When I stumbled upon minimalism six months ago, I had no idea I would start a journey to declutter every space in my home.  Six months later, I am still on my decluttering journey with no plans to stop!  My decluttering journey has come with lessons, some of which were definitely eye-opening. We all know the saying, “If it’s easy it probably isn’t worth it.”  This statement has been very true during the last six months. Although the journey has not been easy, I only have one decluttering regret.  If I could start my decluttering journey over, I would have started the journey earlier!

Below are six lessons that I have learned from decluttering my home.

Decluttering is not a one-time event

Depending on your goal of minimalism and reducing clutter you will not declutter your home in one session.  When we analyze our homes, we realize that the amount of clutter that we have accumulated was a process that happened over several years.  

It can take months or years to fully reach your ultimate decluttering goals depending on your lifestyle. However, I have noticed that once you begin to see the benefits of decluttering, it becomes addictive and you will want to declutter daily.

Over the past six months, I have decluttered my home tremendously but I still have additional items that I feel like I can still remove from my home.

I now have a decluttering bin that I keep in my garage and add items that I no longer use to the bin weekly and plan a specific day on the weekend to specifically declutter a space.

Getting rid of some items will be hard

Many people detail how difficult it is to declutter sentimental items and this has been very true for my husband who has inherited items from very close relatives.

For me, clothing has been very difficult to let go of.  I often have the burning question in the back of my mind, “What if I want to wear it again one day?”  This has caused me to keep more clothing than I would like, but for me the question “Does this item add value to my life?” has helped me tremendously.  Each day that passes, I recognize clothes and material things truly don’t bring me happiness or add value to my life.

If you have trouble decluttering, ask yourself the question above and also know that decluttering does not mean that you have to remove everything from your home.

Some family members don’t want to be a part of your journey

Every member will not be excited about your decluttering journey and that’s okay.

My husband has always been an organized person.  I consider myself an organized person but didn’t learn the skill until I met my husband.  He is a true model for an individual who gives a “home” to everything.

 My husband is very organized, but he owns a lot of things.  At the beginning of my journey, I would assume that he would see me filling up boxes with items and hop on board but that was not true.

He is okay at the moment with owning duplicates and items that he doesn’t necessarily use on a daily basis.  I have to respect the fact that we both live in our home together and every journey that I embark on will not interest him and visa versa.  

Although he hasn’t gone full rogue with decluttering, he has started to get rid of items and has loved the visual benefit of having less clutter in our home.

If you have a family member that doesn’t want to be apart of your journey respect their boundaries but don’t underestimate your influence as a model.

Decluttering will always have positive benefits even if you only declutter a few items

As you remove excess items from your life, you will create a sense of order and control. Your self-confidence will increase, your clarity will improve, and overall you will transform your life as a new mind shift often comes with your decluttering journey.

A clutter-free environment also promotes a sense of calm and relaxation, which can reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality. When your mind is at ease, you’re able to be more productive and accomplish so much more.

 If you only have time to declutter a few items, know that you are making a difference!

Home organization and tidying will become so much easier

Home organization is my jam!  I love to organize my home, my work area, and spaces for others.  Through experience and trainings, I have learned that decluttering has to occur in order for a home organization project to be successful.

I often say, “If you organize without decluttering you are simply stuff-shifting.”  

When you declutter your home, home organization will become easier as you will organize for your spaces not the items that you own.  When this occurs the frustration in organizing will decrease.  The time to organize your home and clean your home will also decrease.  Besides deep cleaning my home, I can now tidy most spaces in my home in less than 15 minutes.  This only happened by removing items from my spaces.  Less items =Less items to manage, tidy, and clean.

This is a win for individuals with busy schedules or individuals who just want more time to enjoy life.

Click here for a free home organization printable and here for a list of items to declutter in each room in your home!

There will be seasons in life when you will have more

There will be seasons in your life where you will need more items.

As a mother with three kids there were seasons where my counters and cabinets contained baby bottles, food, and many gadgets.  We also had baby bags, car seats, strollers, etc.  There was no way around owning these items as they were needed for the safety and needs of my children.

While some may feel guilty for owning more during these seasons Dictionary.com describes clutter as filling or littering things in a disorderly manner.

While there are periods of time where your spaces will be filled with additional items, the items can still be organized in a way that is neat and functional.  When the items are no longer needed declutter those items from your spaces.

 

Final Thoughts:

Anytime we take a journey, there will be lessons learned.  The lessons that I have learned from decluttering and simplifying my home has encouraged me to stay on the journey of decluttering.  I am grateful for the lessons that I have learned from decluttering and simplifying my home and can’t wait to see what the next six months bring!

What lessons have you learned from decluttering your home?

Read Next:

The Master Declutter Home Checklist: 90 Things To Remove From Your Home Now (Free Checklist)

As adults, our lives are filled with countless responsibilities and never-ending to-do lists. In our homes, there’s always grocery shopping, finances, household chores, and house maintenance.  If you have kids like I do add in school pickups and drop-offs, doctor’s appointments, and extracurricular activities.  With a full plate of responsibilities, a home organization binder can bring some relief. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using a home organization binder and how it can change and help the way you manage your household.

You’ll also have access to free binder covers to help you create a home management binder!

 

What Is A Home Organization Binder

A household binder is a binder that contains and organizes all of your household information. This could include but is not limited to your budget, family and friends’ contact information, house maintenance contacts, emergency contacts, schedules, medical information, and pet information.  Your children’s school information, your work information, and passwords are other pieces of information that would be beneficial to include in a household binder.

 

What A Home Organization Binder Is Not

A household binder is not a place where you will keep secure items.  Items such as birth certificates and passports should be kept in a separate location.  If you have a file cabinet or safe, these locations are perfect to keep those documents.

You also would not keep any home manuals (appliance manuals for refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens).  These items should also go in another location.  If you have another binder you could totally create a binder just for these manuals.

Also, with three kids, I have an overwhelming amount of pictures, cards, and crafts.  Your household binder would not be the place to put these items in either. Create a sentimental box that can hold these sentimental items.

 

Why Have A Home Organization Binder

Many of the items that you will include in your household binder can be found in your phone, however, a household binder is the perfect place to store a hard copy of the documents which ensures that all of your important documents are in one place and can be accessed by other individuals. 

A household binder is also perfect in the case of an emergency or in the case of your absence. If someone.  In the event of your absence, the person helping your household could easily see the families’ schedule, know who to call for different services, and overall gain an idea of the flow of how your household is ran.

This is so important if you have children.  Schedules and routines are very important and the household binder will help keep them on a schedule in case of a absence.  

Lastly, having everything in one place will save you time and frustration when you need to quickly access important information.

 

How To Create A Household Binder

The first step in creating a home management binder is to gather all the necessary information in one place. Create categories by grouping similar documents together.  For example group and place all of your maintenance contacts together.

Next you will need to purchase or find a binder.  In the binder, you can separate the categories with labels, dividers, or colored paper.  Color-coded labels or colored paper can help differentiate between each section in the binder and also help you locate the documents easier.

The size of the binder will depend on the number of documents that you have.

Click HERE for five free home household binder covers!

What To Include In Your Household Binder

Below are categories that you can include in your binder.  Your family may need fewer or more categories.  It truly depends on the needs of your family.

Contacts:

Family contact information

Friends contact information

Emergency contact information

School contact information

 

Budget

Current spreadsheet

Financial contacts

Bill payment tracker

Subscription renewal dates (Amazon, etc.)

Insurance contacts and/or Insurance policies

 

Schedules

Working hours (if you have a set schedule)

School hours

Days and times of extra curricular activities

Monthly household schedule 

 

Medical

Medical history of family members

The name of medication taken by family members

The time that the medication needs to be taken

The name of vitamins taken by family members

Primary care providers name

Dentist’s name

Preferred hospital’s name

Allergies of family members

 

Pets

Veterinarian’s contact information

Medical history of pets

The name of medication taken by pets

The time that the medication needs to be taken

These are just a few categories that you can include in your binder.  Remember deepening on your needs your categories will be different!

Final Thoughts

Creating and having a home organization binder helps you organize your home by having a central location for all of your important documents!

Start today and take the first step towards a more organized and stress-free life in this face paced life. Create your home management binder and watch as it changes how you manage your household. You’ll no longer have to worry about where your documents are, finding the items with ease.

As the saying goes, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Embrace the power of organization and reclaim your household.

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This past weekend, I finally organized our pantry!  It has been on my to-do list for a while and I am so glad that I finally conquered it.  For a few months, I have wanted to organize my pantry.  I was ready for a slight upgrade in containers (I had a few mismatched containers) and I also knew that I had no real system for our family pantry.  In this article, I’ll share how I organized our pantry and overall how to organize a small pantry.  I had a few zones, but most of my food items were just randomly placed in the pantry.  By following these practical tips, you’ll be able to reclaim control over your pantry and enjoy the benefits of a clutter-free and functional pantry. So, let’s dive in and conquer pantry chaos together!

 

You may also like:

• 10 Ways To Keep Your House Clean
• 6 Powerful Benefits of An Organized Home-Free Printable

Plan

Before jumping in and actually organizing your pantry, it’s important to have a plan.  Without a plan and actually thinking about how to organize a small pantry, you may become frustrated and not organize your pantry to your fullest potential.  Your plan can be super simple, but these are some things that you will need to include in your plan:

Schedule a time where you can devote a minimum of three hours to organizing your pantry.  The steps to organizing your pantry can be time consuming and you don’t want to rush the process (It only took me approximately an hour and a half but I enlisted help from my family).

Take measurements of your pantry.  This will allow you to purchase appropriate storage tools for your bins.

Have your materials ready.  You will need cleaning supplies, a trash bag, labels, and a box as you may want to donate some items.

You may want to add additional steps as the organization of your pantry will be tailored to your kitchen.

Now that you have a plan you are ready to transform your pantry!

Take Everything Out

While you may be tempted to just shift items around when organizing your pantry, please don’t do it.

You will need to remove everything from your pantry. Yes, your kitchen will look cluttered and will be a mess for a few hours but this step is necessary.  Taking everything out of your pantry allows you to touch each item in your pantry, making decisions if you should keep or discard of the items.

Categorize

Once everything is removed from your pantry create categories of the items by grouping like items together.

This is a practical and foundational organization tip. By placing like items together you can find items quickly and do not have to search for items in multiple places. You can also complete a quick assessment to see how many items you have in one category when grouped together.

Clean

Once everything is removed from your pantry give your pantry a deep cleaning.  Any cleaning solution should work.  If you are in doubt about the cleaning solution, clean a small portion first and observe for an adverse action.

This is also a great time to sweep and mop the bottom of your pantry.

It was only when I took out every item from your pantry that I realized our pantry shelves definitely needed lots of TLC in the area of cleanliness.

Create Zones

Now that your pantry is empty and clean (Hooray) create zones for your categories inside of your pantry.  By dividing your pantry into specific areas, you can easily locate the items in your pantry and keep everything in its designated place. This prevents items from getting lost or forgotten.

As you create zones make sure that your most used food items are readily accessible, placing these items in the front and at eye level.

For example, I make coffee every day.  My bin that has all of my coffee supplies is the first thing that I see when I open my pantry.

In the back of my pantry, I have staples such as flour that do not get used on a weekly basis.

Consider organizing your pantry into zones based on categories such as food staples, appliances, canned goods, baking supplies, snacks, and spices.

By creating zones in your pantry, you’ll be able to make the most of your limited pantry space. Zones will also help you maintain your organized pantry long-term.

Use Various Storage Bins and Labels

One way to clearly establish zones is to use storage bins and labels.

Bins are awesome because they literally group your categories together.

Labeling your containers, bins, and shelves allow you to quickly identify your categories, which takes away any guesswork or rummaging through piles of food items.

This is especially helpful if you have family members who you feel are often in the pantry more than you. My family members are often looking for snacks in our pantry!

If you are organizing your small pantry on a budget, there are stores that have inexpensive bins. Dollar Tree continues to have inexpensive bins and you could use a permanent marker to label your categories.

Our number one goal when organizing a small budget is function.

Use Every Space Available

Having a small pantry with an abundance of materials means that we have to be strategic with the space in the pantry.

Use stackable containers to maximize vertical space. Stackable containers are a great solution for maximizing every inch of space in your small pantry especially if your pantry has deep shelves. Stackable containers allow you to neatly stack various items, such as grains, cereals, snacks, and even canned goods. By stacking these containers vertically, you are using every space available.

Remember to measure your space before purchasing any containers to prevent from buying bins that are too small or too large.

Over-the-door organizers are another way to use every space available.

Over-the-door organizers come in different sizes and styles. You can use them to store everything from spices and snacks to kitchen tools and cleaning supplies. The clear pockets in the over the door organizers make it easy to see what’s inside and prevent items from getting lost in your pantry.

Final Thoughts

Organizing a pantry is work and understanding how to organize a small pantry can take extra planning but you can without a doubt reach your goal!

With the tips and tools discussed, you’ll be able to transform your small pantry from a crowded pantry into a well-organized and functional pantry that works for you and your family.

Now that you know how to organize a small pantry, tackle and organize with confidence your pantry.

 

Read Next:

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Summer is the season of happiness! Longer days, sunshine, vacations, weddings, holidays, and outside occasions always fill the summer with memorable events.  With longer days, the summer also is the perfect time to declutter your home and get organized. From your closet to your garage, every area of your can benefit from TLC. A summer decluttering checklist is a go-to guide for tackling the clutter and creating a clean and organized space for the summer season.

In this article, we will provide you with a summer decluttering checklist, so you can enjoy a clutter-free home this summer. So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get started!

 

Assess Your Home

Before you dive into decluttering, take a moment to assess your home.  Go through each room and make a list of the areas that need attention. Are there rooms that always seem messy and disorganized? Is your closet overflowing with winter clothes that you never wore? Do you have a pile of papers and mail on your desk or kitchen counters that needs sorting? Identifying these problem areas will help you prioritize your decluttering effort as well as create a plan.

Create Goals

Next, consider your goals for decluttering. Are you looking to create a more peaceful home and environment? Do you want to make your home more functional and efficient? Having a clear idea of why you’re decluttering will help you stay motivated and focused throughout the process.

Plan

Finally, identify the resources you have available. Do you have boxes and bins to store the items that you will declutter? Will you need to purchase storage containers or shelving? Are there specific tools or cleaning supplies you’ll need? Having these resources on hand before you begin will save you time and frustration.

Once you’ve assessed your home, set your goals, and gathered your resources, you’re ready to begin decluttering your home.

Below is a summer checklist that will help you achieve your goals.

Summer Decluttering Checklist For The Kitchen

The kitchen and pantry are often the most cluttered spaces in our homes. From expired spices and old canned it’s easy for your kitchen to become overwhelming. But with a little patience and strategy, you can transform your kitchen and pantry into spaces of ease and efficiency.

Start by taking everything out of your cabinets and drawers. Discard anything expired, broken, or unused. Consider donating or selling duplicate items or kitchen tools that you never use. Next, take inventory of what’s left and group similar items together. This will help you make better use of the space in your kitchen.

Items To Declutter In The Kitchen

Expired food and spices

Extra lids

Old kitchen gadgets

Old dishes

Coffee mugs

Worn or chipped plates

Worn or chipped casserole dishes

Old kitchen towels

Old Tupperware dishes

Expired medicines and vitamins

Items in your junk drawer

Cookbooks

Items that you have multiple sets of

Old bottles and sippy cups

Multiple syringes used for your kid’s medicines

Old lunch bags

Declutter Checklist For The Bedroom

Trash

Paper and items that you no longer need in the nightstand

Items under the bed

Extra pillows

Bags

Books

Items To Declutter In The Closet

Any winter clothes that you no longer wear or serve a purpose

Any winter shoes you no longer wear or serve a purpose

Duplicate of clothes

Purses

Scarves

Hats

Belts

Ties

Luggage

Tip: As you declutter your closet, think about the systems you can put in place to keep it organized. Consider adding shelving, hanging rods, or drawer dividers to make the most of your space. Also, uniform hangers will give your closet a cleaner look.

Items To Declutter In The Dresser

T-shirts

Tank tops

Intimates

Fitness clothes

Socks that don’t have matches

Clothes that are stained or have holes

Declutter Checklist For The Living Room

DVDs

Mail-Shred any mail that contains your personal information

Game systems

Games with missing pieces

Puzzles with missing pieces

Books

Throw blankets

Remote controls that you no longer use

Papers

Candles

Magazines

Home Décor that no longer serves a purpose

Tip:  Keep only those items that you truly love or that have a practical purpose in your living room.

Things To Declutter In the Bathroom       

Old makeup or makeup that you no longer use

Expired medicine

Identical or unneeded shampoo

Duplicate or unneeded conditioner

Identical or unneeded lotion

Brushes

Combs

Curling irons

Hair accessories

Toys for the tub

Old toothbrushes

Old toothpaste

Perfume and cologne

Old cleaning supplies

Tip:  To begin decluttering your bathroom, start by taking everything out of the cabinets and drawers. Sort through each item and discard anything that is expired, unused, or simply no longer needed. If you have duplicates of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion and the containers are both open combine the two liquids into one container.

What To Declutter In the Garage

Old holiday decorations

Trash

Any items that you have moved from the home and no longer use

Gardening tools

Old tools

Aged paint

Lawncare equipment that no longer works or you no longer use

Sporting goods equipment that you no longer use

Seasonal items that you have not used in years

Old appliances

Unused boxes (Use the boxes to place the items that you are decluttering in)

Old and unused car parts

Final Thoughts

Decluttering can be a daunting task, but with this ultimate summer decluttering checklist, creating a clean and organized home will make your home perfect for the summer. Click here for your Summer decluttering checklist!

By breaking down each section of the home and setting aside time each day, you can make your space clutter-free!

Read Next:

5 Summer Organization Tips: How To Organize Your Home For The Summer

The Master Declutter Home Checklist: 90 Things To Remove From Your Home Now (Free Checklist)