Donate or ditch? Local blogger offers decluttering tips post-holiday

LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC (WIS) - Have you noticed that little pile beginning to grow in your living room?

Well, before you know it – it'll be a full blown stack of stuff that you don't have a place for. We all know how anxiety provoking a cluttered household can be. That's where Kelly Reci's advice comes in handy.

"Try not to bring so much stuff in that you don't need or don't use," Reci said.

That advice may seem curious to you, coming from a local blogger who reviews hundreds of products sent straight to her home. Her blog, "Kelly's Thoughts About Things," reaches thousands of readers and viewers with each post. In it, she shares tips and reviews on all kinds of products – including toys, gadgets and household items.

With all that viewership, companies send Reci hundreds of products to test out and review. She has an entire dedicated shed in her backyard to storing all that stuff. And this is why her advice is so good: even more the reason, she says, to have a system for decluttering your house.

Recently, she donated more than 400 items and bags of goodies to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department for families in need this holiday season.

"If you're able to give back to the community, I think you should,' Reci said. "It's where you live. There's people out there that can't do and don't have as much as other people. And I'm not saying we have a lot, but I love to give back. I always do."

One of her biggest tips for decluttering a household – make those clutter piles into donation piles! Sort through the stuff you haven't used in the past six months and decide to ditch it or donate it.

"Don't overwhelm yourself," Reci said. "It can get overwhelming when you have a lot of stuff to go through. Give yourself 15 minutes a day, start going through stuff, if you don't need it... pile it. And then figure out how you can get rid of it. Donate! Some stuff you can't... throw it in the garbage, whatever."

Taking 15 minutes or twice a year to declutter your space will help you immensely, according to Reci. If you hold sentimental value for certain items, there is one option you may have. 

"If you haven't used it and you're not gonna use it, maybe you can give it away to someone in your family," Reci said. "If it means that much to you… maybe your daughter, son, sister, brother somebody in your family, maybe they can use it."

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