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 love to throw in a good old clutter category set of  missions every now an again to get you thinking about what sort of clutter you have. So this week we will declutter something from each of the clutter categories I refer to on a regular basis and one or two less used categories I have referred to in the past. Declutter at least one item per category.

Monday – A Sentimental item. This is self explanatory really it is an item you feel personally attached to or at least once did.

Tuesday – A Guilt item. Something you feel guilty about acquiring in the first place.

Wednesday – An Aspirational item. Something you aspire to getting around to using or trying one day.

Thursday – An Obligation item ~ Something you only keep because you feel you should. Often something someone else gave you.

Friday – A Lazy clutter item ~ No attachment you just haven’t got around to getting rid of it.

Saturday – An Natural Progression item ~ Something that no longer fits, physically or intelectually or has simply been used up or worn out.

Sunday – A Location Inappropriate item ~ That is something the no longer suits your lifestyle since a location change. Perhaps snow gear if you have moved to warmer climes.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

I have held on to this embroidery thread because I have used it off and on at different times over the years. In an effort to continue to condense my craft clutter this is one of the things that didn’t make the cut this time. In the unlikely event that I will take up cross stitch again I will just have to buy new thread. In the meantime this lot is no longer going to waste.  I am sure it will sell quickly at the thrift store.

Aspiration Clutter

Something I Am Grateful For Today

A good friend of mine was going through a very worrying time this weekend. The crisis is over now thank God. Now they can begin to strive for the best possible long term outcome. Wish them luck.

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.

Today we are going to do some decluttering in hidden places that sometimes get ignored or worse, added to and neglected. So for each of the places I mention below I would like you to declutter one item. Should you choose to do more good for you.

Monday – Your handbag

Tuesday – A keepsake box

Wednesday – The linen closet

Thursday – The glove compartment of your car

Friday – The third drawer down. Any room will do, there is usually one that is a catch all.

Saturday – Your gym bag or if you don’t exercise the bottom of your closet. You are bound to get some exercise down there.

Sunday – The attic or basement if you have one, if not, the garage will suffice.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

I designed these redwork patterns for a friend’s quilt shop but since I don’t quilt there is no need for me to keep a copy of them. That’s one less thing cluttering up my craft area.

Redwork Patterns

Something I Am Grateful For Today

My boy will be home tonight after a week away. I missing his verbal sparring but not so much his rib poking and his sticky fingers on my reading glasses. The little rat! I mean that in the nicest possible way of course. 😉

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 we are going to declutter things we thought we loved. Well let’s face it all clutter could fall into that category. In this case though I am talking about things we acquired because we thought they were great or kept for sentimental reasons but have since become emotionally detached from.

Monday – There is usually at least one make-up item among the others that we once thought suited our peculiar kind of beauty but now wonder where we got that idea. If you have such an item but haven’t had the sense to throw it away yet, today is the day.

Tuesday – How many handbags do you have and how many of them do you actually use. Declutter one that that you haven’t used in a long time because you don’t love it like you once did.

Wednesday – Declutter one of those once favourite outfits that you never wear any more. Chances are it is now way out of fashion.

Thursday – Check your keepsake box for something you kept but now wonder why. Declutter anything that you feel this way about.

Friday - What is on your walls? Is there something hanging there simply out of habit that you don’t really want or even particularly like? Now is the time to declutter it.

Saturday - Have a look in your display cabinet there is bound to be something lingering in there that you long ago lost interest in. Time to send it to the thrift shop.

Sunday - Look in your jewellery box – Are you really going to wear all of those earrings again or that ring your old boyfriend gave you? Time to cull a few things in there don’t you think?

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

What is the use of keeping items that just don’t work any more. In the case of these circlip pliers none what-so-ever. I used them for stretching sliver jump rings for making jewellery chains but they broke soon after buying. Needless to say I was not impressed. I hate shoddy products.

Broken beyond repair

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I am grateful for what was a restful Christmas and now it is time to get back into some serious decluttering. The craft supplies are first on the list. I have some ebaying to do.

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.

Thanks to a suggestion in a comment from Lena, this week we are going to tackle a little drawer decluttering. Drawers are all over the house so I am sure we can locate at least one a day to declutter. So if you don’t have the drawer I mention or have recently decluttered it improvise by finding an alternate one. Now lets get started.

Monday – Coffee table drawers are a magnet for all sorts of things such as stray game pieces, magazines, notebooks the odd bottle of nail polish etc. Time to return all the things that belong else where and tidy up the things that do belong there. If you don’t have a coffee table choose another drawer in your living room that serves the same purpose.

Tuesday – Drawers in bathrooms often become jumbled with all sorts of grooming products and things left behind. Use ten minutes today to tidy a drawer such a this.

Wednesday – There are usually several drawers in the kitchen  that could do with a good declutter. Today we will concentrate on the cutlery drawer. Just last week I emptied out mine. I scrubbed all the cutlery that have gotten marked over time from constant washing in the dishwasher, tipped out all the bread crumbs and stuff that has a tendency to accumulate there (don’t ask me how), gave it a good wipe out and put it all back together again.

Thursday – Drawers in your bedroom need periodical thinning. Nickers, sock and jocks ( That’s underpants, socks and boxers/briefs to those who don’t speak my brand of English) start getting tatty after multiple uses and the shabby ones need weeding out. Todays is a good day for that.

Friday – Ah desk drawers, now they can really get crammed full of messy useful stuff and they can also accumulate a lot of rubbish. Give the worst of those a good clean out today. There may not be all that much to dispose of but at least now it will be easy to find what you need when you need it.

Saturday – Back to the kitchen today. Choose another drawer, perhaps one containing tupperware lids or utensils or maybe even that third drawer down that I believe is usually full of miscellaneous stuff. Empty out the contents, clean it out and only put back the stuff you actually use.

Sunday – If you still have a junk drawer or another third drawer down somewhere in the house why not take care if it today. If you have followed my previous posts about this drawer and no longer have one then you can take the day off.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

Here is a pile of clutter from a drawer in the work bench in our garage. Heaven only knows how long they have been stored there unused. I took them to the thrift store and the next time I returned they were gone so I hope they made someone very happy. It does prove that the thrift store sells all sorts of stuff.

Clutter from a garage drawer

Something I Am Grateful For Today

We have had a nice relaxed yet productive weekend. We have put three terrariums together using glass containers from around the house that weren’t being used often for anything else. We tried out a new café in our neighbourhood ~Fernleigh Cafe~ that we found out uses and supplies local, organic dairy products and free-range eggs which we will be purchasing off them in the future. Hubby and I also had some good discussions on what else we could be doing environmentally wise.

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 lets do a little kiddy declutter in preparation for the Christmas influx. There will be all sorts of items coming in over the holiday period no matter how much we try to keep it under control. Those people who tell us the rest of the year how much we spoil our kids will be the ones who no doubt cause most of this influx. It is best if we are prepared. Don’t forget to involve your child in this process. It is good for them to learn to declutter and send on unwanted items to other children who may be less fortunate than them. 

Monday – Go through the children’s bookcase and see if there are any books that they no longer read because they are way out of their age range.

Tuesday – Kids aren’t immune to the gift of undies and socks so go through their underwear drawer and see if there are any holey or outgrown underwear or socks in there.

Wednesday – Of course the toy box ought to be the first place to declutter right before Christmas. Donate those items that are outgrown and dispose of the broken ones appropriately.

Thursday – Like books DVD’s can become obsolete due to kids ageing. Time to go through your children’s DVD collection and declutter the ones no longer watched.

Friday – Video games are another category whose popularity wanes as children grow older. Declutter those that are no longer played by your kids.

Saturday – For girls, taste for items such as hair adornments and jewellery also change as they get older. Declutter any on these items that you notice are no longer popular with your daughters.

Sunday – Perhaps your kids have some clothing items that you know will be replaced over the holiday period. Declutter the soiled or too small items now.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

My little boy was so cute in this outfit but lets face it do I really need to keep it forever. What am I saving it for anyway. you guessed it, it has gone to the thrift store.

Baby sentimental clutter

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Much as I love the gratitide item it sometimes makes it difficult to schedule posts ahead of time. Quite often I almost forget to add it at the end of the day and have to fire up my computer at 10pm to finish it off. So I am considering only adding it as it suits me to do so when I am done writing the body of the post. What do you, my readers, feel about this.

Today I am grateful that my house looks quite presentable even though I didn’t have my weekly cleanup due to not feeling well last week. That is the beauty of a decluttered home, just a little whip through will generally be enough when time is short or other things hinder you from your normal routine.

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.

My guest bedroom~ ready for guests at a moments notice.

With the holiday season upon us I think I will continue to focus our mini missions around having the house ready to receive visitors/guests. So we will concentrate on the areas they will be most likely to see and use.

Monday – Take a good look around your living room. The room where you sit back and relax in the evening. Does it inspire rest or does it cause feeling of claustrophobia. Declutter excess items that make the room feel cramped or require more dusting than you prefer.

Tuesday – Start a use it up declutter challenge on excess items is the bathroom that guests will use. Make sure there is enough space in there for guest to store their toiletries.

Wednesday – Declutter chipped crockery and glassware from the kitchen. Do you really want guests using those or even seeing them for that matter.

Thursday – If you have a large enough garage for visitors to park their car, now is the time to make sure the spare parking space is not cluttered with junk.

Friday – Is there enough space for guests to hang some items in the guest room closet. If not it is time for a clean out.

Saturday – Are your kitchen benches clear of clutter. With more people to cater for and serve up to you will need the space.

Sunday – Is your dining table clear of clutter and is there enough room to move around it freely. If not now is the time to prepare this area for your guests.

Once you get all these areas clear of clutter and ready for your guests to enjoy and for you to enjoy your guests, take a moment to think about how good that feels. Now make plans to keep it that way.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

Although my living room is always ready to receive guest at a moments notice, there are still more things in there than I prefer to dust. Most of them aren’t my things so I don’t have a whole lot of control over that. However it doesn’t hurt to ask periodically whether family members still what to keep certain things. I asked my son about the items pictured below (except the dog, it is was mine) and he didn’t feel the need to keep them any longer. They are all souvenirs of our trips to Europe. We have now learned our lesson about collecting souvenirs. I am happy to send them off to the thrift store and even happier not to have to dust them anymore.

Dust Collectors

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I would like to mentioned today how grateful I am for all the wonderful readers who contribute to my blog through comments. It makes decluttering all the more rewarding when we share the experience together. Last week Judy mentioned that she liked the Christmas “tree” branch I linked to in my Favourite Five and that she was going to adopt this idea herself this year. Judy was kind enough to send me a photo of her branch to share with you and here it is…

Well done Judy, I am loving this minimalist look. I think I will be making a new tradition of the Branch Christmas Tree.

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 at 365 Less Things we are launching a preemptive strike on the Christmas/holiday season. Time to do some pre-holiday decluttering and organising so when you break out those decorations, the guests arrive and the presents are opened, there is enough room to accommodate them. The more organised you are now the smoother the days will run when you are truly in the thick of it.

Monday – Minimise the clutter in the areas that your Christmas/holiday decoration will be adorning. It will save you effort when the time comes to deck the halls.

Tuesday -Study my uncluttered gift giving guides here and here to help you find uncluttering gift for your loved ones and to make suggestion of uncluttering gifts for yourself should anyone ask.

Wednesday -Have the, perhaps dreaded, conversation with the grandparents about giving gifts of experiences to your children so your home isn’t overrun with toys.

Thursday -Declutter the kids toy area to make room for the inevitable influx of new fun things. Regardless of how much you manage to contain the influx you will still need room. Kid will be kids and it is there job to have fun.

Friday - If, like me, you are decluttering your craft supplies now is the time to make your holiday/Christmas cards if you haven’t done so already.

Saturday – Start getting the guest room ready. Declutter any excess stuff in there to make it comfortable for those coming to stay. Make arrangement to borrow extra bedding if necessary for any overflow.

Sunday – Start having a “use it up” declutter of the freezer. Eat through all those double ups and half eaten packages so that there is plenty of space for the holiday food.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

I got a jump start on the holiday season months ago and have been saving this photo to share with you at the appropriate time. I think that time is today. This accounts for about half of the decorations I had, not including the tree. More reductions to follow.

I

Decorations decluttered earlier on in the year.

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Hubby and I had a nice long walk on Sunday afternoon. The weather was beautiful, the sun was beating down but the breeze was cooling. I love watching the ocean and checking out all the lovely building up above the beach. 

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.

Since you all enjoyed the seven REs last week I thought I might follow it up with seven BEs this week. 

Monday – Be realistic ~ Declutter an item of clothing today that no longer fits, is probably never coming back into fashion or really never suited you.

Tuesday – Be courageous ~ Declutter and item that someone else gave you that you are only keeping out of fear they may notice it gone.

Wednesday – Be generous ~ Donate something today that you are considering selling. It is quicker to donate anyway.

Thursday – Be impulsive ~ Declutter an item today that you have never really considered for decluttering before. Go on there is bound to be something you haven’t noticed that really is excess to your needs.

Friday – Be decisive ~ Find an object you have been procrastinating over decluttering for some time and get it out of there.

Saturday – Be brave ~ Declutter an item that you are keeping because “you may need it some day”. Take a chance that someday will never come, lets face it, it hasn’t come for years already.

Sunday – Be inquisitive ~ Take a look in a place that you having paid any attention to for a while and declutter one of the items in there that you obviously care so little about.

And one more word of advice ~ Behave yourself in the future and be discerning about what you bring into your home because what doesn’t come in won’t become clutter later on.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

I am going to be realistic about the fact that I will probably never make anything out of the beads in this jar. They have been sitting around unused for a while and it is time I set them free to be loved by someone else. And time to set myself free from the aspirations of ever using them.

Jar of Beads

Something I Am Grateful For Today

For a lazy, relaxing Sunday yesterday. I did do a few things but mostly I took it easy.

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

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

This week for our mini missions we are going to re every day. Yes I did mean re and you will understand what I mean when you read the missions below. If you can’t think of a task to suit each day just repeat Monday over and over. Good luck

Monday – Relinquish something. Anything will do. Send it to a new home just get it our of yours.

Tuesday – Recycle something. Perhaps some old greeting cards like I did last week, maybe some magazines or even plastic containers you thought might find useful one day.

Wednesday – Refurbish something. Maybe something has become clutter because it needs a lick of paint to bring it back to life. I just sanded and painted a little TV dinner table today. At least if I still don’t have a use for it, it will now be in better condition for whoever finds it at the thrift store.

Thursday – Repurpose something. Yesterday I constructed a dolly (a small platform with wheels) out of a piece of chipboard and some spare casters in the garage. It is now making the compressor easier to move around. Maybe you have something in your home that would be good to use for a purpose it may not have been intended for.

Friday – Reinstate something. This might be a bottle of shampoo that has been relegated to second best. Bring it to the fore and use it up because it is always going to be second best and wasting space. Or perhaps an old pair of shoes you love but never use. If you find that even after reinstating them they are not used then perhaps it is time to let them go.

Saturday – Regift something. We all have received gifts in our lives that we never really had a need or want for. Why not pass one of them on to someone else who might get the enjoyment out of it that you never did. It doesn’t have to be an occasion just pass it on for the fun of it. Make sure the recipient knows there are no strings attached.

Sunday – Refuse ~ Interpret this one to suit yourself. If you go shopping today refuse a plastic bag, take your own carry bag instead. If you are offered a free sample of something that isn’t instantly consumable politely refuse it. Refuse to buy yourself that thing you think you need and give yourself time to think more responsibly about the transaction.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

This cork board was repurposed out of an old cork tile and an old picture frame whose glass had been broken. It has now been taken to and sold at the thrift store.

Cork Board

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I made great inroads into my keepsake clutter over the weekend. I have been avoiding that task for some time and there is still plenty more to do but at least I have made a good start.  I am sure you will hear more about it 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.

This week is another week of just random decluttering. Nothing to difficult like confronting family members or dealing with obligation clutter so I want no excesses my 365 declutterers. Only those who have all these tasked taken care of are allowed to slacken off. Chop Chop!! 😉

Monday -  Go through your spice collection and declutter any that you know have been there a long time or that you never use.

Tuesday -  Open one of your digital photo sub-folder and delete any not so great photos. Computer clutter is still clutter. (I did say one sub-folder not the whole twenty years of digital memories. Don’t blame me if you get carried away.)

Wednesday - Declutter one item of aspiration clutter – something you own that you have been meaning to learn to use for years but haven’t. If you can’t part with it then start to use it either way it won’t be clutter any more.

Thursday - If you have picnic items such as a basket of utensils and the like, a Thermos flask, blanket etc check to see if they are in good working order or if you are ever likely to use them again. If not it is time to purge the items that are of no use to you.

Friday - Find one electrical device in your home that you never use and sell it or give it away. It will be slowly dying from lack of use.

Saturday - The Car ~ I know that during the course of getting from A to B and back again stuff makes its way to the car and doesn’t get returned to the place it belongs immediately and sometimes trash can accumulate there also. Every now and again we need to take some time out to put everything right. Today would be a good day for that.

Sunday - Newspapers and catalogues are also on constant flow through our homes. Once read they are often never viewed again. Recycle the ones you know you won’t be reading again and think twice about setting aside any that you “think” you will look at again.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

About five years back I bought a set of these pens each for my son, my daughter and myself. I don’t think any of us ever used them to their fullest extent. I donated this lot to the thrift store because they are in danger of drying up before they ever g0t used.

Excessive pens

Something I Am Grateful For Today

For a successful Freecycle weekend. I finally got rid of a few things that have been hanging about for way too long.

 But on a sadder note I would like to offer up prayers of comfort to the family, friends, colleagues and fans of Marco Simoncelli. After the high of Casey Stoner winning the Motocycle GP last week it is hard to comprehend the low of this weekend’s race in Malaysia. In an horrific accident in the second lap Marco sustained serious injuries and was rushed to the track medical centre. He sadly succumbed to his injuries at 4:56pm local time despite the medical team’s efforts to resuscitate him. RIP Marco Simoncelli you will be sadly missed. 

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