Living with Less - Corine A to Z

Facebook Tweet Pin

Titling this post “Downsizing” or” Decluttering” doesn’t really describe how I’ve been spending my time lately. But “Living with Less” does.

Moving to a smaller house and downsizing would be great, but it’s just not in the cards right now. Or in the foreseeable future.

And my house doesn’t really need decluttering because I tidy up daily.

What has been in the back of my mind for several months is how much stuff we store that we don’t need nor will we likely ever use again.

And tackling that is daunting.

If you find yourself in the same spot, I hope this post gives you some inspiration to get the big job of living with less done. But nevertheless continue to live large!

Where Does Your Stuff Live (or Hide!)

There are several areas in my home that serve as storage for out-of-season décor, throw pillows, etc. Identifying those areas and strategizing how to organize and consolidate was my first agenda item.

But careful! Immediately I’m thinking of purchasing new storage bins, where I’m going to move stuff and then BAM! I remember. I’m not reorganizing. I’m pitching stuff.

This is NOT Deep Cleaning

Another trap for me is thinking this is the time for vacuuming the recesses of the black hole and cleaning shelves.

And you might just see a few dust bunnies and feel a layer of dust on those shelves. By all means, bring your vac and a damp rag into your space, but keep in mind this is not deep cleaning.

You’ll be in the closet for a week if you’re downsizing AND deep cleaning. Let’s save deep cleaning for another season.

Donate and Pitch

Hmmm, new or like new clothes might be of use to someone so donate. But those pantyhose and old bras. Well, I think I’ll just pitch them.

This is especially a judgment call on décor since what is last year for me might be what someone else likes today. If any décor item is still in good shape, I’ll donate and let the thrift store make the decision.

Careful with the Ladder

Even a step stool can be deadly (please don’t get me started!) but the big ladder is just a terrible thing to need. But the 12’ ceilings in our house necessitate it.

I only use the ladder when hub is home and knows I’m on it. If the area is precarious, I have him stand under it and steady me.

Brace Yourself for a Drawn-Out Project

If I had my druthers I’d work non-stop without a shower or eating and just keep going until my house was done.

But my body no longer works like that and my friends like it when I shower.

One space a day is how I’m eating this whale.

Day One was my bedroom closet. My whole bedroom was trashed while I was working on it and I certainly couldn’t go to bed with stuff everywhere, so I had a lot of motivation to get it finished.

Day Two was the pantry. I really needed to go through everything, toss expired stuff and better organize what we have.

Truthfully, this past year our eating habits have changed (more on that another post) and what used to be a staple may no longer be.

I tossed a lot of spices that were years old and some of the bottles were pretty full. It broke my heart since I hate waste, but….

I really did go purchase organizers for this project. All from Walmart, I would recommend everything I got. I will caveat by saying one of the canisters came broken and hub ran back to exchange it while I continued on the pantry.

It was a hassle, but otherwise I love the canisters.

I even ended up with an extra storage bin for future use.

The pantry is pretty full, but we can see what we have and what we need.

Wrap Up

There is quite a variety of items stored in my bedroom closet. Home décor, home gym, art, bedding. I weeded out a lot and better organized what I have. Everything is in a logical place and accessible.

Next up is the garage and I anticipate that will be a big job. I am still waiting for the weather to cool a bit and I’m trying to get myself motivated for it.

Do you have any projects that the season has inspired?

I’ll share some of my new fall purchases next week. Until then, God bless and have a good weekend.