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 so many reasons why we keep stuff we don’t need, use or particularly enjoy. This weeks mini missions are devised to help you identify some items in your home that have stayed beyond their welcome. I will give you six reasons why things may have remained for so long and it is your task to see if you can identify items to match that reason. Good luck!

Monday – Get rid of an item you have kept just-in-case you might need or finally find a use for it someday.

Tuesday – Choose an item that you don’t want in your home that isn’t yours and then ask the owner if they are willing to declutter it. Perhaps they don’t care about it either.

Wednesday – Identify and declutter an item that has remained in your home out of habit. Something that has so far escaped your notice just because it has been around for so long and has literally just become a piece of the furniture.

Thursday – There are certain items that nearly everyone owns, if you don’t have a use for such an item, why keep it. Declutter it now. In Australia most homes have a BBQ, a laundry basket and trolley, a deep fryer and a second television, we weren’t using ours so we saw no point in keeping them.

Friday – This one is mentioned often here at 365 Less Things. Declutter something you keep out of obligation. Most people have more than one of these ~ unwanted gifts, family heirlooms, stuff their kids left behind etc. . I figure if I keep harping on about it you will eventually, perhaps slowly as you become more comfortable with the idea, let them all go.

Saturday – Let go of a sentimental item that belongs in a category that you have numerous of. Yours or your kids old school papers, souvenirs, greeting cards, items that once belonged to someone who has past, etc. . One is enough to keep the memories alive.

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

Challenge yourself to put every piece of recyclable material in the recycling bin no matter how small.. It is easy to be blasé about small pieces of paper or plastic but so long as they can be recycled they are best kept out of landfill.

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.

Sometimes my mini mission get a bit bigger than little. Sometimes they sound easier in print than they are in reality. So this week I am going to keep them simple to understand and simple to carry out. No thinking and not much effort involved.

Monday – Declutter a drawer anywhere in your house.

Tuesday – Declutter a small section of a cupboard anywhere in your home.

Wednesday – Declutter one thing that you know hasn’t been used in a very long time that really isn’t necessary.

Thursday – Declutter a clothing or footwear item.

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

Saturday – Declutter one of a category that you know you have too many off. Kitchen items, toiletries, books, magazines, handbags, DVDs or CDs, fashion accessories, jewellery pieces…

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 make coffee or tea after a meal boil a little extra water to soak the baked on food from the bottoms of pans. This saves having to run the hot water until it is warm enough for soaking. Adding a little bicarb soda will also make clean up easier.

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 inspiration behind this week’s mini missions is stuff in my house that I would still like to declutter. Why haven’t I done it yet you may ask. Well I will explain that below, along side the appropriate mission. As I write this I only have a few items in mind to declutter, so part of the inspiration is to force me to take a good look around to find enough items to complete this post. Perhaps I had better resume my work on our inventory, as I am sure I will find plenty of inspiration, being up that close and personal with my stuff.

Monday – Declutter something that you keep just because someone made it for you. I have a knitted knee rug that my mother made for me, but I can’t use it because it makes me itch and sneeze. I asked the kids if they wanted it but they didn’t so I suppose the next option is to donate it.

Tuesday – Declutter some wall art. I have a set of eight canvases with photos attached from trips we have made to Europe. We have more than enough wall art so I offered these to my daughter last week and she said she would take them. She is coming to dinner tonight so now is as good a time as any to take them down off the wall and give them to her.

Wednesday – Declutter a dust collector that someone gave you. I have a little elephant pie funnel that was given to me by a very dear friend who has now passed away. I remember her often enough without needing to keep this item as a reminder. Also I have seen this exact item sell for in excess of $100 on eBay and wouldn’t mind a piece of that action. 😉

Thursday – Declutter something that came free with something else but you have never used it. My son’s current motorbike came with a touring bag which he has never used nor expressed any desire to use. My daughters partner however has a need for one of these, so it seems logical and practical to pass it on to him since he will get good use out of it.

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

Saturday – Declutter a sentimental item. I made a cross-stitch sampler for my daughter when she was a baby. It is still in the cylinder that I stored it in while I was making it. I have never framed it so, aside from when I was making it, it has never seen the light of day. I asked my daughter if she wanted it but she didn’t. I considered just throwing it in the garbage but that didn’t sit well with me. I will donate it to the thrift shop and see if anyone cares to buy 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

Eco Tip for the Day

Drink tap water in preference to carbonated beverages. It doesn’t take a genius to work out how much better that is for the environment. Your waistline and your teeth will thank you for it as well.

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 weeks mini missions are all about the act of actually getting your clutter off the premises. Choosing something to declutter is one thing but the mission is not complete until you actually take the final step to get it out of there. There are several ways to  go about that ~ sell it, return it, transform it, donate it, recycle it or trash it. So here are your missions for the week.

Monday – List something for sale that you have been putting off for whatever reason.

Tuesday – Return something, whether that be to another person or to a store.

Wednesday – Repair something that has been sitting useless so it can become useful again.

Thursday – Choose a few items to declutter prior to tomorrows mission.

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

Saturday – Declutter some items, that are no longer useful to anyone, by putting them immediately into the trash or the recycling bin.

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

Give consumable gifts. Preferably one from sustainable sources.

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 the mini missions have an eco friendly twist to them. A combination of events lead to this weeks missions ~ 1.) Reading Karen Kingston’s Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, 2.) Doing an inventory of the contents of my kitchen cupboards, 3.) Filing my toe nails and 4.) Making an apple pie. So this week’s missions centre around assessing the electric items (whether mains or battery) in our homes that may, or may not, be the time savers we expected they would be, or even simplify the tasks they are intended for. I am not suggesting all these things are useless, I own several that I am unlikely to part with. I have also parted with several in the past the proved not so useful to me. Just for fun I will highlight in bold the items I once but no longer own and tell you what I do own in each category.

Monday – Declutter electric grooming items that aren’t that useful to you. Suggestions ~ Manicure tools, hair removal tools, lighted make-up mirror, foot soaking bath, electric toothbrush, teeth water pick, face scrubbing brushes, hair straightener, curling wand or crimper, blow dryer, heated curlers etc.. In my home there currently is, an hair trimmer that may be on its way out, a make-up mirror as mentioned here but with the cord cut off because I never did like the lamp, a hair straightener which I do use, a blow dryer which I rarely use, and my husband has an electric razor that he uses daily.

Tuesday -Declutter electric cleaning tools that haven’t proved all that effective, are an indulgence or are simply unnecessary. Suggestions ~ Steam mop, jewellery cleaner, home scrubbing tool, steam cleaner, floor buffer, leaf blower, high pressure water cleaner, dust buster, robot vacuum cleaner etc. . I currently own only the usual items, a washing machine, one vacuum cleaner, a dryer and a dishwasher. Aside from the robot vacuum cleaner that I did love and the dustbuster, both of which I now happily manage without, I did not find any of the other gadgets highlighted all that useful and some not effective at all. I did try a steam cleaner to determine how effective it was but found it wanting.

Wednesday - Declutter electric kitchen tools that aren’t that useful to you. Suggestions ~ Grater, food processor, blender, mixer, juicer, coffee machine, coffee grinder, can opener, pepper grinder, bread machine, ice-cream maker, donut cooker, popcorn machine, panini press… this list could go on forever. After going through my kitchen last week I have found that I have the usual suspects ~ toaster and kettle ~ plus I also have a hand blender with one accessory, a coffee grinder and a panini press. All these items are used regularly enough to be safe from decluttering for now. 

Thursday - Declutter electric garage or craft tools that aren’t useful enough to warrant keeping. I won’t make a list of these as they are so many and varied. 

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

Saturday - Declutter exercise equipment, that has an electronic component, that isn’t being used. Treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine, heart rate monitors, pedometers… What do I have in the way of exercise equipment now? The footpath, a pair of walking shoes and forgetfulness combined with an internal staircase. :lol: 

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

Do everything you can to evaluate seemingly useful powered gadgets before buying them. Sometimes they are better at wasting electricity than they are at living up to the hype of their marketing.

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.

I wouldn’t say I am amazed that I keep finding things to declutter but it pleases me that I continue to be more choosy about what I keep. As a result I keep going over the same areas again and again. My mini missions reflect my current decluttering efforts from all over the house.

Monday – Declutter a desk drawer or, if you still have one, a junk drawer. I don’t have either but I do have a spice chest with twelve drawers in which I keep everything from pens to light globes. Last week I decluttered more pens, a pencil, a business card folder & the cards within, a pair of swimming goggles with no strap, a pair of shoe laces that we have no shoes for and some clips from these drawers. The chest has seven empty drawers now, which begs the question ~ Do I need to keep the chest? .

Tuesday – Reassess and possibly declutter a little more stuff from a storage space in your home. I have been working on my garage again, which is my launching place for everything that leaves my home. This time around I have been focused on clearing it of items that belong to my son, who has left home. We achieved a lot in that area this week which I will tell you more about in a post tomorrow.

Wednesday – Declutter something plastic in your home. Last week I gave to my daughter two measuring jugs and a large Tupperware container which I no longer use. She was happy to take them and I was happy to be rid of them. I have also emptied and set aside a three tiered set of plastic drawers which she specifically asked if I had any of that I wanted to declutter. I rearranged a few things under my kitchen sink to free up one and she will pick it up this week.

Thursday – Declutter some eWaste. I have a compact fluorescent light globe, some used batteries ~ including some AAs, a D, a motorcycle battery and one from a laptop computer ~ and a DVD player that no longer works. I looked up my local government web site to find where to drop all these items off. They have very detailed information as to where all sorts of waste can be recycled that should not go to landfill. I will be taking care of that this week.

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

Saturday – Give your medicine cabinet another once over. Declutter any out of date medications. Last week I managed to declutter of few non-prescription medications that were in danger of going out of date, by passing them on to someone who was in immediate need of them. Keep this idea in mind if ever you get into a conversation with friends or relatives that are feeling a little under the weather in one way or another.

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

Don’t buy things, with a used by date, in large quantities just because they are cheaper per unit, unless you are likely to use them up or can share the excess with someone else.

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.

You may have to put your thinking caps on for this weeks missions. However I am sure you will come up with something. Good luck and happy decluttering.

Monday – Declutter something you have had stored away for that someday that never seems to come.

Tuesday – Declutter something that you have too many spares of.

Wednesday – Declutter something in an area that is overcrowded to the point of causing disfunction.

Thursday – Declutter something you have been procrastinating about getting rid of for a while.

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

Saturday – Declutter bargain or something you get free that really you never had much of a use for.

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

Donate or sell under utilised items in your home in the hope that it will prevent someone else, who might have a use for them, from having to buy new.

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.

I have begun reading Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui – by Karen Kingston. I borrowed it from the library, of course. One thing she suggests you do to clear the stale energy from your home is clear away physical grime. It is only too easy to be oblivious to this grime even being there because, for the most part, our home look clean but it does lurk unnoticed nevertheless. Or worse still, we know it is there but ignore it. Therefore this weeks mini missions will revolve around cleaning some of those hidden, sometimes in plain view, places while noticing how clutter can contribute to that grime.

Monday – Dust your skirting boards either throughout the whole house or just in the most cluttered room. One thing I have noticed, while cleaning skirting boards, is the number of obstructions that get in the way of the task. Furniture would be the biggest culprit, but many other little bits and pieces can also get in the way. For example, in my walk-in wardrobe there are some things stored on the floor which obstruct my efforts in this area of cleaning. If you encounter a lot of these obstructions during this mission, consider whether you have way too many of them and if you can or are willing to do something about it.

Tuesday – Clean behind a piece of furniture that is against a wall. This job will, at the least, include making enough space in the room to be able to pull the item away from the wall so you can clean behind it. At worse, if the item contains breakable items or it has items resting on it you may have to remove them first. For the sake of this exercise, as clutter is the special subject here at 365, choose an item that does require emptying. It will make you think twice about whether you need or want to have to go to this much trouble every time you clean behind it. Keep in mind that in order to keep your home properly clean this task should happen at least quarter yearly.

Wednesday – Clean the outside of, and behind your fridge. If you have stuff on your fridge this will all have to come off first in order to do the job properly. If you have an old fashioned fridge with the element visible you should also gently vacuum this element. Once again this task ought to be executed about every three months and the less there is to move each time the easier the job will be.

Thursday – Empty and dust the most cluttered shelf in your home. This might be in a bookcase, a display cabinet, a shelf in your kitchen or even in your linen closet. Either way, doing this job will bring your attention to just how many items are on there, and may just inspire you to get rid of a few.

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

Saturday – Dust around the frames of all of the wall art or photo frames you have hanging on the walls in your home. I do this at least every two weeks. A slightly damp microfibre cloth is the best tool I have found to do this job, as it will not only hold any dust it encounters but will also give the glass a nice polish. Glass on the walls can tend to get grimy over time if not wiped regularly.

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

Don’t throw perfectly good items in the trash just because it’s easier than taking it to the thrift store. Collect them up over time and do one big drop off or list them on Freecycle.org if you want to save yourself the bother of delivering them.

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. Here are this weeks missions.

Monday – Declutter some computer related items. Old floppy discs you no longer have a drive for, outdated or unused CD-ROMs, unused components or even just old digital files you no longer need… .

Tuesday – Declutter some garden related items. Tools you don’t use, empty plant pots, bits of wood or wire that are rotting or rusted, seeds you are never going to plant… .

Wednesday – Declutter some money related items. Old money boxes, wallets, bill clips, change purses, coin sorters, coin wrappers or bags… . You could also drop foreign coins off to the bank for donation to charity or gather up all the coins that you have accumulated and cash it in at the bank by either depositing it into your account or getting bills in exchange.

Thursday –  Declutter small hardware items that have accumulated. Excess screws, nails, drywall plugs, used sandpaper, multiple allen keys, washers… .

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

Saturday – Are there things in your laundry cupboards that need decluttering? Cleaners you no longer use, grubby rags, perished rubber gloves… ~ if so give this area a little decluttering.

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

Check that your fridge is not set too cold. You only have to keep things cold not icy. This will save power and cold hard cash.

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.

Yes I am still finding things to declutter, usually odd bits here and there, but then when did I ever declutter any other way. Perhaps my examples of clutter clearing might inspire you to let go of something similar. So this week’s mini missions will reflect what I have been getting rid of over the last week or two.

Monday – We have slowly been getting rid of old photo prints.  Photos that aren’t so good, duplicates, ones that don’t lend any insight to the history of our lives ~ such as zoo animals ~ and excess shots from the same event. As a result and with a little shuffling I have been about to empty and throw away two old photo albums.

Your Mission: If you have any old photos like I mentioned above, perhaps it is time to do a little culling of photos and condensing them into fewer albums.

Tuesday – I have also been doing a little bit of paper decluttering. I went through a couple of files that belong to our son. Old school stuff and health records. With his help we condensed down the old school papers to just what he felt it necessary to keep and let go of the rest. Then I went through the paperwork file from his accident claims and decluttered what I felt wasn’t important to his medical history or for future reference.

Your Mission: This week declutter paperwork that is no longer relevant to your current circumstances ~ old tax papers, irrelevant manuals and warranties, settled insurance claims…

Wednesday – We also have a little eWaste set aside to be dropped off at the appropriate site. Our old DVD player bit the dust and has been wasting space in the entertainment unit for a few months.

Your Mission: Do you have any electronic equipment that no longer works or you just don’t use anymore. Perhaps it is time to sell it off or dispose of it appropriately.

Thursday – There has been a cookie jar that belonged to my son sitting on the top of my kitchen cupboards for years. When he left I asked if he wanted it and the answer was no. Last week I asked his sister if she wanted it and I got the same response. So this week it is off to the thrift store.

Your Mission: Do you have any things hanging around your home that your kids no longer want. Seek out one or two and send them on their way.

Friday – Last week I was determined to do a little more reshuffling in my craft area. As a result I decided to part with some items that hadn’t been used in quite a long while, or at all in the case of some. I figured if I haven’t found a use for them yet then I probably never will.

Your Mission: Do you have craft or hobby items that you haven’t used in a long time. Perhaps they just don’t appeal to you anymore so let them go.

Saturday – This mission isn’t so much about items in particular but about being determined to reduce the contents of a certain area in order to bring everything of a certain category into the same space. In my case I was determined to get rid of enough items from my craft area in order to bring my ten or so craft books out of the linen closet and into the craft storage furniture.

Your Mission: If you have certain items that belong together but are scattered do to overabundance, identify this category of items and begin to reduce them so they can all be stored in the same space.

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

Resist the urge to replace perfectly good items just because you would like something new. Wear out or use up the old ones first.

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