Let it GO! Decluttering (simplifying) your life of (people, places or things) success stories?

Spent a couple of years trying different things.

It's important to know that somethings will work, some things won't. Some things you just need tweaks, some things you need better systems for them to work. Often people who go on declutter kicks think it's a one and done. But you have to put a working system in place so that it essentially stays the way you put it.

Things that get the most use are going to get messed up faster, so you need good systems to go with it. Having a shoe organizer by the door is a great idea, but if you haven't trained your family to put their shoes in it, it's pretty useless.

That being said, over the years, some things have really worked well. To not make this too long, here are two "game changers:"

1) Having labeled bins in the cupboards, fridge and freezer. This sounds really type A, BUT, this makes putting groceries away SO SO quick, everyone knows where everything is, and it's easy to see what is needed when it's grocery time. Add a spot for things you make often - like a sandwich bin (for meats and cheeses, condiments) - coffee/tea bar, etc., and making your stuff is as easy as pulling out a single bin. You can do a quick declutter and wipe every time you put away groceries to keep this system up. Plus, put things where it makes sense. Spices by the stove, coffee bar near the coffee pot, etc.

2) People think I spend a ton of time getting ready. NOT! It takes me very, very little time, and is so easy because of a system I put in place. Recently I forgot I had an appointment scheduled for an hour from when I remembered. But I had to go to another town to be ready for that appointment. Because my outfit was together, I took a quick shower, got dressed, drove to one town, then to the next and was 15 minutes EARLY to my appointment. I later was complimented by 3 people on my outfit I took literally no time to choose that day.

How?

I purchased my clothes with purpose. Instead of going out and buying something because it's "cute," or on sale, I buy with a list, like I would groceries. So many times we have cute tops or bottoms that don't go with anything, or have an unflattering fit, and they just sit in your closet and make it frustrating to figure out what you will wear. So, clear your clothes of things that don't fit or you don't like, then get a base wardrobe of basics - jeans, pants, t-shirts, blouses, skirts, tennis shoes, heels in the basic colors (black, navy, white). Other basic colors, depending on your style, would be beige, blush pink, army green, camel, etc. Whatever you get after that, that's "just so cute," provided it is following the style of clothes you wear, it will pair well with one of the basic items you have in your closet.

Then make outfits - have one or two major, hours long trying on the clothes you have in your closet. Since I don't trust myself to do the "choose your clothes the night before," I choose many outfits, and that is how they hang in my closet. Either put them together on hangers in your closet, or/ and in addition to, when you wear the outfit, take a selfie. The selfies serve as a reminder to you what outfits, shoes and accessories you wore, and what looks good on you. You won't have to stand in front of the closet trying to figure things out or try things on. Either you just grab a complete outfit from the hanger, or look at your phone to see what you feel like wearing that day.

If nothing else, get some flattering dresses. Then you just put one on and look put together. It's the easiest outfit hack ever.

First, it takes a lot of effort up front. Going shopping and buying what fits, is cute, or on sale, is a lot easier to do than going shopping for "the black jeans that really flatter me," or a "white short sleeved blouse that falls over the hip."

But imagine what it would be like to have a month of wearing clothes you look fabulous in, and not spending any time figuring out outfits, no piles of clothes on the floor from trying things on, no getting late because you couldn't figure out what to wear, no feeling like you are wearing clothes that are unflattering. NO STRESS OVER YOUR CLOTHES.

I got a bunch of these tips off of youtube, from a professional stylist (whose style I don't like, but her ideas about clothes are fantastic): https://www.youtube.com/user/StylistLaurenMessiah

And a vlogger, whose style I do like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIVOik-O0o0