I was at a wedding last weekend and I didn’t know anyone among the 170 others  there apart from the groom. But I tell you what at the reception, I only had to mention that I sometimes work as a professional de-clutterer and I had a whole host of new friends intrigued and plying questions, lol. First up we had the familiar, groaning husband; “Please come and sort my wife out!†followed by the another woman silently pointing at her husband while mouthing the words ‘We need to down size, help!’ and pulling faces. I would add that the groaning husband was standing next to his wife at … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2014
Simplify
Life is, at the very least, punctuated with stressful periods. For some there are no end of stressors almost 24/7 365 days of the year. Mostly this is caused by the complications of life. Past history, current hassles, work obligations, financial issues, family, illness... Boy, this is making me feel depressed just writing about it and my life is quite sweet for the most part. The one thing I have learned from my decluttering experience is that simplification is the key. The more you own the more you have to take care of. The more work the is required from you. And all that acquiring means … [Read more...]
Mini Mission Monday ~ Clutter Stress
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. The missions this week are inspired by the idea that clutter trouble your mind. There are so many ways in which this happens. The question is why hang on to stuff that causes you mental unrest. Best to just let it go and free yourself of the stress. So this week we will be searching  our homes … [Read more...]
Setting Boundaries
This is a subject I have discussed here at 365 Less Things more than once. It was brought to my attention again while decluttering with my friend. Also boundaries was mentioned by Vicki K on Tuesday in a comment regarding the boundaries she has set for her cookbooks. You might remember the much reduced boundary I had set and achieved with my craft supplies some time ago. Not to mention my overall boundary of fitting into a two bedroom apartment, also achieved. While decluttering with my friend we not only set boundaries but we also eliminated the extent of some. This took place all over her … [Read more...]
The hurricane method of decluttering Part III
Well folks I have spent the last two days hectically decluttering and organising for my friend and I have to say it was hard yakka (Australian for hard work). Call me strange but I really enjoyed it and was a little sorry to have to drag myself away so soon when there were still things to be done. I am very happy to be home with my husband though. And extremely grateful for my wonderful apartment that, considering I haven't done my weekly clean for the last two Mondays', was there to welcome me home looking tidy and cleaner than I expected. It will be Monday before I bother to do much in the … [Read more...]
Why keep cookbooks
Are you one of those people who has a shelf full of cookbooks with the good intention of being experimental in the kitchen but tend to stick to the same tried and true recipes? Or perhaps you are someone who steps that up just a notch by trying a new recipe only once in a while. Then this post is for you. In fact even if you are adventurous in the kitchen then this post may also be for you. Especially if you'd rather spread out your cooks gear than waste space on cookbooks that you don't really need. Or perhaps you are a want-to-be cook who buys foodie magazines and clips recipes that you … [Read more...]
Mini Mission Monday ~ The week ahead
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. By the time this post goes to air I will be at my friends house continuing with the declutter and settling in process post her move the a new address. This weeks missions are fashioned on decluttering tasks I have in mind while I am with her. So buckle up and get your decluttering pants on. I … [Read more...]
The hurricane method of decluttering Part II
Find Part I here if you haven't already read it. I forgot to mention that at the end of Saturday's effort we were sitting together in the craft room talking a little about the progress of the day, and my friend was lamenting that she wished things had been different and this task could have been a lot easier. I don't recall exactly what I said but I assured her that I was proud of the progress she had made and how well she was doing with the decluttering process. It is always best to look forward and not dwell on past mistakes, just make things better in the future. Sunday dawned and I had … [Read more...]
Clothes to the left of me, clothes to the right of me, clothes as far as the eye can see…
When I first started helping people de-clutter their stuff, I hoped no one would ask for help with their wardrobe, because I am not a fashionista and felt ill qualified. So when I got my first ‘clothes job’ I was a little unsure…until I started and then I took to it like a duck to water. Now it’s my favourite kind of job. Because you don’t need to know anything about fashion, or what looks good other people. You just apply the same principles as you would to anything else they own and ask one simple question: Does it make you feel great when you have it on? If yes keep, if no, … [Read more...]
The hurricane method of decluttering. Part 1
The hurricane method of decluttering, as Moni dubbed it, is when one rips through the house decluttering a vast amount of stuff all at once. A person's hand is often forced into this action due to a sudden change in circumstances which makes a big declutter necessary. A hurricane declutter was exactly what I was helping a friend with on the weekend. She had been thinking of moving but found a new place quicker than expected, and just when her best friend was leaving for an overseas vacation. She phoned me in a panic on Wednesday last week begging for my help. I quickly agreed and took a three … [Read more...]