So many people know that their homes are over cluttered, they can feel the oppression of it, but they just can’t bring themselves to deal with what seems like such a monumental task. Just last week I was having a phone conversation with my mother-in-law about this. She often reports to me what she has been decluttering lately but she still looks at the stuff around her and the items she has mounting up in the garage to sell or donate and thinks “It is such a big task still ahead!”. I told her the same thing I tell my readers “It isn’t you know, it is just one thing a day.”

She was proudly telling me how she had decluttered one hundred doll magazines that week ~ she collects, makes and dresses dolls. She decided that she just wasn’t looking through them any more and they were just collecting dust. She was clever enough to offer them to a friend that is also a doll collector to either keep for herself or donate them to the doll club. How easy was that, here one day gone the next. I pointed out to her that a little more clever thinking like that ~ to find outlets for her clutter ~ and she will see improvements in no time. Just remember how good it felt to get rid of those magazines and capitalise on that feeling.

Later that same day I read a blog post by The Minimalist about cultivating a passion to follow. It got me thinking that decluttering very quickly became a passion for me, not a chore, when I came up with the idea of doing it the easy way, one thing at a time. I have never looked back, in fact on that day and every day since I have actually enjoyed the challenge.

I get a buzz every time I choose that one thing to declutter each day and again when I send it on its way. It isn’t about being excited to one day finally reach the finish line, it’s about enjoying every step I take along the way.

I am finding it hard to put this into words but the gist of what I am saying is to celebrate every little achievement, every item, everyday. The payoff can be everyday not just at the end ~ everyday! It is like getting an excited tingle whenever you think about an upcoming enjoyable event rather than whining about the event being so far off. Like being happy to put money in the bank to save for a trip rather than just focusing on the treats you might be missing out on in order to do this. Like relishing the changes and sensations in your body as a baby grows inside you rather than just wishing that the pregnancy was over and you could just be enjoying your new baby.

Although I love it when I can see that I have made a difference most days I can’t. One small thing in a drawer doesn’t change the look of things much. However, I know that there is one less thing cluttering up my home and that is enough for me to get that warm fuzzy feeling of achievement.

What better encouragement is there than to see what is potentially a chore as a treat. If you can savour every moment then the finish line will just be the end of a wonderful journey.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something made from wood.

Today’s Declutter Item

I was using one of these pot stands on a regular basis while the other sat dormant in a drawer. In another drawer was a metal trivet that I use once a year when I make our Christmas pudding. These couldn’t replace the need for the trivet but the trivet could replace the need for these. So out they go. The trivet is now in daily use and there is more space in my drawer. Once again I was very pleased with myself with this mission accomplished. That was my little buzz for the day.

Two wooden and tile pot stands

Eco Tip for the Day

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

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Have you ever heard the expression ~ Can’t see the forest for the trees. Here is an explanation of this expression according to About.com…

Definition: overly concerned with detail; not understanding the whole situation

Explanation: Used when expressing that a person is focusing too much on specific problems and is missing the point.

When it comes to clutter though this expression manifests in reverse. That is, people can’t see the trees for the forest. Or explained simply in clutter terms ~ Can’t distinguish the individual items of clutter from the sheer bulk of their possessions. Or more to the point they are paralysed by the magnitude of the task of decluttering and can’t see that all they have to do is pick out one item here and one item there until they can begin to see the progress they are making.

This paralysis if mostly caused by one, more or all of the following restraints…

Emotional Attachment ~ When things have been acquired over a lifetime, either personally or given by a loved one, emotional attachments are often forged. Once all these items have amassed it is easy to think we are attached equally to it all of them and not realise that among the bulk (the forest) there are things (individual trees) that are of less importance to us than others. We therefore can’t bring ourselves to “rape” the forest when in fact all we are doing to thinning out the excess trees to allow the light to illuminate the remaining ones so they can thrive and the forest is better and healthier for it. Or in terms of possessions ~ remove the less loved stuff to allow you to see and enjoy the items you really love and have a tidier, cleaner, happier and therefore healthier environment to live in.

Worth ~ We often squander our money accumulating items that we ultimately don’t get the true value out of. As a result we tend to find them difficult to declutter without feeling we need to redeem some of that wasted cash. This is all very well and good if you get on and do something about it. But more often than not this is a real stumbling blocks for people when it comes to decluttering. They look at the sheer bulk of the task of selling these items and it adds a “too hard” factor to the equation and avoidance is the result. We also kid ourselves that all the items  in our possession are of value because we might need them someday or they might increase in value given more time.

The question to ask yourself is what is the value of your peace of mind. How much are you willing to pay for the serenity of having the task behind you and just being rid of the stuff. Wouldn’t it be better to donate it all or sell it off cheaply and quickly and get on with your life.

If you are willing to make the effort once again ignore the forest (bulk of the stuff) and start weeding out the scrawny trees (the items of less value). Donate them to charity and sell the rest. Or If you are able why not have a yard/garage sale where you can sell off the lesser stuff cheaply and only accept good offers for the better stuff. Should the better stuff not sell find another avenue for selling where you will redeem a better price. Auctions, ebay, CraigsList, advertise in the newspaper etc. This is a compromise that will earn you some extra cash but actually make progress on reducing the clutter.

Laziness ~ So often I hear the excuse of ~ “I really need to declutter but I am just too busy.” ~ only to later discover that the person proclaiming this is an avid reader, movie or television watcher, crafter or the like that spends hours consumed by their pastime and not so much their duties. This is all very well and good, everybody needs something to unwind by or enjoy doing but leisure time is just that leisure time should not be an all consuming monopoliser of your time or an avoidance tactic.

Once again the thought of all that decluttering (the forest) is unappealing so we retreat into our other pastimes whether deliberately or unconsciously. We delude ourselves that we are spending our time productively when really we are just avoiding the task and fooling ourselves that we are being productive.  Just ten minutes a day to put aside one item (the trees) is all it takes to get the job under way. That isn’t a lot of time to subtract from the other activities you enjoy doing. Use those activities as a reward once the task is done rather than a retreat.

So the moral of this story is to not focus on the entirety of the task at hand. Just find that one thing a day starting with the easy things first and before you know it you will able to appreciate the joys of living with less.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a lazy clutter item ~ Something you have no real attachment to, you just haven’t got around to getting rid of it.

Today’s Declutter Item

Here is one of the things in my home whose removal was delayed due to wanting to redeem some of the money wasted on it. The time span between deciding to declutter it and actually selling it on ebay really didn’t bother me. I am simply satisfied that I did redeem some of my lost cash. The difference between this situation and the one I described above is that once I decided it was to go I put it aside to sell. The decision was made and the process begun and during the time between owning and selling it I am still busy decluttering other things.

Sizzix Cutting Die Organiser

Eco tip for the day

Hang your clothes to dry when possible rather than wasting power using a tumble dryer. A clothes line isn’t required, I mostly hang my wet washing on an airer either inside or out depending on the weather.

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

Cindy

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

May 30th marked the end of my second year of decluttering and the end of the second year of reporting daily on Facebook what I have decluttered. (Possibly I’ve missed a few days, but not many.) In the past 731 days (Leap Year), I have decluttered 3690 items and made $2471.20 plus $1000 barter for repair work on my van in exchange for our car, which we did not replace. Yes, that’s a heck of a lot of stuff, but let’s remember that the average house today is almost twice as big as it was in the 1950s, while families are closer to half the size. The concept of the long-term storage unit barely existed in the 1970s. “Shopping” is many people’s favorite past time and their favorite vice. I had (and still have) plenty of things I can get rid of, and you do too.

For your viewing pleasure and my embarrassment, I have selected a few before and after pictures for you to look at, laugh at, and be inspired by. You’ll probably recall me saying, more than once, that we have extensively remodeled our house in the past 10 years (and, yes, it pretty much took the whole ten years). The house was so ugly and so cluttered when we first bought it and when the children were young that I never took photos of the house itself. You’ll have to look around the girls to see to the YUCK! behind it. The second photo in each set is a photo I’ve taken today, so you can see the vast changes.

During remodeling and a good reminder that a magnet-filled refrigerator is not a things of beauty.

A clean refrigerator is a beautiful refrigerator.

Look at all the stuff on the counters and floors. Wow!!

7' of kitchen island and not a bit of junk in sight

Dan and baby Clara and a whole lot of clutter.

Dan's desk. No cute little girl but no junk either.

I found this photo after I wrote the post, but it's too clutter-y to leave out. No "after" photo, though.

Today’s Mini Mission

Are you in the habit of still owning enough of some items to cater for that larger family than you once were before the kids left home. Time to declutter a few. Some suggestions ~ towels, sheets, blankets.

Today’s Declutter Item

I didn’t have any sheets, towels or blankets to get rid of but I did find a bunch of container lids that I no longer have the containers for. I find this a little strange because when I donate items I make sure all their parts are together. I can only assume that some of the containers broke and I forget to get rid of the lids. If I remember correctly a few of them belonged to ceramic and enamel dishes that I did donate to the thrift store. I must have forgot they had lids because I never used them, they didn’t need them in order to be useful anyway so who cares.

Plastic container lids

Something to be grateful for today

I cleaned the oven today, not my favourite job. The fairies didn’t do it for me and yes it was hard work but I am just grateful it is out of the way and I won’t have to deal with in again for a month or two or three depending how long I can ignore it for. 😆

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Like the title says ~ A picture paints a thousand words ~ so I will keep the text brief on this post and let the photos tell the story. This series of photos show the transformation of my craft space. It has been years in the making but I think I am finally at the point where I am happy to just let natural progression decluttering take over from here. That is, things will now leave as I use them up and not be replaced. So without further adieu please enjoy the photos.

These photos show, more or less, the original state of my craft area

These photos show my craft area after some amount of decluttering

These photos show some decluttering in action. I usually don't make this kind of mess while decluttering but the area needed some serious reshuffling so that is what is happening here.

And this is the end result of years of progressive decluttering. What do you think of that?

And here is a side by side comparison of the before and after of the same space. Even I am stunned at the difference and I have lived through the changes.

Today’s Mini Mission

Do you have too many accessories ~ Belts, bags, scarves, hats, hair adornments…? If so now is the time to weed out a few.

Today’s Declutter Item

Today I am decluttering a bunch of scarves. Quite often one doesn’t know how items will suit until they are worn for a while. These scarves, some made by my loving, caring mother, made me itch and/or sneeze or moulted all over my jackets so they are off to the thrift shop. I will know better next time.

A bunch of scarves

Something I Am Grateful For Today

 Hot cups of tea on cold days. Actually I love hot cups on tea any day but especially on cold ones.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

Offices seem to be the center of the vortex of flotsam in a house, particularly paperwork. If you work outside the home, your office probably still has files that were set up by the previous holder of your job – files you haven’t looked at the entire time you’ve had the job. My desk and filing cabinet had “current” files that were five years old and notes that said “to file” on documents dating back to when the law firm was started.

Why do we do this? Do the phrases “paper trail” or “for our records” ring any bells with you?

Try to think how far back you really need to keep things. Ask the company auditor or attorney, if you have one and need guidance. In my office, the habit had been to scan everything and keep a hard copy. Why? One or the other, please. In addition, there are scans of documents without the attorney’s signature and a scan of the same document after the attorney has signed it. Just because it’s electronic, doesn’t mean it’s not clutter. If that document is needed again, sorting through two copies of everything (signed and unsigned) is not going to make finding it faster. When the final copy is scanned, the previous copies should be deleted.

I know some people want to keep all the scans to “show their work.” Again – think this through. Is it really necessary? Is it necessary for the first month and then no longer necessary? Necessary until you have your annual review and then no longer necessary? Make a note about when certain items can be eliminated. Cleaning up your work after yourself is a legitimate use of time. After all, if everyone saved everything, eventually your office would need a bigger server or additional file cabinet just to managed all that clutter.

In addition, sometimes keeping records can work against you instead of with you. I was once hired to purge a large business of all of its employment records that were more than 10 years old. Their legal department had decided that 10 years was how much was needed; however, some of the records were 20 years old. An former employee had sued, and because the records were there, in the cabinet, they were admissible in court. If the records had been destroyed in a timely fashion, the lawsuit could not have gone forward. It took me a month to pick through all those records!

There is the same temptation to keep everything in the home office. I shredded 13 pounds of documents that Dan had kept, including many years of pay stubs, utility bills for a house he hasn’t owned in 15 years, and credit card statements. Why did he keep these? “In case he needed them some day.” “For what?” I ask.

What’s needed is a regular system of purging. Maybe you do need to keep some records for a time. But, eventually, that time will pass. By then, it’s “out of sight, out of mind,” also known as clutter. How can you keep your paper trail from trailing back to the 1970s? Start at the front of the files and start purging, one folder at a time. It might be slow work, but one folder at a time, it will get done. I’m sure you’ll find entire files devoted to things unnecessary: a vehicle you no longer own, a project you decided not to start, a pet who has died. Next you’re going to need to revisit the files on an annual or semi-annual basis. Or, every time you put in a new piece of paper, you can take the last one out and discard it.

The second part of the process, of course, is to resist the temptation to file all these extra papers in the first place. Your credit card and utility statements are on-line, as are many of your investments and other business transactions. Maybe you don’t need a hard copy of these at all. Don’t keep records that you simple don’t need. There can be such a temptation to hold on “just in case.”

Think before you file, and you’ll only have to declutter once.

Today’s Mini Mission

Spy and declutter something electric.

Today’s Declutter Item

I didn’t have anything electric to declutter (surprisingly enough) so I instead I thought I would throw something in that is quite different. Years back (in our USA days) we accumulated a collection of naked back art pieces and since our bedroom is now less the half the size it used to be some have to go. These didn’t make the cut so they went off to the thrift store.

Original Art Works

Something to be grateful for today

A day without a long to-do list. Just tidying up a few loose ends and making some yummy onion soup.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Wendy B, one of our 365ers, suggested I ask my readers the following question…

…”What made you decide ‘Enough! It’s time to get rid of this stuff!?”

So here is my story although most of you must know it well by now. My family and I moved back to Australia from the USA into a much smaller home in 2007. Our stuff wouldn’t fit so I eliminated the things that I couldn’t find a space for or didn’t want to keep.  I thought I would be dissatisfied with this much smaller home but I soon realised it was much easier to care for and decided I never wanted to clean a big home again. By this time the house didn’t look cluttered but all the storage spaces certainly were. Then after discussing retirement options with my husband many times we came to the conclusion that we would downsize homes again when or  maybe even before that occasion arose. Needless to say that in order for that to work we would have to eliminate more stuff from our lives. So due to a sudden brainwave on the third of January 2010 I decided that I would begin a belated new years resolution to declutter one thing a day from my home for an entire year. This challenge was spurred on by a desire to beat the odds that most people never see their resolutions through. Not only did I beat the odds and declutter a thing a day for that year but after two years, four months and fifteen days I have decluttered far more than I ever expected I would. But then I have never been one to do anything half heartedly.

So now the question is…”What made you decide ‘Enough! It’s time to get rid of this stuff!?” Share your stories with us in 200 words or less including what strategy you used to kick start your mission.

And I have another question for those who are struggling with committing themselves to the challenge to declutter…

“Why is it then that you still can’t seem to get started?”

I encounter this problem from time to time where people really are tired of the clutter but their fear of dealing with it overrides their ability to do anything about it. The problem usually is that they can’t see past the enormity of the task. But the reality is that the task is only as big a one thing. One thing today, one things tomorrow, one thing the next day… Just five minutes choosing something to set aside to find a new home for. It is easier to begin with decluttering things you will be happy to donate to the thrift store or things that are rubbish and need throwing away. These two categories are easy to get rid of quickly. The rubbish things can go straight in the bin and the thrift store items can be set aside until you have a load worth going out of your way to drop off. Some charities even pick up so use that option to make it even easer if available.

If anyone is reading this who is having troubles getting started please feel free to send me a message using my contact form or leave a comment and I will be happy to try to give you advice on where and how to begin. Just always remember one thing a day may not sound like much but it is more than nothing each day. Keep it simple and keep it going and before you know it you will start to see the progress both in your home and in your mind. Then momentum will keep you moving forward.

Today’s Mini Mission

Quickly spy and declutter something small.

Today’s Declutter Item

This cute little teapot was a gift from a friend two Christmases ago but it has a habit of dribbling the tea down its spouts and onto the counter every time I use it. I don’t have the patience for things that don’t work properly so it has to go.

Tiny Teapot

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I got a hug from my 20 year old son for mothers day. That is a rare and precious thing. The photo below is more in keeping with his usual ways of showing affection towards me.

Yes that is artist charcoal he has wiped all over my face. Little rat! And as you might be able to tell from my wet hair, I had just got out of the shower.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom – A Review of the Basics

Cindy

Why 365 Less Things?

Let’s get the grammatical question out of the way first and promptly. Yes, we know it’s supposed to be 365 Fewer Things, but it’s not. That’s all there is to it. (Can you believe that Colleen regularly gets comments from readers telling her she’s named the blog wrong? Do they think they’re the first to notice? Declutter this worry from your mind: You’re not the first.)

Now on to the meat of the matter: Why does 365 Less Things exist, and how can it help you?

I truly don’t know the origins of the 365 Thing A Day challenge. I saw it the first time on Unclutterer in a comment that Colleen had written. (Thanks to my friend Janet K. who referred me to Unclutterer, without which my life certainly would have been different over the past two years.)

The idea was simple: Declutter by getting rid of one thing each day.

I thought, “I can do that,” and I’m still doing it almost two years later. My house was a disaster of surface clutter (clean cabinets and drawers, messy counters and floors). Once I started, I couldn’t stop! On average I’ve decluttered three things a day, and it seems like I could go on for another two years.

Decluttering just one thing a day is such a small challenge. It’s so easy to find just one thing. You can take a random approach, open a cabinet or cupboard, and grab one thing, or you can be much more methodical and start in one location, systematically working your way through the house, garage, attic or basement, shed, yard, your neighbor’s side yard (oh wait – you better stop!)

Decluttering one thing a day allows you time to decide the best way to dispose of an item: sell, give away, recycle, trash.

Decluttering one thing a day allows you time to think hard about sentimental clutter and items that you think you “should” keep but don’t want to.

Decluttering one thing a day allows you time to realize the error of your ways in acquiring goods –  whether you shop too much, garage sale too frequently, or never pass up a treasure when it’s bulky trash day in your neighborhood – and slowly amend those ways so you don’t re-clutter at the same rate (or faster!) than you de-clutter.

Decluttering a thing a day is like the saying, “A  journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.”

What one item will you be decluttering today?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter those shoes that you rarely wear that are too uncomfortable, you just don’t like or don’t fit your current lifestyle.

Today’s Declutter Item

So here are my declutter items for today. The shoes that I rarely of don’t use. One pair are too uncomfortable, one pair don’t suit my current lifestyle and the other pair I haven’t worn in so long I don’t even remember what they went with. Either way they are out of here.

Shoes I don't use

Something to be grateful for today

The beautiful sunny day that we have experienced here today. I took the opportunity to take a walk in the sunshine. I saved some gas too by walking to the post office and the dry cleaners. Win win!

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Read this comment from Sue D as it was the catalyst for today’s post.

I find it interesting that linen is Sue D’s nemesis when it comes to decluttering yet I am not surprised. The thing with items such as linen is that eventually you are going to need some of them and that makes them hard to part with. Although I have decluttered my linen storage spaces on more than one occasion over the last two years, and am satisfied with its current state, there are still more things in there than are really necessary.

I have…

• 5 sets of queen bed sheets for two queen beds in the house. Three sets should be enough considering one bed is the guest bed that doesn’t even have sheets on most of the time. One set is still in the package I bought them in. I won’t be decluttering any of these for now.
• 6 sets of bath towels (12 total) with matching hand towels for only two adults and the occasional guests. I stocked up when living in America because they were so much cheaper to buy there. But really towels last a very long time and 4 sets would be more than enough.
• 4 beach towels. I have to admit these are rarely ever all required at once. Even though we have beautiful beaches here in Newcastle I am not a sun worshiper and usually only go to the beach for the view not for swimming or playing in the sand. Liam uses the these towels occasionally though.
• There are a couple of ratty old towels as well for spills or messy jobs I wouldn’t like to use my good towels for.
• 1 spare queen duvet cover. Not necessary as both queen beds have a cover and the spare is a dark aubergine colour which makes our now smaller bedroom feel even smaller and dark. And managing without a cover isn’t a problem should one not make it off the clothes line  in time.
• 2 sets of double bed sheet for my son’s bed. This is fine. But I just realised there are also two extra double bed fitted sheets so they can go.
• Another 8 towels in the downstairs bathroom. These were purchased when I  had a teenage girl at home so 8 really wasn’t too many then. They don’t take up much space so I will declutter these as they become shabby and or send some of them off with my son if/when he leaves home. There are also 4 hand towels and 6 face washers.
• 1 table cloth which has only rarely ever been used and on reflection is a bit silly keeping it because it is a huge oblong and we now have a small round table. Perhaps I could cut it down to fit. I don’t even like table clothes really so why bother. We don’t stand on ceremony when it comes to dining, in our house it is all very casual and that’s the way I like it. So I think the thrift shop will be receiving a nice maroon table cloth this week.
• There are a few spare pillow slips but some of them can go as the spares from the extra sheet sets will suffice should we suddenly end up with lots of guests. And even that is unlikely.
• In the camphor wood chest there is a spare queen and a spare single duvet (doona) also in case we get extra guests. Those guest would have to be young people who don’t care where they sleep because we only have the three beds.

You will be able to see from the photos below that although the list above seems long and more than adequate the items themselves don’t take up all that much space. Granted one set of queen bed sheets are on the spare bed while my daughter is staying and she is using two towels out of the cupboard under the bathroom basin. But even if those items are put back the space taken up is still minimal. So I  think that most of the stuff will be staying except the items I pointed out which are now out of the closet and photographed as my declutter item for the day.

Up Stairs Linen Closet

The Down Stairs Linen Supplies

To some it up, when it comes to linen one needs to carry spares but there is not need to have excess beyond the spares. Does it make sense to declutter perfectly good items that will one day become necessary due to natural progression? That depends on whether you are prepared to house them and for how long. Some up your space situation, your tastes and preferences and the actual necessity for items that are rarely used and make your decisions based on that information.

Even as I end this post I am thinking do I care if I end up at the beach one day with a bath towel and the answer is no. So I suppose two of those beach towels could probably go after all.

Today’s Declutter Item

The linen that didn't make the cut. 1 Duvet cover, 1 large table cloth, 2 double bed fitted sheets and 2 pillow slips.

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I had fun with the kids. B and I hired a bike each while Liam used his and we rode down the Fernleigh Track to Whitebridge and back again.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

My daughter is home for a ten day visit and according to plan I have her decluttering the stuff she left behind when she went off to university four years ago.  She is being very cooperative and I am grateful for that. Knowing me as she does she was fully expecting to have to comply with some decluttering tasks before she even arrived.

I haven’t bombarded her with stuff, just every now and again I will pull out some things and hold up for her to adjudicate on. A quick “keep” or “no” is all it takes. She has done well so far eliminating quite a few items, making it possible for what is left of be contained within the boxes I have set aside for her. Before she arrived the stuff was overflowing into other corners of my house. Hopefully before she leaves we might be able eliminate a box or two.

Each time she visits she eliminates more stuff. Quite often stuff that she chose to keep the last time she was here. One thing I have noticed during this exercise is that you can tell she is a traveller. Her only concern about the things she had to choose from was where they came from. For example the Elvis number plate she didn’t care about unless we got it when we were visited Memphis. The Mark McGwire baseball had the same effect, “Where did we get that?” was her only concern. When I told her a garage sale she was happy to let it go. So all I need to say when she’s not sure whether she cares so much about somethings is that we bought it at a garage sale. 😆 She forgets how cunning I am.

But seriously there are two things I take out of this. One is that when sentiment is tied to things people find them harder to part with. And two, communication is key when it comes to decluttering. I have found that nagging and insisting will not work when you want cohabiters in your home to declutter. Being silent and just putting up with the status quo will only serve to make you feel bitter and dissatisfied. You need to let those around you know what you would like to happen and that it is important to you and then allow them to comply at their own pace.

My daughter is aware of my needs when it comes to decluttering and she complies to whatever point she is prepared to.  There is no pressure forced onto her to give up things she isn’t prepared to part with. I make it as easy as possible for her and that makes it more likely to happen. I know she is not in a position to take all her stuff away right now and she probably wants to reduce it to a reasonable amount before that time does arrive. We are both happy and that is what matters.

Today’s Declutter Item

Here is my daughters decluttering effort so far and she had only been here 24 hours. I have to admit she, her brother and I did have a bit of fun playing Crocodile Dentist before we put it in the thrift shop box.

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Having fun with my kids.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

After 25 months of decluttering it is hard to believe that there are still some things that I have too many off. It’s OK though because we are still happily working away at the excess one day at a time. I will however share with you below a list of some of those items. I will also explain the excess and why they are still here even though I am aware of them.

• Bath towels ~ I have weeded out the tatty ones and donated the extreme excess but the remaining ones will be subject to natural progression decluttering. That is, I will not replace them once they wear out. Sometimes it is just insane to declutter items that are perfectly good and useful to you that will cost money to replace sometime not too far into the future.
• Keepsakes ~ Periodically both my husband and I sort through these and weed out a few more items. This is an area I don’t like to be too hasty with. I consult the children and my husband about the items I am decluttering because this is a communal collection of our history. Happily there is a lot less of it now than there was when we started our declutter journey. And there will be even less by the time we reach our final decluttered destination.
• Souvenirs ~ For the most part these aren’t mine so it goes to my husband to do most of the decluttering in this area. Slowly but surely he is letting go of more and more of it. That makes me a very happy lady because I am the one who dusts the items that are out on display. My son has his own collection but like hubby he also has the odd impromptu cull.
• Kitchen items ~ This area of my home has been continually picked over throughout the last 25 months. As a result there is far less than there was when we began. Much of what is excess is only there because we use a dishwasher which, depending on the daily menu, can swallow up several of an particular item before it is full and warrants turning on. There are some items that I will give to my son when he leaves home and if he doesn’t need them they will be donated to charity.
• Socks ~ I started out with quite a large collection of socks. Last year I paid close attention to what I was using during the cooler months. Once it became clear which ones weren’t being used I rounded them up and donated them to the thrift store. A few other pairs succumbed to natural progression decluttering which is pretty much what is planned for the remainder.
• Clothing ~ This is an interesting area for me because over the last two years my circumstances have changed due to quitting my job. I am now home most of the time and don’t see that situation changing any time soon. Therefore last year I donated several of my work outfits as I noticed that there is always a good supply of replacements at the thrift store should I choose to reverse my current employment status. Several everyday outfits have, like my socks, became shabby and old and were thrown out but some of those required replacing. There are still a number of items that are also about to reach the point of becoming rags and will soon depart my wardrobe and won’t be replaced. I am however not content with my fashion choices but am undecided about what to do about that so I will continue to deploy the backward facing hanger tactic each change of season until I discover what the solution is.
• Craft supplies ~ Anyone who has read my blog posts for a while knows how overstocked I was with this category before my 365 less things challenge began. Well I have a whole lot less now than there was at the beginning due to selling and donating much of it. But there is however still I lot more than I would like and I am not using it up quick enough. This area will be subject to continuous decluttering for some time yet. I am happy to let go of more as I feel ready.
• Jewellery ~ Although I have been through my jewellery box may times and have let go of several items I know that there are still things in there that I am quite ready to part with. The only thing holding me back is that I feel inclined to try to sell them and just can’t be bothered with that rigmarole right now. They take up so little space that I feel no urgency to deal with them. Perhaps soon.
• Furniture ~ There are a couple of furniture items taking a vacation from the house in the garage at the moment. They have been in constant use over the years but now I think with the reduction of other items they are no longer required. I will make a final decision on them soon. The most likely outcome is that I will send them on their way.

So no matter whether it is by natural progression or through some effort by me the plan is to continue to reduce. Meanwhile there seems to still be plenty of other odds and ends heading out the door. Do you still have something that you feel you have too many of and what do you plan to do about it?

Today’s Declutter Item

Speaking of craft supplies here are some more that have been used up to make this years birthday cards for the women in my life. Already several have headed out the door to their respective recipients as the first couple of months of the year are busy with birthdays in our family.

More craft supplies converted to this years birthday cards

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Mango and macadamia ice-cream. A flavour combination made in heaven I believe. Cool, refreshing and crunchy all rolls into one. M Mmmmmm!

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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