The Uncluttered Bride

My husband and I went on a cleaning spree this weekend. It all started when he brought home the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I read the book and thought it would be interesting to try out some of her suggestions (check out the author's ideas on how to arrange your clothes drawers). One change led to another and before we knew it, we unloaded three bags of clothing, two bags of toys, a number of larger baby items we aren't currently using, and enough trash to fill up our large garbage bin. In just two days, our lives became more clutter-free.

To be clear, we didn't live in a messy house. I've always prided myself on being neat. But after marriage, moving into a house, and two kids we accumulated a lot of stuff! The stuff would go in the closets or the drawers. There were neat piles of papers in various corners and plenty of toys out in the open for our young children to play with. And while we couldn't pinpoint it at the time, my husband and I were feeling stuck, distracted. Once we cleared out most of our access stuff, we immediately felt a weight lift off our shoulders. We woke up feeling energized and invigorated. We realized that the clutter in our home created clutter in our minds and how much easier it is to think, act, and live in an environment free of stuff we didn't need.

One of the greatest assets you'll find while planning your wedding is being organized. So it's a good goal to begin de-cluttering the stuff around you now.  Look around your living space. Is it a bit messy? Have you misplaced any documents or other items recently? Are there piles of papers on you desk or table? Do you own clothes or other items you haven't used in years? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, start tidying up today.

Your wedding is before you and one way to make the planning less stressful is by transforming your home into a relaxing environment. That means cleaning out or giving away everything you don't use and going through your paperwork and eliminating the need to 'get to it later.' Not only will this create more space physically, it will help clear your mind mentally. With this transformation, you can jump headfirst into planning your wedding. You'll be better equipped to organize your wedding materials and stay focused on the task at hand, without becoming distracted by the stuff around you. An uncluttered bride is more apt to get her to-do list done without all the stress. It also sets a great precedent,  as you'll lay the foundation for a clutter-free life together.