Don't mess with my mess.

In my opinion, it is somewhat  a challenge to keep a small apartment clutter-free. With 2010 long gone, I have had the urge to get rid of things. You know, live the "simple" life. I've always loved having a place for everything and having everything in it's place. That's why when 2011 rolled around, I began The Purge.

Maybe it's my obsessive compulsive-ness (is that a word?) or maybe it's the fact that I sleep easier when my living space is as clutter-free as possible. Who knows. Either way, I think it's a great little quirk to have...especially if it keeps your house looking its best.

I thought I'd share my favorite tips for paring down your goods.

Focus on one room at a time. Start with the room that needs the most work, and focus on one area of that room. Once you are finished with that area, move on to the next. I like to work clockwise so it's a lot less likely that I will become overwhelmed with "stuff."

Divide items into three piles: Give Away, Toss, and Keep.

Ask yourself if you love the item, need the item, or use the item. If you answer "no" to an item, it doesn't belong in your house, silly!

Take it slow. No need to de-clutter into the night. Don't overwhelm yourself, and take breaks. I'm sure your mess won't mind.

We are still in the process of paring down Casa Givens. Keep reading for updates (and more photos) of our Purge. For now, here is a little something to ease your mind and give you a little organizing boost...

Our living room bookcase "after."

I apologize for no "before" photo, but I'm sure you can imagine. Our book/magazine stash had slowly migrated from the office onto this bookshelf, and I'm so glad I took care of that. As you can see, I really like to organize by type. The mustangs with the mustangs, etc. This project took all of 5 minutes. Just some purging and rearranging. See how easy that was?