1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 1: tip is to make decluttering a habit. If you have 4 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: a little more stuff than you probably need, don't think 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: of decluttering as some huge process involving an entire weekend 6 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: or requiring you to take time off work. A little 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,160 Speaker 1: bit every day, including a little bit of time for maintenance, 8 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:40,200 Speaker 1: even when your home is looking better. We'll all add up. 9 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: So even if you are tidy or don't love shopping, 10 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 1: if you have lived in your home for a while, 11 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: you have probably accumulated a fair number of things you 12 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: may no longer notice. The old shoes in the back 13 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: of your closet, or the dried up pins in your drawer, 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 1: or the stacks of papers and places where there shouldn't 15 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: be stacks of papers. You probably have books you didn't 16 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: love and will never read again, or clothes that fit 17 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: once but just don't anymore. For some people, spring cleaning 18 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: energy means taking hours and hours to clear everything out. 19 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: And if that sort of heroic decluttering is speaking to you, great, 20 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: But I think there is an approach to decluttering that 21 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: is far more manageable, and that is to make decluttering 22 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: a habit. If you are getting dressed and pull out 23 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: a T shirt and realize it's stained or stretched beyond wear, 24 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: throw it away. If you get a dish towel as 25 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: a gift and it doesn't fit in your dish towel drawer, 26 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: pluck a towel you are not attached to from the 27 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: drawer and put it in the donation bag. If you 28 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: buy a new book and your shelves are full, give 29 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,559 Speaker 1: away a book you already have. If you need lemon 30 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: juice for a recipe in your lemon squeezer just isn't 31 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: doing the job, throw it away. If you are in 32 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: your pantry looking for artichoke carts and you spot the 33 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: jar of preserved lemons you bought for a recipe and 34 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: never used, make a note to find a recipe to 35 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: use them. If you are standing in the kitchen waiting 36 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: for something on the stove. To get to the next step, 37 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 1: you could even empty a drawer out or a cabinet shelf, 38 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: wipe it down, throw away anything out of date, and 39 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: put everything else back. It doesn't have to be dramatic. 40 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: It's just a mildly more productive way to pass the time. 41 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: You really don't have to systematically declutter. Just make a 42 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: habit of giving away or throwing away things you encounter 43 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: that you don't need, using things you'd forgotten about, and 44 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: giving away things that you have more of them than 45 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: you have space for. And if you're feeling especially motivated, 46 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: pass the time by cleaning out a very small space 47 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: instead of just scrolling around on your phone. Will you 48 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: get the satisfaction of opening a drawer and seeing gorgeous spaciousness, Yes, 49 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 1: perhaps in rainbow colored order. Well, probably not, But without 50 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: much effort, you will keep your home under control and 51 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: avoid the need for a heroic purge. And that sounds 52 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 1: appealing to me. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks 53 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. 54 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 55 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 56 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 57 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 58 00:03:54,240 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.