30 Bags in 30 Days :: Update

Update: Last week, our household began the 30 Bags in 30 Days challenge for January. We removed 11 bags from our house over the weekend. Prior to this, I did not believe we had a lot of clutter, but in reality, we did.

I had know idea how many bins of clothes (3) we had in the attic nor how many clothes my boys did not wear just hanging in their closets. We were able to find homes for the majority of the clothes and a few more pieces will leave later this week.

The worst realization came in the form of my youngest's desk. He had all these drawing and papers I always past over during our routine cleanings thinking he wanted to keep them; well, he didn't. I was responsible for adding clutter to his life - oops!

The house is already feeling lighter and we've got 3 more weeks to go. How are you holding up?

January heralds the yearly purging of our home. During the next 30 days, our family goes through all the drawers, cabinets, closets and catch-all spaces to remove unwanted items for either donation, sale, or trash. While I don't commence my deep cleaning again until Spring, I do make it a habit to encourage my husband and boys to purge during the first month of the year.

I know a lot of people want to declutter or purge their homes; however, they often find themselves purging and deep cleaning which can become very overwhelming at times. I find that if you declutter first, you save yourself time later when you begin Spring cleaning.

If you want to join me, here is my month-long purging schedule. Feel free to substitute my items to better serve your needs. I'll post at the end of each week about my progress and any organizational tips or strategies I discover along the way. Let me know if you've got suggestions to share, too!

30 Bags in 30 Days

1. Junk drawer in laundry room
2. Cabinets in laundry room
3. School closet
4. Attic
5. Attic (holiday bins)
6. Under kitchen sink
7. Pantry
8. Filing Cabinet
9. Boy #1 desk
10. Boy #2 desk
11. Boys' closets
12. Closet (mine)
13. Dresser drawers
14. Jewelry cabinet
15. Magazine basket
16. Gardening cabinet
17. Bathroom drawers (mine)
18. Bathroom drawers (boys)
19. Toys
20. Craft bins
21. Garage (shelves)
22. Garage (tools)
23. My car
24. Cookbook drawer
25. Baking tools
26. Vase cupboard
27. Book shelves
28. Pet cabinet
29. Patio
30. Flower Bed