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!
There is an important message in this comment from Joanna especially if you are not coping with issues on your own. Whatever they may be.
I had to add this comment from Becky in the hope that those of you who have had success convincing spouses to declutter might give her some advice.
Karen hit the nail on the head with one short sentence in this comment ~ “I has changed my brain.” I like that because it really somes up what needs to be done in order to do a proper declutter. You have to realign your thinking from being materialistic to being content with less. And who wouldn’t want to be content, right?
Like Karen above Nurchamiel has got to the point where she is letting go of book. To non-prolific readers that may not be a big deal but to book lovers it sure it. When they have honed their decluttering desire to include books they know they have reached a huge milestone. Read full comment here.
This comment from Calico ginger sums up the best of what slow and steady decluttering is all about.
I also liked what Ideealistin had to say in this comment. It shows that the best method of decluttering is an individual thing. Whatever it is that keeps you motivated to continue is a good thing.
Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!
lifehacker.com ~ How to dig yourself out from leftover holiday clutter. Of course I think it is wiser to avoid the excess by requesting moderation during the holiday season but not everyone finds that option acceptable.
Alison sent me this link. Those of you who live in America might be interested in sending your cards on to be recycled ~ Ann’s Christmas Card Project
This link is to the blog of one of your fellow 365 readers, Joanna. The difficulty level of Joanna’s mission far excedes mine. Please give her some support. 365declutterchallenge ~ Moving out of a hoarders home, what does and doesn’t work.Â
My husband has been reading this blog recently and although I feel I ought to be a little insulted it ha inspired him to purge stuff I have been hoping he would get rid of for a long time. So thank you ~ www.theminimalists.com and I particularly liked this post ~ Failure but I think the one that spurred my hubby on was this one.
Today’s Declutter Item
This necklace was given to me by someone who had received it from someone else and now I have given it to the thrift shop. I wonder if someone will eventually wear it. I found it among my craft supplies.
Handed on Clutter
Something I Am Grateful For Today
There has been a birthday in the household today (not mine) and it has been a very pleasant day. I may have gained a pound though after cooking Raisin Bread French Toast for breakfast, lunch out at a café, cooking nice fat steaks with sweet potato fries and sweet corn for dinner followed by sweet sticky syrup dumplings with lashings of cream. Mmmmmm.
Holiday clutter…I feel SO good about my holiday clutter this year. I had a HUGE tote bucket full of ornaments and old stockings (handmade or my mother-in-law’s first attempts at embroidery, etc.) and *that* was decluttered from a previous year where I actually had two tote buckets worth of Christmas stuff. Then there was the Christmas tree, stored neatly in its box each year.
This year, I put up the tree. My son put up the ornaments we liked best and then I went through and pulled out everything I didn’t even consider putting up. There were a few things I kept that I didn’t (old Starbucks Christmas bears that I love dearly and put up every other year or so, for instance) and some ornaments that didn’t fit our “theme” this year, but not too much. In the end, after Christmas was over, everything fit into a much smaller tote bucket that matches all the other ones I want to keep (as I have 6 matching brown totes that I try to stick to using/re-using) and I am donating what feels like a LOT.
I also decided to stop cursing my Christmas tree every year and packed it up. Then I put a note on it that said “Complete tree – free!” and put it by the dumpster where everyone leaves stuff they don’t want any more for other people to have. Unfortunately, the note must have flown off because someone cut open the box and tossed all of the pieces everywhere but I did try. I had used that tree for 6 years and I was tired of it scratching me up, being a pain to put up, etc. Next year I plan to buy a 3′ pre-lit and sticking what few ornaments we have left on it! Sounds more like my kind of Christmas. 😉
This long comment has no point, I suppose, but I wanted to share with people who would understand! I’m not a grinch…I just want to spend Christmas baking cookies, not dealing with extra junk. =P
Every comment has a point and you made yours well. Less Christmas clutter, more streamlined next year. Sounds good to me.
Thanks for mentioning my blog, Colleen! I really appreciate the support!
Joanna, my pleasure!
I just wanted to say thank you for the “thing(s) I am grateful for” at the bottom of your emails. You have inspired me to start a gratefulness diary. As an english graduate I feel compelled to do this in a book, not electronically – I just LOVE the feel of books! – and so have treated myself to a lovely notebook and pen. But for me this isn’t clutter and I am looking forward to taking the time to record my thoughts because I really feel it helps change one’s mindset about life if you actively look for the things that make it worthwhile.
Hi LJayne, may you fill that book quickly with all the wonderful things that come your way in life.
Also, I came across a declutter calendar which gives you a task for each day of the year – I work well with a focus so am looking forward to being given something each day. A bit like your weekly mini missions which I will still do too 🙂
could you send me a link for that? it sounds fantastic!
Oh yeah I found that a while back, it was cool!
I think this is it
http://www.mysimplerlife.com/2012/Decluttercalendar2012.pdf
what a great idea – a decluttering calendar. Even if you don’t use it on a day by day basis – l think just reading through it all would be enough inspiration.
Perhaps I should make my own calendar next year. I have a big enough collection of mini missions to fill it with.
Having read the one suggested above, I suspect yours would fit me better!
Thank you Ann. I took a look at it a little while back but it all look terribly familiar so I figured I didn’t need to look any further.
Some days just are all about good food, aren’t they?! (and less about decluttering ;-))
Gotta love good food. 😉
Great picks Colleen. I read The Minimalists too. Those guys are awesome.
I think so too if they are getting my hubby to declutter even more than I do.
Thanks for reminding me to read the minimalists. I’d forgotten about their blog. I just read the two posts and all the comments.
PS: I’m on track for decluttering 7 things this week. I’m actually way over 7 because I dumped probably a ream of paper yesterday. Today’s item–a piece of ‘sorry I bought it’ jewelry.
Well done willow and like you I had ready the minimalists a while back but these days I am flat out keeping up with my own blog without spending much time reading others.