Last month saw the third annual Minimalism in March challenge with a Life on a Dime. Did you participate? I hope you were pleased with the result of all your efforts. This post serves as the official Minimalism in March recap of our success at home this year.
The only assignment for the challenge this year was to declutter. Frugal Friends of the blog received more info on minimalism and mini-challenges in the weekly newsletter. If you’re not a Frugal Friend be sure to subscribe!
2022 MINIMALISM IN MARCH RECAP
So what did we manage to declutter at our house? A lot! And we didn’t stop at the end of the month either. Our first declutter round resulted in a paper shopping bag with a few odds and ends to donate as well as a tall kitchen-sized trash bag full of hand-me-downs to pass on to my best friend’s younger kids. As a bonus we got a lunch date to catch up.
HAND ME DOWN ITEMS DECLUTTERED IN ROUND ONE:
- 2 pairs of pajamas
- 2 pairs of sweatpants
- 5 pairs of khaki style pants
- 1 pair of leggings
- 1 pair of jeans
- 5 t-shirts
- 2 long-sleeved t-shirts
- 1 pair of overalls
- 3 leotards
- 1 winter hat
- 2 flannel button-down shirts
- 6 pairs of shorts
- 1 jumbo bag of mega bloks
- 1 barn set with farm animals
Whenever I declutter the kids’ rooms I make sure to go through their paperwork and art supplies. They tend to hoard every piece of paper from church or school for as long as possible.
Every once in a while I have to pull it all out, organize it, and determine what needs to be scanned, saved, what’s recyclable, and what’s trash. That in itself is usually a project.
And I continued to pull out individual items as I did laundry and cleaned around the house. These items just accumulated in the laundry room throughout the month.
BUT THE DECLUTTERING DIDN’T END WITH MARCH!
I even managed to get the kids involved and went through ALL their books then did a thorough clean and declutter of their bedrooms. It was also time to rearrange our daughter’s closet; she has two tiers of hanging rods and can only reach the bottom. Twice a year I switch things around so she has easy access to that season’s church dresses and nicer outfits on the bottom rack.
While we were at it I went through each drawer and pulled out all clothing items she no longer wanted or that would not fit properly next fall and winter. She also went through her toys and ended up with two tall kitchen-sized trash bags of random things to donate that were still in good condition.
We even went through coloring books and notebooks. Once pages are mostly filled I simply tear out the blank pages, keep them in the box, and recycle the used pages.
HAND ME DOWN AND DONATE ITEMS DECLUTTERED IN ROUND TWO:
- 10 fancy dresses
- 8 t-shirts
- 3 pullovers
- 3 pairs of jeans
- 1 skort
- 10 long-sleeved t-shirts
- 1 pair of sweatpants
- 3 flannel button-down shirts
- 1 blouse
- 3 tank tops
- 76 children’s books in great condition
- twin sized Minnie Mouse comforter
- barnyard figurine set
- pet vet set
- miscellaneous dress-up items
- plastic car hauler set
- toddler puzzle with animal sounds
- alphabet magnetic puzzle
- yeti in my spaghetti
- some littlest pet shop odds and ends
- miscellaneous barbies and accessories
- baby doll clothes
- random wacky pack toys
- miscellaneous home decor items
The best part of a good declutter and clean is how nice and organized it leaves a room. I even rearranged our little man’s room. One solid wood toybox will be posted for sale online shortly.
All in all, I would say that 2022 Minimalism in March (and April) was a success at our house! It even helped get a jump start on Spring cleaning.
The nice thing about a good declutter is that it inspires you to keep up the progress! So here’s to more decluttering in the future, fewer things brought in going forward, and an easier time Spring cleaning because of it! I’ll see you in the next post. Stay frugal my friends!