Oh man… there’s no way to start this one off without the anxiety kicking in. Sweaty palms, panicky thoughts… Facing the reality that you have WAY too much stuff can feel overwhelming. Admitting you need help feels bizarre because you should totally be able to handle all of the STUFF in your life, no? I mean, you’re an adult, independent woman with her ish together. There’s NO way you can’t handle the amount of crap falling out of closets and jumping out of drawers. Let’s be real, though. You’ve maybe let it take over. Maybe you live in a small portion of your house because all of your stuff has taken over the majority of it. Are you afraid your possessions will vote you off the island and take over? Maybe you’d like some space in your closet to hide and eat chocolate but you can’t because of the overabundance of clothes? Well, you’re in luck! I happen to be semi-pro at decluttering (Mostly because I’m cold-hearted and don’t form emotional attachments to anything). My husband and I declutter 2-3 times per year and we shoot for a goal of 1 item per the year we’re in (ex. 2,017 items in 2017 and 2,018 items in 2018) each time! That amounts to 5,000+ items decluttered every year! I get that I’m a freak for actually counting each item, but it’s what works for us!

I wish I had a method that could easily be explained, but I just don’t. I tried the KonMari method and it just stressed me out. Most things don’t bring me joy because they’re JUST things. Plus, who has time to special-fold all of their clothes and make sure the closet clothes are hanging up in a very specific order. My method is this: You HAVE to get rid of stuff. You have too much. Your house looks messy, but really it’s just cluttered. It would take half the time to keep it clean if you had half the stuff. That’s it. My motivation is usually just that the house looks SOOOO much cleaner once I’m done even though I haven’t cleaned. The only type of structure I have is simple. Does it get donated or is it trash? I generally grab a box for donations and a box for trash. I like using boxes because they’re more easily transported and can go straight into the truck to be donated or thrown away. Lastly, I focus on certain areas during certain times of the year. It’s easy to set a goal to get the house decluttered and even easier to actually start and get so overwhelmed, you quit. Breaking it down into bite-sized chunks makes it much more manageable.

So, I give you my plan for decluttering in 2019!

January- Kids’ toys and  hanging clothes

I involve the kids in this one and let them pick out some toys to donate now that they have their new Christmas toys. I also may or may not throw away a handful (or 6….) of Legos. Hanging clothes are tricky for me. ALL of my shirts are my favorites when it comes to choosing which ones go away. I ask myself the following: does this shirt make me look good? Feel good? Do I have many others just like it? Apply the same to dresses and sweaters hanging up!

February- Socks, panties, and bras/his socks and underwear; storage room

Why is it so hard to get rid of old panties and bras? Seriously, though, just do it. If they’re discolored or holey, they HAVE to go. If I got in a wreck and were being rescued by firefighters who looked like Idris Elba and Channing Tatum, which panties would I be mortified for them to see? Yeah… those go first! If your bras are falling apart and any part of the is poking you, it has to go!

March- Fridge, freezer, pantry

This one kills me because it forces me to realize how much food we buy and waste. I think it’s important to check your dates and keep your fridge and freezer decluttered. Less clutter= better air flow and quicker cooking/snacking decisions because you can clearly see what you have.

April- Baby stuff and adult dressers

Before this baby, our youngest was 4 and I had forgotten how much STUFF accumulates when you have a baby! There are books and toys and clothes and diapers and wipes and just STUFF! I can’t wait to dig in and sort the clothes to see what we really just don’t need! As far as the adult dressers go, they’re mostly work out clothes and jammies which I just apply the Idris Elba/Channing Tatum rule to and then it’s easy.

May- Kids’ clothes and shoes

This is the easiest one for me. IF it’s discolored, stained, or ripped, it goes. If the kids cry when they wear it, it goes. If it doesn’t match anything in their wardrobe, it goes. With 5 kids, we capitalize on hand-me-downs, so I’m cautious to not over-declutter, but we always seem to have way too many clothes even after I’m done, so I must do ok.

June- Bathroom cabinets and linens

Is there anything worse than going to a hotel and getting a less than fluffy towel that smells a bit mildewy? Maybe I have bad taste in hotels (AKA I’m cheap), but that is the worst feeling. So why do I settle for junky towels at home? Get rid of them! Kohls and Target regularly have great sales on towels for you stock up again! Also, do you REALLY need 6 sets of sheets? Pick your favorites and donate the rest!

July- Outside shed and tools

This one is my favorite because hubby does it!

August- Bookshelves and DVDs and holiday decor

Let’s talk about books. I don’t consider books “clutter” until they’re scattered everywhere with no home. Since I shop the Scholastic book flyer about as compulsively as I shop Amazon and Target, we just keep buying more bookshelves to house them all! As long as they have a home and aren’t deemed “offensive” in our home, they stay! DVDs are generally kept in the car in a case and I only get rid of scratched, non-working discs. Holiday decor? Umm…. if you have any tips on how to decide what stays and what goes, I’m open to suggestions!

September- Kitchen cabinets (dishes, tupperware, mugs)

I have FINALLY managed to dwindle down my dish collection to just my prized Fiestaware and finally have enough of that to feed our small army, so I don’t have to do much work there! The tupperware and mugs, though…. I have a slight obsession with Starbucks cups and mugs, so I basically just try to avoid buying more and keeping any special ones we collect along the way (State Fair cups, hospital jugs, cups from trips). Tupperware is a constant hassle. During the declutter, I take the time to gather all of the containers and lids and make sure I have matching sets. If it doesn’t match, it doesn’t stay!

October- Office drawers and desk

I don’t understand how papers pile up the way they do. We’ve opted into paperless for almost everything, and still I end up with piles and piles of papers I throw in drawers or in my desk “organizer” (LOL please!) never to be looked at again. For this one, I start in order and go through all 15 office storage drawers in order making sure to leave nothing behind. Once I have them all decluttered and the drawers are all assigned (one for shipping, one for cards, one for computer cords and accessories, etc), I clear off my desk and put everything in its home and then breathe a sigh of relief.

November- Anything, anywhere in a box (from moving or storing)

I can’t be the only one who still has boxes somewhere. I have boxes in our basement that haven’t been unpacked since we bought the house 2 years ago, I have boxes in my office I used to “organize” the clutter from my table one day that has been sitting there for over a year…. I just have boxes. Boxes seem to give me a false sense of security that my stuff is under control. Enough with the boxes. They WILL be decluttered!

December- Final sweep

-If I had to pick a month that is the trickiest, this is the one! But why, GiGi? The hard part is over…. FALSE. The hard part is realizing that for very item I got rid of, I bought or somehow acquired 2 more. One last sweep of all of the above areas will bring me some joy, some regret, some panic, and, most of all, excitement because I have more stuff to declutter starting in January.

I get it. I’m nuts. Nobody can possibly have this much stuff… but I do. Every year, I come back to this list and think there’s no possible way I’ll have enough stuff to declutter next time and yet, I do… My advice to you is this: just get it done. Don’t overthink it. Just do it.

Oh, and if someone wanted to leave some tips about not buying/accumulating so much stuff throughout the year, I’m here for it!