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.

Reading the title of today’s mini mission post you might be thinking ~ ‘Isn’t all clutter annoying?’, but there is no doubt that some clutter is much more annoying than other. So this week we will focus on six annoying clutter issues and see if we can find and remove some matching items from out homes. So lets get started.

Monday – How bad do you feel when you go searching for something in your home and come across some unfinished project somewhere. Unfinished projects are so annoying because although you lost interest before they are finished you also put so much effort into them up until that point. So effort put in and “I might finish that someday” has you are reluctant to decluttering these projects. So today seek one such project out and decide to work on it until it is done or let it go. Either way it will no longer be clutter.

Tuesday – Useful yet broken items are so annoying. They don’t work in this condition but they are so useful when they are working. If you have such an item either mix it, send it to be fixed or get rid of it. This might be a broken electrical item, a watch that need a pin replaced, a necklace that needs a new clasp…

Wednesday – Who still has a junk drawer. How annoying are they. Whenever you need something from them they are usually so cluttered and unorganised that you can’t find the thing you need. So if you have a junk drawer make the effort to unclutter and organised it. Or better still find proper homes for the stuff in it and eliminate it altogether.

Thursday – There is usually an item or two of clothing in everyone’s closet that has an issue that causes you to avoid it and it ends up languishing there unworn. I have two shirts, both the same only in different colours, whose buttons come undone. The button holes need a stitch or two to make them smaller so the problem stops occurring. Rather than fix them I just avoid them. I also have a pair of sandals who’s inner souls need replacing. They are great shoes but I haven’t worn them in two seasons because of this issue. Last week I finally got around to taking them to the repairer and they will be as good as new by Tuesday. So go in search of such an item of clothing in your closet and fix the issue or let it go.

Friday – I have heard many times from people that they own too much plastic wear in their kitchens. Usually the cupboard they keep it in is overflowing. This causes a plastics avalanche every time the cupboard is open. If this sounds like you, declutter some of the plastic and reorganise the cupboard so this stops happening to you.

Saturday – If you have a work bench or craft space in your home there is most likely at least one small area within that space that is overstocked or messy. Identify such an area and decluttering or set it right.

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

How decluttering can improve your finances ~ by deanna ar USA

With contributions from her husband Randy

The last few years hubby and I have noticed an improvement in our finances because we were purchasing less, in order not to add items to our home, when we were in fact working to declutter it. It was easy to see that I had not  shopped Coldwater Creek (my favorite) in a couple of years. In fact I had not been compelled to shop anywhere because so many items were decluttered that we hadn’t needed anyway, i.e. household items, hubby’s hobby items, tools, etc. About the only place I was shopping was thrift shops and, of course, grocery stores. I’m still learning what clutter is.

We didn’t set out to actually focus our decluttering skills on finances, but we were aware that we wanted to reduce expenses. We had talked about it often but didn’t really take enough action. I do think that having been actively decluttering for awhile and learning to release things, it was easier to release some things in our financial world too…like DirecTV (subscribing to Netflix and Hulu instead)…over $100 savings monthly. We’re now hoping  to reduce homeowners and auto insurance. We’re going back to a mail order pharmacy, it’s much cheaper. Our prescriptions are all generic now. We’ve also reduced the number of times we eat out each week. And we generally drink wine only at home now, except for special occasions. We’re in the midst of these changes now, so we’re eager to see how much this is going to affect us monthly. Last month was great! But we are finding that, like most decluttering, this too is a process.

I was not raised to declutter. My mother saved everything. Even though I did it in spurts, I never considered that it was ok to let some things go. However, I’ve been decluttering clothes (mine and hubby’s) for several years. But we traveled halftime for hubby’s work so, not being home much, I just couldn’t get started on decluttering the house. It helped that I had been reading several minimalist blogs regularly. I already knew that if I wanted to clean out my closet, then I could read my favorite style blog to get motivated. When I found Colleen’s blog and started reading it, it quickly became my favorite. I was so taken with her style and how active many of the readers were. So I started reading her archives and learned a lot of things I’d never considered before and became so very motivated to get rid of stuff I wasn’t using or didn’t love (even when it involved finances and entertainment).

These are a few of the things that have helped along the way:

1. Natural progression…the more you declutter, the more you want to declutter.

2. It’s ok to destroy pictures (or pass them along to relatives), especially duplicates, unflattering pictures, people you don’t know…

3. I thought some things were off limits. But what about those who lose everything in floods, tornadoes, etc…instant decluttering!

4. I thought I knew myself well, but after reading about fantasy selves, I’m now questioning what part is fantasy and what part is the real me.

5. Decluttering is addictive, so is shopping.

6. Reducing finances is also decluttering. What an “aha” moment that was.

7. It’s ok to return a gift(s) that you no longer use, need or want. And it can sometimes be done without hurting anyone’s feelings, especially if you’re forthright about it. Or…you can regift.

8. I have decluttered things recently that I would never have considered before…like my baton, my mandolin, some favorite clothes that I no longer wore, and on and on.

9. The less “stuff” you have, the fewer decisions you have to make. I love that. When I’m decluttering, one criteria I use is, “Do I really want to have to make this decision again at a later date?”

10. The more careful I am with my criteria, the more hubby is willing to trust me…that I will not declutter his stuff without asking. And he’s been decluttering more on his own. Hurray!

#9 is my favorite. It’s amazing how excited and happy decluttering can make you, giving you that sense of freedom from stuff.

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.

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in your shoe” — so goes the old English rhyme associated with brides and weddings. Each item is meant to be a good luck charm to ensure wedded bliss — in the form of continuity (old), a healthy optimism for the future that lies ahead (new), borrowed happiness from a blissfully married woman (borrowed, duh!), purity, love and fidelity (blue), and a heartfelt wish for prosperity and good fortune (silver sixpence in your shoe). We’ll be using this rhyme as our decluttering guide for this week and although I’ve included some suggestions below, I look forward to your creative interpretations of the missions.

Monday — Old: Declutter something that you might have had for a long time but which you no longer need or want — photos, cards, gifts, clothes that have seen better days, games, magazines, books, CDs or DVDs, receipts, souvenirs or artwork on the walls that no longer appeal to you. It could also be a mobile phone, computer or printer that is still hanging around the house even though it has been replaced by a newer, snazzier model. A vintage clothing item or an heirloom would also fit the bill.

Tuesday — New: Are you thinking of purchasing a new item to replace something you’ve had for ages? Have you done your due diligence and know exactly what you’re going to buy? If so, what are you planning to do with the older item? If you’re thinking of keeping it around the house as a backup, ask yourself whether you really need the new item. If you do, then look into donating or selling the older item. Or maybe you’ve just purchased something new and shiny and the novelty is beginning to wear off, or you realise that the pair of jeans that looked so good on the mannequin does absolutely nothing for you, or it could be something that you couldn’t resist buying because it was enticingly marked down by (gasp!) 50% at the mall last week, only to undergo a metamorphosis into a 100% loss this week because you have absolutely no need for it. Whatever the item and the amount spent, it’s a sunk cost, so declutter it and chalk it up to experience. You might even have a gift that you received — that is so not you — during the recent festive season which you are keeping out of loyalty or guilt. Accept the love or friendship behind the gift and let the item go. Alternatively, declutter a one-syllable item such as a pair of socks, a spoon, clock or lamp.

Wednesday — Borrowed: Do you have something hanging around your home that you’ve been meaning to return to its owner but have been putting off doing so for some reason? Or do you have an item that you rarely (if ever) use, that is not worth the space it takes up in your home? Could you declutter it and borrow it from a friend if you ever need it in future? If you can’t find anything, then declutter something that consists of eight or fewer letters like a saucepan, book or blouse for instance.

Thursday — Blue: Declutter anything that’s blue — clothing, linens, stationery, dinnerware, furniture, posters or artwork, etc. If there is an item that makes you feel blue for some reason, declutter it — life is too short to surround yourself with unhappy memories. Do you have a blues CD that you bought aeons ago, before your taste in music changed? Declutter it and let a true-blue fan enjoy it or give it to someone who might be newly discovering the genre.

Friday — Silver sixpence: Declutter anything made out of silver or containing traces of silver — pendants, pins, brooches or any other jewellery or silverware. That pair of silver stilettos you threw into the back of your closet because they hurt your feet would be a good candidate. A delicious bar of chocolate would also work, if it’s wrapped in silver foil. You could also declutter any foreign currency that you might have from your travels or periods when you lived abroad. Can’t decide whether to declutter a particular item? Then carry out a ‘separation exercise’ for it by putting it away for six months to see whether you need to retrieve it during that time. If you can’t find anything suitable, then declutter an item beginning with any of the letters in the words — anyone who declutters something beginning with ‘v’ or ‘x’ gets extra credit and bragging rights.

Saturday — Shoe: Declutter shoes, footwear or anything related to your legs or feet. You could also declutter anything that’s usually referred to as a pair, such as sunglasses, shorts, jeans or scissors or any two items.

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

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

BECOMING AN UN-COLLECTOR by Brenda Argo

I never meant to be a collector, but like some insidious disease, it crept up on me.  I over indulged in yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores.  It all seemed so innocent at the time.  I was always poor and I could buy something for practically nothing and fix it up.  I loved antiques and it was all about the great find and the good buy.  If it was furniture, I bought it really cheap, then scrubbed, cleaned, stained, and finished it, investing hours and hours of my life into it. (this made it harder to part with down the road because it had become a part of me!). I was always financially strapped it seemed, so at the time, this seemed like a good way to furnish my home early in life and marriage.  The problem was, it never ended.  I loved old glassware, old pottery, old platters, old furniture, old people.  You name it——-if it was old, I loved it.  I read somewhere that you should never buy 2 of anything because it starts a collection.  And it really was true.

I collected for about 40 years!  Oh, I had yard sales occasionally, and sent things to the thrift store along the way, but I kept all the “good stuff”

Until recently!  Recently, I realized I was STUFFocating.  I don’t know why it hit me so hard.  My home was still fairly neat and orderly.  I still used a great deal of my “stuff” and enjoyed it.  But, I realized ever space was filled with furniture.  Every drawer was filled with excess glassware or other stuff.  I had SABLE!!  (STUFF ACCUMULATED BEYONE LIFE EXPECTANCY!!!!!!). I instantly became an UN-COLLECTOR!!  Now, UN-collector is not a real word, I’m sure, but it is what I have become.  Cold Turkey!  I can’t get rid of Stuff soon “ENUFF”. (I read somewhere that ENUFF= Eliminate the Needless, Useless, Foolish, Frivolous!)

Now, I’m de-collecting because I am an UN-collector.  And the moral of this story is IT IS MUCH EASIER TO BRING IT IN THAN TO TAKE IT OUT!

There are only 4 ways to get rid of stuff:

You use it up

You throw it away

You donate it

You sell it

It is much easier and quicker to donate it all, but most of us have a little guilt over money spent, or because of the worth of an item, regardless of how little or much we spent.  In that case, a sale is in order, which is a lot of work.  I have had several large yard sales over the last few years and have donated several car loads of “the good stuff” to a friend’s charity.  I still have a long way to go but I am working on every area of my home.  And it IS work!!

The funny thing is, that half a century ago, my goal was to live a simple life.  Somehow, it got so out of hand!   I am writing this to encourage others, especially new readers, to never bring in the excess to begin with.  If you already have clutter, start removing it in any manner you choose.  Use is the only value a thing has.  We can only treasure so many items at a given time.

Follow William Morris’ advice to have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.  (and I would add, limit the latter.). Cleaning will become easier and we will finally attain the simple life most of us desire deep within.  Time and space are the REAL treasures

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.

Since Colleen celebrated her birthday recently, I’m dedicating this week’s mini missions to her. She did such a lovely acrostic set of missions for me in December 2015 and I thoroughly enjoyed writing this for her (hat tip to Amelia, for her suggestion that I write one for Colleen). I selected these words based on my impressions of you and your blog, Colleen and I hope you like it. I hope you had a happy, happy birthday, my friend!

Monday — CREATIVE: Most of us know that Colleen is very creative and makes beautiful cards — if you haven’t already seen them, you can take a look at her handmade cards on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fancythatartistcollective?ref=hl. Go on, click on the link and take a look … you know you want to. We also know that Colleen (aka Mrs MacGyver) is a deft hand at improvising, whether in the kitchen or anywhere else. Keeping that in mind, declutter something from your ‘creativity supplies’, whether that creativity is expressed through scrapbooking, card- or jewellery-making, knitting, quilting, cooking, baking, music, dance, photography, painting, sculpting, gardening or anything else that gets the wheels of your creativity spinning. You could also put on your ‘improvisation hat’ and declutter something that really isn’t all that crucial to have around the house, especially if that item is usually passed over in favour of something else.

‘C’ is also for CRANNY — the heart-warming grandma name lovingly given by Colleen’s daughter and granddaughter, which I just had to include. Take a look at any nooks and crannies in your home for any insidious clutter creep that might have taken up residence and get rid of it.

Tuesday — ONE: Yes, the power of one … as in one woman, one blog and her simple one-item-a-day decluttering method. Pick any one item of your choice to declutter today.

Wednesday — LIGHTSOME: Colleen has written some memorable posts about packing for travel and I have this mental image of her and her husband fresh off the plane, nimble with their minimal luggage, and free of any worries about the possibility of lost luggage. They make their way light-heartedly through the airport with a spring in their steps, past all the people waiting by the baggage carousel (um, yeah, that would include yours truly) for the ‘luggage catwalk’ to begin. So, with this in mind, take a look at your travel packing list to see whether you can declutter an item that isn’t essential or maybe even a piece of luggage itself. If you’ve already pared down and only have essentials on your list, then declutter something that you’ve brought back from your travels that no longer appeals to you, unnecessary travel photos or a souvenir you’ve received.

Thursday — LARGE: Colleen’s large and generous spirit is one of the things that you first notice about her. From that perspective, take a good look at everything that you’ve been blessed with and donate an item that you can do without, that will help someone else in any way. Of course, if you just want to declutter something that’s, well, um, large … go ahead and do so … I’m not going to split hairs.

Friday — ENERGETIC: I can confidently state that the Energizer Bunny resides in Newcastle, Australia, although for the past few months she’s been in Berlin with Mo — that’s the equally heart-warming grandpa name given by the above-mentioned dynamic duo. So, what does that have to do with clutter? Well, being surrounded by clutter can drain you of energy and affect your mood … so take a look around your home for a clutter hotspot that affects you the most. Remove one item (or more, if you want to) from that hotspot and come up with an action plan to eradicate the mess in that area.

Saturday — ECO-FRIENDLY: We all know how Colleen feels about the environment, having excess stuff and not letting things go to waste. So, if your pantry is stuffed with so much food or you suspect that there might be a real possibility of a science experiment growing inside your fridge, do a quick check for anything that might be getting dangerously close to its use-by date and incorporate it into your meal-planning for today or the week ahead. If by some chance this item turns out to be a bottle of leftover wine, do remember to drink a toast to the birthday girl and her blog! Or you could begin a use-it-up challenge for that particular bottle of hand cream, body lotion or shampoo — you know the one I’m referring to … yup, the one that always gets pushed to the back of the cabinet — before its time runs out.

Sunday — NEAT: One of the impressions I have of Colleen is that she is naturally neat and keeps a clean, tidy home (don’t hesitate to correct me here if I’m wrong, Colleen 😉). Is there any area in your home that might have become less than tidy because you have been oh-so-busy lately? There might be something that you can declutter from it as you tidy it. Or maybe you have a closet or cabinet bursting at the seams — go ahead and declutter what’s in it and restore some order.

Good luck and happy decluttering

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 your mini missions have been brought to you by Tanja. I love that she has put a strong emphasis on donating the items that you find. She had also focused on items that many people have a lot of. However even if you don’t have such an abundance you may still find you might have one or two too many that you would be happy to live without.

So thank you Tanja for your contribution to 365 Less Things this week. And should any of my other wonderful readers like to send my a post to publish I would be more than happy to receive it. And without further adieu here are this weeks missions.

“Clearing” a room is not simply shoving things in drawers and cupboards, on the principle that “out of sight is out of mind”.

Streamlining the house goes further than decluttering; it is not simply a matter of making a clean sweep of everything into colour-coded bags for when the garbage collecting trucks come around. Many extraneous items are still serviceable – and some are still brand new, with tags on. These may be donated.

Monday: The kitchen / dining room.  Let’s face it – we never have more than four pans on the stove, and maybe one in the fridge. So why did we ever feel the need to purchase that set of thirty? Select half a dozen pots in the sizes you use most; ditto with the fry-pans. While you’re at it, why not decimate your motley collection of glasses, mugs, and cups? Would you ever use all that flatware, even if you were the hostess of a street party?

Tuesday: The laundry room. Why is it that you have ten detergent bottles with not enough liquid in them for one wash? Will you ever really run a mini-load?  Put a funnel in the neck of one of them, and upturn the others into it, in turn. Rinse them out, one by one, and add to the water you use for hand-washing lingerie, or for yards and porches.

Wednesday: The sitting room / lounge. Look at that pile of magazines. Are you really ever going to refer to a particular issue for an article, or a recipe? When will you find time to clip and file what you want from them? Will you ever take them to your friend, who has a shredder, to fix them for the hamsters’ cages? Kindergarten teachers and crafters are always on the lookout for pictures and scrap paper. So are the helpers at animal shelters.

Thursday: The bathroom(s).  You are never going to use all those soaps and scents and assorted toiletries received as gifts, or bought just because they were on offer. Why not cover a shoebox with wrapping paper – or sheets from magazines, or maps – and make a Happy Box for someone who is feeling down, or is facing a stay in hospital? Groups that do voluntary work will accept this kind of gift, to pass on, or sell for fund-raising.

Friday: The bedroom(s). Half the ironing you do probably happens because your clothes are all squashed up in the wardrobes. If you are lucky enough to have a walk-in closet, it is not a guarantee that this will not happen, either. Then there are those clothes that need mending, and shoes that need a cobbler’s attention. Unless you can get them seen to within the week – discard them or give them away. Give away clothes that don’t fit well; stop hoping you will get thinner, or fatter, so they will fit, because even then, you will still have two sets of extraneous clothing.

Saturday: The garage / basement.  New brooms sweep clean – but old ones don’t. So throw out all the tools and implements that no longer serve their purpose, including tatty paintbrushes and all those paint tins with one inch of dried gunk at the bottom, and the empty margarine tubs, and the boxes of school notes, punctured tyres, broken chairs and light fittings…

Sunday: Pick up the phone and see whether the people or groups for whom you have bags and boxes, will collect. Otherwise, arrange for deliveries to be done; make this an excuse for someone who lives in the area of the recipient to hop over and have a mug of coffee before taking the pack with her, unless you can take them yourself…

 All it takes is a little effort on our part. Let’s share what we have, with those who would appreciate it even more than we do…by giving away things we would actually use. It’s nice to do this, rather than donating stuff that would otherwise have gone into the skip, fooling ourselves into believing that we are “sharing”, and thus salving our conscience.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Gratitude: Today I am grateful that I have the ability to get around freely. I encountered a lady in a wheelchair today with a severe disability and my first reaction was admiration for her that she has the spirit to defy adversity and get out and about, it seemed without a helper by her side. To her I guess it was just what she was used to, but it sure make me look back at times when I complain about small inconveniences in my life and think how perry they really are and how lucky I am.

Sometime I struggle with writing a new post every week, especially when I am not at home and don’t really have any decluttering inspiration. Even at home these days I don’t have a need to declutter all the time.

So today I was sitting here trying to come up with some wisdom to impart to you all when it occurred to me that I have six years of posts that not everyone could be bothered ploughing through so why not use one of those again today.

While digging around trying to come up with a post that I wanted to share I stumbled across my Declutter Decision Making Guide. And as this guide is always relevant I decided to refresh your memories on ways to decide on what should stay and what you might be happy to part with.

By the way, this guide is always available under the tabs “Pages” and “Archives” if you even want to refer to it.

Declutter Decision Making Guide

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 remove some clutter that might be bothering someone else in some way. If you decide to take on this weeks missions be prepared for it to be confronting at times.

Monday – Ask your partner/husband/roommate if there is something of yours in your shared living space that they wish you would declutter because they don’t like it. It is up to you whether you comply of course.

Tuesday – Remove something from your yard that a neighbour might be able to see and think looks out of place or unsightly. Ask the neighbour if you aren’t sure and are game.

Wednesday – Ask a family member if they have anything you have given them that they really don’t want but keep because it was a gift from you. Give them permission to declutter it.

Thursday – Return something that you have borrowed from someone else that you should possibly have returned some time ago.

Friday – Declutter an area where your items may have spilled over into someones else’s space. For example ~ Your clothes in your husbands side of the closet.

Saturday – Ask a family member if there is an area of clutter in your home that you might have overlooked that they think needs attention. This might possibly be an area that is OK to you but annoying for them.

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