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- 16 | Nightstands/Dressers
I’m not sure what happens at your house, but our dresser and nightstands are home to a bunch of weird cluttery stuff. Books and papers and journals and remotes and phone chargers and jewelry and a ponytail holders and bobby pins and mail and stuff from our pockets and stuff I was too lazy to carry all the way to the master bathroom. For this step, I grabbed a small basket and put everything that I didn’t want to leave on the dresser or nightstands into it. Then, I carried the basket around the house and helped each item find its appropriate home. If I couldn’t find a home for it, I tossed it. Goodbye, old magazines. You don’t own my space or my time!
I wiped down each surface with a rag and dusted the lamps and items left behind when I was done. The cleared space actually contributed to a more peaceful environment. I know this isn’t news, but it’s always fun to remember that what you’re doing actually makes a difference.
- 17 | Bathroom
Tell me if this sounds familiar. You are down to the last of the shampoo, or hairspray, or deodorant, so you make a mental note and buy more at the store. But when you get home, you just set out the new stuff and don’t use up the last of the old stuff. Your countertops and shower get full of mostly used bottles and overly used razors and you just don’t think to throw the old stuff away. Just me? Either way, now’s your chance to get rid of all the extra stuff. Put it away. Throw it away. Wipe down your counter and mirrors. Lovely!
- 18 | Medicine
I feel like these are all self-explanitory, but this one in particular seems like it doesn’t require much strategy. Toss what has expired. Make a note of what you need to refill. Don’t forget your kids’ medicines or toiletry collections either. We had old Desitin and expired cough syrup clogging up our cabinets. Goodbye, baby creams! So long, infant Tylenol.
- 19 | Makeup Drawer
You might not wear makeup every day, but you probably know what makeup you use when you do have a chance to put it on. Go through and throw away everything old and nasty that you haven’t used since before kids. Toss old mascaras and liquid based eye makeup. I am sure a wonderful makeup professional would offer exact dates on how old is too old, but I know that old eye makeup isn’t something you want to mess around with. Only keep the makeup you really use (well, what you really would use if you had time to put it on.)
- 20 | Linen Cabinet
I will admit that this one was hard for me. There were some sentimental receiving blankets that we used for each of our babies. There was old nursery bedding. For me, there was a lot of emotion attached to some of the things in our linen cabinet. Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to be able to use the space well, and not just for storing memories. I donated, sold and gave away. At the end of the day, I can’t get back those newborn moments, but I can choose to live fully in these moments. We only kept one extra sheet set for each of our beds and a few pillow cases and blankets. The extra space is refreshing, and the ability to use the area for what it was intended feels better than one might think.
