Oops! Sorry folks I missed yesterday’s mission so there is an extra one today to make up for it.

Do a quick declutter in your refrigerator. While you are at it give some thought to what items seem to go out of date without being used up. You may need to reconsider what quantities you buy them in, a better storage method, or if you should stop buying that item altogether. Some time ago I stopped buying salad dressings for just this reason. I always have vinegars, oils and frozen herbs which have a long shelf life and can be thrown together in an instant to create delicious dressing so why waste money on permade that go off too quick for me.

Also declutter a few more books, magazines or newspapers. I gave up buying magazines a long while back. They are way too expensive here in Australia and I found that, unless you create a database of articles, it is too time consuming trying to use them as a reference.

Declutter one small area that’s is easy to tackle in one short time frame. I think I will tackle my sewing drawer it is small but a little jumbled and most likely has at least one thing in it I can declutter.

Declutter a technology item such as an old cell phone, redundant charging cords or other tech accessory that you no longer, or maybe never did, use. It is amazing how these items can accumulate. Earbuds with only one side working would be a fine example of this, or ones acquired free on aeroplanes during long haul flights, guided tours etc. So they can build up in drawers all over the house, or in the bottom of your handbag. We tend to bing them home whether we need them or not because we know they will end up straight in the trash otherwise. Young people are often good recipients of this declutter because they use theirs a lot, and on the go, so they tend to get broken and need replacing. So why not offer them a free pair rather than have them go to waste.

For this mission I would like you to do some investigation on how to donate a specific kind of item to a recipient that will most appreciate it. This is so that you have a resource for donating, perhaps unusual, items that you may fear will end up in landfill if simply sent to a thrift shop.

Here is an example for you. On the weekend I went browsing around some yarn stores to investigate what yarns were out there and which shops held the best ranges. While chatting with one friendly staff member in an alpaca yarn store I found out that there is a thrift shop in Sydney that sells only donated fibre craft tools, mediums and accessories. So not only do I now have an option for acquiring preloved yarn, rather than buy new, I also now have somewhere to donate leftover yarn from projects that I have completed.

You will be pleased to know that I didn’t buy anything except a couple of needles that will be well used. I would also like to mention that my yarn stash and knitting tools are allocated to only a small drawer in by closet. They is not allowed to accumulate to a large stash like my papercrafting hobby once did. I mostly knit socks and am not averse to making pairs that are a mix of leftover yarns in order to use up the leftovers. I also sometimes knit baby items with leftovers that I donate to a local hospital. There are also no end of charities that provide hand knitted items for those less fortunate. I recently found out that one craft chain store in Australia is a drop off point for just such a charity. Word of mouth can be a very powerful thing.

Declutter, or start a use-it-up mission on, something that you constantly pass over to use a similar item instead. This might be a toiletry item such as a hair product, hand cream, body wash, purfume etc. Or maybe an ingredient in your kitchen, or a crafting medium, or even something as simple as a pen you don’t like the flow of… I am sure you can think of such an item.

I am going to set myself a challenge to use up some of the cardstocks in my craft stash that I never use. And maybe some embellishments too. To be honest, I suppose, I do this all the time because my whole craft stash is a use it up mission for me. But there are some colours that I prefer that I am beginning to run out of, so this mission will delay the need to replace them.

Declutter something that requires too much maintenance than it is worth. Perhaps an item of clothing that requires dry-cleaning. Maybe a collection of knickknacks that you are tired of dusting. Or maybe some silly kitchen gadget that you spend more time, digging out of the back on the cupboard and the cleanup after use, than the time you save by using it.

Declutter one of those obligation items. You know the ones, things you keep out of obligation. Maybe someone gifted it to you and that is the only reason you keep it. Maybe an item someone made for you, or anything that you keep because you feel you should regardless of the fact that you no longer want it.