Simplify Your Home and Life
January is a great opportunity for new beginnings! Consider this the perfect time to declutter your home. While an uncluttered and organized space is more aesthetically pleasing, there is a greater cost to clutter. Clutter takes up valuable real estate in your home and it takes time to maintain and clean those unused objects. Too many extra items can be distracting and stressful. All of those items piled up on shelves in closets and cabinets stand in the way of finding the thing you need. We want to encourage you to let all those unnecessary time and space wasters go! If you have less, you will use less. This will force you to make more conscientious choices about how you use items in your home. You may pause and consider before buying or adding something to your now decluttered space. We also hope this will inspire you to consume less and waste less. The following are a few categories of things that we tend to accumulate multiples of.
Makeup
It’s hard to let go of makeup whether you purchased the wrong color or were given a free sample. However, when it is clear that you aren’t going to use that dried out makeup that is several months or years old, let it go. Many makeup brands actually offer package recycling rewards programs, so you know that the containers just won’t be going into a landfill. If you bring six Mac brand containers back to Mac, you will receive a free lipstick in the color of your choice. Bring five empty, clean containers to Lush and get a free Fresh Face Mask. Origins will accept and recycle make-up containers from any cosmetics brand.
Wrapping Paper
After Christmas you may be drowning in wrapping paper remnants and rolled up ribbon. If you want to simplify your life, keeping around wrapping paper for every type of occasion may not cut it. We recommend stocking a neutral wrapping paper like a sliver one with subtle designs that can be used for birthdays, weddings, baby showers and Christmas. A variety of a few different ribbons will help you dress your package for the proper occasions. Schools, senior activity centers and community arts centers may appreciate the donation of wrapping paper, ribbons and the like to use for crafts.
Mugs / Plastic Cups / Tupperware
The kitchen is a haven for multiples of objects we don’t need: from plastic cups you get for free at restaurants, to promotional mugs and mismatched tupperware. Keep around your favorites, matching sets for company and however many you use between washes, but declutter the rest. Fighting clutter is a never ending battle, but this is a start. Just because you are decluttering, doesn’t mean you have to trash your items. Many of these multiples may be in perfectly good condition and charities, homeless shelters, senior centers and community organizations may be happy to have the donations,
This January embrace simplicity and stage a purge in your home. You will be glad you did!