The hurricane method of decluttering, as Moni dubbed it, is when one rips through the house decluttering a vast amount of stuff all at once. A person’s hand is often forced into this action due to a sudden change in circumstances which makes a big declutter necessary.

A hurricane declutter was exactly what I was helping a friend with on the weekend. She had been thinking of moving but found a new place quicker than expected, and just when her best friend was leaving for an overseas vacation. She phoned me in a panic on Wednesday last week begging for my help. I quickly agreed and took a three and a half hour train and bus trip to her home on Friday. I ended up staying until 1:30pm on Sunday. This was enough time to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

At first we tackled the kitchen together, me pulling things out of the cupboards for her to wrap and pack into boxes. We decluttered items along the way. We kept it simple with a choice of keep or go. One word choices that saved time. We did not add any in-between choices of maybe or trial separation. We didn’t have time for that. It was only easy choices of let it go or keep (at least for now).  Secondary choices would have to wait until she has moved in.

Once we had enough for a trip to the new place we loaded it up and went on our way. She then dropped her friend at the airport and returned with a nice SUV (loaned from this same friend), for us to load and transfer with. Meanwhile I stayed at the new place and unloaded the boxes. Boxes were expensive and limited so we decided it was prudent to unpack as we went rather than waste more money.

After the kitchen was done my friend started on her bedroom while I got going in the craft room. Now, just to give you some perspective here, she owns way more craft supplies than I ever have, so you can imagine the monumental size of the task I had ahead of me. Fortunately we do the same sort of craft so it was easy for me to recognise what was worth keeping (at least for now) and what I needed to ask her to make decisions on. This went amazingly smoothly and she was very good at the decision making process. She even gave me her excuses for her choices. As before, we had no time for ifs, buts and maybes so there was a vast amount of stuff that made its way to the new house. Several SUV loads in fact. Which is why I am going back next week to help sort it out and to assist in more decluttering.

Meanwhile my friend was being ruthless in her bedroom. She donated no less than eight garbage bags of clothes to the thrift shop. Keeping in mind that she had no idea what thrift shop to use or what sorts of things they would accept. Luckily she quickly found one quite nearby that would take anything she had to offer. She was also ruthless at tossing out old make-up, expired toiletries and even some sentimental items. She packed as she went, keeping aside only the things she would need for the next few days.

After numerous trips to the new place we began to see that light at the end of the tunnel. And at nightfall on the Saturday we called it quits for the day and went out for a a easy dinner and some much earned rest.

To be continued…

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something a loved one gave you that you don’t need and is just collection dust. This doesn’t mean you don’t love the person just not the item.

Eco Tip for the Day

Take public transport where possible. It is better for the environment and actually more relaxing than tackling the commute yourself.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Hi there!

Friday was the last day of July and so my 20 things a day challenge ended. While the first three weeks could be labeled “random decluttering of random clutter”, after about 500 items or so, my assorted little junk items were almost all gone and it was time to change the method a bit. Inspired by a window shopping tour (of all things!) that led us to a interior store, my boyfriend let me know that he would like to get rid of a lot more of what we owned and would actually like a fresh start without the old stuff and, while buying new furniture big style is out of the question moneywise at the moment, we could well get rid of a lot more of what we owned. As I had wondered ever since our guest with “hardly any belongings” that filled 5 big moving boxes nonetheless moved in with us, how much stuff we actually own, I decided on sunday to completely empty out our worst remaining clutter hot-spot: a cabinet in the living room that holds everything from craft supplies, cables and stationery to photos and documents. I packed everything in there along with all the other items that could logically be put there as well, if there was more room in the cabinet, in moving boxes (we happened to have 5! 😉 ). The shocking news is that I needed all five boxes for that! However, the cabinet and it’s surroundings got thoroughly cleaned and we decluttered again when putting things back in there. The task that remains is for each of us to sort through their documents and other paperwork. To see however, how much volume of stuff was there in a relatively small space in our home showed me again, much like the past month’s challenge, that we own still huge amounts of things and that a move would still be quite a task. (We are fantasizing about a long-distance move in the end of next year or the year after, so every box counts! 😉 )

I decided to sell at a flea-market with a friend this week-end, went through the apartment and pulled out some china, books and all kinds of other stuff that I’ll be taking there. It’s all stuff I like, but we just have too much of it in general and it’s not my very favourite of its kind. We’ll see how that goes, I haven’t tried selling at a flea-market since I’ve been a child. 😀

So, I think, in August there will be a lot decluttered, even though my challenge ended. However, a new challenge has come up: those documents and other papers I still have to go through. I’ll do a little bit each day for August and so they should be all neat by September!

Thank you everyone who took part in my challenge, whether as a fellow declutterer or through cheering me on! And thank you, Colleen, for posting my request and my updates!

I had a blast with this challenge and some new motivation for decluttering!

Sanna

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter five magazines that you had saved to reference later but so have never have.

Eco Tip for the Day

Buy local when possible or affordable. It is a good habit to break into even if only a little at a time. Because as I always say here at 365 Less Things “Every little bit counts.”

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

As the saying goes ~ “Believe and the Universe will provide.” Whether you are religious, spiritual or neither there is a good chance that this saying is true for you. It sure has been true for me, and that is why I never worry about letting go of the things that I don’t use. I hold on to very little in the way of things that I only think I might need some day because I have no doubt that…

1. …I probably won’t and never did “need” it in the first place and…
2. …and anything I do need want can be easily replaced at a later date.

One of the reasons I believe these this is that I am very good at improvising so can often do without things by coming up with ingenious ways to make do. And that so often, for me, when I “need” something it has a habit of “miraculously” falling into my hands. I’ll give you some examples.

My daughter has always wanted a Magic Bullet Blender  (Too much exposure to infomercials on television in America). I have often thought of buying her one as a gift but never did for various reasons. Last week my friend Wendy was about to take one to the thrift shop but when she found out Bridget would like one she gave it to me to give to her.

A while back I was in want of some double sided scrapbook paper to make pinwheels for my handmade cards. One day I went to a yearly huge car boot sale (flea market) and, lo and behold, one stall had some offcuts for sale which were reduced to half price. I have since used it all up and made some nice pocket money in the endeavour.

Some months back my son mentioned that he would like a handheld vacuum (dustbuster, whatever you like to call it). The very next time I did a shift at the thrift store one was donated which I bought for him for a mere $5. My daughter also mentioned she wanted one of those plastic kids sandpits to use as a dog pool. The very next day I picked one up for nothing from a bulk rubbish pile on the side of the road. The same thing happened when she mentioned she wanted a clothes airer.

This kind of thing happens to me all the time and sometimes with the strangest things. But even if it didn’t I am confident that I would either, never again need an item I have decluttered or I will be able to afford to replace something should it be necessary. Luckily that has rarely happened. I don’t know if this is because the Universe truly does provide if you believe it will but either way I am content to believe that there is nothing I need be afraid to let go of if I am not using it.

It always intrigues me that among a community of people with an abundance of items, that we are all endeavouring to declutter, that any of us could possibly believe that one day life is going to come to a standstill because we might have to go without items we never really needed in the first place. So please don’t hang on to trivial unnecessary stuff in the fear that you might need it someday. Have faith in yourself that you will always be able to provide, even if you don’t believe that the universe will, and just let go of things you haven’t used in a long time and probably never will.

Today’s Mini Mission

 Declutter five food items that have been in your pantry for a while by making meals out of them this week.

Eco Tip for the Day

If you see things going to waste, rescue them and find them a new home. I do with from the recycling bins at our apartment all the time. It is amazing when perfectly good items people through in the bins. I take them to the thrift shop where they are sold on.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

So, going through my house to remove any clutter build up didn’t take long. As you can imagine with only two bedroomz, tow bathrooms, the kitchen/dining/living area and the balcony, it wasn’t a difficult task. Just to be up front though, I didn’t spend too much time on the craft area as it was a case of ~ found some items then immediately began crafting to use them up. It is my intention to base the crafting I do over the next weeks on using up items that I feel have lingered too long. I had a good sales week at the art space and need to restock so I’ll certainly be doing plenty crafting over the next week or two. And then father’s Day will be almost on us so I had better keep that in mind while I am at it.

Anyway, I have put together a little collage of what I found to rid my home of. So without further adieu here it is.

All and all it isn’t very much but I am sure that I will find more the next time a do a declutter sweep through the house. I know there is plenty of craft stuff to continue using up. There are also a couple of other unfinished projects that will clear away some scrap wood, unneeded recycled parts and then, as a result, a small piece of furniture. Then there will also be some long sleeve Tshirts with small holes that I will be cutting up, for crafting with, once the warmer whether arrives.

I have made a drop off at the thrift shop, paper is shredded, a few items went in the bin, some taken by my daughter, some in the recycling and the craft to the art space. I am still to drop off the batteries and the ink cartridges and the unused, out of date drugs were dropped off at the pharmacy for careful disposal. I am glad they are all out the door because they were mounting up in transition areas all over the house.

So as you can see I am keeping up with my maintenance decluttering plus seeing ahead to future maintenance tasks, while I am ever vigilant. One thing that didn’t go unnoticed by me was how easy the task was due to all the minimising I have done. My experience is proof that a decluttered home is a home that is easy to maintain.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter some outdoor sports equipment that is no longer in use.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Sanna’s success with her 20 thing a day challenge got me thinking about how short term challenges can be very inspiring for letting go of things. So today I have come up with some short term simple challenges that anyone can do. Hopefully they will inspire some of you to do a little extra decluttering.

If any of the following challenges appeal to you give them your best shot and let us know how well you did when your challenge is complete.

1. Each day for one week choose a drawer or shelf to declutter. You might be surprised how much easier it is to find what you need in small areas once they are decluttered. Such seemingly small changes can greatly simplify your daily routines.
2. For one week find ten things to declutter each day.
3. Within a week find 100 things to declutter throughout your home.
4. Choose a collection of things you feel you would like to reduce, making them easier to fit into a certain space. Remember how I did this with my craft supplies. However that was a huge challenge that took some time. You could choose a small collection of stuff such as kitchen utensils, clothing, kids toys, your socks, linen, makeup… Choose the space you want to contain it in and declutter any less loved items to make this possible.
5. If you are a book lover, perhaps your bookcase is overflowing. Declutter enough books so that everything fits in your bookcase with enough room for five new books. From then on perhaps you could be determined to maintain this level, by using the one in one out method of maintenance decluttering.
6. If you have a lot of clutter, choose one room to deal with. Challenge yourself to clear one cubic metre or yard of this room each day or week (depending on the level of clutter) until it is clear.
7. If you are a good way along with your decluttering goal have a short turbo charged period of decluttering by finding fifty items in the week to declutter.
8. If you feel you are happy with your level of unclutteredness (spell check doesn’t like that one) then choose a room each day to double check all the nooks and crannies for items you have missed or have since become clutter. Do this once a week until your whole house has been checked for clutter.
9. Scan your home for consumables that are being ignored in preference for others. Put these front and centre and begin a use-it-up challenge on them. It is so satisfying every time you use them, knowing that they will soon be gone and not wasted. And the liberated space is a great thing.
10. Start a trial separation challenge. Choose at least ten items that you are on the fence about decluttering. Hid them away somewhere and only retrieve an item if you are truly in need of it. Make an attempt to improvise before retrieving any item from the hiding place. At the end of two months declutter any item that you haven’t retrieved.

Good luck to those who choose a challenge to undertake and happy decluttering!

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any gardening items that don’t seem to be getting used. Perhaps even pull out some weeds that are making your home look tatty.

Eco Tip for the Day

Modern dishwashers have filters so don’t waste water rinsing of your dished before putting them in the dishwasher. Just scrape of any scraps into the bin prior to stacking them in.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Of late I have been getting the felling that maybe there is more stuff coming into my home than there is going out or being used up. Typically craft supplies is my biggest area of concern. Stuff regularly goes out in this area but some stuff does come in, through generous friends and because I am continually experimenting with new ideas, and then there are the supplies that have to be restocked (adhesives, white card stock etc). But there are also other areas of the house where items have also come in, perfume from a good friend, new glass spice container to replace the plastic ones (which are now at auction on eBay), medications, paperwork (not too much of this), some free baskets from the side walk to deck out my laundry… and so on.

For the most part items being replaced are soon parted with when I attend my weekly trip to the thrift shop. Other items, such at the perfume I already had are close to being used up while some things, like paperwork, are dealt with periodically. However I am a busy lady. Mostly doing stuff I love but busy nonetheless, and it is very easy to begin to lose track of whether or not my belongings are keeping under control.

So today, inspired by Sanna’s challenge I decided to start going through each, drawer cupboard, closet, side table and basket in the house to make sure no clutter is building up. A stocktake so to speak. Later in the week I will be posting a photo pictorial of the items I have decluttered, but I am glad to say that so far I haven’t really unearthed much. But I am acquiring the peace of mind that my suspicions of clutter build-up were, for the most part, unfounded. Mind you I haven’t got into the closet where those craft supplies are yet. But any outstanding project I find there will be getting a deadline for completion or will be sent to the thrift shop.

This is what I call maintenance decluttering. Staying ahead of the clutter so that it doesn’t build up again. Mind you I have noticed some small spaces opening up around in drawers and closets lately, despite my suspicions, which also leads me to think I am concerning myself about nothing. But you know me, if there isn’t some maintenance needed there is always a little bit of lifestyle change clutter that rises to the surface that I am only too happy to expel from the premises.

Have you got to the maintenance stage yet? If so be vigilant so your home remains decluttered. Doing a regular sweep through, which shouldn’t be hard given the work you have already done, is well advised.

Today’s Mini Mission

 Declutter any outdoor pet related items that are ready for the trash.

Eco Tip for the Day

Know where to send spent batteries and printer cartridges for recycling. My Library takes the batteries and the local office supply the cartridges. Do you know where to send yours?

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Hello everyone!

How are your challenges going?

My original 3-week’s challenge has ended, but I will keep going for another week as it has only now begun to get a little harder and I’d like to find some more hidden clutter to get rid of. The pace is getting a little challenging meanwhile, but I will do it for the rest of July!

For me, it has been a success so far. I kept decluttering my 20 things a day and even got rid of some more (all together another week’s worth). Mostly sewing supplies, photos, paper and office supplies had to go, but I also got rid of the odd item of clothing, dishware and a couple of books.

Meanwhile, the difference is visible. I could fit some more stuff (wool stack, photos,…) into our cabinet in the living room and alongside with the other decluttering opened up quite some space in our storage/laundry room that way.

Most things I got rid of weren’t valuable at all and I made excessive use of a cardboard box with a “for free” sign on the sidewalk. Pens, pencils, jewel cases, file binders and other doodads found a new home that way. Most of my sewing supplies went to a friend who will make good use of them and a couple of other items went to the charity shop. A couple of broken things went straight to the bin. Despite my frequent decluttering, all the stuff was not only drawn from their hiding places but actually also sent on its way to a new home.

I feel really great about having done this challenge (although I’m not quite done as I mentioned! 😉 ). My home is not perfect now, especially as I have to sort through my paper work and also give my computer a good declutter. But – and it’s a big “but” – the clutter spreading in the apartment has really slowed down. Things don’t spill as easily from drawers or cupboards, I got rid of almost all underused items that have been here as a back up of my favourites and only cought dust (e.g. my second hair brush) and I’m down to much more reasonable numbers of “use it up” supplies.

I think, it’s astonishing quite how many items I could so easily let go. After all, I have been decluttering for years and most of the items I got rid of in the last weeks have been there from the very start. More than 500 completely unnecessary items went and to see how relatively small the impact was nonetheless made me realize just how many items must be around still. So, no matter that we are just living in an apartment and probably own less than many other people, there was still a whole lot of stuff I can’t even remember the minute I got rid of it. So, I will continue in this pace for July and after that continue decluttering on a daily basis, though one item will be fine as well. The new state of the apartment feels so much better than before and I think strapping another 500 or so items will do only good!

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a few pieces of jewellery that you no longer find the desire to adorn yourself with.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

I received the following comment from Kimberley to one of last week’s posts ~ Who Are You Now.

Kinberley wrote: “Your post should be titled, “Isn’t this how clutter begins?” 
We move from one phase of our life to another. We don’t or won’t let go of what used to serve us while at the same time adding things that now do. It’s as simple as doing the math.”

This is so true. The reason much of our clutter builds up is because life moves on for us. The problem with that is that life moves on but we don’t move on the resulting items that become clutter. We understandably hold on to things for a while just in case we revert to our previous life and then after a while we neglect to let go. Sometimes we pass through several stages of life not cleaning up after the last, and in the end we have a house full of unused stuff.

The key to avoiding this is maintenance decluttering. That is, letting go of our stuff from past lives within a reasonable time frame from when we stopped needing the items. I make that sound easy because physically it is. All it takes is identifying this stuff and using whatever means necessary and appropriate for us to pass it on.

The problem for many these days is that, in this fast paced world, we don’t have or don’t take the time to look back and clean up after ourselves. In essence, we complicate our lives so much trying to keep pace with a world gone mad, with earning, consuming, temptation and keeping up with ridiculous ideals, that something has to give. That something is often our time, our families, our friends and of course the state of our homes.

And yet we always seem to find the time to go out and acquire the new potential clutter. So why is it that we can find that time, which, due to comparison shopping, generally takes more time yet we can’t find the time to move the old stuff on. I would like to give you some sort of easy fix solution to this issue but, as you can probably guess, there isn’t one. The reality is that if you can find the time to shop for stuff but don’t find the time to declutter stuff then you are going to end up with a cluttered home. Once you come to terms with this and begin to practice maintenance decluttering then your problem of clutter build up will be gone.

The tips I can give to manage this are…

• …to stay informed about methods of disposal ~ Thrift shops, Sharing sites like Freecycle etc, other charity donation opportunities, garage sales, auction/selling sites like ebay, recycling collection days… ~ and take advantage of them when necessary.
• …sell donate of giveaway your children’s items as they grow out of them.
• …pay attention of your stuff and notice when items are no longer being used. These are the items you shuffle to the back of cupboards, garages, attics and basements.
• …when you find yourself out shopping for something new ask yourself, what is it replacing and let the other similar item go.

Personally I prefer to only replace things when they wear out not just because I feel like something new. This tip will not only helps avoid clutter but also help accumulate savings. And financial security gives as much piece of mind as un uncluttered home.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any toiletry products you aren’t likely to use because you tried them but didn’t like them. Shampoos, conditioners, bady wash, moisturisers etc. Perhaps donate them to a women’s or men’s shelter.

Eco Tip

Don’t waste that lovely picking liquid that comes in jars of peppers etc. Use it to add a little extra zing to your next DIY salad dressing.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Does your clutter say more about the person you aren’t than the person you are. Or perhaps the person you were, rather than the person you are now.

Lets take “the person you aren’t v. the person you are first.

Do you have outfits in your wardrobe that are the latest fashion but don’t really suit your taste or your body for that matter? Are there also pretty but uncomfortable shoes in there that you avoid using and when you do it is torture. Do you have ingredients in your pantry, shelves of dusty cookbooks or files of unused recipe clippings, and a kitchen full of rarely used utensils, pans and gadgets? Do you have craft supplies for a hobby that you loved the outcome of but have no aptitude to participate in? Do you have pretty, cups, plates and dishes in a china cabinet for fancy dinner parties that you never host?

I could go on and on with other examples but I think you get the idea. Can you see yourself in one of these examples or, after reading them, can come up with other forms of aspiration clutter around your house. If so, ask yourself, “Am I that person or do I only wish I was because it represents someone else’s ideal?” Make a better fist of trying this persona on for size by participating for a while. Long enough to come to a conclusion. Or give it up and be the unique person you really are with your own assets and lovable characteristics.

Question two ~ Does your clutter say more about the person you were rather than the person you are now.

Are there sporting items idle in your home from back in the day when you participated in that sport? Perhaps equipment that you keep telling yourself you might use again someday. Do you have half a closet of clothes that used to fit you and hope will again someday? Do you have old ingredients in your pantry for dishes you can no longer eat because of digestive sensitivities. Do you have a room or closet dedicated to toys and children’s clothes from back in the day when your children weren’t grown and left home. Do you have shelves of books you used to have the time to read once upon a time but now you don’t.

Once again there are more and more examples that I could come up with. I am sure each of us have at least one example of this kind of clutter that we just haven’t got around to disposing of. Then there is the case of not admitting to ourself that we have moved past that phase and are unlikely to ever return.

Take a look around your home and see if you can find examples of these kinds of clutter. I have two drawers full of beading supplies that I doubt I am ever likely to return to. I use the findings to repair broken jewellery for the thrift shop I volunteer at, but aside from that I haven’t actually used any of it for ages. At the very least I need to reduce these supplies, at the most I should let go of nearly all of it except what I really do use. I’ve decided to use some of it for a craft project I have in mind but after that I think I will find an outlet to dispose of what’s left. In fact I have an idea in mind.

Can you be honest with yourself about your aspiration, or past life, clutter? Let us know if you identified any and what you are going to do about it.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a tool of some sort. Be it craft, kitchen or garage.

Eco Tip for the Day

Challenge yourself to put every piece of recyclable material in the recycling bin no matter how small.. It is easy to be blasé about small pieces of paper or plastic but so long as they can be recycled they are best kept out of landfill.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

I received a comment yesterday in relation to craft clutter. Please read it below…

Gillie: I recently decluttered almost all of my craft supplies. Not because I was going to give up but because I wanted to take it back up again. There was always so much there that I was just overawed by it all and never really got around to doing anything. When I was younger and had very little I made a lot more, because I had little choice and got on with what I had.

I think this applies to so much of our stuff . The more we have the less we are able to do because it takes too long to choose or sort.

***

And there was an equally interesting reply that I can fully relate to…

Sanna: Gillie, you are making such a good point here! I also find that in the past I often have bought supplies for a hobby instead of pursuing the hobby (bought books instead of reading one, bought fabrics instead of sewing etc. etc.), whereas I purge most in the areas I actually work in most – because it bugs you most if you can’t get to things you need on a nearly daily basis because they are buried in an overflow of other similar items.

***

I also chimed in on this conversation…

Colleen: I have experienced this situation myself Gillie. I actually think that I gave up scrapbooking because it was too hard sifting through the 1000s of photos of every vacation we went on. In the end the decision making got the better of me. Now that I no longer scrapbook I also never bother to look at the vacation shots once we get home. I was there, I remember it, I had a wonderful experience and I don’t need to relive it through photos. It is all there in my mind when I want to revisit it.

And the same goes for me with the craft supplies and tools. I ended up with so much that they were also a pain to sift through every time I wanted to make something. Even lately I have been picking up some free bits and pieces from my mother and MIL for crafting, and it just starts to build up to too much aspirational clutter. KISS (Keep it simple stupid) really does apply when it come to craft. Right now I want nothing more to come in, even though there is more going out, because I just can’t bare the thought of it building up again and turning me off crafting altogether.

You name the situation, they may all be slightly different but they end in the same result, frustration, disappointment and abandonment.

So yesterday while I was making some new labels for my spice jars I ran out of a cartridge for a certain craft tool I have. I quickly improvised to finish the project. Then I made a split decision ~ If I can improvise on this occasion,  I can do without this item, whose cartridge are terribly expensive here in Australia. Add to the fact that this item doesn’t get used all that often these days when I am crafting a lot. So I put it in the corner of my living room with a pile of other stuff I intend to auction on ebay.

It is so easy to get carried away like this. Whether it be with craft supplies, décor items, clothes, shoes, tools, sporting equipment, pretty things, books, cooking ingredients, collections… you name it. We get all excited about a hobby or pastime and go crazy with catering to it. Before you know it the pressure to perform, so to speak, gets too much and we end up giving up altogether. Or the trouble sifting through trying to find just the right thing for a project that you know is there somewhere, get irritating. Or the aspiration to use up all the stuff turns into an all or nothing situation and you give in and give up. Or you thing the next purchase will improve your game but it doesn’t and meanwhile spenders guilt becomes unbearable.

So that is one less bulky, space wasting tool cluttering up my crafting space and one step to simplifying my options in this area.

I have done the same in my kitchen over the years of slow decluttering, also my wardrobe, my toiletries, make-up, jewellery, shoes, reading materials etc, etc.

I am now itching to take a good look at my other crafting tools and make some choices on other items I can declutter. I have a couple in mind without even looking. And the plastic containers in my kitchen are also in my sights right now too. I can feel some very satisfying decluttering coming on.

And before I go I just wanted to share another of this weeks comments that I found very true and satisfying. I love to hear from reading who have made big changes to their thinking that has helped them declutter. And this comment from NF is just such an example.

NF: As I’ve decluttered, downsized, whatever u want to call it, during the past four years, I realized my conglomeration of “stuff” was a combination of my depression era parents(save everything) and my 1980′s mentality of “buy everything.” Both were creating a huge conflict in my life. First I de -cluttered because I didn’t have the room in our smaller home, then I sat back and watched what I actually used and what I did with it, how i used it and and how often(and how often I had to dust it if it were decorative). It was like a minor epiphany. I understand the “I might need it one day” or “I spent a lot of money on this” guilt and logic. if I live to 100, I would never use all the stuff I’ve accumulated on a consistent basis, so off it goes. charity, eBay, heirlooms back to relatives. I used to take any free thing offered to me, no more, much to the affront of the giver. I had one of my biggest arguments with a friend over a pair of hot pink velour sweatpants (which I would only wear if I were comatose and naked), because I refused them. They weren’t a gift, someone had given them to her and she didn’t want them either. I now follow my own logic and heart, not my guilt. it’s really hard to do, but just like any habit, if you keep doing it, it will become standard practice. Minimizing is very liberating once you get past your own mental roadblocks and detours. Drive straight and don’t deviate. 

Have a great week-end everyone and happy decluttering.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter  a grooming tool or product that you don’t care much for using. Even I have one of these to declutter.

Eco Tip for the Day

Borrow and share rather than buy, clutter and add to your carbon footprint.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow