Welcome to the 30-Day Organize-athon!
In today’s 5 minutes we’re going to express-declutter your living area.
Take a deep breath, and imagine inhaling a sense of clarity, freedom and order. Then get started!
Day 1: Declutter Your Living and/or Entertainment Area
Step 1: Grab a large garbage bag.
Step 2: Quickly make your way around your living and/or entertainment area, tossing these items into the bag as you go:
- Magazines other than the current month’s
- Newspapers other than today’s
- Knick-knacks – unless you really love them
- Tatty coasters
- DVDs no-one watches any more
- CDs no-one listens to any more
- Games no-one plays any more
- Remotes and technology no-one uses any more (including old game consoles)
- Food
- Books you’ve read and won’t re-read, or will never read
- Videos, cassettes, computer floppies, camera film – any storage device for which you no longer have hardware
- Framed photos – unless they’re genuinely special to you
- Tatty cardigans, socks and other apparel strewn around the furniture
- ‘Displayed’ items on shelves that collect dust but hold no meaning for you
- Dead potted plants
- Threadbare or stained cushions, throws, rugs, etc
- Anything else that isn’t loved and/or used regularly.
Step 3: Put your bag by the door or take it straight out to the car. (Take it to the tip as soon as you can.)
Step 4: If there’s something genuinely valuable in there, and you’d lose sleep over tossing it, then you can put it into a separate charity store bag. But if it’s junk, just let it go. If it doubt, don’t over-analyze – toss it.
And you’re done!
Got an Extra 5 Minutes?
- Return items that don’t belong in the living area to the proper place – the kids’ bedrooms, the office, the kitchen, etc.
- Straighten the coffee table and wipe it down.
- Neaten remotes, DVDs, and anything else that lives in the living room.
- Fluff up the cushions.
Now doesn’t that feel more like a ‘living’ room?
The 30-Day Organize-athon Mantra
Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let it go!
Leave Your Comment Below…
Please leave a comment below to say you’ve completed today’s task.
And I’ll see you back here tomorrow!
I found most of my clutter on the book shelf. It’s amazing how many books that I know I’ll never read again that were on those shelves!
I basically just did the bonus time since there isn’t a ton of junk in our living area… more just stuff that needs to go back to it’s home! I even snuck in a quick vacuum!
All done!
Done:-)
Task 1 done
Nothing to do – have very little here as we still need to complete the wall shelving. Only keep current month of mags and disgard newspaper after reading. Recycle books on Paperback Swap.
All done, done, done….it’s such fun. fun,fun!
I had not to sort much here 🙂 Already did. But awesome ideas.
Task 1 done
Nothing to do there. The living areas are already sorted since we renovated a year ago. It’s more the cupboards I’m worried about.
Ooooh. Now I can see all the dust bunnies that had been lurking in there! Seriously, how relaxing to sit in here now (Mrs Karma – I too found dirty socks in here behind the couch!!!).
Done!
wow I had a lot of things to get ride off and mostly garbage … And Caitlin I love your idea of laundry basket on wheels! 😀
Busy day — did the living room yesterday — love using my laundry basked on wheels (think laundromat!) to fill it then wheel everything and deliver to other rooms (if not thrown out).
I’m done! The living areas have already been done, so I chose a spot in my studio.
Done! (Forgot to post yesterday)
Challenge completed! Thanks so much!
One of my all time fave “Linus” blankies had to go. Sad but it was “tatty”! Oh well. I can get another out and spend the evenings cuddling with it. The remote drawer now only has remotes in it…go figure
Done (couldn’t post yesterday, but it’s done!)
I did this yesterday but for some reason I couldnt get here leave my comment.. IM DONE!