Happy, happy Friday! I apologize for not posting yesterday, NYC got hit with yet another snow storm and it turned out to be kind of a mess of a day. I'm hoping that's the last I'll see of the snow this season since this seems to be the never-ending-awful winter and I'm over it.
With that in mind I plan on spending my weekend de-cluttering my apartment in preparation of the lighter, brighter season ahead. In an earlier post I discussed how to de-clutter your closet with some tips on how to edit out old clothes. If you haven't done so already, I recommend starting there. Since I'm pretty happy with the state of my clothing at the moment I'm going to focus on some other areas of space that need to be cleared out. Below is a list of things that are probably adding to your clutter and how to get rid of them.
With that in mind I plan on spending my weekend de-cluttering my apartment in preparation of the lighter, brighter season ahead. In an earlier post I discussed how to de-clutter your closet with some tips on how to edit out old clothes. If you haven't done so already, I recommend starting there. Since I'm pretty happy with the state of my clothing at the moment I'm going to focus on some other areas of space that need to be cleared out. Below is a list of things that are probably adding to your clutter and how to get rid of them.
photo cred: vibe.com
Beauty products
I don't know about you but I have about 10xs the amount of makeup, shampoo. conditioner, hairspray, etc. than I actually need. I am forever buying and receiving new products but then I never get rid of the old stuff. So I end up with tons of half empty bottles of conditioner and old mascara's laying around. Not only do these take up space but it's really not healthy to be using old makeup so start throwing it out. If you're not sure what to keep or where to put it follow these steps to make the process a little easier:
- Pull out the makeup, shampoo, face creams and hair styling products that you use daily. Put these in an easy to reach place wherever you get ready in the morning, whether that be your bedroom or bathroom.
- Next put aside the products you use, but less frequently. For instance, a weekly deep conditioning treatment or the makeup you use when going out on the weekends. Put this somewhere that's still easy to get to but out of the way such as under the sink in your bathroom or in a vanity drawer. You don't want to get rid of these obviously, but you also don't want every product you own in your way when you're trying to get ready in the morning if you're not going to use them.
- Designate a place for backups. I tend to keep a back up supply of my favorite products so that if I run out I have an extra in a pinch. I keep all of my backup supplies, whether it be shampoo, toilet paper or cleaning supplies in the same closet so I know where to go if I run out of something.
- Throw everything else away. The half bottle of shampoo you've been holding onto for six months will probably never be used. Your mostly empty black eyeliner that you've had in the bottom of your makeup bag since August is probably gross by now. If you're not using it throw it away!
Photo cred: women'sday.com
The paper trail
I've run into this problem a lot since I've moved into my apartment. I all of a sudden have a ton of paper that I have no clue what to do with. Between manuals and warranties for new appliances, takeout menus, and junk mail I have a full drawer of unsorted, unnecessary paper work. Here are some tips on how to cut down on the paper laying around your place.
- Have your receipts emailed to you. A lot of places give you the option of having a receipt emailed to you from the store instead of printing one out. It's so much easier to have it stored electronically. Not only does it cut back on the clutter but it solves the problem of losing it! If you don't have the email option have a designated space in your wallet for receipts. Clean it out once a month and throw out receipts for items that you've already used or that are past the dates allowed for returns.
- Download manuals. Every single appliance we bought or received for our apartment came with paperwork. I just recently found out that you can download the manual for pretty much any item. Go to the manufacturer website and download the manual to save to your computer or smartphone, then throw out the paper version. Just make sure you keep the warranties. Make a folder that's specifically for your warranties and keep it with the rest of your important documents (birth certificate, tax returns, etc.).
- Get rid of your takeout menus. Maybe keep a list of your favorite places to order from with their phone number (or just save it to your phone) but throw out the menu. Almost every place you'd want to order from has a menu online so don't waste the space with a menu, just look it up when you're ready to order.
- Get your bills sent electronically. Honestly, I don't know why anyone wouldn't just have their bills emailed to them. It helps the planet and prevents clutter. If the email reminder isn't enough to make sure you pay on time then set up automatic withdrawals from your bank account or set a recurring calendar appointment to make sure you're on top of it. Also, sort your mail by the garbage. This way you can immediately throw anything you don't need straight in the bin and you don't end up with paper all over your coffee table.
Control your accessories.
Keeping accessories organized and in a place that I can see what I have clearly has always been a problem for me. As I write this my scarves, shoes and handbags are all stuffed into a disorganized position in various closets. I almost never look at what I have so I end up using the same bags and wearing the same jewelry all the time. Since I obviously can't rely on my own advice on accessory organization I thought I'd share some clever ideas I found on Pinterest while researching solutions for myself.