On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.
Favourite Comments. Enjoy!
Sabine nailed the clutter selection process perfectly in this comment. I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Karen has a sensible outlook on what is an heirloom in this comment.
I loved Juhli’s last sentence of this comment so much that I tweeted it and posted it on Facebook.
You might want to follow this comment thread back to the beginning to understand it fully but what I loved about this response is that Lena is clearly analysing her belongings. This is a good thing because it helps you make good decisions. Mind you there is a difference between analysing and falsely justifying so be mindful of that. If in doubt consult a third party.
Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!
Beckie suggested this site for anyone wanting to organise and use recipes on line www.pepperplate.com
Here is another new blog to take a look at. It is by another 365 reader, Jane, who has been inspired not only to declutter but to blog about it. declutterrecycle.blogspot.com
I often like to visit Unclutterer.com to see what their latest offering is in their Unitasker category. These products would be simply hilarious if it wasn’t for the fact that natural resources are wasted making these pointless items.
I googled “Too lazy to declutter” and came up with this post. I liked it because instead of continually cluttering and decluttering the areas of concern, this person analysed what the cause of the clutter problem was and eliminated it for good. A little rearranging of your space can make a big difference to how it functions. Â www.idreamofclean.net ~ Decluttering-tips to prevent clutter from returning
Today’s Declutter Item
The thrift store jewellery stock has increased and profited a lot from me this week. Between the vintage jewellery I donated, all the items I repaired for them and a few that I made for them from craft supplies I no longer wanted they stand to make a good few dollars that’s for sure. It isn’t a one way street though I have the pleasure of knowing that while gaining some space in my craft room I have helped a worthy cause. So win win.
Another 3 stand Vintage Necklace
Something I Am Grateful For Today
A good book to read. The only problem is, that right now I don’t really want to do anything else but read it. Now I know why so may of my cluttered readers are book lovers. 😉
thanks again for including me. and for the other amazing comments. Sabines is excellent. I will keep that in my mind and go through my home deliberatly…
love the idreamofclean link as well. super pictures and well analysed problems.
have a happy weekend everyone!
Lena, thank you for continuing to send in great comments worth repeating.
Some good posts to reread and some good links to other sites. I enjoy the way you do this each week. My studio looks like a declutters nightmare today but it’s because I am in the process of sorting a bunch of things before the card makers come tomorrow. I’m getting rid of more STUFF. I just love it. Whoopee!!
Whoopee alright Deb. It is such a liberating feeling isn’t it. A far better high than acquiring stuff and easier on your wallet as well. Have fun with the card makers.
What a great blog post. I am glad I cam across your site. I agree with you that reducing our underused items makes sense. We have been collecting too many unnecessary goods for years. Some people even rent a storage space to store their stuff!
I am Alina Shahnazari, the Cofounder of Clouditems . It’s a marketplace where you can sell, rent, exchange, borrow, or just give away goods to the people of your life or to a trusted network of people in Clouditems.
Check it out! we went live on Jan 11, 2012
http://clouditems.com
thanks,
Alina
Hi Alina,
your web site sounds quite interesting. It is along a similar line as Open Shed an Aussie site that allows people to rent out the stuff that is seldom used around their homes. Yours goes several steps further though which I find interesting. Where are you based. I assume if one creates a group of family and friends with who they want to swap, give away and sell to that group is closed and exclusive to just those invited to join. And it doesn’t matter where a group is in the world because once again it is exclusive to just those involved. If I have got my facts right I rather like the idea. I could start one with my neighbours and friends if I wished. In America it would be great for swapping halloween costumes between friends, families and neighbours to save on cost and unnecessary landfill.
I must investigate your site further and see if it would be viable for me. I will also share it with my other readers so they know you are out there. Good luck and I thank you for creating yet another way to keep stuff circulating and giving people another way to avoid buying new.
Loved the idreamofclean link too! There is one area in my house that I need to rethink. Kids are always dumping their stuff there…. I just have one comment regarding junk mail. The best way to prevent junk mail clutter is to not receive any. I don’t know about other countries, but in the USA you can refuse it (unsubscribe). Uncluttered mailbox, uncluttered home and more time to do something else than sorting mail. 🙂
I am so with you on the junk mail thing. In Australia mail boxes aren’t exclusive to stuff coming through the postal service. Anyone can place junk mail in there. People are paid to hand deliver store catalogues and brochures in private mailboxes. All one has to do to stop this is to put a “NO JUNK MAIL” sign on the front of their box. I am the only one of our seven unit townhouse complex who does this and on windy days I get quite annoyed with everyone else’s junk blowing down the street and into the complex. One neighbour in particular leaves their rubbish out there for days on end. It’s a wonder their house hasn’t been broken into. Not to mention the fact that their true private mail is left to hang out of the box because the postman can’t get it in around the junk. Perhaps they have never heard of identity theft.
Hi colleen,
Loving your blog and all the contributors. I’ve been able to free myself of lots of stuff this past couple of weeks, with the help of all on your blog. Bless you. Then the linen cupboard reared it’s ugly head!!! So, Thursday, Australia Day, I got into it. Prior to starting this, I’ve found it relatively easy to part with things, but, for some reason the linen is more difficult.
I’ve put aside lots of sheets, table cloths etc for Vinnies but I’ve still got this really TIDY full cupboard. I found things which had been ‘lost” for some time. That’s a blessing. Now we know where the wheatbag is! …and the three hotwater bottles! I’ve given our son two sets sheets and I still find I have one on the bed and three more sets in the cupboard. Crazy me just bought two sets a couple of months ago..good quality ones too.
I’ve tried to analyse my thoughts and can only come up with the fact my mum never had decent linen really. We, all five kids, had to share towels after our bath, whilst growing up. I thought this was yucky but it was necessary. Mum, being a child of the depression, does not part with things either. Yes, I have tried to help her and told her all about 365lessthings. Well, yes, at the moment it’s all about me, me, me!!!
I wonder maybe this first declutter might be just step one in my journey. I hope now that I can really SEE what’s in there, I might spot the odd thing to hoy out to someone who needs it more than I do. By the way, I’ve never thrown any towels out either. They are going to be such good cleaning rags, you know!!! This realisation has shocked me.
Thanks for listening…aagghhhhhh
Hi Sue D,
isn’t it funny how people can have a similar experience yet it affects them so differently. When I was growing up I couldn’t actually tell you how much linen we had or what condition it was in because I suppose I just didn’t care. No holes I suppose, so it was good enough for me. You mentioned sharing towels with your siblings. Me and my four siblings also shared towels not because we had to but because we just didn’t care whose was whose. We just grabbed which ever one was dry on the rack. We bathed in pairs until we got to our teens so sharing germs wasn’t really an issue. We knew however which were the parents’ towels and we were not to use those or we would hear about it.
I’ve cut this reply off here because it was turning into a story long enough for a post. So next week stay tuned for the story of my linen supplies and perhaps that will help you get perspective on your own supplies.
Thank you for sharing these links. I will go and check them out. Your blog has inspired me to declutter at least one thing a day on my blog too. I really enjoy reading your blog and it has been a great inspiration for me 🙂
Hi Sammyleia,
thank you for the link to my post at your blog I will be returning the favour this Friday. Decluttering and money saving go hand in hand so we make a good match don’t you think.
Keep up the good work with your blog, your savings and your decluttering.
Thanks very much for putting my blog on your post Colleen. I now have a follower! I did my blog as a reminder/encourager to me to declutter, however it’s good to know others have similar issues and aims, and it encourages me when other people respond.
Jane
I know how you feel Jane, I was in that position myself once. Now I have lots of great company to encourage and be encouraged by.
I found this story which I liked on the perils of decluttering http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/one-parents-junk-is-a-future-parents-treasure-20120126-1qiak.html
Thanks for the link Low Income Lady, I have added it to this weeks favourites. I only wish their site was like the Newcastle Herald so I could have left a comment on the subject.
Colleen,
I enjoy your Friday wrap up. The comments this week were excellent. I also liked Idreamofclean, but my favorite was the blog of the guest poster, MrsDexter, http://mrsdexter.wordpress.com. Not only has she thought through how to prevent a place of clutter, she blogs about her 30 by 30 goals and their Total Money Makeover (a decluttering of debt). Loved it. Thanks!
Hi Ann R,
I enjoyed MrsDexters post as well which is why a felt compelled to share it with you all. What is it they say, repeating the same action will not result in a different reaction. One has to change the way they do things to get a more satisfying result and often that something is only a little tweak here and there. Sometimes it only has to be a change in mind set.
Hi Sue D.,
I can relate to your linen closet issue. I’ve decluttered ours twice. I pulled every sheet and towel out and counted them. I was shocked by the number. Even if we had ten house guests, we would never run out. So the sheets went to my mom and to the charity shop. The towels went to our local animal shelter. They are always in need of towels.
So I got down to two sets of sheets for our queen-size bed. Eventually one set wore out, and we were left with one. The beauty is that I never have to fold sheets. Since I only have the one set for our bed, the sheets go straight from the dryer or clothesline to the bed. Yay!
Hi Colleen! I was reading “Decluttering-tips to prevent clutter from returning” and I saw my house…in the before pictures! It seems that no matter how hard I try, the mess returns. I read the tips and I am going to apply them, but it is very hard work!
Hi Andréia,
you have to work out what is harder, keeping it clean or making it clean again once things have gotten out of hand. All the tips in the world aren’t going to make a difference if you aren’t prepared to make the effort. The problem you have I think is that you have so much on your plate all at once and if you aren’t getting any satisfaction from any of those things it is very hard to muster up any enthusiasm. Housework is a thankless task for the most part and the only satisfaction is gained from being surrounded by an orderly environment. Without that it is just drudgery and there is not joy in that.