Deb J

As you all know, my mother was recently in the hospital. In the last three weeks people have tried to give her all sorts of things. Meals, flower bouquets, plants, and candy. Thankfully, they all asked me before they did anything. What a relief that was because I could say no. No we do not need meals because we are both on special diets due to health concerns and Mom has little appetite. No we do not need flowers and plants. We react to the smell of the flowers and we have more plants than I want already. No we do not want candy. She can’t have chocolate right now and as diabetics we also shouldn’t have the sugar. I told them what she wanted more than anything was their prayers and visits.

My aunt and one of our good friends insisted on getting us something. Mom suggested we go with an artificial centerpiece for the one table and some type of Christmas decoration. Then they asked us if we would like to go pick it out. We said yes and did so yesterday. What a relief.

At first I thought some might think me rude to respond this way. Then I realized that they had all asked me what to get. They knew it would be hard to get Mom something due to her food issues and allergies. That is why they asked.

This had me thinking about all the “occasions” when we tend to want to encourage or show our care by sending a gift of some kind. I think about those occasions like hospitalizations, long-term sickness, deaths, graduations, retirements, etc. We have been taught over the years to give “things.” In some instances, we have even been taught WHAT to give.

I think this may be an area we could spend time thinking before acting. Does a person really need plants, flowers, candy, books, meals etc? Or, do they need our time and attention? None of these things are wrong. We just might need to think before we do these things. We might just want to ask what is preferred. Just saying.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any kitchen utensils or gadgets that you don’t use often enough to warrant keeping. ~ Who isn’t on the lookout for something that can make our workload lighter. When it comes to the home the kitchen is a major source of this focus. The problem is that many of the gadgets on the market don’t live up to their promise to lighten that load. The utensils drawer ends up with three different styles of peelers, can openers, potato mashers etc and the shelves are packed with all manner of electric gadgets. I must say that some credit has to be given to anyone who still believes on home cooking rather than caving into buying, not always healthy, prepared meals, but be sceptical about the usefulness or such gadgets.

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

Cindy

For a US Woman, I have a very small wardrobe, probably not more than 50 pieces total, and it’s pretty unexciting wardrobe. I wear the same clothes in the same ways over and over. Recently, I discovered the website (http://www.puttingmetogether.com/p/one-item-many-ways.html), and I was intrigued. The first outfit she shows is a somewhat long t-shirt worn untucked over jeans. Hey! I do that! All the time! But look, then she’s showing the same shirt other ways. It was a revelation to me. I tried it; I looked good.

Then it occurred to me that imaging your wardrobe more functionally, with more potential matches, means that you can build a larger and more versatile wardrobe with fewer pieces of clothing. Check out this site and then look in your closet. There are surely items that you can and should declutter, and most of them probably don’t need to be replaced. Think about it: What can you wear in a new way?

Today’s Mini Mission

 Declutter excess bath towels and in future only replace them when they wear out ~ Judging from many of the linen closets I encounter, during visiting friends and relatives, I would say the people generally replace towels on a far too regular basis. Not because they are no longer capable of the task of drying but simply because they are considered decor items that are to be replaced when tired of.

Eco Tip For The Day

When cooking on an electric stove top, turn off the element at least one minute before you are finished cooking. The pan will retain enough heat to finish the cooking process while you save a minutes worth of electricity. Every little bit helps.

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

Much of the clutter in our homes is stuff we didn’t need in the first place.

They are often things we purchase to make ourselves feel good…

• Things for making us feel attractive.
• Things that make our homes look nice.
• Things that are intended to lighten our work load.
• Things to amuse us.
• Things we buy to please others.
• Things to create a little more comfort.
• Pretty things that caught our eye in a moment of weakness.

…and the list could go on.

Ultimately though, these things often lose their appeal fairly quickly and the cycle begins again. Poor impulse purchases would describe them well I believe. With this thought in mind take a quick look around your home and see if you can identify five things that would fall into this category of clutter. If you haven’t been decluttering for long I am sure you could probably quickly find at lease ten.

Now take another quick look around your home and attempt to find at least two items that you put a lot of thought into buying but didn’t live up to expectation. When I say expectation I mean either didn’t live up to its promise as a product or it did but you didn’t end up using it much anyway. I bought an iPod once thinking I would use it a lot. I didn’t rush out to buy it, I thought about the idea for a while, considered what size memory would be best etc etc. Guess what, I hardly ever used it. Thankfully my son was only too happy to take it off my hands when his wore out. He is quite the opposite to me when it comes to his iPod, he wouldn’t leave the house without it and has been like this since he got his first one at lease ten years ago.

So let go of those impulse buys and avoid them in the future. And also let go of those items you thought would be great for you but weren’t. There is no point in hanging on to things that didn’t turn out to be right for you. Avoiding future clutter is all about learning from past mistakes and implementing strategies to stop it coming in. So when considering a purchase, think, think again and then think some more about whether it is right for you. And if you are looking for a little joy in your life look somewhere other than a shop.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any pet toys that are overabundant in your home.  ~ Do you buy a new toy to amuse you pet with on a regular basis when their old toys are still in reasonable condition. Slowly they build up and then you find yourself throwing away the oldest or less loved items whether they are worn out or not. Think of the money you could save.

Eco Tip for the Day

Use a mixture of 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water and a couple of drops of eco friendly dishwashing liquid and a little elbow grease (effort) to clean your shower rather than harsh chemicals. Is is effective and a great aerobic workout.

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

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.

This weeks mini missions are all about bringing your attention to items that have a tendency to unnecessarily build up, be decluttered and build up again. I made that sound like this happens without our being responsible for it but we all know that we are. We succumb to the temptation to replace perfectly serviceable items with something new whether we need it or not. Lets see how many of these items you can find to declutter in your home. But more than that, become aware that you are doing this and consider a change in this behaviour from here on.

I am not going to mention clothing or shoes in this list because that would be the most obvious choice for this category. However give some thought to your habits in this area and consider what you might do to improve on your initial choices that might help help avert this happening in the future.

Monday – Declutter a decor item that has been stashed away out of sight. ~ Do you find yourself refreshing your decor with an endless parade of decorator items. I would suggest displaying meaningful/sentimental items rather than hiding them away in a closet somewhere. You will be less inclined to dismiss and replace them so easily.

Tuesday – Declutter any pet toys that are overabundant in your home.  ~ Do you buy a new toy to amuse you pet with on a regular basis when their old toys are still in reasonable condition. Slowly they build up and then you find yourself throwing away the oldest or less loved items whether they are worn out or not. Think of the money you could save.

Wednesday – Declutter excess bath towels and in future only replace them when they wear out ~ Judging from many of the linen closets I encounter, during visiting friends and relatives, I would say the people generally replace towels on a far too regular basis. Not because they are no longer capable of the task of drying but simply because they are considered decor items that are to be replaced when tired of.

Thursday – Declutter any kitchen utensils or gadgets that you don’t use often enough to warrant keeping. ~ Who isn’t on the lookout for something that can make our workload lighter. When it comes to the home the kitchen is a major source of this focus. The problem is that many of the gadgets on the market don’t live up to their promise to lighten that load. The utensils drawer ends up with three different styles of peelers, can openers, potato mashers etc and the shelves are packed with all manner of electric gadgets. I must say that some credit has to be given to anyone who still believes on home cooking rather than caving into buying, not always healthy, prepared meals, but be sceptical about the usefulness or such gadgets.

Friday – Declutter any stationery items that are overstocked in your home. Especially if they were purchased for their novelty factor. Cute pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, thumb tacks, paperclips etc. ~ You may think this is an odd thing to suggest but you might be surprised at how often inexpensive items such as these are purchased when they aren’t needed.

Saturday – Declutter any children’s toys that are neglected, broken or perhaps never were enjoyed.~ Children don’t need more and more toys they need to be left to use their imaginations with a smaller selection. And they aren’t a substitute for quality time spent with parents and friends. If you find it necessary to allocate a room in your home just to store toys then you most likely have too many.

Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Eco Tip for the Day

Reduce the number it items you buy just for the novelty factor, be they for you or as a gift for someone else.

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

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!

Tuesdays post resulted in some great comments,  here are three of my favourites from…

Gillie who share the positive changes a tweak in her dog walking routine has made.

Moni who tells us how her parents have notice the changes in her home due to her slow and steady decluttering.

Lucinda who tells us about the differences a small tweak in her diet has made.

Nanna starts out this comment by saying she doesn’t think her decluttering shows all that much, but then goes on to prove otherwise. Decluttering doesn’t have to be obvious to others so long as it is making an obvious difference in your life which it sure seems to be for Nanna.

Christine tells us how she has curbed her need to acquire craft supplies.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

Here is another article on clothing decluttering ~ www.theminimalists.com/no-love/

Here is the wedding dress article I told you about on Wednesday that Cindy brought to my attention. ~ missussmartypants.blogspot.com ~ what-did-you-do-with-your-wedding-dress

I found this post via the Becoming Minimalist Newsletter. http://www.slowyourhome.com/2013/10/18/stickers/

Cindy also sent this next link to share with you. Start reading here but when you get to the bottom of the article follow The Dumpster Project link for some more interesting reading on the subject.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something you have set aside to sell but haven’t gotten around to it. Either sell it now or give it away.

Eco Tip For The Day

 Don’t switch your dishwasher on to perform a cycle unless it is full.

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

Like me, Deb J has been on a long mission to declutter her craft room. When Deb sent me these photos some time ago, she said she was only at the midway point of decluttering this area but WOW what a difference she had made already.

Both Deb and I have learned one thing about craft supplies and that is ~ Only buy what you need when you need it. We also both realise that after seeing a new craft tool in action it is best to give yourself a cooling off period before making a decision as to whether we will actually use it enough to warrant the purchase. I know that I have bought tools immediately after seeing a demonstration when excited about how great it seems. Only to find out that either the results weren’t as good at home because I didn’t have the hundreds of hours of practice using it that the demonstrator did. Or that what it produced wasn’t really in keeping with my style.

These same rules can be applied with any purchase. I give myself a cooling off period no matter what it is I am considering buying. I err on the side of caution if I simply can’t decide and just don’t go through with the purchase. Nine times out of ten I am glad later on that I just didn’t bother.

Do you have an area in your home that you know is seriously overstocked like Deb’s and my craft rooms used to be. Perhaps your kitchen, your linen closet, your make-up drawer, tool bench or sports equipment. As you can see, from these photos and ones on the 365 Before and After page, gradual decluttering of an area can make a huge difference over time. Take periodical photos so you can look back and see the progress you are making. They will spur you on after you have forgotten how much worse it was before you began.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something you have kept just because you have the room for it but don’t love it or use it.

Eco Tip for the Day

 Aluminium foil take-out containers can be rinsed and put in with your other recyclable materials. As can single-use disposable aluminium baking trays. However it is best to avoid the use of these baking trays altogether.

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

Me in my wedding dress 26 years after the event.

This week Cindy sent me a link to an article for Friday’s Favourites. It is an article about what to do with your old wedding dress. Cindy had written a post about this subject back in 2010 so I thought I would share that with you today to get you thinking about the subject ahead of Friday.

I have to admit I still have my wedding dress which I only retrieved from my mother-in-law’s house last year. I tried it on at the time but of course it didn’t fit as our wedding was 26 years ago. I am glad to say that it did however come close to fitting. It really is time that I figured out what to do with it. So, on the strength of these two articles, I took the drastic step of putting it in the washing machine today on a gentle cycle in an attempt to clean the yellowed marks off of it. I am working on the idea that it will either come clean, stay stained rendering it useless to donate to charity or washing will destroy it and my problem of what to do with it will be solved. I will let you know on Friday the result of that endeavour.

For now please enjoy this post from the archives.

A guest post by: Cindy Bogard

Colleen asked me to write another guest post, and I was not filled with inspiration, so I polled my friends: What would you like to read about? Sentimental clutter was the most popular answer, and one that Colleen has tackled numerous times. But there was also a challenge, specifically the sentimental clutter of The Wedding Dress, big, bulky, and probably never to be worn again. What to do with The Dress?

So I polled my friends again: What did you do with your dress? The unanimous answer – I still have itor once, my parent has it.

I have mine, which I still think is beautiful 13 years later. It’s hermetically sealed in a gigantic box and is in the top of one of the closets. This particular shelf is rather hard to reach, so the only things that would ever be placed on it are long-term storage items. I have enough storage room in the house, so it stays. Ironically, I do not enjoy looking at it. There is a big oval on the top of the box, and the dress is laid out beautifully, but something about it reminds me of looking into a coffin, so it kind of creeps me out. Weird, I know. However, since I told my daughters I was going to write this post, they’ve been clamoring to see my dress, so I am vowing here, before all of you, that I will pull it out and actually look at it soon.

While we like to think that our dress will be worn by a relative, most likely only a piece of it, such as the veil will make a second trip down the aisle. Accepting this notion, some women have cut up their dresses and given them new life as christening gowns or flower girl dresses. One woman I found on the Internet lets her children play dress up with it. I wouldn’t even let my children play dress up with the cocktail dress that I wore to my first wedding, so I know there’s no chance of them prancing around in the traditional gown I wore when I married their father.

In addition to keeping the dress, there are a couple of other possibilities for it. The first, of course, is to sell it. However, this needs to be done in the first couple of years, because no matter how classic we believe our dress is, styles change, and it likely won’t be sellable after 4 or 5 years.

The other option is to donate it. That I was able to discover, there is only one nation-wide charity in the U.S. that takes wedding dresses,  Brides Against Breast Cancer (www.bridesagainstbreastcancer.org), but even they won’t take gowns older than 2005.

But back to keeping the dress. I thought my girlfriends had interesting things to say about their gowns and their choices:

One of my friends despises her dress, but she still won’t part with it. Here’s what she wrote: Anyway, I have dragged the dress across the country four times. But I never throw it out because it’s a piece of history, if you will: a tangible remnant of my past that the kids can explore or chuck. So far my daughter agrees with me that the dress is pretty putrid. But she always says that she’d like to use parts of it for her gown. So who knows? Maybe butt bows will come back in style — and if they do, I’m ready!

Initially, this friend’s dress was saved by her mother, who later mailed it to her. I think it speaks to the feeling of intrinsic importance that we place on our gowns: By “mailed” I’m being literal: She just slapped some stamps on the hermetically sealed boxes –no wrapping, no insurance, no anything!– and sent ‘em US Mail. When they arrived, our mail carrier –who was a woman– knocked on our door and proceeded to berate me for 15-minutes about the “irresponsibility of sending something as precious as a wedding gown” in such a manner.

Another friend said: My husband wanted to know why I was keeping it recently and I didn’t have a very good answer. It seemed like bad luck to get rid of it or something.

This friend’s husband is with the U.S. State Department, and they move around the world every two years. While she did not keep her dress, her father cannot part with it, and it lives at his house. (And, as you will read, she’s a natural declutterer): So interesting that everyone who answered has kept their wedding dresses! I’m surprised. Maybe because I move so often, I just can’t keep stuff. I cried the day we had to sell my grand piano, and I think that was the day I learned not to develop an emotional connection to “things.” I haven’t looked back since, and now I am queen of “get rid of.” The only things I would hate to lose are my scrapbooks. In contrast, everything my parents purchased was to last a lifetime (actually several generations’ lifetimes). I think it may be something about that  generation, or perhaps growing up in the Depression. I now can’t imagine living that way, with all that stuff piling up!

In the end, though, I think this friend said it best: Every so often I think I should sell it just to make space but you know, I’ve got SO MANY worthless things that could be gotten rid of, I am keeping the dress.

Well said! – Declutter what is not precious, so you have room to save what is.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item of clothing that no longer fits but you have kept just in case you return to that size.

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

Oh, how we get stuck in our ways. We do what we know, what other people do, or simply blindly follow old habits. Every now and again we might consider the idea of changing a small habit, but after a little thought decide – ‘Maybe not.’ or ‘What’s the point?” and continue on in the same manner.

Quite often we assume a little change won’t make much difference and ultimately decide not to bother making the effort. What we don’t consider is that maybe one small change could have a larger impact that we imagine. If that is a possibility than allow yourself to imagine how much of a impact several of these small changes can make.

I am not talking about life changing habits, just little tweaks that possibly could have small positive impacts. That being said, small positive impacts can be more life changing than we expect. Just consider the large, positive impact my one-thing-a-day decluttering has made to the functionality and serenity of my home and to that of many of my readers. You would have to agree that finding one thing a day to declutter doesn’t take much effort but it sure makes a lot or difference over time.

Other applications

• A few small incremental changes in diet can lighten up your pantry and make a large improvement in your health.
• A few small changes in your shopping habits can make a positive impact on your savings account and help avoid a cluttered home.
• The same small change in your shopping habits will also have a positive impact on the environment.
• A little less vanity could help reduce the clutter in your bathroom cabinet or on your dressing table.
• Preparing for the morning before going to bed can make for lower stress levels, a happier awakening and aid you to be where you need to be on time
• Allocating a small pocket of me-time during the day can do a lot to improve ones attitude to working on projects that aren’t so enjoyable.

Where can you make a small change in your life that might just make a big positive impact in the long term. How can this strategy help with your decluttering.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an unwanted gift that you have been keeping out of obligation.

Eco Tip for the Day

If you hang your clothes out to dry made sure you bring them in out of the sun as soon as possible once they dry. Excessive time in the sun will fade them and age them prematurely making it necessary to replace them sooner.

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

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.

This week we are going to do some reluctant decluttering. That is, to declutter some things that you don’t really want or use but you keep avoiding letting go off for one reason or another. Don’t allow them to waste space in your home any longer.

Monday – Declutter an unwanted gift that you have been keeping out of obligation.

Tuesday – Declutter a spare thing-a-me-jig that you have been keeping just in case.

Wednesday – Declutter an item of clothing that no longer fits but you have kept just in case you return to that size.

Thursday – Declutter something you have kept just because you have the room for it but don’t love it or use it.

Friday – Declutter something you have set aside to sell but haven’t gotten around to it. Either sell it now or give it away.

Saturday – Declutter a portion of your hobby supplies that you haven’t utilised on a project but have owned for a long time.

Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Eco Tip for the Day

Don’t wash your hair any more than you need too. This leads to wasted product and possibly isn’t good for your hair either.

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

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!

I enjoyed this comment form Vicki K and the responses to it by other readers including myself. Read the whole conversation from here.

I love the attention to detail that Diana is deploying while following this weeks mini mission. Read about it here. Well done Diana.

Angela give an example here that just because you like something and use it doesn’t mean it isn’t excess to your needs.

Angela also left this comment. Perhaps you, her fellow readers, can give her some extra advice on how to keep the clutter down when you have children.

This comment from Creative Me puts into a nutshell the situation I am likely to find myself in real soon if our acquisition of this latest apartment goes through as planned.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

Here is an oldie but a goodie from Becoming Minimalist ~ Dont-just-declutter-de-own.

And this post from The Other Side Of Complexity, is helpful for those of you who work in an office, have an unorganised home office or perhaps work from home. How I maintain a clutter-free work space.

Here is a recent post from Midway Simplicity that I rather enjoyed. Share more own less, I think condenses down what is suggested in this post.

With Halloween just around the corner here is a post from Unclutterer.com that gives suggests to both avoid the candy clutter and distribute any excess acquired during the celebration.

Today’s Mini Mission

Choose another drawer in this weeks chosen room and declutter it. If you have no drawers choose a small area that is out of sight. A box under a bed, a shelf or a small cabinet.

Eco Tip For The Day

Don’t grab handfuls of paper napkins when dining out. One per person should be adequate. Take more only if you need them.

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