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!
Wendy B gives us a great example of how happy she is with her decluttering efforts and how they are all coming together. Read about it in this link.
Jen has only been commenting here at 365 Less Things but she sure does get what this decluttering thing is all about as you can tell from this comment.
Maggie has been reading through the archives and left this comment recently on the post ~ Who can resist a sale. I thought it was worth sharing with you all. Send Maggie your encouragement to resist making any purchases in January.
Deb JÂ gives us a little update on what she, her mom and S and has been up to regarding decluttering and in this comment. Way to go everyone and especially to S.
Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!
From Cindy sent me this link from happiness-project.com ~ 7 tips for sticking to your new years resolutions
Also from Cindy ~ www.apartmenttherapy.com –10 things that will make you happier at home
Steve found this one from the web site for the Sydney Morning Herald
Steve also brought this one to my attention. I believe I have linked to it before but it is worth reading again. www.becomingminimalist.com – Don’t just declutter de-ownÂ
This site may only be useful to our American Readers but it is certainly worth bringing your attention to BetterWorldBooks Makes donating old Books to charity so easy you don’t have to leave the house.
Today’s Mini Mission
Declutter something that your children or grandchildren have grown out of. This could be clothes, toys, shoes, eating utensils, books, games etc.
Some good comments and great links. I really like the link to the article about the artist and his 10,000 items from his parents house. They say, “A picture is worth a 1,000 words” and this picture of all that stuff is definitely that.
I did wonder how on earth his mother managed to fit all the stuff into that wee little house though. The thing must have been like a TARDIS when it had outside walls.
I was impressed by the article on the artist and his parent’s 10,000 items. All that stuff, and I don’t think they were hoarders, I think they were saving, because they had been without. But the pictures were impressive. I liked the comments as well and I know how Maggie feels about shopping. As I read somewhere (I think Peter Walsh wrote), they make it very difficult for us to resist and that’s no accident. So we must always be very rational when buying anything. Good luck, Maggie!
Hi Andréia, I actually think that hoarding is all about saving stuff because of the fear of coping without the items in the future. This fear can get out of control and in our modern society of overabundance that fear is more often than not unjustified. The fear of shortage was understandable in this ladies case having had it drummed into her by the communist regime. However I think maybe even she was overcompensating.
Maggie’s comment was a good one. Oddly enough though, and probably because I was sort of raised to make do yet never felt deprived, I found it very easy to give up on consumerism. In fact I feel quite victorious about this. I really feel like I am sticking it too the sellers and advertisers. That is incentive enough for me to avoid shopping and ignore all the temptations put in my way.
I can understand Maggie as well. I havent bought any new clothes last year, except for one bra and my kickboxing gear. The other items were either gifted from friends or bought used already. So I have been doing good with my initial goal, to not buy new. but my wardrobe was getting really really boring and old and the overall shape of my clothes were not good at all anymore. I did declutter so many of my clothes that I was wearing everything constantly. and clothes wear out. So I went shopping with my mum and her friend and we got really good bargains on items I needed. I did have a good time with the two of them and then I could feel the slight excitement again, when I purchased something. I forgot how nice it feels, if I get new things. its oddly rewarding – still… although I thought I did overcome this long ago. Maybe I can appreciate this feeling of reward more, now that I know I can do without new things for quite some time.
Hi Lena and Colleen. The principle is not buying at all, but buying what you really need and use. Of course, that is where I think we have to be rational. Buying is fun. We feel powerful, pampered, and we have all that new stuff to use…I always ask myself when buying anything some questions: 1) Do I have one of this? 2) If I do, why am I buying another? 3)Will I use it? 4)And, if it is an item of clothing, does it match other stuff I already have making it a flexible piece? I think carefully about the answers, because if i am not coherent in my answers I don´t buy. I don´t buy just “because I can”.
It is not that I did not learn to “make do” as a child and we lived a nice life, no excess. However, because having stuff was not easy, we tended to “keep” stuff. So in the end, my clutter was not so much buying too much at any given time, but never letting go of anything. Which I have been correcting, 😉
Hi Lena and Colleen. The principle is not buying at all, but buying what you really need and use. Of course, that is where I think we have to be rational. Buying is fun. We feel powerful, pampered, and we have all that new stuff to use…I always ask myself when buying anything some questions: 1) Do I have one of this? 2) If I do, why am I buying another? 3)Will I use it? 4)And, if it is an item of clothing, does it match other stuff I already have making it a flexible piece? I think carefully about the answers, because if i am not coherent in my answers I don´t buy. I don´t buy just “because I can”.
It is not that I did not learn to “make do” as a child and we lived a nice life, no excess. However, because having stuff was not easy, we tended to “keep” stuff. So in the end, my clutter was not so much buying too much at any given time, but never letting go of anything. Which I have been correcting, 😉
Hi Lena, I think one will always experience excitement when getting something new, or even just new to you. And I think that perhaps the excitement might even be heightened when one doesn’t buy new stuff willy nilly all the time. I am happy to experience that thrill on only rare occasions because I also feel a great deal of satisfaction from resisting rampant consumerism.
I bought myself a new warmer travel jacket last week because I will need something light weight yet warm when my husband and I spend two months in Great Britain later this year. I picked it up on clearance reduced from $199 to $79. I actually wished this purchase wasn’t necessary so got no great joy out of making it. I feel slightly vindicated because it was a clearance item and because I will be donating my wool coat that I no longer need in the climate I currently live in.
I saw this exhibition when it came to London. I was very struck how much stuff I recognised from homes of people I know which made me realise Chinese people get stuck with the same things. There was also a lot of things that really had no real re-use value as the material had deteriorated so much. I felt a very strong sense of sadness that somebody had saved lots of things, thinking that they would be useful and then really they weren’t used. Although if the artist’s mother had not saved things then the artist wouldn’t have had them to use in the installation! Happily for me I went home and decluttered some more stuff as I don’t think I’d want my junk to end up in an art gallery. The stuff was quite dusty.
Hi Salley, saving something for so long that is becomes useless is a sad waste. That is why I have let go of many things that I had keep because I thought they would come in useful one day. I have also thrown out a few things in the last three years because they had already perished beyond usefulness. I am glad to say there weren’t that many in that state. Mainly things with elastic in. Elastic doesn’t not respond well to not being used.
I don’t have any kids or grandkids to grow out of things, but I sure did grow out of a few things myself over the festive period! I know what I should (and getting rid of the too-small clothes is not a solution) do but it will mean some hard work on my part. Why is body clutter not as easy to ditch as material clutter? Oh well, I had fun acquiring it!
I love your term “body clutter”. I know exactly what you mean!
I have just spent three days with my similar aged female cousins , skipping down memory lane. It was a wonderful break and we chatted and laughed all the time. We did chat about de cluttering and K had boxes in her garage ready for a garage sale. Maybe next time I visit they will be gone, but I doubt it.
I am looking forward to reading through this weeks words of wisdom 🙂
Cheers
Hi Jenny, when I indulge a little to much I make sure to stop myself before my clothes become too small. Although some say weighing yourself every day isn’t good for self esteem (or something) it is a practice that keeps me in line when it comes to staying within my ideal weight range. I feel quite pleased with myself when the time comes where I need to throw clothing items out when they become too shabby to wear.
Can you pretty please put a “previous” button in each entry so I can read them all in order? I understand your layout (the new one is very pretty!) but it makes it really messy for us who like to read ALL the entries. 🙂
Hi Me and welcome to 365 Less Things. My tech man (husband) has added a previous and next link option to the bottom of the page. Thank you for bringing it to our attention that you missed this option. You may not be the only person to notice it but you were the one thoughtful enough to contact us so we could fix it for you. Thank you again. Colleen
Thanks a mill! I enjoy reading a bunch of entries on the weekends, this really helps! I appreciate it. 🙂
I remember reading that post from becoming minimalist and liking it very much. Happy weekend to you all!
Happy weekend to you too Willow. Did you get yourself a new microwave oven?
No microwave yet. Still hungry 🙂 We have been shopping but haven’t found one that will fit in the built in spot. But I’ve been cleaning and culling today which you will be very happy to hear.
I enjoyed all the links – but re: New Year’s Resolutions……this year I’m going with Mini-Lutions, short term challenges to change the way I do something in the home, hopefully for the better.
Moni, would you be so kind and let us know what your Mini-Lutions (perfect phrase!!) would be, because if you come up with something good, I might join in. I didnt make any explicit new years resolutions, because change is happening in my life already, but you concept just sounds very tempting. I will be open for those things, as the previous challenges have been proven effective in the long term (my dishes are mostly done nowadays)…
I agree with Lena. I’d like to know about your Mini-lutions too. Love that name.
I want in on that too…
Hi Moni, is Mini-lutions a term you made up or is this and idea you read somewhere. I had been thinking of adding a monthly resolution to the first Mini Mission post each month. Things like make your bed everyday, keep the kitchen bench clear, fold the washing straight off the line or out of the dryer etc.
Mini-lutions could also be short for mini solutions. That is finding solutions to little messy problems that add up to a tidy home all the time.
Hi Colleen! I think a monthly resolution is an excellent idea. I was not enthusiast of the November “keep it tidy challenge”, but as I was decluttering my kitchen I gave it a try, also keeping it clean. Well, it did work for me because I have been keeping my kitchen in order for almost 02 months in a row. If you knew how I “dislike” (also known as: abhor/loathe/despise 😀 ) cleaning the kitchen and washing dishes you would know it is a great habit forming for me. So I think it is a great idea we have monthly resolutions or even challenges to keep us going and motivated. Sometimes I feel like a child that does the right stuff and comes here to tell everyone and be cheered for doing good. 🙂
Hi Andréia, it is decided then. Now if you have any suggestions then bring them forward.
Hi Colleen & Co – sorry for the delay in getting back to you as I have been out of town. Mini-lution is something I came up with as I have a VERY poor success rate with New Year’s Resolutions and I decided that I was going to go with much smaller goals and more achieveable goals but ones that I know I could definately make improvement on. Sort of like “Keep It Tidy November”, a simple idea that turned into a good habit which has made a major improvement to home. I have something written up I will send thru.