Declutter to Decorate a Space You Love

It’s difficult to create a living space that you love, says The Décor Fix. The problem is usually “trying to add to your space without first subtracting.” If you’re serious about #decorating, you first have to #declutter. Eliminate any unwanted or unnecessary items — anything that you no longer like or wouldn’t notice missing. Once you get these things out of the way, you should be better able to display the #stuff you do like, giving it an opportunity to shine. You might even feel more calm if you reveal a little bit of white space on your walls and some room on your side tables. #DeclutteringDécor

Store Your Seasonal Décor Items Sensibly

Do you like your home’s décor to match the seasons? You aren’t alone, but all of those time-specific decorative items take up space, whether on #display or in #storage. To head off #clutter, get #organized and save time, sort seasonal décor items into dedicated, labeled storage boxes as you remove them from display suing a “move-out” method, says Apartment Therapy. Remove every item that doesn’t fit the incoming theme and assess whether any items “need repair, replacement or retirement.” #Store the things you plan to #reuse and #donate any lightly used items you no longer need to ClothingDonations.org. #DeclutteringDécor

Declutter Your Decor, One Room at a Time

To #declutter your #décor, take things one room at a time, Nourishing Minimalism suggests. Take every #decorative item down and pile them in the middle of the floor. Briefly examine each to figure out if you actually like it, or if you’re displaying it for some other reason. Sort the things that “spark joy” (as #organizing guru Marie Kondo would say) into one pile, and those that don’t into another. Add items back into the room, starting with your favorites. When you reach the “sweet spot” of just enough/not too much decoration, stop and sort the remaining items into two piles: keep/store/repurpose and #donate. #DeclutteringDécor

Make an Impact on National Give Something Away Day

National Give Something Away Day — celebrated each year on July 15 — was created as a reminder for people to give back. How you choose to give can take multiple forms, but selfless acts are their own reward.

Many people have much more than what’s necessary to survive, but know that there are people in need nearby. National Give Something Away Day encourages us to take stock of the #things and comforts around us and share them with others.

What you give and to whom is entirely up to you. You might give a friend an old #tchotchke they’ve long admired or a bouquet of flowers. You might buy the person behind you in line a coffee or a sandwich. No gift is too small.

You can also choose #donate the gift of time to a local charity or organization by #volunteering. Perhaps there’s a food pantry or outreach organization that could use your help and specialized knowledge.

One fantastic way to celebrate National Give Something Away Day is to #clean out your #closets and other #storage areas to weed out the #stuff you no longer need. If whatever you find is in wearable or working condition, chances are that somebody else can use it.

Start with a single #closet or room. Sort through all of the #clothing, #books, #decorations and other #household items to see what has a place, setting aside anything that doesn’t fit or only creates #clutter. You’ll probably see the piles build up fast!

Put that #junk into #bags and #boxes and contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a #free #donation #pickup. Not only will you be giving something away and reclaiming #space, you’ll be #helping to fund programs that benefit the nation’s #veterans.

You can observe National Give Something Away Day on any day of the year, of course. But its reminder to give is one that yields benefits for everyone involved. #NationalGiveSomethingAwayDay

Helping Mom Sell and Donate Her Best Stuff

Even if she’s sorry to see #things go, there may be some money in it that encourages Mom to #downsize. Help her sell antiques and collectibles to specialized dealers, post bigger-ticket items on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, or stage a #garage sale to earn some extra cash. #Donate any items of historical significance to the area historical society, and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation pickup of any wearable used clothing, furniture, or other household odds and ends. Whatever you do, take it slow with the “maybe” pile, says HomeLight. Make a box for those items revisit them with your parent every couple of weeks so they can process what they really need. #HelpMomDownsize #MothersDay