9 Fun Ways to Create a Happy Home: The Clean Out Quarter Revisited

Summer is here woohoo!!, and to celebrate, I am running a month long series 9 Fun Ways to Create a Happy Home. Each Tuesday and Thursday for the month of December I will be sharing just one activity per post that you can do (with the people you love) to make your home a happier one. Yay!!

Today I wanted to start with revisiting one of the first mini makeover’s I ever did on this blog: The Clean Out Quarter. Okay, it may not be the most super fun to begin with, but it’s a great one for creating a happy home, I promise!  The Clean Out Quarter idea is simple. It’s all about giving the things you love ‘a home’ within your home and also about letting the things you don’t love go. Now is really the perfect time to start with all the new things that come into our homes at Christmas time, it would be great to have a purge to make some space for them. If you’ve done this before, it might be quick, but even if it’s the first time, it doesn’t have to be daunting, there are ways to make it more fun.

To get started, choose just one room that you’re going to organise and clear a space in the middle of your living room. Put everything from the room you’re organising on the floor in your living room. I haven’t lost my mind, I promise! Make sure you have your mini makeover essentials and then proceed. If you’re worried about decluttering as you’re a sentimental person, have a quick read of this first.

Make 4 separate piles:

1. To Keep – (two sub piles: need and love) These are the things you need and the things you love.
2. To bin/recycle – anything that is broken, anything that you haven’t used in 2 years and don’t plan on using anytime soon (people will say one year, but some things are used but only on a special occasion), anything that where the expiry date has passed, and even anything that has so much dust that you can’t work out what it is (special mementos and expensive wine excluded – though dusting them now might be a good idea)
3. To donate/give away – If the items are still in great condition and you just don’t want them anymore donate them to a charity or offer them to family or friends who may just be looking for that item. Especially if it’s a family item that you’ve been given, sometimes other family members may love to make it part of their home. Please don’t donate broken or stained things, they go in the bin pile.
4. Unsure – If you’re sentimental, like me, this pile may have a few things in it. Once you’ve put everything from your chosen room into the three other piles, take another look at this pile and see if you can re-sort through this into the other 3. If they are really sentimental, think about if you have a safe way that you can store them for another time and add them to pile 1. Try to think of how much you’d miss it if it was really gone for good, if it’s easily replaceable and you’re lukewarm maybe it’s meant for pile 3.

Now comes the fun part: Putting it back! Only pile one goes back into the room it originally came from. Take the time to work out where you want to put things. If you’re moving furniture about think about doing a floor plan or a flow map. Put the things you use most often within easy reach and the things that you don’t further back. You don’t have to put things back in the same place they originally were. Now is a great time to mix things up.

If you have children, depending on their age, you could get them involved in sorting through the toys that they love and still use, and tell them about how other children who don’t have toys could benefit from them. Note: you know your own children and how they will react to this, so if being stealthy is what you prefer, that’s cool too.

After you’ve put everything back that you need and love, take pile two out to the bin and recycling so that they are out of your house. Then it’s time to organise pile three – take them to the charity of your choice (or arrange a pick up, if they offer that), and be sure to actually deliver the things you’re giving away so that they don’t end up living in your living room for months on end. I’m sure this happens to other people, and not just me!

Tackle only one room at a time and give yourself a treat or a break after each one. Make sure that you have your favourite tunes going whilst you’re completing it. It will make it so much better, as will a well fed and hydrated you! Once you’ve done all the rooms, pat yourself on the back because you’re awesome! And take some time to just relax into your newly cleaned out space before the rush of the holiday season is in full swing!

Have you tried this before? How did it work out? What’s your favourite way of keeping on top of all the new stuff in your home? I’d love to hear, tell me in the comments!

If you do try this, I’d love to see a photo or hear about how it went! Tweet me your pics at: @danniellecresp or instagram me at: @dannielle with the hashtag: #9funwaystocreateahappyhome