 2 to people that would use them. I suggest you do the same. DO you need 20 wooden spoons? Nope, so give them away!
Blankets/Pillows/Sheets
I am a sheet snob. Not expensive sheets necessarily just feel good sheets. I’m the same with Pillows. I could do an entire post on this. BUT! As far as clutter goes – do you really NEED 5 extra sheet sets for each bed? Nope, you just don’t. So give them to someone that does need sheets. What about pillows? Do you need all those extra pillows? Probably not. As far as storage. I have found a great way to store these items.
Click here

Paper, Paper, and more Paper

I found an entire blog I wrote about Paper organization. Hopefully I will have it up by the time we are on this Journey, but if not, I’ll be sure to come back and post a link here…

Getting rid of paper is going to be HARD for some people. Keep important documents of course. But all those flyers, and junk mail, and kids school projects (that aren’t individualized) get rid of them. Shred them do all the things. Maybe even take a picture of the kid crafted school project but don’t let it clutter its way up. I’m sure if you asked your child if they would rather you spend time with them doing things – or cleaning clutter ALL the time. They would take their stuff to the trash! As coming from a CPA, remember when you are organizing your home, keep those tax documents that you need! When in doubt call your CPA and ask!

I could go on and on about eliminating clutter. But then you would come to my house and see all the things. If something makes me happy (Christmas Decor and Fall Decor just see my home tours here and here) then I keep those things. But to make me happy its not there just to be there. Does that make sense?

I really hope at the end of the 6 days you can report back how much more free you feel and how less stressed out you are. I know I will!