I absolutely love to read…in fact, I had a goal growing up that I would read every book in our library. Spoiler alert, this is not achievable.

I love curling up with a book in my hand and was super resistant to adapt to a Kindle when I received one as a gift years ago. But it has been a total game changer, so much so that I’ve edited the books in my home down to a couple dozen.

Going through my collection of beloved books, sparked a mission of downsizing my various collections of CDs, DVDs and magazines. It’s amazing how much space these items can take up and how they find their way into every room of a house.

But it can be challenging too, as it seems that each item evokes a memory of the past. I wanted to come up with some ways to ease the decluttering process of these beloved collections. 

• Books – Create a Pinterest board that serves as a virtual bookshelf. This can be a clutter-free way to remember the books you love, keep track of those you’d like to read and a way to share recommendations with friends in need of a page-turner. From there, share your books with other by dropping them at a Little Free Library in your community.

• CDs – Spotify has become such a fun obsession of mine for creating the perfect playlist for every occasion. Over the years, I found myself hanging onto CD’s because one song stirs up a special memory. However, those bulky cases take up way too much space and I don't even have a spot to play them inside my house anymore. So, I decided to go through the entire collection and create playlists that I can listen to from anywhere inspired by various points of my life. And then, donated the whole collection.
   

• DVDs – With streaming services readily available, we’ve downgraded our DVD collection to just a few home movies that were converted years ago. With wintIf you have a collection of DVDs gathering dust, plan a Throwback Movie Viewing Party where you re-watch some of these favorites. From there, donate to your local library (and get the benefit of a tax deduction).
   

• Magazines/Catalogs - Years ago, I eliminated magazine subscriptions aside from one I could never part with, Indianapolis Monthly. I found they piled up and I began to feel more of an obligation to read them versus looking forward to seeing them in my mailbox each month. Are you in the same boat? If so, consider donating your collection to schools for crafting purposes, office waiting rooms or a women’s shelter. It is always a good idea to give a call prior to making this type of donation to make sure they are in need (and remove your address labels from the outside cover).

To keep your collection minimized, consider borrowing or renting rather than buying next time you need something to read, watch or listen to. And if you absolutely love an item, hold onto it but also recommit to using it. Grab those CDs for your next long drive and have a throw-back soundtrack carry you to your destination. 

What is one movie, album or book that you just can’t bring yourself to part with? For me, it is my very first CD, Mariah Carey’s Daydream (with a hand-puff-painted cover by 5th grade me)!