Don't Downsize...Declutter

(Photo: Caroline_joy of UN-Fancy.com on Instagram)

You don’t necessarily have to move to a tiny house or hire an expert organizer to downsize the stuff in your life (though both of those things would definitely help!). If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the growing piles of books, toys, gadgets, clothes, or kid-made art projects, there are DIY steps you can take to remedy the situation. Here are 5 easy and cost-effective methods to clearout everything from the playroom to the kitchen and your closet. Who knows, you might just increase your productivity in the process!

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1. Rethink How You Tidy Up
Based on the popularity of Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, it’s safe to say that the detritus of everyday gets us down. Rather than continually going room by room, picking up the same things over and over (and over, if you have kids), she advocates taking the time to consider whether the things in your house are serving a purpose. What to do if the answer is no or a particular thing in your home makes you unhappy? Ditch it for good.

2. Categorize Your Stuff
“Make homes for everything and categorize your stuff so you can always find what you need,” suggests Vanessa De Vargas, a Los Angeles-based interior designer. Put all of the games in one spot, make a dedicated place for the computer or iPad, and pick a spot for important papers for kids and adults alike. She uses baskets and bins, of course, but also likes to maximize space by adding unexpected storage. Think ottomans that open to hide blankets, small boxes to hold the remote or coasters, dedicated hooks or baskets by the front door for keys.

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3. Think Small (if Not Tiny)
If you happen to be moving soon, consider a smaller space than you might think you need. Less space means less physical areas to clean and keep organized—and you might use the space that you do have more efficiently. Staying put for the foreseeable future? Try consolidating. Have the kids share a room so there’s only one room to clean up (and use the other one for an office, study space, or workout room). Add open shelving to a kitchen wall to store pantry staples—repackage them in clean mason jars for nice visuals—and get rid of the overflow food storage in the basement. Create a playroom on one side of the living room, instead of a separate room, to reduce the areas that need daily attention and to inspire the family to spend more time together.

4. Try a Capsule Wardrobe
“I had noticed that I had a bad habit of using shopping as a way to jolt myself out of a bad mood with a little instant gratification,” explains Caroline Rector, the force behind the capsule wardrobe movement and Un-Fancy. “It hit me pretty hard when I realized I wasn’t shopping for clothes–I was shopping for happiness,” she continues. She advises narrowing down your wardrobe to key pieces that you love though a combined shopping hiatus and closet purge. “I was surprised to find that I could still make a ton of outfits even though I had just a few clothes,” she says of her 37-piece wardrobe. And two years later, she’s more committed to this idea than ever. “The more I’ve limited my choices in my wardrobe, the happier and more creative I’ve felt,” she says. Get the full details on the capsule wardrobe here.

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5. Plan Your Meals
Want to know the secret to sticking to a food budget and reducing the lingering packages of beans, sauces, and grains in the pantry? Meal planning. It might sound boring or fussy, but planning out each week’s worth of dinners both answers the question of what to eat when 5 pm rolls around and it means that you know exactly what to buy at the store. Whether you use an app like Paprika, a downloadable template, or you simply write meals into your calendar, it’s a smart way to downsize in the kitchen.

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