part two: spring decluttering special areas of your home!
We are back for round 2 of our Spring Decluttering series! It seems fitting that we were having true bright, blooming, spring weather and then got hit with some nasty, overcast, cold weather! The next couple days that are bright and spring-y you can come back to this email to continue on tackling our spring declutter!
Okay, now if totally missed Part One, no worries, you can read all about it HERE. It was focused on all the areas you have to frequent in your home - im talking kitchen, pantry, and closets!
Now we can move into those other areas that are equally important, but ones we might not go to every single day!
Lets start off with our home office! If you dont have a home office, pick the area that all the paper clutter, bills, etc seem to land. This might also be the area you have one (or more) junk drawers!
First, get rid of all that dang trash! You know what im talking about, the empty envelopes, newspapers, weekly grocery coupons, ALL THE JUNK MAIL - im talking to you credit card people! Grab all the trash and toss it out. If you arent comfortable throwing it away, look into using a shredding service, like the Lubbock File Room!
You can find more about Lubbock File Room and their services here!
Once you have that taken care of, set a time for 10 minutes. I feel confident that everyone can find 10 minutes in their day to prioritize this, but set the time and just file your paperwork. If you dont have a file system, group like paperwork together, put a sticky note on it to tell you what it is, and set it aside. (Of course, if you dont already have a file system, you can always call us and we can help you set one up!)
Last thing for this area, put away any items that dont truly belong there. I dont know about you but after a long day, coming home, sitting in the office to just finish that ONE LAST EMAIL, I might take off my earring and leave them on the desk, or kick off my shoes, and they hang out there for a couple days, or your spouse might come in asking questions and leave his pickleball bag in your chair.. This is the chance to take a couple minutes and put all those random things that dont belong away in their proper location!
Next up, the bane of existence for most of my parent clients - THE PLAYROOM! This area can be tough but we are going to just focus in on 3 main things we are going to accomplish. Remember, this is a spring cleaning, this is not a full room reset!
Focus first on removing any trash. This can be true trash, like a candy wrapper, or an empty water bottle. It can also be papers of doodles and drawers that (lets be honest) arent ever going to be award winning creations. This might also look like toys that are broken, damaged, or clearly missing their counterparts (Adios to Barbie’s collection of solo shoes!).
Next, look for toys you feel CONFIDENT your kids dont play with. We are going to donate these to someone in need who WOULD play with them. Look for things that might be hidden or forgotten about, toys with dust because of lack of play time, or toys that your kids are ready to part with!
PRO TIP: Get them involved. Feel free to share that the toys are going to kids in need and encourage them to decide for themselves the things they hope to keep versus the things they no longer play with!
Final task for the playroom, pull out any toys, crafts, coloring books, etc that arent age appropriate for your kids. If they are on the cusp of that transition where they no longer care about babies and stuffed animals and instead would rather play with makeup or videogames, help them declutter the more adolescent toys to donate!
Last but most definintely not least - the garage! This is an area that can EASILY become overwhelming… Bins, yard equipment, and sports gear, OH MY. A few quick and easy tasks can help the garage feel like a fresh spring day!
This seems like a common sense thing but its worth mentioning! If you already have a system in place (think garage hooks, shelving units, or a bike rack), take a quick minute and put things up that already have a home location they belong to! This also includes any holiday decor that might not have made it back to the attic after the season! Garages can become a dumping ground and the last place to focus on but a quick put away session can have your garage go from feeling “ugh” to “AHHHH” real quick.
Garage areas can also become the area for trash - whether thats empty amazon boxes (ASK ME HOW I KNOW), true trash bags, or that old car part that was supposed to throw away and just never quite made it to the dumpster… Take a minute, knock out the trash. I promise this one step ALONE can make your garage feel 10x more spacious and organized!
Just like in the playroom, do a quick scan to double check any outdoor toys, games, or sporting gear for anything broken or no longer age appropriate for your home! Items that are still in good condition can be donated to others in need!
Now, if we are being truthful, offices, playrooms, and garages arent always the easiest or most fun places to work but that doesnt mean that a little elbow grease cant have them feeling alot more organized and decluttered!
Use this as a roadmap for easy decluttering and fresh start to the spring season!