9 THINGS YOU SHOULD DECLUTTER in September (🍂 now that autumn is here) | decluttering + minimalism

Well, my friend, judging by the Halloween decorations popping up all over the place, I guess that summer is officially over. And I have to say, between the vacations and the fireworks and all of the fantastic food we ate, this past summer was one of the best we've ever had. But if your family is anything like mine, the end of summer doesn't just leave behind sweet memories and super dark tan lines. It can also leave behind a lot of clutter, which means that right now is the perfect time to do a little mini reset of our home as summer turns into fall to let go of all of the things that no longer serve us. Hi there, friends, and welcome or welcome back to my channel. My name is Marissa, and this is Eighths in Life, where I share all of the best tips and ideas to help you simplify your way to a home and a life you love. So if any of that sounds like your vibe, be sure and give this video a like and subscribe to my channel if you haven't already. And in today's video, I'm sharing nine things that minimalists like me throw away at the end of summer so that we can step into the new season feeling lighter, calmer, and more intentional. So grab your trash bag and donation boxes, and let's head into the first decluttering zone I want to tackle with you in my home, which is the cabinet in our main bathroom, where we're going to declutter any expired sunscreen or bug spray I can find there. Jeez Louise, speaking of Halloween, I feel like the light in here looks super green. I mean, I guess we could change the name of my channel to decluttering with Elphaba for Pete's sake. I guess it's because we have so many trees right outside the window and the light is coming in very green, so apologize for that. So like I said, what we're going to be working on in decluttering in this cabinet is any expired sunscreen or bug spray or any of these kind of specialty summer products. And if you're anything like me, you used to hoard beauty products and things like skincare products because you didn't want to waste them. But what I didn't realize for a long time is that sunscreen actually has an expiration date, and if you're using the sunscreen beyond its expiration date, it's actually getting less and less effective. So I found this out when I had a friend go down to Florida with her family and they were slathering on sunscreen the entire time, but yet they still got terrible burns. And what she realized later was that it was because the sunscreen was like two years out of date. Okay, so getting into this cabinet, you can see we don't have a whole lot of stuff underneath here, so I'm just going to pull out this drawer and we've got most of our stuff that we share with our kids down here, like extra toothbrushes, extra toothpaste, some floss, like nasal spray, but then here are a lot of sunscreens. And something else that I want to point out is having certain conditions or needing certain kinds of skincare can actually make you accumulate too much stuff. So for example, my kids have eczema and we had to try a bunch of different sunscreens to try to find something that wouldn't disagree with their skin because they were getting tons of tiny little bumps all over their skin. And so we were buying a bunch of different things to try. And in the end, the thing that still works best is this brand that we can only get in Germany. So the expiration date on this one was June of this year. The expiration date on this one was February of this year. And the expiration date on this one was April of this year. So all three of these are no longer good. Some of these were not cheap. Like this was pretty expensive. This baby Ganix was pretty expensive. But despite the cost, there's no point in keeping sunscreen that literally is expired and does not work for our skin. So I'm going to go ahead and trash these things. One problem I will say that I have since becoming a minimalist is sometimes you just have too much space. So if I put this, you know, you can see that this is going to fall over because there's just too much space in here. So we're just going to take my nice little mustache wax strips and try to kind of put them so that this stuff doesn't fall over. There we go. There we go. Now, now everything can stay in place. Another thing that minimalists like to declutter at the end of summer are old bathing suits or any swim gear or accessories that you might have that either is too worn out or maybe doesn't fit your body anymore. I myself recently decluttered an old orange bikini because it had gotten kind of crusty and worn out and wasn't fitting my body as well anymore. And the back closure was no longer working so well. So I was constantly in danger of having a wardrobe malfunction. So recently when I was checking in with my sons about their swim stuff, I realized that they had outgrown some of their swim trunks and swim shirts. So these shorts no longer fit Didi and Didi did not want these shorts, although usually he likes being passed down things from his big brother. He didn't like the style of these. And then another thing that I actually feel a little bit sad about decluttering is this little swim shirt because I bought this years ago for my oldest son and he wore it. It was huge on him. It was like a, almost like a dress and I would roll up the sleeves and he wore it for a long time. And then he passed it on to his brother who wore it for a long time. And it's got tons of stains on it. I think these are from like popsicles that we had out by the pool or ice cream or something. And it's gotten super worn out to the point where the threads were coming off of it and whatnot. But we've still kept using it until this past summer. Didi says that it's getting a little too tight on him. Even though I'm feeling a little bit emotional about it, I'm going to do what I always do when I'm feeling emotional about letting go of something. And I'm going to thank you for its years and years of wonderful service to our family and say goodbye. And if you also struggle with decluttering sentimental things like mementos from family members or your kid's old clothes, be sure and go check out this video about how to declutter sentimental items that I will link up here for you. Speaking of kids outgrowing things, the next decluttering category on this list is any shoes that are too broken or worn out and that needed to be replaced but maybe you've kind of left hanging around. Or maybe like me, you still have the boxes hanging around in your front entryway or closet or somewhere else in your home. Because you wanted to make sure that they fit your kid's feet and that they were going to be comfortable enough. And so you've left that sitting around for a while. But if you're like me and that was you and now your kids are back in school and you know that their shoes are fitting and everything is fine, then we can declutter these. And then I also need to declutter the shoes that we replaced when we bought those shoes. And let me show just how bad of condition these shoes are in. So these two pairs of shoes belong to Guga and these two pairs of shoes belong to Didi. And as you can see, these shoes have just been totally destroyed. There's holes everywhere. The stuffing is coming out of this pair. And this pair is in a little bit better shape but still holes on the side and super worn out. Guga's were in a little bit better condition. He did have holes in this pair of shoes but this pair is in a little bit better condition. So I'm going to try to clean this pair up enough so that it can actually find a new home. But as for these three pairs of shoes, these just need to be trashed. And keep in mind, this doesn't just apply to kids shoes. It could also apply to things like flip-flops that you broke or maybe shoes that are so uncomfortable that they cut your feet when you wear them. Take a look around your home and see if there are any shoes that you don't want to carry with you into the next season. Next up we have clutter related to the fall and winter holidays. What was that Skelly Gaga? Right now is a great time to get rid of unwanted clutter related to the fall and winter seasons and holidays? Such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas? You don't say. I know that a lot of people like to get rid of seasonal and holiday stuff once that season and holiday are over. But if you think about it, it's actually better to do the opposite. Because people typically don't like to buy holiday and seasonal stuff after the holidays. They want to buy it before as they're getting ready for that holiday. So that makes it a great time for you to declutter things like old Halloween costumes or fall and winter wreaths or decorations. Because people are gearing up to decorate and celebrate those holidays, making it a great time for you to give, donate or sell your clutter. And speaking of which, if you love decluttering tips or you want to know more about how to turn your unwanted clutter into cash, be sure and sign up for your free ticket to the Get Organized HQ virtual conference that I've linked down below. Because you'll get to watch fun classes about things like decluttering, organizing, meal planning and budgeting from over a hundred experts, including me. And I'm going to be doing a class that's called Decluttering Has Saved Me Thousands. And in that class, I'm going to be talking about all the ways that decluttering has both helped me save and make more money. Which I feel like is more important than ever with the way that the cost of living is going nowadays. Like I said, this event is totally free and it's the hottest organizing event of the year. So be sure and grab your free ticket using my special link down in the description box or pinned comment down below. I hope to see you there. Now on to the fifth decluttering category on this list, which is unwanted cool and outdoor toy clutter. You know, when I hold these like this, it makes me want to say, say hello to my little friend. Comment below if you know what video I'm talking about. Anyway, we got these squirt guns for the boys last summer, but they're already broken. And when we were purchasing them, I actually told the boys, I didn't think it was a good idea for us to get these in particular because they are battery powered and I've never had a good experience with battery powered squirt guns, but they were insistent that these were the ones that they wanted. So we went ahead and tried it. And of course they broke. So now they've been sitting around broken in our lower level. And not only have these been sitting down here, but I also have been keeping the boxes to them as well as the box to a Nerf gun that I got my son ages ago. I always hear people talk about how having a basement or a garage really encourages the accumulation of clutter. And now that I have those things, I can totally see how that happens. The sixth category on this list is your summer wardrobe and accessories. And I recently did a declutter of my own wardrobe and talked about the kinds of clothes that I was getting rid of. So I'll be sure to link that video up here for you, as well as down in the description box below in case you're interested in checking that out. But I did need to go through my boys clothes because like I said, they were outgrowing their shoes. And of course that meant they were out growing their clothes as well. So as you can see here, I have four pairs of shorts. I think one pair is from Guga and then a matching pair for DD. And then he has two more pairs of shorts that are too small for him. And this pair of shorts is also super emotional for me to let go of because not only did these shorts belong to DD and before him to Guga, but they were actually passed down to my kids from my husband's older sister, whose son wore these. And mind you, he's now in his twenties. So like I said, this is a little bit emotional for me to let go of, but then I also know that I don't need to hold onto these shorts or pass them down to anyone else because DD is now the youngest member in our family and therefore we don't have anyone to pass them on to. So I am probably going to be donating these and letting them move on to a new family who will hopefully enjoy them just as much as all of us have. Wow, we've already got quite a bit of stuff to trash, give or donate today. So let's see what else we can find. I'm actually just going to go and put my hair back first. It always gets progressively flatter and flatter every time I declutter and I'm tired of looking at the flatness. Let's go do that and then I'll see you in the next category. Decluttering refrigerator and pantry clutter is another great way to close out summer and move into fall. And I know as far as us, we have some stuff in here that we need to get rid of. Right off the bat, we have some clear Pedialyte here that we have left over when one of our family members had some digestive issues that even necessitated an ER visit, which was fantastic. And they recommended clear Pedialyte. But once we got out of the woods with that issue, no one wants to finish this because honestly, it's nasty. So we're going to go ahead and get rid of this. And then up here, we also have some strawberry Philadelphia cream cheese that no one wants to eat. So I'm going to get rid of this. Oh, and look at this. It actually supposedly expired in April. So that's fantastic. Luckily, I did recently do a declutter challenge where I was trying to get rid of 500 things and I got rid of a decent amount of stuff in my refrigerator and pantry. So there wasn't much left. But I know sometimes it's a struggle to get rid of kitchen and pantry clutter. It might even feel like you're pouring money down the drain, letting it go. But I always find it helpful to remind myself that the money is already spent and gone. And it's more of a waste when we keep stuff we don't want or use than it is to declutter it. And then I also like to go through and see if there are any spices or ingredients that are left over from summer, especially related to like barbecuing that maybe we didn't really like and we want to get rid of. So I know right off the There was some spice that I bought not even this summer. It was last summer and we haven't used it since last summer. So I am going to go ahead and get rid of this. Number eight on this list is summer fantasy self clutter. And we're going to make some lemonade together while we talk about this. If you're not familiar with this concept, fantasy self clutter refers to those items we because they represent an aspirational version of ourselves. And I think the author of The Joy of Less hit the nail on the head when she wrote, sometimes our fantasy selves are meant to impress others. Sometimes they're relics of our past. Sometimes they're fantasies about our future. So if you've ever heard someone raving about all the stuff they're buying to have a hot girl summer, Yep, that's a fantasy self. And the reason I wanted to make lemonade with you while talking about this is because I almost fell into the fantasy self trap during our vacation in Florida. So while we were on vacation, I spotted an ocean blue open mouth fish pitcher that I just knew would look perfect in our kitchen. And I started to dream about redecorating my entire house like a coastal cottage. But then I snapped myself out of the fantasy by reminding myself that I'm already content with the house and decor that I have. And when it came to the fish pitcher, I don't even like open mouth pitchers due to the risk of contamination or spillage. And then I already have a pitcher that I adore, which means that I don't need a new one. So circling back to the topic of decluttering, take a look around your home and see what kind of summer fantasy self clutter you have lying around such as slushy or ice cream machines that you never use. Rusty barbecue grills or marshmallow roasting kits or fishing gear that's been collecting dust for the past 10 years and let go of anything that the reality version of you doesn't love or use. And finally, the last clutter category on this list is garage, shed and gardening clutter. So in this clutter category, all you have to do is go through your garage or shed. Oh my gosh, helicopters and cicadas. Let's try that again. So go through those areas and see if there's anything that's broken or worn out or used up or that's gotten moldy or mildewy and is no longer in good enough condition that you are wanting to keep using, but maybe you've been putting it off. So one thing that I know that we have in our garage is some weed killer that's no longer effective. So you can see here, we have two containers of weed killer and this one was purchased last year. And then when we went to use it this year, we realized that it was no longer effective for killing the weeds. So my husband purchased a new container of weed killer, but then just left this one, but just left this one sitting in the corner for whatever reason. And when it comes to discarding chemicals like this, you definitely need to check your local municipality and see what rules they have regarding chemical and waste disposal. So I'm going to go ahead and declutter this and you can see what you have to get rid of in your garage, shed and garden as well. And here's a quick reminder that decluttering is good, but one of the best rules of minimalism is to keep clutter out of your home in the first place. And one of the ways that I do that is by mindfully trying to own less and get the most use out of everything that I have, even if that means repurposing things in somewhat unusual ways. And if you're looking for more tips or ideas related to decluttering or minimalism, be sure and go check out one of these videos that YouTube thinks that you'll like. And don't forget to grab your free ticket to the Get Organized HQ virtual conference coming up soon, or I'll see you next week. Until then, take care. Bye-bye.