The hustle and bustle of the winter holidays are finally over. You are probably sitting down and are finally catching your breath from the whirlwind of the past couple of months. Suddenly, you notice the toys overflowing onto your living room floor and the dresser drawers busting at the seams with clothes.
Too. Much. Stuff.
How to begin to combat the “too much stuff” issue?
Spring cleaning.
Yes, you read that right, I said SPRING cleaning. Even with feet of snow on the ground, you can start getting your house clean and organized. That way once it is finally nice outside, you won’t need to worry about the inside of your home.
Where to Begin Spring Cleaning
First choose a room to start with. Cleaning room by room helps contain the chaos to that area instead of tearing your whole house apart. For example, if I start with my bedroom I am going to focus on the areas that I don’t clean all the time (i.e. floorboards, steam clean carpets, go through closet, etc.).
Time is on Your Side
There is nothing worse than starting a big project and then succumbing to a time limit. Give yourself the time that allows for you to thoroughly clean out that area of your home. If you get into a time crunch, you will just start rushing and end up regretting it later. Have the husband or sitter take the kids for a while, crank up some music and start cleaning!
Keep or Toss?
This is probably one of the hardest parts of spring cleaning, in my opinion. Between clothes, toys, home decor, and other clutter, it gets to be overwhelming. My rules of thumb for keeping something is:
1. Have I used it in the last year?
2. Does it have sentimental value?
Now, that probably sounds easier said than done.
Going through clothes is always hard for me because I always think I will wear certain clothes at some point, but in all honesty, I probably won’t. I start by making three piles: keep, donate and throw. The I keep clothes I know I wear. I throw clothes that may be stained, holey, or just in overall rough shape. When I decide to donate, it is usually clothes that I just don’t wear but are still in new to gently used condition.
Toys
The overwhelming job of going through toys is not for the faint of heart. So I grab some bags and my kids (yes, even my kids) and once again make keep, donate and throw piles. I keep the toys that my kids play with on a daily basis, use the throw pile for toys that are broken, and use the donate pile for toys or stuffed animals that are gently used or in new condition. I think it is important for the kids to help; that way they are not asking what happened to a toy later on.
Where to Donate
Here are some of the places around town that will accept new or gently-used donations (Click on the name to see what donations they accept):
DISCLAIMER: You may want to call ahead and what items an organization is accepting at this time.
Arc Attic Treasures
3201 43rd St S *or* 255 N University Dr
Fargo, ND 58104 Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 364-9762 (701) 232-6641
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
619 13th Ave E *or* 1601 32nd Ave S
West Fargo, ND 58078 Fargo, ND 58103
(701) 356-5152 (701) 297-4166
1001 4th Ave *or* 7151 15th St. S
Fargo, ND 58102 Fargo, ND 58104
(701) 280-2371 (701) 237-3123
Dorothy Day House/Churches United for the Homeless
714 8th St S,
Moorhead, MN 56560
(218) 233-5763
Goodwill Stores
1525 32nd Ave S *or* 4325 13th Ave S
Fargo, ND 58103 Fargo, ND 58103
(701) 566-8511 (701) 373-8393
Heirlooms Thrift & Gift
3120 25th Street South
Fargo, ND 58103
(701) 356-2670
New Life Center
221 19th Street N
Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 235-4453
Savers
1623 38th Street South
Fargo, ND 58103
(701) 277-1447
St. Francis Thrift Store
1425 1st Ave S
Fargo, ND 58102
(701) 235-5944
YWCA
Can be dropped off at Savers. If you’d like to give other items, see the list of the YWCA’s urgent needs. Call (701) 232-3449.
Donation Pick Up May be an Option!
Have big items that you can’t transport? Many of these places will do furniture pick-up at your house for free; all you need to do is call and get it scheduled! We have personally had New Life Center and St. Francis pick-up some items from our home and they were very professional and the whole process went smoothly.
Good luck on the spring cleaning, mama!
Looking for tips on shopping smarter to reduce the clutter brought into your home? Check out our article on shopping smarter (and greener)!