Spring cleaning: What to keep and toss in your pop culture closet
Doing some spring cleaning this year? Don’t forget about your DVR.
Spring has sprung, whether or not the weather agrees with it (March 20 is the spring equinox this year)..
And just like old clothes and knick knacks, you’re probably weighed down by some pop culture you don’t really want or need anymore -- I definitely was. Here are five easy steps to cleaning out that part of your life so you’re refreshed and ready for whatever spring will bring.
1. Clean out your TV (literally)
You know that show you keep recording that you haven’t watched and you’ve been meaning to watch it but every time you sit down it’s too heavy or something else is more interesting or they killed off your favorite character? It’s time to say goodbye.
There’s too much TV for you to hang on to a show that isn’t bringing you joy for too long, and there isn’t enough DVR space to do it. Is Westworld too complicated? Chuck it. Annoyed with Negan on The Walking Dead? Delete. Modern Family not making you laugh anymore? Make room for a sitcom that will (may we suggest Fresh off the Boat or Speechless if you love ABC family comedy). After Arrow killed off a major character and changed its format last season, I dropped it from my rotation which made room for new CW shows, like weird and wonderful Riverdale.
2. Do the same with books, movies and music
Listen, if you’ve been stuck on page 100 of the Alexander Hamilton biography for more than a few months, maybe it’s time to admit defeat (we give you credit for trying). If you’re never going to finish the book you’re reading, you might as well not have it on your shelf or taking up space in your phone/tablet/kindle. If you don’t really like an album, why waste the download space? Do you have hundreds of DVDs on your shelf? Are you ever going to watch them again? It’s time to take stock and get rid of what you don’t actually want. I'm keeping my beautiful box sets of the extended editions of Lord of the Rings for instance, but maybe it's time to get rid of that used DVD copy of 27 Dresses.
3. Unsubscribe
All those subscription boxes for clothes and makeup and food and wine seemed really fun when you first signed up, but now you may have a pile of tiny lipsticks that you never use. Unless you’re really getting something out of them, it’s time to say goodbye to all those samples and cardboard boxes adding up. I dropped the clothing box subscription from Dia after I returned two boxes without keeping a single item.
And this can go beyond subscription boxes to subscription services for TV and music and movies. There are so many streaming TV options now, buying them could be more expensive than regular cable. So if you’re only watching one show or even no shows on Netflix or Hulu or Amazon or HBO Now, don’t be afraid to go without. You might find something else you like so much more. There are probably services that have great movies and TV that you haven't heard of, like Take My Wife from comedian Carmen Esposito on Seeso.
4. Skip new media that isn’t worth your time
Just because you liked a few Marvel movies or TV shows doesn’t mean you have to watch everything. For example, Iron Fist, which hit Netflix on Friday, is getting uniformly bad reviews, including from USA TODAY’s Brian Truitt, who called it a “super-fail.” There are plenty of other higher-quality superhero shows available (like Legion or Supergirl).
Similarly, Ed Sheeran’s much-panned Divide doesn’t have to be on your download list (don't worry, Lorde's new album, Melodrama, is coming for you in June), you can save your money for a movie other than panned Belko Experiment or The Shack (maybe instead you can finally catch Moonlight on demand).
5. Clean out your actual closet
Fresh off fashion weeks in New York, Milan, Paris and more, there are plenty of lessons to be learned when it comes to 2017 fashion. When it comes to athleisure, get rid of your old ratty black leggings to make room for exciting track pants (see the DKNY show for inspiration). And if you're looking for some high fashion with a low price for this spring, don't sleep on Victoria Beckham's new line for Target. See some of the looks below.
When it comes to your makeup, you can probably toss heavy foundations in favor of lighter skincare products. As the weather warms up and the sun gets stronger, you’ll thank us. I recently gave up on expensive powder foundation (like Bare Minerals) and now use Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream. It's lighter, cheaper and takes less time to put on. Clarin's Booster Detox serum is also a great way to refresh your skin for spring.