I have never been very sentimental toward things. I have had a few collections over the years and they kept mostly because I didn’t want to hurt the feelings of those who had given them to me. I found myself attaching to people. I never wanted to let go of anyone once they had been in my life. I wrote letters for years to many of the people who had come and gone in my life. When email came along I switched to emailing them and then later to Facebook (FB) if they had an account. In mid May someone made a comment on 365 Less Things that set me to thinking. I wish I could remember who and could Continue reading
Thursdays with Deb J ~ Attachments
posted by Colleen Madsen
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: clutter, Deb J, eClutter, personal attachment, simplify, unclutter
An Update On ~ Five Items I Won’t Declutter
posted by Colleen Madsen
Way way back on Day 258 of my decluttering journey I wrote this post on five items I won't declutter. Today I am writing an update on that post. Pictured below are the five items in question. So which of these items do I still own that I would never part with. The Flour Sifter ~ As I have mentioned previously was decluttered. It left on the 19th Oct, 2012. As I mentioned in this post I decided I no longer needed it, either for practical or sentimental reasons. The Can Opener ~ This I still have. It serves me well and I have no need to replace it with some new fancy modern equivalent. Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: clutter, less things, lifestyle change, personal attachment, unclutter
How much do you really love those nicknacks?
posted by Colleen Madsen
Here are some questions to ask yourself if you have a lot of nicknacks adorning your home. Usually a home full of nicknacks also has additional furniture to house those nicknacks. Pedestals and little tables for them to sit on, china cabinets and bookshelves crammed with them, open 3D frames hanging on the wall containing more tiny bits and pieces. Just the thought of it all makes me wheeze and sneeze. So here are my questions... How important can each and every item possibly be to you when they are crammed onto shelves where you can't even see half of them because they are hidden behind Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: Cleaning, dematerialise, little by little, Past hobbies/interests, personal attachment, Sensible buying, simplify, unclutter
Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom ~ Could You Live Like My In-Laws?
posted by Cindy
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom My in-laws have recently visited us, and like a light bulb coming on over my head, I realized that my in-laws are living like minimalists. I've talked about my in-laws here before from a different perspective - as owners of several storage units. While they live in California, the majority of their stuff lives in storage, in Texas. Each time they visit my family, they also make a couple trips to the storage units. Over time, they have reduced what is being stored there, and last year, they arranged a Salvation Army to truck take away a large amount of stuff, Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: Cindy, comfort zone, personal attachment
Saturday Extra ~ A Guest post by Andréia
posted by Colleen Madsen
The 10 year old outfit I never thought I would write a text about an outfit. Especially not the one in this photograph, because the only relevance it has in my life is that it was never worn. I bought this outfit in 2003, it was Autumn. It is a winter outfit. The skirt and blouse are of a hot fabric (sweating is not an option or it would stick and get smelly, even in winter) and it was very stiff, not allowing much movements. But I am making excuses for myself. I knew all of this when I tried the outfit at the store. I remember very clearly the day I bought this outfit, because it was the Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: clothes, guest post, personal attachment
Out of sight out of mind
posted by Colleen Madsen
Have you ever noticed that there is certain clutter in your home that you not only never use but you don't even lay eyes on it for long periods of time. During that time you don't think of it. It is like it doesn't even exist. But the minute you unearth it memories come flooding back and suddenly it seems so precious. I am not just referring to keepsakes here I am including all manner of clutter. That old tupperware way back in the furthermost reaches of your kitchen cabinet. The sporting equipment buried under more useful stuff in the back shed. Photographs in which you can't even identify Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: accumulate, clutter, don't use, personal attachment, unclutter
Use it or lose it!
posted by Colleen Madsen
Every home has items that are never considered for decluttering. Mostly useful items that are in service continually but also beautiful items that are admired or sentimental items that you wouldn't dream of letting go. These items never feel like a burden to the household because they are a valued part of everyday life. They are used and used again, used up and then replaced or on display somewhere where they can be admired or remind us of happy times, successes or loved ones. Then there are those items that are only lingering because we haven't got around to donating, selling or tossing Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: don't use, little by little, personal attachment, Strategies, unclutter
Simple Saturday ~ Clutter with eyes update
posted by Colleen Madsen
Remember back in October one of our fellow 365ers needed our advice on getting go of her clutter with eyes. Read about it here. Well this week she sent us and update that she wanted me to share with you all. Here is what Chrissie had to say... This is some update on my efforts concerning things with eyes. Feel free to publish if you like to. I am progressing! Not as fast as I wish to but anyway progress is visible – Especially today! From all the comments of your readers I created little tutorial Helpful actions Involve trusted friend or family member (my hubby and my Mom – I Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: guest post, personal attachment, Simple Saturday, Strategies, unclutter
Simple Saturday ~ Clutter with eyes – Chrissie would like your advice
posted by Colleen Madsen
This week I received an email from Chrissie who has a unique decluttering issue that she would like her fellow 365ers and myself to give her advice on. Below is the message she sent explaining her issue. "Although I'm quite successful in decluttering and drive my own project online ~einfach-weniger.blogspot (Simply Fewer in English) I'm lost as soon as things have eyes. No matter if cuddly toys from the childhood (they can be ugly as hell!), knick knacks, useless promo gifts, ... as soon as they have eyes they are begging me to stay in my house. All available declutter strategies did not work Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: guest post, personal attachment, Simple Saturday
Unfettered: unrestricted, unrestrained, no longer tied down.
posted by Colleen Madsen
A Guest Post by ~ Deb J As I have been following Colleen’s blog and the comments we make I realized something very pivotal for me. By decluttering my home, my clothes, my lifestyle my computer and my mind I am becoming unfettered. I used to be restricted to having company only when we had time and energy to get out all the china and silver, and put on our “company best.” Everything had to be a production of monumental proportions. The house had to be spotless and so clean you could eat off the floor. This was a leftover from my upbringing, a result of being raised that everything had to be Continue reading
Filed Under: 365 Less Things Tagged With: Old Habits, personal attachment, simplify
