You might be wondering what could Colleen possibly have left to declutter after three and a half years of downsizing. Well let me tell you, the decision making becomes a lot easier when limited space is immanent.

With only two bedrooms it becomes easy to decide to let go of a few more towels and a couple of pillows. Visitor space is limited therefore catering for them requires less stuff.

With only a single car space and a small lock up cage what used to be stored in our spacious two car garage also needs to be limited. Couple that with no yard to care for and I was able to declutter most of my gardening tools. Leaving only enough to dig around in the odd potted plant. Also as this move is intended to be more permanent we no longer feel it necessary to store the original boxes and packing for our large electrical items. That will make a big gap post moving day.

There a some items of furniture that are too big or just won’t have a place in the new apartment. They are going to my daughter.  These are items that we would have kept under different circumstances.

We also have limited closet space so in future will be storing the winter items in plastic storage bins on high shelving in the laundry. While packing up my winter clothes I decided to declutter a few less-loved items from my closet. Along the same lines I also decluttered a couple of pairs of shoes. One to the thrift shop the other to the bin as they had so little sole left that water was starting to seep through on wet days. I got a good eight years out of those shoes so I have got my money’s worth.

There has also been the odd thing that belonged to the children show up during my move prep. These items have or will soon be returned to them.

I have also been doing a use it up challenge on items in the pantry and fridge. I stock far fewer items in both places these days but still there was a few things that I no longer have a need for now that the kids aren’t living at home. I have been having fun improvising and exploring new recipes to use these items up. Taste.com has been visited by me several times recently.

My point is that even though many of the items mentioned above have survived the cut in the past there is no space for them in my future. This has made the decision to finally let them go easier. The goal to fit into a smaller dwelling has been my inspiration from the start. However anyone can create their own goals to help them make the decision to let go of items easier. Here are a few to think about…

1. Having a guest room the is always ready to receive guests.
2. To clear enough room in a garage where all vehicles can be parked out of the weather. This is better for the car and to lowers insurance premiums.
3. Wanting your kitchen to be more user friendly.
4. You have been through the arduous task of sorting out after a lost loved one and don’t want to inflict the same torment on your loved ones.
5. Simply to make your home less oppressive…

Basically give yourself a greater goal than I might need it someday.

Today’s Mini Mission

Question: Do I need to waste space storing these salad dressings (mixed spices, sauces etc) or could I quickly and easily whip up delicious fresh alternatives when needed from ingredients that I usually stock in my pantry anyway.

Mission: Don’t double stock your pantry. Get on line and find simple easy recipes for spice mixes, salad dressing etc and do a use it up challenge on items you have no need to stock.

Eco Tip for the Day

Keep a jug in your kitchen sink to save the water that would otherwise go to waste when waiting for the hot water to come through. This water can be used as drinking water, to fill the kettle, rinse dishes, water plants, rinse the sink etc.

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

This week we have been talking about making decisions about what is clutter and what isn’t. Recently I received an email from a reader named Lesley who shared with me a story of why she decided to declutter and downsized her handbag. Here is what Lesley wrote~

“Hi Coleen, I have recently come across your website and I am enjoying it very much and finding it very inspirational. I was reading some older posts from your archive and came across one regarding handbags, and I wanted to share my experience with you. Three years ago my large, very cluttered, handbag was stolen. It contained too much information about my life, too many things I really did not want to lose. As well as cancelling all my cards, I had to change the locks on my house and car, get a new camera, mobile phone, replace my favourite make-up, warn all my friends that their addresses and phone numbers were in the hands of thieves and possibly fraudsters (My address book was in there).

It was just awful, and it made me realise how much stuff I carried round that was not necessary. I switched at once to a hip bag/fanny pack. This has two benefits. It means that you are limited as to what you can carry and you realise very quickly what you really need with you, and it means you do not put your bag down or hang it on a chair etc. You have a wonderful company in Australia called Happy Cow, and they make some lovely and very stylish hip bags, which are an excellent more fashionable alternative to the standard canvas bum bag. I learnt the hard way, and I would never go back to a big cluttered bag now.”

This is just one example of where cluttering can become a real issue. However there are plenty of other examples ~ mould, dust, pests, fire danger, inconvenience, wasted money, relationship strain, stress… . All of which are as good a reason as any to decide to clear that clutter.

Today’s Mini Mission

Will I ever use this leftover craft supply or will it still be tucked away unused in five years? Be realistic about the likelihood of using up leftover craft supplies and let them go if the chance is unlikely. Perhaps a local school or craft group could find a more immediate use for them.

Eco Tip for the Day

Avoid using plastic straws. Even tiny little bits of plastic like that add up to lots of waste. The less demand we put on supply the less of these insidious little things add to the pollution of our planet.

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

Given that the topic of this weeks mini missions is Think Twice, I thought today would be as good a day as any to remind you of my handy Decision Making Guide. The guide below is always available to you simply by clicking the Guides tab to the right of the Blog title. There are other helpful guides as will as this one that you might find helpful with your decluttering.

Have a read through it today. Perhaps you will find just the right question to ask yourself that will help you make a choice on an item you have been procrastination about for a while. Good luck and happy decluttering.

Decision Making Guide

Questions to ask yourself when you are deciding what stays and what goes when decluttering

• How long since I last used this:- If you are keeping an item just because maybe you might need it some day then it is probably clutter.
  
• Is it still useful to me:- Do I still use this item or even participate in the activity that this item is used for if not then it’s clutter.
  
• Is it in working condition:- If an item is broken and you do not have the expertise to repair it or you are not prepared to pay the price to have it fixed then it is clutter.
  
• How many do I have and how many do I need:- If you have multiples of a certain item but only ever need one then it is most likely clutter.
• Do I need this item for the information it contains:- So much information is right at your finger tips these days on your computer and it is constantly updated do you really need to keep a library of books whose information may or may not stand the test of time.
• Do I like it:– If you are keeping something that was given to you even though you do not like it, it is definitely clutter.
• Do I really need this item in order to remember good times or lost loves:- If it is an item that has purely sentimental value yet you never get it out and look at it then there is a good chance you don’t need it to remind you of the good times you had and the wonderful people you have known. If it means so much to you put it out where you can see it if not let it go.
• Am I keeping this item out of guilt:- I paid a lot of money for this so I hope one day I will get my money’s worth out of it (old hobbies, sporting equipment, expensive clothing all fall into this category). These are the items you need to cash in on now and sell while they are still useful to someone else.
• Do I want to clean it:- Any item out on display will require dusting at least.
  
• Do I want to store it:-Do you have the space to store this item or is it just taking up precious space you can’t afford. 
  
• Do I want to move it out of the way when looking for something else:- The more items you have taking up space in your home the more likely they are going to get in the way of each other forcing you to have to shuffle things around when you do have cause to use them.
  
• Does it have a real purpose other than looking pretty:-This one speaks for itself. Although I like to have some nice objects to enjoy just for their appearance there is a limit to how many if any I can accommodate or justify.
  
• Will I be tired of it in six months:- This is a good question to ask before even acquiring an item in the first place.
  
• Do I want to pack and unpack this item when we move in a couple years:- This is a critical question for anyone who tends to move location on a reasonably regular basis due to work commitments for example.
• If this item had been taken from you and sold to a pawn shop (by a junkie friend or an evil in-law, whatever) would you buy it back? :- I bet there will be a lot of items that you wouldn’t waste your money on,  however low the cost. These are the things that need to go! (Thanks Gogol for this tip) The same could be said for an item were it to break would you replace it or be secretly relieved that is is gone and you didn’t have to make the decision to declutter it.
• “What the heck are you and what on earth is your purpose?:- If you find you need to ask this question of an object then it could very well be clutter but I advise checking with every member of the family first because it could very well be an important part to something. Chances are thought it is rubbish. (Thanks go to Toffee for this addition to the list)

Today’s Mini Mission

Question: Am I saving this book to read it again or am I just putting it on display for some other personal reason?”

Mission: If a book doesn’t inspire you to reread it then perhaps you should just let it go. Declutter a few from your collection that you haven’t felt inspired to reread in a very long time.

Eco Tip for the Day

When buying bars of soap, buy ones without wrappers or multi packs that come in a simple cardboard box. Every little bit of plastic saved from landfill counts.

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

Jamie Oliver’s jam jar dressings

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’s mini missions are designed to get you thinking twice about some of the excess items within your home. This method of analysis assisted me in letting go of more and more items as my decluttering mission progressed. To the point where I would find reasons to relinquish items I had held on for a long time and then wonder why I hadn’t let them go sooner. Here are some examples of the questions you might ask yourself.

Monday – Does this kitchen gadget save me time or would a knife perform the same task in quicker time than it takes to assemble, use and clean it? Let it go it it doesn’t pass this test.

Tuesday – Am I saving this book to read it again or am I just putting it on display for some other personal reason? If a book doesn’t inspire you to reread it then perhaps you should just let it go. Declutter a few from your collection that you haven’t felt inspired to reread in a very long time.

Wednesday – Will I ever use this leftover craft supply or will it still be tucked away unused in five years? Be realistic about the likely hood of using up leftover craft supplies and let them go if the chance is unlikely. Perhaps a local school or craft group could find a more immediate use for them.

Thursday – Do I need to waste space storing these salad dressings (mixed spices, sauces etc) or could I quickly and easily whip up delicious fresh alternatives when needed from ingredients that I usually stock in my pantry anyway. Don’t double stock your pantry. Get on line and find simple easy recipes for spice mixes, salad dressing etc and do a use it up challenge on items you have no need to stock.

Friday – Am I in love with all the knick-knacks and thingamabobs in my home or would life be easier if I just kept the ones I really love and have less to dust?

Saturday – Do I often have a sudden need for gift wrap and greeting cards or could I reduce my stash to a more manageable size? If the answer is no to this question start a use it up challenge on the overabundance. 

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

Use the stairs rather than the elevator. This of course has the added bonus of a little impromptu exercise.

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

Last year one of your fellow 365ers, Michelle, was on a mission to reduce her Christmas supplies. Some bins she spent time on in consideration while others bins she just did a quick rush through. The following photos show the pile of stuff she had (on the left) and the end result of her decluttering effort on the right.

The third photo below is the stack of what she decluttered.  There was  more on the floor that isn’t in the picture. She told me that she could have spent more time and consideration in getting rid of more but this was at least a first step. Quite a massive effort for a first step don’t you think? 

Here is a recent comment that Michelle left at the blog regarding how she has simplified another big holiday season task ~ “…I used to spend so much time wrapping everything just perfectly, color-coordinating with bows or ornaments or whathaveyou.  It got tiring and now I have a traditional color scheme and no longer spend time thinking/worrying about how it all looks.”

So yes it is possible to simplify Christmas while still enjoying all the usual fun and trimmings of the event.

Thank you for the photos Michelle and please comment here and let us know if you have reduced more now that the silly season is on us again.

Today’s Mini Mission

Make finding your good underwear or socks easy by throwing away the ratty old ones that you avoid using.

Eco Tip of the Day

Today’s eco tip is brought to you by one of our readers Sher.

I thought of an eco tip yesterday…I do it without thinking but maybe others haven’t thought of it. When at the bank machine chose to NOT get a paper receipt…when at the gas station…chose NOT to get a receipt. Just those little pieces of paper are going to be tossed in the trash anyways or just end up cluttering your car. Or if you want to take the receipt…use the back of it to write your grocery list on or something to re-use it before tossing it 🙂

Thanks Sher. I am not sure why I hadn’t thought to write this one before because I do this all the time.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

My organised craft room ~ Circa June 2011

As you can imagine this blog post title ~ You don’t have to declutter to own fewer things ~ caught my eye in my inbox last week. It is a recent post by Mohamed Tohami @ Midway Simplicity. You can read it here. In fact please do read it before going further.

My response was this ~ “Having your stuff organised can no doubt make your home appear decluttered, tidy and less oppressive. I know this because my home has always been that way. Nevertheless it has taken me over three years of slow and gradual decluttering to get it to a point where we don’t have a lot of unused and unloved stuff neatly organised into closets, drawers, cupboards, storage containers and pieces of furniture all over the house.

Being organised and tidy afforded me the lengthy time I used to declutter while still being comfortable in my home. So, organise by all means but at the same time question your need of stuff and especially any desire to acquire more of it.”

Other thoughts I had after reading the post were these –

• You do have to declutter to own fewer things but you can create the illusion of fewer things by being organised. However the more you own the more difficult it is to organise efficiently what you have.
• Getting organised doesn’t require any special talent. Anyone who keeps their cooking utensils in their kitchen, their toiletries in their bathroom, washing powder in their laundry and their clothes in their closets can manage to arrange anything to be in its most logical place within their homes. Not doing so creates more wasted effort than the effort they think they are saving by being untidy.
• Learning to discern what stuff is necessary and/or important in your life also teaches you to be more discerning about what you bring in. Wasting money on the unnecessary makes it necessary for you to work harder to earn the money to pay for it.

As you can see, by comparing the photo above with the one below, there is a big difference between neatly organising your excesses and decluttering them. But Tahomi is correct about the fact that grouping and organising your stuff, while coming to terms with the idea of decluttering it, sure does make your home look a whole lot more neat and tranquil.

My organised and decluttering craft room ~ Circa 2013

Today’s Mini Mission

Begin a use up challenge on, or simply throw or give away items cluttering up the space where you store your toiletries.

Eco Tip for the Day

Save electricity by not turning on electrical appliances, like irons, hair straighteners etc, too long before you use them and by not leaving them on while you decide to take a break during the task.

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 about organising the frequented areas of your home by decluttering some of the excess stuff that is getting in the way. People often fall into the trap of thinking they are naturally disorganised people because their stuff is always messy. However it could just be a case of rummaging through an abundance of stuff getting it all messed up. So here are six areas to declutter that might make your day to day household operations more efficient.

Monday – Pick a small area of your kitchen ~ perhaps a messy drawer or an overcrowded shelf ~ and declutter some little used stuff that is getting in the way of the items you do actually use regularly.

Tuesday – Begin a use up challenge on, or simply throw or give away items cluttering up the space where you store your toiletries.

Wednesday – Forget the boy scout motto of “Be prepared” and ditch some of that stuff cluttering up your handbag.

Thursday – Make finding your good underwear or socks easy by throwing away the ratty old ones that you avoid using.

Friday – Declutter DVDs or CDs from your collection that only serve to make it harder to find the ones you do watch or listen to regularly. You can sell or donate the rest.

Saturday – Go through your jewellery box and declutter any items you never wear or are broken.

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

When boiling dried pasta, bring to the boil then turn the temperature down to low and once settled put a lid on. It will boil quicker and at a lower temperature this way thus saving electricity. When you think it is almost done turn off the heat and allow the residual heat to complete the cooking process. The same method works for rice. Rice will usually take 12 minutes to cook this way.

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

Deb J

My Mom is a gardener at heart. She loves to work in the yard growing flowers and some veggies. She also loves to grow indoor plants. I think if she could she would be “gardening” all the time. There are problems with all this. She can no longer physically do the gardening. It is hard for her. She feels she has lost part of her identity.

We have always been known for having a “jungle” in our house. There have been plants, plants and more plants. When she was still gardening we also had a yard full of plants. It drove me nuts because to me it was too crowded. This is one area where I have learned to just compromise and live with it.

Lately Mom has been looking at things a little differently. She has given away a number of plants out of the house and off the porch. She says it feels stifling. She never thought about it because she was so on the go when she was younger. Now she sits down more, she realizes that it is draining.

These changes have recently precipitated several conversations with others about their landscapes both inside and out. It takes energy and time to have a breathtaking landscape. They have been asking. Do you have the energy and time? Is this where you want to spend your time and energy? Or do you need to declutter the landscape in order to create beauty while also creating minimal effort and time?

One last thought. What does your mental/emotional landscape look like? Does it also need some decluttering?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a  childhood or baby item of you or your children.

Eco Tip for the Day

Don’t throw those old sheets, towels, blankets and pillows in the trash donate them to an animal shelter, humane society, wildlife rescue service, kennel or veterinary surgery.

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

If you find it hard to part with sentimental clutter I have a plan that may help. The thing that is important to people when it comes to items of sentimental clutter is the memories they evoke and not so much the actual item itself. So I have two suggestions. The first one is simple.

Take digital images of your sentimental items, load them onto your computer and then declutter them. Include the image as part of your screen saver file so that whenever your computer goes into hibernation these memory triggers will flash up to remind you of precious loved ones, places and events in your life.

The second suggestion is to look at the item in question and think about what or who it reminds you of. Then think about what comes to mind regarding this person, place or event. Next step is to link those memories to everyday happenings that could easily evoke the same memories. For example…

An object that reminds me of my mother will bring up images for me of her laughing. I know that whenever I see someone uproariously laughing I always think of my mother. Cooking and sewing also remind me of my mother as does the shape of my mouth and some of my behavioural traits. I encounter all these things on a regular basis therefore I have no need of physical reminders collecting dust in my home.

For my father I only have to be working on a project and putting my all into it. My dad always says “A job worth doing is worth doing well.”. Kangaroos remind me of my father as do cars (he worked in the automotive industry). As you can imagine these things affords me plenty of opportunities  to think fondly of my dad and all the things I learned from him.

Seeing photos, artworks, documentaries etc. of places I have been remind me of my travels as does hearing names and accents specific to these places. Australia is multicultural enough that I am constantly reminded of my adventures in other parts of the globe without feeling the need to acquire souvenirs.

So give it go. Match the things you wish to remember to everyday things that don’t waste space in your home. You will be surprised how much more often you think of these things in the future. As I right this Jamie Oliver is on an ad on TV, this reminds my of my vacation in the UK.

For further inspiration to let go of sentimental items read the following links to so great comments by your fellow readers.

Todays post was inspired by this comment form Alicia. I immediately wanted to assure her that there are lots of memory triggers out there that will remind her of her friend without needing to possess physical reminders.

Then Andréia left this comment which summed up what I was thinking quite nicely. Andréia also left this comment that inspired this week’s mini missions.  She is living proof of how a person can change their ways when it comes to clutter.

Rebecca also left this great comment explaining how she is paring down her mementoes.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a family heirloom you possibly never really liked. Give it to another member of the family. Last week I gave my Grandmother’s engagement ring to my sister. I like it but I rarely wear it, however I am sure that she will.

Eco Tip for the Day

Don’t throw away that old electric kettle or use harsh cleaners on it because it is all stained inside. Fill it with cold water, add a lemon wedge and bring to the boil, that stain will miraculously disappear.

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.

Last weeks post ~ Memories are no stuff ~ deserves a little more attention than just one post. So this week I will dedicate the mini mission and another post to the subject. I feel this is important because this kind of clutter is often the sort that most people have trouble detaching themselves from. The power of suggestion is, as the phrase suggests, a powerful thing. One can change their belief system when exposed enough to an opposing logical suggestion. So let me just repeat again that we don’t need stuff to remind us of those we love, what we have achieved or the good times we’ve had. Without further adieu here are some suggestions for things you might find you can happily live without.

Monday – Old birthday cards

Tuesday – A family heirloom you possibly never really liked. Give it to another member of the family.

Wednesday – A souvenir.

Thursday – A childhood or baby item of you or your children.

Friday – A diary or journal.

Saturday – Any memento that is boxed away somewhere where you rarely see it.

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

Using reusable items rather than throw away is not only good for the environment but can save you money.

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