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.

Some of the clutter we accumulate over time is simply due to life changes. Growing older, changing interests, education, career change, kids growing up, injuries or illness, gaining or losing weight, relocating… All of these changes can leave in their wake items that are of no use to us. I am sure that we all have at least a little of this kind of clutter and this week we will work on it for our mini missions.

Monday – If you completed college or university more than five years ago it is probably time to declutter all those old college papers stacked in boxes in the attic, garage or basement. If you can’t bring yourself to get rid of them completely scan them and only keep the digital copies. Use text recognition software to convert the scans into editable and searchable text, making it easier to reference it should the need actually arise. It makes more sense to keep it in this format because it is far easier to access the information you need when you need it.

Tuesday – Go through your children’s clothing and assess what is worn out, no longer fits, is not useful to hand down to another of your children or be kept for another child should you be planning of having another one soon. Declutter what you will not need.

Wednesday – Declutter old sporting equipment for sports you no longer play. I have done this with our snorkelling gear, my son’s little league gear and  most of my softball gear as I have no intention of ever playing again. I kept my mitt as a keepsake because it is special to me and has lots of signatures from the Seattle Mariners on it.

Thursday – If you have moved sometime in the last ten years but still have clothing or equipment that does not fit with and has therefore not been used in your new location it is more than time you decluttered it. This could be clothing, sporting equipment, gardening implements, snow shovel…

Friday – Declutter old clothing that fitted with your previous life that are now no longer needed. This could be sports uniforms, work clothing, clothes that no longer fit, clothing that is inappropriate to the climate you now live in, clothing that is inappropriate for your age, maternity clothing if you have no intentions of having more children…

Saturday – Do a quick declutter of your children’s toys. There are often broken ones, ones they no longer enjoy to play with or ones they have simply grown to old for.

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.

February’s Habit Changing Challenge

Remember last month I set you the Habit Changing Challenge to make your bed everyday. How did you go with that? This month I have a new challenge for you. No leaving your clothes lying around. If they are dirty put them straight in the dirty clothes receptacle.  If you intend on using them again do not leave them draped over a chair, on the end of your bed or worse still, laying on the floor. Instead put them back on a coat hanger and hang them in a designated space in your wardrobe or provide hooks to hang them behind a door.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Eco Tip for the Day

Always at least consider the eco friendly option when buying products. Just be mindful that they are actually eco friendly and not just labelled that way to entice the innocent. Also don’t be lured into paying an exorbitant amount of money for these items. It seems to me that any company that is truly interested in doing the right thing by the environment would prefer to encourage us to do the right thing by charging reasonable prices rather than to prey on our concerns while gouging our pockets in the process.

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

Out of sight clutter

Have you ever noticed that there is certain clutter in your home that you not only never use but you don’t even lay eyes on it for long periods of time. During that time you don’t think of it. It is like it doesn’t even exist. But the minute you unearth it memories come flooding back and suddenly it seems so precious.

I am not just referring to keepsakes here I am including all manner of clutter. That old tupperware way back in the furthermost reaches of your kitchen cabinet. The sporting equipment buried under more useful stuff in the back shed. Photographs in which you can’t even identify half of the subjects. Plush toys in the bottom of your old blanket box. Those least favourite socks in the depths of your sock drawer. The file relegated to the last hanger of your filing cabinet. Boxes in the garage that you never unpacked after your last move.

Would these items come to mind if you had to compile an inventory of your home contents off the top of your head. I bet not. And yet were you to unearth these items you would likely be struck with crazy thoughts of how precious they were to you or how useful they are or I might still use that. The memories of days gone by when these items were an everyday part of your life cloud your judgement on just how big of a waste of space they have become.

When confronted with these objects try to be logical. Everyday we create new memories and new priorities. Saving a little of the past is fine but life has a way of twisting and changing and the less stuff you have blocking your way the freer you are to live in the now and explore the possibilities of the future.

In the wise words of Dr. Suess ~ “Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Everyday from here to there, funny things are everywhere.”

Today’s Mini Mission

I know from experience that, when overstocked, one can lose sight of individual craft items that have been drowned among the masses. Quite often when you do unearth them they are no longer to your taste. Declutter any craft supplies that you, if you are honest with yourself, are unlikely to use.

Eco Tip for the Day

Transferring cash and making payments digitally saves on trips to the bank, paper, mailing and wear and tear on printed currency. Saving little pockets of energy with each of those savings.

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

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.

This week the mini missions are based around things that perish when not used for a long time. So even if you think you “might need these things someday” it may turn out the someday is too far away and the items will only be good for the garbage can by the time you get around to using them. Best that you limit the number when purchasing certain things, pass on the things you have too many off that are likely to perish and just accept the fact that some of the things you reduce in number now will just have to be replaced later.

Monday – Today I suggest you do a pen round-up. All pens have ink that can dry up over time so it is best to limit the number you keep on hand. Donate the excess to your local school, take them to your workplace to use them up or offer them to friends or family who might be running short. Even your local post office or bank, whose pens go walk-about on a regular basis, might appreciate your generosity.

Tuesday – Anything with elastic. In my underwear drawers there are always those couple of old bras, pairs of knickers, socks and stockings that only get used on the rare occasion that the ones I prefer to wear run out. On more than one occasion I have encountered the problem that these spare pairs are no longer useable because the elastic has perished during their lack of use. I have found the same problem in my sewing kit, the stationery drawer (rubber bands) and even among the sports gear (swimming goggles, elasticised shin pads, support bandages). So with elastic it is truly a case of use it or lose it.

Wednesday – Food. This one is a no-brainer really. Even less perishable food has some sort of used by date. So if you have something in the pantry or freezer that hasn’t been used in a long time find a recipe to use it up on. You never know you might just stumble upon a recipe that will end up in your regular rotation this way.

Thursday – Fabrics. Any item made from light coloured fabric that have been used against your body at some point can be prone to yellowing from the body acids that aren’t completely washed out during the laundering process. Old wedding dresses are a fine example of this. The acids can even perish the fabrics and weaken them. I also find that old sheets that haven’t been used can get quite a rancid smell about them when not washed regularly. So declutter old clothes that you have worn before but now never use and if you have an over abundance of sheets in your linen closet make sure you rotate them on a regular basis.

Friday – Electrical appliances. Like anything else on this list these items will wear out from being used but at least then you will have gotten your money’s worth out of them. Having left electrical items in storage when we moved to America and then coming home to find they no longer worked I know for sure that it is a reality the they don’t like sitting idle for too long.

This hand cream has been around for a little too long I feel. I will use it up as a lubricant when shaving my legs.

Saturday – Make-up and medicines (pills, ointments, antiseptic etc). Both these items are made from substances that perish over time. Although medicines will usually have a used by date some cosmetic don’t. Either way you need to do a regular declutter of, what is or what you believe to be, out of date products in your medicine cabinet, your first-aid box and your make-up kit. (Read here for advice on used by dates for make-up)

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

Eco Tip for the Day

Choose products to use and use them up before replacing them with something else. Unless of course you are allergic or they are having some other detrimental effect. Waste is waste no matter what form it comes in and having too much variety on hand is a sure fire way of things getting perished and require throwing out.

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