I received the following comment/request from Shirley via email last week.

I would like to comment on your trip and carry on luggage only. Do you think you could tell us just how you managed this especially for six weeks and I presume different climates?

Surely you had a jacket and jumper which are very bulky and how many pairs of shoes which also take up a lot of space. I have never commented be fore but do enjoy reading your messages and they do help me, so thank you. Regards Shirley…

Of course packing for travel will vary depending on when, where and how one travels. My husband and I usually travel to other modernised countries which makes packing easy. For two reasons, because we don’t have to sleep rough and there is nearly always a laundry service of some sort nearby. This means we don’t have to carry sleeping gear and we only need to pack enough to get us by for about five days. Of course that will vary due to the seasons.

The bonus is that if the weather is cold one can get more days out of the same clothes, where as if it is hot one needs to change more often due to sweating. Therefore in the winter month, even though the clothes are bulkier you potentially need fewer of them.

If we travel in warm climate I take something like this…

• about 5 short sleeve tops (combo of t-shirts and lightweight travel blouses)
• usually capri pants x 2 maybe 3
• maybe also a pair of shorts
• and wear 1 long, lightweight, comfortable pair of travel pants for the flights
• 1 light jacket
• 1 light summer dress
• my Keen shoes that are a Mary-Jane style (open enough to be cool while closed enough to be practical in all situations). Yes that is the only shoes I take, or should I say wear
• 7 pair of underpants
• 2 bras
• 1 set of pyjamas
• 2 pair of light socks
• Perhaps my swimmers
• For toiletries we share deodorant (solid), *shampoo, toothpaste, *sunscreen and a brush. I take a little make-up (very little) and a very small perfume atomiser. We also take any prescription medications, pain meds and a very small first aid kit. We also pack cotton buds (Qtips) and a very small sewing kit. All of this fits into one toiletries bag that hangs from a hook.
• *means we acquire them on arrival. We do not carry them on the long haul flight.

For cooler/combination weather…

• 2 t-shirts, 3 long sleeve t-shirts
• 1 pair of capris, 2 long pants and a pair of tights. Maybe also a pair of track pants if expecting enough cold weather)
• 1 light jacket and one lightweight quilted jacket (the puffy type that is very warm but packs down to nothing and weighs very little).
• 1 lightweight fleece sweater.
• I wear ankle high lightweight and very comfortable boots and may bring sandals in my carry on if we are likely to encounter warmer weather.
• 7 pair of underpants
• 2 bras
• Maybe a scarf. (I took a cotton scarf on my last trip and used it as a sarong skirt in Hawaii and never actually worn it as a scarf in Seattle as I intended.
• 1 set of pyjamas
• 3 pair of thicker socks
• The same toiletries as mentioned above.

We have only been on one trip that required extra cold weather clothing (London at Christmas). Packing wasn’t that different to the combo weather. We took warmer coats but worn them on to the plane so they weren’t included in the baggage allowance. In the winter months clothes can easily be layered for extra warmth.

You will have noticed the word lightweight used a lot when it comes my list of clothing. These clothes are often a little more expensive to buy but well worth the cost. We generally get these at sale prices because we are usually coming out of the season we are traveling to so they are end of season sell-offs. One of the best features about these clothes is that they wash out easily, and once rung out by rolling them up in a towel, they dry very quickly. They usually have very handy pockets as well. And in case you are wondering ~ yes we use them even when not travelling.

We also always take a lightweight bag for carrying the laundry to the laundromat. A microfibre cloth for various reasons that usually lives in the day bag. And a lightweight fold up shopping bag that also resides in the lightweight day bag. I carry the day bag and my husband carries the camera bag.

You may be wondering about technology. When we travel together my husband takes his iPad but I just use my smart phone. On shorter trips, say to visit family, I will take by laptop.

Forgive me if I have forgotten anything on these lists, I did my best to keep them as accurate as memory would allow. If when all the essentials are packed there is still room and weight allowance for some extra stuff I may add a thing or two for convenience. However it is never convenient to carry a heavy backpack so I am very selective.

The photos below are from a trip in the last couple of years. I am not sure where to but it was obviously a short trip with warm to cool combo weather (Perhaps Spring or Autumn in Melbourne). I can tell because of the small amount and variety of clothing. Picture no.1 is of my travel outfit. 2 & 3 are my lightweight jacket that folds into its own pocket. 4 is my pile of clothes. 5 is my clothes with the backpack that has travelled with me on every trip for the last, at least, 12 years. 6 are the packing cubes that keep everything organised in my backpack. 7 is my day bag. 8 is what were our laundry vacuum bags,  a microfibre cloth and small ziplock bag. And last but not least are my Keen Mary-Jane shoes that have traipsed many a mile with me.

Today’s Mini Mission

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

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

I talk a lot about freeing up space in cupboards, closets, shelves and floors. No one ever seems to have questioned me as to what all this space is being freed up for. What is the point in having empty spaces on shelves or floor space that could hold furniture to store or organise all your stuff.

Given that you don’t need to declutter anything if you don’t want to then I could understand why this would come into question. However you wouldn’t even be entertaining the thought of decluttering if being cluttered was working for you.

One thing for sure, that I have mentioned before, is that everything we own requires some sort of maintenance. So the more we own the more effort we have to put in to caring for our stuff. If we aren’t doing that our homes would be a pigsty and some of our stuff will perish prematurely from lack of care. This explains why less stuff is less bother, but it still doesn’t answer the question ~ Why free up space when it is there to be used?.

I have two answers to that question.

Firstly. Even the spaces where we keep our stuff needs maintenance. The dust, grime and wear and tear of everyday life needs to be kept in check in order to retain a clean and functional environment to live in. So the less stuff cluttering up these spaces the easier it is to remove it in order to clean and repair the hardworking surfaces underneath. And also, the less punishment those surfaces endure due to a lighter load the less overall maintenance they will need. The end result being ~ less labour and or less expense.

And my second, but no less important, reason for freeing up space is that the less stuff crammed into a space the easier it is to find and retrieve what you need from it. Once again this saves time and energy. It is so much easier to organise, and maintain organisation, in a space that isn’t jam packed with stuff. The minute you start piling things high and deep, that aren’t exactly the same, time is added to the retrieval process. And likewise, the difficulty returning items will add to the likelihood of messiness taking hold.

It makes me wonder sometime why cupboards, particularly in the kitchen, are build so deep. Pantries are often poorly designed for their function. Designed for maximum storage yes but functionality no.

Could I cram more stuff into the cupboards in my house? Sure I could. Do I want to do that and make life difficult for myself? No, absolutely not. And I especially don’t want to do it with a whole pile of stuff that would get used very seldom. The funny twist to this story is that a lot of what was cluttering up my home in the past was stuff designed to make my work load lighter. But in actual fact it was adding to the problem not solving it.

Life is much simpler for me now and it can be for you too.

Today’s Mini Mission

Tuesday – Declutter small clothing items that you kept just in case when you last purchased new ones. Underwear, socks, Tshirts etc.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Use fewer and less chemicals in your home. I cleaned my whole apartment today. I used a commercially made toilet cleaner and my homemade surface cleaner (made from lemon, vinegar, water and a couple of squirts of biodegradable dishwashing liquid. I could probably even make a toilet cleaner if I put my mind to it, but I use so little of it that I don’t concern myself too much over it. For the floors I only use a microfibre mop and water. Not only is is effective but it is also cheap. Being eco friendly can actually save money when it comes to cleaning. Look around you at airports and shopping centres and you might just notice that the cleaning services are starting to adopt these practices. Not just for the sake of the environment I bet.

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.

Regardless of how much of an expert one things they have become at keeping the clutter at bay there are always things that build up when you aren’t looking. Little things mostly but it is clutter nonetheless and as we all know so much of our clutter is made up of little bits and pieces. These things also build up while you are in full swing trying to get rid of the bulk of your clutter. Therefore it is best to keep a close eye on the little devils. So this week we will find some of them to declutter.

Monday – Declutter receipts you have kept for warranty or return purposes that are now past their return by date.

Tuesday – Declutter small clothing items that you kept just in case when you last purchased new ones. ~ Underwear, socks, t-shirts etc.

Wednesday – Declutter items you have kept for reuse that are building up. Plastic bags, jars, boxes…

Thursday – Check for items in your pantry or refrigerator that built up but need using up.

Friday - For the book lovers ~ Keep your collection in check by decluttering a couple of less loved books.

Saturday – Identify your own unique build-up situation and unclutter some of it. Mine is craft and I’m working on it constantly.

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

As your light globes fail throughout your home replace them with LEDs. They are more expensive to purchase but they will pay for themselves in spades and don’t have the toxic chemicals of mini florescent globes.

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

I have been visiting family members in the past week. Being there and coming back I realized that my home still feels more cluttered than theirs although it isn’t. How’s that you might ask. Well, it’s the quite simple fact that we live in a much smaller space. Our rooms and cabinet space are limited and require a more minimal lifestyle than a whole house would. Also, I realized that no matter how big a house is, the amount of daily mess you make is about the same. So, of course in my home, dirty dishes seem to take up all the kitchen – add a little floordrobe as well as paperwork in progress and the whole living space is REALLY messy. There’s no clean room to make you feel at ease anymore. In a bigger home all these things can spread out, be hidden behind closed doors and make it possible to have some “cluttery spots” and still other places around the home to host visitors. It is a problem I fight every day. I am not the most tidy person and I tend to not pick up after myself immediately. So, yes, my home is often in a messy state. On the other hand, I feel that I came a long way during my decluttering journey, I have a good grasp of what I own and my long-term-clutter gets less and less instead of more and more as it used to (e.g. paperwork etc.). Although things may not be in best order, it is always possible to find things in a reasonable amount of time. I certainly feel I am living a relatively uncluttered life (not quite there, but getting really close), although my home often is a mess. There are certainly different layers of clutter:

The forgotten clutter

This is the kind of stuff that is just there, but never touched. It may fill your attic or your basement, but it may also be displayed in a glass front cabinet in your living room. It’s the things that are of no immediate use for you and that you probably wouldn’t even realize if someone nicked it. I find this is the kind of clutter a bigger house attracts. Children’s rooms just stay as they are, even when the children moved out years ago etc. etc. In my small home I am forced to question that kind of stuff quite regularly and I got rid of a lot of it over the past years.

The bottom clutter

This is the really nasty one: unsorted stuff. The things that haunt you. It’s stuff like unsorted paper work, collections that got out of control, junk drawers, craft supplies that are in a mess. It can also be unsorted relationships, problems in your work life or elsewhere, debt etc. It is most certainly the most difficult clutter to get rid of. People can’t see it from the outside (unless it got REALLY bad), but it’s what clutters your mind most. I think this is the most important kind of clutter to deal with. As it is hard to do, it will probably only get less over a long period of time, but it is so rewarding to work on it. I still have my things to sort there, but it’s rather getting less than more and I am glad to say that there is very little actual physical clutter that still falls in this category. In my home, I can find scissors, instructions, matching screws and bank statements quickly.

The surface clutter

This is the mess you make on a daily basis: dirty dishes, coats draped over kitchen chairs, bags put on dressers, mail on the counter, laundry heaps etc. This is also the kind of mess that makes my small home feel cluttered easily because there’s so little space to walk away from it and ignore it. Actually, I don’t think it’s a very bad kind of clutter as it is put away quickly, so I didn’t focus that much on it during my decluttering journey. As I already got rid of lots of duplicates the maximum amount it can add up to decreased. That’s quite simple maths: you can’t have a stack of 7 dirty pans if you only own 2. But still, a stack of 2 dirty pans still looks cluttery, so even though I put certain limits to it the basic problem of this kind of mess cluttering up my home still remains. Of course, being more rigid about it is the best way to go, but I came to think that accepting the fact that it will turn up and be there at least for a certain period of time might be a better way for me to deal with it. I think, I should start to think more about my ways and how to deal with this stuff so it doesn’t look just so cluttery anymore. E.g. it might be a good idea to have a space to put dirty dishes until I wash them, because there will always turn up that odd cup or pot to be washed (we don’t own a dishwasher) and cleaning up right away isn’t always an option. I can still work on cleaning up more often with those things put out of sight and not right on the counter.

What type of clutter is worst for you and what kinds of strategies or ideas do you have for the different types?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter the good china if you rarely use it or better still declutter the everyday set and start using the good stuff all the time. You deserve it after all.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Last week Kayote left a comment on my Righteousness post where she explains how difficult it is for her to find time to declutter. I have to admit I do sympathise living a double income, one child, family life. It is no doubt hard work and downtime is a priority in order to recharge.

But the good news is that decluttering doesn’t have to require much effort at all if you approach it in the right manner. And I am going to try to help with that in this post today. There is nothing new in this post that I haven’t mentioned before but as I always say “Reating the same things in a different manner can bring the breakthrough that people are searching for.”. I know this because I have witnessed it time and time again here at 365 Less Things.

But which comes first the chicken or the egg? Strange question to begin with I know, but that is because I am not sure which order is the right one to arrange my advice in. Will beginning with the practical advice help with the mindset change or will the advice on changing your mindset help one to see how easy the physical side of the task can be?

In this case, although the practical tips are a longer list I will begin with them first because they might clear the path to that change of mindset. So here goes.

Decluttering can take but seconds in your day when you can learn to think outside the box. What you have to realise is how effortless the physical side of decluttering can be by simply plucking an object out of its place in your home while performing your other day to day tasks. Here are some examples…

• While applying your make-up chose one item in your make-up kit to declutter that you rarely use.
• While accessorising your outfit for the day choose one item among your accessories to declutter.
• While folding your wash loads for the week declutter any items that don’t fit nicely, have become ratty or you know are excess to your needs.
• Make a point of trying to cycle through your entire selection of clothing and linen to determine which items are your least favourite and let them go as they appear.
• When playing with your child/children identify one toy item that they don’t seem to choose to play with anymore or is broken and declutter it.
• When preparing the family meal identify a cooking tool that you rarely use and let it go.
• When arranging a meal plan for the week include a recipe to use up unpopular herbs or spices and then don’t replace them.
• When you have read a book or magazine that you are unlikely to refer back to (and be completely honest about this) allocate it immediately to the recycling bin or donation box.
• When choosing a book to read from your own collection decluttering one that you happen upon that you would happily live without.
• While taking time out to relax take just a moment to scan the room you are in and see if you can spy an item you don’t care enough to keep. When you get up to perform your next task take a moment to deliver that item to your transition point.
• Each day for a ware a different pair of shoes. Declutter any that are uncomfortable or shabby.
• If you indulge in a hobby or craft, spy items, as you use your stash, that don’t appeal to you so much either declutter it or get inventive about using it up in a current project.
• When putting out fresh linen for the week make a point of using a different set every week until you have tried them all. If you have an abundance declutter the least liked items.
• When filing a piece of paperwork remove the oldest similar item and shred it.
• When you buy something new that requires a manual declutter and recycle at least one manual for items you know longer own.
• When you get up in the ad time to use the bathroom take a quick peak in the cabinet and see if there is something you can spy that you no longer wish to keep. Declutter it.

That is numerous ways to find something to declutter without making much effort. As you can see from the list all of these tasks involve acting upon what you are simply observing. We often spy things in our everyday lives that are less than favourable to us. The only extra effort we have to make is transferring these items to our donation box, the trash or our recycling bin. How hard is that?

So by now I hope you have figured out for yourself how the change of mindset comes into it. And that is ~ Simply change how you see the task of decluttering. It barely even has to be a task or take any time. So stop seeing it as a chore. The whole idea of decluttering a thing a day for me was to turn the mammoth decluttering task, I thought I had in front of me, into a thing of minimum effort. Once I had decluttering the first item it almost became a game to me as to how easy it would be to identify the next item. So make a game of it not a painful task and you may even start looking forward to it rather than dreading it.

It is all in the mind. Trust me.

Today’s Mini Mission

 Use up something “precious” in your craft or hobby supplies that you have been saving for a special project that hasn’t eventuated for years. Every moment is special in life so now is as good a time as any to use it.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Not all clothing items need washing after one use. So extend the use of any items of clothing you can to ensure less washing, which means less water and detergent wastage.

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.

What we have to get into our heads sometimes if that the stuff cluttering up our homes is just that, stuff. These items aren’t life preservers, they aren’t precious, they aren’t our memories… and for the most part they aren’t even all that useful. We get it into our heads that we need this stuff when we don’t. One should watch a few documentaries on how people in less affluent societies to realise just how much stuff we don’t need to surround ourselves with in order to live a happy existence. So this week lets see if we can identify some stuff around our homes that we keep just in case we need it someday but we could most certainly live without, even if the situation did arise where we found a use for it and it was no longer there.

Monday – Declutter a specialised household tool that you could substitute another for, should a rare situation arise where it may actually prove useful.

Tuesday – Use up something “precious” in your craft or hobby supplies that you have been saving for a special project that hasn’t eventuated for years. Every moment is special in life so now is as good a time as any to use it.

Wednesday – Do you have more special occasion outfits in your closet than you ever really need. Either declutter one of them or  move one into your regular clothes rotation so you can feel special in it on a regular basic. In the second instance declutter some old thing you no longer feel good in.

Thursday – Declutter the good china if you rarely use it or better still declutter the everyday set and start using the good stuff all the time. You deserve it after all.

Friday – Declutter a unitasker gadget from your kitchen that you rarely use. There isn’t one of these gadgets on the market that can’t be substituted by a more versatile one (such as a knife) that you use everyday.

Saturday – Declutter an item that you once used a lot but haven’t for a very long time. Perhaps you are past that phase in your life.

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

Know the recycling rules for your area and put every little thing in the recycle bin that you can.

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

One thing I don’t like about myself when it comes to my choice to live a simpler life and, as an intended result, achieving a lower carbon footprint, is that I have a tendency to get all righteous about it. And that righteousness is not only an unattractive trait but also causes me irritation with myself.

I constantly find myself astonished and irritated by other people’s extravagances and waste. I think it irrational when people say they wish they could reduce their possession and live a simpler lifestyle when nothing is stopping them. Then there are the friends and acquaintances who seek my advice but never follow it and continue to complain about how messy their homes are and how embarrassed they still are to have friends over.

I’d like to think that some of the righteousness is a negative defensive response to the sorrow and frustration I feel for those who are torn between their current lifestyle and one they think could be better but can’t bring themselves to try. But I have to admit that their is also an element of  “Why aren’t more people concerned about the effect they are having on the planet.” or “Why do people fall for all the, what seems to me, sleazy, manipulative advertising hype.” or “Why do people neglect more important elements of their lives in order to work so hard to fund all those excesses they don’t even need.”

The question is, why am I admitting this here? Why would I want anyone to know that I sometimes feel this way? After all this doesn’t exactly place me in a shining light of virtue. But I guess that maybe the first step to getting over this issue is to admit to having it in the first place.  Perhaps if I expect people to decide to be either happy with their current situation or chose to change it, then I should expect the same from myself. I can only hope to help others and not change them and I also can’t change the world overnight. And who is to say mine is the right way anyway. I should just be content with my own choices, which I am, and allow others to make their own.

What do you think and do you ever find yourself feeling similar feeling to those above? I am open to any words of wisdom anyone would like to impart. And if you are that person who is reluctant to make the change you feel you need, what element of this change is scaring you into inaction. Because regardless of my moments of righteousness indignation I really would like to help you find the strength to take that first step. Perhaps we can find the solution together.

Today’s Mini Mission

Assess what quantities of toiletries you need on hand. Even if buying these items on sale is a passion of yours, realise that they go on sale on a regular basis so you don’t need multiples on hand. Personally I keep no extras unless I am about to run out, but I am comfortable with that. Think about what your comfort zone is and whether that is a little excessive and try to change your ways. In the meantime begin a use it up challenge on one or two of these items and vow not to carry so many spares in future.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

First of all, HELLO my faithful readers, I have missed you all and am glad to be back at the keyboard. We have had a wonderful vacation and are back in the land down under, although I am not exactly home. But that is another story. I look forward to interacting with my readers again and actually write some new posts. I have had a few experiences during my travels that have given me fodder for articles.

Oh my! One thing that was very apparent during my travels was how much people clutter up their mobility. To me being freely mobile is key to efficient and carefree travel and it just blows my mind how complicated people make it for themselves. This is achieved by bringing too much and acquiring too much on their journey. Often complete strangers, even check-in personnel, ask “Is that all your luggage?” or “Do you have any bags to check?”. Our yes or no is usually received with astonishment and the response of “I wish I could travel like that.” to which we tend to respond with “You could.”

My husband and I always pack our luggage to make it possible to carry-on, therefore there is no chance our belongings will be lost, we always have access to it and we never have to wait around for it. This is the case no matter how long our vacation. To us travel is merely a series of five day periods. We take enough supplies to cover about seven days and make a point of washing every five days when possible. This can be achieved even when traveling through varying weather, if you pack the right layers. With modern materials warm clothes can be as light weight as summer clothes so variety without bulk or weight is very achievable.

When we set off on our journeys we pack as few liquid toiletries as possible and then buy what we need at the other end. This helps keep our backpacks as light as possible and streamlines the airport security process. We share deodorant, toothpaste, a razor, shampoo, hair brush… and I bring the bare minimum of makeup and a tiny vial of perfume. To me, travel isn’t a beauty contest, although I must say my hair is often worse for wear by the time I get home. Not everyone can bring themselves to pack and live this way but we are all entitled to add whatever complications we chose to impose on ourselves for the sake of vanity and “convenience”. Best to choose wisely though which is what this post is all about.

As a result of our light packing we never have to deal with the crazed luggage carousel battle. I call it that because all polite society rules seem to go out the door in this area of an airport. Would it not make sense if all weary travellers would stay behind some imaginary line until their bag actually appears in sight? Yes, but is that what happens? No! As a result those whose bags are there to be retrieved have to navigate, sometimes futilely, through people, doing nothing but waiting, meanwhile their bags may have traveled right on by leaving them to wait for another rotation.

At about the five week mark of our six week vacation., even though acquiring some new clothing, two pairs of shoes and a small assortment of hobby/craft items along the way, my husband and I were still in the position of being able to carry on our luggage. However at this point our small family was about to converged for our son’s wedding in Las Vegas. We had promised to take the bride and groom’s extra (wedding) luggage home with us so they didn’t have to carry it for the honeymoon portion of their journey. Hence we had to endure the luggage carousel debacle at the end of our journey in Sydney Airport. Through the fog annoyance of this task I find myself constantly amused by the struggles of travellers trying to arranging their teetering piles of bags on airport trollies. I know it was wrong to be even slightly amused when one lady dropped her bag holding two bottles of duty-free alcohol but I just couldn’t help myself.

The drawback of our style of travel packing is that one can get somewhat weary of the same clothes over and over again during the journey. The trick is to pack to mix and match, so that even though the items are the same the combination is different. Just a little trick to make you feel like you have some style variety. And on that note, chose your most liked and yet comfortable pieces.

I am actually sitting in yet another airport as I write this. I am heading off to visit my parents as my father has been very ill while I was away. As I look around me I see many more examples of heavy packing, even with people carry-on. I am constantly surprised as to why more people aren’t stopped at the gate because their carry-on items exceed the limit in number and size. I don’t suppose the situation will change anytime soon but at least I do know the I at least am following the rules of carriage and etiquette and making it easy on myself in the process.

One thing I also observed was that keeping your gear together and organised is much easier the fewer items you pack. Overpacking and disorganisation often results in a mad scrambling to find important documents and items during sometimes already stressful times. It can also result in the loss of items.

Just to finish off this post I would like to add a list of travel rules of etiquette that I notice are constantly violated everywhere I go. If everyone would observe these rules when traveling the experience would be far more pleasant for all. I f you have any of your own suggestions to add to this list please feel free to send them though in the comments.

1. When walking busy streets keep to the same side you would drive on in that location. This rule is rarely adhered to and causes a lot of angst. In fact the thought to do this doesn’t even occur to most people, hence the messy confusion and frustration. If we all observed this rule everywhere, including our own town or neighbourhoods life would be that little bit simpler.

2. When walking busy streets in groups keep to no more than double file.  Even as a couple my husband and I often form a simple file behind each other on busy streets. Not only are there people walking towards you but there can also be people, that you a completely oblivious to, approaching from behind in a hurry to go places. You may be on vacation but they may have important business to attend to.

3. Keep your carry on luggage volume within the restrictions. There is only so much allotted space in the overhead luggage compartments for each person. Greedy space grabbing can cause great inconvenience for someone else. And also remember only your larger bag goes into the overhead bin while any other personal items you are carrying should go in or under the seat in front on you.

4. Only join the boarding line when your row number has been called. This rule rarely seems to be adhered to making the board process less efficient which adversely effects everyones comfort and possibly travel time. It isn’t adhered to mostly because of the grab for that overhead storage space mentioned above.

Keep it simple and happy travels.

Today’s Mini Mission

Most people’s linen closets are chock full of “I might need it linens”. Be realistic about what is necessary and what is just variety. Declutter some of the variety that is just wasting space.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

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.

I might need it someday is a topic of decluttering that comes up a lot. And that is because it is the cause of a lot of clutter. We all have these items hanging around out house and that is fine, you may just find a use for them sometime but if reducing your clutter is your goal, and a worthy goal it is, then the fewer of these items you have the better. So lets focus on some “I might need it” clutter that maybe ins’t all that essential to the function of your home.

Monday – It is always handy to have some small hardware items on hand but unless you are a handyman, carpenter or home builder then you don’t need to kit your house out like a hardware store. Sure keep an assortment of nails, screws, nuts and bolts on hand but keep it to a minimum. Declutter excess of these items today.

Tuesday – Most peoples linen closets are chock full of “I might need it linens”. Be realistic about what is necessary and what is just variety. Declutter some of the variety that is just wasting space.

Wednesday – Declutter a couple of single use space wasters in your kitchen cupboards and drawers today. Perhaps a melon baller, a pineapple corer or and cherry pitter.

Thursday – Assess what quantities of toiletries you need on hand. Even if buying these items on sale is a passion on yours realise that they go on sale on a regular basis so you don’t need multiples on hand. Personally I keep no extras unless I am about to run out, but I am comfortable with that. Think about what your comfort zone is and whether that is a little excessive and try to change your ways. In the meantime begin a use it up challenge on one or two of these items and vow not to carry so many spares in future.

Friday – How many previously read books do you need on your bookshelves just in case you find yourself with a few hours to waste on a rainy day. Let go of a few that are less popular.

Saturday – Search you home for one item that you haven’t used in the last year. Chances are, if you haven’t used it in that length of time, you don’t really need it and probably never did. Let it go.

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

If you feel like you are carrying a few extra pounds you don’t need then slightly reduce meal sizes. This is good for your waistline, your bank balance and the environment.

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

I never thought I would change my bedroom as I did this year. It was a challenge I set to myself. In part one I told you all about my struggles to get rid of clothes and one piece of furniture in my bedroom. Now I am telling how I managed to get rid of a wardrobe.

Late last year I was talking to Colleen by e-mail and I was anxious about the state of my bedroom. It was a mess. I occasionally watch some Peter Walsh show and my bedroom was as far from a “haven” as you can put it. It stressed me out. Always. There was always stuff strewn across the “floordrobe” (I would like to thank Cindy for this very appropriate name…). I had a place to put my shoes, but if I did put them away I could not find them when I needed to go out, because they were under the bed, and I could not find clothes, laundry day was “Oh God how am I going to deal with this!” day and so on. I was desperate for a change. I came to a new milestone in my decluttering. I wanted space. Space can either be bought, by acquiring a bigger house (so out of the question because I would not acquire a bigger place to clean) or clearing space in your existing home. As I have been seriously decluttering for, at least, 5 years, I knew I could have more space by decluttering a lot more easily and with no expense than buying a bigger house or remodelling the one I live in.

Finally I came to a stage in my decluttering when I decided that I needed to have less storage space in my bedroom and less stuff in my room and more space. That means I had to declutter a very big wardrobe (the actual piece of furniture) and empty almost completely another one.  I had to declutter a very massive excess of stuff that was CRAMMED inside those wardrobes. I have read time and time again in this blog how Colleen decluttered this or that piece of furniture. And it always made me wonder: “What if she needs that furniture in the future? She will never get that kind of furniture ever again; they don’t make them as good as that anymore;” And the final thought would be: “She should have kept it, she had space for it and she might need it someday…”. And there you have my thought for that moment. 

After a while (being so overwhelmed by stuff inside my own bedroom) I thought: Why keep a big piece of furniture that you may never need again? I used to love, big, massive furniture. I have monstrous wardrobes and I use every door in both of them. I used to suffer (yes, that is the right word – suffer), whenever I thought I would move to a smaller house and had to get rid of some piece of big furniture that I had. It never occurred to me to down size on the furniture front, I just thought I could never let that furniture go, because I would never have something as good/sturdy/big/well done (you pick) as that again. 

The obvious decluttering had been done. Still there was a lot of things inside the wardrobes. I, sometimes, was guilty of decluttering a few pieces and what I was unsure about I just stuffed or crammed (look, there is that ‘nice’ word again…) somewhere. My somewhere was, mostly, my wardrobes and my bedroom. I liked those wardrobes. I had a hand in their design. They were done to me personally, not bought in stores. Everything from bed linen to covers, from clothes to belts, shoes and purses, books, caps and some things I don’t know, were stored in those two wardrobes.

As I started to clear out the wardrobe in my bedroom, I was so amazed at the amount of UNUSED stuff that I thought this overhaul was long overdue. There was loads of stuff I donated as I told in the first post and a lot I had (finally) to deal with. I started questioning my attachment to pieces of wood and screws, which are, basically what makes a wardrobe. As I was evaluating my bedroom and everything in it, I concluded that I had wardrobes much too big and a lot of the stuff in them was excessive.

One of the best thing I did was downsizing the amount of clothes we had (me and my husband). My style changed and I kept clothes I did not like just because they fit me. I found bad buys, shoes, knick knacks, books you name it, I had in there. So I decided to make a smaller built in closet, a little bigger than my former wardrobe and divide it in two, for my husband’s and my use. As I was doing the project, the architect that designed said: “There is no way all that is in those wardrobes is going to fit in the space you want.” I said “yes, it will.” “How?” Decluttering the excess.

I sold my wardobe, because “I might need it some day” is no reason to keep a 1,80 meter by 2,30 meter wardrobe. I know I have the space to have kept it. To my old self having the space would mean I could fill it up nicely. To my new self, space can be an asset all in itself, even more if it is empty. And I also bought a trunk bed, as seen in the picture, to store big covers so they are not in “the way”. When winter comes we take the covers out and use them as bed spreads (takes a little more time to make the beds each morning, but we can’t have it all…)

As I declutterd something else became obvious: how much easier it was to clean the bedroom. Get up, make the bed, the shoes are always in place (as I designed an easier system to store them I never leave them scattered around anymore), no more clothes to pick up, because they have a place to be stored. I am still amazed I can clean my bedroom in under a half hour. It used to take me several hours and the result was a lot of stuff “crammed” somewhere.

After the wardrobe left and I had dealt with the excesses I put my chest in the wardrobe’s place. I holds all the linen and towels of my house. It is not crammed and it looks quite nice on that spot. That chest belonged to my great-grandmother and it was passed along to my grandmother (in whose house I lived until I married) and I got when she passed for my then, future children (as she would have liked). And as it was restored to be used by my children and it is a very useful piece of furniture, it is also a warm reminder of my grandmother. I feel great when I look at it. I feel great walking into my “new” bedroom.

Today’s Mini Mission

 Declutter an item of clothing that you promise yourself is going to fit you again some day.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown