A few small changes, made consistently over time, could eventually transform your home from cluttered to calm. My simple “APPLE” acronym will help… plus, snag my favorite tried-and-true apple recipes for Fall!
As far back as I can remember, apples have been my favorite fruit, so we’ve often joked that the old saying holds true for me: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” as I rarely visit the doctor outside of my yearly checkups.
But what if an apple a day could also keep the clutter away!?
Confused?
I created a simple A.P.P.L.E. acronym to help you develop 5 habits that will eventually help you simplify your home and life without overhauling or overwhelming.
As you consider your home and life and all the many ways you might like to simplify and streamline, I encourage you to take a deep breath and work to implement one of these tips today.
A = Always put things away.
If you put things away, they don’t sit out. If things don’t sit out, they can’t become visual clutter.
Another bonus of this simple lifestyle tweak… if you put things away in the same place every time, you’ll always know where they are!
Similarly, if everyone in your house knows where the “place” for each thing is, everyone will also know where to find it again.
It sounds simple… because it IS simple.
Not necessarily easy to break a bad habit, but toddlers, teens, and even retirees can all learn to put things away (I promise!)
RELATED READING: My Top Decluttering Tip (put things away!)
P = Purge regularly.
I prefer the word “declutter” over “purge,” but since that doesn’t fit nicely within my acronym, I’m using “purge” today.
Purging / decluttering is much more effective than simply organizing because purging requires much less maintenance in the long-run.
- If you don’t need it… purge.
- If you don’t want it… purge.
- If you don’t love it… purge.
- If it doesn’t fit or flatter you… purge.
- If it was a gift you didn’t want… purge.
- If you haven’t used it in over a year… purge.
- If you have multiple of it… purge.
Less stuff means less to clean around, less to pick up, less to organize, less to manage, less to store, less to think about, etc.
RELATED READING: The True Cost of Our Stuff
P = Put an end to procrastination.
It’s always easier to “do it later”, but I’m here to tell you that “later” rarely ever comes.
- Put dirty dishes straight into the dishwasher instead of leaving them on the counter.
- Put dirty clothes straight into the hamper instead of on the floor.
- Fold clean clothes and put them away instead of letting them sit in the dryer or clothes basket.
- Put books, toys, and games back on the shelf immediately.
- Hang coats, bags, and keys when you walk in the door.
- File, recycle, or trash all papers before they have a chance to pile up.
If it’s possible to “do it now”… then do it.
You’ll thank yourself later!
RELATED READING: My 5-Minute Procrastination Hack
L = Leave each space better than it was.
When you exit a room, take 5-10 seconds to do one thing (not everything) to leave it better than when you arrived.
- If you see trash, throw it out.
- If you notice a spill, wipe it up.
- If there are pillows on the floor, pick them up.
- If the boots are strewn all over the rug, straighten them up.
- If the table is covered with art supplies, put them away.
The concept of leaving each space better than when I arrived has been somewhat of a “life motto” for as long as I can remember.
It’s very simple, and it certainly helps to reduce clutter in my home and life. Truthfully, I even do this when I’m away from my house (I’ve been known to wipe the water on the counters in public restrooms on many occasions 😉).
The next time you leave a space, look for one thing you can do to leave it better than when you arrived.
RELATED READING: 2 Habits of People with Tidy Homes
E = Eliminate Excuses.
If you’ve made it this far into reading the article, you’ve likely thought of half a dozen excuses why my tips just won’t work for your life, your home, your family, your schedule.
Guess what? I guarantee those excuses won’t get you any closer to your goals either — so you might as well give my tips a try.
Or maybe you can relate to the following excuses…
- But it was a gift… (Who cares! If you don’t want it or need it, get rid of it.)
- But I might need it someday… (But you might not.)
- But it’s still in perfect condition… (Great, donate it and let someone else enjoy it.)
- But it might be worth something… (Then sell it and get it out of your home.)
- But I’m saving it for my kids and/or grandkids… (Give it to them now and let them decide if they want it or not.)
It’s not always easy to push past those excuses, but if you truly want a simpler, less cluttered home and life, you must stop making excuses and get to work!
RELATED READING: 10 Excuses We Make to Keep Our Clutter
What do you think… can you remember APPLE?
If not, save the picture below to your phone screen or computer desktop to remind yourself!
My Favorite Apple Recipes!
We can’t have a post about apples in the fall without sharing at least a few easy and delicious apple recipes!
Here are a few of my favorites…
- Whole Grain Apple Cake (pictured below)
- Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars
- Home-Canned Applesauce
- Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Apple Zucchini Bread
- Apple Crisp
- Caramel Apple Salad
- Apple Bacon Pecan Salad with Apple Vinaigrette
- Apple, Berry, Banana Smoothies
Which recipe will you try first?
Feel free to share your favorite apple recipe or your favorite simple declutter-busting tip in the comments.
Susan Wyant says
Hi,
Just moved to a smaller home. Using your system keeps it neat! Thanks
Andrea says
Awesome –thanks for sharing Susan!
JJ says
My crew loves apples, too! My children cannot stand when apples get brown spots, although my dog will happily eat them.
I have found a way to keep them from browning. First I scrub the apples with water and baking soda to remove pesticides. Then I sprinkle(NOT much if it’s a new bottle, or it is way too strong)some Ascorbic Acid(Vitamin C…Nutribiotic is the brand I have and use) into a Pyrex glass bowl and fill a little over half way with water(it’s enough to cover the slices). I stir it really well to help it dissolve. Then as I slice, I put them in the water. Then I finish fixing breakfast. When breakfast is ready(or whatever meal), I use a slotted spoon to drain the apples as I plate them. I was storing extra slices in a mason jar with water, but if we didn’t eat them the next meal they got too soggy. However, if I let the extra apples slices set in the water/Ascorbic acid mix while we ate(then drained them), they stayed fresh in the fridge(without water but sealed in a glass dish with a lid) for about 24 hours. This has eliminated apple slices being thrown out–much to our dog’s dismay!
Your apple cake looks amazing!
Andrea says
ah yes, you’ve shared this recipe with me before so I’m glad you’re sharing it on the blog now. Thanks!!
Liane says
Hi JJ – yes that works great. I always have fresh lemons from my trees (they are confused and don’t know when they are supposed to make fruit) so if I cut fruit I always drizzle lemon juice on it. We are a 100% sugar free home so we occasionally have some honey around. We are also totally grain free so I often bake apples stuffed with raisins and walnuts, some monk fruit sweetener and cinnamon. The dog gets the core after I pick out the seeds! Dogs do love apples!
Lorrie says
Great article and helpful acronym! This reminds me that first time I read your blog (a few years ago), it was an article about your homemade applesauce (I asked a question about it and was thrilled that you answered!).
You may have mentioned this elsewhere and I just can’t remember– but do you buy organic apples?
Andrea says
Thanks Lorrie!
And no, I don’t buy organic apples from the store. I get all our apples from a local orchard from August through February — but again, I’m not sure if they are organic or not (probably not). From March through July, I buy Pink Lady apples from Aldi — they are our favorite!
Jeanine says
Great acronym – I actually think this will be a big help as I declutter! I have loved your blog for many years and have told countless people about it. Also, Nora was beautiful then and even more beautiful today!
Andrea says
Thanks SO much Jeanine! I will pass your compliments along to Nora as well 🙂
Shan says
Great! I will try your APPLE a day and see how far it gets me. Thank you, Andrea!!
Shan
Andrea says
just remember — even a little progress is better than nothing at all!
Natalia says
I’m currently going thru my digital clutter and for a moment, when I saw the title, I was wondering if you’ll be talking about your computter
Great post!
Andrea says
no probably not! Although I do love my Apple devices! Happy decluttering!!
Linda Dantonio says
I like it!!
Christina says
I love this! Such a fun way to remember easy steps to keeping organized.
Andrea says
I know — it is pretty easy to remember! And whenever I eat an apple or applesauce (which is daily) I’ll think of these steps now!