Friday’s Favourites ~ 26July2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

June has a way to help her realise just how much clutter she has removed. Read about it here.

Sassy has an example of family members learning from one another no to burden those left behind with their clutter in this comment.

Melissa now realises how the little things do add up.

From experience Jen has learned that the best way to organise is to declutter.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

Here is another collaborative consumption option ~ www.spinlister.com/ 

Wendy F sent in this link to give us something to think about when buying clothes. ~ www.theage.com.au/comment/what-we-wear-is-really-to-die-for

And here is a link my husband suggested ~ markmanson.net/minimalism

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something your kids have grown out of, physically or intellectually. If you don’t have children declutter and old souvenir or home décor item.

Eco Tip For The Day

Using electricity off-peak doesn’t save electricity but it can lessen the strain at peak times which can result in a reduced necessity to  increase infrastructure.

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

Comments (30)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 19July2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

Marianne explains the benefits of slow and steady decluttering in this comment.

Lucinda has had some insight recently as to what living with much less is like. Read about how it has inspired her here.

This comment is also from Lucinda. I love that even though she feels her home is still quite cluttered she doesn’t sound negative about it.

Sanna tells us in this comment how having less stuff is working out for her.

I like Michelle’s method of making sure her indoor tools and her garage tools don’t end up in the wrong place.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

http://mnmlist.com/have/

“Here is a link to a recycling site in the UK which recycles not only old video cassette cases but also the tape.  They also do audio cassettes and CDs. You have to pay postage, but it makes me feel less guilty about throwing them away!  Maybe there are similar sites elsewhere too? http://www.ems-europe.co.uk/services/domestic-tape-disc/ ” ~ Jane

Moni sent this link. I have to admit I did get sidetracked into looking at some wonderful cleverly designed home ideas for about half an hour. Please do read the article though and try not to get too excited about the pretty stuff. 😉

http://midwaysimplicity.com/how-to-have-a-life-full-of-experiences/ This was a good post from Tohami at Midway Simplicity. I have read his latest eBook ~ The P.A.S. Technique ebook ~ and am suitably impressed. I will write a Saturday post on that soon.

I loved this link sent to me by Cindy. If I ever find a Fixer’s Collective like this in my area I am in.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter some pantry or refrigerator items that you used once for a recipe but have not found a use for since. I think the ingredients, that tonight I will pass on to my daughter when she comes for dinner, may actually have been bought by her while she was living here recently. Of course I enjoyed her cooking for me, but she is more experimental with her cooking than I could be bothered with, so she is more likely to use these items than I.

Eco Tip For The Day

Save water and electricity ~ Think twice about how often you really need to wash your clothes and linens. Underpants and perhaps socks are the only clothing item the really need to be washed after one use. Most other clothing items are usually clean and fresh enough to wear twice unless badly soiled the first time round or if the weather is extremely warm and/or humid. Sheets need only be washed once a week at most while towels can last up to a week provided they are air dried between use.

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

Comments (17)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 12July2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

June  is new to 365 Less Things. Make her welcome.

Deb J‘s mom is thinking about doing some more decluttering. Yay!

Michelle has been decluttering and donating to her favourite charity.

Dymphy has found opportunity in the face of renovations. She also tells us, in this comment, about the progress she is making with her decluttering, how she can identify that and how she has used the mini missions and eco tips to same a pair of shoes from landfill for now. Good on you Dymphy. I also love that your name has no vowels, which proves that we don’t have to have things just because most people do.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

lifehacker.com ~ How-clutter-affects-your-brain-and-what-you-can-do-about-it

Don’t be deterred that this post from Open Shed is based on happenings in and around Sydney. Among the information there are some great eco ideas. Take a look.

Sanna suggested I include this Post from Gillie a fellow blogger and reader here at 365 Less things. onepairofshoesatatime.wordpress ~ read-or-dust

I am including this post (story) because I though it was both beautiful and inspiring. www.thechangeblog.com/personal-choice/

And here is a post suggested by Moni. ~ www.moneytalksnews.com ~what-happens-to-your-data-when-you-die/

Today’s Mini Mission

Deliver a load of decluttered but still useful items to a charity of your choice. Or if you have the option phone the charity to come and collect if from you.

Eco Tip For The Day

Save a tree ~Stop junk mail. It mostly contains advertisements for stuff you don’t need anyway. In Australia this is as easy as putting a No Junk Mail sticker on your mailbox.

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

Comments (24)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 5July2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

Barbara

Gillie

Creative Me

EcoCatLady

Melissa

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

lovingsimpleliving.com  ~ Cant-afford-minimalist-lifestyle

www.collaborativeconsumption.com ~ google-the-latest-collaborative-consumption-startup

unclutterer.com ~ A-too-small-house

www.aslobcomesclean.com ~ methodical-vs-maniacal

The latest episode of the Midway Decluttering Show

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter electric entertainment devices that aren’t that useful to you. Suggestions ~ Outdated games consoles, old stereo equipment, superseded iPods, old computer equipment, electronic photo frames, slide projector, video player, second, third or forth TV… .We now own one TV, an iPod dock, computers that are all in use ( a laptop, a desktop and an iPad) 

Eco Tip For The Day

Most people have digital cameras these days but some still think “old school” when it comes to printing and insist on hardcopies of everything. Why not save paper and ink and only get the photos printed that you intend to display. Even sending copies to family and friends can be done digitally. No need for waste there either.

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

Comments (18)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 28June2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments.

Enjoy these comments from…

Wendy F 

Janetta

Tammy R

EcoCatLady

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/myths-about-clutter

Here is a Facebook page you may be interested in ~ Daily Possession Purge Challenge

www.oprah.com/home/Clean-Sweep-Peter-Walsh-Wants-To-De-Clutter-Your-Life

Mark Adam Douglass ~ Box-Bottle-Bag Index . Mark has also recently relieced and eBook ~ The Original Minimalists Consumed.

Angel suggested this post from The Minimalist Mom on Decision Fatigue. And in case you missed it while reading the article here is the New York Times article she referred to in her post. This was also suggested by Sanna.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter some motor vehicle related stuff. There is a wide range of stuff that accumulates relating to motor vehicles ~ accessories, oils, jerry cans, parts … and simply the stuff that accumulates in them. Last week I decluttered some motorcycle oils and brake fluid to my friend Wendy F. My husband no longer owns a bike that needs these fluids topped up, while the men in Wendy’s family service their own motorbikes.

Eco Tip For The Day

Don’t leave the TV on during the day just for company. You may laugh but I have known of plenty of cases of people doing this.

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

Comments (41)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 21June2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

I haven’t had much time to be involved in the conversations going on at 365 this week as I have been giving my undivided attention to my parents while they were visiting. So I haven’t been able to choose my favourite comments. Thank you everyone for all of your comments, they are always appreciated whether I have the time to read them or not.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

The links this week are a little random because I also haven’t had much time for reading. Two I haven’t actually read but were recommended by others so I am sure they are good. The Inside Hook link was bought to my attention by my husband who knew I would be appalled. And I did read The Change Blog post and enjoyed it although it isn’t really about clutter. However getting rid of clutter sometimes requires strength of character which is what the post is all about.

http://www.hoombah.com/knowing-when-to-pop-the-bubbly/

http://www.raptitude.com/2013/06/what-do-you-do-now/

Here is a fine example on how enterprising people can make money out of encouraging you store your clutter. How much money are you prepared to allow your clutter to cost you? Don’t be a sucker!~  http://www.insidehook.com/san-francisco/boxbee/

http://www.thechangeblog.com/changes-you-refuse-to-accept/

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item that you are sorry you ever bought but have held on to in the hope that it might finally realise its cost.

Eco Tip For The Day

Don’t throw away that old electric kettle or use harsh cleaners on it because it is all stained inside. Fill it with cold water, add a lemon wedge and bring to the boil, that stain will miraculously disappear.

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

Comments (16)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 14June2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

In this comment Melissa tells us about how just the right gift from her mother helped her declutter lots of related clutter.

And this comment also from Melissa proves that happy decluttering requires good communication.

I loved this declutter story from Megan S. Sometimes leaving things lying around can actually reduced clutter rather than add to it. Read about it here.

In this comment from Christine, she tells us about how a couple of homes away from home confirmed for her what she wants for the place she actually does call home.

CJ tells us about one small clutter vice he has and has committed to find a better way for the sake of his partner. Good luck CJ.

Ideealistin’s wise thoughts on declutter regrets.

I especially like the last sentence in this comment from Andréia.

Mel has recently discovered 365 Less Things and in this comment tells us about two methods she uses to help her reduce her belongings and why.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

YouTube Video sent by Wendy F ~  www.youtube.com ~ The Good Consumer

I always love a good blog post about cleaning without chemicals, so here is one from onegoodthingbyjillee.com ~ The-countless-uses-for-baking-soda-besides-baking.

I think we have featured this article before but given Thursday’s blog topic it is worth a second look. Thank you Wendy F for reminding me of it.

Today’s Mini Mission

Empty, sort and clean out your cutlery drawer. In the last two houses I have lived in, the cutlery drawer has been right below the bread board. As a result crumbs get into the drawer. My children also had a tendency to go to this drawer for a pair of scissors to snip off the end of food packaging and then, as kids do, leave the snipped off piece in the drawer. Also twist ties and rubber bands tend to accumulate here. Being as we no longer eat much bread and the kids have left home I no longer have most of these problems. However this drawer still needs a good clean out every now and again.

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.

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

Comments (42)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 7June2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

Here are one wise and one amusing comments left by dizzy this week.

And the Change post this week resulted in some great comments from… Melissa ~ Lucinda & Loretta

This comment is from a readers who had not commented before. Shelley welcome to 365 Less Things and thank you for sharing your story.

 

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

Here is a post for LucindaSans that tells about some decluttering inspire by Andréia, one of your fellow 365ers.

Here are two good links from Tony at We Do THis Only Once. Read them here and here

This post from The Change Blog ~ Facing Your Biggest Fears may be based on a situation much different to letting go of stuff but the principles can apply to both and many other scary situations.

Moni sent through this link to a great online resource for those readers in the USA looking for a place to donate your gently used unwanted stuff.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter excess plastic kitchen storage items. I have discovered that there is often just as many of these items waiting to be used as there are ones in use. This means to me that, for the most part, I have more than I really need or else the majority of them would be in service most of the time. I think it is time I gave a few more to my daughter.

Eco Tip For The Day

Plan ahead and get all the ingredients you need, for a recipe you are following, from the fridge at once, rather than opening and shutting it several times letting the cold air escape.

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

Comments (15)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 31May2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

Becky

Jez

Creative Me

Marianne

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

Sanna brought my attention to this web site and I think you will enjoy it ~ thesimpleyear.com ~ The-great-library-book-hunt-of-2013

I love this song by Peter Doran, brought to our attention this week by the guys at The Minimalists 

Here is a link sent to me by Wendy F. ~ www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/sunday-review/should-america-bag-the-plastic-bag. It seems the USA is ahead of Australia with this move. No states have instigated a ban the bag here.

www.time.com ~ Don’t own, share

Today’s Mini Mission

Last week I was determined to do a little more reshuffling in my craft area. As a result I decided to part with some items that hadn’t been used in quite a long while, or at all in the case of some. I figured if I haven’t found a use for them yet then I probably never will.  Do you have craft or hobby items that you haven’t used in a long time. Perhaps they just don’t appeal to you anymore so let them go.

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

Comments (31)

Friday’s Favourites ~ 24May2013

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

Lucinda shares her experience with collecting packaging in this comment.

Calico Ginger shares her take on Feng Shui, or at least positive energy, when it comes to her home in this comment.

In this comment Wendy B also gives us an example of the negative energy she once felt in her kitchen and how she solved that.

Dizzy gives us an update on how she is feeling about her stuff at this point in time.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

This link is a guest post by Tony, author of the We Do This Only Once blog which was published at the blog Great Jolly Hoombah ~ How-to-bring-others-on-board-with-change/ . It is good advice to keep in mind when trying to convert people you know to a more minimalist lifestyle.

Here is a short little post from the Minimalists which gives a quick insight as to how decluttering continues even when you think you are done. I know I’m not done yet.

I liked the idea of Task Bankruptcy in this link from David at Raptitude. We can do the equivalent with our possessions. When we realise we just aren’t going to use them we could just get rid of them. Both Wendy F and Edna recommended this article. I just hope no-one interprets it as dropping any of their decluttering tasks. 😉

“It’s a paradox that the more we let go, the more control we gain.” This quote alone makes this next post worth the read but it has a lot of other useful advice. www.houzz.com ~ 4-Obstacles-to-Decluttering—–and-How-to-Beat-Them

And last but not least here is a little post from one of your fellow 365ers Lucinda at her blog Lucinda Sans. Her post was inspired by a post by a guest post by Andréia. Well done Andréia for inspiring others in their decluttering mission.

Today’s Mini Mission

I used to own more mending items than were ever going to be used in a reasonable amount of time. As a result many elastic items perished, many reals of cotton sat unused, fabric remnants awaited their call up to patch items, and those unique spare buttons that come with new garments were stored in the sewing kit long after the garment has worn out or been passed on. Granted, back in the days when the children were young, I used to sew more but now I don’t. Now I buy just what I need when I need it, I have reduced the cottons and buttons to more generic colours and styles, and the fabric remnants have long been decluttered. If your mending kits has more stocked than need be, give it a good declutter keeping only what really will come in handy in an emergency. Any other repairs can wait.

Eco Tip For The Day

Watch less television. Find something to do for amusement that doesn’t require electricity in place of at least one session of your weekly television viewing. This of course will only work if the television gets turned off and not watched by someone else in the family. Perhaps you could instigate an old fashioned games night.

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

Comments (23)