My credit card statement tells me that the IKEA pillows sat on the bench in my foyer for 9 1/2 weeks. I’d picked up the pillows while I was there in January, figuring it was time to upgrade to king-size pillows to coordinate with the larger bed we got in 2023. However, when I got home, I discovered standard-sized pillows inside the package labeled “king,” so I carefully rolled them back up into the packaging to be returned to IKEA at a future date—and then they lingered for months.
What finally prompted me to find a place to stash the pillows out of sight was a visit from a friend I hadn’t seen in ages. Her imminent visitation also inspired me to put away my sewing machine that had been sitting out for weeks; straighten up the shelves, which had at some point devolved into a slovenly mess; and recycle a stack of magazines that was overtaking our coffee table. With a little bit of TLC, my apartment looked much better by the time my friend arrived.
It didn’t take much to make a big difference in the appearance of my home—and I didn’t have to buy a thing to make it feel fresh. I only wish it hadn’t taken me so long to do it. In fact, every time I put a little effort into improving my home it pays me back in spades.
It got me thinking: How could I inspire myself and others to make those little changes? I’ve long wanted to offer you something interactive–a way to make LIVING SMALL more than just an email in your inbox. So, I’m inviting you to participate in what I’m calling the Reset Your Space Challenge.
This is a free, easy, and sustainable challenge to refresh your home–without a huge investment of time or money. For the next month, I’ll be sending our prompts and actionable ideas to help you fall back in love with your space (whether it is small or not!). Broken down into Prep, Edit, Contain, and Style, this is part decluttering, part restyling. The Reset Your Space Challenge isn’t about undertaking some big, dramatic makeover of your home. Rather it’s about getting back to baseline and making some micro makeovers that will add up to a big impact.
I’ll also be doing it along with you and sharing my progress. Ready? Let’s reset our spaces.
WEEK 1: PREP
Here are a few prompts for what I’m calling “Prep” – the equivalent of getting your house ready for someone you want to impress – that you can do this week before we dive into the meat of the challenge.
Set your intentions. Is there a particular part of your home that you feel unsatisfied with? What are the pain points in your home right now? How do you want your home to feel at the end of the rest? Write it all down, so you have a roadmap for future prompts. And if you’re willing to share, leave a comment sharing your trouble spot below.
Be a garbage collector. Find and responsibly dispose of the actual trash lurking in your home. What do I mean by trash? Things like the magazines you’ve already read, piles of junk mail, the many extra disposable utensils that came with takeout, and those irksome junky toys your kids brought home from a party or school celebration.
Get a clutter buddy. Find another friend to do the Reset Your Space Challenge with you. Just like a workout buddy makes it more likely that you’ll get in your exercise, a decluttering and decorating pal will help hold you accountable. You can text each other photos of your progress throughout the challenge to keep the momentum up.
Start your donation pile. You’ll be doing a big edit next week, but start small now: Pick three items you no longer love and move them to an out-of-sight donation location where they’ll live until you’re ready to donate them. If you live in a small space like me this can simply be a large tote bag or box in a closet.
Decide where you’ll offload things. Join your local Buy Nothing Group: This is a great place to re-home items you no longer need. Consider hosting a yard sale (and pricing things to sell). Research charities that are accepting donations in your area, and read these tips about responsibly donating old clothes.
UP NEXT: In Week 2 we’ll dive deeper into editing and decluttering to make some breathing room in your space; then in Week 3 we’ll work on improving some of your systems; and finally in Week 4 it’ll be all about making things pretty with styling.
Related posts from the archive:
Last week’s most-clicked link was this tiny, transforming apartment (of course!).
3 More Things
Less driveway, more dinner parties
It’s no surprise that the homeowner was willing to lose a parking spot for this gorgeous outdoor dining space design by ORCA (featured in Domino). Guys, I’m absolutely bullish on permeable, pretty driveways that can be used for more than just parking.
Eco community event ideas
I first discovered
’s writing when I was expecting, so I feel like I’ve been on the journey of motherhood alongside her, since the beginning. Nine years later, I’m filing away these simple ideas for a school Earth Day celebration for future events for both my kid’s school and other community organizations. Also, eagerly anticipating Erin’s new book in May.The table that was everywhere last week
I was using the co-working space at my kid’s climbing gym last week when I noticed the handsome tables. Then I spotted the same table in this home tour on
’s Substack, so I did some sleuthing: It’s the Möckelby table from IKEA and it may seem expensive at $999, but having seen it in IRL, I think it’s a pretty good deal for an enormous oak table.One last thing: I ❤️ my neighborhood!
My pain point *is* the donation pile! With growing kids and lots of activities there are often piles of Fresh Direct bags full of stuff needing attention in our apartment. I’m often tempted to just throw everything in the trash because I don’t have the space or energy to thoughtfully get rid of things.
I'm in! I've been tackling a lot of small corners (the mudroom, closets, kitchen cabinets) lately and every one feels like such a win. I want to say my kids' bedrooms will be the focus but I have to get them on board with that idea. I do not want to say my basement will be the focus but it probably should be-- there is a ton of nonsense down there I can donate or trash and I just keep putting it off because it's not fun to be in a basement!