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!
Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!
lovingsimpleliving.com  ~ Cant-afford-minimalist-lifestyle
www.collaborativeconsumption.com ~ google-the-latest-collaborative-consumption-startup
unclutterer.com ~ A-too-small-house
www.aslobcomesclean.com ~ methodical-vs-maniacal
The latest episode of the Midway Decluttering Show
Today’s Mini Mission
Declutter electric entertainment devices that aren’t that useful to you. Suggestions ~ Outdated games consoles, old stereo equipment, superseded iPods, old computer equipment, electronic photo frames, slide projector, video player, second, third or forth TV… .We now own one TV, an iPod dock, computers that are all in use ( a laptop, a desktop and an iPad)Â
Eco Tip For The Day
Most people have digital cameras these days but some still think “old school†when it comes to printing and insist on hardcopies of everything. Why not save paper and ink and only get the photos printed that you intend to display. Even sending copies to family and friends can be done digitally. No need for waste there either.
It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow
loved the animals in the house story!
Hi Deanna, so did I but I was a bit worried about the direction it was going in to begin with. I thought the moral was heading in the direction of “Your house wasn’t so cluttered after all.” It kind of did in a way but was more skewed towards “Your home is plenty big enough.”
Yes, there is a sweet picture book of this story for children, It Could Always Be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale (Michael Di Capua books) , and the message is more of appreciating what you already have. I can see how it relates to clutter too since getting rid of all the extra additions creates space anew.
Really enjoyed A Too Small House and Methodical v. Maniacal. Good finds Colleen. I used to be a lot like the maniacal cleaner. Glad those days are behind me.
Hi Cindy, don’t thank me thank Andréia, she sent me the links. 😉
I love the animal story. It also shows that often we already have enough, we just aren’t aware of it, so often all it takes is a change of perspective.
So did I Sanna.
I loved all the articles, thanks Colleen.
My pleasure Doodle. And I think all those readers who send me links because I don’t always have the time to find them myself.
Great comments and links. “Can’t afford” is good because it reminds us that there are still those out there who don’t understand the minimalist concept. Also there are still people who equate minimalism with money. The animal story in “Too Small House” was good. Reminds me of the “glass half full or half empty” analogy. Many times deciding our house size is based on the wrong criteria. “Methodical vs Meniacal” reminds me of my friend S. Her entire house looked like that before picture. Progress is being made and it is good. Mohamed’s video was good. It’s fun to see what people have to say about their story. Mohamed seems to have a lot of great guests on his Midway Decluttering Show.
Hi Deb J, I am glad you got something out of each of the links. Mohamed’s Midway Decluttering Show is all about the interviews. he does post other stuff too but I like the interviews the best.
Deb J – I was wondering the other day if you’d been back to S’s house and how progress was going.
Colleen, thanks so much for including my post in your list 🙂
Moni, Yes I have been over there a couple of times for short periods. I can’t go for long due to my asthma. Due to the heat here and some illness issues with the lady who has been helping her things have slowed down for her. They are taking one room at time and tearing it apart so they can get rid of cat hair and dust so I don’t get sick again. They are cleaning the carpets, cleaning the walls, and also trying to get rid of stuff. There is a ways to go. They have 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, an office, living room, dining room, family room, breakfast room and kitchen. Once they get all of that cleaned then I can go back over and help her again. S is also not feeling well and is struggling with low energy. It will get there one day.
Deb J – I’m not surprised with the kind of temperatures that you’ve been having! Good to hear that it is still progressing.
I enjoyed the links – I received Mohamed’s the other day but the video is too long to watch at work and I forgot to watch at home later.
I enjoyed the Yiddish story and Slobcameclean.
Can’t afford minimalism – once upon in my very early 20’s, before-kids, I saw a tv programme and the house was an architectural beauty, large, white, airy, a suspended staircase, very few items but what was there was expensive, the owners were young professionals and talked of their minimalist home. So I too got the impression that that was minimalism was. It was so far removed from anything I’d ever seen growing up in an older rural town. It was years before I realised that regular people living in regular homes with regular jobs and lives could be called minimalists too.
Hey I want to put a shout out to my younger daughter today – she’s my arty, disorganised child and not one I usually mention as a shining example of decluttering or minimalism…..but yesterday she had to come from school early due to a headcold but felt a lot better once she was in the warm and had some chicken soup, meds etc. So she decided to work on her art assignment. I have been told by parents of art students that have gone before us to forget seeing the dining room table for the second half of the school year as they need to do roughly 10 pieces of different work……and to invest in an easel. I had been planning to start looking into this, however, she appeared with the music stand and taped a bit of board to make the back a bit longer and set to work. As it isn’t a flimsly music stand and it is height adjustable, she worked happily away. Good multi use of a single purpose item. This morning she was picked up by her class mate and mother as there was an early start (5am) to catch a bus to Auckland (3hrs away) and they saw what she’d done and as they also have a music stand they’re going to do the same thing.
Moni we have a multipurpose music stand. It has done services as:
Recipe book holder in a spacious kitchen with precious little worksurface
Table plan holder for charity ball
Easel for caricaturist at a party
Holder of instructions for horribly complicated flatpack desk
Holder of music for harpist, violinist, clarinetist, flautist, saxophonist, guitarist, horn player and several vocalists and conductors.
Not bad for £30!
Hi Moni I had missed this comment. I have to say I am impressed with your daughter’s ingenuity. Good for her!