It's the beginning of the year and you know what that means ... most everyone is setting goals. 

This year I am going to work hard to simplify a lot of aspects of my life so that my family and I can enjoy more of our time together. Our oldest is graduating from high school this year and it's making me really think about how quickly life goes by. 

If you are looking to to simplify your home a little bit (like I am), I have put together a list of 40 things you can get rid of easily to make a big difference. I have a free printable checklist for you too! Scroll to the end of the post to grab that. 

1. Old Magazines and Newspapers - if you aren't currently reading them, or need them for a crafting project, recycle them. Some schools or church groups even take donations for crafts or libraries. 

2. Unused Kitchen Gadgets - most of us have a tendency to collect kitchen gadgets. Either you forget you have it (or can't find it) and buy another one, or they are gifted to you. Go through your kitchen drawers and donate anything you haven't ever used or don't see yourself using any time soon. 

3. Plastic Containers With No Lids - there is no point to keeping them if you can't use them to store anything. Toss them! 

4. Unused Cookbooks - guilty as charged. I collect receipes and cookbooks, but I honestly find myself searching online or on Pinterest for them instead of reaching for my books. If you are the same, consider donating the books and saving that prine real estate in your kitchen for something else. 

5. Expired Food - you aren't going to eat it, so stop storing it. 

6. Old or Unused Cleaning Supplies - if it's expired it won't clean as well. If you bought a cleaner thinking you would use it and you haven't - use it or toss it!

7. Broken Furniture - I love a good DIY project and repairing and refinishing furniture is something I really enjoy doing... but I don't always have the time to spend on it. If you've been hoarding dressers or tables waiting for the time to fix or paint them, consider donating them or giving them away instead to free up space in your home and your schedule. 

8. Worn-out Linens - tablecloths, bedding, towels, pillow cases, etc. If it's stained, has holes, or is faded... it's time to say goodbye. 

9. Unused Toys - this may be better tackled without your kids around. Older children may be able to decided on their own what they love, use, and want to keep. But, if you have smaller children, you probably know what they tend to reach for. Donate or box up anything they don't use. 

10. Broken Electronics - I would also add to this list any cords you don't currenly know what they are used for. You can buy just about anything online, including power cords (if you figure out what it was for after you tossed it). 

11. Old Home Decor - decor styles change all the time and even though the decorations may be cute, it isn't what you want to display anymore. Donate them or go through them and be selective about which you keep. 

12. Old Shoes - Did you know that you should replace your shoes every 300-500 miles? That equates to 6-12 months depending on how much walking you do. Consider this a good excuse to replace your 5 year old sneakers. 

13. Clothes That Are Old or Don't Fit Anymore - this may seem like a no-brainer, but I bet if you looked in your closet you would find clothes that you have been wearing for more than 5 years - or clothes you hope to wear someday. Just get rid of them. Donate anything that is in good condition and recycle or toss the not so good conditioned ones. 

14. Extra or Unused Bedding - if you have upgraded your mattress (size or style) it's time to toss the old sheets. You really only need 2 sets of sheets for any bed at any time. Anyhing more than that (unless there is a health condition involved) is extra.

15. Old DVD's, CD's,  or VHS Tapes - unless you are a collector, it's time to bid farewell to that *NSYNC CD you've been holding on to for the last 20 years. You probably don't even have a CD player. Home movies are the exception when it comes to DVD's and VHS tapes. Keep them until you can find a local place to convert them into digital copies. 

16. Expired Medication - consult your local city codes regarding how to safely dispose of them. Police Stations, Pharmacies, and some doctors will take them so they don't end up in the landfill. 

17. Worn-out Camping Gear - if it has holes, or isn't waterproof anymore, it's time to replace it. Unless you are an avid outdoorsman/woman you probably don't need to hurry out to buy a new one. Wait until you need it, then make your purchase. 

18. Empty Boxes - my ten-year-old loves to build forts out of empty boxes. He turns them into garages for his toy cars, homes for actions figures, etc. If you have a pile of Amazon boxes laying around left over from the holidays, recycle them. Let your kids use them (then recycle them) or go to your local recycleing station and make a big donation of cardboard. 

19. Excess or Outdated Yard Supplies  - seed packets from last years garden, old potting soil, weed killer from 2 summers ago, get rid of them. Seeds should be planted within a year or so of harvesting them to get the best crops. Old potting soil will lose it's nutrients and weed killer it's potency. Look at your city guidlines for proper disposal of any checmicals. 

20. Unused Seasonal Decorations - this is the perfect time of year to make decisions on Christmas decor. Did you really use it all? If you didn't, consider donating it (or boxing it up to donate or sell closer to Christmas next year).

21. Unused Bags or Purses - how many tote bags does a girl need? You can decide how many you think is reasonable, but almost all freebie tote bags can probably be donated. 

22. Old Calendars and Planners - recyle them, burn them, whatever you want... you don't need them anymore (even if you think you do). 

23. Duplicate Books - odds are you didn't even know you have two of them. 

24. Random Stuff in Your Junk Drawer - find it a good home or get rid of it. We all have a junk drawer... it's almost impossible to not have one. But when was the last time you went through it to see what's actually in there?

25. Old Batteries - my kids are notorious for replacing batteries and leaving the old ones laying around. Find them, collect them all, and get rid of them. Check with local regulations about how to dispose of them. Larger batteries are a littl more complicated to toss. 

26. Broken Sports Equipment - it's not being used, so stop storing it in your garage or mudroom. 

27. Old Holiday or Greeting Cards - if you like them for sentimental value, scarpbook them or store them in a momentos box. Otherwise, they have served their purpose and you don't have to keep them. 

28. Broken Outdoor Furniture - this includes anything with peeling paint (that you have no plans to repaint), wobbly tables that can't be fixed, splintery benches that you won't be sanding and refinishing, and things that are obviously broken. Get rid of it now and you can replace items when they go on sale for Spring or Summer. 

29. Excess Stationary Supplies - put all your markers and pens in a box and let your kids be the "testers" to see which ones are dried up. Toss those immediately, then depending on how many are left decide how many you have the space to store and keep those. Toss any extras. 

30. Worn-out Bath Supplies - especially if you have kids bath toys. They tend to be a breeding ground for mold. A good rule of thumb is to replace bath today about every six months. Also replace old loofas, pumice stones, etc. 

31. Broken Toys - again, you may have to sneak these out of your home if you have little kids who play with them. Broken toys can be choking hazards, have sharp edges, and cause other injuries. It's sad when something breaks, but if it can't be fixed it needs to go. 

32. Extra Kitchenware - baking dishes you don't use, serving dishes that you've had since your wedding, extra utensils, etc. Donate them if they are still in good condition. 

33. Broken or Unused Photo Frames - I have a collection of these in our guest room closet... the hope is to create a gallery wall of mismatched frames. It's time to either make it happen, or donate the frames. It's so easy to find fun and funky frames at second hand stores these days, they wouldn't be hard to replace if the time came to need to do that. 

34. Duplicate Tools - we have 4 different drills. Yes, 4... but we actually use them all. If you have duplicate tools you aren't using, donate or sell them. 

35. Unused Storage Bins - you are bound to have empty bins from all this purging of extras. You don't need to keep them, unless you have space to do so. 

36. Old Receipts - shred them unless it's something substantial like tax returns. Then keep those for 3-5 years. I tend to also hold on to larger things like appliance receipts in case I need them for warranty information, but most of that is done online when you register so you probably don't have to keep those either. 

37. Old Cleaning Rags - it's time to demote your current hand towels to cleaning rags, especially if your hand towels are a few years old. Then throw away the old cleaning rags. 

38. Old Car Parts - extra tires, old floor mats, nuts and bolts, etc. Keep them if you are restoring cars and might need them. Otherwise, get rid of them and just buy a new one when/if you need it. 

39. Old Paint and Painting Supplies - paint brushes that have dried paint on them. Rollers that are stuck. Paint from your last home or two renovations ago. Open cans of paint can only be stored for 2-5 years, but the color on your wall is going to fade or change over time, so using old paint to patch holes may not match your current wall. Instead, consider storing a small sample size jar of paint for small repairs and purchasing a paint color matching tool if needed. 

40. Puzzles With Missing Pieces - if a piece went missing when I was a kid, my parents and grandma would have me create a piece using cardboard and crayons to replace the missins piece. Don't do that. if the puzzle hasn't been done in a while and there is a missin piece, odds are that piece is gone for good. Just throw the puzzle away. 

If you want to make this a family project, or if you are like me and enjoy crossing things of lists and checking boxes, I created a simple printable checklist just for you!