Unless I've lost track, which is possible, this article from Wired magazine on the need to fix things, rather than just tossing them out, has not been included in a Friday post. I'll wait while you read it. One of the things that I love and appreciate about my husband is that he can fix almost anything. Sometimes his care in fixing an item makes it better than when it started out. Recently, he fixed a bag dryer that we've used for a decade. (See a photo of a bag dryer here.) Years of use had finally caused the glue to completely give up and the base to fall off, so I was using it balanced … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2013
Decluttering Deadlines
Three years of decluttering and all of a sudden I have a deadline. I have a little under four weeks to do my best to ensure that what we own will indeed fit into a much smaller dwelling. Going from a two car lock-up garage to a single car space with no storage cage means we can only keep from the garage what we are willing to fit into the apartment. Aside from that there are a few things we will offload from the inside of our house and that should be all that needs doing to make the move. We may get even more ruthless once we are in, because we don't want to go from a decluttered house to an … [Read more...]
Mini Mission Monday ~ Reason’s Why
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. There are so many reasons why we keep stuff we don't need, use or particularly enjoy. This weeks mini missions are devised to help you identify some items in your home that have stayed beyond their welcome. I will give you six reasons why things may have remained for so long and it is your task … [Read more...]
Friday’s Favourites ~ 26July2013
On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did. Favourite Comments. Enjoy! June has a way to help her realise just how much clutter she has removed. Read about it here. Sassy has an example of family members learning from one another no to burden those left behind with their clutter in this comment. Melissa now realises how the little things do add up. From experience Jen has learned that the best way to organise is to declutter. Favourite Web Finds. … [Read more...]
Fourth Thursdays with Deb J ~ Your Input
So you are ready to declutter but you have some issues. There are problems with decluttering some things in your home. What would you do in the following cases? You have over one hundred rolls or pieces of ribbon. They are black, white, reds, yellow, greens, blues, pinks, purples, gold and silver. They are of various types but all are for sewing or crafts. They hang on the wall in a well made, wood cassette tape holder with room for 100 tapes. You haven’t used any of this ribbon in almost a year. Much of it has never been opened. You want to get rid of it. Someone in the family doesn’t … [Read more...]
Slow and Steady Reinforced
Here is a little example of how my decluttering strategies are helping me in the task of compiling my household inventory. As you know I have been working away slowly and steadily on this household inventory for a while. Before I began my husband transferred the inventory from our last move, back to Australia from America, into a new program. This inventory did not include the items that had been left behind in storage while we were in America, or items we have purchased since. And of course this old inventory contained many many items that I have long since decluttered. And some items had … [Read more...]
Use your imagination to help you declutter
Today I am going to suggest five scenarios, that you can imagine you are a part of, that would likely force you to be more ruthless with your decluttering. You find an area in the house that you feel could do with some decluttering, and I will set the scene for a situation that would, if it were reality, make you let go of some items you might otherwise keep just because you have the space. Scenario One:Â Your kids have left home and you have just had an offer, out of the blue, from someone who would like to buy your house. It is a very generous offer and you have been thinking of downsizing … [Read more...]
Mini Mission Monday ~ Simply Simple
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. Sometimes my mini mission get a bit bigger than little. Sometimes they sound easier in print than they are in reality. So this week I am going to keep them simple to understand and simple to carry out. No thinking and not much effort involved. Monday - Declutter a drawer anywhere in your … [Read more...]
Friday’s Favourites ~ 19July2013
On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did. Favourite Comments. Enjoy! Marianne explains the benefits of slow and steady decluttering in this comment. Lucinda has had some insight recently as to what living with much less is like. Read about how it has inspired her here. This comment is also from Lucinda. I love that even though she feels her home is still quite cluttered she doesn't sound negative about it. Sanna tells us in this comment how … [Read more...]
Organising Basics
One thing is for sure, as my home has become more and more decluttered, taking care of it has become easier and easier. Having a place for everything and everything in its place is a cinch. Here are the basic rules I follow to keep my stuff, neat, convenient and under control. Keep things in the most logical location for your needs. Store items near to where they are going to be used so they are handy when you need them. Baking pans near the oven, cups and mugs near the kettle,printer paper near the printer, your keys by the door you usually enter and leave from, with your wallet or handbag … [Read more...]