I have dithered many times in my decluttering journey, unable to make a decision about my stuff.  Two of the “ditherees” left my house this morning because I needed soft fillers to keep the glass bowls I was donating from clashing with each other.  One item was a top I bought that always looked better on my younger daughter than it did on me.  When she left home, she also left the top.  I thought this morning that I’m never going to wear that again and it’s not my other daughters’ style, so out it went.  The other item was a pair of nice warm slippers.  They didn’t have an indoor – outdoor sole, which bugs me, plus they were the type that you have to pull on with your hands.  I like slip-ons better.  So, in all the years I have had these warm slippers in a color I like, I have worn them only a handful of times!

All this got me thinking about how many things we dither about, meanwhile these things are taking up space in our homes!  I thought a good mission would be to gather all “ditherees” into a pile in the most spacious area of your home and think about them as a group.  Maybe when you see the volume of space that these items are taking every day, it will be easier to part with some.  If you want bonus points, you can decide ahead of gathering these items that you will commit to donating at least half of them.

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

I often get comments from people contradicting my suggestions regarding what to declutter and pleading their case on why they keep certain items or collections of things. Avid readers love their books, baking enthusiasts love a good range of pans and utensils, crafters, like myself, will cater to their craft, perhaps even over cater. There are also shoe lovers out there, fashionistas, modellers, family history caretakers, plant enthusiasts, collectors of all sorts of things…

The purpose of my blog is not to insist that we all live a completely minimalist lifestyle. I don’t, so it would be totally hypocritical of me to suggest such a thing. My intention here is simply to draw your attention to areas of your homes that may need considering when it comes to culling of unused and unloved items. And I am sure your intention here is to consider that advice in a bit to declutter your homes, which is why you read my blog in the first place. I don’t explain this in every article I write because I presume my readers are all aware of this however it doesn’t hurt for me to reinforce this, every now and again, in a post like this.

So lets talk a little about what decluttering is to each individual, because I would hate for people to spend time regretting decluttering items that they loved or were still useful to them, just because I suggested it in a post.  So here are a few examples to explain the concept of what is clutter and what isn’t to the individual.

I have one bottle of perfume is that too few? Some women would think so because they like to mix it up a little, something floral one day, something oriental the next. Some may even think I am very unsophisticated for this. I care little about their opinion because one is enough for me. I am sure also that they would have the same opinion of me because I only use one handbag and it doesn’t match all my shoes. Once again, I don’t care. I find life simpler with less choice.

On the other hand I have a plethora of craft supplies. And although I have way less than I did prior to my decluttering journey there is still an overabundance. To the less creative person my collection would seem ridiculous but to me they are a good variety that allows me to achieve the creativity I desire. It really is my only vice so I am happy to live with that. And I continue to use up supplies that I have no intention of ever replacing.

Someone else may only have two towels, two pair of shoes, one set of sheets but a display cabinet full of china handed down from a relative long passed. So what, minimalism is one thing to one person and something else to another. It is not up to anyone to decide what you care about and what you don’t, what is too much and what is too few.

Anyone reading my blog is here because they want to reduce what they own in order to free themselves of the restrictions that clutter can cause. Space restrictions, time restrictions, cash flow restrictions etc. Having the intention to declutter will set you in the right direction, then I am sure you are all capable of deciding in what areas you want to reduce and by how much. As momentum takes over you may get more adventurous but that is up to you. Be an individual and do it your way.

At the same time, if you are here reading my blog and defending every little thing you own as precious to you, while you home is cluttered to the rafters, then perhaps you need more help than I can give. Hoarding can be a serious issue and professional help is require to overcome such an issue. And in that case I would strongly suggest you seek medical help. Your GP is the first person to turn to and they will refer you on to the professional that can help you best.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

As you may have guessed, due to the lack of them, I struggle to come up with new posts these days, mostly because I declutter much less now, therefore the inspiration for posts isn’t constantly forthcoming. Today it occurred to me that I have been blogging about this subject for over six years now, so why not repost some of my old articles. They are still as relevant as they ever were, not everyone has read through all the archives and we could all do with a refresher of information previously disseminated. So without further adieu here is todays revisited post.

Take a look around your home to find items that you have been using constantly for many years. Items that you would never part with although maybe are outdated, getting a little shabby or just aren’t particularly aesthetically pleasing in any way. These items will likely have to reach natural attrition before they leave your home. Of course they don’t have to be shabby, they may be standing the test of time amazingly well. And thank goodness for that if they are items that are useful and/or beautiful to you. Think about what is unique about this item that causes you to appreciate it so much.

Think about what led you to acquire these items in the first place. Perhaps it was that you had a need for the items. Perhaps the beauty of the object was what attracted you to it. Perhaps you searched and bided your time until just the right items came along to suit your need or desire. Perhaps it was a combination of all three. Maybe someone you knew had one similar and you decided it was so useful or beautiful that you wanted one for yourself. Or maybe it was sheer fluke that brought you and the object together.

I know I certainly have objects in my home that fit my needs so well that I have owned them for many many years. Among them are items that fit all of the reasons for acquiring them that I stated above. But one thing that is similar in each case is my appreciation for these objects. Every time I see them or use them I feel pleased not only with the objects but for my “clever’ choice of them in the first place.

Now take a look around your home and identify other objects that you neither use nor find aesthetically pleasing. Ask yourself why do you keep each items. Was it an unwanted gift? Can you not afford to replace it? Do you feel guilty for wasting your hard earned cash on it, so are determined to get some use out of it? It is a family heirloom that you don’t really wish to be the caretaker of? Perhaps these items cause too much upkeep. Or worse still you have given up maintaining them and they are sitting idle and dusty. Whatever the reason, if an item brings forth negative feelings when you encounter it then this a something you should consider decluttering.

Your home is your fortress, your place of tranquility, or at least it should be. There are many thing that lower the level of tranquility in a person’s home. One of them is being surrounded by objects that evoke negativity. Another is the feeling of obligation to keep stuff the causes you work. There are only so many hours in the day, house that are better spent doing things you enjoy with people that you love. It is a shame to waste that time taking care of stuff.

So as you encounter these items that cause negativity ask yourself what is more important to you..

• The compulsion to keep them regardless or..
• To heighten the level of tranquility in your home.

Share a story about such an item you encounter in the comments below. Tell us what your decision is for keeping it or letting it go.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

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

Each of us has a different day when we clean up all the decorations from the holidays.  One thing we all do though is repack and stash away everything.  This is a great time to declutter.  We have a great opportunity to look at each item and decide:

1. Did we use it this time?
2. Does it need repair or a toss into the trash?
3. Do we like it?
4. Do we want to change our style/color? 
5. Has our life changed in a way that requires our decorating to change?

Now is the time to declutter all of those holiday items you no longer need taking up space in your home.  Things like decorations, ornaments, decorative paper plates or napkins, towels, tablecloths, and duplicates of salt and pepper shakers or serving pieces.  I’m sure there are more items you can think of.  How about holiday books or magazines for: cooking, decorating, or crafts. 

This year we are going to be decluttering many things because we will be moving.  We will have two households but fewer places to display items.  Mom is not even sure she wants to decorate other than maybe a wreath on her door.  I will probably keep the small tree we have but not many other things.  If I could find a metal tree I really like I may get one to put the ornaments on because they are what I treasure.

Share with us your stories of decluttering as you clear away after the holiday season.

I received an email from Christie this week asking for some advice. I’ll launch right in with her email, followed by my advice, and then I would love you all to add your thoughts on the subject. Hopefully somewhere among all that advice there will be the spark to help ignite a flame of determination in her to let go of these items standing in the way of a beautiful uncluttered life.

Christie’s email

Hi Colleen. I am a single mother with a long list of things to do…always. Life is a process I know and I can’t tackle everything at one time. I try to heed my own advice I give my daughter….practice your patience. But so many things always need to be done….that I end up shutting down and waste time…does that make sense? I need to declutter and organize many things, which I am highly capable of, but there are a few things I just simply do not know how to deal with.

One of the main things that takes up space is greeting cards. A lot of them. Why do I hang on to these? I think I have 80% of the greeting cards that have been given to me in my 45 years of life. Gasp! And now I am hanging on to the ones my daughter gets. And they are a mess. Boxes of unorganized cards. Why? What to do? I simply cannot wrap my head around it. And google has given me nothing.

and then there are magazines. i am a chef. and i have years upon years of Bon appetit and gourmet magazines. why? ugh. i can’t make myself throw them out. there has to be a better way.

I desperately would love any suggestions you can throw my way. I am drowning in self loathing at this point and need to pull my head up and provide my precious daughter a better example to live by. Much thanks to you in advance and much thanks to you for your blog. 🙂

My response to Christie’s email was this…

My first advice is if you have other clutter that is easier to part with then work on that first. I always advise people to leave the hard stuff until last, at which time you tend to be more ruthless. The joy and feeling of success generated by letting go of other stuff will spur you one to get rid of stuff you never thought you would.

My advice on the cards and magazines, once you get to them, is simple. It is clear to me from reading your email that you have already decided that these are things that you don’t want to keep. Decluttering is all about getting rid of things you don’t want to keep. These things are obviously causing you stress and you don’t care that much about them so not only are they wasting space in your home they are also affecting you negatively. Just another reason to let them go. What you are doing is keeping them out of habit and obligation. Life is a beautiful thing, the way it changes for us in waves. What we must do is ride those waves not try to swim against them. The magazines are a thing of the past, a past you are obviously reluctant to let go of. However any information contained within them can be easily found on the internet. And the beauty of the internet that it is so vast and yet it takes up so little space in your home. Go digital and get rid of that collection of dust collecting, stress inducing  magazines. Just put them right in the recycling bin. I’d like to bet that once they are gone you will wonder why you had such trouble letting them go. It is kind of like pulling off a bandaid. There is way more time and agony involved in the procrastination than there ever will be once the deed is done.

As for the cards it seems to me that they would be a mix of sentimental and obligational clutter. Ones that mean a lot to you and ones the you just keep because you feel you should. Well let me tell you that you don’t need to keep anything you only feel you should. Most people don’t give cards or gifts with the obligation that we should keep them together. They are merely a symbol of their affection for us in the here and now. Sometimes cards and gifts are even given purely out of obligation and their is no sentiment involved at all. So break this task down, it will mean double handling but that will be better for you phycological state. Go through them all, even if that is just a handful at a time when you have nothing better to do. Pick out the ones that mean something to you and put them aside for now and throw away all the ones that are pretty much meaningless at this point in your life. They can also go straight into the recycling bin or donated to a craft group that recycles old cards into new to raise money for charity. Sometimes donating them makes it easier to reconcile getting rid of them but it also makes it a little more difficult to get rid of them quickly. Once again a quick google search can prove very fruitful. You can then deal with the more sentimental cards at a later date or also go digital with them now by scanning them into your computer and getting rid of the hard copies. I personally would put them aside until you feel ready to deal with the further.

Here is a link to the post where I decluttered my greeting cards.

http://www.365lessthings.com/keepsake-clutter/

Now it is up to you, Christie’s fellow readers, to lend your advice to her situation. Thank you all in advance.

Today’s Mini Mission

And how about those book shelves ~ I haven’t picked on them for a while ~ how about you visit the elephant book graveyard and choose five books you are unlikely ever to reread and declutter them.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Just like my decluttering approach you can gradually improve your carbon footprint by implementing a new environmentally friendly routine into your life on a regular basis. It doesn’t have to be a chore but a fun challenge to not only help the planet but quite often it turns out will also save you money.

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

Isn’t it baffling that no matter how much you reduce your belongings and simplify your life, there still seems to always be an endless to-do list. I think it is highly possible, at least in my case, that while I am un-complicating one area of my life I am filling that void with something else.

Actually as I write this, I am sure I published a post on this very subject not so long back. Nevertheless I am going to prattle on about it again today. If for no other reason than the fact that I obviously didn’t listen to my own advice the last time. 

Sometimes even the things we enjoy in life can begin to feel like a chore.  The effort of manoeuvring other activities just to fit them in can be exhausting. And then there is the physical clutter that sometimes manifests due to them.

I don’t actually know  where I am going with this post so I am just going to give some examples of things on my to-do list that are just draining me at the moment. Things that I aspire to getting around to doing but are actually just causing clutter in my life that I don’t need.

First Thing: On my balcony I have a louvred cabinet door and three picture frames. I can see the potential in them, which is why I “rescued” them from the gutter in the first place, but I really don’t have the inclination or possibly even the skills to do anything with them. But what they really are is aspirational clutter making my balcony look unattractive and harder to clean. They have to go. Should I find the time and inspiration later I am sure I can acquire replacements  just as easily as I acquired these.

Second Thing: I really enjoy creating my handcrafted cards and using up my supply of craft materials. However there are a lot of materials among them that  I don’t like enough to warrant the space they waste in my home. Allowing those to linger is making the decluttering process far too long winded. At the same time I find it hard to say no to interesting papers etc that I can see potential in.

Solution: On Monday I made a pledge to not bring in any more paper crafting materials for two months and I am going to stick to that pledge no matter what. In fact I hope to stretch that pledge out longer once the two months are up. Also I am going to round up a collection of materials among what I already own and donate them to my local thrift shop.

Third Thing: I have been taking on far too much responsibility and not delegating enough when it comes to my art space since taking it over in April. It is time I stopped being such a control freak and gave myself a break. One of these responsibilities has been to bring the space in line with the new standards of presentation. That is the reason for props such as the picture frames and louvred door mentioned in the first thing above.

Solution: I have started delegating and am resisting any temptation to acquire any more merchandising items. Especially ones that require upcycling.

Forth Thing: There are a few tasks on my to-do list that are unavoidable yet I have been procrastinating over them. Although avoiding them is not causing clutter in my home it sure is causing clutter in my head.  In my experience, doing is usually far less painful than procrastinating, so heaven knows why I still find myself doing it at times.

Solution: I pledge now that these tasks will all be completed by the end of next week.

I love repurposing, I love crafting, I love organising, I love helping others and I love to be thorough… but one needs to know where to draw the line. As it is impossible to be everything to everyone all of the time.

Are there areas in your life that need decluttering? Are you overtaxing yourself, even when it comes to the things you enjoy? If so maybe it is time to cut yourself some slack and take a break from it all.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that was given to you that you no longer wish to keep.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Don’t accept free promotional products that you have no use for. Accepting these just encourages the continuation of this practice while the environment would be healthier without the manufacture of cheap throwaway or needless items like these usually are.

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

Today’s mini mission is ~ Just declutter something that isn’t “you”.

In reality all of this weeks mini missions have been about getting rid of things that aren’t you. By this I mean things that don’t spark any joy in you. Joy that something fits you. Joy that something works well for you. Joy that you find something beautiful. Joy that brings back happy memories…

Unwanted gifts. Disappointing purchases. Items that feel like they are nagging you to do something you don’t have the time or inclination for right now. Items you accepted from others only because you felt you couldn’t say no. Sentimental items that don’t give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. These are all items that don’t bring joy to your life. Add that lack of joy to resentment and frustration and you don’t have a recipe for a very happy home.

Don’t force yourself to wear the clothing item that makes you feel frumpy. Remove that ugly art piece that you have tolerated for years only because a friend painted for you. Don’t assault your sense of smell with the bottle of perfume that you hate just because it was a gift. Pass the family heirloom onto another relative if it doesn’t suit your taste. Resell that expensive electronic gadget that you never could figure out how to use. And those supplies for that craft project you bought five years ago, but never did master the technique for, really would be better in someone else’s hands.

So be kind to yourself, don’t allow anyone or anything dictate to you what you should keep of your own stuff, and remove the items that torment you from your life.

I received a comment from Jill which inspired this post. It will probably sound like a confession as well but so be it. Here is Jills comment and I will write my thoughts after it.

“I have been a collector of “stuff” my whole life. Had a major life changing operation last October and since then have been getting rid of lots of stuff. For the past 10+ years, I had been stock piling items for use after retirement (this November). Using “poverty thinking” (after retirement not having enough money to buy craft items, books to read, clothing, i.e…), my small home was piled high! After many trips to Goodwill with bags and bags of items, one or two bags of books donated to our local library for their book sales, I am starting to see the light! Major clean out of old financial papers, sentimental papers, etc… (on the 11th clothes basket for the burner). I feel so different. God has continued to provide anything that I truly need.”

So here is what I thought when I read this, inspired by Jill’s mention of craft supplies but mostly by the last sentence. As you know I wrote a post just recently about the universe providing. Also, as you well know, I have been decluttering craft supplies for the whole five plus years of my declutter mission, and particularly over the last year since having a selling outlet for my craft. However, on a regular basis over the last twelve months I have also stumbled across many opportunities of acquiring craft supplies for free or next to no cost. A temptation, that at times, I didn’t try to resist given how quickly the supplies can end up going back out the door. Yet still I sometimes wonder if I really have less craft stuff now than I did a year ago.

That does sound like a confession, but in fact I am using it as an example of how what you need does usually materialise for you when you need it. Granted I do find myself socialising in circles of people with similar interests, and I do volunteer at a thrift shop and then there is my friend Wendy (my partner in crime) who, like me and with me, loves to check out the piles of stuff left on the sidewalk on bulk waste pickup days. But nevertheless it is proof that one doesn’t need to stockpile stuff for when times are hard.

Books especially don’t need to be stockpiled because one can always borrow them from the library for free. And it is amazing what great craft projects one can do by upcycling “trash”. Clothing might be a little trickier, but then again by just wearing them out, rather than replacing them just because the novelty has worn off, will help get better value out of them. And secondhand clothing is a cheaper option and there is no shame in accepting friends’ cast offs. I have items in my closet that used to belong to Wendy’s daughter.

And lets face it, for most of us, we will never find ourselves in a position where we won’t have at least some luxuries and/or non-necessities in our lives. Another friend Carole, when we find ourselves complaining about the trivial, laughs and says “First world problems”. This is so true, we have had it so good for so long that we don’t realise how spoiled we are and what we could manage to live without.

So long as we have a roof over out heads, food and our bellies and people who love us, then we will be just fine.

Today Mini Mission

Declutter something rough or gritty.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

I received the following comment from creativeme on Wednesday and thought it would be a shame if anyone missed it so had to make a post of it. Also I wanted to add my 10c worth, of course! It was meant to publish yesterday but it wasn’t finished and I was sick. So here it is, better late than never.

“I’m getting better at this.
Especially with the food! I have found that I go through this journey of letting go of stuff, what I am really letting go of is FEAR. I think I was afraid that I might not have enough in the future or it would never go on sale again or that I might not be able to afford it later or it might be taken away somehow. Lots of latent fears that kept me wanting to cram MORE into my pantries and any other space that could fit cans or boxes (garage, basement, under the bed). I have finally got to the point that I trust there is enough money around for food, enough food around to buy, the sales ALWAYS come around again and even if it is taken away (really, who would take it?), it can ALL be replaced.
Every canned and dry good in the house now fits in the kitchen! I still have enough to make pretty much any recipe I can think of at a moment’s notice, but not crazy amounts of each thing. In this part of the world (west coast Canada) we are encouraged to have 3 days emergency supplies in case of earthquake. No problem here! But at least I am no longer a sweet target for looters like I was before! LOL
And with the newly found spaces where food used to live, I let it simply be S P A C E, sigh, it’s nice to have breathing room!”~ creativeme

The one thing I most want to add to what creativeme had to say was this ~ Simply fear of changing old habits seems to paralyse people as well. So many of us don’t adapt to the present when phases of our lives pass by. For example ~ I swear that, out of habit, many parents continue to cater for a home full of children once the kids have all left home.

Crafters have a fear of letting go of materials in case sometime in the future they will somehow conjure up the enthusiasm and creativeness to use them. I know I am guilty of this at times. I am much more ruthless these days though.

And let us look a the futility of that fear. If an item isn’t necessary to comfort and survival how much emotion should we waste on worrying about its place in our lives anyway.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item from the laundry of your home.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Release items in your home so that they are available to others who truly have a use for them. Butter, for the environment, that others use your used stuff than go out and buy new.

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