Real talk:
If you're like me, I get a little bummed after the holidays. It's too cold to get outside, the house is calm after the hype of Christmas has faded, there's no more twinkling lights, and our kid's bedrooms look like someone vomited epic amounts of junk all over them. It's happens to us all, but instead of feeling defeated, now is the time to get a little creative, declutter, and prepare ourselves for the beautiful weather that's on the horizon.
I'm a big fan of "spring cleaning", but a bigger fan of what I like to call, "the winter purge". Out with the old and in with the new. I start my purge about 2-3 weeks after New Years, and do 1 room at a time (typically starting with my own room first). Here's a list of what I tackle:
Clothing: Hit the closet, and hit it hard! If you haven't worn it in a year, donate it! I know you've got that stack of jeans hiding in the back that you swear one day you're getting yourself back into, but girl, its clutter, and it needs to be purged. There's nothing more depressing to walk into my closet every morning to pick out something to wear, and seeing those jeans staring me down. Stop doing this to yourself! Same with those shoes. You've got a pair of those boots you've been dying to wear but don't have an outfit that matches perfectly. If you haven't bought the outfit in the last 2 years, you probably aren't buying it this year either. Pitch em!
Master Bath: How many hair care products did you buy this past year that you used once or twice then it managed to make its way under the sink to never be seen again? Open those doors and get to purging! Same with the makeup, un-used flat irons/brow dryers, old medicines, nail polishes from the 90's, and the 14 bottles of Bath and Body Works lotions that you NEVER use. If you haven't used the items under the sink in the past 2 months, purge em!
Books/Bookcase: What do you do with books you purchased after you're done reading them? Do they sit and collect dust? Do you pass them off to friends? If you're a reader chances are you've got a stock pile of books somewhere thats turning into a fire hazard. Collect those up, head to your local library, and donate them. And do yourself a favor after, get a library card and a Kindle. You can thank me later.
Kids's Bedrooms: Now brace yourself, not only are you about to get elbow deep in a flood of un-used junk that you aren't exactly sure where 90% of it came from, but you're also going to hear your children scream in agony like they've just been beaten. And swearing if you let them keep things, they WILL play with it. Stay strong, this is a lie. I'd suggest first and foremost that you start the bedroom purges while the little ones are away. Send them to grandmas for the weekend (they always say they don't get to spend enough time with them anyways, right?) Come armed with empty donation boxes, trash bags, gloves, and Lysol. Chances are you will finally figure out where that funky smell in your son's room has been coming from, and you'll be thankful you had gloves handy! Start with underneath the bed, and the closet area. These items will likely end up in the center of the room anyways while you sift through things. As you fill the donation boxers, take them straight to the car. If you don't, they will end up at the top of the closet, or stuffed in a corner until you "think" you might make it to the nearest donation site.
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