My Year to Declutter
There is something about a new year and a new beginning that always gets me fired up to get our house in order. Typically, I do the usual - sort through my closet and clean out the pantry and medicine cabinet; this year it’s a bigger project. Now it's time to clean out the clutter and unnecessary items we have been holding onto.
When you’re a military family, you move often and sometimes to vastly different climates and homes so you hold onto expensive items you might need in two years because of a move. I moved from Chicago to San Diego where my husband was stationed, then we went to Washington, DC; Port Orchard, Washington; Newport, Rhode Island; and finally, to Cheboygan where we are settling down. I have a lot of waterproof shoes (from rainy Washington state weather), way too many winter coats (thanks New England), an overabundance of beach cover ups (looking at you, San Diego), furniture I love that fit in one house that didn't fit in another but then fit in the next house. I have outdoor furniture that will not survive Michigan winters. I have a bedframe and a box spring that don't have a home. And guess what? We aren't planning a move (ever, if you ask my husband) so we can finally let things go. It's such a strange thing to think about - to be able to let go of items we won't need for the next duty station since there won’t be a next one. So here I am. Ready to settle down now that my husband is retired from Navy. We can put down roots. Set up rooms how we want. Design and decorate how we want, not related to how it will contribute to a quick home sale. We can relax and not worry about keeping our home ready to sell at a moment's notice. It's a great feeling...
To celebrate this turn in our lives, this year I am decluttering everything. Every room. Every box. Every corner. Every paper. It might fast at times (I can declutter a pantry in a couple of hours) and it might be slow (my parents sent me 10 boxes of childhood items I haven't seen in 20 years), but I will get it finished by Christmas 2023. I hope you join me. Follow along on the blog and Instagram as I share my progress.
Cheers to a future with a home that has all we want and need, and where there is room to breathe and be.