As we are well into summer, a part of me thought that we should all have a decluttering break…But then I came to the conclusion that summer can be a great time to deal with clutter that you may not be able to get to during other months. Now I don’t want anyone forgoing holiday time, times at the beach or any other warm weather fun to do this (not that you would..), but I thought we would continue on with the newsletter just in case you can squeeze in some fun decluttering activities in between summer fun. So lets dive in!

I don’t know about you, but when the warm weather starts to show, I have an urge to bring out all of the outside accoutrements that go with it: tables and chairs, hoses, flower planters, you name it the list goes on (I personally love all of the solar lanterns so add those to my list for sure!) However, lo and behold try as I do to put these things away in an organized fashion when the cold weather hits, I tend to fail at this job. Maybe its the thought of “snow-is-a-coming” or maybe it is just a malaise that comes with the job of packing up summer, but whatever the case, I am always having to untangle and declutter these items from my garage and basement. (side bar: I promise before the cold weather hits to have s special newsletter on how to perhaps properly pack up summer)

So what are we often faced with to declutter as we start to unpack summer? I promise this list will not be exhaustive, but I will try and hit on some fun decluttering projects that come to mind.

Gardening Supplies, Oh my

The first job we have is to group together all of the gardening supplies that may have found themselves anywhere and everywhere: shovels, hand tools, gloves, seeds, soil, tarps….the list goes on and on and on… If you already have a dedicated and organized space or area where you house these things, you are indeed a step ahead, but if you don’t, now is the time to make one. Big tools may need a separate accommodation such as wall hooks or an appropriate place to put them, but smaller items most likely can all fit together in a bin or bucket. When we keep like items together, it is so much easier to find them when you need them. As you aim to unpack these gardening essentials, go through them first. Don’t be afraid to throw things out that are broken, missing parts or just not useful anymore. Tools that work properly are important and continuing to use broken things is a waste of time - they are waste!

Side Note: After you use these items during the summer, try and put them away clean - sticky mud is hard to get off tools and the mess tends to creep over to other items too so try and keep everything in ship shape after use.

Hoses

Ok, I know what you are thinking: hoses should be in the garden supply section right? WRONG! These items can be so difficult and annoying I thought we should give them a section all to themselves. If you take anything away from this article I hope it is this: A damage free quality hose with attachments is one of the most important outdoor accessories you can invest in. If you have flowers or a vegetable garden, you will use this item daily or more than once a day and it needs to be as easy and worry free as possible. Invest in a quality hose that will get the job done. Perhaps even more importantly, have an easy and efficient housing device for your hose. Sometimes the most difficult thing is to actually untangle and get the hose unkinked so it actually works - make sure you have a proper hose and home for it. Attachments can also be important so that you can get the best use to keep your backyard paradise or cottage wonderland watered and happy.

Patio Furniture

Outdoor furniture should be inspected each and every year to make sure it is still functional. Weather can get to these items and sometimes they need to be replaced. If you have a good quality set, you should be good for several years and beyond so just bring them out, give them a good cleaning and you should be good to go. Older sets or what I like to call “sets that owe me nothing” may need some replacing from time to time, so inspect these items and get rid of pieces that have worn out. One part of any and all outdoor furniture that may wear out more than others are the cushions. Depending on what part of the world you are in, these pieces can take a beating during the summer with rain and storms, especially if you are not that diligent in bringing them inside every time it pours (guilty as charged - but also, its a pain!) You may need to replace these outdoor accessories and thats ok!

I think this is a good start so take your decluttering outside and have fun! (Also don’t forget the job goes easier with a fun summer drink in hand) :) Until next time!