Clutter..."Anything you are keeping in your home that doesn't serve a purpose, that you don't use and that doesn't bring joy to your life".

After reading that I'm sure you are already mentally going through your home, noting everything that fits that definition. Am I right? If yes, read on to find 10 things to get rid of right now!

1. For many, the most obvious spot is the kitchen - the epicenter of many homes. I'm speaking specifically of the kitchen counters. By removing items that you don't need on a consistent basis, you can make your kitchen appear and feel larger. This is a space where we lay things that have no business being on the countertop. Start by removing said items and putting them in their proper space. After that, start putting items you don't use on a regular basis in the cupboards, or get rid of them entirely. For example, a toaster or that bowl of fake fruit. Uncluttered countertops give your kitchen a feel of being open, larger and clean.

2. My personal spot in need of a decluttering is definitely my clothing closet. So many times I try to declutter and get rid of clothes that I haven't even pulled from the hangar in a very long time. My first thought when I try to do this is "what if I need it?" And so, there it will hang for another year, untouched. Let's do this together! If there are articles of clothing that fall into one of these categories, it's time to let it go:

1.) It doesn't fit. It's either too large or too small for you.

2.) You haven't worn it in a season. Using each season is a good measure to determine when it's time to remove something from your wardrobe. If the season begins and ends and you haven't worn the clothing, it's most likely time to get rid of it.

3.) Damaged, not repairable or stained and you have no plans to take the time to get it repaired.

3. Paper clutter is a big one and encompasses a lot of different items. It is easy to get behind on purging paper items. We grab the mail from the mailbox, bring it in and toss it on the kitchen counter or your home office desk. How do I suggest minimizing this clutter? I don't even bring the "junk" mail into the house. I put it in the recycle bin in the garage immediately. I suggest going electronic for bills and insurance policies. Regardless of what the paper clutter is, designate a spot where it all goes and make sure that's where you place it.

4. Take-out and delivery have become very popular as of late. That means you could have a nice collection of condiment packets, as well as random plasticware. Put them in a baggie and take them to work to use there. Use your regular-sized condiments and rid your home of unnecessary clutter.

5. Expired pantry items such as spices, sugar and flour can and should be discarded. Spices lose their flavor over time (how many times have we purchased a spice we used once for that random recipe 5 years ago and it's still in the pantry?). While sugar and flour don't offer the same freshness after 6 months, that sounds like a good barometer as to when to purge these items. 

6. We upgraded our cell phones and put the old ones in a drawer, never to be used again. On that note, we also saved the box the new cell phone came in. It's a good idea to pitch the box and recycle/donate the cell phone. Two birds...one stone.

7. Leftover paint can last a long time if kept in the proper conditions. But if your paint cans are filled with dry, cracked paint or you know you will never use it again, it's time to properly dispose of it.

8. I can bet that you have a nice collection of vases going on, filling your closet. Keep 2 or 3 of them in varying sizes and get rid of the rest. You'll be happy with the closet space you have remaining.

9. A biggie for me is holding on to plastic containers with no lids, or vice versa, I have a lid, but no matching bowl. I spend more time searching through these remnants looking for a full set, than any one person should! Let's dispose of those unmatched bowls and lids.

10. Old makeup. If you've had it for more than a year, chances are it's expired and not ideal to use on your skin. Plus, if it lasted that long, chances are it's not one of your go-to's and you don't care for it anyway.

There are no hard and fast rules to what you should declutter. Do what's best for you. But I'm willing to bet that if you follow these 10 tips of things to get rid of right now, i.e., anything you are keeping in your home that doesn't serve a purpose, that you don't use and that doesn't bring you joy, you won't be disappointed or miss it!