Hi Reader,

It’s officially October, which means pumpkins, cozy blankets, fall candles, and Halloween decorations are probably starting to make their way out of storage. 🍂🎃

But before you put everything back out this year, let’s do a little reality check first. Because here’s the thing about seasonal decorations: just because you stored it last year doesn’t mean you have to put it back out this year.

The easiest way to declutter seasonal items is right as you pull them out. Here are some ideas to help you find 5 things to declutter as you unpack your fall and Halloween stuff for this season:

Things you forgot you had. If you open the bin and think, “Oh…I forgot about that,” that’s a good reason to pause before putting it out. Do you actually like it? Or has it just been living in that bin because that’s where it lives?
​Decorations that are damaged. Cracked pumpkins. Faded signs. Bent wreaths. Lights that don’t work. If you wouldn’t display it because of its condition and it's not something you'll fix, it might be time to say goodbye.
​Things you don’t love anymore. Maybe your decorating style has changed. Maybe your kids have gotten older. Maybe you just don’t like that particular piece anymore. You don’t have to keep decorating with something simply because you’ve had it for years.
​Duplicates. Do you really need 14 pumpkins? Okay, maybe you do. But if you have multiples of the same thing, take a quick look and see if you have more than you actually use.
​Decor you never actually put out. If you pull it out of the bin every year, look at it, and then put it right back without ever finding a place for it...maybe that's your answer. Use your behavior as a data point to take the emotion out of it and let it go.

So here’s your challenge for today: As you decorate, create a small “not this year” pile. You don’t even have to decide what you’re going to do with everything yet, though if you find yourself wanting to leave some things in the storage bin, pause and ask yourself why. Give yourself permission to let go; you don’t need to store things for another year just because you stored them last year.

And who knows? You might end up with a little more room in those bins for the things you actually love.

Happy decorating!

Nicole

P.S. If you find something in your fall decorations that you’re ready to let go of, hit reply and tell me what it was! I always love hearing what other people are finding in those bins.