Declutter Challenge #20 & Downloadable File

It's the last day!  Spring begins this afternoon and hopefully your home feels a bit more ready to welcome spring by being a bit lighter in the clutter department.  Today's Challenge:

DONATE!

Gather up all those things you've decided you don't want or need anymore and get them out of your home for good!

As you box and bag things up, make a list of what you are donating.  Keep this with the receipt you get from the place you donate and add it to your 2011 Taxes file for next year.  To help with this I'm offering my first downloadable file!  This Charitable Donation Worksheet is what I use to mark things down before I drop them off to charity.

Here's how it works:

1. Click on the photo of  the document you want (with kids or child-free)
2. Download or print the document
3. Fill it out!
4. Donate your stuff.  Do this now.  Today.  Tomorrow at the latest. Don't let the stuff stick around your house. It will continue to be clutter in your home until it's GONE!
5. Staple your charitable donation receipt to the form.
6. File in your 2011 Taxes file (if you haven't made one, now is the time)
7. Add the items from your list to your It's Deductible account. If you use Turbo Tax, you can import the data into your taxes for next year. 





For families with kids





For families without kids

  Why keep a list of what you donate?  Well, if you don't have a list, you can't deduct the value on your taxes. And if you want to deduct you need to have a reasonably detailed listing according to the IRS.

What should you do after today? Print out a few copies of the document and put them on a clipboard.  Put the clipboard wherever your normally keep your stuff to be donated. Whenever you add something to the box or bag, note it on the worksheet.  Then you won't need to do any work next time you have a full box to donate.  Just drop it off and file your paperwork.

Declutter Challenge #19

Just two more.... And today we're back in:

The Kids' Closet

If you have more than one child, try the other kid's room today.  If you only have one child or your children share a room, head back into the closet again today.

And of course, if you are child-free, pick another room - like the guest room or office.

Declutter Challenge #18

We're down to the wire!  Spring is right around the corner.  Are you as anxious as I am?  Just 3 challenges remain.  And today we're checking out:

The Kids Closet



If you have more than 1 kid, just start in one room.  If you don't have any kids, you get to pick a room of your choice - maybe the guest room or a home office.

The key for this room is to make this challenge for a limited amount of time.  You could easily spend all day working in here, but that's not the goal for now.  Give yourself 5 or 15 or 50 minutes... whatever fits in your day.  Pick off the "low hanging fruit" - the things you can see immediately do not belong, no longer fit, you don't like, etc.

If your child is old enough, get them involved in the process.  Let them know they can give their unwanted items to kids who may not have something like it.

Declutter Challenge #17

Just 4 more days left until SPRING!!!  Hooray!  Are you getting worn out yet?  Hang in there with me a few more days.  You'll feel so much lighter when things are decluttered.  Today's challenge:

Laundry Room

Whether you have a room, a closet or a corner of the basement for laundry, it's time to make that spot as happy as can be for your laundry needs.  Now, few people really love doing laundry but we all have to do it anyway.  Make your space one that doesn't totally frighten you away.  Take 10 minutes today and do a quick sweep of your laundry area and get rid of anything that doesn't belong or needs to go.

And you might even want to toss a load in while you work!

Declutter Challenge #16

Today's challenge might be a bit harder.  Not because of volume, but attachment.

Your Collection

{Photo via iStock}

Most people have at least one collection of something.  It might be stamps or figurines or strollers or {ahem} diaper bags.  Doesn't matter.  We're going to cull the masses a bit.  This might be tough.  These are things you have collected into a grouping.  But do you really LOVE them all?  I'm betting there are a few that were gifts from people that heard you were into owls (or whatever) and bought you the ugliest owl item they could find for 10 Christmases in a row.  Don't keep things just because they are part of the theme despite the fact that you don't like them.  Keep what you love.  Make your collection something that brings you joy.  If you are only able to get rid of one item I'll be proud of you!  It's the effort that counts at this point.

Oh... if you have more than 1 collection, I'm only challenging you to take on one of them.  But if you want to do more, I won't stop you!

Declutter Challenge #15

We're keeping in the theme of reading materials and moving on to:

The "Library"

Strahov Library, Prague

{via iStock}

Now, I'm guessing most of you don't have a "Beauty & the Beast" castle style library (and if you do, please invite me over for a week of perusing!).  But you probably have a bookcase or 5 with reading materials collected over a lifetime of reading. 

The challenge: decide what you'll really read again and/or want to keep for some kind of sentimental value.  I recently rid my bookcase of a few books from college that I had never actually read.  They were great philosophy type books and I wanted to be the type of person who would read them for pleasure.  But I had to own up to the fact that I am not.
Now, in full disclosure, I still haven't rid my bookcase of my advanced mathematics text books from undergrad. While I will very likely never have a need for them again, they are such a part of who I am that I cannot yet bring myself to get rid of them. However, I have limited the space I allocated for books and only keep the amount that will fit in that space.  So if you have some books you don't really need anymore, don't worry... just make sure they are given the proper amount of space and not taking over your entire room.

Declutter Challenge #14

Are you tired from this weekend's purge?  We're going to slow down a bit today and take a bit of a breather.  This is a 5-15 minute challenge (I hope!)

The Magazine Stash

If you don't have any magazines you have a free day (or you can pick something else).  If you've got a stack of them lurking somewhere, time to cull them.  I know, I know... there's a great recipe in this one that you are going to try.  And that one has some cute ideas for your son's next birthday. 

Your real challenge for today... being honest with yourself. When was the last time you actually made a new recipe from a magazine?  Last week?  Okay, then clip the one you want, put it on your menu plan for this week.  Last year decade?  Um, yeah... you want to be the type of person who cooks fabulous new recipes from magazines but, um, you're not.  Toss it.  If you really want it later, it's probably available online.  And I know you're internet savvy enough to find it because you are reading a blog.

So be ruthless.  Get rid of the ones you've read.  If you do decide to pull out a few pages/articles then make sure you have a place for them.  Better yet... add the information about the product/article/recipe/url to your Springpad notebook and come back to it when you have time.

Declutter Challenge #12 & #13

This weekend we're hanging out in the

2nd Scariest Place In Your Home

Take the momentum from Friday and keep it up.  Three 15 minute sessions should leave you with a much tidier space than you had before.  Three 60 minute sessions and your probably getting close to sending your pictures in to Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

Good luck!  And if you find anything especially cool, weird, strange, scary, funny, or outrageous, let me know!  I'd love to see a few pictures of what's lurking in your space!

Declutter Challenge #11

By now you hopefully have a pretty good pace of getting rid of things you no longer need, use or want. At least I really hope you have a rhythm going because this weekend I'm going to challenge you a bit more.  It's three days of "Pick Your Poison." 

Right now, picture the most disheveled, messy, unorganized, afraid-to-open-the-door-for-fear-you-might-be-crushed room/cabinet/closet.  Got it?  Don't go there.  Think about the place in your home that is one level less fear inducing.  Still insane but doesn't send you into a full-blown panic thinking of your mother-in-law opening the door.  That's the place we're going to tackle. 

The 2nd Scariest Room/Closet/Cabinet In Your Home

In case your wondering... for me it's the closet in our office/guest room.

This is a 3 Day Challenge.  Unless you are just entirely bored for this upcoming weekend with no commitments (and probably no kids!) this is not a pull-everything-out-and-put-it-on-the-lawn exercise. This is a 15-60 minute per day challenge.  If you've got 15 minutes to spare, spend that amount of time each day.  You can probably achieve a ton in just a quarter of an hour.  If you have a little more time, spend an hour.  Do not freak your spouse out by making your whole house an "under construction" zone for this.  Do what you can in the area in the amount of time you have allotted.  Include a few minutes for cleanup in the allotment.  Set a timer if you need to or do it during nap time so you have a built-in kid timer. And if you don't get to everything today, no worries, we're going to come back on Saturday & Sunday!

Remember...
Trash/Recycle anything that's:
*broken beyond repair
*broken and you don't have the skills to to fix it
*trash

Donate anything that's:
*still in good condition but no longer of use to you
*things you can't remember using in the last decade
*things that don't represent who you are as a person/family

Keep anything you:
*love
*use
*have a place for

No get hoppin'... there's stuff to be vanquished!

Declutter Challenge #10

Hopefully after yesterday this one should be nice and quick!

The Shower/Tub

It's time to get rid of anything in your shower that you don't use or don't like.  Have 6 kinds of shampoo bottles with 1/8" of product left in the bottom of each?  Resolve to use them up over the next few days or toss them out if you don't like them anymore.  Ladies... old razors that are past their useful life?  Toss them (where the kids won't grab them and play with them!)  Any bottles that are empty and poofs/loofahs/scrubbing tools that no longer perform need to go as well.

The shower is the first stop most of us make in the mornings.  Try to make it a place that doesn't stress you out!

Declutter Challenge #9

We're staying in the bathroom today and diving in to look at what might be lurking....

Under The Sink

Are you like me?  Do the cabinets under the sink tend to collect all manner of miscellaneous stuff.  Mine is full of jewelry I never wear, old hair accessories, makeup samples and, well, I'm not sure what else.  Time to get in there and start reclaiming the space. 

Things to get rid of:
* products you don't use/like
* jewelry & hair accessories that haven't been in style in this century
* makeup that's too old to use.  Yes, makeup has a shelf life.
* anything that really doesn't belong in the bathroom at all

Now if you have old accessories you can donate them or you can donate them to your kids! If you have a daughter I bet she'd love to have a few scrunchies and bangle bracelets and shell necklaces to add to her dress-up box.  Just make sure she's not too young for any small parts.

Declutter Challenge #8

Hopefully your bedroom is feeling a little less cluttered. Do you have a few empty hangers in your closet? A couple dozen fewer dust bunnies under your bed? Excellent! We're moving out of the bedroom today into the bathroom.

Medicine Cabinet

If you're like most people the cabinet in your bathroom is a catch all for the products you use to get yourself ready to face the day.  But sometimes we find that a product just didn't work they way we'd hoped.  Instead of getting rid of it, we let it sit there "just in case."  No more!  Be ruthless!  Expired?  Gone!  Almost full bottle of hair product that make your hair smell like your grandmother's basement?  Gone!  Anything that doesn't actually belong to you or your spouse?  Gone!

One other thing... your medicine cabinet is truly not the best place to store most medications.  Ointments and the like are probably okay, but most medicine (OTC and Rx) need to be kept away from heat, moisture and freezing temperatures.  I'm guessing your bathroom hits 2 of these on a regular basis.  Keep your medicine in a linen closet, in your bedroom, or some other location that isn't flooded in humidity when you shower.  http://www.usp.org/pdf/EN/patientSafety/justAskProperUse.pdf

Finally, if you are disposing of expired medication, please do so safely.  Flushing or washing down the sink is bad for our environment.  And throwing an old bottle of pills in the trash as-is can lead to other problems.  Smart Rx Disposal has a great method to follow.

If you'd like to see MY medicine cabinet you can find it here.

Declutter Challenge #7

We're back in the bedroom today.  This challenge is a fun one.  Either it'll be super easy or make you cringe.

Under Your Bed

Under my bed is actually one of the least scary parts of my house.  We keep exactly 2 things under our bed... our gym bags.  It's kind of a strange place but since it's right next to my dresser (where I grab stuff for the gym on the rare occasion I'm able to go) it's actually quite convenient.  But I know many people use the space under the bed to store all sorts of things.

The challenge: clear out the stuff under the bed that you don't need or want anymore.  I'm not challenging you to reorganize this space... only to clear out the things that need to go out of your home - either to charity or to the trash. 

Bonus points if you take a picture of what you find and show it to us on your blog!

Don't forget... if you're following along with these challenges, let the world know by adding a button to your blog:

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And if you write a blog post about it... link up and let the world know here.

Declutter Challenge #6

Since my Sunday ended up being crazy I didn't get a challenge posted.  Hopefully you had a chance to enjoy some time with your family today and get prepared for the week ahead.

Looking forward to a great week!

Declutter Challenge #5

We're staying in the bedroom this weekend! It's the room we tend to neglect most because it's seen the least by people other than ourselves.  So the Master Bedroom tends to be a haven for clutter.  Today we're tackling:

The Nightstand

photo credit:{istock}

Whatever kind of nightstand you have, a simple table, something with drawers, or a make-shift table from another part of the house, my guess is that it's gathered a collection of "stuff" on top and inside.  Tissues (some dirty?  ewww!), a few books and magazines, an old water cup, and who-only-knows-what-else.

The challenge: QUICKLY toss anything that's trash.  Next, take everything that doesn't belong on your nightstand and take it off.  If it needs to go to another room in your home, put it aside for now.  I like to use a laundry basket to catch all of those misplaced items.  Now, replace everything that stays (a box of tissue, the book your reading right now, your reading glasses, a picture frame with a cherished photo, a candle, your alarm clock).
Take the basket full of misfits and return them to their proper homes.  DO IT NOW!  I'm serious about this.  This is the heart of this challenge.  If you let them sit in that basket they are STILL CLUTTER.... just clutter in a different spot.  Put them away.  You'll feel better when you're done.  This is another challenge that would be great to involve your spouse in.  You can always entice him or her with a little snuggle time in your cleaner room once your done! ;-)


















Now don't be scared! This isn't meant to be an all-day endeavor. Just take 5 minutes if that's what you have. You can do a lot in 5 minutes. If you have all-day and are really feeling motivated, then by all means feel-free to do a full purge. I won't stop you. But make sure you really have the time to devote to it. I don't want you neglecting other duties to make this happen. Decluttering & organizing should be part of your regular routine, not a disruption of your entire life.









The challenge: take 5-10 minutes (set the timer if you have to) and take an honest look at your closet. Pull out anything you know you won't wear again. This includes things that:



don't fit (especially if it's too big!)



in disrepair - holes, snags, broken zippers, missing buttons you know you'll never fix



not yours (seriously... if you have clothes from your old roommate or your mom or your sister, get rid of them!)



not your style - I know you know what I mean. We all have that item that we bought on a whim thinking it was so cool. But once we got it home (and ripped the tags off & lost the receipt of course) we realized it really wasn't consistent with our style and/or body type. Let it go!



Shoes that pinch your toes



Shoes that have seen better days



What should you NOT do... please do not purge your husband's closet! Discarding someone else's stuff is, quite honestly, a big violation of their privacy. We feel protective of our stuff, especially those clothes that have memories for us (like his holey old college t-shirt!) So if his side of the closet needs a little purging, invite him to join you for your 5-10 minute session. But don't just toss out his stuff.

Declutter Challenge #4

If you didn't do it yesterday, today you're gonna need to grab a box or a bag for donation items.  We'll keep using this (and adding more) over the next few weeks to put those items we no longer want or need but that are still in good condition.

We're moving out of the kitchen today and into the bedroom!

Your Closet

photo credit:{iStock}

Now don't be scared!  This isn't meant to be an all-day endeavor.  Just take 5 minutes if that's what you have.  You can do a lot in 5 minutes.  If you have all-day and are really feeling motivated, then by all means feel-free to do a full purge.  I won't stop you.  But make sure you really have the time to devote to it.  I don't want you neglecting other duties to make this happen.  Decluttering & organizing should be part of your regular routine, not a disruption of your entire life.

The challenge: take 5-10 minutes (set the timer if you have to) and take an honest look at your closet. Pull out anything you know you won't wear again.  This includes things that:

• don't fit (especially if it's too big!)
• in disrepair - holes, snags, broken zippers, missing buttons you know you'll never fix
• not yours (seriously... if you have clothes from your old roommate or your mom or your sister, get rid of them!)
• not your style - I know you know what I mean.  We all have that item that we bought on a whim thinking it was so cool.  But once we got it home (and ripped the tags off & lost the receipt of course) we realized it really wasn't consistent with our style and/or body type.  Let it go!
• Shoes that pinch your toes
• Shoes that have seen better days

What should you NOT do... please do not purge your husband's closet!  Discarding someone else's stuff is, quite honestly, a big violation of their privacy.  We feel protective of our stuff, especially those clothes that have memories for us (like his holey old college t-shirt!)  So if his side of the closet needs a little purging, invite him to join you for your 5-10 minute session.  But don't just toss out his stuff.

Declutter Challenge #3

Is your kitchen feeling lighter yet?  One more day in the kitchen this week!

The Large Utensil Drawer/Crock

photo credit: {iStock Photo}

Do you have a drawer full of spatulas and spoons and whisks or a crock that sits on the counter?  What?  You have both plus another drawer?  Aha!  Time to weed out.  I bet you have 5-7 cooking utensils you use over and over and over again. 

The Challenge: Look at every single cooking utensil in your kitchen. Immediately categorize it as one of 3 things:
1. I use it every week
2. I don't use it every week but I can remember the last time I used it and it was sometime since Thanksgiving.
3. I can't remember when I used this last or I remember when I last used it and it was definitely before Thanksgiving.

If it's #1 then put it back in your drawer.  If it's a #2, think for 10 seconds about whether you really plan to use it again and if so put it back.  If it's #3 put it right down into the box you just got out for items to be donated or into the trash (if it's broken or in disrepair).

I know what you're saying... "But, but, I don't want to donate it.  I might need it."  Fine.  Put it in that box.  Close up the box, label it and put it wherever your store stuff (the basement, the garage, whatever).  If you find in the next 6 months that you're missing something, go grab the box and get the item for your drawer.  If after 6 months you haven't opened the box, drop it off on your next trip to the local charity.

Cooking is something we do almost every day.  Treat yourself to utensils that serve you well.

Declutter Challenge #2

Congratulations on ridding your refrigerator of those scary science experiments tucked in back.  Staying in the kitchen today we're moving on to something a bit harder.

The Storage Container Cabinet

I know you have a cabinet or drawer full of Tupperware, Rubbermaid or other plastic and glass storage containers you use for leftovers and lunches.  Is it bursting at the seams?  Time to pare down! 

The Challenge: Get rid of anything that doesn't have a lid, is warped or cracked, hasn't been used in the last year (oh you know the one I'm talking about!), or has a fading logo of a brand of margarine you haven't purchased in 5 years.  If you primarily use old food containers that's okay, I understand reusing!  But if you just have a few Kewl Whip containers hanging out among your otherwise nice pieces, toss 'em.  Be good to your food and store it in the nicest containers possible for your budget.

Don't forget to link up to the MckLinky if you make a blog post about your decluttering!  We want to know!

Declutter Challenge #1

We're starting off with something I hope will be pretty easy:

The Refrigerator!

The Challenge: Search your fridge for anything that's expired, growing unidentified fungi, or that you simply didn't like and won't eat again.  Throw it out!  Reclaim your storage containers!

Today's not the day to clean the fridge, just to clear it out.  And don't feel like you need to hit the freezer... we'll get there soon enough.  Just check all those shelves and drawers and door shelves for anything that needs to go.

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Are you Delightfully Decluttering your way toward spring?  Grab a button & Let the world know!

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Countdown to Spring!

March 1st.  Based on the US Calendar that means we are just 21 days... 3 short weeks... away from the 1st day of spring. 

I love spring.  I was married in the spring.  My first child was born in spring.  Spring is a time for renewal and rejuvenation and celebration.  There's something about those first few days of being able to throw open the windows and let in the sunlight that make us want to freshen up our lives.  Others can keep their New Year's Resolutions.  I'll take a good Spring Cleaning over a Resolution any day!

Here at Delightfully Organized I am counting down to my spring cleaning party.  We're going to spend the first month of spring focusing on the cleaning.  But before we get there we need to prepare.  And the best way to do that is to downsize what we don't need so there's less to clean.

My challenge to you for the next 3 weeks is to join my Delightfully Decluttering party.  Each day I'll give you a challenge.  If you accept the challenge you can spend 5 minutes or 50 minutes on it.  Either way, you'll be making progress toward having a more alive home for spring. 

Here's what to do:
1. Grab a Delightfully Decluttering button for your blog to let the world know you're decluttering your way toward spring!

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2. Check back daily by subscribing on the sidebar, adding me to your google reader or following me on Twitter or Facebook.

3. Carry out each day's challenge (or as many as you can) within the amount of time you have available.

4. If you blog, write about it when you want to.  And link back here through the MckLinky.

5. If you don't blog, come tell us about your efforts on Facebook.  Bonus points for pictures!

I can't wait to see what we accomplish together!