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.

Firstly, sorry for the late posting. My husband and I have our 18 month old grandson staying with us for two weeks while his parents are on vacation and time just seems to get away from me. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday all seem to roll into one. But better late than never with a set of mini missions I guess. So here they are.

The missions this week are inspired by the idea that clutter troubles your mind. There are so many ways in which this happens. The question is why hang on to stuff that causes you mental unrest. Best to just let it go and free yourself of the stress. So this week we will be searching  our homes for items that cause as metal stress and getting rid of it. There is enough stuff we must do that causes us stress so why add to it unnecessarily.

Monday – Aspiration ~ Declutter an item the represents something you feel you should get around to do that isn’t necessary. Craft supplies, mending, long ignored recreational activities…

Tuesday – Unhappy Memories ~ Declutter an item that brings you unnecessary feelings of sadness whenever you lay eyes on it.

Wednesday – Obligation ~ Declutter something you don’t want that you feel you should keep for someone else’s sake outside of your home. If they really care for you I am sure they wouldn’t want to cause you this stress.

Thursday – Work ~ Declutter unnecessary items that cause you effort to maintain. Effort such as dusting, polishing, cleaning around and under.

Friday – Obstruction ~ Declutter excess items that get in the way of more important items. This is best represented in cluttered drawers, files, closets etc that cause you wasted time locating the useful among the redundant.

Saturday – Waste ~ Start a use it up challenge on an item that is likely to spoil if it doesn’t get used up soon.

Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Random Acts of Miscellaneous Kindness

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

It has come to my attention, both through comments on my blog and through real life experience, that one of the issues people have with their clutter, once they finally decide to be rid of it, is getting it out of their homes. Clutter gets rounded up then put aside in the corner of a room or storage space and they build up and hang out there for, what seems like, forever.

One reason is a lack of time, another a lack of knowing exactly what to do with it, while a lack of transport to get it to a thrift shop can also be a deterrent. Some folks spend too much time trying to find the perfect new home for there stuff so they feel more comfortable letting it go. And trying to return some monetary gain for your, not well utilised, stuff can slow down the process of it getting it on it’s way. But whatever the reason, I can only imagine it must feel like a failure and becomes a deterrent to getting rid of any more stuff.

My advice is…

1. Find a good charity who will take most things and make a promise to yourself you will pack up your stuff and take it there as soon as you have a trunk load. If you have no vehicle ask a friend, relative or neighbour to help. Or even book a taxi every now and again. You could also use Freecycle.org, or similar, where you list your stuff for free and the taker will come to you to pick it up.
2. If you insist on selling some of your stuff don’t dither over this. List it quickly, if it doesn’t sell list it again and if there are still no takers send it off to the charity of your choice. Here are some options for selling ~ eBay or similar or check out Facebook for a Buy, Swap and Sell page for your local area. You can also have a garage sale or flea market stall.
3. Don’t be too precious about where the stuff goes. There may be waste no matter what method you use. Better that it go out into circulation, and come what may, than it gathering dust in a corner of your home where it is no use to anyone. Just promise yourself you will be less inclined to acquire in future so you don’t have to agonise about letting things go.

In summary, plan a strategy for removal of your stuff and carry it out quickly. The sooner you send it on its way the better you will feel and the more likely you will be to carry on the process.

At an assembly, at my granddaughters school today, the principle said ~ “A little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing…”. In the case of clutter, knowing what to get rid of is that little bit of knowledge, not also knowing what to do with it is where the danger sets in…

“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 weeks lets do some mini missions that will help keep your house tidy. Decluttering that eliminates a few things that make cleaning house more difficult than it need be.

Monday – Declutter an item from the kitchen countertop. Kitchens can be messy places and the less stuff you have on your countertops the less things are going to get messed up, and the easier it is to clean the countertops themselves. This mission may require decluttering something from in the cupboards to make room for the more useful stuff you usually keep on the counter top. Remember to store these useful items in easy reach.

Tuesday – Declutter a dust collecting knickknack. If you are like me, a sufferer from dust allergies, then you should know that the less stuff there is collecting dust the less dusting you will need to do which will result in less allergy attacks.

Wednesday – Declutter something from under a piece of furniture. Stuff on floors make them difficult to vacuum, sweep and/or mop.

Thursday – Declutter any unnecessary stuff cluttering around your bath or shower. Even though these are wet areas they can also get dusty. Also mildew/mould can build up under items that water pools under.

Friday – Declutter excess furniture or stuff on your veranda, balcony or patio. Wind blows in leaves and dust which is harder to clear away when stuff needs moving to get at it.

Saturday – Declutter excess decorative cushions from your bed. Making beds can be a pain at the best of times, but having to pile off and on those cushions all the time make it that much more of a pain. And lets face it, the rest of the time they are collecting dust and if you suffer from nasal allergies then you will know that the less things collection dust the better it is from keeping a clear nose.

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.

Sorry folks, the days got away from me and I missed that fact that yesterday was Monday.

The idea behind this set of mini mission and all the great examples was brought to you by Peggy. Great and original idea Peggy, thank you. As you can guess by the title your mission this week is to declutter containers of all sorts. Bonus points for declutter the stuff in the container as well.

Monday – Declutter excess travel containers ~ Suitcases, overnight bags, toiletries bags etc.

Tuesday – Declutter excess Food containers ~ Mugs, coolers, thermos, Tupperware and the like, drinking glasses, bowls etc.

Wednesday – Declutter excess empty containers ~ Hat Boxes, shoe boxes, appliance boxes, plastic bags,  large storage containers you are aspiring never to fill again, etc.

Thursday – Declutter excess disposable containers ~ Plastic bags, takeaway containers, envelopes, paper bags, old shopping bags, empty jars, those little medicine bottles you think you might have a use for someday etc.

Friday – Declutter miscellaneous storage containers ~ Eyeglass cases, trinket boxes, jewellery boxes, vases,

Saturday – Declutter portable containers ~ Totes, handbags, purses etc

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

Firstly I would just like to apologise for my recent extended absence from the blog this month. Unfortunately my mother took ill and I rushed off interstate to visit her in hospital and to take care of my dad while she couldn’t. After she returned home from hospital it took a while for her to sufficiently recover enough for me to feel comfortable about leaving for home.

Add that to the three week vacation immediately after Christmas and I have spent only about two weeks in my own home so far this year. With an eight week trip to New Zealand planned for not too far in the future I suppose I won’t be spending much of the entire first half of this year in my apartment.

Aside from the part about my mother being sick I am sure many of you are thinking… “Lucky you, being able to travel and see the world.”. And I would have to agree with you, however what is also wonderful about this is that having decluttered and downsized to a smaller home with lots of built in security it is so easy to just walk away knowing that what I do own is secure and need not worry about it while I am away.

And there is another point to this story. Middle age is the time to begin setting yourself up for your twilight years, because you just never know… . The better set up you are for all circumstances and realities the easier the transition will be. The reality is, that a lot of stuff and a lot of space is much harder to take care of as you become less nimble and energetic. Transitions are much harder to make when the task seems insurmountable, causing upset and frustration.

This doesn’t mean you need to significantly change your lifestyle, just progressively tweak it so that it never gets too much for you. You will not only be doing yourself a favour but you make it easier for everyone around you. My husband and I have already reduced our belongings, downsized our dwelling, made a list of our assets and set our wills and power of Attorney in order. I am sure our children will thank us for it. And our minds are at rest knowing that everything is in order.

So on those days when you look around you and see how much unnecessary stuff you have, don’t just ignore it and hope it goes away. Think of your twilight years and your loved ones and do something about it.

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.

It is evident, in any home I spend more than a little time in, that there are a number of spaces that get the most cluttered. They seem to be the same ones no matter whose home it is. And there overloaded spaces become inefficient due to having to shuffle things around to get to what one needs. So this week we will try to free up some space in six such places.

Monday – Declutter a few clothing items from a wardrobe.

Tuesday - Declutter a few items from a kitchen cupboard.

Wednesday - Declutter a few books from a bookcase.

Thursday - Declutter a few items from your linen closet.

Friday - Declutter a batch of paperwork from your files.

Saturday - Declutter a few items from a storage area that are unlikely ever to be used again.

Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.

Good luck and happy decluttering

I made a mistake in my sudoku while having my morning cup of tea and needed my correction pen. One thing led to another resulting in a tidy bedside table and kitchen bench among other small achievements. Here is what transpired…

• I went to the bedroom to get the correction pen from my bedside table.
• There I found I’d left the floss last night, so I put it away.
• On the bedside table there was also last night’s completed torn out page from my sudoku magazine. There was also a used tissue, and a white gel pen. So I took all four items to the kitchen where I put the trash in the bin the gel pen where it belonged among my craft supplies and set the correction pen aside as I had now discovered more items out of place.
• We had just finished breakfast and the dishes were on the kitchen bench along with the items I used to make breakfast with. These I stacked into the dishwasher.
• Then the bench needed wiping. At this point I decided the cloth was getting a little manky and that I would take it to the laundry. I came back, got a clean cloth and wiped down the bench.
• In the sink were the egg shells and discarded teabags, which I put in the bin.
• While executing those last two tasks I got to thinking about what I would be doing that day. This thinking also cascaded to the fact that it would be my sister’s birthday next Sunday which coincided with me visiting and I would see her. This reminded me of the tiny blue glass cat I had picked up for her at a thrift shop a while back, which I could now deliver in person. So off I went to the bedroom again to put the cat out where I wouldn’t forget to take it next weekend.

You may all be thinking ~ “Wow! Sounds like Colleen is much less of a tidy freak that we have been led to believe.”. And you would be right. My house is generally very presentable but like most humans I can tend to get slack at times and not clear up everything around me as I go. However I never let it get too out of hand as I do very much like living in an tidy environment.

You may also be thinking ~ “What has this to do with decluttering?”. And the answer to that is, that it is also possible to declutter quite effectively with this method, or even  during the process of Cascade Cleaning. As you go from room to room keep and eye out for items you no longer use or want. You may have noticed that I decluttered the used up page from my sudoku magazine. I also put out that item for my sister which has been lingering for a while in my drawer for the right time or method to get it to her. And since I delight in every item being decluttered, no matter how insignificant, doing so makes the task of tidying actually enjoyable rather than a chore.

Of course all this led to me quickly writing the blog post so as yet it I haven’t even erased the mistake in my sudoku and finished the puzzle I had started. So, if you don’t mind, I will say goodbye for now and go and enjoy that little task.

But before I go I had better include a couple of items I have decluttered during the week. The beanie served its purpose at -10 in Berlin but looks awful on me and probably will never be needed again, so out it goes. And the merino wool undershirt also keeps me warm but I am itchy the whole time so out it goes too. I have no interest in swapping one uncomfortable feeling for another. They will be off to the thrift shop very soon.

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.

The theme for this weeks mini missions is what the items are used for. That should make it nice broad categories for you to find clutter among. So lets get on with it.

Monday – Declutter something for wearing.

Tuesday – Declutter something for cooking.

Wednesday – Declutter something for adorning the home with.

Thursday – Declutter something for adorning yourself with. Jewellery and the like.

Friday – Declutter something used to maintain things. Tools, cleaners and other utilitarian objects.

Saturday – Declutter something meant to entertain you. Books, CDs DVDs, magazines etc

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

Hi folks, well all good things must come to and end and my vacation is one of those things. We had a lovely time in Japan but it is always nice to be home again. And now it is back to the decluttering.

We arrived in Japan not long after Christmas and departed in mid January, and what a crazy time it is over there at that time of year. There are lots of New Year celebrations that, among other traditions, seem to involve the purchasing and, I assume, consumption of sweets. I have witnessed the shopping frenzy that goes on in Australia and the USA at this time of year but nothing compares to what I witnessed in Japan. And especially, it seems, at theme parks such as Disneyland. Seriously you can hardly move in the souvenir shops at opening and closing of these parks, and sweets seem to be the main purchasing goal. Given that the word compact would probably describe the majority of homes in Japan, giving consumable gifts would seem a very sensible option. Although I am a little confused as to why there a so few overweight people to be seen, considering the vast quantities and variety of sweet purchases. Clearly the shopping frenzy is not equal to any sort of eating frenzy and these gift must surely be shared among many. However there was still plenty of non consumable souvenir purchasing going on and I am just glad I feel no need to indulge in it.

And on the subject of gifts, I am pleased to say that my family were true to my wishes and did not over endow me with them. Our daughter is going to take us to dinner the next time she is in town and our son and his family gave me mostly items that will be used up (candles, chocolate, wine) and another very small non consumable gift in the way of a key organiser, that is not only minimal in size but practical too.

As a result of my lack of desire for stuff and a little decluttering along the way, I am happy to say that I have made it through the holiday season and a vacation with no more possessions than when I started.  Maybe even fewer.

And today’s decluttering item, which will be going out to a relative, will result in two less skeins of yarn in my meagre yarn stash and has given me something to fill my downtime with (including waiting in cues at theme parks and during train rides and flights) while on my vacation. They are a strange combination of yarn but that is because I didn’t have enough of either to make an entire pair of socks so I simply combined the two. When they are covered with a shoe no one need ever know there is a hidden secret in the way of a splash of red.

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

Wishing all my lovely readers all the very best for the holiday season. 

It is such a busy time of year to be spent with friends and or family and also a good time to take a break from work and other commitments. That being said, as of today I will be taking a one month break from the blog to prepare for my Christmas celebrations and then I am off on a three week vacation. I will be back in the new year, around the end of January, until then I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season and return with great enthusiasm to declutter in 2017.

Cheers from Colleen

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