I have written several posts about eBay before…

• Day 134 My eBay preparations
• Day 155 A selling milestone
• Day 127 Snow gear eBay sale

…including posts about packaging up items for shipping…

• Day 138 Packaging up your eBay sales
• Day 160 My thrifty packaging

…I also keep a tally of how many items I have sold on eBay and how much money that has returned to us through these sales on my Give Away – Throw Away – Sell – Use Up page.

Recently I wrote a post about my eBayers Block and how I had a bunch of things that I wanted to sell but just couldn’t force myself to get on with it. Well I am pleased to say the we finally took the plunge and put several things up for auction and had some reasonable success. You will be seeing these items popping up in the item of the day for the next week.

My best success was the sales of my two iRobots. My Roomba vacuum cleaner made just over $100 while the Scooba floor washing robot made over $130 which I was very pleased about. I won’t bore you with the full details as to why I sold these items but I will say that the vacuum cleaner was great and well used (I called it Rupert) but I was never really fond of the floor washing robot so it was a bit of a waste of money.

It takes a bit of effort to get the auctions up and running. I made a list of step involved in this process…

• Layout the items and photograph them.
• Upload photos to the computer.
• Select a category for the item you are selling
• Decide on a title for the item you are selling (I copied the details off the box in order to be precise).
• Find the model number of the item for extra detail (if applicable)
• Type up the item description including condition and things I thought the seller needed to know in order to make an informed purchase. (I copied the details off the box as to what was included).
• Decide on a starting price and whether I wanted to include a Buy It Now option.
• Investigate shipping cost. I used two indicators for this…
  • Shipping calculator link
  • Investigating what other private sellers where charging for a similar product.
• Type all this information into the eBay Start Selling form.

Of course then I can’t leave it alone and check about 6 times a day to see how the auction is progressing. I have to admit I do suffer from a bit of eBay anxiety at times once the auction is up and running which probably causes my procrastination in the first place. There are a couple of reasons this anxiety crops up…

• Reason:-I am always concerned that someone won’t be satisfied with their purchase and cause me a whole lot of grief.
• Solution:-I do my best to be as honest and detailed as possible with my item description so that this is unlikely to happen.
• Reason:- That the item won’t sell and I will have wasted the money on the insertion fee.
• Solution:-
  • I keep my insertion cost to the bare minimum on items I am not confident about and just hope for the best on the others.
  • I also check to see how this type of item is selling before I decide whether to put it up.

The best mental approach to eBay selling is to just be grateful for the the items that sell well and chalk it up to experience on the items that don’t. I have had a few items that have sold that I didn’t lose on but were hardly worth the effort to list or post but I have had more experiences where I made more money than expected. To see what is possible, read Day 155 A selling milestone about my husband’s exceptional experience cashing in on eBay.

Item 344 of 365 less things

This is Rupert he served me well but I wasn’t prepared to spend $150 to make him suitable for 240v current and besides my smaller home is easy enough to look after without his help. Bye Rupert.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. A game of scrabble with the neighbour
2. Going out for Thai food for dinner
3. Having a friend to walk with this morning
4. A cooler day after a sweltering week
5. Liam vacuumed my car – He needed some pocket money but at least I didn’t have to do it myself.
   

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

Although it is always hard to choose it was particularly hard this week with so many thoughtful comments coming through. These are the five favourite comments of this week.

Calico ginger on Day 338 – I have been thinking about this “stocking up” a lot because I downsized last year… Read more

Cindy on Day 338 – I have a large bin of gifts for the children to give for birthday presents… Read more

Bronwyn on Day 343 – My little grandson has his 1st birthday 2 weeks before Christmas… Read more

Susan on Day 341 – our weirdest thing is my cat’s bladder stones… Read more

Paola on Day 342 – I’m definitely going to have a Buy Nothing Holiday!… Read more

Five post I read this week that I wanted to share with you

Small Notebook – Creating a haven using personal filters & Beyond the tension having Christmas with joy I snuck in an extra one there but they are linked in the second article anyway so that doesn’t count.

Be more with less – How-to-live-in-the-land-of-enough-entertainment

Minimalist Packrat – Psychology-of-clutter

Simple Life Prattle {Allan Douglas} -Simply-swapping-favors-and-the-barter-system

Rowdy Kittens – Grandparents

Item 344 365 less things

One of those unsuccessful eBay sales. This crystal duchess set sold for a mere $5- hardly worth the effort involved.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Good weather for drying the sheets
2. Getting out of the house – Coffee with a friend again, I could make a habit of that.
3. My house is clean enough this week that I just did a quick wipe over here and there.
4. The repair man came and fixed out dodgy door locks today
5. Air Conditioning – I caved today and put it on it is 34°C (93°F), very humid and I was uncomfortable.

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

In the spirit of giving at Christmas I have compiled a list of non cluttering gift ideas. This list can also be used throughout the year for birthdays and other gift giving occasions. I have cut and pasted a list I compiled back on Day 199 and added some more ideas. If you have any other great ideas to add to the list I will be happy to include them and then make a page out of it that we can refer back when ever we feel the need. So get those good idea to me via a comment I am looking forward to your contributions.

Edible Treats

• Chocolate/Candy
• Cake (provide a cake for someone’s happy occasion)
• Baskets of
  • Fruit (what could be more colorful or healthy than that)
  • Cookies
  • Groceries
  • Treats (candy, nuts, crackers etc)
• Bottle of wine / 6 pack of Boutique Beer…
• A home cooked meal is always a treat for a special occasion
• Home made treats like jam, cookies, pickles etc
• Take them out to dinner/lunch/ breakfast etc

Gift Certificate

• Dining Out – coffee shop, restaurants etc
• Hardware
• Groceries
• Spa Treatments
  • Manicure
  • Pedicure
  • Massage
  • Hair cut/colour
  • Facial
• Travel Vouchers
  • Flight
  • Bus
  • Train
  • Motel
  • Even just a local train or bus pass so they don’t have to pay for their commute for a week or so

Donations

• Give a donation to their/your favourite charity in the name of the gift recipient
• Donate your time to help out a charity on their behalf

Time

• Spend quality time together
• Do a favour that will save someone precious time
  • ironing sessions *
  • see also Automotive
  • house cleaning chores *
  • Child minding *
  • see also Garden below
• Recharge a prepaid cell phone for more communication time
• Instead of sending a gift make a visit to someone far away as their Christmas gift.

Garden

• Plants/cuttings/seedlings/flowers
• Doing some gardening for them
• Mowing their lawn *
• Prune bushes *
• Water the garden in dry weather or while they are away *

Automotive

• Wash and detail the car *
• Pay for a tank of gas or give them a gas gift card
• Pay for a car service *
• Take and pay for the cars next emissions test *

Friends

• Arrange a get together with a group of friends
• Bring two old friends together

Entertainment

• Buy tickets to a show/event/movie
• Take them out to a show/event/movie
• iPod downloads
• Video store gift certificate
• Theme park tickets or annual pass

Other

• Good old fashion cash
• Pay a bill for someone*
  • Electricity
  • Gas
  • phone
  • A weeks rent
• Flowers
• Gym membership
• A calendar (Most people use one and you get a whole years use out of it before it requires recycling)

Note:- For ideas with * beside them – If the time is not right immediately to follow through on this gift make up a voucher and give to to the person in a card. Make sure you follow throw when the time comes.

Sometimes the best thing we can do is to just be there for the special day.

Item 343 of 365 less things

A collector plate that my mum gave me when I was living in America. It was nice to see the Australian wild flowers on it when I was so far from home but now I only have to go outside. So I don’t need it any more and it has been sold on eBay

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. That I made the effort to go for a walk today- I have found far to many excuses not to bother walking lately and it is starting to show on my waste line. I think my frame of mind has been better today for making that effort and from getting some fresh air and sunshine.
   
2. A friend calling to have a coffee with me today – Between hospitals, medical appointments and family it has been hard to get away.
3. Libraries – I like being able to borrow books and magazines, it saves me money because I don’t have to buy them and I give them back when I am done so they don’t become clutter.
4. A smaller ironing pile – I am not sure what has changed in our home but the ironing pile seems to be much smaller these days. I think it was from Steve decluttering his wardrobe of a lot of collared shirts.
5. Leftovers – They are so convenient when you suddenly have to drop someone off somewhere when you should be cooking dinner.
   

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry f aster when I’m slow.

Cindy Bogard’s Weekly Post

There is a group of Canadian Mennonites who, along with AdBusters, promotes a Buy Nothing Christmas www.buynothingChristmas.org. While my family will not be having a Buy Nothing Christmas, we will be having a Buy Not A Lot Christmas. Each year, I’ve tried to cut back, usually with only moderate success. One memorable year, the kids got so overwhelmed by the number of gifts that we had to take a break from opening them. Good grief! Can you say “enough already!”

This year Christmas comes very close to my half-year of decluttering anniversary. Having looked so carefully at each and every one of the more than 1,200 things I’ve decluttered, I can say for sure that I have very little interest in purchasing.

The girls, too, have been decluttering with me every step of the way. They very much acknowledge that most of the gifts they’ve received have really not been as fun, interesting, or welcomed as anticipated. The amount of books, craft kits, and art supplies that have been shifted out of their rooms and into other homes is remarkable.

In addition to Christmas gift-giving, Clara’s birthday and her first diabetes diagnosis anniversary are the week before Christmas. While I try to look on her diagnosis day as “the day her life was saved” not “the day the wheels came off the bus,” there’s no denying that it has been earthshaking and deserves some sort of special acknowledgement.

So what will we be giving and getting this year?

Audra wants a kitten and, shhhhh, Santa is going to bring her one. Her other gifts will be cat-related items. However, in the true one-item-in, one-item-out tradition, one of the guinea pigs has found a new home at the girls’ school, and I’m trying to find a home for the other one. (Yahoo! This could be a two-for-one!)

Clara desperately wants her ears pierced. She will turn 11 in December, and she’s always been told that she could not get her ears pierced until she turned 13. As I said before, her birthday and diagnosis day are close together, and I figure that since she pokes herself to test her blood sugar at least 10 times a day, she can handle two more pokes.  I’ve invited her three closest friends and their mothers to meet us at the mall on the anniversary of her diabetes diagnosis, and we will all go to the earring store to watch her get her ears pierced. Then I’ll treat everyone to lunch. I think this will truly be a memory for a lifetime, just like Audra’s kitten. For Christmas, I’ll get her some earrings and let someone else get her the books and calligraphy set she’s asked for.

With my parents, we have a completely practical gift-giving strategy. Everyone is encouraged to say exactly what they’d like for Christmas, and if you describe its precise location in the store, that’s not going too far. (“Home Depot, aisle 14, bottom shelf, left hand side. It’s $34.99 on sale for the next week” is not too much detail.)

My husband’s family (four adults and one toddler) is a bit more of a wild card. I have finally realized that I can’t control them, I can only control myself. (It only took me a dozen years of trying to manage their gift giving for me to come to this fairly obvious conclusion.) All of us are blessed with plenty of income and the ability to buy everything we need and most things we want. What that means is that I will be informing them what sort of gifts we’ll be giving by sending an email that finalizes our visiting plans and states, “As in years past, the girls will be buying a gift for (the baby), and we will be making charitable donations for the adults.” (Hmm, I think that might need a little work, but you get the idea.) In return, I will ask for a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (www.jdrf.org) or a gift certificate to my favorite store Amazon.com.  What they do with that information has to be up to them.

Will you be having a Buy Nothing Holiday?

Item 342 of 365 less things

A cable that we received free with one of those fancy schmancy calculators that the kids required in high school. The calculator was used but the cable never was.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Not only remembering to go to the supermarket on the way home from the airport but getting everything I went there for – I have been a bit of an airhead lately.
2. Steve remembering to get the lawn mowing man his Christmas carton of beer while he was at our house today.
3. An afternoon nap – I had a headache all day and needed some relief. Those new cushions came in really handy.
   
4. A great response to today’s (yesterday’s now) post – I had a amusing time reading about the odd things people have as clutter/precious possessions.
5. Lovely soft fresh bread
   

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

I think it is time to play another round of…

Who has the weirdest item of clutter?

Back on Day 168 I asked – What is the strangest item among your clutter? – and I got some very interesting responses including Dog teeth and a ventriloquist dummy. Well after hearing a story from my Mother-in-law this week I think she may have you all beat before we even begin this round.

She has a small bottle containing a birth veil or caul from her grandmother dating back to 1884. According to Wise Geek a caul is a portion of the amniotic sac which clings to an infant as it is being born. As a result, the child is born either entirely or partially still inside the amniotic sac, which often forms a veil over the infant’s face.

According to Wikipedia – Over the course of European history, a legend developed suggesting that possession of a baby’s caul would give its bearer good luck and protect that person from death by drowning. Cauls were therefore highly prized by sailors. Medieval women often sold these cauls to sailors for large sums of money; a caul was regarded as a valuable talisman.

I don’t care if your story isn’t quite as odd as this I’m sure we would all like to hear it anyway. I will accept a story about someone else’s clutter that you may know of. You don’t have to consider the item as clutter either as it may be quite precious to you as are my children’s baby teeth and my mother-in-law’s caul. Really I just want a good laugh.

Actually my mother has the doll off the bridal car from when she was married 51 years ago. It is still wearing the underpants she made for it. She had written “No Peaking” on the underpants because she is just silly like that.

Ok now everyone don’t disappoint me get those stories in ASAP so we can all be amused.

Item 341 of 365 less things

Just another one of those items that we brought back from America that we should have.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Waking up and getting out of bed – I was having a string of bad dreams and I was glad to escape that.
2. Getting out of Liam’s neurologist appointment five minutes before it was even supposed to begin – we were half and hour early getting there which may have had a lot to do with it.
   
3. Finding the cushions I needed for on my family room sofa’s for only $6 each – Yes don’t die of shock I actually bought something. I have been wanting these for months now but I wasn’t going to settle for something I didn’t really like or that was expensive. I certainly achieved that I got 4 cushions for the price of less than one of the others I had seen. This is what happens when you don’t rush your purchases.
4. Our ebay auctions are out of the way for now.
5. Phone calls from friends and family – It’s nice to know people care.
   

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

A guest post by Cindy Bogard

I subscribe to Real Simple magazine. I enjoy it, especially the section “New Uses for Everyday Things” which gives alternate uses for common objects. (Newspaper can deodorize food odors. Who knew?)

The December 2010 issue had an article called “Five Things to Save for Your Kids.” “That sounds good,” I thought. Well, think again, Real Simple. For once, I think your advice stinks.

The five experts and their “must keep” items are:

1. Eric Silver, an antique gallery owner and appraiser on Antiques Roadshow: Insignificant objects from significant occasions, such as a souvenir program from a concert or postcards from vacation.
2. Mike Bender, founder of the website AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com: Something mortifying from your childhood. Mr. Bender believes that we will whip this object out at the crucial moment and show our children how we can relate to their current, awkward situation in life.
3. Rafael Guber, genealogist: Practical, high-quality household items, such as soup ladles, candlesticks, rosary beads, and other items which can be used by the recipient to create a feeling of closeness to the item-giving loved one.
4. Jennie Eisenhower, great-granddaughter and granddaughter of two U.S. presidents: Something your descendants can re-purpose. Her example is a sugar bowl from her grandmother Pat Nixon, which she uses as a spare change bowl on her dresser.
5. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, history professor and author: What you wore to work Monday. Dr. Ulrich says that wedding dress are “a dime a dozen” because everyone saves those. Something really valuable is common, daily clothing, which few people save.

Wow, decluttering expert Cindy Bogard, blogger from Austin, Texas, thinks these people, with the possible exception of Jennie Eisenhower, have it all wrong.

Here’s how I break it down:

1. Insignificant objects from significant occasions – Significant to whom? Why? Mr. Silver’s example is a playbill from a concert by The Doors and Jefferson Airplane, now valued at $1000. Unless my father was a professional rock musician, if he gave this to me, I would say, “Thanks Dad” and sell it promptly.
2. Something mortifying from my childhood – Frankly, I have tried to rid myself of these things. I don’t think a ghastly photo of me wearing a now deeply unstylish outfit with a bad hair do and unflattering glasses is going to convince my children that I can relate to them. If anything, it could make me seems more out-of-touch.
3. Your practical, high quality household items – Hmm. While I don’t disagree with this bit of expert advice in principle, the items that Mr. Guber mentions (candlesticks, soup ladles) are not valuable to me. I like my grandmother’s kitchen knife that my grandfather sharpened so many times that it has an oddly curved blade and the handle is worn silky smooth. Hardly a “high-quality item,” but dear.
4. Something your descendants can re-purpose – This is the only one I like, because I like Ms. Eisenhower’s flexibility in re-purposing. I like that she feels free to enjoy her grandmother sugar bowl as a knick-knack collector on her dresser. I hope her grandmother likes it too.
5. What you wore to work on Monday – I’m sure historians would love to find a fantastic handmade, everyday outfit from the Colonial times, but it will be hundreds of years before someone will value the mass produced jeans and school t-shirt I am wearing right now.

Item 340 of 365 less things

Something I picked up at a garage sale back in the States because my hubby is a Pirates fan. Is has never seen the light of day since I bought it. It would be a miracle if someone spots it at the thrift shop and think “Wow a Pirates bag I have to have that”. Ha Ha

5 things I am grateful for today

1. Another beautiful day – Not to hot and a nice breeze and a few clouds around.
2. Skip-Bo – A card game that Liam, his grandma and I have been playing everyday for a week. I love to play games with family and friends. I don’t even care if I lose I just love to play.
   
3. Fred’s garden – I needed some chives for something I was cooking for dinner and my neighbour Fred has a great garden and loves to share. He actually thanks me for making him feel useful by using his stuff. What a guy!
4. Cindy – For saving the day yet again. With a visitor in the house and a busy week-end I went blank when trying to come up with a post today so I used one of Cindy’s efficiently written ahead of time posts.  I will try not to make too much of a habit of it.
5. Pancake shakers – Went there is only enough milk in the fridge for a morning coffee and there isn’t enough bread for toast it is great to be able to whip up a quick brecky (that’s breakfast for you non-Australians) of pancakes and syrup. No effort involved.
   

I have a little book that a friend gave me recently although she knows better than to give me presents she just can’t help herself. The little book is called Everyday Happy 365 Ways to a better you – by Jenny Hare. Day 339 was so relevant to the way I declutter that I thought I would share it with you on Day 339  Simple Sunday. So here it is…

Break tasks down

When you are trying to get something done, it may help to break the project down into easy do-able chunks. Looking at the whole picture can be so daunting that you judder to a halt before you’ve even begun.

Setting it out in bite-size chunks and tackling them one by one, suddenly makes the process less of a scary task and more of a pleasure. When you complete a section, you’ll feel so pleased with yourself you’ll eagerly get going with the next one.

Bit by bit – when you move through a job piece by piece the whole journey feels good.

Item 339 of 365 less things

Yet more plastic drawers the we no longer have anything to put in. Decluttering the clutter holders is a good sign of making progress.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. We had a nice amble around a local craft fair – All we came away with were good ideas.
2. We had a lovely get together with the neighbours – A neighbourhood get together to say Merry Christmas to each other and welcome to the newcomers.
3. Leftovers for dinner – So I didn’t have to cook.
4. Free 20 minute cell phone calls after 8pm – They are the main source of communication with my daughter.
   
5. Stumbling upon today’s post idea at the 11th hour

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

Stocking up is the brother to I might need it some day and both are a problem when it comes to trying to live a more minimalist lifestyle. One can create clutter while the other can undermine the decluttering process. Either one has the potential to cause mischief on its own but put the two together and you may even create the basis of hoarding.

Lets look at stocking up first…

The problem with stocking up is that it rightly or wrongly appears to make economic sense. This is especially so when it comes special deals where you can get two for the price of one. In this instance it would seem ridiculous not to take advantage of such a bargain so long as it is a product that…

• you use all the time and isn’t going to take  months or years to use up.
• it isn’t going to perish before you will use it up.
• you have used before and you aren’t going to discover that you have an allergy to it.
• it isn’t related to a pastime that you may grow board with before you are likely to make use of it.
• (if it does pass the previous criteria) you have the space to store it in your home.

Think long and hard about the situations I have mentioned above and any others that may pop into your head. Lifestyles, interest and tastes change all the time whether it be hobbies, sports, food, fashion etcetera. Even our bodies change, our skin, our hair, sensitivities can develop and we all know how age affects what products we require.

What I am saying here is that reasonably thought-out stocking up makes great economical sense but don’t be lured in to what appears to be a “great deal” simply by price alone, stop and consider any purchase no matter how tempting it may seem on the surface.

Bargains aren’t the only reason people stock up. Other reasons can be, don’t like to shop, live out of town, fear that an item you love now may become obsolete etcetera. Whatever the reason the same guidelines apply.

Helpful Tip :- To take advantage of great two for one deals without stocking up share-buy with a friend then you will both end up with one each at 50% off. This can apply to bulk items as well if it is something you can physically split  evenly between people. I used to shop this way at Costco sometimes with a friend of mine in America. We ended up with a great deal between us without the bulk.

Now lets look at I might need it some day…

Once again there is economic sense in hanging on to an object because it might come in useful in the future. The problem is that in the meantime this item, that may or may not ever be used again, is taking up valuable real estate in your home. If it is bothering you because it is more aesthetically unpleasant than it is useful to you then you really need to give it serious consideration when decluttering. Here are some points to consider…

• could I borrow a similar item if I needed one again in the future?
• could I hire a similar item at a reasonable cost.
• could I replace this item cheaply if circumstances changed and I now had a constant use for one of these items.
• is this item likely to perish and become useless from sitting unused for a long period. In this case you are better to give it away now. From personal experience I know that there are many things that you might expect will last for ever but in actual fact will never be useful again if left unused.
• is this item taking up valuable space that I need to work/ live efficiently.

Yes there will come the odd moment when we think – “Heck I wish I hadn’t got rid of this or that.” or “I wish I had got more of that when it was cheap.” – but those times will be few and far between and most likely fleeting. I will bet the times when you think – “I should get rid of that stupid thing it is always getting in my way.” or “I wish I hadn’t bought so much of this because I don’t really like it any more but it would be a waste to throw it away.” – will come around far more frequently if you make poor decluttering or purchasing decisions.

Day 338 of 365 less things

This set of plastic drawers is one more item we do not need to store things in that we no longer have.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Laptop computers – I have found that I write my blog better in bed which would be a little difficult with a desk top computer.
2. Spaghetti Bolognese – It is so yummy yet so easy to make.
3. Steve came home – Everything went well after my husband’s operation yesterday and they let him come home today as planned.
4. The voice of reason – I am finding myself to be a bit overprotective of Liam since his accident so it is good that I have Steve to be my voice of reason when I try to hold the apron strings too short and tight.
5. Quickly finding a good parking spot in a busy car park.
   

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

Five comment I wanted to share with you this week

Rachel K on Day 331 – Your messages have been a great inspiration to me… Read more

Ornela on Day 333 – Yet another wonderful, insightful post. It hurts how much you’re right… Read more

Deb J on Day 333 – When I was growing up we didn’t always have the latest and greatest… Read more

Deb J on Day 335 – Cindy & Colleen, I have realized how much decluttering has changed me… Read more

Rachel on Day 335 – Colleen, recently you posted about *Take 5*… Read more

Five post I wanted to share with you this week

Be More With Less – The drip method a minimalist guide to success

Raptitude – Where is your mind right now

Minimalist Woman – Green gift Monday I really wanted to get involved in this myself but I didn’t hear about it until the last minute and didn’t have time write a blog. So please take a look.

Marc and Angel Hack Life – 75 ways to stay unhappy forever

Minimalist Freak – No chores on the weekend

Item 337 of 365 less things

I feel a little guilty getting rid of the calendar holder because my dad made it for me but it didn’t really work well for me. It has been collecting dust in the garage for three years.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Days that go to plan.
2. Clothes that are easy and comfortable to wear.
3. My hubby’s operation went well today.
4. Being comfortable making the more difficult decluttering decisions.
5. A gas station appearing just when you need it.
   

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

Well the jolly fat man is due to arrive again but that isn’t going to send me into a spin this year. I have let my family know that I will not be wanting any gifts and aren’t planning on buying any for anyone else. I will be giving my children money and everyone else will be receiving one of my recycled Christmas cards which is what this post is about. I love simple Christmas I feel so much more relaxed this year.

Every Christmas for the last  few years I have been using the cards I received the year before to make the years supply of Christmas cards. Instead of sending generic cards I am sending something I have put personal effort into and am recycling at the same time. I hope the recipients appreciate the effort that went into it and consider it my personal gift to them.

The decluttering aspect of this exercise is that I use up some of my over abundance of craft supplies. This year I have used 15 card bases and envelopes, several embellishments and a number of sheets and scraps of patterned paper and card stock . It may not be much but every little bit counts. Below I will share with you the results of my efforts.

A sample of the end result of my recycling and decluttering

Before                                           After

Before                             After                              Before                                After

Before                             After                                 Before                                    After

Item 336 of 365 less things

The complete collection of cards that I made for this Christmas. Slowly but surely those craft supplies are starting to dwindle.

5 Things I am grateful for today

1. Games to play together on a rainy day.
2. Be able to do things with my own two hands.
3. Patience – I can’t say I have it for everything but it has been the key to my decluttering process this year.
4. A break in the rain to plant some basil and a chilli plant.
5. Rice – Thai black sticky rice, creamed rice pudding, curry and rice, risotto… need I go on. It’s just so versatile.