Coco + Kelley
Most of us are guilty of it…. holding onto things that we shouldn’t. Also known as clutter. I’m in the process of culling through my closets and shelves in an effort to organize my space, so I thought I’d share some tips so you can do the same for your home. Here goes.
1. DVD and CD cases take up a ton of space, yet there’s really no good reason to keep them. Head over to Simply Organized to find out how to make one of the handy DVD organizers shown above.
2. Recycled gift wrapping supplies like used boxes and ribbons take up quite a bit of space, and aren’t worth holding onto if you never use them. Keep only the bows and boxes that are in perfect condition.
3. Old magazines take up a ton of space, and in this digital age, it doesn’t make sense to hold onto them. Most magazines now have online archives and even digital subscription options. Keeping an issue of Bon Appetit because it contains your favorite recipe? Instead, find it in the online archives and save it using their “Recipe Box” feature. Love that living room in the last issue of Elle Decor? Take a photo of it with your phone and upload it to one of your Pinterest boards instead.
4. Let’s be honest, we all receive gifts that we don’t like… and there’s no reason to keep them! You may want to hold onto it for a couple of weeks to see if it will be useful to you; if it isn’t, then either return it or donate it to Goodwill.
5. With all of the paperless options available online these days, hard copy paperwork is becoming a thing of the past. The IRS recommends keeping these records for tax purposes, but there are many other scraps of paper that you just won’t need… check out this article on MSN Money for some great tips.
6. Old clothing is hard to part with, but here’s a good rule of thumb: if you can’t remember the last time you wore it, get rid of it. Here’s a super helpful chart that will help you decide whether or not to get rid of something, and what to do with it.
7. I always save cardboard boxes and plastic bags because I think I’ll re-use them. But guess what? I never use them all. Keep a few boxes that are in good condition in case you need to mail a gift or a package, and recycle the rest. If you move sometime in the near future, you can always get boxes from your local grocery store or from a site like this. As for plastic bags – keep a handful in an empty tissue box, and throw out the rest… or better yet, use reusable bags so you don’t get the plastic bags to begin with!
8. Outdated electronics can be tough to throw away too, for whatever reason… but when was the last time you used your old cell phone? Try selling them to a site like Gazelle, or bring them to an electronic recycling center.
9. Medicine cabinets seem to accumulate lots of clutter… toss outdated medications and old products that you haven’t used in years. Then use Martha Stewart’s tips to organize the remaining items.
10. Cosmetics go bad after a certain amount of time – use this guide to help you learn what to keep and what to throw away. Also be sure to check out our 8 Quick Tips For Organizing Your Medicine Cabinet.
