Clutter. It’s no one’s friend. I keep a pretty organized, clean home because it helps me feel at peace. If my home is cluttered, my mind becomes cluttered too and stress soon follows. I feel like our friend JoJo says it best:
“Surrounding yourself with neat, clean spaces can reduce stress and anxiety. It can clear your mind so you can focus and relax.” (Joanna Gaines)
That’s absolutely true for me, is it true for you? I don’t think it’s true for 100% of us, especially if you take it to mean that every space has to be clutter free. I think most of us have a few spaces that are clutter catchers. Maybe you have a junk drawer in your kitchen or storage closet that has no rules (and no way in or out, lol).
I believe these spaces are sometimes necessary and as long as they don’t work your nerves on a regular basis they’re just fine left alone. But, and it’s a big but, the moment they start creating stress in your life it’s time to organize them. One of my few cluttered spaces is my linen closet. Prepare yourself:
It started off as a space where we stored our linens, extra pillows and board games. Well, as things so often do, it grew. Our board game collection expanded and not surprisingly, so has my pillow game. This closet didn’t used to bother me. But lately, every time I get out a game or try to stuff a pillow in there I get supremely frustrated.
It’s definitely time for a change!
“Clutter is stuck energy. The word clutter derives from the middle English word ‘clotter’ which means to coagulate – and that’s about as stuck as you can get.” (Karen Kingston)
I plan on cleaning out this closet and re-organizing this week, just in time for our neighborhood garage sale. I’ll share my updated space with you guys soon after, along with my top 5 tips for spring cleaning.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a great resource to help you stay organized check out my friend Melissa’s book Simple Organizing. Melissa is a New York Times Bestselling Author and the face behind The Inspired Room, one of the most popular home blogs out there.
I received a copy of this book a few weeks ago and it’s one of the most helpful books I’ve ever read. Like all of Melissa’s books it offers realistic advice on how to make your home into a haven and doesn’t harp on making things perfect, but instead taking action in simple ways to make your home serve your needs.
If you’d like to win a copy of this book leave me a comment below! Tell me which space in your home you need to de-clutter most and you’ll be entered to win.
You can also head to the main page for Melissa’s Clear the Clutter Tour to see all the other home bloggers who are on a mission to declutter for spring and enter to win a $250 Container Store giveaway!
I hope y’all had a lovely Easter and I can’t wait to update you on this crazy linen closet of mine. Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo,
Hayley
The office, my paperwork is out of control!
That is such a hard space to control!
My kitchen counter seems to be the area frequently referred to as the drop zone. Mail, purses, sore throat spray, and occasionally even jackets wind up there. It’s so pretty when it’s clean (ie someone is coming over and I through everything in a grocery bag and put it in the laundry room).
I totally understand! Try to find an alternate space to drop the large items and for the small ones, find a cute, organized caddy with a handle (they have some at Target). We have one that we drop our receipts, chargers, hair bands, etc into and then when we want to hide it away we put it in the laundry room. Find one with a handle!
I need to declutter my bedroom.
Our entryway closet could use some serious help. Since we moved into our home 6 months ago, it’s become a catch all for art for the walls, tools for renos and for hanging said art, our kids craft bin, and all the things that should really go in closets but there’s no room in this one. I need to tackle it so we can have guests over and hang their coats up without embarrassment.
The entryway can be such a hard space to wrangle, but it’s definitely a priority so you can create that first impression for you and for your guests. Find some cute, large baskets and hooks that you love to hang on the wall!
Your tool comment made me laugh because since moving into our home 2 years ago (yes, 2!) our tools are currently either in our office/den or master bedroom! Cuz, you know, you never know when you’ll need a hammer and level in the master bedroom. I blame the unfinished basement and laundry room. Now that those are almost done, hopefully the tools will find their way from my bedroom floor to a more proper location 🙂
Oh – a small kitchen counter next to the fridge collects WAY too much “stuff”. But the extra bedroom needs help. Much help. Thank you for the opportunity!
I have an armoire with shelves that I put all imp. mail in–i.e. bank statements, tax stuff etc. Lately I’ve just been stuffing things in there to take a look at later. Well, later is here. Time to give this cabinet an overhaul!
My guest room closet. Everything we do not have a home for ends up there.
I have a throw pillow and blanket closet that looks very much like yours! Yikes!
Thank you so much for sharing your clutter confession, you’re too cute!! LOVE IT! I RELATE!!! And thanks for joining the tour, so appreciate you friend! xoxo
The basement is where my mess is!! Everything seems to go down there!!
We have a catch all closet in our family room. I shudder to open it anymore! Definitely need to make that a priority this spring!
My office is messy right now. I’ve been clearing out other spots and the office is the catch-all spot. I also have lots of files which need to be reviewed and then shredded. Someday!
Kid rooms and playroom!
My jewelry!! It is always a disaster area and I can never find the pieces I’m looking for!
The impossible room to declutter is my 11 yr old son’s room – everything has sentimental value to him!
Definitely need to de-clutter my closet!
My craft room table and the garage where everything gets dumped.
The cabinets and table drawers in our great room are cluttered since we moved into our house about 9 months ago. all the music, electronic equipment, movies and photo albums got crammed in there along with photos, coasters and small hardware and tools. It didn’t occur to me the movers would turn the tables upside down so I didn’t empty those drawers when I packed. I ordered new exercise DVDs after the move and the player still hasn’t been hooked up. I’ve gained 5 lbs and I blame my husband!
Right now the area I most need to declutter (there are several 😬) is our laundry area. Thankfully, I’m on top of the laundry, but I have a pile of bins that I need to unpack/purge and laundry/cleaning supplies that need to be organized on the shelf in there.
As someone who shares the same name (and spelling) as you I’m delighted to have found this blog! I am a self-professed organization freak but the area I struggle with the most is shoes! I have tried mutilple systems over multiple years and continue to struggle with the efficiency while also maintaining some semblance of beauty or structure to my families shoes!
I’d love to declutter my bedroom! It’s like the dumping ground for mail, laundry, kids leave their toys, the to – do stacks, etc.
The laundry room!
I have a sewing cupboard or two or three like your closet. Plus my decorator pillows are taking over my hall closet. I need to tackle these areas too.
My books! They are scattered on different shelves, in piles and on nightstands in several rooms. I often can’t locate a book I know I have or I buy a book I already own.
It ( generally ) isn’t me…its who I live with. He has sooooo many collections. I try and keep them tidy and even rotate ” stock” but it is a never-ending battle.
My husband’s “office” which is in our multipurpose sunroom.🤮
hi Hayley–
I wish I were more like you!!! But I am having small, regular victories in the battle against clutter. I am targeting my bathroom and kitchen, cleaning out cupboards, closets, etc. But there are areas all over my house that need major attention! I do have to say that I LOVE decluttering once I start , especially the finished product! But I need to learn to maintain that order and beauty that I know I can create!
I also have a pillow closet that has also exploded into a wrapping paper “necessities” and seasonal decor catch-all. Heeeelp!!
My guest room is filled with stuff right now. Such a convenient place to drop all the things! We are redoing my husbands office and it has spilled over into our storeroom and guest room. Time to sell and give away stuff.
Flat spaces are like magnets for clutter in our house!
I need to clean up my closet! It is home to clothes and files (and papers waiting to be filed!).
My laundry room/ misc. junk room and my bedroom closet. 🙁
When my son moved out his bedroom became a place to “store” things. It’s now so cluttered I don’t know where to begin.
The master bedroom! Everything that doesn’t have a “spot” goes there!
Oh, so many clutter spots in my home, where to start. The pile that ends up on the end of the kitchen island, the pile of bills by the computer, the pile of magazines and mail on top of the dryer, the drop spot in the master bedroom for all the misc. stuff. But, the bathrooms, living room and dining room are clean and clutter free.
Hi, I am living between two homes… My craft room is a mess, in my home. Where my spouse lives, it is the dining room, where everything seems to find a home!
Merci, Cindi
The floor of my bedroom! I live in a one bedroom condo, so it’s easy to throw things in there and close the door when I have people over. But then there’s stuff everywhere!
my laundry room
I love how real your closet is! I have some spaces that definitely need some spring cleaning attention. it’s mostly a little area in almost each room that could use some declutter and refresh. I’ll start one place at a time and by summer I’ll be enjoying the rewards and relaxation!
Craft Closet in Need of Salvation. Me at the store: “I don’t need more supplies. I don’t have anywhere to put this if I buy it!” Answering myself: “Right, but it’s on SALE, and you’ll FIND a place!” I DO find a place – right on top of all the OTHER stuff I don’t have room for! Eek!
The bedroom closets of my home
Those darn closets! Thanks for the motivation to tackle my hall closet.
Put those pillows in a vacuum bag! They’ll take up less space, and not collect dust.
Thank you for making me laugh out loud when I got to your closet photo! I am new to your blog and already I enjoy your “keeping it real” attitude. My basement is the dark hole at our house. Everything gets sent down there to live! I am sure the stuff triples when we go back upstairs!
I have three closets in my house that are stuffed to the ceiling also!
Right now, the area that needs decluttered most is my sewing room!
I need to de-clutter my junk drawers and closets!!