How to Declutter your Home & Life this Spring

Is it just me or do you have the urge to get rid of everything you own? No? Well, maybe you haven’t watched an episode of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and realized the amount of excess clothing you have in your closet. If you piled every single item of clothing onto your bed, what would that mountain look like?

Spring has sprung and with a change in seasons comes the opportunity to freshen up a bit! I’m opening the windows and letting in the light and cool morning air. This time of the year for me usually includes many trips to the donation center, which ultimately is not an ideal situation either. Where do you think all of our piles of unwanted clothing end up? A small amount might make its way overseas but most of it just goes into a landfill, according to the EPA. But I digress, that's a blog post for another day.

If you’re like me, you probably own way too many clothes. If your sock drawer is out of control, full of things you no longer wear and can barely close, this message is for you. I’ll even admit that I have a drawer full of leggings and I only wear my favorite few consistently. What about your closet? Can you even see everything you own? If “I’m going to wear that again somewhere” hasn’t happened in the past two or even five years, you probably don’t need that outfit.

A friend gifted me the book, Spark Joy and if you’ve watched Tidying Up, know that it is the actual manual for decluttering. If you’re interested in learning how to live with less clutter I highly recommend it! It can be difficult to get rid of clothing you’ve spent money on or things you’ve been carrying for years. It’s all about learning how to thank the item for the joy it gave you and then simply letting go!

Another area that could stand for some decluttering in my home are my beauty products. Skincare is my weakness and I have accumulated more facewash than I have a face for. A tip I’ve learned over time is simply to stop buying what is not needed. I have a do-not-buy list, just like a grocery list. Items on the DNB list are lotions of any sort, nail polish, face masks, chapsticks, sports bras, leggings, pajama sets, coffee mugs, notebooks/journals, candles, etc. (the list goes on.) All of these things I already have a lifetime supply of. I can’t believe how often I used to buy new nail polish simply because I liked the color. I mean... how many shades of pink nail polish does one person need! What thing are you a sucker for when you see it in store? How many of your purchases are because you saw something “cute” or on sale. I no longer allow myself to go into a store and let them tell me what I need. I would walk through every aisle of Homegoods as if it were some sort of treasure hunt. If I even go to a store these days I’m in and out, and only for what I need.

When I first applied the revolutionary thought process of ‘I have everything I need’, walking out of Target without a haul of items felt awkward. Like I was forgetting something, simply because I hadn’t purchased anything! I would stand and think before leaving, what can I buy. And eventually, I went less and less because it turns out I didn’t need anything. What used to be a weekly outing, sometimes more, has become just a few times a season if I have an actual reason for being there. Try practicing this the next time you’re at the store you love to frequent, or maybe while you’re shopping online late at night. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying don’t treat yourself. I’m all for that, but let’s use what we have first. Sort through your closet and see what you actually love and are using. The rest is ready to go!

Before you purchase that adorable new product advertised to you online or that stylish boutique in your inbox telling you not to miss out on a deal, unsubscribe from their mailing lists and rid yourself of the temptation for a while. What’s on your do-not-buy list?