creative life designs: Spring cleaning {intro}

Spring is always a nice time of year. The snow goes away and the grass starts to turn green. Plus it's a nice time for cleaning and getting your life in order. The "new year's resolution" phase has ended and perhaps your well intended plans of getting organized went out the window. So this is the time to redeem yourself and get your house clean and organized. However, the downfall of spring is, it is no longer okay to run around in "ugg" boots and pretend that its okay because there's snow.

I am the first to admit that my apartment could use some serious spring cleaning. We have been gone so much lately that things just get dropped when we walk in the door and never dealt with. So I plan to do some serious purging and scrubbing in the coming weeks.

The first step in my spring cleaning is DECLUTTERING. Aren't you supposed to do that everyday you ask? Yes, in fact you are. But let's get real here people. We live in our houses, we have busy lives. It doesn't always happen that way. Before you can start scrubbing the grout and kitchen sink, you have to be able to see them! Some of you super awesome people might not have as much decluttering to do as I do, and you wonderful people deserve a cake. I like to tell myself that if I wasn't crammed into a tiny apartment with me, the bf, and the roomie I wouldn't be a messy molly with stuff crammed in every little nook and cranny. But I know my sister would call me out on that one. I would so be like more space = more stuff, game on. But it's my blog post and I'm gonna pretend all I want. You all can pretend too :)
But I digress.
So the decluttering. It needs to have a game plan. Our main goal is to clear all the flat surfaces. All of them! If it's flat clear it off. If it doesn't belong there, put it where it does belong. Throughout the process I plan to use for "piles". Even though I don't intend to have random piles all over, I wouldn't have a floor left. But the four headings should be:

keep

toss/recycle

donate/repurpose

sell

Here's my plan/rules for each of those things.

Keep:

Does it function properly for its intended purpose? (check)

Are we currently or recently using it? (check)

Do I need it? (check)

Does it belong in this room/space? (check)

* If it does not belong in the room it is presently residing in, either A) move it immediately to the proper room or B) add to the "to be relocated basket" (or bin or tub or whatever you are using)

Oh yeah, I didn't mention that yet. I plan to have an interim location for things that are good and I need but need to find a new home. I haven't yet decided what that will be. Maybe a laundry basket, so that I can't just let it sit forever- I will have to do laundry eventually.

Toss/Recycle:

This is simply the things that are broken or garbage. Throw them away. But recycle it if you can. For this project recycle is not the same as repurpose. Recycle literally only means recycle. paper, plastic. glass etc.

Donate/Repurpose:

Things that can be given to a friend, neighbor, relative, or second hand/used store. If its still in good condition but you don't need it, donate it. Plus you will feel better about yourself for a bit too :) And now the repurpose part, use it sparingly. This is not an excuse to go nutso. Clearly I am giving this warning because I can see myself doing it. Oh, I could cover this in fabric and hang it from the....and put....in it....and oh won't it be cute??

Sell:

If you are cool enough to have stuff that other people would buy. Game on. I however, don't think this category will apply to me. With a maximum age of 26 in the apartment and none of us having complete furnishings, I don't think that I will have anything to sell. I will just have ~~crap~~ less than valuable stuff to get rid of. I always wanted to be one of those people that could score awesome stuff on craigslist. but alas, I don't think that will be happening in my smallish town.

PS. I made printables for the occasion. (like I need an excuse) And I am sharing them with you for the rest of the month, so download yours now. I made them very generic and included a blank one so that they can be used for nearly any situation. So lets get our game faces on and get to it!

Snag your printables and get going! I'll be back with updates of how I'm doing along the way.

Happy cleaning!

Click each image for the download link.