I last attempted the Four Weeks to a More Organized Home challenge back in 2015 and am trying it one more time! (See this post for Week One.) For week two, I was inspired by the idea of Swedish Death Cleaning. Have you heard of it? It probably seems a little morbid coming from a soon to be 40-year-old, but the concept is that you declutter your home in a way that would make it easier for loved ones to manage your belongings after you die. All of my life, I have held onto memory-type items and papers and I’m motivated to tackle those things. See the details below – and please excuse the lack of photos…it was dark and gloomy almost all week.
DAY 6 ASSIGNMENT // Write down 5-10 goals for the week. Get rid of 7 items. 15 minute run through the home, picking up everything out of place and putting it away. Clean the inside of the car and vacuum.
+ I got the kids involved with the whole house pickup and they were a big help!
+ Today’s seven: a handful of page protectors, a stylus, beads from a broken necklace, a piece of a game we no longer own, a beer cap opener, an extra mailbox number, and an cat carrier luggage tag. The randomness continues.
DAY 7 ASSIGNMENT // Complete 2 things from the goal list. Get rid of 7 items. 15 minute vacuum of the main living areas. Wipe down all of the baseboards.
+ A rainy day seemed to be a good time to work on a procrastinated project: going through a plastic bin full of my childhood memories! So many of these things are personal and yet nothing my children will want to keep when I die…so what do I do with my school achievement plaques and softball trophies?! Anyway, I started small and found a group of things to get rid of: a bag of mini dolls, pieces of softball uniforms, an Elton John CD, a photo album, a Disneyland autograph book, and a handful of play/conference programs. Baby steps!
DAY 8 ASSIGNMENT // Complete 1 thing from the goal list. Get rid of 7 items. 15 minute quick clean of dresser drawers, decluttering and organizing. Wipe down all of the door handles.
+ Another rainy day, so I went slightly rogue and decided to work on my closet instead of my dresser drawers. I am realizing that while having neat little bins makes the closet look tidy and appealing, it actually becomes a way to conceal a ton of things I don’t really need. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Anyway, I had another good start, threw away/shredded a ton of paper, and am motivated to keep going.
+ Today’s seven: my high school graduation cap and gown, an unneeded piece to a chicken feeder, a handful of greeting cards I got for free, leftover gift certificates from the BWF Shop days, an old running journal, a calendar from 2009, disc pieces from an older planner, and an ag catalog.
DAY 9 ASSIGNMENT // Complete 2 things from the goal list. Get rid of 7 items. 15 minute quick clean of the bathrooms. Clean all of the light switch plates.
+ Another gloomy, rainy day! I did a hard thing: I went through a bin of baby clothes. My “baby” is seven and it’s time to keep my absolute favorites and let the rest go. But whew…that was harder than I expected. Proud of myself for pulling out more than half.
DAY 10 ASSIGNMENT // Dust the ceiling fans and clean all of the light fixtures (replace light bulbs if necessary). Choose a 15 minute relaxing activity.
+ Extra credit declutter: a preschool curriculum, two books, multiple packs of photo paper, an old calendar from 2020, a tote bag and ziploc bag full of random extra hardware from different pieces of furniture.
Want to join in on the fun? Print out the assignments HERE!
Im loosely following and have been working on baby clothes as well. So emotional yet im 42 so the time is probably right. It’s a hard job!
It’s SO hard!
Great job again! And you are halfway there!