Would you rather live minimally with the basics or hold onto material items that don’t always have a place in your day to day? I’d say I’m minimal (for the majority)! And that’s what I want to chat about today: minimizing the clutter; especially in motherhood.
If you read my last post, Toddler Mode: ON, then you know that we just celebrated Eva’s second birthday. She had a blast. It was a great birthday. However, as many of us may know, a birthday usually accompanies presents. It’s only her second birthday and I’m running out of room to put everything in our house. There’s toys in her room. There’s toys in the playroom (that’s split as my husband’s office). There’s toys in the living room. There’s toys in the attic. There’s toys in the linen closet. And there’s toys in the kitchen! Now I know what you may be thinking: I thought she said she was a minimalist😂 Well, it’s definitely how I want to see myself because I don’t like holding onto things that aren’t being used! So since we’re in the after-days of my two year old’s birthday with balloons laying around the house and new presents partially opened, I decided what better time than to do some digging through these toy areas and minimize the clutter—oh, and also get back on a toy rotation schedule. I used to do that with Eva, but ever since Valerie was born I haven’t been good at keeping up with it. Time to discipline myself in that area again.
But before we get there…back to the chaos. Tupperware and wooden spoons from my kitchen drawers get taken into the girls’ play kitchen. Headbands and socks are thrown into storage bins with stuffed animals and Little People. Books that we no longer are reading get stored in the play kitchen’s refrigerator. I needed to declutter—ASAP. So that’s where we are. I grabbed a bag for miscellaneous stuff that’s getting dropped off at the thrift store. I exchanged some toys that were in the attic with toys that were in the living room. I boxed up the newborn/early baby toys that our nine month old, Valerie, doesn’t care for anymore. And I removed any toy found in the kitchen. I definitely made progress. Decluttering feels good.
And guess what? The girls won’t even know some of their toys went missing! Maybe because they’re so young, but even as they get older I plan to keep implementing these decluttering seasons along with getting back on track with the toy rotations. Children don’t need access to every toy they own 24/7. I believe our children thrive with less anyways. There’s more room for creativity and imaginative play, which is something we all need more of these days. Check out Screen Time Overload: Thoughts on This Digital Age, along with No Social Media and…Thriving?
Since I decluttered the girls’ toys, I plan on going through clothes, extra items in the office, and things in bathroom drawers and under the kitchen sink. Those who know me, know we don’t have a large house—just your typical single family, three bed, two bath. Many people would say, just get a bigger house. So then I can just accumulate double the stuff? No thanks! Not in this season, anyways. I’m working on simple living since I said I was a minimalist. If you look up the true definition of minimalist living, I don’t believe I’d fit into the extreme side of it. Maybe I’m just a wanna-be minimalist—who knows!
So once those spaces get decluttered, I need to organize them. I like to do this with our pantry and kitchen cabinets every so often as well. Something about organizing and having a tidy space makes you feel good about your dwelling space. As a homemaker, it’s my duty to tend to the spaces of our home and be sure things are kept clean and neat. I find joy in that!
What are some things you need to declutter or organize in this season? After all, it’s May so let’s do some spring cleaning!
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