Cindy

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

As if for the first time, last week I noticed that there is a large bulletin board partially tucked between the wall and my dresser. What’s it doing there? Well, I think it’s been for for two years, since we remodeled and it needed a new “temporary” home. That made me wonder what other pockets of cluttered I had squirrel away. For your edification and mine, I grabbed my camera and wandered the house. I found two more areas, and what makes these pockets special is that I had no idea they were there until I went looking for them.

The first pocket, as I said, was my bulletin board. It has greeting cards and photos on it, not things like memos from my daughters’ school or important reminders. I no longer have my own office area and the laundry room doesn’t have wall space, so I don’t know where to put it. Do I really need it? It does have favorite pictures and greeting cards, but really only two of them are truly, truly dear to me. One is a card from my husband of two cats and the inscription “I will love you my whole life, times nine” and the other is a homemade card from a friend who took my full name and wrote a compliment for each letter: C is for Confident, I is for Inquisitive, etc.  (Julia, I’ve had the card for 8 years now, and I still love it. Thank you.) I’m still coming up with a plan for this pocket of clutter.

The next is an area on the front porch. Two cans of stain, a unusable fire extinguisher, a sample of soapstone (remodel remnant again), a piece of wood, a couple of bricks, and a whole lot of leaves. What are they doing there? How did they get there? Again, I bet they’ve been there for at least a year. This morning the weather was fine, rather than the same temperature as the surface of the sun, as it has been for the past two months. I swept the porch and sidewalk and  put everything that was cluttering that corner in its proper place.

The last area was a small pile of photos, a little picture in a frame, and a newspaper clipping that had come to rest half tucked behind the music player on the counter. Except to recycle the newspaper clipping (free summer movies for the kids – didn’t see one and the summer is over), that pile is still there. It’s a random collection of photos, the sort that is the hardest to deal with because the photos are not one theme or event.

How did these pockets of clutter come to be, and why did they stick around for so long? The most recent pocket, the random photo pile, has been there for 3 or 4 months. The other two are probably several years old. In each case, the clutter was “out of sight, out of mind.” The porch clutter was in the far corner, the bulletin board is wedged by my dresser, and the photo pile was half hidden by the music player. If I hadn’t gone looking for them, when would I have noticed them? Next week? Next year? Never?

My challenge for you today is to look through your house in search of pockets of clutter. Like dust bunnies, they’re hiding in the corners or under the furniture. I’ll be curious to know what you find on your search.

Today’s Declutter Item

This is not a pocket of clutter I had overlooked, it is something that has been on my possible declutter list for some time. I store my hand towels under the kitchen sink where they are most handy to where they are used. There are too many to really store there but I have been cramming them all in anyway. I have decided to let this half of them go to the thrift shop because at their rate of wear it could be another ten years before any of them wear out. Someone can buy them secondhand now to save them from buying new and I will just replace mine later when they are too old and shabby to use.

Seven Hand Towels

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Leftover lemon meringue pie. I made it for my husband because it was Father’s Day in Australia on Sunday and it is one of his favourites. My son doesn’t eat it and my husband doesn’t eat sweets during the week. It is not something that can be frozen well so to save it from going to waste I am just going to have to finish it off myself. Life is good!

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

In quick response to last Monday’s Mini Missions I received this comment from Annabelle explaining how she had mastered the weeks challenge in one day. Her quick decision to donate the seven things that she had chosen to charity then and there reminded me of something that happened on the Sunday before.

A friend of mine has been decluttering her house for a while and I have offered to show her how to go about using ebay and giving her suggestion on how she can get rid of some things. Her husband and mine work together and they have both used the online notice board at their work place to sell several things. This friend has also given some things away to friends.

On Sunday she asked if I could come over to see what she had left and give her suggestions on what was sellable and what she should just give away. There was no doubt that some of the things she had were worth trying to sell but there was also many things that would just be a waste of time to try to sell on ebay. Like the general retail situation at the moment, I have found that ebay is also in a bit of a selling slump. People just aren’t buying unless you are just about giving the stuff away, and sometimes not even then.

My friend did not want to waste her time sitting at the local flea-market for six hours to try to sell her stuff.  She didn’t want strangers at her home so a garage sale was out of the question. And she wasn’t keen to do the ebay thing and would rather give me a commission to do it for her. But as I said I didn’t think ebay was the answer right now.

In the end I pointed out some things that I thought were worth trying to sell on the work notice board. As for the rest of the stuff, I asked her whether she had made any charitable donations this year. Her reply was “Yes, but not that much.”  but she also donates her time by doing a little volunteer work. I said to her “Well here is your chance to make a donation that won’t affect your bank account directly and/or you can consider it a free pass from volunteer work for a little while. Just give all this stuff to charity. It will be worth cold hard cash to the thrift store and you will be doing yourself a favour by getting it out of here quickly and painlessly.”. I even offered to have her bring it to my house and I would deliver it to the thrift shop myself.

It is ironic that we have no qualms about wasting our money on all this stuff we probably didn’t need in the first place but then when it comes to getting rid of it we suddenly want to redeem ourselves. I have done this myself as I am sure you all have. I can tell you one thing for sure though, I will be very careful that it doesn’t happen in the future. Be wise about what you buy then you won’t need to be wise about how to sell it when you don’t get your money’s worth out of it. If the item has surved you well but you don’t need it any more then call it even and donate to charity. Donating is a feel good effective way to get rid of your stuff.

Today’s Declutter Item

If I have used this declutter item photo before please someone let me know. I declutter in advance of my blog posts because life happens sometimes and it would become easy to get behind. I think I have gone to pot this item a couple of times but changed my mind. Anyway it is a book I read some time ago and then I loaned it to a friend. Against normal convention she actually brought it back to me but I really didn’t want it back. I have donated it to the thrift store. It was quite a good book by the way.

Read it don't need to keep it

Something I Am Grateful For Today

My little girl contacted us from Seattle to say she got their safe and sound. She is so happy to be “home”. I hope she enjoys her time there and doesn’t spend all her money before she get back and be calling us for a loan. 😉 That would be funny if it hadn’t happened before. Love you precious girl! ❤

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

Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

For this weeks mini mission I thought I would just pick some random areas around the house that you might not of decluttered anything from for a while. If you don’t have some of these categories to declutter from substitute them with ones of your own. Perhaps someone will come up with a crazy declutter item to share with us and give us all a laugh. Come on use your imaginations.

Monday – Something off the wall. Perhaps a piece of artwork that you really don’t like but it stays there out of habit.

Tuesday – Something in the garden shed. We all know this area can get quite neglected before it gets any real attention. How about just having a quick look and seeing what you can find in there to declutter.

Wednesday – Some paperwork you know you should have taken care of by now. Old manuals that you no longer have the item to which they belong, receipts that are way past return dates, tax papers from years ago. I am sure you can find something in this category to declutter.

Thursday – Something pet related. I have no pets but I am sure I am in the minority. Or perhaps you had one but don’t anymore but still have the equipment tucked into the back of a cupboard or shed somewhere. Now is the time to find what you don’t use and either through it away if it is beyond repair or perhaps donate it to the animal shelter if it isn’t.

Friday – Old keys. Now this may not be a problem if you haven’t moved house for a while but for those of us who move around a bit it is an ongoing issue. Get any old keys together that you aren’t sure are still current and check them in every lock in the house before throwing them away. Be careful that you check every lock.

Saturday – An old souvenir. Anyone who had ever been out of their front door has usually collected the odd souvenir during their travels. I am sure you have at least one among your collection that really doesn’t mean much to you.

Sunday – A beauty product that you just know is going to keep getting pushed to the back behind your favourites. Either use it up like Cindy suggested last week or give or throw it away. These things do go out of date you know ~ link here for more details.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

You will know I am done with decluttering when we run out of baseball souvenirs. I don’t think that will be any time soon.

Mariners Baseball Souvenir

Something I Am Grateful For Today

We are having dinner quests tonight, friends that we seem to see all too infrequently these days. I am glad they have a break in the schedule to spend some time with us. To keep things simple I am cooking a roast dinner. Roast dinners are so easy to prepare and that will give me optimal time with my guests. I am grateful to have good friends, good food and the opportunity to combine the two.

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

For Simple Saturday this week I thought, since we spoke in depth about our closets this week, I would give you a sneak peek into mine.

My stuff at the back and Hubby's to the left

My wardrobe at floor level

The one item I decluttered

Oh my goodness, it was near to impossible to narrow this weeks comments down to just five? There were so many great conversations going on. Here are the five I have picked though, I hope you enjoy them. I would also suggest you read all the comments from Saturdays post if you want to hear some inspiring declutter success stories.

Amidst floods and tornadoes Amy found time to leave this humorous comment. She squeezed this in during a short break from pumping water out of her basement and with the power flickering on and off. Now that is dedication to my blog. Thanks Amy!

Willow took the time to email me and say I should include this comment because it held such a good message. Even though it was written my me I will include it on her request. Don’t forget to scroll up and see what Becky had to say that triggered this response.

I received this comment from a new reader, Kelly who had a great way to avoid the pain of posting things for sale. I think you will agree that she is on to something here. 😉

This comment came in from Willow how discovered something interesting about here use of clothes by participation in the 333 Project.

Ideealistin has come up with a plan to declutter her music collection in this comment but the beginning of the story starts here.

Posts

Inspired by Willow’s comment about here is a link to Project 333 

Don’t miss reading this post as it is a lovely review about my blog by Jennifer Reid @ Lifes like a cupcake.com ~ Best of blogs reviews I was really pleased with what she wrote.

Here is a post from one of our readers here at 365 Less Things who has been inspired to start a blog her Happy Shiny Me ~ Connections

Here is my first ever Twitter link whose author is also one of my readers. I am now following you NatalieInCA.

I haven’t tried this tip from Leo at Zen Habits yet but it sure sounds feasible so I thought I would share it with you in advance. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part.

Today’s Declutter Item

Yet another pair of binders empties of their contents and donated to the thrift store.

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I needed a car today when my husband had ours at work. Luckily for me I am collecting my neighbours mail at the moment and they had generously offered for me to use their car should I have the need. I was most grateful to be able to take them up on their offer today. I am so lucky to have such kind neighbours.

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

I received a comment form Amy last week that just begged asking the question ~ Why is that we buy clothes and then decide later that we don’t like them any more.

Here is Amy’s comment:

Your post reminded me of a time when I was clearing out dresses that I no longer wore. Either they didn’t fit quite right anymore or they were, as you say, “second favorites”. I got everything together for hubby to take to the local charity here and he started going through them saying things like “Why are you getting rid of these, they are perfectly good dresses?” (Hubby is a “saver”) So I said, “We’re going out this weekend, which of these would you like me to wear?” He then told me he really didn’t want me to wear any of them, he liked another one that I had saved-said I looked better in it than any of these. So I said, “So why should I keep these?”. He shut up and took my stuff to the charity.

*******

There are several obvious reasons I can see why we fall out of love with our clothes.

1. They don’t fit as well as they used to.
2. It became obvious after wearing them for a while that they just aren’t comfortable or don’t fit correctly.
3. We bought them in a hurry because we needed them for a certain occasion and chose badly.
4. We bought them for a one off special event but never had the occasion to wear them again and now they are unfashionable.
5. Last years fashions are so passé.
6. I thought it looked good on me when I bought it but now I feel awful in it.
7. I bought it because it was the fashion but later reality set in and I realised this fashion does not suit my peculiar kind of beauty. (I think that is an expression that my mother coined).
8. I loved the way the outfit looked and overlooked the practicality. That is I really had no where to wear it.
9. The fabric is too much bother to care for and so I stopped wearing it.
10. Change of lifestyle. Moving to a new climate, quitting work, starting a new job, having children and I am sure many more big life altering choices can change your clothing requirements.
11. They were on sale and I thought that less than perfect was OK at that price. As it turned out they were a lot less perfect than the price.

This list could go on and on but most of the reasons above really narrow down to making poor choices in the first place. These bad choices are not good for our bank account, our self-esteem, our closet space or, worst of all, the environment. Sure we can donate the clothes to charity but it really is better to take your time to make better choices in the first place. So I have put together some tips to help with making responsible choices when it comes to clothes shopping.

Put need ahead of want ~ Don’t clothes shop on a whim. If you need an item of clothing to round out your selection shop with that intention. Don’t be duped into buying that outfit on the mannequin just because it looks good. Too much of one thing and not enough of another makes for a dysfunctional wardrobe.

Know what you look best in ~ Colour, style, fabric pattern,cut etc. Just because an outfit looks good on the rack, mannequin or your friend doesn’t mean it will look good on you. I am 165cm (5′ 5″) and weigh only 57kg (126lb) but that doesn’t mean everything looks good on me. Weight and height isn’t all that matters, your shape plays a bigger role in clothes looking good on you than your size. I am flat chested and there is no way I am leaving the house without a padded bra and since I don’t like bra straps showing I don’t buy clothes with shoe string straps. I also don’t buy clothes with plunging neck lines because I have nothing to plunge to.

Use your favourites as a guide ~ Check out the items in your closet that you wear and like the most. These are the ones to use as a guide to what you will get the best use out of.

Provide for your usual activities not for the odd occasion ~ Try to limit your wardrobe to items that you will get good use out of. For special occasions stick to a classic piece that doesn’t go out of style. The little black dress was and still is a winner in my book. You can dress it up or down depending on the occasion.

Know your comfort level ~ I put comfort very high on the list of importance when choosing clothes. Anything that is tight across the shoulders or on the arms drives me crazy so I steer clear of them. I suggest stretching in all directions with both upper and lower body when trying on clothes. Squat in pants and cross your arms over in front of your body when trying on tops, any extreme movement will give you some idea as to how comfortable the item will be. Also be mindful of how the fabric feels against your skin. I can’t wear wool or even cashmere because it makes me itch.

Fabric choice is important ~ If you don’t have the time, money or inclination to care for delicate fabrics don’t buy them. This might include items that require dry-cleaning, or just items that should be hand washed or ironed. Stick to easy care fabrics if that is what fits with your lifestyle. My husband has a linen shirt that we send to the dry-cleaners on the rare occasion that he wears it. It isn’t that he doesn’t like this shirt or that it is too good for everyday it is just that it is a bother and an expense to have it cleaned. I found it in the dirty clothes basket the other day and asked him why it was there. He said “I don’t wear it because it is a bother to clean so I have decided that it can go in with the rest of the wash load and if it survives well and good if it doesn’t then too bad. I washed it and ironed it and it looks just fine.

Choose items that coordinate ~ Pick pieces that go well together – Colour, style and cut – then you will be able to mix and match to achieve different looks with the same few pieces. Also take into consideration existing shoes, jackets and accessories when planning these ensembles to achieve a truly clever but stylish minimalist wardrobe.

To round of this post I have a mission for you all.

Choose two or three items from your closet that you think you should declutter. Then share with us, through a comment, why these items no longer suit your needs – if they ever did. We may be able to learn a few things from each other and about ourselves in the process. I will add the information you provide to round of the post above and turn it into a page for us to go to when we need good advice on how to choose wisely in the future.

Here are a few web articles I found with helpful tips on clothes shopping & minimising your clothing

The Time Manager ~ 5 tips to better clothes shopping

Street Articles.com ~ Buying new clothes practical fashion advice for women

Becoming Minimalist ~ A practical guide to owning fewer clothes

Today’s Declutter Item

After keeping a close eye on my sock choices over the winter months I have discovered these socks aren’t being used. They are remnants of my old life in the USA. In Seattle I wore socks all year round because even it if wasn’t cold I had a job that required me to wear closed shoes hence I needn’t lots of socks. Now, not so much. So these have gone to the thrift shop today.

Excess Socks

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I think I have finally found the solution to my disfunctional shower door. I won’t bore you with the details but it has been an annoyance since we moved into the house four years ago. For the last few months I have made an effort to find a solution and I think I have finally done it. Wish me luck, it all hinges on the ability of a local shower screen maker to provide the item I need when I can finally get to their workshop next week during factory hours. I am nothing if not persistent (sporadically).

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