More Than Mary Tumblr, 5 Tips for Spring Cleaning

5 Tips for Spring Cleaning

I’m not an expert on this topic, but as a gypsy I can tell you how nice it is to not be bogged down with sh—- stuff I really don’t need.

As you have seen, recently I’ve been doing some major cleansing. This process involves more wine than green juice, which makes it more tolerable.

Now that I’m done, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Here’s what I did:

THROW AWAY THE CRAP

I’m sentimental and would love to keep every ticket stub, every matchbook, every love letter, every clipped toe nail. Obviously that’s not practical. So when I look at something I ask myself, “Will I look at this again if I store it?” or “Can I somehow store something with the same nostalgia online - a picture, video, or even picture of the object under scrutiny?” If I answer “Yes” to question 1, I keep it. A “Yes” to question 2 means I’m tossing the item.

SCRAPBOOKING

Online picture galleries are the best way to store memories, but if you want tangible objects like me, then you should create books NOT boxes to house the collection. In all honesty, I haven’t actually made the books yet, but I have organized everything I want to put in them.

ARCHIVE PHOTOS AND DOCUMENTS

Your computer can get just as cluttered and bogged down as your physical space. Open a Dropbox account and keep all of your documents and photos there. Small accounts are free and bigger ones have yearly fees that are worth keeping your priceless documents and memories safe.

In my Dropbox I created folders and organized - old school filing - simple as that.

CLOTHES MUST GO

There is always stuff in your closet you can get rid of. Evaluate each piece honestly, and if you have to think too long, toss it! Or sell it. Click here to see how different avenues of sales went for me. Anything totally worn, donate.

GET STYLISH STORAGE

The things you want to keep handy but get out of sight, find cute ways to store them. My favorite method is antique luggage. The pieces I found above at a flea market were PRICEY because they’re leather and in such good condition. But I found my three big pieces at thrift stores for decent prices. This way you’re simplifying and dressing up your space with one purchase. Maybe antiques aren’t your thing. Go for big, bold-colored metal boxes and stack them in a corner. Keep your eyes open when you’re shopping and be creative!

Original Article

May 18, 2011

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