My darling husband has been playing around with the blog layout. So what do you think of it? As they say a change is as good as a holiday ~ that isn’t always the case but for now change is all that is on offer.
The design is a little more simple and uncluttered which is what we love here at 365 Less Things. I have also switched the gratitude list to a single gratitude item for the day. The list was a little hard to keep up at times but I didn’t want to eliminate it altogether so I just swapped quantity for quality.
This is just phase one of the changes so if you notice things looking different every now and again it is just hubby and I tweaking things. If you have any questions or suggestion please feel free to put them forward and if you have trouble finding anything on the site also let me know.
I can’t let you go without imparting some snippet of decluttering wisdom so here is a little advice for the day…
When decluttering your belongings there are only three categories of items, things you “can’t live without”, things you know you don’t want and things you are undecided on. Eliminate the things you don’t want, keep the things you do and everything else is potential clutter.
Today’s Declutter Item
This soup bowl is a Liam hand painted original that he no longer wants. I will send it off to the thrift store and when he is a rich and famous artist there will be someone out there with a very expensive soup bowl hiding in the back of there kitchen cupboard. Well it sounded like a good story anyway.
- Soup Bowl
Something I Am Grateful For Today
Some days start out badly and just get better as they go along and for that, today, I am truly grateful.
I read 365 Things regularly, but via the RSS feed in Google Reader, so I don’t remember the old layout that well. That being said I think this is a nice improvement. Great job!
Thanks minhus.
I really like the new layout. I noticed it when it went up and I thought it was very simple and easy to read.
Hi Lynn,
isn’t it funny how a simple layout can make a something seem easier to read. It is the fact that there is less distraction of course but who would think it would make such a difference. For myself, who I think was boarding on dyslexic as a child, the simpler the better I say.
I absolutely prefer simple designs. Have you seen my blog? LOL
I did like your old one, but this one does have less distraction and it’s a very pretty color. 🙂
Hi Lynn,
you know if have, seen you blog that is and it is even simpler than my new simpler design. Sorry that little person you are currying has been giving you some aggravation but I hope it settles down soon.
I love it!!! Great clean lines…perfect.
xo jana
Hi Colleen! I liked the new lay out. I just miss the picture with your gone items 🙂 . Your gratitude list or item now, always inspires me to think what I am grateful for everyday. Anyway, as long as you keep talking to us readers and helping us sort out our clutter problems, the lay out is a nice detail. As for decluttering, I have been thinking about the tasks ahead of me with a straigh mind: I think about the items, I plan the decluttering and then I do it. It helps with any item, but that thought with your declutter item for the day is one that sometimes keep things in the house, because, what if, someday, we regret throwing away something we made ourselves? It is something to think about.
Hi Andréia,
I personally feel that anticipating regrets, especially attached to objects, is a waste of time. It’s like clinging to old routines or traditions just because of their history, we put aside the fact that they are inconvenient or obsolete just because they are familiar. Hmmmm that sounds like a blog post coming on so I won’t elaborate any further for now. Thanks for that Andréia.
All I wish for in a blog (besides content) is that it’s easy to read (good contrast of print on background) and I’m happy. Both the old and the new fulfilled that criteria.
I like the way you’ve simplified the whole matter of “stuff” with just three categories. Never thought of it like that – always good to get a new perspective. And the simpler the better!
Hi Jo,
I am glad you like the blog layout, old or new.
I almost elaborated on the simple sentence about the three categories of stuff but then I thought “keep it simple stupid” that is the whole purpose of the exercise anyway. I am glad it spoke to you.
One of the things I loved when I first began reading your blog was the five things you were grateful for. They revealed a heart that looked deeper than the surface of things and was atuned to the beauty that was around you. So when the format changed to the separate categories it made it harder for me to read. It was a bit cluttered. So I for one am glad that you switched back to just a simple thought of gratitude. Thankfulness is such a necessary part of our daily living so I emjoy looking at life through your eyes. I did like the white background but that is not a big deal since I usally read it in my email.
Hi Grace,
I felt the same about the gratitude list it did complicate things and became a real chore. Instead of gladly ending the day feeling the gratitude I was writing about I was racking my brain painfully trying to come up with the five things. That was very much defeating the purpose of the exercise. i am much happier with the new approach.
As I read your blog on my phone in bed each night it looks pretty much the same to me! LOL I am guessing my phone just doesn’t show the new formatting. keep up the good work as I look forward to ‘checking in’ at the end of my busy day. It always gives me time to pause for thought x
Hi Cathryn,
thanks for your reader loyalty and for taking me to bed with you every night. 😉 😆
I like the new look. The numbers give it a vaguely Asian look to my mind! I’m quite happy with your single gratitude item. I always love any home pictures of the before and after variety. Although your home is pretty much all “after” now I’m sure. I always look at your blog first, just love it. (I am now up to 427 items gone, slow but steady wins the race.)
Hi Janetta,
thank you for your feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think. I have some before shots waiting for the after to happen at the moment but as usual I am going at my own pace. My craft room, my garage and the lounge/dinning area of my home are all in a state of flux and when they are just as I want them I will post the photos. So stay tuned.
Oooh, I do like it – so clean looking!
Thanks Jess
Yes, Colleen, I like the new layout – a clean, easy-to-follow, week at a glance page – but, actually, I usually read you on email, and only find your page if I want to comment!
I’m glad you kept the “gratitude”, it is the depth rather than the quantity that counts.
Thanks again – I started on the spare bedroom today.
Hi Ann,
thanks for your opinion and for making the effort to jump over to take a look.
One would think the spare bedroom would be fairly empty since no one lives in there full time but I for one know this is often not the case. My spare bedroom used to be my daughters room and still has quite a bit of her stuff in it and since we have no coat cupboard the closet in there acts as that.
I like the new color, I like the new font, I miss the banner of decluttered items at the top. : (
Hi Cindy,
I did like my banner and I am not sure I am loving the new one but nothing is unchangeable. 😉
Colleen – I like the new look. Oddly enough, I was thinking recently that it was time to change the picture on your header because your decluttering (and your blog) have moved so far beyond those early days. Good job to you and the hubby for keeping the blog and its look fresh.
Hi Donna,
it is always nice to hear from you, I hope you are doing well these days. Your little girl must be getting so big now. Thanks for your input about the blog changes.
Colleen, I like the new look….clean, streamlined, and uncluttered, except I think the 363, 364 numbers are extraneous. I like the new contrast and larger font of your slogan “It doesn’t matter how fast….” and the softer background color; it is much easier to read. I am glad you kept the one thing you are grateful for, since I look forward to reading those. I was wondering how you managed to come up with five things every day and thought that sooner or later it might become a chore rather than a blessing for you. Nice changes!
Hi Di,
I have to admit I feel the same way about the 363. 364… because the blog is kind of past that stage now but I suppose that makes the name a bit redundant too really and I have become attached to that. Thanks for leaving your opinion as I agree with everything you have to say here. If you can come up with a good idea for the title block I would be more than happy to hear it and take it into consideration. My tech guy is cheap so making changes don’t cost me anything except he may get a little grouchy if I get to carried away. 😉
I like it Colleen! I spotted the new look the second I stopped by today. The header is so simple and so great, and your rss button really stands out nicely now!
Thanks Tanja,
thank for your feedback. How is the tiny house coming along?
While I like this on my pc, the formatting is different on my phone, which I use most of the time. Letters are appearing vertically instead of words horizontally.
Hi Marie,
I am not sure what would be causing this problem. The post is showing up just fine on my laptop. Sometimes photos can play havoc with the way the words lay down. I have all sorts of problems getting the layout of the post right some days. I am sorry though that you can’t read the post I would hate anyone to be having difficulties.