I decided to take this opportunity to post something light for all of you interested in minimalism.

Or, if you just need some inspiration to get rid of a few things in your home. You don’t need to be into the minimalism mindset to benefit from this.

Purging unwanted items in your home can be a daunting and overwhelming task. Often so much so that we just continue to put it off, which was me. I found that reading tips from regular people who’d recently done this really inspired me to get off my butt and get started.

Sunday is a great day to get things done around the house, and if the sun is shining like it is here, even more so! Blast the Christmas music and enjoy the process; especially since at Christmas time, we tend to gain a lot more stuff.

I have put together a list of simple things you can do to get the process started. I do not recommend beginning with your closet like I did, but if you are feeling really ambitious, head over and read my post about creating a capsule wardrobe to get you inspired. It will give you tips on how to start. As always with my posts, I take what I have learned that stuck in my head and that worked for me, and share what I find valuable in my own words.

I think if you start with things that are not overwhelming, and ease in, you begin a habit that feels good and is easy to continue, eventually making you want to dive deeper.

Let’s go!

1. Unused toiletries

I am sure that under your bathroom counter there is plenty of unused products cluttering up your space. There is no reason to keep this and it should leave no emotional impact when tossing it. I bet there are some unopened items as well, and those can be donated to a local women’s shelter. A quick google search will locate one and I promise you it is needed and will be greatly appreciated. Do not hang onto things you are not or will not ever use, especially if they can hold value for someone else.

2. Expired medication

This is a no brainer, and we all have it. Go through and check and then safely dispose of anything that has expired. This will also avoid accidentally giving your child Children’s Tylenol that expired 4 years ago when it’s the middle of the night and you are too tired to think to check. I do not speak from experience here but I can see that happening!

3. Socks/underwear with holes

Unless you are like my Mother who would likely sew it, toss it. You are not reaching for the socks and underwear with holes, so they are just wasting space in your drawer.

4. Kitchen gadgets you never use

That avocado slicer is cute, but doesn’t a knife do the same thing? And have you ever reached for it? Kitchens can get cluttered up very quickly with a gadget for everything but if you do not use it, there is no reason not to donate it. A kitchen with items you only need and use is much more functional and less stressful. I no longer need to dig through a drawer of items I don’t use to find the item I need.

5. Old towels you have not used in years

Unless you are like me and every old towel becomes a dog towel, likely you have some torn/worn/unappealing towels you never reach for. A local animal shelter would absolutely appreciate them and they are not serving you by sitting and gathering even more dust and taking up space. Of course Covid may make donating things harder; you need to check who is accepting these items right now.

6. Expired food in your fridge/pantry

Another no brainer, but we all have it. No thought has to go into tossing expired food except maybe learning what to buy less of in the future. It also allows you to see what you do have in there hiding behind that old jar of olives. If you find any non perishables you don’t foresee using in the near future, a food bank would greatly appreciate them.

7. Makeup you never wear

I don’t know about you but I had a lot – such a waste! Throw out any makeup you have not worn in a year, likely it has gone bad by then anyway. Makeup develops bacteria quickly. If you have any unopened products, women’s shelters would also appreciate that. No sense in having a drawer full of clutter serving you in no way.

8. Home decor that does not make you feel good

The sole purpose of home decor is to make you feel good. It literally has no other function, so look around your home, if there is anything you see that is just gathering dust on your table tops or hanging on your walls that does not make you happy when you look at, sell or donate it! I have used Facebook marketplace many times to sell home decor, among many other things of value.

9. Old/worn out shoes and boots

Unless you use them to mow the lawn or clean dog poop, etc, then toss them. No reason to hang onto worn shoes you do not wear. I bet you all have a pair or two that can go. This is obviously something you would not donate.

10. Winter accessories your children have outgrown

Most of us with kids collect an endless amount of mittens, hats, earmuffs, gloves, etc… assuming you also live in a cold climate! I bet if you look, you have a bunch of items that can be donated or thrown out if they are not in good shape.

I really hope you found these tips valuable. Just start small, and I bet you become addicted to the feeling of clearing items that do not serve you joy or purpose. This will likely trickle to all aspects of your home like it did mine.

Now every item in my home has a place, a purpose or brings us joy. Such a simple, yet life changing concept.

Good luck! and please share this post if you liked it. I really appreciate it.

Simply, Jules

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