Are you looking for some easy ways to simplify your home and organize your space? Are you feeling overwhelmed with the clutter of everyday life? If so, you’re in the right place!
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A clean and tidy home can be a great source of comfort and peace of mind. But when your home is cluttered and crammed with too much stuff, it can feel more like a source of stress.
Even the most organized moms can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the clutter that accumulates in their homes. You can transform your home from a cluttered mess into a peaceful haven with little effort.
These simple tips will help you declutter your space so you have the time and energy to focus on the things that really matter in life.
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Why Should You Simplify Your Home?
Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary, a place where you can relax and be yourself. But for many people, their homes are cluttered, disorganized, and full of stress. If your home is cluttered and chaotic, it’s time to simplify.
Simplifying your home can declutter your mind, help you save money, and improve your overall quality of life.
When you simplify your home, you declutter your mind. A cluttered home is a constant reminder of all the things you have to do. Every time you see a pile of laundry or a sink full of dishes, you’re reminded of your to-do list. This can be overwhelming and cause you to feel like you’re never really caught up.
But when you simplify your home, you can eliminate the visual reminders of all the things you have to do. This will help you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
For many people, a cluttered home or space is a huge cause of stress and anxiety. The more stuff you have, the harder it is to keep a clean space and mind.
Some of the benefits of simplifying your life include
- Reduces Stress
- Improves Sleep
- Saves You Money
- Boosts your Mood and mental health
- Helps the Environment
Getting into the right headspace before attempting to declutter or simplify your home is the first step to decluttering or simplifying your home. Remember LESS IS SOMETIMES MORE!
Tips to Simplify Your Home
If you’re struggling to keep your space organized, here are a few tips to help you simplify your home.
1. Start Today and Start Small
There is no time like the present. When it comes to pretty much anything, the hardest part is just getting started. Make a decision that you will start TODAY!
The process doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start small. Pick one area in your home that you would like to simplify. That’s it…ONE area. A desk drawer, a cabinet, your purse, a bookshelf, or a toy bucket.
Go through the space and make three piles; keep, donate, and trash. Decide if the item is something you truly love and use. If not, get rid of it.
If you’re starting with small spaces it should take you less than 15 minutes. Do this every day for a week and boom! That’s 7 spaces that are now decluttered!
2. Avoid Temptation
Part of learning to simplify your home means bringing in less. The best way to do this is to avoid the temptation to buy things. When shopping, steer clear of stores where you are more likely to make impulus purchase (I’m looking at your Target!)
Another good strategy is to unsubscribe from automated emails that send daily and weekly advertisements for “sales.” If you don’t know about the deal you won’t be inclined to buy something you probably otherwise wouldn’t have.
GET STARTED ON THIS DECLUTTER & ORGANIZE CHALLENGE TODAY!
3. Use What You Have
You don’t have to be a minimalist to have a simplified home. At the same time, hoarding stockpiles of things you never will go through is sure to make your space feel cluttered. Get into the practice of using what you have before buying something new.
When you feel the urge to buy something new, take a look around your house first and make sure you don’t already have something you can use.
This can be anything from candles or makeup to toiletries or canned goods.
Work through the stash of what you currently have and when you get to the last of whatever it is reward yourself with something new. Your wallet will thank you and you’ll free up space in your home at the same time.
Simplifying your home can also help you save money. When your home is cluttered, it’s easy to lose track of things and end up buying duplicates. But when you declutter your home and only keep the things you truly need, you’ll save money in the long run. You’ll also be less likely to impulse
4. Keep Counters and Surfaces Clear
No matter how clean and organized a house is if the counters aren’t clear it makes the room feel cluttered. When simplifying your home, make it a point to keep your counters and surfaces as clean as possible.
Limit the appliances that you keep out in the kitchen. Use the bathroom counters only for the bare essentials. Be strategic with the decor and trinkets you display on bookshelves.
It also helps to get into the habit of cleaning off all of the clutter daily so it doesn’t pile up. Put items back in their correct places and throw away any junk mail or papers every night before bed. Waking up to clean counters will help your day start out on a good foot!
5. Borrow Before You Buy
Along the same lines of using what you have before buying something new, you can also try to borrow before you buy. Why waste the money and space to store an item you may only need or use once.
If there is something that you can rent or borrow find a neighbor or friend who may be willing to lend it to you.
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6. If you Don’t Use it, Lose it
The old saying goes, “If you don’t use it, lose it.” There’s a lot of truth to that, especially when it comes to clutter around your house.
A good example for me is the Instant Pot. As much as I wish I was in love with it like some people are, I rarely reach for it like I do my Crockpot. It takes up a good bit of space in my cabinets, so it needs to go!
Here’s a tip if you are scared to get rid of something you may actually want or need in the future. Move the item to a different location like the garage or the attic. If 3-6 months pass and you haven’t thought about it or reached for it, it’s safe to say you can get rid of it with no regrets.
7. Make Beds Daily
When you are trying to simplify or clean your home quickly, making your bed will go a long way. This is a habit that has been in my morning routine for years. I’ve also started to train my 4-year-old to make his bed every morning as well.
Making the bed gets the pillows and blankets up off the floor and gives a foom an overall cleaner and calmer feel. It takes less than 3 minutes but makes a world of difference. And who doesn’t love crawling into a nicely made-bed at the end of a long day?
8. Create Monthly Routines
Monthly routines are my secret weapon for keeping things in order and my house running smoothly. I have a list of tasks that I make sure to complete once a month. The list includes things like changing the AC filters, paying bills, budgeting for the upcoming month, and filing papers away.
All of the tasks do not have to get done on the same day, but I make sure to complete them all at some point during the month. I keep a checklist in my Erin Condren planner to make sure I don’t forget anything.
Having these set monthly tasks means I never have to worry about remembering to do something for our home.
9. Ten Minute Tidy Up
Another great routine to implement when simplifying your home is a ten-minute tidy-up. In our house, we do these tidy-ups 2-3 times a day. Always before the kids leave for school in the morning and again before they go to bed. If it’s the weekend or if the kids are home, we usually also do a mid-day tidy-up.
This is a family effort and everyone pitches in to get it done even quicker. A few minutes of daily tidying can make a big difference in the overall feel of your home.
1o. Create Functional Organizational Systems
Organizing your home is one of the easiest ways to simplify your life. The key is to make sure the systems you put into place are functional and work for you.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the picture-perfect images you see of organized houses on Pinterest. Just remember it doesn’t matter what it looks like if it isn’t practical. When organizing your house start with the areas that cause you the most stress and get cluttered easily.
Maybe your pantry is always a mess from kids rummaging around and you need to use these tips to organize it. Or maybe your entryway is always filled with clutter so you need to create a drop spot for all the things.
You might also want to try zone cleaning to keep your house looking its best. Jess from Take it From Jess has some great and practical tips to deep clean and declutter your home using this method.
If you’re looking for more ideas on how you can organize your house, check out my highlight reels on Instagram. I have been working to organize one area of our home each month and documenting my journey along with my tips and tricks.
11. Purge Your Pantry and Freezer
Most of us have experienced the feeling of dread that comes with opening the pantry or freezer and finding that it’s packed full of foods that are past their prime. Not only is this a waste of money, but it can also lead to health problems if we unknowingly eat spoiled food.
That’s why it’s important to purge your pantry and freezer regularly.
By getting rid of expired foods, you can help prevent food poisoning and make room for fresh, healthy items. And don’t forget to check the expiration dates on your spices and condiments; these items can lose their flavor and potency over time, so it’s best to toss them out and start fresh.
SHOP SOME OF MY FAVORITE PANTRY ORGANIZATION ITEMS BELOW
12. Get Rid of Duplicates
If you’re like most people, you have duplicates of some items in your home. Whether it’s an extra toaster or an extra set of pans, duplicates can take up valuable space in your home. Fortunately, getting rid of duplicates is easy if you know where to start.
One of the best places to start is with small appliances. If you have two toasters, for example, get rid of the one you use the least. The same goes for blenders, coffee makers, and other small appliances.
Bathroom items are another area where you might have duplicates. If you have two blowdryers, for example, get rid of the one you don’t use as often. The same goes for curling irons, hairbrushes, and all that extra makeup.
Finally, take a look at your collections. If you have two sets of dishes, for example, get rid of the duplicates.
13. Start a Giveaway Box
A giveaway box is just what it sounds like. A large box located somewhere in your home to house all of the items you come across that you no longer want or need.
How often do go to try on a shirt and put it right back on the hanger because you don’t like it or it no longer fits? You tell yourself you’ll donate it someday when you have the time to clean out your closet knowing full well that someday may never come.
Instead of hanging it back up, put it in the giveaway box. Follow this process for any other items around your house as well. When the box is full, make a trip to your local donation store and drop it off. Then start a new box. You’ll be amazed at how much stuff you clear out just by implementing this simple system.
14. Clean Out Spaces Routinely
When it comes to finding the time to actually clean out spaces, it helps to have a set schedule. For instance, do a quick closet clean-out at the start of each new holiday. If you’ve been implementing the giveaway box strategy above these closet cleanouts will take no time at all!
Go through your kid’s toy boxes before birthdays or holidays to make room for the new items they will receive.
When you are changing out decore from one season or holiday to the next, clean out any items you no longer want or use.
Working this process into the natural flow of your life will make it feel like less of a burden and it will also make the process much quicker when you are doing it more frequently.
15. No Spend Challenge
One of the benefits of simplifying your life is that you should save money. Avoiding those temptations and using what you have means you are buying less. If that’s not doing the trick, another fun way to save money is to participate in a no-spend challenge every few months.
Give yourself a set timeframe where you challenge yourself to not spend any money outside of the bare essentials (food, transportation, and set bills). If you see an item you want, push yourself to wait until your no-spend time is up. You’ll be amazed at how many things you realize you don’t really want or need since you avoided the impulse purchase.
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16. Keep ONE memory box
When it comes to decluttering and simplifying your home, one of the biggest obstacles many people face is dealing with sentimental items. I get it, no one wants to get rid of items that bring back special memories. But at the same time, do you really have the space for those old high school photo albums that you never even look at?
A simple solution is to keep a memory box for items you can’t bear to part with. Try your best to limit it to one box per person in your family. Store the boxes on the top shelf of a closet and add to them when you find an item that you just can’t say goodbye to.
17. If It Doesn’t Fit, Get Rid of It
For the longest time, I had a closet full of clothes that didn’t fit. If you’re a mom you probably know what I’m talking about. All those tank tops and jeans that you fit your pre-baby body into that you dream about wearing again.
Well, after baby number three I came to the realization that I may never fit in those clothes again. Not only did the clothes take up valuable space in my closet, but they also often made me feel bad about my body and the extra pounds I was holding on to.
I decided to do a major closet purge and get rid of the majority of the items that didn’t fit. That was the best decision ever. Even if you do fit back into them one day, chances are they will no longer be in style.
Unless it is a timeless piece that you know you will eventually wear again or may want to pass down to your daughter, do yourself a favor and get rid of it.
18. Complete a Weekly Reset
Similar to monthly routines, a weekly reset is a list of tasks that you do once a week to keep your home and mind clutter-free. This list will vary from person to person and depending on your season of life.
Make a list of everything you would like to get done at the start of each week to set yourself up for success and try to tackle as many items on the list as you can each weekend.
For me I like to focus on meal planning, ordering groceries, planning out my week, catching up on laundry, and vacuuming the house.
If I can get these five things done before the start of a new week, I know I am setting myself up for success. My life and home feel more simplified and I’m free to focus on my family.
You can transform your home from a cluttered mess into a peaceful haven with little effort. By simplifying your belongings, creating storage solutions, and establishing routines, you can achieve the clean and organized home you’ve always wanted.
This post was all about easy ways to simplify your home.
Thanks so much for reading!
Tanya Koenig says
I just found your blog and I love it!! I was wondering if you could share your kitchen cabinet paint color?
Nicole Vidaurre says
Hi Tanya! Thank you so much! We bought the house so I did not pick the colors but according to the sheet the previous owners left us it is Sherwin Williams SW 6159 High Tea. Hope this helps!