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!
