So once again I have been into the craft supplies to find some items I am happy to relinquish. I listed them on Freecycle.org and they were claimed and should be collected on Thursday by a lady who is getting them for a friend who loves to scrapbook but lives on a low income. I so love it when my excess stuff goes to those who otherwise could not afford to enjoy them. In fact it makes it easier to let things go that I might otherwise cling on to. I hope to make a connection with this person so that in future I might be able to gift them some more of my crafting supplies. 

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

I forgot to mention yesterday why it is, after so much decluttering has been done in my home over the years, that there is still excess stuff to be removed. And here is my explanation. 

My original goal was to reduce my belongings in order to fit into a smaller home. This goal was achieved with a little wriggle room. However I would like a little more than just wriggle room so the two bedroom apartment, that I now live in with my husband, feels a little cluttered to me. So this new goal of removing one thing a day for 30 days, and possibly more, is all about minimising further.

I imagine that this will involve a few harder decisions than before as I had reduced many areas to a point that I was happy with. Therefore I will have to get even more ruthless as to what I really get good use out of and what I don’t. I say this might be harder, but in reality I am keener to free up space than I am to keep things so it probably won’t be all that challenging for me. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Now a little about todays item. This pair of multi blade scissors was purchased, not so long ago, secondhand from a thrift store. I have a policy with items purchased this way and that is…

If it is cheap and secondhand then it is an eco-friendly purchase. If it used utilised enough within a certain amount of time then it can go back to where it came from.

I had purchased these scissors for crafting purchases for $1 at the thrift shop. They didn’t perform the task adaquately that I wanted them for so now they are being donated back.

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

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

This blog post is by Moni Gilbert who is coordinating this series of posts.

As we enter the Silly Season I would like to kick off a series written by Deb J, Andréia and myself entitled “365-ing The Silly Season”.  So often women plan their holiday seasons to the nth degree with the goal of the ‘perfect’ day and while the home might look grand, the menu perfect and all the little details might be delightful, is there a tired, stressed out woman behind it all?   I would like to suggest the gift of going a little easier on yourselves.   Trust me, no one will notice the difference if you omit a few things.

I’d like to encourage you to decide what is actually important to you as far your preparations go, cull some not so important details and reduce your menu by an item or two.  I’d like folks to think about how their expectations and preparations would appear mapped out on the calendar.   If every single day in December has a huge to-do list on top of all the regular workload and commitments, add an escalated social whirl, its a recipe for stress.  Set yourself a limit of how many ‘extra’ chores you can realistically achieve in a day and stick to it.  It is realistic to have time to yourself to relax in the evening in the weeks leading up to the holidays.  Explain this new arrangement in advance to your family, they might have suggestions of what they’d be happy to forego or volunteer to do in your place.

What would you be prepared to forego this year?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that was really useful in the past but hasn’t been used in a long time. Maybe its time in done for you.

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

It has been a busy week for me and I didn’t get around to writing a second post. So rather than leave you uninspired for the week I am republishing the following post from the archives. Enjoy!

* * * * * * *

Don’t Agonise Over Getting Rid Of Clutter

I had a reader back in the early days of my blog who seemed to have trouble letting go of her clutter. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep the stuff, or found it difficult to make the choices as to what to let go however she balked at getting on with the task. To me it was obvious that her problem was that she didn’t like seeing anything go to waste.

You see she was very eco friendly, to the point where it was a mission to throw nothing in the trash. And I think this noble goal interfered with her goal to rid her home of clutter. As you all know I am not a lover of waste myself and do what I can to refuse, reuse, reduce and recycle.  In a way I am pleased to say that 99.9% of what I have decluttered has been rehoused, reused, recycled or repurposed. Pleased, because I didn’t just have a house full of trash but sorry that I had so much useful-to-someone-else stuff sitting around unused for long periods of time.

And just because some things don’t work as they should doesn’t mean they aren’t useful to someone. Below are my suggestions on how to deal with such items.

The best way I found to pass on items that have faults is to list them on freecycle or local buy-swap-&-sell or similar web sites, utilise the curb side giveaway method or word of mouth. Explain the fault/s clearly and allow people to decide for themselves if they care or even possibly have the ability to repair them. Through the avenues mentioned above I decluttered all of the following items.

1. All the parts to my malfunctioning Kenwood mixer, then gave the mixer to the last guy who came along who was keen to dabble with it to see if he could get it working or use the parts.
2. The hutch section of a buffet and hutch to a guy who did cabinet making as a hobby. He had a use for the parts and wood while I had a use for the buffet. Everyone was happy. He even asked to let me know if I ever wanted to part with the matching coffee table. I eventually did and he paid me $40 for it.
3. I advertised a lamp, which was unwired, on freecycle and a lady took it with the hope that her electrician son would rewire it for her.
4. I put a trampoline on the street with a FREE sign on it. It needed some restitching but everything else about it was great. It disappeared quickly.
5. I gave an old vacuum cleaner, whose insulation was degrading and blowing out through the air vent, to a lady who was sure she could either clean it up or use the parts.
6. I sole an iRobot vacuum cleaner for parts on ebay.

And these were just the items I could remember in a hurry.

There is usually someone out there who can find a use for things, working or not. Should it not work out for them you will be non the wiser and be happy that you did your best to find a new home for the item. And the stuff that no one wants may just have to end up in the bin. Just remember it is just stuff after all and possibly not wise purchases in the first place. Let it go and learn from the experience. You will hopefully just be a bit more discerning about what to purchase in the future.  Some, on the other hand, are well used items that might just have come to the end of their usefulness and there is certainly no shame in throwing them away.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter your handbag so it is easy to find what you need in there when you need it.

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

In a post a couple of weeks ago that asked a range of question about your clutter issues and my blog. One of the readers asked for more information on how to get rid of the clutter that has been set aside for removal. I do have a list of ideas on a page here at 365 called Recycling/Donating Guide that you can find here. However it is an unfinished page and may not yield the information you are looking for and also may not be relevant to your location. It is worth taking a look at none the less during those times when you have hit a brick wall.

As I just mentioned, access to ways to sell, donate and recycle your decluttered items is individual to your location. Sometimes you just have to get imaginative. However the more knowledge of general options you have, the easier it is to expand on that knowledge in tricky situations.

The original purpose of this post is to suggest ways to send on the items mentioned in this weeks missions. However together, in the comments, we can expand on that and bring new options to light that many readers may not have thought of before. Not only for the items of the missions but for other items. Just throw in your query or suggestions and see what comes of it.

Monday – Declutter something made from paper.

• Books ~ Donate to a library, mini local or pop up libraries or thrift shop, nursing home, hospital. Sell on-line or at a garage sale, market stall or secondhand bookshop. Give to friends.
• Magazines ~ Donate to all places mentioned for Books, also schools or doctor and dental surgeries for use in their waiting rooms. Put them in the recycling. Sell on-line or at a garage sale, market stall or secondhand bookshop. Give to friends.
• Old paperwork ~ Shred and recycle. Or if you are the crafty type you could make recycled paper from them yourself.
• Letters, diaries ~ Shred and recycle. If there are any pages you wish to reread but don’t want to keep digitise them prior to destroying them.
• Greeting cards ~ Donate to schools or craft groups for upcycling. Digitise if desired and recycle.

Tuesday – Declutter something made from wood.

• Small wooden items (trinkets, boxes, toys) Donate to a thrift shop.
• Lopped trees etc ~ Use up as firewood. Advertise as fire wood to sell or give away. Take to a local waste and recycling site where it might be chipped for garden mulch.
• Building supplies ~ Advertise to sell or give away, the internet sites like Freecycle, ebay or local buy-swap-sell sites on Facebook are good for this. Donate to a local mens shed or woodworking group/club.
• Furniture ~ Sell via the internet sites like Freecycle, ebay or local buy-swap-sell sites on Facebook etc. Sell to a secondhand dealer. Or donate to charity. Most charities will pick up so you don’t have to worry about transporting the items. If you live in an apartment building you could place an ad on the building bulletin board. I have given away small furniture items by placing them on the footpath in front of my house until someone takes them away. I never leave them out in the rain and I bring them in at night. They usually disappear before this is necessary though. You might want to check it this is legal in your area.

Wednesday – Declutter something made from fabric.

• Clothing ~ Sell through the internet (see above ideas) or local consignment clothing stores. Donate to thrift shops or local charities who send to those less fortunate overseas. Local churches often run or have insight to these charities. Hand clothing on to friends or family. If too far gone use them as rags. Anything beyond that probably just needs to go in the trash.
• Sheets, towels & blankets ~ Donate as above. Also sheets can be used as weed matting in the garden. Towels, blankets and pillows can sometimes be donated to pet shelters, veterinary surgeries, pet day care centres and the like.
• Fabric cuts and scraps for crafting. Use them up by making them into something useful. They can also be donated to thrift shops. Schools will appreciate them for arts and craft projects. Local quilting groups would, no doubt, also be happy to take them off your hands.

Thursday – Declutter something plastic.

• Kitchen ware ~ Sell, donate or give away using various methods already mentioned above. If broken many plastic items can be recycled.
• Children’s toys ~ Donate to thrift shop or other charity, day care centre, any place with a waiting room where children attend. Hand down to family or friends. Or sell using methods already mentioned.
• Pens ~ Donate to a school or perhaps even to your work place if you have way too many.
• Storage containers ~ Hopefully you might have empties a few of these by now and have vowed never to need them again. Ofter them to family or friends or donate them to a charity or thrift shop.

Friday – Declutter something made from an animal product eg. leather, bone, wool…

• Woollen clothing ~ (Sweater, socks, trousers, underwear, scarf…)
• Leather Accessories ~ (Handbags, wallet, purse, jewellery…)
• Leather Wearables ~ (Shoes, jacket, gloves, belt…)

Most, if not all, of these items can be donated to thrift shops or other charities. Or sold if in good condition to individuals or via a clothing consignment store.

Saturday – Declutter something metal. That could also be precious metal.

• Kitchen Items (Pots, Pans, cutlery…) ~ All can be sold or donated like any of the other items above.
• Scrap metal in the yard ~ Sold to metal merchant or taken to recycling facility.
• Jewellery ~ Donated or sold same as kitchen items. Passed down to another member of the family or friends. Sold to precious metal merchants as scrap (I’m not a lover of this method as you are usually paid a pittance.).

You can also accumulate your items and hold a garage sale or participate in a car boot sale. This is a quick and effective way of getting rid of a lot of stuff on one occasion. However it does mean having the stuff hang around until you have enough to make the event worth the effort and the season has to be right for some climates. Once the sale is over the leftovers can be disposed of by one of the other options mentioned. I actually do enjoy this method, although the last time I did this was in 2007. With eBay, Freecycle and other online and offline methods I managed to sell most of the items I wanted to without the problem of having somewhere to store them.

Usually a quick google search with yield information about local charities in your area, also where you might find a consignment store, scrap metal merchants or any of the outlets mentioned above. That includes searching for local events such as flea markets/car boot sales and identifying online buy swap & sell sites.

Word of mouth is also a very good way to get rid of items you either want to give away or sell. I have parted with many an item this way. Simply ask anyone you know who you think might be interested in an item. It they aren’t interested they might know someone who could be. Telling people in your workplace, family or friends are some of the most likely options for offloading stuff this way.

If you work within a large workforce instigate a “free box” in the staff room where small items can be put for giving away. Staff bulletin boards are also good for giving away or selling items.

Hopefully this has given you some good ideas on how to offload your unwanted stuff. Please make sure items are clean and in good condition when donating, selling or giving them away.

So now lets see what other wonderful idea my wonderful readers can add to this discussion.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something plastic.

“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

Consider online magazine subscription rather than wasting paper.

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

In my last post I talked about how I had been reading too much and needing to be more intentional with my reading.  This post I want to talk about being intentional about what we do so that we don’t have cluttered lives.

I am so excited about the decluttering progress we are seeing from people who comment on this blog.  While we all have places where we struggle, we are all moving forward and working to break through those struggles.  The majority of this decluttering is that of ridding ourselves of the things we accumulate over the years.  We have talked some about decluttering our lives when we talk about stopping the use of shopping to deal with stressors in our lives.  Today I want to talk a bit more about this type of decluttering. 

In a world where life seems to get busier and busier we have taken on cluttered lifestyles.  Does Junior really need to be on all those after school sports teams?  Does the little Princess need to be so caught up in dance, sports, etc?  Does Mom or Dad need to be so busy after work that they seldom come home until late in the evening?  Does your job really require working long hours or is it a way to climb the ladder and gain more money?  Do you need more money or have you become dissatisfied with what you have because of all you see and all others have?  What are you doing that you NEED to do and what are things that you do because you feel obligated or you want to pass the Joneses?  Are you really obligated or is this a case of following the crowd or using busyness to get out of dealing with life issues?  How much is enough and how much is too much? 

Reading too much isn’t the only place I need to declutter.  I have found that there are some other areas of my life that have become clutter and it’s because I have fallen into the habit of doing them not because they were needful or a real enjoyment.  They were there because I fell into them and didn’t want to spend the energy thinking about them or getting out of them.  We have already talked about the decluttering of scrapbooking that I am doing.  Another area was that of making all the cards I send.  Speaking of that, there is the habit of sending cards to so many where I not only don’t hear back from them but I have little contact in any other way, it is all one sided. 

For some people they need to declutter some of the things they do as individuals in order to do more things as a family.  Some need to come to terms with not keeping up or exceeding the Joneses in what they have or how much they make.  Maybe you need to cut back on the amount of entertaining you do so that you can be home more and get more rest.  Or maybe you need to take walks or bike rides as a family or couple rather than each go their separate way to the gym or to other forms of exercise. 

So, what is cluttering your life and what can you do about it?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that hasn’t been used in a long time. After all, if you don’t have a use for it then your home is not the right place for it.

“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 throw those old sheets, towels, blankets and pillows in the trash donate them to an animal shelter, humane society, wildlife rescue service, kennel or veterinary surgery.

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

By Nicole V

We said goodbye to an old friend yesterday. It was a hi-fi system that had served us faithfully for many years.

I was with my then-boyfriend (now husband) when he purchased it and – as it was large and really heavy – I remember us taking a cab back to his place and watching him set it up in his room. After we got married, it moved with us to 3 different homes and brought us countless hours of enjoyment and relaxation (thank you, Old Faithful!). After working tirelessly for so long, it finally gave up the ghost and my husband dismantled it and it left our home soon after – I’m blessed to have a husband who doesn’t let things sit around long enough to become clutter.

The corner where it used to stand is now bare and each time I walk in and out of our living room, my eyes are invariably drawn to the emptiness. We have no desire to fill the space with something else or to shuffle our furniture around to fill the space. I feel that when space opens up in our home, it should be left alone – as far as possible – to just be. Our home needs breathing space as much as we do and we love the calm and peace of an uncluttered home. I have been in cluttered environments before and have often felt like the figure in Edvard Munch’s painting ‘The Scream’, as all I wanted to do was to turn and run … fast.

Throughout our decluttering journey, we have felt the impact of pockets of space opening up in our home, and this has energized us and helped to keep up the momentum of weeding out the superfluous. It is amazing how a room can be refreshed, not by adding furniture or tchotchkes, but by removing unnecessary furniture and stuff, and just keeping those things that we love, need and use. The French novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupery said that “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”.

I have often wondered about human attitudes and behaviour towards space. I have come across people who simply seem unable to leave any space bare and must find something – anything – to fill it up with. It is almost as if an empty space is a blight on the landscape or an affront to the eyes. “Nature abhors a vacuum”, Aristotle said. Sometimes I wonder if human beings are the ones who abhor a vacuum more. Ah, well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

The concept of space – whether white, positive or negative – plays an important role in design, art, sculpture, music and photography. White space plays an essential role as an element of design that helps to convey the message and make it easier for that message to be processed and understood. Think of your favourite book or magazine – how enjoyable a read would it be if it had been printed with no line or paragraph spacing whatsoever?

Positive and negative space usually refer to the subject and the space that surrounds the subject in an image respectively. Negative space is important as it serves to define the boundaries of positive space and highlight it. The Dutch artist M. C. Escher is known for cleverly blurring the transformation between positive and negative space in ‘Sky and Water’ and many of his other works. But I digress. People perceive space differently – when you look at the image of ‘Rubin’s Vase’, do you see the white vase or the faces in black first? Do you see the old lady or the young lady first, when you look at the optical illusion of ‘The hag and the beauty’? And when you look at an empty corner in your home, do you see breathing space or space to be filled?

John Ruskin said that “There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it”. Music is not just about the notes – the silences or spaces between the notes also play a part in the beauty of the composition, giving meaning and adding depth to the melody. Without these pauses, all we would hear is noise. Similarly, a cluttered home can result in a cacophony of “visual noise” instead of a “visual melody”. How can treasured items stand out if there is a veritable babel of “visual noise” emanating from all the clutter in the negative space?

The following quote by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu beautifully illustrates the essence of empty space:

Thirty spokes meet in the hub, but the empty space between them is the essence of the wheel.

Pots are formed from clay, but the empty space within it is the essence of the pot.

Walls with windows and doors form the house,but the empty space within it is the essence of the home.

What part does empty space play in the essence of your home?

P/S: In case you were wondering, we have an existing hi-fi system at home that has stepped up to the plate, so the music plays on. We think Old Faithful would approve.

Today’s Mini Mission

Find something in your linen closet that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

“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

Sort every little thing into your recycling bin that you can. What hasn’t been refused, reduced or reused should be recycled for the good of the environment.

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.

Sometimes, when it comes to the stuff around our homes, we continue to own things just because we always have. To have them has literally become a habit. Fortunately any habit that has been created can also be broken.

There are two ways that you can experiment with breaking the ownership habit. The first, which we have spoken of in the past, is to have a trial separation from a selection of your stuff. Choose things that you are on the fence about decluttering, then put them away somewhere out of sight for a selected period of time. If you haven’t had the need for these objects during the trial period, or perhaps learned to improvise in order not to need them, then you are safe to send them permanently on their way, if you so choose.

The other way is more suited to less permanent objects, items that come, are used up and then usually replaced. Products like toiletries, cleaners, paper products, cooking ingredients, wrapping materials etc. You’d be surprised how many of these items inhabit your home, and how much you really don’t need many of them.

The experiment to declutter such items is to use up your current supply and choose a trial period of time during which you do not replace it. If, at the end of that period, you have happily survived without said product you just don’t ever replace it. If living without it was unpleasant then you have lost nothing and can go back to purchasing it again.

There are many of the second example above that I have decluttered over my years of slowing purging my home of unneeded stuff. Plastic wrap, cleaners, makeup items, stationery items, craft supplies, cooking ingredients, toiletries… Some I have gone without altogether while others I just keep less variety of. Either way I am wasting a lot less space storing them. And I dare say I am also having less impact on the environment.

I am still slowly eliminating more and more of these products as time goes on, and I feel better for it. I am continually discovering that there are so many things, that are of little value to me, that I can happily live without.

What items in your home have you experimented with doing without? Please share your stories with us. They are all successes whether you decided you could or couldn’t live without them, because at least you were brave enough to give it a go.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something from outside.

Eco Tip for the Day

Eliminate as many chemicals as you can from your home. There are many natural products that can perform the same tasks with a lot less impact on the environment.

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