Day 29. Turn the hangers around, and purge items in your closet. It’s been 4 weeks since you turned the hangers around in your closet. We’ve gone through the closet at the beginning, but here’s one more chance to remove more items. Anything that hasn’t been turned around means that it hasn’t been worn in the last month and you probably won’t miss it! Do one last purge and enjoy your smaller and intentionally chosen wardrobe! New Year’s Resolution: Declutter Your Life Every day in January, there will be a short post with one area to minimize and declutter. There will be tips and tricks, encour ..read more

Day 28. Storage. The dreaded storage or basement! Things that haven’t been used in a long time and are collecting dust. As someone in the facebook group said, ‘the place where household items go to die’… Examine what you really need and let go of the rest. We often get stuck by holding onto items ‘just in case’. If it helps, you can give yourself a timeline. For example, The Minimalists use the 90/90 rule to let go of possessions. When you get stuck on an item, ask yourself if you’ve used that item in the last 90 days. If you haven’t will you use it in the next 90 days? If the answer is no, t ..read more

Day 27. Sentimental items. Sentimental items might be the hardest category to go through and minimize. Recognize your emotions and memories associated with an item, and give yourself permission to let go of the physical object. If it brings memories of a loved one or a specific time in your life, consider keeping only one thing (instead of a box etc), or take a photo to remember. Don’t keep anything because of guilt, and allow yourself to let go of things that don’t serve a purpose or bring joy. When we recognize that the sentiment is found in the stories and memories, then it becomes easier ..read more

Day 26. Living room and home decor. Hopefully you’ve removed some clutter of magazines or newspapers when we eliminated paper clutter. Take this opportunity to declutter the coffee table, end tables, or re-evaluate what is truly beautiful and useful in your living room. Declutter the every-day decorations around your home and keep only what brings you joy. And remember that clear surfaces and counters make for a more calm atmosphere in your home; Sometimes less is more. New Year’s Resolution: Declutter Your Life Every day in January, there will be a short post with one area to minimize and de ..read more

Day 25. Declutter online. Now that you’ve had a day of reducing screen time (Day 11), consider what you might eliminate completely. Or perhaps there are ways you could reduce online distractions. For example, whether it’s email, social media, or news feeds – consider unfollowing things that don’t bring joy or value to your life. Perhaps you could create set times during the day to check email and social media. Read about these 5 Areas of Life To Simplify including #2 on the list (Social Media) and #3 (Screen Time). Become intentional about the online conversations you have, and the things you ..read more

Day 24. Holiday decorations. Go through your holiday decorations and try to identify what you really love. What makes you happy and really brings you joy to use? You might end up with a smaller collection for each holiday. Or you might only keep decorations for your favourite holidays. For example, I personally don’t keep holiday decorations except for Christmas. I LOVE Christmas, and it makes me happy to bring out the Christmas lights – especially during the dark, cold, winter months. Try to be objective about how much you need for your own home. Is more always better? If you know that every ..read more

Day 23. Books. Decluttering books can be difficult, but they’re also a great item to get passed on or donated to a local library. You can read about how I decluttered my bookcase using the KonMari method. Pick up each book and really ask yourself whether it brings you joy. Do you use it on a regular basis, or can you borrow it from the library when you want to read it again? Our family makes good use of the library. This way the kids always have new books to read, and the books get returned after a few weeks so there won’t be clutter in the house either! New Year’s Resolution: Declutter Your ..read more

Day 22. Clear out the junk drawer. Every house has a catch-all… a place where clutter accumulates easily and we never go through it. Go through your junk drawer, bookshelf, counter, or cupboard- whatever the place is in your home. Remove trash, recycle old papers, relocate needed items to their proper home, and purge unwanted items. New Year’s Resolution: Declutter Your Life Every day in January, there will be a short post with one area to minimize and declutter. There will be tips and tricks, encouraging articles to read, and some advice on how to proceed. Each image and challenge will also ..read more

Day 21. Declutter and organize the entryway or front hall closet. Make a place for everything. When you come in your house, is there a designated place to put your wallet, keys, purse, or coat? Whenever you come in the door, let there be a clear place for these items instead of dropping them on the floor or on a chair. Note how when the closet is less cluttered, it is easier to put away your things! My kids each have one hook on the wall, and they know that as soon as they come in the door, the backpack goes on the hook. Inside the closet they each have a box (labelled with their name) for th ..read more

Day 20. Find out how contentment makes us happier. Consider how being content with what you have can calm the craving for more. While discontent is something that can eat away at our hearts, contentment can make life more happy and a lot more simple. We can learn to be content both in who we are, and what we have. Read about how contentment makes us truly happy. Also take this opportunity to reflect on clearing away your emotional clutter. By this, I mean anything that weighs us down and impacts us negatively. Clutter is a distraction that pulls us away from the things that really matter- thi ..read more