Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.
Peggy sent me a list if mini missions a week or so ago so I am going to choose six of them to challenge you all with this week. Thanks Peggy.
Monday – Declutter packing materials that you won’t use, including old boxes, bubble wrap, tissue paper…
Tuesday – Declutter bed sheets that you don’t never use (too small, hard to put on, fabric feels yucky, colour or pattern not to your liking)
Wednesday – Declutter some costume jewellery that’s lost its sparkle.
Thursday – Declutter old eyeglasses (they can usually be donated at your local optometrist). In future donate them when you pick up your new pair.
 Friday – Declutter something related to medical needs (expired, no longer used, didn’t really work for you)
Saturday – Declutter that “good†piece of clothing with the stain that prevents you from wearing it, unless you can get the stain out this week. Google for a stain removing solution that suits.
Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.
Good luck and happy decluttering
Random Acts of Miscellaneous Kindness
(Little thoughtful acts for no reason but to make a complete strangers life a little easier.)
When using public toilets, that have those pesky toilet tissue dispensers that snap off the paper inside the barrel, make sure you are careful and leave the end hanging out for the next person who comes along.
Another week of great mini missions.
Mon-packing materials
Got 3 Christmas boxes, 2 birthday boxes & 1 Mother’s Day box ready to mail. Still need to get 1 more birthday box ready to mail. Won’t mail them until closer to the times they are indented for. Pick up stuff year round as I see them so I don’t have to fight the crowds & weather during the shopping season. Still need to work on local stuff that I don’t mail.
Another thing I use packing peanuts for is filling part of large outdoor pots so I don’t have to use so much soil.
Tue-bed sheets. Only have one set per bed. I hate to fold sheets, can you tell? Lol
Wed-costume jewelry. None, cleaned it out a year ago
Thu-old eye glasses. None
Fri-medical needs. Need to check it, can’t think of anything right now
Sat-stained clothing. Taking a different tack, making a piece useful.
I’m getting a jacket’s sleeves shortened in hopes that I will wear it then. Have in a bag ready to go to tailor.
Oh Heavens Calla, Mother’s day, I need to start making cards for that occasion to sell in my art space. That should get rid of some craft supplies at least.
I always keep my last pair as a spare when I need new eyeglasses. Just as well this time because the new ones have been a real fail and are back in the shop for replacement lenses. I know there is a problem because my old glasses are two steps lower in the script and I can see through them a well as with the new ones. I hate it when products of any kind don’t work because they end up going to waste.
I keep my last pair of glasses as backup too….glad you did so didn’t have to go without.
Just picked up my jacket from the tailor. It looks great & hopefully will get some wear so I don’t have to declutter it. Lol
Last week I offloaded a large pile of boxes and packing material (covered a single bed!). This week I discovered my envelopes don’t fit in their storage anymore after gathering them up from around the house and putting them away. Guess the mini-missions are not going to let me ignore them!
I used to bookswap and sell on eBay, and haven’t entirely broken the habit of keeping everything. At least there are folks in town who want the bubble wrap & similar so those are fairly easy to give away. Have never tried giving away the padded envelopes. New experiment!
Around here, the Lion’s club has donation boxes in a few different places (bank, thrift store) for eyeglass donation. So might be worth looking for other places, if you aren’t going near the eye doctor’s soon.
Well done Kayote. We always have a bit of packing supplies around out place too. It is much greatly reduced since my husband has left his full time military job and we don’t have to concern ourselves about moving any more. Just a few small boxes in the top of the laundry shelves these days.
A friend has asked for help in reducing household items before they sell their large house. I’m sure she will have a few of these items to declutter , especially the eye glasses.
Cheers
Hi Wendy F,
It’s great that you not only have decluttered your own life but now are helping others! 🙂
Great mini-missions. I’m trying to declutter my house. As in sell it. That will be the big thing I”m trying to do this week. All the little stuff is done. Grin.
Hi Deb J,
With your much-decluttered space, you should have no trouble decluttering your house 🙂
I hope not. It’s pretty empty actually. I really need to sell it and get on with things.
Fingers crossed it sell this week.
The only one I can claim is the jewellery mini mission as I had a sort thru on the weekend and included a small bag with stuff going to the Hospice Store. I shall keep on digging.
Hi Moni,
I am always impressed with your decluttering powers! I’m sure the Hospice will appreciate your donations 🙂
It’s amazing how much effort we can go to in avoiding some simple repairs. The thought of tackling the job is often more consuming than doing the job itself. This week I tackled a delicate embroidered blouse (bleach on a Q-tip removed the stain without damaging the embroidery), repaired the beadwork on an Indian blouse, and made some simple repairs to a windproof jacket – turning up the frayed cuffs and re-stitching some seams. Three black holes of guilt returned to wearable status. Should have done it long ago.
Hi Wendy B,
Wow, wow, wow! Now that you have made those repairs, those items will be useful to you again, no longer clutter! Great job 🙂
This is such a normal situation to encounter. I wrote a post about it a long time ago. I too finally got around to tightening up some button holes that pop open on a shirt last week. I’ve put up with that for about three years I think. And as you say ” The thought of tackling the job is often more consuming than doing the job itself.” That statement is so very true.
Wendy B – I am the greatest procrastinator when it comes to such jobs – of course, when I dig in and just do them, I chide myself afterwards that it didn’t take long at all, but I seem to happy to put more ongoing effort into avoiding a task that it would actually take to just do it.
Hi guys! I’m the very same way. I have become a huge procrastinator as I get older. And the worst part is having that weight on me…for however long…instead of just doing it.
I am guilty of procrastination as well. I have put off sewing buttons on, for example. When I finally get it done, it was like 3 minutes of my time LOL
I was going to comment on procrastination…but then decided to do it later!
So funny, Karen!
Good one Karen.
Peggy, these were good missions! My friend with the charity has visited and I was able to donate 17 pieces of costume jewelry (my own thrifty finds that hadn’t worked out) which I wrapped in tissue paper and packed in one of my saved boxes. (I confess I have a hard time throwing out box card boxes if they are sturdy. But, I have about used them all up now as I packed little items in them at my last yard sale). I don’t have hardly any gift wrapping items since I no longer do gifts, but have been using remaining tissue paper for packing yard sale items. The last 3 or 4 gift bags will be used also.
I donated a comforter bag full of old sheets a couple of weeks ago. I think I must be a sheet hoarder. Not to be confused with a sheep herder. : ). I’m sorry to admit there are still some to give up. However, I will keep a couple extras as aspiration clutter. I aspire to dry apples in the sun on old sheets when I get through with the major decluttering. : ). Sigh……..I’m hopeless and so full of sheet.
I definitely will get rid of some reading glasses lying around. I have to get my husband to tell me which ones he uses first.
On a side note, my friend really liked the Jadite I had moved to the kitchen which decluttered a lot of other items, and she was impressed with how my living room had become more spacious after removing a couple furniture items. (more are leaving later). YAY for 365 Less Things!!!! Or maybe 4000!!!!
Well that comment was both amusing and inspiring Brenda. Well done! You are really making great progress even if you are full of sheet! Ha ha, keep up the good work and keep these amusing comments coming in.
LOL, Brenda!
Hi Brenda,
I really laughed about all your “sheet” comments! You are making a ton of progress, too, so good to hear 🙂 🙂 🙂