My 365 Items in 365 Days Update {2016} | From Overwhelmed to Organized: My 365 Items in 365 Days Update {2016}

Friday, January 27, 2017

My 365 Items in 365 Days Update {2016}





It's a new year in the 365 Items in 365 Days Declutter Challenge!  If you struggled to declutter in 2016, this is a fresh start for you!  And if you joined the challenge part way through last year, you can just keep right on decluttering!

It's the 27th day of the year today so if you just started in January (or started afresh), your target is to have purged at least 27 items by now!  If you haven't started yet, just jump in!  It's always a good time to declutter :)

Originally I'd planned to share an update every month on what I declutter. But depending on what else I was blogging about or how consistently I blogged, my updates often ended up being several months of decluttering combined into one post. Well, I didn't end up blogging very consistently in 2016 at all, so I only had a January update post and then I shared my progress throughout December in the #NetZeroClutter challenge.

So, today I'll be sharing what I've decluttered from February to November last year and give you my year-end totals. I'll try to be more consistent in 2017 :)

By doing these updates I hope to give you ideas of things you can purge from your home!


Decluttering Toys


Throughout the year, we decluttered a LOT of toys. We redecorated both kids' rooms and in the process we went through EVERYTHING and they gave a lot of toys away. They also went through their toy bins in the basement and decluttered a lot of those.

Here are all the toys we decluttered in this update period:




  • 1 container of Lego
  • 5 puzzles
  • 1 box of crayons
  • 1 comb/mirror set
  • 1 box
  • 1 pair of shoes




  • 1 Kre-o set
  • 1 constellation finder
  • 7 sticker books
  • 2 sets of activity cards
  • 1 bag of small toys and cards
  • 1 unfinished craft


  • 1 locker organizer
  • 1 pair of dress shoes
  • 1 sheet
  • 4 pails
  • 1 set of pencil crayons
  • 3 pens
  • 1 set of markers
  • 5 erasers
  • 5 crayons

{I realize some of those items aren't toys, but they all came out of my son's room so I just included them all here since they're in the same picture.}



  • 10 books
  • 4 notepads
  • 1 set of stickers
  • 1 large angled ruler
  • 2 nightlights
  • 1 container
  • 1 bookmark
  • 1 medal
  • 1 set of tatoos
  • 1 windchimes craft
  • 1 toy
  • 1 bamboo necklace


  • 1 princess placemat
  • 1 pink water bottle
  • 3 princess toothbrushes
  • 1 tooth holder
  • 1 princess book
  • 1 princess picture
  • 1 wooden princess hooks hanger

{My daughter went through an "I'm getting too big for princess stuff" phase... sniff}


We also decluttered these toys (not pictured):

  • 2 trucks
  • 4 science kits 
  • 1 of my hubby's toys
  • 1 kid's sleeping bag
  • 1 kids' sleeping bag / air mattress set
  • 1 backpack
  • 5 Lego sets
  • 1 book
  • 3 posters
  • 1 globe
  • 5 Happy Meal toys
  • 1 decorative bowl
  • 7 Star Wars toys
  • 2 card games
  • 7 sports magazines
  • 5 princess wall hangings


My kids also gave away or tossed/recycled some of their crafts and  artwork (not pictured):
  • 1 flag (Mar 12)
  • 1 poster from a school project (Aug 24)
  • 5 paintings
  • 1 wall hanging
  • 1 "stained glass" window craft
  • 1 candle holder


And these items also left our home but I forgot to pictures first (which is usually how I keep track of my progress) so I don't have exact numbers but I'm going to estimate it was approximately 100 items:

  • 1 basket of toys
  • 2 backpacks w/books, jewelry, hair accessories, small toys, etc.
  • 1 pile of books on CD/tape
  • 1 Leappad w/ 5-6 books
  • 1 crib with 5 dolls
  • 1 movie maker with 3 books
  • 2 bags clothes
  • 1 pile of dress-up clothes, accessories, shoes
  • 1 pile of activity books, sticker books, etc.

Total number of toys (or kids' items) decluttered: 236! And I'm sure I missed some other things throughout that long a time period... especially things that we just tossed in the garbage or recycling.


Decluttering Clothes


I go through all our clothes in the spring and fall at a minimum as the seasons change. Those decluttering sessions often yield a lot of clothing. And then from time to time throughout the year I find clothes that are too small for one of the kids or that don't fit me quite right. And my hubby gives me a few items from time to time that he no longer wears. 

Here are the clothes we decluttered during this update:



  • 1 pair of pants
  • 2 sports bras
  • 1 scarf
  • 1 jacket
  • 1 reusable bag
  • 1 pair of water shoes


  • 2 bags of kids' clothing (I usually don't count individual items for my kids' clothes since there's plenty coming and going all year as they grow)

Also decluttered (not pictured):

  • 2 pairs of baseball pants
  • 1 golf shirt
  • 5 baseball hats
  • 2 shirts
  • 3 more bags of kids' clothing

We threw away some clothing items throughout the year as well:

  • Socks with holes in them
  • Worn out or stained underwear
  • My hubby's well-worn tshirts, etc. 

I didn't track them during this period but I'd estimate about 30 items. I know a small charity that accepts clothing that's not suitable for donation and they sell it to a textile recycler. The money they receive helps cover some of their operating costs. I'm starting a textiles donation bag so future worn out, holey, or stained clothing can be given to them.

Total number of clothing items decluttered: 52.


Decluttering Gift Bins


At least once a year I go through my gift bins and donate items that I've had for awhile and that I'm not likely to give to anyone anymore. We've scaled back a lot in who we exchange gifts with so I no longer need to keep as many gifts on hand as I used to. 

Here's what I decluttered from my gift bins:



  • 3 CD cases
  • 1 frame
  • 1 golf towel set
  • 2 decks of cards
  • 1 corkscrew
  • 1 candle snuffer

Also decluttered (not pictured):

  • 4 toys
  • 1 journal
  • 1 shower gel and lotion set
  • 2 lip balms
  • 7 pairs of socks
  • 4 pair of shorts
  • 1 set of pencils
  • 1 set of bath bombs
  • 2 bath puffs
  • 1 grade 4 workbook
  • 1 paint by number set
  • 1 stationary set
  • 1 poster 
  • 2 books
  • 3 tshirts
  • 1 set of child's knee pads
  • 1 pencil case
  • 1 set of earrings
  • 1 pack of crayons
  • 1 pair of gardening gloves
  • 1 card game
  • 1 roll of kite string
  • 1 set of hair clips

None of these items had a lot of value, but they were taking up a lot of space in my gift bins so it feels good to give them away so someone can benefit from them. 

Total number of gift bin items decluttered: 49.


Basement Decluttering


Over the past year or so I've been tackling several bins in our basement that I've stored under our stairs for several years. Some bins contained items that we had packed away for when we have a bigger home (when we thought we were going to move to a bigger home a few years ago). But now that we're staying put here for awhile (made possible by all the decluttering we've done the last few years!), I decided to give away many of those things. They've been packed away in bins for a few years anyway, so obviously we don't really need them.

Here are some items we decluttered:


  • 7 decor items, mainly from my parents' old house


I also decluttered other items in my basement (it tends to get pretty cluttered!):


  • 2 sets of stacking bins

Also decluttered (not pictured):

  • 3 baskets
  • 1 more set of stacking bins
  • 1 PVR
  • 3 cat combs/brushes
  • 1 child desk
  • 1 bag of doll clothes
  • 22 old records
  • 2 rolls of wrap
  • 1 growth chart
  • 1 puzzle
  • 6 notepads
  • 15 greeting cards
  • 1 stationary box

Total number of basement items decluttered: 67.


Random Decluttering


Sometimes I'm working on a particular area and declutter a lot of items from one place, but in between those projects, I'm always decluttering... a few things here and a few things there. I end up with random items from all over the house.

Here's my random clutter for this update:



  • 47 pencil crayons
  • 4 pencils
  • 17 erasers
  • 3 pencil grips




  • My hubby decluttered 6 of his old books


  • 1 puzzle
  • 1 DVD
  • 1 heart-shaped dish
  • 1 decorative crystal
  • 1 wall hanging

Also decluttered (but not pictured):

  • 3 sweaters
  • 1 wreath
  • 3 CDRoms
  • 1 headset
  • 1 headband
  • 7 scrunchies
  • 1 nightlight
  • 1 book
  • 1 set of pajamas
  • 1 bag of plastic Easter eggs

Total number of random items decluttered: 102.


My Totals 


All totaled, that makes 506 items decluttered between February and November.  I also decluttered 113 items in January and 470 items in December during the #NetZeroClutter challenge. So that's a total of 1089 items decluttered in 2016!

Wow!  It's great to look back on the whole year and see a nice number like that!

It is so great to be doing this challenge with all of you and sharing our progress together! I hope my decluttering has inspired you to look around your home with fresh eyes!  

Are You Ready to Join The Decluttering Challenge?


Are you ready to declutter?!

January is a great time to let go of things so you can start the new year off on a lighter note!  

 In our Facebook group, we've had a LOT of activity lately!  A lot of new people joined us in January which is a great way to begin 2017. Many group members started the year off by following my 31 Days of Easy Decluttering series. But as always, anyone can declutter anything in this challenge and lots of people shared how they were kicking off the new year by decluttering areas that really needed it. 

Come join us if you need some motivation and cheering :)  

Remember to tell others about this challenge.  They'll thank you for helping them declutter.  Feel free to grab this button to spread the news if you're a blogger or have a website.

I'm Doing It! 365 Items in 365 Days Declutter Challenge


Don't forget about the Conquer Your Clutter Super Bundle that's only available for a few more days! It's filled with lots of resources to help you declutter, both your home, your mind, and your life! I won't go into details here because this post is already CRAZY long! But click the picture below to find out more.

[Update: Sorry this bundle sale is over. If you'd like to find out about similar future bundles, click here. For other great decluttering and organizing resources, check out my Organizing Resources page.]




Here are some other posts I've written about the bundle if you'd like more details:


Note: I'm an affiliate for this sale, so if you purchase a bundle through one of my links, I'll earn a commission.  But I'd promote this bundle anyway because it's a great deal! I only promote products I know can help you go from overwhelmed to organized. I appreciate your support, and commissions like these help me keep everything on this site free. Thanks!


What did you declutter this month?  Do you have clutter you want to purge to kick off the new year?   Have you joined the 365 in 365 Challenge yet? Which resource from the Conquer Your Clutter Super Bundle are you most excited to check out?


Happy organizing decluttering!



Here are all the posts in the 365 Items in 365 Days series:
















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