It has concerned me for a while that my posting here at 365 Less Things has been very sporadic, and that even has begun to occur with the Monday Mini Mission posts. I put this down to a couple of things. One is personal commitments that seem to take up so much of my time of late. And the other is that my interest in writing about decluttering has waned with my lack of a decluttering goal. 

This goal concept has always been a thing here at 365 Less Things but I didn’t realise how much of an encouragement it was for me until recently. With the lack of an actual goal to work towards when it comes to decluttering I have become a little bored of the task. That isn’t to say that I haven’t been decluttering at all, because with my constant decluttering of craft supplies the task certainly seems to be continuous. However sometimes it is so continuous that it seems never ending which becomes both tedious and feels futile. A problem which I have encouraged so many other readers to overcome by focusing on the one thing a day method. Ironic right?

So, I have decided to start to declutter one thing a day again. My goal at this point will be 30 days in duration and we shall see where it goes from there. I will be going to Japan just after Christmas for a couple of weeks over which time I will be taking a break but I dare say I will commence again on my return.

My intention is to go back to my original format of post my thing a day. Perhaps not every day but at least more often that my pathetic effort of late. But we shall see how that works out.

Join me in my quest if you please by also committing to the goal of one thing a day for a period of time. It gives you two goals, firstly the thing each day and also the long term goal of whatever period you choose to stick to it for. You might be surprised as to how inspiring that turns out to be.

So my thing for today is an evening gown that has been in my closet since before my original challenge began over seven years ago. I guess I thought I would eventually use it but since I have another gown, that also hasn’t been used in quite a while, I most certainly don’t need two of them for those very rare special special occasions. So here it is and out it goes.

I have dithered many times in my decluttering journey, unable to make a decision about my stuff.  Two of the “ditherees” left my house this morning because I needed soft fillers to keep the glass bowls I was donating from clashing with each other.  One item was a top I bought that always looked better on my younger daughter than it did on me.  When she left home, she also left the top.  I thought this morning that I’m never going to wear that again and it’s not my other daughters’ style, so out it went.  The other item was a pair of nice warm slippers.  They didn’t have an indoor – outdoor sole, which bugs me, plus they were the type that you have to pull on with your hands.  I like slip-ons better.  So, in all the years I have had these warm slippers in a color I like, I have worn them only a handful of times!

All this got me thinking about how many things we dither about, meanwhile these things are taking up space in our homes!  I thought a good mission would be to gather all “ditherees” into a pile in the most spacious area of your home and think about them as a group.  Maybe when you see the volume of space that these items are taking every day, it will be easier to part with some.  If you want bonus points, you can decide ahead of gathering these items that you will commit to donating at least half of them.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Clutter isn’t about what we have, it is about why we have it. 

We acquire stuff for many reasons, aesthetics, functionality, sentimental, recreation and entertainment and even societal, just to name a few. In fact those few reasons just about account for most of the excess stuff in our lives. So lets just take a closer look at them.

Aesthetics ~ The stuff we enjoy mostly because it is pleasing to the eye such as art and décor items, fashion accessories, jewellery.

Functionality ~ These are items we acquire that are useful to us in some way, generally to make our lives simpler or more comfortable.

Sentimental ~ Things we acquire because they bring back fond memories

Recreation & Entertainment ~ The stuff accumulated under this topic is many and varied, CDs, DVD’s, sporting equipment, toys and the list goes on.

Societal ~ This accounts for those items that we acquire because of the culture we live in. And of course they aren’t always necessities and as members of society we just end up falling in line with the trend and acquire them whether we need them or not.

So let’s now have a look at some very typical items that fall into one, or even several, of these categories…

Clothing ~ This falls into every category. Western society dictates that we don’t get around in public naked. So we wear clothing for its function of covering us up. And while choice of what we acquire is partly dictated by the situation the particular garments are required for (recreation, work, evening functions etc) a big part of what we choose is driven by our aesthetic preferences. Where this gets out of hand is when we desire an abundance of variety in that aesthetic and buy way more clothing than we really need. Also aesthetics gets us into trouble when we disregard what suits our “particular kind of beauty” and buy items because they just look good. These items often end up rarely if ever used. And then there can also be clothing items that we relate to special occasions that we keep for sentimental reasons long after they are useful to us.

Kitchen Gadgets ~ These of course have a function, the question is whether or not we actually have a “need” for that function. Once again Western Society tends to dictate that life is easier if we have a tool that speeds up performing every little task required of us. And it is the job of advertisers to convince us that such items can actually do this for us by only showing us the upside, imagined or not, of owning such items. Hence we end up with a gazillion single-use kitchen gadgets that we only “require” once in a blue moon that don’t really save us enough time to warrant the amount of room they take up, the time wasted trying to find the one you “need”  among all the others or the money wasted on acquiring them.

Entertainment Items ~ For a society of people who seem to work endlessly to “make ends meet” we sure do seem to acquire and require an lot of stuff to fill the spare time we are always complaining we don’t have. I often wonder how many of the dollars we earn from those hours spent working are used to acquire stuff we don’t really even need and sometimes don’t even use much before the novelty wears off. Although rest, recreation and entertainment are essential to a healthy lifestyle it seems counterproductive to work our butts off in the first place to cater too it excessively. Fortunately music, movies and games can be enjoyed digitally these days so we don’t actually have to clutter our homes with them. And although televisions screens seem to be getting bigger and bigger they are also getting slimmer and slimmer so they don’t really take up that much room. Computers, phones and also music players have also shrunk over the last 3o years however where once we used to have one of each of these things we, in Western Society, now usually have at least one for every person in the house. And then there is also the variety of of sport and exercise equipment available to us, the clothing to go along with that. And then there are the bags etc required to tote all this stuff around ~ laptop, tablet and phone cases, sports bags, handbags, backpacks… Yikes!

Keepsakes and souvenirs ~ Although these have a function, to remind us of special occasions, good times and loved ones, collections of them can often get out of hand. We even find ourselves accumulating them against our own better judgement because they are another one of those things that society tends to dictate that we should be passionate about. We go on vacation so we “should” get a souvenir from every place we visit. We go to a funeral or wedding and isn’t it respectful to keep the service booklet? Wouldn’t it be wrong to throw out even one picture your child brought home from school, their report cards or any of those band concert programs with your child’s name in it? The answer is no it is neither disrespectful, heartless to dispose of these things nor necessary to have a physical reminder of every vacation or event you ever attended. Sure keep some reminders, the most treasured ones, but not all. It is possible to be sentimental without being cluttered.

Décor items ~ A bed is a functional item that assists us in having a good night sleep. A pillow makes us that bit more comfortable and blankets keep us warm in the cold times. However that is where the functionality of the bed ends, throw rugs and cushions are décor items. Trinkets, art, artificial plants, etc, etc are also just aesthetic items we can either chose or not to adorn our homes. If they didn’t exist we wouldn’t care but once again society and advertising comes into play very much when it comes to the plethora of choice there is out there. And again, they cost money, they require maintenance and the novelty of them tends to wear off over time at which we spend more money switching them out for something new.

Today’s Mini Mission

I starting out writing this post to point out all those things in our lives that we think we need but really don’t and why we acquire them. And sure most of them do add to the enjoyment and comfort in our lives. However there is always a point where enough is enough and beyond that we are just working too hard to be able to afford all this excess and spending too much time maintaining stuff. Not to mention the detrimental effort that producing all this excess has on the environment.

So think twice about continuing to acquire at such a pace for your own wellbeing as well as that of the planet you occupy. And also pass on some of that excess while it is still useful to someone else so they don’t go out buying new. And I will leave you with a great quote I unexpectedly stumbled upon this week just to get life into perspective…

“We are not made rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.” Immanuel Kant

Wendy B wrote this very wise statement in a comment recently in regards to decluttering ~ 

“The thought of tackling the job is often more consuming than doing the job itself.”

How very true this is. I bet there are many of you out there who spent more time and metal energy putting off your decluttering than the time and effort that you actually needed to put into it once you got started. I was a little guilty of that myself to be honest. I knew, before returning home to live in Australia in 2007, that downsizing was our ultimate goal, but aside from the necessary ejection of stuff required to fit comfortably into our new home, and some extra bursts here and there, it was 2010 before I got on with the task in earnest.

And the problem with procrastinating is that you are wasting all that mental stress on getting nowhere. When it is as easy as putting one item aside each day, in the garage, or wherever you choose your transition area to be. Then donating the stuff to a charity when you have a pile big enough to make the effort to drop it off. And if you live in a place like the USA where the charity will come to you, it is even easier to get the job done, or at least make progress.

Of course you can complicate things by selling items via online auctions or similar, or by having a garage sale, but there is always an extra reward for your labours there, so it is often worth the extra effort. But that is entirely up to you.

We often procrastinate because we focus on the harder aspects of the task rather than just getting started on the easy stuff. How does the saying go? ~ “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” And there is always those things that are much easier to deal with than others. That is how I got started and in the end I got rid of far more stuff that I ever thought I would. Even things I had no intention of ever letting go. The more I decluttered the easier it was to part with things and the more things I realised a didn’t need to keep.

Actually just writing today’s post was a case of procrastination for me. That seems a little more than ironic. In the end I figured I would get a better night sleep if I took care of that and another small task before going to bed rather than leaving it until today. And I did sleep better for it I think.

The thing about procrastinating is that it makes you feel bad, then feeling bad makes you sorry for yourself so you self medicate by doing something else you would rather do. While actually by doing what you don’t want to do you can make yourself feel a lot better than avoiding it.

I know there are plenty of my readers out there, who are a long way along their declutter journey, who have been there and done that, so why not share with us your procrastination story, and how you overcame it. And those of you still torturing yourself with futile procrastination, hopefully reading our about experiences will help you start eating that elephant, one bite at a time.

Random Acts of Unusual Kindness

As a pedestrian treat the sidewalk as if it were the road. Keep to the side that the road traffic travels on in the country that you are in at the time. Don’t dart out from side allies and shops into oncoming foot traffic. And don’t walk three abreast. This ought to be common sense, but it doesn’t seem to be, and life would be a lot easier for everyone if we all adhered to these simple rules.

I received an email from an elementary school teacher, Rose Ann, a while back who needs help with keeping stuff under control in the classroom. Or maybe she even collects the stuff and keeps it around the house for when she needs it in class. She really didn’t elaborate on that. But I digress. As I have little experience in classrooms these days I would like any elementary/primary school teachers, who might be reading, to share their experience on how they keep their school supplies under control. Here is her email.

“Teachers save way too many things all the time. Do you have any suggestions to apply the Monday Missions for teachers? Especially elementary school teachers!”

As mini missions are meant to be useful to most readers, doing one especially for teaches may not be a helpful to the biggest majority of us. Which is why I have put this request to you in this post. Also, maybe some of you, who aren’t teachers, teacher’s aids or classroom volunteers, might know a teacher… who you could ask some advice from and post it here in the comments.

I know a nanny whose best friend is a teacher who I believe is very organised so I will send her an email to see if she could get some advice.

The funny thing about this request is that more often than not most teachers, at least that I have ever had contact with, are always on the scrounge form supplies because they never have enough. So I guess Ross Ann is fortunate that she has this problem. However, when supply problems are sporadic it can result in the act of saving every little thing all the time just in case of those times of scarcity. And I am sure this is indeed the problem that Rose Ann is referring to.

I guess one of the ways to avoid this is to set in place an efficient system whereby a teacher can call for help with acquiring supplies when needed, therefore eliminating the need to hoard for lean times. Just like depression era people continued to do long after the problem had passed. My best advice on is to establish a list of email address, each year, of all the students parent. Add to that list all the friends and family you can rely on for help and when needed send out the call and I am sure lots of people will step up.

So please if you have any advice for Rose Ann come forward.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Each of us has a different day when we clean up all the decorations from the holidays.  One thing we all do though is repack and stash away everything.  This is a great time to declutter.  We have a great opportunity to look at each item and decide:

1. Did we use it this time?
2. Does it need repair or a toss into the trash?
3. Do we like it?
4. Do we want to change our style/color? 
5. Has our life changed in a way that requires our decorating to change?

Now is the time to declutter all of those holiday items you no longer need taking up space in your home.  Things like decorations, ornaments, decorative paper plates or napkins, towels, tablecloths, and duplicates of salt and pepper shakers or serving pieces.  I’m sure there are more items you can think of.  How about holiday books or magazines for: cooking, decorating, or crafts. 

This year we are going to be decluttering many things because we will be moving.  We will have two households but fewer places to display items.  Mom is not even sure she wants to decorate other than maybe a wreath on her door.  I will probably keep the small tree we have but not many other things.  If I could find a metal tree I really like I may get one to put the ornaments on because they are what I treasure.

Share with us your stories of decluttering as you clear away after the holiday season.

Well it’s that time again, another change of season. Although Spring has sprung in the south and Autumn changing the colours in the North it is only this week the I have really started to delve into my more summery clothes. So I am going to assume these changes are happening for most of us to one degree or another.

So now is the time to reassess clothing from both seasons. Declutter clothes that were ignore during the season just gone or you persevered with as the season was ending but are too shabby to keep for next year. And as you bring forward those clothes for the upcoming or current season turn their hangers around on the rod so you can easily identify the items that are being passed over as the season progresses.

And as the seasons come and go certain items of clothing we own may start to become less flattering for our maturing tastes and figures. So let those items go as well. I know I will be doing that as I gradually retrieve my summer wardrobe from the box they are packed away in on the top shelf of my closet.

Footwear from both seasons will also be assessed. Those too shabby will likely end up in the trash, while anything still in good shape but disliked will be donated to charity. I don’t think that I will have any charity items but sadly my favourite pair of boots have worn through the bottom and are not of that kind that can be resoled.

Other seasonal items that can also be assessed at this time of year are gardening items, sporting equipment, recreational equipment and bedding. Perhaps even some cooking items may be seasonal to you, and require using up so they don’t linger on the shelf for months unused.

This year I have the unusual situation of moving from Winter into Spring and then back again into Winter before Summer has barely had a chance to assert itself. So the clothing situation is a little more complicated for me this time around.

There are so many variations on climate throughout the world, so timing and choices are different. I remember my time living in the top end of Australia, where the climate is tropical. There was no clothing change there as were wore summer clothes all year round. The only difference was a few degrees in temperature and how wet or dry it was. That was the simple life.

So what else is there that you need to assess as the seasons are changing for you in your part of the world?

Today’s Mini Mission

Find a single use gadget and really rationalise whether it is useful to you or not. And when you come to the conclusion that it isn’t declutter it.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

In response to a comment on Monday I mentioned the idea that if there is a lack of ways to donate your stuff in the area where you live then why not have a free garage sale. Yes you read that correctly, a garage sale to give your unwanted stuff away. Or a yard sale if you like. 

It would be easier than a normal garage sale, because you wouldn’t need to agonise over or make the effort to price everything. Just stick all your unwanted stuff out in the garage or lawn and allow those who come along to take what they please. The lawn sale seems like the safer approach because with a garage sale you would have to cover and or label everything that you aren’t giving away that is usually stored in your garage.

This idea was inspired by a memory of a reader some time ago who lived in France. She said that there were no thrift shops where she lived. So I told her to fill her car trunk up with the stuff she didn’t want and drive to a poorer neighbourhood and let people take what they want. I guess you could call that a free car boot sale. Just to clarify we call a car trunk a car boot here in Australia. I don’t know if she ever tried it, but so long as one steered clean of dangerous neighbourhoods then it would be safe enough to do.

I have to confess that at the time it made me think that it was just easier for some people to throw things away rather than make the effort to come up with a plan to donate it. I stick with what I state in the blog post last week, that people shouldn’t agonise over how to get rid of their stuff. However, in my opinion, they are obliged, for environmental and humanitarian reasons,  to at least make an effort to send it on to someone who can make use of it. And the free garage sale seem to me to be a simple, fast and effective way to go about that.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something from your bathroom.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

You know how the saying goes ~ “Tomorrow never comes.” Well someday is usually even further away than tomorrow. So keeping stuff simply because you might need it someday is a fools game if you are attempting to declutter. Especially if they are items that, in reality, you could easily manage without. For example, silly little single use kitchen gadgets that do the same thing as a knife. That mass of household stationery supplies that could supply a large office for a year. That thing-a-ma-jig to fix that thing that you don’t even own anymore. Just to name a few.

Then there are items you once used but think you might go back to sometime in the future. Such as clothing that you keep just incase you lose or gain weight. The chances are those items will be unfashionable by then. Also in both cases these categories of clothing don’t bring positive feelings. That heavy winter coat you used way back when you lived some place cold. Sports equipment from your younger days that your now ageing body probably couldn’t handle using.

And of course there are those items you spent a lot of hard earned money on but you either never used much or lost interest in over time. You keep them just incase the interest is rekindled, and simply out of guilt for the wasted cash. Keeping them doesn’t change the fact that the money is spent, while selling them will at least recoup some of the money and free up space.

Prior to my decluttering journey there were so many useful things that I had kept just in case I might use them one day. They are long gone now and although every now and again I find myself in a situation where I could use one of them, I manage to improvise and achieve the same result efficiently without them. And I might add that, I feel proud of myself for my ingenuity. Although in most case the solution is simple.

Then there is the case of buying things, when you see them at low prices, just because you might have a use for them one day. Well that is also a fools game. If by some miracle, someday does actually arrive, I am sure the item will still be available to purchase or a simple alternative would suffice. What most people have a need for all the time is money, so don’t waste it on “might needs” so it is available for the important things or better investments. So you are best to leave acquiring stuff that you only might have a “need” for it until then. Now is not the time.

Oh, how much someday clutter did I accumulate when in the honeymoon days of my scrapbooking hobby? Hundreds of pieces of printed paper that were too beautiful, cute or useful to resist that I would use someday. The same went for stickers, embellishments, ribbon and rub-on words. All items I convinced myself I would be sorry if I didn’t buy them because this might be a once in a lifetime opportunity or a bargain too good to miss. Where are many of those fabulous crafting items today? Sold, given away and some still in my craft room. Yes some of it got used but some of it has been undergoing a use-it-up challenge for five years now. Recently I have come to a point where I am using it up more quickly and it is a nice bonus that I am now making money out of it by selling my creations. However frequently I encounter situations where I can acquire more supplies cheaply and even free so there was no need to stock up back in the day.

In this day and age of rampant consumerism what are the chances that something bigger, better, cuter, more fashionable… will come along at the same bargain price or better soon enough when you actually have a use for it? Experience tells me that there is every chance. So there is no need for people to be purchasing items for the future, a future that could be very different than one imagines. This is especially so for items that aren’t even necessary in the first place.

So find the strength to get rid of the stuff you have kept for some day, and have the fortitude to resist acquiring any more of these items from this day forward. Live for the present because someday is never guaranteed.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter crockery and cutlery that would only be required under the same circumstances as the Thursday mission.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

In a post a couple of weeks ago that asked a range of question about your clutter issues and my blog. One of the readers asked for more information on how to get rid of the clutter that has been set aside for removal. I do have a list of ideas on a page here at 365 called Recycling/Donating Guide that you can find here. However it is an unfinished page and may not yield the information you are looking for and also may not be relevant to your location. It is worth taking a look at none the less during those times when you have hit a brick wall.

As I just mentioned, access to ways to sell, donate and recycle your decluttered items is individual to your location. Sometimes you just have to get imaginative. However the more knowledge of general options you have, the easier it is to expand on that knowledge in tricky situations.

The original purpose of this post is to suggest ways to send on the items mentioned in this weeks missions. However together, in the comments, we can expand on that and bring new options to light that many readers may not have thought of before. Not only for the items of the missions but for other items. Just throw in your query or suggestions and see what comes of it.

Monday – Declutter something made from paper.

• Books ~ Donate to a library, mini local or pop up libraries or thrift shop, nursing home, hospital. Sell on-line or at a garage sale, market stall or secondhand bookshop. Give to friends.
• Magazines ~ Donate to all places mentioned for Books, also schools or doctor and dental surgeries for use in their waiting rooms. Put them in the recycling. Sell on-line or at a garage sale, market stall or secondhand bookshop. Give to friends.
• Old paperwork ~ Shred and recycle. Or if you are the crafty type you could make recycled paper from them yourself.
• Letters, diaries ~ Shred and recycle. If there are any pages you wish to reread but don’t want to keep digitise them prior to destroying them.
• Greeting cards ~ Donate to schools or craft groups for upcycling. Digitise if desired and recycle.

Tuesday – Declutter something made from wood.

• Small wooden items (trinkets, boxes, toys) Donate to a thrift shop.
• Lopped trees etc ~ Use up as firewood. Advertise as fire wood to sell or give away. Take to a local waste and recycling site where it might be chipped for garden mulch.
• Building supplies ~ Advertise to sell or give away, the internet sites like Freecycle, ebay or local buy-swap-sell sites on Facebook are good for this. Donate to a local mens shed or woodworking group/club.
• Furniture ~ Sell via the internet sites like Freecycle, ebay or local buy-swap-sell sites on Facebook etc. Sell to a secondhand dealer. Or donate to charity. Most charities will pick up so you don’t have to worry about transporting the items. If you live in an apartment building you could place an ad on the building bulletin board. I have given away small furniture items by placing them on the footpath in front of my house until someone takes them away. I never leave them out in the rain and I bring them in at night. They usually disappear before this is necessary though. You might want to check it this is legal in your area.

Wednesday – Declutter something made from fabric.

• Clothing ~ Sell through the internet (see above ideas) or local consignment clothing stores. Donate to thrift shops or local charities who send to those less fortunate overseas. Local churches often run or have insight to these charities. Hand clothing on to friends or family. If too far gone use them as rags. Anything beyond that probably just needs to go in the trash.
• Sheets, towels & blankets ~ Donate as above. Also sheets can be used as weed matting in the garden. Towels, blankets and pillows can sometimes be donated to pet shelters, veterinary surgeries, pet day care centres and the like.
• Fabric cuts and scraps for crafting. Use them up by making them into something useful. They can also be donated to thrift shops. Schools will appreciate them for arts and craft projects. Local quilting groups would, no doubt, also be happy to take them off your hands.

Thursday – Declutter something plastic.

• Kitchen ware ~ Sell, donate or give away using various methods already mentioned above. If broken many plastic items can be recycled.
• Children’s toys ~ Donate to thrift shop or other charity, day care centre, any place with a waiting room where children attend. Hand down to family or friends. Or sell using methods already mentioned.
• Pens ~ Donate to a school or perhaps even to your work place if you have way too many.
• Storage containers ~ Hopefully you might have empties a few of these by now and have vowed never to need them again. Ofter them to family or friends or donate them to a charity or thrift shop.

Friday – Declutter something made from an animal product eg. leather, bone, wool…

• Woollen clothing ~ (Sweater, socks, trousers, underwear, scarf…)
• Leather Accessories ~ (Handbags, wallet, purse, jewellery…)
• Leather Wearables ~ (Shoes, jacket, gloves, belt…)

Most, if not all, of these items can be donated to thrift shops or other charities. Or sold if in good condition to individuals or via a clothing consignment store.

Saturday – Declutter something metal. That could also be precious metal.

• Kitchen Items (Pots, Pans, cutlery…) ~ All can be sold or donated like any of the other items above.
• Scrap metal in the yard ~ Sold to metal merchant or taken to recycling facility.
• Jewellery ~ Donated or sold same as kitchen items. Passed down to another member of the family or friends. Sold to precious metal merchants as scrap (I’m not a lover of this method as you are usually paid a pittance.).

You can also accumulate your items and hold a garage sale or participate in a car boot sale. This is a quick and effective way of getting rid of a lot of stuff on one occasion. However it does mean having the stuff hang around until you have enough to make the event worth the effort and the season has to be right for some climates. Once the sale is over the leftovers can be disposed of by one of the other options mentioned. I actually do enjoy this method, although the last time I did this was in 2007. With eBay, Freecycle and other online and offline methods I managed to sell most of the items I wanted to without the problem of having somewhere to store them.

Usually a quick google search with yield information about local charities in your area, also where you might find a consignment store, scrap metal merchants or any of the outlets mentioned above. That includes searching for local events such as flea markets/car boot sales and identifying online buy swap & sell sites.

Word of mouth is also a very good way to get rid of items you either want to give away or sell. I have parted with many an item this way. Simply ask anyone you know who you think might be interested in an item. It they aren’t interested they might know someone who could be. Telling people in your workplace, family or friends are some of the most likely options for offloading stuff this way.

If you work within a large workforce instigate a “free box” in the staff room where small items can be put for giving away. Staff bulletin boards are also good for giving away or selling items.

Hopefully this has given you some good ideas on how to offload your unwanted stuff. Please make sure items are clean and in good condition when donating, selling or giving them away.

So now lets see what other wonderful idea my wonderful readers can add to this discussion.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something plastic.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Consider online magazine subscription rather than wasting paper.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow