Decluttering Tips for the Overwhelmed Mama

CLOTHES AND TOYS EDITION

Now that the holidays are over (wah, wah, wah) and most of our Christmas decorations are back in their storage boxes, it is time for a major reset to help set us up for a strong start this new year. There is nothing more dreadful than having to go back to our daily routines of work, school, rushed evenings, and chaos in the midst of adjusting to life after winter break.

I certainly found myself in a serious case of constantly losing things only to find them and trip over them soon after. All the bedrooms of my house got out of hand and there was no way we could keep living under those conditions. The shoes, the cap-less markers without a cap, the books, the papers, the clothes… oh, the clothes. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought my house had gone on some sort of winter vacation and refused to come back.

The holiday season is the merriest but the most challenging to get through with all the rushing and food prepping and traveling. It makes sense why it takes a while to resettle in and make our home feel like a home again (not a battlefield).

As I worked on my clutter I followed a system that helped me get through the mess fast. These are the exact tips I want to share with you today. I hope it helps you gain some momentum as well.

CLOTHES

Clothes may be one of the only things that never ceases to surprise me with how fast it accumulates. Whether that is clothes in a dirty hamper that magically reappears at full force within 24 hours or the clean clothes that never sees the inside of the closet for a month.

To be honest, it was our clothes that really pushed me to the edge and motivated me to get up and get my life together. The mountain of clothes on our swivel chair was looking more like the mountains in Whoville if you know what I mean.

The approach below became a clear guideline for me. It was truly what helped me go through my clothes and my daughters’ clothes more efficiently while on a time crunch:

TIPS

1. Start with your clothes. Too often we get frustrated of the other person’s mess that we over look our mess. In fact, it is much easier to point the finger and accuse someone else in the household of not contributing to a nice, clean home. Yet how many times do we postpone going through our own things? Taking ownership of my clutter gave me the motor I needed to start off strong, and guess what? I didn’t have to wait on anyone to give me the green light to toss anything because I started with my things to kick us off. It was then that I realized just how much I was holding onto that was ready to go. Right away the closet felt lighter. Now let’s move forward to Tip #2.
2. Things with a tag have got to go. The easiest way to know if a piece of clothing belongs in the donation pile, is if a piece of clothing still has a tag on it. Unfortunately, there are times when we buy something, usually on clearance, that we swear will change our life, but it really only changes the look on our face cuz once we try it on it is everything but appealing to us. Perhaps it doesn’t fit quite right or the color is off. I’ve learned from experience that the chances of wearing that nice shirt with the tag on in the near future is pretty much slim to none at this point. There is a caveat, however… if you truly believe it is not time to let a piece of clothing go, whether that is a pair of jeans you know you’ll fit into in a couple of months or a gifted blouse you’ll possibly grow to love, then no need to fret. That brings me to my next point.
3. Have a “Second Chance” container on hand. The “Second Chance” container is just that. A storage box for items you want to extend a second opportunity to. There is nothing wrong with trying again in the near future. No matter what the hopeful occasion might be, having a designated place to store that blouse or that dress that is slightly out of your comfort zone will a) provide you with more space in the closet that item would otherwise take and b) gives you a chance to come back to it another time and decide what to do with the clothes then.
4. Have a seasonal storage box for all your seasonal clothes. Let’s face it, as much as we may love our sunkist tube top, a 54-degree weather forecast at midday may not be the most ideal time to wear it. During the winter time, a lot of these tank tops, skirts, and shorts may look really cute in our closet, but they are also taking up space you could be utilizing for your winter hoodies and jackets. Vice versa, once the sun starts striking 100+ degrees again, those winter coats will be the last thing on your mind, I promise you. Having a container to neatly place your seasonal clothes in will open up more closet space for essentials and protect unused off-season items from damage or loss.
5. Have a donation box ready. Donating unused or retired items from our closet is the special part of the process. We get to give back and recycle clothes to someone in need. What goes into the donation box you may ask? ANY piece of clothing you do not feel your best in. Perhaps, it doesn’t fit you like it used to or you simply settle to wear it week after week because it’s all you have. Please, put an end to this torture. Place any clothing that is more of a bully to you than anything else for donation! I first heard this from my sister who heard it from The Minimal Mom and it changed the way I declutter my clothes now. We already have too much on our plate – our bodies are constantly changing and readjusting. We do NOT need our clothes making us feel anything less than amazing. Please note, in the case of not being ready to donate, feel free to add the piece to your “Second Chance” container for a re-evaluation in a month or two.
6. Don’t forget a handy trash bag for all the clothes in need of retirement. As you move through your closet and drawers, keep a close eye for any clothing with tears, permanent stains, and holes. You may want to save these for an emergency, otherwise toss them into the trash bag and feel the relief. In the case that a worn out t-shirt is more like an antique memory you’d like to show your kids one day, then store the clothes in a separate box labelled “Memorabilia” or something to that effect to distinguish the box from unwanted clutter.

TOYS

If you are a parent to young children at their peak of their play era, I am with you. I understand how difficult it is to maintain a clean home with every corner of the play room looking like a Toys R’ Us tornado. I also understand how difficult it is to discern which toys to keep and which ones to let go of – especially after witnessing how attached your baby has gotten with her toys.

On the flip side, however, research is now informing us that the more toys a child has out, the less time the child plays with each individual toy – interrupting the child’s ability to focus on one task and one task alone.

We now own only about 1/3 of the toys we had and even then there are still lots of them roaming around, but the pure intention to minimize toys to only those my eldest daughter truly plays with helped me narrow them down rather quickly. Included in the 1/3 are also the toys I saved for my youngest daughter. Toys she is not quite ready for at the moment, but may soon be intrigued by them as she continues to grow and develop.

TIPS

1. Determine how many toys/toy sets you want to keep. Though there is no one-size-fits-all magic number, there is a quantity that you may consider still doable to manage for daily pickup. Again, that number is unique to you and is an important one. Perhaps it is 10 loose toys and that is it or 2-3 pretend play sets and a couple of their favorite figurines. Regardless of the number, one thing to make note of is that the minimalist approach to the things we decide to keep is to “own the things that count” (The Minimalist). For our household, I opted to keep her doctor kit and her kitchen set as a staple to her daily imaginative play. From there I kept only a handful of toys I know she uses and loves on a daily basis. Toys I know she’d genuinely miss if taken away.
2. Declutter your kids’ toys when they are not around. I like to joke around and say that kids can be little hoarders. Their innocence and admiration for just about anything makes every single bead on the floor a special one. When it comes to decluttering and getting a better grasp of the mess, though, you must be able to choose and do as you see fit for you and your family; therefore, going declutter mode while the kids are in school, entertained, or playing with their friends may be your most efficient option. This does not mean the kids don’t have a say, they can certainly give you their top 3 favorite toys at the moment, but if they are able to stay away from the sight of all their toys at once that could save you so much time.
3. Have an unused storage bin for toy rotation. I find rotating my daughter’s toys to be a quick and easy way to avoid all her toys out all at once. Plus, once they come across a toy that’s been stored for quite a while they will only appreciate it that much more. Just make sure it’s not readily visible – been there…
4. Go easy on yourself. Although we all want that spotless, well-organized “Pinterest Home,” the reality is that children could not be happier being able to express themselves through play. Do what you can and continue tweaking and perfecting your decluttering system as time goes by and as the kids get older. This brings me to my next and last point:
5. Remember a child’s play stage is temporary. Therefore, the mess is temporary. Don’t forget to take a minute or two every day to look around the living room and their play area and make note of all the toys being used. What a blessing to have a healthy child who enjoys play.

With these basic guidelines to follow, a decluttering task will run much more smoothly and much more efficiently. Whether you are just decluttering a couple of rooms at a time or tackling more, know there is a community of mothers trying to press refresh as well. We are in this together.

I hope these tips help some and bring some encouragement.

To further assist you in the process I created this Free Printable Declutter Checklist that you can use to brainstorm and execute. You can do this!!

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See you in the next one,

-Lili