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.

As I write this it is Easter Sunday so I thought I might Easter use that as todays theme for our mini missions. I will have to stretch the imagination to come up with descriptions of clutter that work in with the categories I have chosen. Each category is an Easter symbol of sorts. Good luck and happy decluttering

Monday – Egg ~ Declutter anything that has a shell or outer covering. This may sound difficult but even a coat of paint is an outer covering. You could also declutter something with a crack in it. Something white or any other egg colour. But no cheating and just eating Easter eggs for ten minutes.

Tuesday – Bunny ~ Declutter something furry, something with ears or perhaps something to do with luck. You could even stretch this one to anything in your home that seems to breed like rabbits (books, magazines, paperwork etc).

Wednesday – Cross ~ This could be something in the shape of a cross or simply something that makes you cross like obligation clutter.

Thursday – Spring ~ Although Easter is celebrated in Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere most of the Symbols are related to spring. So your items might have a spring in it or just springs out at you as something that needs decluttering.

Friday – Bonnet ~ A bonnet sits on top of your head, so why not declutter something that is sitting on top of something else. That should be easy. Or perhaps you actually have a hat the needs decluttering.

Saturday – Nest ~ Well this one could include anything in your home. After all your home is your nest right, so have at it.

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.)

Wendy B wrote this very wise statement in a comment recently in regards to decluttering ~ 

“The thought of tackling the job is often more consuming than doing the job itself.”

How very true this is. I bet there are many of you out there who spent more time and metal energy putting off your decluttering than the time and effort that you actually needed to put into it once you got started. I was a little guilty of that myself to be honest. I knew, before returning home to live in Australia in 2007, that downsizing was our ultimate goal, but aside from the necessary ejection of stuff required to fit comfortably into our new home, and some extra bursts here and there, it was 2010 before I got on with the task in earnest.

And the problem with procrastinating is that you are wasting all that mental stress on getting nowhere. When it is as easy as putting one item aside each day, in the garage, or wherever you choose your transition area to be. Then donating the stuff to a charity when you have a pile big enough to make the effort to drop it off. And if you live in a place like the USA where the charity will come to you, it is even easier to get the job done, or at least make progress.

Of course you can complicate things by selling items via online auctions or similar, or by having a garage sale, but there is always an extra reward for your labours there, so it is often worth the extra effort. But that is entirely up to you.

We often procrastinate because we focus on the harder aspects of the task rather than just getting started on the easy stuff. How does the saying go? ~ “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” And there is always those things that are much easier to deal with than others. That is how I got started and in the end I got rid of far more stuff that I ever thought I would. Even things I had no intention of ever letting go. The more I decluttered the easier it was to part with things and the more things I realised a didn’t need to keep.

Actually just writing today’s post was a case of procrastination for me. That seems a little more than ironic. In the end I figured I would get a better night sleep if I took care of that and another small task before going to bed rather than leaving it until today. And I did sleep better for it I think.

The thing about procrastinating is that it makes you feel bad, then feeling bad makes you sorry for yourself so you self medicate by doing something else you would rather do. While actually by doing what you don’t want to do you can make yourself feel a lot better than avoiding it.

I know there are plenty of my readers out there, who are a long way along their declutter journey, who have been there and done that, so why not share with us your procrastination story, and how you overcame it. And those of you still torturing yourself with futile procrastination, hopefully reading our about experiences will help you start eating that elephant, one bite at a time.

Random Acts of Unusual Kindness

As a pedestrian treat the sidewalk as if it were the road. Keep to the side that the road traffic travels on in the country that you are in at the time. Don’t dart out from side allies and shops into oncoming foot traffic. And don’t walk three abreast. This ought to be common sense, but it doesn’t seem to be, and life would be a lot easier for everyone if we all adhered to these simple rules.

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.

It seems like it has been a while since we had a set of good old mini missions based on something as simple as the alphabet. So this week we shall declutter some items that begin with six different letters. I’ll try to pick letters that are very common so that we can all find plenty of items to let go. The letter doesn’t have to be the initial of the items itself, it could be of the colour, the material it is made from, or any feature of the item. This will make it even easier to find an item to suit. So good luck and happy decluttering.

Monday – Declutter an items relating to the letter S.

Tuesday - Declutter an items relating to the letter T.

Wednesday - Declutter an items relating to the letter G

Thursday - Declutter an items relating to the letter R.

Friday - Declutter an items relating to the letter L.

Saturday - Declutter an items relating to the letter A.

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.

Random Acts of Miscellaneous Kindness

(Little thoughtful acts for no reason but to make a complete strangers life a little easier.)

Straighten up a few items on a shelf while shopping. It will only save a few seconds in a store employees day but it is amazing what you can achieve in a few seconds. I do this by compulsion when I am in a store not so much to be deliberately helpful but because after working in retail for so long I just can’t help myself.

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.

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.

My goodness, it’s Monday again. How do they manage to come around so quickly. And since I mentioned the word “do” I think that will be my theme for the week. Decluttering by verbs. I will name an action and you will find something relating to that action to declutter. So lets get started.

Monday – Drinking ~ Declutter something that has anything to do with drinking. Don’t ask me why that was the first thing to pop into my head. 😉

Tuesday – Playing ~ I am sure you can use your imagination and have a little fun coming up with an item to declutter from this category. CDs, toys, games, old records…

Wednesday – Cleaning ~ Declutter something related to cleaning. Be that be to do with cleaning objects, spaces or even yourself.

Thursday – Wearing ~ This could be clothes related, jewellery, accessories, perfume or makeup.

Friday – Cooking ~ Even I managed to found something to declutter under this category this weekend. I am always looking for ways to create space in the kitchen. I decluttered an espresso pot.

Saturday – Looking ~ This one could be a little tricky so I’l give you some clues. Search for an object to declutter that you either look through, look at or watch. Photos, DVD’s, books, magazines, glasses (for vision or sun)…, you get the idea.

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

I have begun to look at a lot of things in my home through a filter of “does it bug me”?  It’s kind of the opposite of “does it spark joy”.  Like the embellished sweatshirt that I had loved for years.  One day I just realized out of the blue that things about it were bugging me!  So I took it off and threw it in the trash bin.

There is a pair of slippers that, while wearable and don’t look too ratty, I don’t especially enjoy wearing because they are hard to keep on my feet.  So they are in my sights…

Recently I found a half empty jar of jam in the fridge.  It didn’t look or smell bad but I remembered it came into the house several months ago so rather than worry about someone getting sick on it, I tossed it.  It bugged me that something potentially sickening was taking up room in the fridge.

Something I got rid of a while ago was a color photo of an old barn surrounded by fall foliage that we had had framed when we were first married (over 30 years ago).  I always loved that photo.   But it started to bug me because it had faded.  It hurt me to look at it like that, when it had been so vibrant.

We are using up and passing along extras of shampoos and lotions and the like because having so many around the bathtub bugs me.

There are some plates that were stored out of the way in our attic.  They were bugging me because I don’t need them or prefer them but they take up space.  I want our attic to be mostly cleared out because we will be too old before you know it to fetch things up there.  I am planning to offer them to our daughter who is getting married.  If she doesn’t want them & my husband doesn’t care, they will be donated.

I bought a deviled egg holder which itself was shaped like a large egg (Easter themed) years ago.  It was a cute idea but it bugged me because it never got used.  It’s outta here!

Several spice mixes found their way to the compost & recycle container recently.  It bugged me that I spent money on them but no one used them.  So, it made me feel bad every time I saw them, not like I was somehow saving money by keeping them.

Alright now you will all know that I’m crazy… I have a string of LED Christmas lights that have the “big color bulbs” like the old ones used to have.  I had them up on a beam between our living room and dining room for several years sort of as a night light (all year!).  I have loved them since I got them.  Right around Christmas 2015, I noticed that one of the “bulbs” was burnt out.  When I investigated, I found that it wasn’t fixable.  So, down came the lights.  They are currently lighting a window frame in my bedroom… They are not yet in full “bug me” mode but I see the day coming…

I feel like I am getting more in tune with my (bad) feelings about my stuff for some reason.  So, maybe you can “sniff around” your home for something that has been bugging you lately.  Some ideas:

 

Shoes that hurt your feet or back

Clothes that require constant tugging to hang properly on you

Underwear that isn’t “broken” but doesn’t fit right or help you look good

Socks that rub your toes or are too tight at the ankles, too loose, or have holes

Containers of any sort that are hard or unwieldy to open and/or close

Hair products or any hygiene product that you hate using

Cleaning products that you hate the smell of

Furniture that drags down the look of your home or is uncomfortable

Vacuum that forces you to go over the same spot multiple times

Blender that takes too long to blend

Frayed or stained linens

Pillows that hurt your neck

Throw pillows that annoy you

Anything that’s hard to clean

Décor that you’re tired of

Chipped or scratched plates and cookware

**************

Here are a couple of comments made by Peggy in the past so you can get to know here better.

A use it up challenge

A impromptu declutter 

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.

Reading the title of today’s mini mission post you might be thinking ~ ‘Isn’t all clutter annoying?’, but there is no doubt that some clutter is much more annoying than other. So this week we will focus on six annoying clutter issues and see if we can find and remove some matching items from out homes. So lets get started.

Monday – How bad do you feel when you go searching for something in your home and come across some unfinished project somewhere. Unfinished projects are so annoying because although you lost interest before they are finished you also put so much effort into them up until that point. So effort put in and “I might finish that someday” has you are reluctant to decluttering these projects. So today seek one such project out and decide to work on it until it is done or let it go. Either way it will no longer be clutter.

Tuesday – Useful yet broken items are so annoying. They don’t work in this condition but they are so useful when they are working. If you have such an item either mix it, send it to be fixed or get rid of it. This might be a broken electrical item, a watch that need a pin replaced, a necklace that needs a new clasp…

Wednesday – Who still has a junk drawer. How annoying are they. Whenever you need something from them they are usually so cluttered and unorganised that you can’t find the thing you need. So if you have a junk drawer make the effort to unclutter and organised it. Or better still find proper homes for the stuff in it and eliminate it altogether.

Thursday – There is usually an item or two of clothing in everyone’s closet that has an issue that causes you to avoid it and it ends up languishing there unworn. I have two shirts, both the same only in different colours, whose buttons come undone. The button holes need a stitch or two to make them smaller so the problem stops occurring. Rather than fix them I just avoid them. I also have a pair of sandals who’s inner souls need replacing. They are great shoes but I haven’t worn them in two seasons because of this issue. Last week I finally got around to taking them to the repairer and they will be as good as new by Tuesday. So go in search of such an item of clothing in your closet and fix the issue or let it go.

Friday – I have heard many times from people that they own too much plastic wear in their kitchens. Usually the cupboard they keep it in is overflowing. This causes a plastics avalanche every time the cupboard is open. If this sounds like you, declutter some of the plastic and reorganise the cupboard so this stops happening to you.

Saturday – If you have a work bench or craft space in your home there is most likely at least one small area within that space that is overstocked or messy. Identify such an area and decluttering or set it right.

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

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.

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in your shoe” — so goes the old English rhyme associated with brides and weddings. Each item is meant to be a good luck charm to ensure wedded bliss — in the form of continuity (old), a healthy optimism for the future that lies ahead (new), borrowed happiness from a blissfully married woman (borrowed, duh!), purity, love and fidelity (blue), and a heartfelt wish for prosperity and good fortune (silver sixpence in your shoe). We’ll be using this rhyme as our decluttering guide for this week and although I’ve included some suggestions below, I look forward to your creative interpretations of the missions.

Monday — Old: Declutter something that you might have had for a long time but which you no longer need or want — photos, cards, gifts, clothes that have seen better days, games, magazines, books, CDs or DVDs, receipts, souvenirs or artwork on the walls that no longer appeal to you. It could also be a mobile phone, computer or printer that is still hanging around the house even though it has been replaced by a newer, snazzier model. A vintage clothing item or an heirloom would also fit the bill.

Tuesday — New: Are you thinking of purchasing a new item to replace something you’ve had for ages? Have you done your due diligence and know exactly what you’re going to buy? If so, what are you planning to do with the older item? If you’re thinking of keeping it around the house as a backup, ask yourself whether you really need the new item. If you do, then look into donating or selling the older item. Or maybe you’ve just purchased something new and shiny and the novelty is beginning to wear off, or you realise that the pair of jeans that looked so good on the mannequin does absolutely nothing for you, or it could be something that you couldn’t resist buying because it was enticingly marked down by (gasp!) 50% at the mall last week, only to undergo a metamorphosis into a 100% loss this week because you have absolutely no need for it. Whatever the item and the amount spent, it’s a sunk cost, so declutter it and chalk it up to experience. You might even have a gift that you received — that is so not you — during the recent festive season which you are keeping out of loyalty or guilt. Accept the love or friendship behind the gift and let the item go. Alternatively, declutter a one-syllable item such as a pair of socks, a spoon, clock or lamp.

Wednesday — Borrowed: Do you have something hanging around your home that you’ve been meaning to return to its owner but have been putting off doing so for some reason? Or do you have an item that you rarely (if ever) use, that is not worth the space it takes up in your home? Could you declutter it and borrow it from a friend if you ever need it in future? If you can’t find anything, then declutter something that consists of eight or fewer letters like a saucepan, book or blouse for instance.

Thursday — Blue: Declutter anything that’s blue — clothing, linens, stationery, dinnerware, furniture, posters or artwork, etc. If there is an item that makes you feel blue for some reason, declutter it — life is too short to surround yourself with unhappy memories. Do you have a blues CD that you bought aeons ago, before your taste in music changed? Declutter it and let a true-blue fan enjoy it or give it to someone who might be newly discovering the genre.

Friday — Silver sixpence: Declutter anything made out of silver or containing traces of silver — pendants, pins, brooches or any other jewellery or silverware. That pair of silver stilettos you threw into the back of your closet because they hurt your feet would be a good candidate. A delicious bar of chocolate would also work, if it’s wrapped in silver foil. You could also declutter any foreign currency that you might have from your travels or periods when you lived abroad. Can’t decide whether to declutter a particular item? Then carry out a ‘separation exercise’ for it by putting it away for six months to see whether you need to retrieve it during that time. If you can’t find anything suitable, then declutter an item beginning with any of the letters in the words — anyone who declutters something beginning with ‘v’ or ‘x’ gets extra credit and bragging rights.

Saturday — Shoe: Declutter shoes, footwear or anything related to your legs or feet. You could also declutter anything that’s usually referred to as a pair, such as sunglasses, shorts, jeans or scissors or any two items.

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

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.

Since Colleen celebrated her birthday recently, I’m dedicating this week’s mini missions to her. She did such a lovely acrostic set of missions for me in December 2015 and I thoroughly enjoyed writing this for her (hat tip to Amelia, for her suggestion that I write one for Colleen). I selected these words based on my impressions of you and your blog, Colleen and I hope you like it. I hope you had a happy, happy birthday, my friend!

Monday — CREATIVE: Most of us know that Colleen is very creative and makes beautiful cards — if you haven’t already seen them, you can take a look at her handmade cards on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fancythatartistcollective?ref=hl. Go on, click on the link and take a look … you know you want to. We also know that Colleen (aka Mrs MacGyver) is a deft hand at improvising, whether in the kitchen or anywhere else. Keeping that in mind, declutter something from your ‘creativity supplies’, whether that creativity is expressed through scrapbooking, card- or jewellery-making, knitting, quilting, cooking, baking, music, dance, photography, painting, sculpting, gardening or anything else that gets the wheels of your creativity spinning. You could also put on your ‘improvisation hat’ and declutter something that really isn’t all that crucial to have around the house, especially if that item is usually passed over in favour of something else.

‘C’ is also for CRANNY — the heart-warming grandma name lovingly given by Colleen’s daughter and granddaughter, which I just had to include. Take a look at any nooks and crannies in your home for any insidious clutter creep that might have taken up residence and get rid of it.

Tuesday — ONE: Yes, the power of one … as in one woman, one blog and her simple one-item-a-day decluttering method. Pick any one item of your choice to declutter today.

Wednesday — LIGHTSOME: Colleen has written some memorable posts about packing for travel and I have this mental image of her and her husband fresh off the plane, nimble with their minimal luggage, and free of any worries about the possibility of lost luggage. They make their way light-heartedly through the airport with a spring in their steps, past all the people waiting by the baggage carousel (um, yeah, that would include yours truly) for the ‘luggage catwalk’ to begin. So, with this in mind, take a look at your travel packing list to see whether you can declutter an item that isn’t essential or maybe even a piece of luggage itself. If you’ve already pared down and only have essentials on your list, then declutter something that you’ve brought back from your travels that no longer appeals to you, unnecessary travel photos or a souvenir you’ve received.

Thursday — LARGE: Colleen’s large and generous spirit is one of the things that you first notice about her. From that perspective, take a good look at everything that you’ve been blessed with and donate an item that you can do without, that will help someone else in any way. Of course, if you just want to declutter something that’s, well, um, large … go ahead and do so … I’m not going to split hairs.

Friday — ENERGETIC: I can confidently state that the Energizer Bunny resides in Newcastle, Australia, although for the past few months she’s been in Berlin with Mo — that’s the equally heart-warming grandpa name given by the above-mentioned dynamic duo. So, what does that have to do with clutter? Well, being surrounded by clutter can drain you of energy and affect your mood … so take a look around your home for a clutter hotspot that affects you the most. Remove one item (or more, if you want to) from that hotspot and come up with an action plan to eradicate the mess in that area.

Saturday — ECO-FRIENDLY: We all know how Colleen feels about the environment, having excess stuff and not letting things go to waste. So, if your pantry is stuffed with so much food or you suspect that there might be a real possibility of a science experiment growing inside your fridge, do a quick check for anything that might be getting dangerously close to its use-by date and incorporate it into your meal-planning for today or the week ahead. If by some chance this item turns out to be a bottle of leftover wine, do remember to drink a toast to the birthday girl and her blog! Or you could begin a use-it-up challenge for that particular bottle of hand cream, body lotion or shampoo — you know the one I’m referring to … yup, the one that always gets pushed to the back of the cabinet — before its time runs out.

Sunday — NEAT: One of the impressions I have of Colleen is that she is naturally neat and keeps a clean, tidy home (don’t hesitate to correct me here if I’m wrong, Colleen 😉). Is there any area in your home that might have become less than tidy because you have been oh-so-busy lately? There might be something that you can declutter from it as you tidy it. Or maybe you have a closet or cabinet bursting at the seams — go ahead and declutter what’s in it and restore some order.

Good luck and happy decluttering

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 your mini missions have been brought to you by Tanja. I love that she has put a strong emphasis on donating the items that you find. She had also focused on items that many people have a lot of. However even if you don’t have such an abundance you may still find you might have one or two too many that you would be happy to live without.

So thank you Tanja for your contribution to 365 Less Things this week. And should any of my other wonderful readers like to send my a post to publish I would be more than happy to receive it. And without further adieu here are this weeks missions.

“Clearing” a room is not simply shoving things in drawers and cupboards, on the principle that “out of sight is out of mind”.

Streamlining the house goes further than decluttering; it is not simply a matter of making a clean sweep of everything into colour-coded bags for when the garbage collecting trucks come around. Many extraneous items are still serviceable – and some are still brand new, with tags on. These may be donated.

Monday: The kitchen / dining room.  Let’s face it – we never have more than four pans on the stove, and maybe one in the fridge. So why did we ever feel the need to purchase that set of thirty? Select half a dozen pots in the sizes you use most; ditto with the fry-pans. While you’re at it, why not decimate your motley collection of glasses, mugs, and cups? Would you ever use all that flatware, even if you were the hostess of a street party?

Tuesday: The laundry room. Why is it that you have ten detergent bottles with not enough liquid in them for one wash? Will you ever really run a mini-load?  Put a funnel in the neck of one of them, and upturn the others into it, in turn. Rinse them out, one by one, and add to the water you use for hand-washing lingerie, or for yards and porches.

Wednesday: The sitting room / lounge. Look at that pile of magazines. Are you really ever going to refer to a particular issue for an article, or a recipe? When will you find time to clip and file what you want from them? Will you ever take them to your friend, who has a shredder, to fix them for the hamsters’ cages? Kindergarten teachers and crafters are always on the lookout for pictures and scrap paper. So are the helpers at animal shelters.

Thursday: The bathroom(s).  You are never going to use all those soaps and scents and assorted toiletries received as gifts, or bought just because they were on offer. Why not cover a shoebox with wrapping paper – or sheets from magazines, or maps – and make a Happy Box for someone who is feeling down, or is facing a stay in hospital? Groups that do voluntary work will accept this kind of gift, to pass on, or sell for fund-raising.

Friday: The bedroom(s). Half the ironing you do probably happens because your clothes are all squashed up in the wardrobes. If you are lucky enough to have a walk-in closet, it is not a guarantee that this will not happen, either. Then there are those clothes that need mending, and shoes that need a cobbler’s attention. Unless you can get them seen to within the week – discard them or give them away. Give away clothes that don’t fit well; stop hoping you will get thinner, or fatter, so they will fit, because even then, you will still have two sets of extraneous clothing.

Saturday: The garage / basement.  New brooms sweep clean – but old ones don’t. So throw out all the tools and implements that no longer serve their purpose, including tatty paintbrushes and all those paint tins with one inch of dried gunk at the bottom, and the empty margarine tubs, and the boxes of school notes, punctured tyres, broken chairs and light fittings…

Sunday: Pick up the phone and see whether the people or groups for whom you have bags and boxes, will collect. Otherwise, arrange for deliveries to be done; make this an excuse for someone who lives in the area of the recipient to hop over and have a mug of coffee before taking the pack with her, unless you can take them yourself…

 All it takes is a little effort on our part. Let’s share what we have, with those who would appreciate it even more than we do…by giving away things we would actually use. It’s nice to do this, rather than donating stuff that would otherwise have gone into the skip, fooling ourselves into believing that we are “sharing”, and thus salving our conscience.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Gratitude: Today I am grateful that I have the ability to get around freely. I encountered a lady in a wheelchair today with a severe disability and my first reaction was admiration for her that she has the spirit to defy adversity and get out and about, it seemed without a helper by her side. To her I guess it was just what she was used to, but it sure make me look back at times when I complain about small inconveniences in my life and think how perry they really are and how lucky I am.