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.

I might need it someday is a topic of decluttering that comes up a lot. And that is because it is the cause of a lot of clutter. We all have these items hanging around out house and that is fine, you may just find a use for them sometime but if reducing your clutter is your goal, and a worthy goal it is, then the fewer of these items you have the better. So lets focus on some “I might need it” clutter that maybe ins’t all that essential to the function of your home.

Monday – It is always handy to have some small hardware items on hand but unless you are a handyman, carpenter or home builder then you don’t need to kit your house out like a hardware store. Sure keep an assortment of nails, screws, nuts and bolts on hand but keep it to a minimum. Declutter excess of these items today.

Tuesday – Most peoples linen closets are chock full of “I might need it linens”. Be realistic about what is necessary and what is just variety. Declutter some of the variety that is just wasting space.

Wednesday – Declutter a couple of single use space wasters in your kitchen cupboards and drawers today. Perhaps a melon baller, a pineapple corer or and cherry pitter.

Thursday – Assess what quantities of toiletries you need on hand. Even if buying these items on sale is a passion on yours realise that they go on sale on a regular basis so you don’t need multiples on hand. Personally I keep no extras unless I am about to run out, but I am comfortable with that. Think about what your comfort zone is and whether that is a little excessive and try to change your ways. In the meantime begin a use it up challenge on one or two of these items and vow not to carry so many spares in future.

Friday – How many previously read books do you need on your bookshelves just in case you find yourself with a few hours to waste on a rainy day. Let go of a few that are less popular.

Saturday – Search you home for one item that you haven’t used in the last year. Chances are, if you haven’t used it in that length of time, you don’t really need it and probably never did. Let it go.

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

If you feel like you are carrying a few extra pounds you don’t need then slightly reduce meal sizes. This is good for your waistline, your bank balance and the environment.

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

Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

This week for our mini missions we are going to do a little aspiration decluttering. You know the things I am talking about. Those items you aspire to using one day but that day never comes. Why not be realistic and ease the pressure on yourself. Maybe by eliminating seven of those items it will free your mind to actually rekindle an old interest or take up something new you really will enjoy.

Choose something to eliminate each day from my suggestions below or come up with your own ideas.

Monday – A craft or hobby supply item.

Tuesday – A project that you started long ago but have never completed.

Wednesday – A gadget you bought to perform a function that rarely or never gets used.

Thursday – An item of clothing that you promise yourself is going to fit you again some day.

Friday – A piece of sporting equipment that, if you are really honest with yourself, you are not likely to use again.

Saturday – A recipe book that you haven’t made anything out of in years.

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.

This is another good exercise to help you find extra things you may not have thought to get rid of. So this week we are once going to remove some clutter that might be bothering someone else in some way. If you decide to take on this weeks missions be prepared for it to be confronting at times. 

Monday – Ask your partner/husband/roommate if there is something of yours in your shared living space that they wish you would declutter because they don’t like it. It is up to you whether you comply of course.

Tuesday – Remove something from your yard that a neighbour might be able to see and think looks out of place or unsightly. Ask the neighbour if you aren’t sure and are game.

Wednesday – Ask a family member if they have anything you have given them that they really don’t want but keep because it was a gift from you. Give them permission to declutter it.

Thursday – Return something that you have borrowed from someone else that you should possibly have returned some time ago.

Friday – Declutter an area where your items may have spilled over into someones else’s space. For example ~ Your clothes in your husbands side of the closet.

Saturday – Ask a family member if there is an area of clutter in your home that you might have overlooked that they think needs attention. This might possibly be an area that is OK to you but annoying for them.

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.

This week for our mini missions lets concentrate on “Just in case” clutter. There are several different clutter scenarios where “Just in case” comes in to play. I have come up with seven for this weeks missions. Let’s see if you can come up with seven matching items to declutter.

Monday – Declutter something that your are keeping “just in case” it becomes valuable some day.

Tuesday - Declutter something that you are keeping “just in case” you have grandchildren some day.

Wednesday - Declutter something that you are keeping “just in case” you eventually find a use for it.

Thursday - Declutter something that you are keeping “just in case” it fits you again some day.

Friday - Declutter something that you are keeping “just in case” the person who gave it to you notices it missing.

Saturday - Declutter something that you are keeping “just in case” you finally might get around to reading 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

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.

There are all sorts of reasons why things become clutter. Here are some missions that might get you thinking and searching your home to find something that matches the description. You may also be surprised how quickly you will find that item.

Monday – Repair something that has become clutter because it is broken or declutter it to someone who has the skills to fix it.

Tuesday – Declutter an item that you only keep because it was once useful to you. If it isn’t useful to you anymore it is just clutter.

Wednesday – Scan your home for an item that has become so much a part of the scenery that you haven’t even realised it isn’t useful to you anymore.

Thursday – Declutter something that has been sitting in a storage area for quite sometime but still isn’t being used.

Friday – Give something that has become heirloom clutter to another family member who would be happy to become the caretaker of it.

Saturday -Declutter something that you have more of than you really need for the sake of convenience rather than necessity.

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.

This week we are going to do some reluctant decluttering. That is, to declutter some things that you don’t really want or use but you keep avoiding letting go off for one reason or another. Don’t allow them to waste space in your home any longer.

Monday – Declutter an unwanted gift that you have been keeping out of obligation.

Tuesday – Declutter a spare thing-a-me-jig that you have been keeping just in case.

Wednesday – Declutter an item of clothing that no longer fits but you have kept just in case you return to that size.

Thursday – Declutter something you have kept just because you have the room for it but don’t love it or use it.

Friday – Declutter something you have set aside to sell but haven’t gotten around to it. Either sell it now or give it away.

Saturday – Declutter a portion of your hobby supplies that you haven’t utilised on a project but have owned for a long time.

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.

This weeks mini missions are all about bringing your attention to items that have a tendency to unnecessarily build up, be decluttered and build up again. I made that sound like this happens without our being responsible for it but we all know that we are. We succumb to the temptation to replace perfectly serviceable items with something new whether we need it or not. Lets see how many of these items you can find to declutter in your home. But more than that, become aware that you are doing this and consider a change in this behaviour from here on.

I am not going to mention clothing or shoes in this list because that would be the most obvious choice for this category. However give some thought to your habits in this area and consider what you might do to improve on your initial choices that might help help avert this happening in the future.

Monday – Declutter a decor item that has been stashed away out of sight. ~ Do you find yourself refreshing your decor with an endless parade of decorator items. I would suggest displaying meaningful/sentimental items rather than hiding them away in a closet somewhere. You will be less inclined to dismiss and replace them so easily.

Tuesday – Declutter any pet toys that are overabundant in your home.  ~ Do you buy a new toy to amuse you pet with on a regular basis when their old toys are still in reasonable condition. Slowly they build up and then you find yourself throwing away the oldest or less loved items whether they are worn out or not. Think of the money you could save.

Wednesday – Declutter excess bath towels and in future only replace them when they wear out ~ Judging from many of the linen closets I encounter, during visiting friends and relatives, I would say the people generally replace towels on a far too regular basis. Not because they are no longer capable of the task of drying but simply because they are considered decor items that are to be replaced when tired of.

Thursday – Declutter any kitchen utensils or gadgets that you don’t use often enough to warrant keeping. ~ Who isn’t on the lookout for something that can make our workload lighter. When it comes to the home the kitchen is a major source of this focus. The problem is that many of the gadgets on the market don’t live up to their promise to lighten that load. The utensils drawer ends up with three different styles of peelers, can openers, potato mashers etc and the shelves are packed with all manner of electric gadgets. I must say that some credit has to be given to anyone who still believes on home cooking rather than caving into buying, not always healthy, prepared meals, but be sceptical about the usefulness or such gadgets.

Friday – Declutter any stationery items that are overstocked in your home. Especially if they were purchased for their novelty factor. Cute pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, thumb tacks, paperclips etc. ~ You may think this is an odd thing to suggest but you might be surprised at how often inexpensive items such as these are purchased when they aren’t needed.

Saturday – Declutter any children’s toys that are neglected, broken or perhaps never were enjoyed.~ Children don’t need more and more toys they need to be left to use their imaginations with a smaller selection. And they aren’t a substitute for quality time spent with parents and friends. If you find it necessary to allocate a room in your home just to store toys then you most likely have too many.

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

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

One of the things I have discovered with decluttering is that house chores are not all that hard and don’t take that much time. You might laugh and say I am lying and a couple of years ago I would think that myself, but it is not so.

First of all we always have to consider, with house chores, the amount of stuff that we have to a) put away; and b) clean on shelves. That is the key. If you have 3 full wardrobes of clothing your laundry day (or days) will be nightmarish. If you pair down your clothing and that of your family there is a lot less to use, but there is also a lot less to clean.

In the kitchen I have also found that rule to be true. I used to have so many plates that our family could eat for 2/3 weeks without doing the dishes. Of course that is not hygienic nor it is advisable, but with too much of something it gets hard to keep a clean sink, for instance, because the excess in cutlery, china, glasses, cups will end up out of place and cluttering up the sink (even if they are washed) or on your table. As I have a small kitchen, any clutter screams out at me because it robs me of precious space.

As I have two small children I had struggled a lot with toys. Toys in the spare room, toys in the living room, toys everywhere. Sometimes I had the urge of just walking away from the toys… However the toy mess was my fault. The kids had no proper place to store the toys, no system. You see, even young children will learn to use a simple system. Set an easy place for them to store their stuff. A box under the bed, a shelf on the lowest part of the closet or wardrobe accessible to them and make it easy for them to take the toys out and put them away. If one system does not work, try another. Don’t fret about small stuff, get one or 2 boxes and sort by general type of toy. As long as it put away, don’t concern yourself with details (like arranging minuscule lego pieces into order – it is not going to happen!), just get it organized. Set an example and they will follow (not everyday – it is not perfect, but for the most part). My room is always tidy, my shoes are in place and I don’t have stuff strewn on the floor, so they follow my lead. 

I learned that sometimes we see good ideas on TV shows and sometimes we don’t. About 7 years ago I saw a Peter Walsh show where he suggested a box for shoes under the bed. I bought the box, but it did not work for me. I am visual and I like things easy and it was hard to remember what shoes I had and to put them away at the end of the day. Now I have an open closet, I can see all my shoes I paired them down a lot and put them away as soon as I get home.

I do a little everyday. My kids put away their toys, I don’t leave clothing lying around the house and the messiest we get here now is when I don’t do laundry for 3 days (with children laundry is everyday to keep on top of it). At its worst it takes me 3 hours to get the house in order. At its best, about 30 minutes. I am thankful that I have a housecleaner that comes once a week, but that is for bathrooms and heavier cleaning. However, if I could not have that luxury, my husband and I are pretty confident that we could take care of the house ourselves. And declutter a lot more to make it even easier.

Today’s Mini Mission

While watching something on commercial television jump up in the ad time and find something to declutter in your living room. Perhaps go grab a handful of DVDs, go through a coffee or side table drawer or perhaps you have a pile of magazines near your chair that you could sort through and find something to declutter.

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

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 our mini mission theme is all about how little time need take to declutter one thing a day. In fact you could combine all of the following missions into your daily routine and not even notice the effort or time used to achieve quite a bit of decluttering. I will share with you six short waiting periods where you can find a few minutes to achieve some decluttering.

Monday – While waiting for the kettle to boil, the coffee to brew or between cooking steps, use that time to find something to declutter in the kitchen.

Tuesday – While brushing your teeth open your peruse your toiletries and/or make-up in your bathroom and declutter something that you no longer use or is out of date.

Wednesday – While watching something on commercial television jump up in the ad time and find something to declutter in your living room. Perhaps go grab a handful of DVDs, go through a coffee or side table drawer or perhaps you have a pile of magazines near your chair that you could sort through and find something to declutter.

Thursday -Grab a file of paper that needs sorting and take care of that while watching television. You could also use this time to sort printed photos.

Friday – If you are ready ahead of time to go out for work or leisure use that spare few minutes to sort through a drawer anywhere in your house.

Saturday - When you have been sitting for a long time at home, are bored with what you are doing or a just need a break form something you have been working on for a long period, get up and have a wonder around the house and find something to declutter. I do something similar all the time. Often when I am writing my blog posts and I am stuck, I get up and find things that are out of place and put them away. This way nothing is ever out of place for long and the rambling through the house is an opportunity to stretch my legs. 

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.

This weeks missions are designed to give you a little practice at ways of getting rid of your stuff. You may already be an expert at all of them or perhaps you have tried one or two, however this week why not give them all a try. Half the fun will be digging out an appropriate items for each mission and the other half will be testing your success with the method.

Monday – Give something away to a friend, family member or work colleague.

Tuesday – Put something into the recycling bin.

Wednesday – Throw something, that is beyond useful to anyone, into the trash.

Thursday – Put something aside to donate to charity.

Friday – Put something out on the street, in your apartment foyer or in the staff room at work with a FREE sign on it. It is always fun to see how quickly this method works.

Saturday - Sell something by any method appropriate for you. On-line, to a friend, family member or work colleague, through an auction house, consignment store, local notice board, garage sale, flea market or any method possible.

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

Let your fingers do the walking. When there is something you need to shop for, phone ahead to make sure the store has what you are after rather than making a wasted trip. Every small amount of petroleum product saved is a good thing.

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