Cleaning House For Good Luck: Resolving to Reduce Clutter and Pare Down

(Photo: SaneSpaces.com)

No, I’m not ready to liquidate and move into a tiny house like B.A. Norrgard (more on her later!), but in 2014 I am taking a stand against the constant clutter that can overtake a home of any size.

It’s somewhat of a tradition in my family (thanks, mom!) to start the New Year off on Day 1 as you wish to live it on Day 365, so on Dec. 31, 2013, I was wiping down baseboards, scrubbing bathtubs, vacuuming and mopping, and dusting everything in sight, hoping that I’d have an effortlessly clean house throughout the year. I wanted New Years Day to set the tone for 2014 — clean, clutterless, and calm.

I only managed to make it halfway there before it was time to pick up Cooper, my 2-year-old son, and snag a few last-minute provisions (a good Prosecco and a Blanc de Noirs). I suppose that means my home will only be halfway clean, clutterless, and calm for the duration of 2014, but that’s still an improvement on 2013.

To help me stay motivated, all three of us are planning to go through our closets and purge at least one thing every month for 2014. And if we buy something new, something old has to go, too. That means that 2014 should end with a lot fewer things cluttering cabinets and shelves. That should help with the excess “stuff” we can’t seem to find a place for.

What are you resolving to do for 2014? Are you planning to pare down? Get organized? Keep a cleaner house?