Today as inspiration to do a little decluttering I am going to challenge you to take part in ten declutter mini missions. I have been including these missions on my new Twitter account and added some extras for fun. I will check back with you next Thursday to see how you went. So get cracking and be sure to send me some feedback on your progress.
- Take a look in your closet and find 5 items you no longer use/wear (shoes, clothes, bags, belts…).
- Find 1 item that someone gave you that you no longer want but are keeping just because it was given to you.
- Find 2 items in your home that once had sentimental value but are now just taking up space.
- Sit on your sofa and look around and see if you can see 1 thing you no longer want.
- Take a look in your pantry and take out 2 out-of-date items.
- Find 5 things in your utensil drawer that you never use.
- Take a look in your bathroom cabinet and remove 2 items you no longer use.
- Have a search through your first aid kit/cabinet and remove any out-of-date items.
- Go through your sock draw and take out any holey socks that you keep avoiding to wear.
- Have a look in your bookcase and remove 1 book you know you will be unlikely to read again.
Give away, throw away or sell all the items you have found during your mini missions and you will be at least 22 items closer to a decluttered home. If you can’t find as many items as I have stated that is even better because you must already be well on your way to being fully decluttered.
Item of 365 less things
This sleeping bag was taking up a big chunk of space in the closet and it hasn’t been used for at least 3 years.
5 Things I am grateful for today
- The house cleaning went smoothly – So smoothly that I did a little decluttering and reorganising of our walk in wardrobe as well.
- A cool breeze on a hot day.
- Having another good laugh with Liam – He knows of some very funny web sites.
- That first cup of coffee in the morning – It never fails to please.
- Christmas decorations – I may not be putting any up this year but I can enjoy others that I see.
It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow.
We just got rid of two sleeping bags (before I read this) that belonged to our teen-agers back when they were camping and doing sleep overs. They are now 42 and 43. Decided they couldn’t even be given away due to current health codes and the number of years they’d been stored.
Hi Norma,
That was the second one I have given away this year. I bought them for the kids when they had to go on year 6 camp in middle school and aside from that they only used them when they camped out in the lounge room on the weekends and holidays. They really take up a lot of room in the closet so I am glad to see them go.
Great mini missions. We’ve been doing a major whole house purge over the last two months, so we’ve actually done all these things already.
Sleeping bags do take up some space. When we were purging our hall closet we found that we had four sleeping bags and only three people in the family. We kept the best three since we still go camping a few times a year, and we pulled the other one out to get rid of. We couldn’t even sell that thing for $2 at our garage sale. I’ll be dropping it off at Goodwill this week.
Hi Freedom,
I will make it my challenge to find something you haven’t done yet. By the way welcome to 365lessthings I can’t find evidence that you have commented before so welcome on board. We look forward to hear more from you in the future and what you have learned over the last two months.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours! *<|:-)
I love you mini missions as they are easily achievable! Also for me very appropriate! Today a chat with a work mate meant I found a new home for a beautiful shaker style photo frame that I received as a gift but never used as it didn’t match my decor. I like it but I don’t think I will ever use it however my colleague will, as it will look so good in her newly extended lounge. I will let it go with love. X
I love these mini missions. I just wish I wasn’t heading out of town tomorrow or I would take these on. I’d really love a reminder of this post sometime in January so I can do this! Due to my trip and the holidays I’m giving myself a break. A plus for me though is since I’ve gotten so much done the last couple of months I’ve been able to be very organized this Christmas.
Hi Mary,
If I keep getting such enthusiastic responses like yours I will be sure to do a repeat. I hope you have a lovely time on you Christmas Vacation and am glad you can go away happy because you are so organised. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours! *<|:-)
I Iove the mini missions. Keep them coming!
Hi Bonnie,
I will do that for sure. I will be expecting to hear from you next Thursday to see how you went though. I am expecting big things from you now. 😉
Colleen, What timing. This is so perfect. Actually, on 14 Dec I went thru and decluttered a bunch of stuff very similar to your list (kids and I had done kitchen, their closets and their toys last weekend). Here’s the bye-byes…1. wool sweater, summer dress, skirt (too tight, yikes!?!), purse, old leggings; 2. small dried flower thingy (huh? how silly, I’m not even sure what it was!); 3. two wooden decor items (broken! I haven’t fixed the items in over 3 years…so BYE BYE!) ; 4. coffee table (we now use the ottoman as table); 5. tossed out-dated food items; 6. cooking pot, hand-held mixer (just as easy to stir with my own power and give my arm(s) a work out); 7. bottle of lotion that just made me break out (ugh); 8. one tube of old boo-boo cream; 9. one pair socks; 10. one book I’ve read OVER and OVER (time for someone else to enjoy it!). HOWEVER, count me in on your mini-mission adventure, there’s always MORE to be decluttered! 😉
Wow Annabelle, you really are making progress. Good for you! Are you finding that your home feels like it is getting bigger on the inside. I love that feeling.
Keep tabs on those mini mission items I want to hear all about them next week.
Oh, and from the sporting goods ‘closet’, two (old) camping towels, bike inner-tubes, winter gloves/mittens too small for kids growing hands, and the best part, SEVERAL plastic (large size) storage bins (nothing to put in them!). Ahhh, the freedom!
Annabelle, you go girl. I am feeling your joy!
What a fun post! I did numbers 2, 3 (1 item), 4 (which was also nr 9 for me :D), 7 (1 item) and 10. Plus I sorted out some DVDs and papers. Thanks for the productivity boost, and Happy Holidays!
Hi Lumi,
I am so pleased that the mini missions are inspiring so many people to get up and declutter. It’s nice when a post gets a good response but even better when it is a physical response. I will have to keep them coming. Thank you for participating and leaving your comment.
Happy holidays to you!
This is just amazing, Colleen – with Christmas so close and still quite a lot on my plate to do, I wasn’t sure I could manage this mini-decluttering – but it’s working! I’ll keep at it for the week and let you know if I managed to complete it all. Thanks for the nudge!
Hi Jo,
good for you. The beauty of the mini mission is that they don’t take long, the selected task has already been defined for you and in the end you feel like you have achieved something. Almost instant declutter gratification. Thanks for participating.