How are you doing in the 365 Items in 365 Days Declutter Challenge? It's the 210th day of the year today so if you started in January, your target is to have purged 210 items by now. But don't worry if you've just started. Just jump in! And now is a great time to declutter before summer ends and the fall schedules kick in.
Today I'll be sharing what I've been decluttering since my last update. By doing these monthly updates I hope to give you ideas of things you can purge from your home.
Once again this month my decluttering was really random. I've been working a lot (helping other people declutter!) so I've just been purging things as I've come across them. Here's what left our home!
1. My kids helped me declutter our deckbox. Since I organized it two years ago it has accumulated a few things so it was time to purge those that weren't being used as often anymore. The kids gave most of these items away to their cousins and a few were donated.
We purged 5 balls, 1 glider, 1 bubble wand, 1 container of goopy stuff, and 3 bubble blowers.
We also threw away 1 broken plastic shoebox, 1 bubble dish that was missing the parts that went with it, and 2 empty bubble wands (I combined what was left in each of them into another wand that was nearly empty so I could toss these 2).
And we also gave away my son's first baseball bat. Yes, my sentimental son was willing to give it away to a younger friend who likes baseball. Baby steps :)
2. My daughter and I went through her dressers and her closet to find all the clothes that no longer fit, swap out her seasonal clothing (yes, I know I was a little late doing that!), and add in clothes that were too big that now fit her. While I was at it, I emptied my son's "too small" basket from his closet. We ended up with 2 large bags to give to their younger cousins and a younger friend (including a few shoes and boots).
I don't count my kids' outgrown clothing in this challenge because it's just an ongoing flow of clothes coming in and leaving our home. I go through their clothes a few times a year and usually end up with a few bags each to pass down. It sure feels good when they move up sizes and we can give away the clothing that is too small!
3. I mentioned in my last update that I was clearing out some bins in our basement. This month I went through a bin with old piano and music books. Once upon a time, I taught piano lessons, and I had thought maybe one day I'd take lessons again to work towards my Grade 10 Royal Conservatory and my music teaching certificate. So I kept a lot of books. But most were quite old and since I have no intentions of pursuing further music training, I decided to purge my old books. I tried to give them away on Freecycle and to Facebook friends. But I didn't have any takers, so I donated these 10 books to a charity book sale that raises funds for our local symphony. Seemed appropriate :)
I did have 1 cousin interested in a couple of my old piano books so these 2 are for her.
From another book bin, my hubby and I purged 13 books that we've had for years and haven't read in ages. Books are our weakness but we're working on it :)
4. And finally there were a few really random items that found their way into our donation bin throughout the month. 1 old briefcase bag we haven't used in awhile, 2 lunch bags my kids got near the end of school and don't need, and 1 cutter kit which did not work as well as expected so it was rarely used.
More random items... all things that haven't been worn lately. Also leaving our house this month: 1 of hubby's sweaters, 1 t-shirt, 1 pair of goggles, and 1 strapless bra.
Oh, and of course, I gave away my wedding gown and veil this month!
All totaled, that makes 51 items decluttered in the last month! Which brings my challenge total to 702 items so far. While I've already passed my goal of 365 items in 365 days, I'm planning to keep decluttering! There are still areas of my home that I feel are cluttered and I want to keep working on them in the 2nd half of the year. It is so great to be doing this challenge with all of you and sharing our progress together!
I hope my random decluttering has inspired you to look around your home with fresh eyes! It just goes to show that you don't have to take on a big decluttering project to find items you can purge.
In our Facebook group, a few members were commenting recently that "life" happens sometimes and they find it hard to fit in time to declutter. If you're in that boat, then let me tell you, that's exactly why I created this challenge! All you need to do is purge 1 item each day. Even when you're barely keeping your head above water, try to make a point of finding ONE thing that you don't need, use, love, or have the space to store. You can do it first thing in the morning so you don't forget, or do it before bed. Or while you're cooking. Or while you're waiting for your kids to finish getting ready. Or during commercials. So many possibilities! Every little bit helps and it all adds up :)
So, that's my decluttering journey this month! I'm so glad you're part of the 365 Items in 365 Days Declutter Challenge and I hope this post gives you some ideas of what you can purge next! If you haven't joined yet... jump in!
Are you ready to declutter?!
Remember to tell others about this challenge. They'll thank you for helping them declutter. And don't forget, I'll be basing the the prize at the end on how many people participated :) With over 500 participants already it's going to be good!
Feel free to grab this button to spread the news if you're a blogger or have a website.
If you need any decluttering ideas to get you started or keep you going, check out my Decluttering/Purging Tips & Ideas board on Pinterest.
Plus my 31 Days of Easy Decluttering series is always in a tab at the top of the page here on the blog.
What did you declutter this month? Do you ever find random clutter? Do you have a donation box? Have you joined the 365 in 365 Challenge yet?
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Here are all the posts in the 365 Items in 365 Days series:
