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!
I like the second last paragraph of this comment from Dizzy. I also liked the expression Dizzy used in this comment ~ This blog really is brain changing!!
I enjoyed this comment from Judith about finding the right homes for some antique medical books. Well done Judith.
Loved this comment from Sanna, it is honest and enlightening as to the feeling some have about their stuff. Thank you for sharing Sanna. I also loved Idealistin’s suppostive response. But then this response from Cat’sMeow was the one I could relate to the most.
Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!
I googled “minimise stuff” and came up with this article. It is really about reducing in a green way but there was so many good tips I just had to add it. And as you know I don’t mind drawing attention to improving everyone impact on the environment.
This article was my second choice from googling “minimise stuff”.
Next I googled “less stuff more life” and came up with this article.
Here is some more encouragement on book decluttering. I know I visit this topic often but that is because I think books are the single most difficult of all of the clutter varieties for many aspiring minimalists, and I use that term loosely, to part with.
Here is a link that Moni shared with us that I didn’t want you to miss. Thanks Moni for the link. What a sad story.
Today’s Mini Mission
Declutter something you didn’t use much. This item could represent guilt clutter or at best a waste of money.
Today’s Declutter Item
Cycling jersey sold on ebay. One of those things that just didn’t get well used.
Cindy says
Soap nuts?? (From the first link.) That’s a new one on me!
Wendy says
I purchased some soap nuts from the Health Food shop to use in my washing machine , but never got round to it. They were “aspirational ” clutter for so long. I tried making my own soap powder with Lux flakes/sunlight soap, bicarbonate soda and washing soda. It works well.
Lena says
I know a lot of people who use them here. I never tried. although I already buy eco for detergent and softener, I should give it a shot…
Sanna says
I saw a documentary about soap nuts being hyped too much in the western world. Therefore, people in India can’t afford them anymore and wash their cloths with chemical detergent in the rivers instead. I don’t think, I want to support that.
Colleen Madsen says
I have heard mixed responses about how clean they get your wash. I like my wash clean. If I have to choose between stained clothes and an effective detergent I will chose the detergent. Throwing your clothes away because they are stained is not a saving on anything.
Deb J says
Some really good comments and links.
I agree with Dizzy that this blog is brain changing. She’s got a good take on things not mattering too. I’m learning that not only about things but about problems and issues we are faced with. I used to get really upset at things that happened and would work them in my mind for ages. then I realized that with most things it won’t matter the next day/month/year. So now I put my energy into changing or working on changing those things that will really matter down the road like all the stuff we do that kills off our environment.
I like what Judith says about a right home for things that we are getting rid of. I find myself looking at my decluttered stuff with the idea of who would really use it and be glad to have it, how can I do better at only buying those things I really, really need, and how can I find even more places to off load things and make sure they will be wanted and used.
Like Sanna, I too love pretty things. But I have realized that I not only don’t have the physical energy to deal with taking care of a lot of things but I don’t have the mental energy. I am finding that clutter wears me down. How do I satisfy my love of pretty things. I’m finding that taking pictures helps me. I can always go to those pictures and look. SOme pictures I will turn into collages and put on the wall.
It has been a very hard long week and I am exhausted. I found that about the only thing I had energy for was going through some drawers that needed to be better organized. I found myself weeding out some more things to put in the yard sale a friend is having. It was good to feel productive while not doing much.
Jane says
I agree a bit with Sanna in that I too like to look at pretty things. But with the internet & things like Pinterest – you can “pin” pretty things ’til you are blue in the face & have not spent a penny (not including internet connection obviously). I tried the Pinterest thing but bored with it quickly & didn’t like the obligation especially since I had already set up folders on my computer with downloaded images of pretty things, cute things (baby bunnies are my Kryptonite), neat products, etc.
I can look at all those photo’s & still get all the warm fuzzies but without the price tags & without baby bunnies running all about my house wrecking havoc.
Lena says
I know what you mean about cute things. I have a little collection of youtube links, that I really really really like. I think one I even got from here, about the secret life of a book-shop. makes me smile once in a while.
Colleen Madsen says
This makes me think about how I like a nice coffee but I won’t buy myself one of those fancy espresso machines because having a nice coffeeg is a good reason to go out. And I enjoy it all the more because I ge tout if the house, I don’t have to make it or clean up afterwards.
Lena says
Thank you very much about those links, they were amazing. and I needed them obviously, because I totally forgot to change the energy settings back on my computer, so I did that just now. I wrote an email to the bank to ask them to send the credit card bills online. AND I managed to identify another book that I would be happy to send to a friend as a gift.
Happy Easter everyone!
Colleen Madsen says
Well done Lena and you have a happy Easter also.
Talking about digitising thing to save paper, we almost had heart failure yesterday when we arrived to check in for our flight and the illinformed person behind the counter said we needed to have a paper copy of our online visa. we didn’t and did the mad scramble to check what w required online. As it turned out that the application said we needed no copy at all exept if we wanted it for out own records.I wish people knew there jobs properly in areas like that.
snosie says
Agh Colleen, I was almost not allowed to leave Israel cause of this (despite coming to Israel from the US!) They took me ‘out the back’ and the number I’d written for my waiver has a switched digit I later realised. They called the US to check it all out! Scary! (This was after 2 hours of intense baggage swabbing, so I wasn’t feeling ‘positive’ to start with!)
Sanna says
Thank you for adding my comment.
I am using “window shopping” via internet (and in the real world) as well.
Also, of course I am decluttering. 🙂 I try to combine beauty and usefulness. For instance, I try to keep the books of which I like both the content and their appearance. Or I try to keep the most lovely dishes and use them every day.
But as for pictures: I hardly ever look at them, I like to touch items, that’s of more importance to me. So taking pictures isn’t really “my” method.
Jane says
Sanna, here’s a neat article from Time Magazine about the science of consumers. They found that those who physically touch an object are more likely to buy it. Really interesting stuff.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1889081,00.html
Colleen Madsen says
I am happy to look and not buy too especially at antique stores. Using you beautiful things regularly is a must I think. It just reinforces that everyday is a good day and that is a good thing to be reminded of often.