If you're just getting started: Go here >> to learn what Simplifying Home is all about and download the free 8-week checklist.
Don't get too hung up on checking every item off for every week. Just do the best you can with your time in this season, and you will still reap the benefits of more simplicity, intentionality and contentment in your home and your life.
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Simplifying Home | Week 8: Wrapping Up
Final Purge
Do one more intentional purge for the last week of this challenge. If there is a closet or drawer or another problem area that you really hope to address--do it now.Empty Outbox
We emptied the outbox in Week 4, now it's time to do it again. Sell items online, drop them off at a secondhand store, give them to a friend or put them in the trash--whatever is appropriate. Just let them go and enjoy the freedom that follows.Need ideas of where you could possibly get rid of more? Check out 13 Items You Probably Own Too Many Of from Apartment Therapy.
Hopefully the outbox and a useful entryway filter will become a permanent part of your home. There are also other systems you could implement to keep your home simplified. For example, the one-in, one-out rule. Where for anything brought into your home (new shirt, a book, containers for the kitchen), something will leave.
We're always bringing things into our home, and we need to be sure just as much is taken out. If we can get this to balance a bit--by reducing the amount we bring in and continually finding things to take out--then we can likely stay on top of the clutter issue and not find ourselves overtaken by our belongings.
The Joy of Less by Francine Jay is an excellent resource for thinking more about guidelines you could use for continued upkeep in your home.
Cleaning Routine
Hopefully by now you've gotten into at least a minimal weekly cleaning routine. Depending on your available time and energy, this might be a short timed effort or a task list. It matters most that it works for you.If you're busy, get into the cleaning mindset by considering these 5 Chores You Should Never Skip and 5 Chores You Can Skip from Apartment Therapy.
Overachiever
Seasonal Cleaning
For one last dose of seasonal cleaning, wipe down remaining baseboards, fans, or other dusty and neglected surfaces. Especially pay attention to areas that are visible or could get blown around (like on the fan).Repairs/Improvements
Wrap up whatever small tasks you can complete for your repair list. Also take a moment to add to it anything that you've noticed over the last week. Keep this list handy as an ongoing way to manage upkeep of your home. Depending on if you own or what kind of "repairs" you have in mind, you might even keep two columns on the list--quick/cheap repairs, larger/pricier repairs.This is a running tally of the upkeep of your home--a list that may never be fully completed, and that's okay. Work on them when you have time and money to do so.
Home Binder
In addition to the Simplifying Home checklist, you might also have papers like a repairs/improvements list (week 1), a home shopping/wish list (week 2), and a weekly cleaning routine (week 6). Start a binder for the home to collect these for ongoing upkeep. Throw in some page protectors and you can also add graph paper to play with room layout (week 1), collect favorite images from your style board (week 2), or fabric swatches and paint samples for each room.Invite Someone
Invite someone over and share your new, improved simplified home with others! Share a meal, host a game night, or have a casual chat while the kids play. If they're close friends, you could even show them some of the closets or spaces you've organized and share your successes with someone that can celebrate with you. Even if they're not so close, extend the invitation with confidence knowing you've done your best to intentionally simplify your home. Your contentment in your space will shine.Your Home Project
Spend some time this week focusing on your own top home tasks. These will likely matter more to you than the Simplifying Home list, so give them the attention they deserve.>>>
also read:
simplifying home: 8-week checklist
week 1: setting up + entryway
monthly dose of simple
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