If you're not careful about periodically removing kid toys and games from the home, you could easily find yourself hoarding literal piles of this stuff as if they were precious metals. This goes for kids clothes as well, which wouldn't be such an issue if they were being used. The problem is that oftentimes, they haven't been used for years. Toys get broken, games miss pieces, and clothing no longer fits. Yet year after year, these items seemingly stake a claim in the home as if they're part of the family tree.

What is it about these things that make them so hard to get rid of? Is it their nostalgic value? Do we actually believe that one day, we'll fix those broken toys? Is anyone else in the house convinced that we'll really replace the tokens in our favorite board games? And what about kids clothes? We might be able to persuade ourselves that those old hand-me downs will come in handy by the time the second generation family rolls around. But is there any guarantee that this generation will even want to wear them?

Yes, it's hard to get rid of some personal items. They remind us of good times, children's laughter, or maybe they remind us of the first day that our children step foot in elementary school. But if you're craving a more efficient lifestyle and more living space the way that most of us are, you're going to have to head to clutter court and divorce yourself from the things that are no longer applicable to your everyday "modus vivendi."

Take the toys and games that are no longer functioning to a recycle center, and pack up the clothing for a charitable function. Your closets, drawers, garage, and basement will thank you!