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You are here: Home / motherhood / Living Clutter Free in the New Year: 9 Tips That Will Rock Your World

Living Clutter Free in the New Year: 9 Tips That Will Rock Your World

January 2, 2018

Living Clutter Free in the New Year. It really is possible. A new year tends to be synonymous with  fresh starts and clean slates. We clean out homes, purge the junk, and haul it off to donation places like Goodwill and Salvation Army. I bet these guys stay pretty busy around the New Year. I personally think it’s the best time to find a treasure for next to nothing in perfect condition. But I digress. This post isn’t about acquisition. It’s not even about getting rid of your junk although that’s a great place to start*.  It’s about putting a halt to the clutter before it happens. Here are:

For many, there's something quite refreshing about a clean and clutter free home. There's nothing more discouraging, however, than a house that returns to a cluttered state in less time than it took to declutter. Make this THE YEAR. The year you not only get rid of the clutter but keep the clutter gone for good.

9 Tips for Living a Clutter-Free Life in the New Year

Recycle Junk Mail at the Curb

My husband has a daily tradition of checking the mail with our children. With 3 kids and 6 mail days, they each get 2 days of riding on his shoulders to grab the mail. My husband has gotten in the habit of  “processing” it before it even makes it in the house. What this entails is going through the mail while standing over the recycle bin. If it’s not a bill, magazine subscription, or cards from a friend or loved one, it’s likely junk mail. Anything that qualifies as junk mail is tossed. Before he even steps foot in the house, the junk mail is in the recycle bin. My husband is a genius!

Keep a Goodwill Box in the Garage

We started this habit of living in a “purge mentality” early in our marriage by simply placing a large box in the garage. Then, as we put things away (laundry, toys, books), we mentally ask the question: “Does this serve a purpose anymore?” If we determine the item doesn’t hold value anymore, it goes in the “goodwill” box. When it’s full, we drop it off at a donation location.

Pause before you purchase

Amazon Prime makes purchasing items way too easy. Instead of hitting purchase right away, try putting something in your virtual shopping cart and let it sit there for a few days to decide whether you really need to make this purchase. Ask yourself questions. Do I really need 10 barbie dolls. Just because they are $1 a piece, and a steal of a deal, doesn’t mean that I need them!

For many, there's something quite refreshing about a clean and clutter free home. There's nothing more discouraging, however, than a house that returns to a cluttered state in less time than it took to declutter. Make this THE YEAR. The year you not only get rid of the clutter but keep the clutter gone for good.

Have an “In and Out” Policy

For every one thing you buy or acquire, get rid of two things. That book you’re jonesing to buy, give two books away or take them to the used book store and sell them. Or put them in that Goodwill Box you have in your garage! If you get a new pair of shoes, give away two pairs you no longer wear. I’ve heard different versions of this and honestly haven’t tried it. I think I may give it a go this year and see what happens!

Borrow Instead of Buy

I’ve already hinted at my book addiction. I mean I have a library section on my website. This year, however, I am going to be a little slower to hit purchase and try borrowing books. You can do the same. Start looking for books at the library instead of online. Try that “pause before you buy” tactic and instead ask friends if they have an item you need and will only need like once in your lifetime. If you edge your yard twice a year, see if someone you know would allow you to borrow their edger. Maybe they can borrow your carpet cleaner for their annual carpet cleaning.

For many, there's something quite refreshing about a clean and clutter free home. There's nothing more discouraging, however, than a house that returns to a cluttered state in less time than it took to declutter. Make this THE YEAR. The year you not only get rid of the clutter but keep the clutter gone for good.

Don’t Buy Kids Meals

I know. The kids may not be happy with you in the beginning. But am I the only one who goes crazy with all the random toys that show up everywhere? In the car. In the couch cushions. On the kitchen counters. If you eliminate the source of these clutter-inducing items, you don’t have to worry about slipping them in the donation pile, without your kids knowing, when you just can’t take it anymore. On a side note. You will save so much money by purchasing exactly what you need and nothing more. A few chicken nuggets and a large fry. That’s all you really need. Well maybe a large sweet tea, too.

Be Materialistic

In the commentary, Minimalism, they make a very startling statement. They say that perhaps we aren’t materialistic enough. If you think about it, we drop our old stuff of at Salvation Army, only to come home and buy more stuff. The new stuff gets old so we throw it away or donate it and get more stuff. We don’t value what we have anymore. So how do we apply this? Try making purchases that will last. Ask yourself: “Is this item the latest trend or does it posses timeless value?” In our children’s playroom, the timeless items are the play kitchen, the musical instruments their grandma gave them, the tent that my husband made for them one Christmas, and the books on the shelf. Amidst these timeless toys are many that will find their way in the goodwill box in the year to come.

What if I became more materialistic?  What if I considered purchases from a more scrutinizing lens. We started doing this approach at Christmas and it’s helping minimize the clutter tremendously. So as weird as it may seem, I challenge you to be more materialistic this year. Let me know if it makes a difference with the amount of clutter you have.

Find Alternatives to Gifts

My sister in law did a very special thing for our family this Christmas. Instead of purchasing us gifts, she used the money to make a donation to Preemptive Love, an organization that “…meet[s] families on the frontlines of conflict, providing them lifesaving food, water, and medical care. We give them what they need to hold on and hold out.” With her donation, came this beautiful doll. I’ve placed it in our living room and we’ve encouraged our children to pray a simple prayer every time they see this precious doll: “God help me to see and meet needs”.  If they learn that lesson, if I learn that lesson, this gift has not only changed the lives of those families in conflict but it has also changed the hearts of my family members.

For many, there's something quite refreshing about a clean and clutter free home. There's nothing more discouraging, however, than a house that returns to a cluttered state in less time than it took to declutter. Make this THE YEAR. The year you not only get rid of the clutter but keep the clutter gone for good.

Clean up your schedule

A cluttered schedule often leads to a cluttered home. When we’re busy, we eat out more. We are also more frantic in our shopping. When we’re over busy, I find that Amazon becomes our lifeline. Our house is messier, the dishes overflow the sink, and my mind is a wreck from all the chaos that I can’t keep up with. Let’s commit this year to create negative space in our lives. As you clear the clutter of your schedule, the chaos of the house will follow suit.

This is YOUR YEAR!

For many, there’s something quite refreshing about a clean and clutter-free home. There’s nothing more discouraging, however, than a house that returns to a cluttered state in less time than it took to declutter. Make this THE YEAR. The year you not only get rid of the clutter but keep the clutter gone for good.


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For many, there's something quite refreshing about a clean and clutter free home. There's nothing more discouraging, however, than a house that returns to a cluttered state in less time than it took to declutter. Make this THE YEAR. The year you not only get rid of the clutter but keep the clutter gone for good.

I’d love to hear how it goes! Show me your clutter free victories. You can use the hashtag #clutterfreelife and tag me in your post. You can follow me on instagram here.


* If you are already overwhelmed with the stuff you have, I highly recommend this post. This gal does an amazing challenge called 40 bags in 40 days.

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Filed Under: motherhood, Organization, parenting, Tips and Tricks Tagged With: clutter, clutter free, new year, purge

2 Comments

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Comments

  1. Andrea says

    December 28, 2019

    Love it! Continuing the journey, little by little.

    Reply
    • Patty Parker says

      December 30, 2019

      You and me both, friend! I’m finding I have spaces that make me very happy and spaces that stress me out. The more I intentionally remove and PREVENT the clutter the more spaces bring joy! Here’s to another year of getting close to a cozy clutter-free home!

      Reply

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Kindness is not weakness. Kindness is strength in Kindness is not weakness. Kindness is strength in action. 
Today we’ll walk for a friend we’ve never met but today he would have been 26. 
His life was snuffed out not because of anything he did. Rather, because his skin color was *wrong*. So today we walk because our skin color is *right*. And we just can’t take these lies any more. 
Because kindness can be shown  with words but it flexes its strength when it moves. When it stands up for others who are created equal but not treated equal. 
Today we walk with our brothers and sisters of color—beautiful color—who need to be heard. Need to be seen. 
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My children will learn that kindness is strength in action. And it starts today— with a walk.  #ahmaudarbery 
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“Dom. Charlee. Come meet your baby brother, Devi “Dom. Charlee. Come meet your baby brother, Devin.” My 4 year old son and 18 month old daughter peered at the little red ball yawning and stretching in my arms. “Can I hold him mommy?” Dom held out his arms to hold his new little brother. 
Throughout the day, he came over to stare at his sleeping sibling; offering  hugs before rushing off to play. 
Charlee was equally smitten. With her own baby in her arms, she followed me wherever I went. When I changed the baby’s diaper, she changed her baby doll’s diaper. When I rocked Devin, she rocked her own bundle of joy. 
A family of five felt wonderful. Until—“Mommy, I don’t feel well.” Marshall took Dom to the Doctor. I put my fretting to good use while rocking the baby with Charlee by my side. “It’s pneumonia,” read the text. 
A few days later, Charlee began tugging at her ears. “Looks like an ear infection,” said the dr. “I’ll prescribe an antibiotic.” Worried about the baby, we began Operation Sibling Quarantine. Too late. 
Devin tested positive for RSV at two weeks old. 
Little did I know this was just a taste of what was ahead for our family. Dom would get sick. Two days later, Charlee would come down with a fever. Two days later, I wouldn’t feel so hot. The cycle continued—each family member generously taking his turn with a bout of sickness. “What are you doing?” Marshall asked. 
I stood facing our wall calendar. “I’m tracking who gets sick. Maybe it’s not as bad as it feels.” A month in, I stopped. It was as bad as it felt. 
The struggles extended into nap schedules, car seat arrangements, laundry, bathing, and clothing our family. “It’s our third baby! Shouldn’t we know what we are doing by now?!” At a MOPS meeting, seated across from a mom of three grown boys, I got my answer.
“It takes at least a year to find a new normal after having a baby. Every time.” She continued, “Every time a child is added into the picture, the entire family will need to get a handle on the changes that come with the new addition.” Oh.
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