Moms are also Homemakers

Did you know that I have close to 30,000 items in my home? No, I'm not a hoarder and yes, I do spend several days each year counting everything. My husband and I didn't start out with 30,000 items. As we had our first kid, we added a few hundred items here and there. She had clothes, toys, and eventually all of the school projects(and schoolwork pages) she so desperately wants to keep. With each kid, we added more and more to our home's collection. This is why a big part of being a mom is being a homemaker.  

As a homemaker, I spent a lot of time decluttering and getting rid of things. This last year alone, I got rid of 2,000 things by donating, selling or throwing them away. There is still plenty more I could get rid of. As I get rid of things, I spend less time cleaning during the week. I have more time to do things I want, when I have less to manage. 

Where do you start though? I ask myself a question: if this item hasn't been used in a year and it won't be used this year, should I keep it? One of the things I got rid of this year was a climbing gym for my kids. I don't have a backyard, so it had to be played inside. It would take up most of my kids' room and I would always be nervous about my toddler climbing on it. It brought extra stress to my home and became difficult to lift when I was pregnant, so we said goodbye to it. 

The more I declutter, the more my mind feels less cluttered. My kids have less toys to play with, which is a good thing. Instead of playing “toy mountain”(which can take two hours to clean up), they play with a couple of toys. It is one of the things that has improved their behavior, in addition to mine. Decluttering never ends, but you do reach a point where it becomes more manageable.

Need to get out of the house now? Check out this blog for tips on getting out of the house with a baby!