If you’ve been following along with my blog, you’ll know that I believe in going minimal on stuff.
As I mention in 13 Self-Care Ideas That Are Easy and Free, clutter can actually have a negative impact on your well-being because it has been shown to increase stress levels. So instead of spaces filled with lots of knick knacks and toys, as well as furniture and decor that isn’t needed or loved, I try to create simple spaces full of natural light and cozy decor.
However, we all know that life with work, kids, practices, meals, laundry and much more, doesn’t always lend itself to keeping things smoothly rolling along in the whole organized and clutter-free home category. So, finding a bit of calm in the chaos is often the best we can do. And that’s enough. 🙂
However, creating a bit of simple by taking things one room at a time is a doable strategy that really does pay off in the end!
So as we head into the holidays, there is no better time to give a bit of attention to the three rooms that will likely face the most activity over the next few months.
Room #1 – Kids’ Bedrooms
Room #2 – Toy Room or Family Room (wherever your kids hang out the most)
Room #3 – Kitchen
These three spaces are key this time of year. Kids will get new toys and clothes that need to go somewhere in their bedrooms or toy rooms, and the kitchen gets an extra workout if you love to bake or cook over the holidays.
De-cluttering the kids’ bedrooms and the main family activity space (toy room or family room) will mean you (and your kids) won’t feel too overwhelmed should grandma drop off a foosball table.
As well, you’ll also feel much more able and content to bake and cook in your kitchen if you have room to prep, cook, and store the delish results.
The system below is about breaking the job down into manageable chunks so that it gets done but it doesn’t feel overwhelming. And when you’re done, you’ll feel so satisfied. 🙂
Room #1 – Kids’ Bedrooms
Parenting Tip: Have your kids take the lead. 🙂
Day 1 – De-clutter dresser and closet.
Give your kids a bin, box or bag. Have them go through each drawer and their full closet and place any items they no longer need in the bin so that they can be donated. Have them fold or hang all of the clothing that remains.
Day 2 – De-clutter toys, craft supplies, books, etc.
Give your kids 2 bins, boxes or bags. In one bag, they can place any toys, craft supplies, books, etc. that they no longer love or use, so that they can be donated. In the other, and you will likely need to help with this bit, they can place meaningful items that they wish to keep but that they no longer use or play with. When my kids were little, I bought a large tote and I use this to store toys, stuffies, blankets, ball caps, and other favourite things that they have loved over the years. I imagine one day my kids will drive away with their school year memory binders and totes in hand… an entire childhood that will fit in the trunk of their car!
Day 3 – Clean
Now that clothes, toys, craft supplies, books, etc. have been purged, it’s a perfect time to do a bit of a deep clean. With their help, of course. 🙂 No one is too young for a feather duster (pretty much).
Ok, kids’ room done. Nice job!
Room #2 – Toy Room or Family Room (wherever your kids spend the most time)
Parenting Tip: Have your kids take the lead. (Do you like my theme?)
Day 1 – De-clutter
Using the simple method above, have your kids work through their toys, books, craft supplies, old tech cables, etc. and sort everything into keep or donate. Because this isn’t a job you are going to take on often, I say sort through every last nook and cranny if you can. I think the key to getting this done in one go is to sort quickly so that it takes one day rather than many!
Day 2 – Create and/or organize storage
I’m an organizer so I love this part! Once you have less stuff, take a look around the room and check out your storage situation. Maybe it’s time to make a purchase that will help keep your space organized while making sure that the toys and items your kids use are easily accessible. I really like Ikea’s Kallax shelves because you can fit so much darn stuff on them and the kids can see it (or you can buy bins that slide in and out). I also like the Ikea Trofast storage units with slide out bins for smaller things like craft supplies and nerf gun bullets.
I also love baskets make of natural materials that can be used to hold blankets (I have a thing for cozy blankets) and also to store all of the tech cords and cables that seem to multiply nightly while I sleep.
Another good tip to help make a room work for your family is to create “zones”. For example, my kids don’t really need a toy room anymore so a few years back I did a little makeover and I was able to make three “zones” even though the toy room isn’t all that big. One “zone” is for tv watching and video game playing – there is a pullout couch, coffee table, side table and TV. The other “zone” is for crafts – I bought a simple Ikea table/desk (approx. 2.5 ft by 5 ft) and put a large bulletin board above it for hanging arts and crafts. As well, I added an Ikea Kallax shelving unit (8 cubes, standing vertically) on either side of the desk to store craft supplies and board games, etc.. Lastly, I set up the room so that there is enough space for a mean game of mini sticks; we’ll call this zone 3. 🙂
So to summarize, out small-ish L-shaped toy room has:
- A TV watching/video gaming space
- Crafting space & storage
- Mini sticks space
Day 3 – Clean
Enough said.
Amazing! Your kids rooms and main activity space are de-cluttered, organized and cleaned. Celebrate with a glass of wine while you eyeball the kitchen. But don’t be discouraged by what you see! Remember, baby steps.
Room #3 – The Kitchen
I suggest a five day plan because you probably don’t have an entire free day to spend de-cluttering your kitchen. There are 5 parts to the plan – do 1 part each day. Some will take longer than others, but all are doable and after 5 chunks you’ll be all done.
I’ve suggested an order here but just de-clutter, organize and clean these parts in whatever order you wish. So long as you’re doing it, who cares where you start!
Day #1 – Cutlery, Large Utensils Drawers & Kitchen Linens
Day #2 – Pantry & Food Storage Cupboards
Day #3 – Pots, Pan & Small Appliances
Day #4 – Remaining Drawers & Cupboards
Day #5 – Fridge
Use a de-clutter/purge, organize and clean strategy, similar to the rooms above.
Tip #1: You don’t need 17 soup ladles. Free yourself.
Tip #2: Try to keep countertops as clear as possible by only keeping things on them that you use daily and that make routines easier.
Tip #3: Of course it’s OK to display your kids’ art, pictures and school calendars, etc. on the fridge but if your fridge looks like it’s been decoupaged, things have gotten out of hand. Read this article, A No Fail Way to Create School Year Memory Books for your Kids, for a simple way to save your kids’ creations.
Congratulations and way to go! It’s not even December and you are now ready for whatever comes your way this holiday season. Your kids will have room for the new foosball table and the kitchen is ready for baking and cooking. Not only that, but you’ll head into the new year with some spring cleaning already done. Fantastic!
Bonus Idea:
If you are on a roll and looking for a next step, I love, love, love the idea of every woman and mom having their own (it can be tiny!) space to call their own with a few small comforts at hand. I think it’s really important to carve out a small spot in your home that brings you a bit of comfort when you need it. It’s like a little escape, even when nerf bullets are flying by. #MomLife
If you would like a list of 7 key things to include to create a comfort space just for you, please sign up to my email list below (I only send a brief monthly email with a recap of posts and helpful tips) and receive a printable that you can use as a checklist. In just a few hours you can create a small space just for you that you love!
As I was creating this checklist, I had so many thoughts and ideas to share, but I will save that for another post, on another day. In the meantime, enjoy and thank you for reading!
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