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.
The easiest things to declutter are the ones that are obviously clutter so lets take a look around our homes and see if we can find six such items that are no longer useful in our lives. Free up the space for a little breathing room.
Monday – Declutter something you just don’t like.
Tuesday – Declutter something that hasn’t been used in a long time.
Wednesday – Declutter some of a collection of things that don’t fit nicely into the space provided.
Thursday – Declutter some excess of any large collection.
Friday – Declutter a next to useless single-purpose-gadget.
Saturday – Declutter something from a past you that no longer fits with your lifestyle.
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.
Ha! It’s totally against the theory, but I can get the first five in one shot: We just gave a friend a dusty bottle of spiced rum we don’t like from our overfilled alcohol shelf. 🙂
More seriously, the weekend/week after Thanksgiving is a good decluttering time for me, because a friend hosts a swap meet next Saturday. Bring stuff, put it on the tables, take stuff you want. Anything left goes to charity. We always come home with WAY less than we take–and with stuff we would probably have bought anyway. I expect to send 5 or 6 boxes this year. It’s proven to be a really useful tradition for everyone–we de-clutter stuff, save money, help just-out-of-college-folks have real silverware, find really unique gifts, and just a really good time to kick off the Christmas season.
Monday: Hazelnut coffee cubes. I keep a variety pack of coffee for Mom when she comes to visit, but she doesn’t like Hazelnut. Found a friend likes them, so set aside for her.
Tuesday: Bottle of spiced rum. I like a shot of spiced rum in my spiced cider in the winter, but they quit making the brand I really liked. Took a bottle we tried but weren’t impressed with to a friend today as they like that brand.
Wed: My mom commented she wanted some Halloween decorations. I have more than I want or will put up so I gave her the small box and one large butler figure yesterday (once Thanksgiving panic was done). I may have some left, but a lot fewer.
Thursday: This week my kid & I will put out Yule decorations. Usually something in here gets set aside for donation. So not sure yet this one is completed, but I know the target area.
Friday: Found a chip & dip set we got for our wedding years ago while cleaning off shelves. The style is awesome, but we have no use for a chip & dip set, and no good way to store a breakable one, so it’s sat unused and out of sight.
Saturday: A crystal serving bowl. Again, very nice, but we have never used it. Still in the box, so maybe someone else can gift it!
I have joined in with recommitting to decluttering one thing a day, and am going well.
2 glass jars with kids
1 bracelet
I shirt of my husband’s (tossed unfortunately as it had two big holes in the back…?)
Then here’s where it gets exciting: After about six months of gentle suggestions my husband finally got rid of a still (for making alcohol). We sold it on TradeMe to a lovely young couple from Taupo. (We’ve stopped drinking spirits.) It was quite large with two tables and all the equipment and took up a lot of space in the garage. Yippee!
Then yesterday I passed on to a daughter in law:
8 small lotus bowls
8 small lotus plates
1 large lotus bowl
2 pie dishes
8 silver teaspoons
2 Jamie Oliver plates
Oh and today, one scarf and one baking tray.
I also have been keeping a record of any purchases since last month which has kept them down to zero!!
So now I am definitely seeing much more space and have 6 empty shelves in the kitchen, lounge and dining area!!
I’m very chuffed!
Janetta – what part of the country are you from? I’m in Papamoa, Tauranga (Bay Of Plenty)
I’m in Warkworth, north of Auckland!
Janetta – not quite Winterless North but not quite Auckland hustle bustle – and by memory, very iconic Kiwi Summer Wonderland!
Hi Moni, I have distant family that live in Opotiki. Our family (0n my mother’s side) reunion was held there the last time. One member of the family tree went to live there generations ago. I have never been in a position to go to any of these family reunions but I hope I will some day.
Colleen – Opotoki! Does this make you an honorary Kiwi?
Hum! Good ones I have to think about them though. I will be putting out my Christmas stuff and I am hoping I will find there is a lot I don’t want. More later.
Colleen – I am enjoying seeing your e-mails each day again!
I decided to start with my pantry as it had gotten very untidy. My investigation has turned up a small crockery canister from Kmart that was meant to be taken back but was obviously misplaced and has missed the deadline. I have found a candle in a jar that I don’t really like the jar, so will use it up. As it is a corner shaped pantry, the far corner is deep and some rogue bottles (duplicates) have turned up – I think I may need to utilise a box or a basket or ?? to contain them. There is a plastic container that is holding one of the hinges of the pantry – the pantry is slowly falling apart due to overuse with teens – I will enquire if the hinges can be re-used and if so relocate to our ‘fix-it and fixings’ box. I found a container of unopened baby food. This was a bit unexpected as we don’t have a baby in the family but I’m sure I can give it away. I have a lovely still-in-the-box cheese board that was a gift – I will either decide to use it or will re-gift it.
I have yet to tidy the lower shelves, but we do have four cushion-trays that could probably be considered for donation. Our dining table was taken over by our daughter for her art for several years, so we ate off trays in the lounge and now that she’s at university we have the dining table back. We really only use them now when someone is sick and needs a meal delivered to bed, so probably really only need to keep one.
So, I decluttered a Autumn wreath, a bunch of Christmas ornaments, a blouse, a pair of slacks, a pair of shoes, and a storage basket. I’m happy.