Step One: De-clutter

My husband loves fireworks, Christmas lights, nerf guns, silly string, anything extravagant & over the top really (& I love him for it). I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite. We make the perfect combo because we "even" each other out.

I tell you this because, at midnight on New Years', he popped poppers and sprayed silly string. I didn't know he had this silly string or that what poppers actually were until then...a mess. I was shocked but after he and his siblings had their fun celebrating the end of 2020, I had my fun cleaning it up (apart from the silly string on my ceiling fan that I still can't reach- thanks Ricky lol).

I am totally serious about me having fun while cleaning by the way. Zach compares my enthusiasm about cleaning to Monica from Friends. I also follow Instagram accounts like @gocleanco & @cleanmama for cleaning inspo.

I totally channeled my inner Monica this past weekend.

"Monica Clean"

On New Years Day, I spent the entire day de-cluttering, organizing, and deep cleaning our home gym. It had become a catchall since we moved in...we were storing picture frames, clothes, guitars, and even random garbage. What the heck?! I honestly don't think it's been cleaned since we moved in. Eww...

We could still access the equipment but sometimes we would have to scooch over some things to make room. It wasn't a big deal, but I want clarity when I work out. Not deciding what I needed to clean after I was done.

I wish I would have snagged a before picture but the truth is I couldn't wait to get started. I have been wanting to tackle this room for so long, but it kept getting pushed down on the priority list. Once I started, I didn't stop until it was done. I definitely zoned in on this room. Everything is sparkling clean now!

I wanted to get our gym done so quickly because it was a NEW YEAR & time for a fresh start! I wanted to work out and actually enjoy it! It's hard to enjoy anything with clutter. Have you ever noticed the peace you feel when walking into a hotel room?

It's because there is no clutter! No books, no pictures, no stacks of magazines or paperwork. Just the basics. Simplicity is amazing & that was my goal for this room. Now everything has a home and we can see the floor!

Please don't judge the color of our walls. This house was very colorful upon purchase and we have been slowly whiting it out room by room...

Our equipment is a growing collection of gifts, hand-me-downs, and personal purchases over the last six years.

We spent January 2nd & 3rd de-cluttering, organizing, and deep cleaning the rest of our basement and laundry room. It was A LOT of work but it feels AMAZING now!

If you haven't de-cluttered a room yet this year, I highly recommend tackling one this weekend. Next on my list- kitchen cabinets & the home office.

Be sure to check back next week for Step two! I plan to share live updates in my Instagram stories, so make sure you follow me @always_willow, and don't forget to subscribe!

Always,

Erikka