The Urban Farmhouse Saskatoon: 200 Things to Throw Away Today

You know those days where you are frustrated with the clutter in your home? You want to do something about it but you have no idea where to start? We've all been there so just know you're not alone.

This morning I was on Pinterest when I came across an awesome post from our friends over at Embracing Homemaking. I was immediately sold and knew I had to share this post with you!

What I like about this list is the items are pretty simple. You can take an entire weekend to go through all of the items (if you are super ambitious and have time to get 'er done), print off the list and cross off a couple of items a day or even enlist your family to help you out by each tackling a handful of tasks every week. Some of these items will literally take you a few minutes to complete, which makes this list even more valuable to you.

As you look ahead at this list I want you to remember two things:

1.) Remember you can sell, donate, recycle or throw away. Knowing that I’m allowing someone else to enjoy my things makes it easier for me to let them go.

2.) Keep things that make you feel good. If it doesn’t make you feel happy when you look at it, get rid of it quickly. Surround yourself with things you enjoy.

Now on to the list:

Old product boxes (Apple products, TV, etc.)
Hangers from the dry cleaners
Plastic hangers from the store
Expired make up
Half-finished projects…you know the one!
Magazines
Old emery boards (buy a nice glass one and be done with those scratchy things!)
Old paint (Visit Earth911.com to find a place to dispose of it safely)
Ugly undergarments you hate to wear (You have those “just in case” pairs too, right?)
Bills, taxes, paperwork over 7 years old
Socks with holes or without mates…also those lonely socks that have holes too.
Extra cups and mugs – How many does your family use in a regular dishwasher load? Add a few more for company and be done with the rest.
Books you’ve never read or will never read again
Old technology (8 tracks, floppy discs, VHS tapes w/o a player, etc.)
Unloved toys
Cleaning rags – You only need a few before you’ll wash them again, right?
Tea light candles – Use them or lose them.
Take out menus you never look at
Old greeting cards (Save the super sentimental ones and recycle the rest)
Outdated over the counter drugs and vitamins
Old sneakers (Recycle through Nike)
Plastic cutlery
Old spices – Spices don’t actually spoil but they lose their potency. A good rule of thumb is 1-2 years for seasoning; 1-3 for herbs and ground spices; and up to 4 years for whole spices.
Duplicate power cords (USB, etc. We have 3 vTech ones for the kiddos’ toys but only need one)
Bobby pins
Games with missing pieces
Dried up nail polish bottles
Video games you’ll never play again
Recalled baby items (carseats, cribs, etc.)
Jewelry you don’t wear
Expired food in your freezer/pantry
Rugs or home decor you haven’t used since you redecorated
Unused perfumes and cologne
Old towels that make you cringe when you look at them
Extension cords (Am I the only one who has a bazillion of these?)
Extra sets of bed linens – two per bed tops
Unused plastic containers – especially those without a lid and those old plastic containers. Avoid containers with recycle codes 3 or 7 as they may contain BPA.
Old bills (Switch to online banking and stop the clutter before it comes in your home)
Paychecks older than 2 years
Stretched out hair ties
Matches you never use (Maybe save a few in case of a power outage)
Old newspapers
Expired Rx meds (Visit fda.gov for proper ways to dispose of them)
Extra pillows
Ticket stubs (Sentimental like myself? Store in a scrapbook or fill a mug with old stubs)
Make up you’ll try “one day” If you’ve owned if for more than 2 weeks without trying it, toss it.
Clothes that are more than 2 sizes too small. Don’t give up on your weight loss dream but WHEN you do lose that weight go and buy new clothes to reward yourself.
Things you’ve bought have haven’t returned yet (Return them, sell, or donate them)
White-out bottles – You know you don’t need it!
Unneeded notebooks
Pens and pencils – Keep your favorites and let go of the rest
Little shampoo bottles from a hotel you went to 5 years ago
Knick knacks that don’t make you smile every time you see them
Cords that don’t belong to anything you currently own
Lose screws, nuts, bolts, etc. unless you happen to be a handy man who would actually reuse them one day
Kid’s old art projects (I have an upcoming post with loads of ideas on this so for now just set them aside)
Old party supplies
Old wedding favors (Keep a few, toss the rest)
Old Christmas cards of your family (Save a few, recycle the rest)
Holiday decor you never remember to set out (Thanksgiving turkey Aunt Sue gave you)
Holiday decor that you use once a year (ex. Easter deviled egg tray that collects dust 364 days of the year! Buy a lovely one that you can use for other holidays too.)
Cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, shampoo that you used once and didn’t like. Donate to a local shelter.
Flower pots. Plant a flower or toss the pot.
Watering cans if you don’t have flowers.
Too small kid’s clothing. Only save favorites if you’re saving for another child. Sell the rest while they’re still in style.
Extra buttons (If you don’t sew, toss them all. Reduce your supply if you will use a button in the next few months)
Old calendars
Unidentified frozen objects (Label ya’ll! Keep a Sharpie by the freezer for quick labeling)
Movies you’ll probably never watch again
Bags from the mall you might use one day (Keep only 1 if you must)
Multiple pair of scissors (One or two tops, right?)
More ear buds than you’ve got family members
Curling irons, crimpers (ha! flash back), or straighteners you don’t use
Highlighters unless you’ve used one in the past month, then save only that one
Travel mugs that leak, or are ugly, or that you don’t use because you have to hand wash it
Boxes – shoe boxes, diaper boxes, cereal boxes. Recycle and be free.
Samples of any kind – Use, donate, or trash.
Games you haven’t played in the last year
Tape measures – You know the rule, keep one and toss the rest.
Old phone covers, styluses, screen protectors, etc.
Misc. ribbons or string
Expired coupons
Organizers you bought to get organized that didn’t work
Belts that no longer fit, are worn, or are out of style
Duplicate kitchen utensils – Have you ever used three wisks at the same time before? Me neither.
Cookie cutters unless you’ve used them in the past year and foresee using them again
Rarely used cake pans – Our bakery supply store rents them for $2 a day. I no longer need to keep any on hand for those rare occasions I bake.
Old teeth whitening trays or strips. Use ’em up or toss ’em out.
Hard candy that you’re not sure where it came from or how long it’s been there
Unloved stuffed animals
Half used chap stick containers – Buy a new one! I LOVE my new EOS one with coconut milk.
Duplicate measuring cups and spoons
Old day planners (and current ones if you don’t use them!)
Candles – If it’s not lovely to look at and you’ll never burn it, let it go.
Mason jars (or baby food jars, spaghetti sauce jars, etc.) that you won’t use
Expired sunscreen
Staple remover – unless you can make a very compelling argument to keep yours.
Travel alarm clock – We have phones now.
Stress balls
Plug in air fresheners without a refill
Unloved dog toys
Extra USB flash drives – How many does one family need?
Promotional swag
Key chains you don’t use
Recipe books you don’t ever use
Push pins in the junk drawer just waiting for unsuspecting fingers
Keys that you don’t know what they go to
Lanyards, name tags, bags, etc. from previous conferences
Carabiners – Unless you rock climb, trust me, you won’t use them.
Lotions, face washes, serums that you don’t use
Random batteries you’re not sure where they came from
Multiple book marks – Unless you’re a book worm…you know what to do, toss them.
Combination locks – Chances are slim you’ll use one again but if you do, they’re cheap to replace.
Paper weights
Near empty bottles of bubbles or little numbs of side-walk chalk
Completed coloring books
Markers without lids and lids without markers
Goodie bag toys from previous birthday party celebrations
Empty bottles of anything
Puzzles
Old invitations
Travel brochures
Tissue paper/gift bags
Unused sticky notes
Extra shoe laces
Sticker’s from a precious yard sale
Hair products you don’t use
Take out chopsticks – Buy a reusable pair if you use them a lot
Old prescription glasses – Great donation for the Lions Club.
Old sunglasses – The cat eye is coming back but definitely toss those purple hued ones.
Worn out flip flops
Magnets – Unless they are lovely or useful, discard.
Posters you’ll never display again
Excess decks of cards
Phone books
Broken Christmas lights
Notes/gifts from old romances
Hats you don’t wear or that look like you shouldn’t
Extra bubble wrap (or am I the only one who has a supply?)
Twisty ties (another one that hits close to home!)
Chip clips
Craft supplies for a project that has already been completed
Paper plates – Use them up!
Loyalty cards – use the key ring version or enter your number for even less clutter
Gift cards – go and enjoy them!
Touristy knick knacks
Business cards – Keep an electronic record
Puzzle books you don’t use
Old textbooks
Unused vases
Stockings with runs in them
Fancy serving bowls you haven’t used in the last year – Use them or sell them.
CDs unless you use them regularly
Old boombox
Piles of “scrap paper”
Purses/dufflebags/old luggage you don’t use
Catalogs
Christmas ornaments that aren’t lovely or sentimental
Instruments you’ve given up on mastering years ago
Clothes that make you feel ugly
Instruction manuals – Most are online now.
Calculators – Phones have replaced these for most people.
Remotes that have no purpose
Emergency sewing kits – I own many and have never used one even once.
Dry erase markers without a board and a board without markers (or both if you don’t use it!)
Extra pencil sharpeners – Only one is needed
Rusty tools you’ll never use again
Lawn and garden pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers you won’t use
Fireworks that are unused (Am I the only one?) – They can be soaked in water overnight then disposed of in a plastic bag.
Dried up super glue
Old and ugly t-shirts
Hair accessories you don’t use
One orphan earring
Dried flowers
Extra photo prints
Gifts you don’t love
Scarves you never wear
Damaged/stained clothing
Plastic children’s plates/cups that they’ve outgrown
Junk mail
Address labels – Do you ever really use them?
Extra folders, binders, labels, etc.
Old cell phones – Recycle!
Old fortune cookie fortunes (Someone else keeps the good ones too, don’t they?)
Used ink cartridges – Recycle them for a little money back
Use Unroll.me to rid yourself from pesky email subscriptions (It’s free but I would pay for this fabulous service!!)
Outdated computer software
Old wallets
Dull or duplicate pocket knives
Spare change lying around – Take it to the bank!
Unused picture frames
Old baby gear that you no longer need – Great donation item if you don’t want to sell it!
Kitchen knives no one uses
Old sports equipment from days gone by
Broken clocks
Coasters that go unused
Plants – Yes, plants that don’t brighten your spirits. Buy ones that do!
Hold punch you never use
Place mats, napkins, table cloths that never get displayed
Ruled notebook paper – I hate to throw it away but I never use it. Donate it!