10 Things I Decluttered This Month: Vol. 3
Here's the next installment in an ongoing series: real things leaving my house, and the reasoning behind each one. I'm a professional organizer in Seattle, and I run my own home through the same lens I bring to client sessions — including right now, mid-parenthood, when my house doubles as the test case. Here's what's been on the way out recently.
1. Our smaller coffee mugs
I love coffee and I love mugs. But when I looked at which ones we actually reached for, it was always the same two — our larger mugs. The smaller ones looked nice sitting in the cabinet, but morning after morning, my husband and I (and guests, too) gravitated to the big ones and left the rest untouched.
Pretty doesn't count for much if it's not what you reach for. The small mugs found a new home.
2. Jigsaw puzzles I'd already finished (or knew weren't fun)
I used to hang onto puzzles after finishing them, like I might do them again someday. I wouldn't.
I also realized certain busy, chaotic patterns stress me out to work on instead of relaxing me — which defeats the whole point of a puzzle for me. Semi-mindless and calming is the assignment.
Both the finished ones and the "bully" puzzles are gone now.
3. Old receipts from our "just in case" container
I keep a small container for receipts we might need later. I purged the ones that had aged out of usefulness. Watching that pile shrink felt disproportionately satisfying for something so small.
4. Everything hiding in my car console and glove box
These are two spots I somehow never think to organize. I finally sat down and went through both. The haul: a stack of clean napkins, more pens than one car needs, a handful of coins, hair ties, old insurance card printouts, a number of CDs, and a tangle of charging cables for devices I don't think I own anymore.
Everything left in there now has a reason to be there. Everything else is gone.
5. My stash of "good boxes"
Occupational hazard: as a professional organizer, I've long saved sturdy boxes to reuse as drawer organizers. It's paid off — they're doing real work in my bedroom dresser, our kitchen utility drawer, my office cabinets, even in client sessions when the size lands just right.
But I'd built up a pile of odd sizes that never fit anywhere. Too small for most things, or too big for the rest. Those finally went.
6. Newborn onesies, already
My guy is growing quickly — he outgrew his newborn onesies at around four weeks old. I returned the whole stack to the friend I'd borrowed them from, which left space to fill in the dresser with the next size up of hand-me-downs.
7. Postpartum supplies I didn't end up needing
I stocked up before delivery, the way you do when you have no idea what recovery will actually require. Once my initial recovery window passed, I had extras I knew I wouldn't use.
I posted them in a local Free Baby and Mother Stuff Facebook group. Exactly the kind of thing that shouldn't sit in a cabinet when someone else needs it now.
8. Workout tanks that will never fit the same again
I know my body, and I know these aren't coming back into rotation. Keeping them "just in case" would've meant holding onto a maybe I didn't even want.
I didn't like them enough to gamble on it. Out they went.
9. A baby carrier without enough structure
I'd read the reviews and felt good about the purchase. But once I actually wore it for more than a few minutes, it didn't have the support to be comfortable for any real stretch of time.
Some things only reveal themselves once you're living with them. This was one of those, and I'm glad I didn't force it to work.
10. Two pillowcases, worn through at the seams
The spot where we grab the case to shake a pillow into it had worn all the way through on both — repeating the same small motion finally winning. It was time for some replacements.
The quick list
Short on time? Here's everything from this round, at a glance:
Extra small coffee mugs we never reached for
Finished or stressful jigsaw puzzles
Aged-out "just in case" receipts
Car console and glove box clutter
Odd-sized cardboard boxes that never fit anywhere
Outgrown newborn onesies
Unused postpartum recovery supplies
Workout tanks that no longer fit
An unsupportive baby carrier
Worn-through pillowcases
If you're in a season of change too — new baby or not — it's worth taking a look at what's still sticking around simply out of habit. One small edit at a time still adds up.
Want to be the first to see the reveal and hear more tips like this?
Sign up for my newsletter where I share real-life organizing projects, gentle mindset shifts, and tools I swear by.
Based in Seattle and thinking about a room refresh of your own? I'd love to help. See how we can work together or get in touch here.
About Kari - Kari is a certified KonMari consultant and professional organizer based in Seattle, WA. Through Refine Organizing, she helps people create homes that feel lighter, calmer, and more aligned with how they actually live.
