The Big End-of-Year Ditch List: 35+ Things to Let Go Before the New Year

As we wrap up the year, a lot of us are craving a fresh start - but also feeling stretched, tired, and absolutely not interested in a whole-house overhaul. The good news? You don’t need one.

Sometimes the biggest impact comes from the smallest resets.Enter: The End-of-Year Ditch List.

This is your gentle nudge (and permission slip) to let go of the stuff that’s been quietly stealing your space, your time, and your sanity all year long. No elaborate systems, no marathon organizing sessions - just simple wins that leave you walking into January noticeably lighter.

Below is a full list of things that are prime candidates to leave your home before the year ends. And here’s your challenge:

Pick five. Clear them out. Report back. It’s amazing how ditching just five things can free up space - not just physically, but mentally.

Let’s dive in.

The Big End-of-Year Ditch List

A lovingly savage guide to releasing what’s no longer serving you.

1. Kitchen + Pantry

• Expired food (trust me… you have some)

• Single-use appliances or gadgets

• Duplicate tools

• Spices you somehow have three of

• Water bottles with missing lids

• Containers with no lids / lids with no containers

• Half-burned candles you’ll never relight

  
  

2. Bathroom + Personal Care

• Expired meds & supplements

• Past-due makeup (most of it expires 12 months after opening!)

• Old makeup brushes

• Hotel toiletries you don’t actually use

• Towels that exfoliate… unintentionally

• Bras from BC 2020 (before COVID… it’s time)

  
  

3. Closets + Clothing

• Clothes that don’t fit — you, the kids, your partner

• Shoes you never wear

• Socks & undies with holes

• Gift bags you will never reuse

• Old phone cases

• Sheets and pillowcases for beds you no longer own

  
  

4. Paper + Office

• Files older than 2018

• Kids’ artwork that didn’t make the keeper pile

• Notebooks with only four pages used

• Old planners & calendars

  
  

5. Kids’ Spaces

• Books they’ve outgrown

• Craft supplies they’ve moved past

• Games or puzzles missing pieces

• Stuffies — pick a limit and release the rest

  
  

6. Around the House

• Holiday décor you didn’t display again

• Décor you’ve kept “in case you like it again someday”

• Extra cords (you only need 2–4 per type)

• Chargers for devices no one owns

• Random party supplies

• Reusable shopping bags (you don’t need 27)

• Freebies and swag you kept out of guilt

• Lone socks (their partner is not coming back)

  
  

Why This Works

Decluttering at the end of the year isn’t about perfection. It’s not about becoming a minimalist or having model-home shelves. It’s about getting rid of the stuff that’s silently adding to your mental load.

Every item you release is:

• one less thing to clean

• one less thing to manage

• one less decision waiting for you in 2026

  
  

These tiny wins compound. And they feel really good.

Your End-of-Year Challenge

Pick any 5 items from this list and clear them out before the new year. Just five. Start small. Notice the shift.

Then come back here - or DM me, email me, or tag me - and tell me what you tackled. I love celebrating these wins with you, and yes… I absolutely want to see the before-and-afters.

Here’s to ending the year lighter, clearer, and with less stuff to manage in the year ahead.