And this year, we shifted a lot.
Decluttering became my way of meeting that change with softness and intention — clearing out not just the things we’d outgrown, but the versions of ourselves we no longer needed to hold onto.
One of the biggest shifts this year was transforming Liam’s room into his “big boy room” back in September. That change alone opened my eyes to how quickly he’s growing and how much our home needs to grow with him. I shared the full process in a separate post, and I’ll link it here once it’s live — but it planted a seed for everything that followed.
And then came the basement.
Reimagining the Basement
Our basement has always been our cozy escape — originally a theater/game room where we’d curl up on the recliner couch with blankets and snacks. Some nights we’d get lost in whatever show we were watching; other nights, we’d play Call of Duty together on the TV, long before we ever had our own monitors or two PS5s.
But as time passed, the space stopped serving us the way it used to.
We found ourselves constantly dismantling monitors, shifting the PS5s around, unplugging and replugging everything just to enjoy the space. It felt cluttered, cramped, and not intentional — which is the opposite of how we want our home to feel.
So instead of fighting it, we reimagined it.
We’re installing two Kallax desks so both our monitors and PS5 setups can stay exactly where they need to be — no more dragging things back and forth. The TV, TV stand, and couch stay because that part still brings us joy. And we finally ordered our gaming chairs from Amazon, so soon we won’t be hunched over on the recliner couch (as cozy as it once was with a blanket and a favorite drink beside me).
This wasn’t just a basement project.
This was the spark that started the decluttering throughout the house — especially with Liam’s toys.
Creating Breathing Room in the Living Room
Our living room is where most of our life happens.
Where we laugh, rest, and where Liam creates his little worlds — building, imagining, coloring, playing.
His things have always been organized and cared for, but this year, he simply outgrew so much of it. The toys, books, and activities he loved at two don’t fit who he is at three.
So I added two more cupboards to the living room — not to hide things, but to make room for growth. To give new toys (and birthday surprises) a home without everything feeling crowded or overwhelming.
I didn’t want a showroom.
I wanted ease.
A space where everything can return to its place.
A space that feels open, calm, and lived in — not overflowing.
A space that moves with us.
Letting Go to Make Room
Each part of this process — his room, the basement, the living room — reminded me that a home isn’t something we set once and forget. It’s something we grow inside of. Something that expands as we expand.
Letting go made room for new things.
New routines.
New seasons of our family life.
It felt right to clear out before the new gifts, new clothes, and new things arrive for him — almost like opening the windows after a long winter.
I’m working on a deeper post about the actual step-by-step decluttering and organizing process I followed, which I’ll link here once it’s ready. For now, this post is the story of the shift — the “why,” not the “how.”
Because this year, our home grew a little.
And so did we.
