One of the things I love about decluttering slowly but surely is that I am not forced to make rash decision as to what should and shouldn’t be decluttered. With my goal of one item a day there is only one decision to be made each day. Some decision are made in advance and eventually the day comes where I think “That will be my declutter item on the day.” Some decisions are spur of the moment when I stumble across an item that I had missed before but am in no doubt that it can go. While other things get passed over time and time again and left until I am ready to make the final decision on. There are also things I know I want to declutter but am not ready to deal with the hassle right now and that is OK too because I am still running to schedule. One day their time will come when I have the patience and inclination to focus my full attention on them to complete the task efficiently.

There are so many things that weren’t even on may radar at the start of my declutter journey but now are easy to let go off. This is because as I continue down this path my attachment to stuff in general becomes weaker and weaker. I am more enthusiastic to unburden myself of the clutter than I am to keep it. Things had better be loved, useful and not in excessive amounts or they are out of here.

So if you have something you aren’t sure about pass it by for now and move on to something else. Being conflicted over something when there are easier fish to fry is a waste of metal energy. Later on you might look back at that item again and think, I really want this gone more than I want it here so out it can go. It is actually a good feeling when you come to these conclusions because not only are you letting go of more stuff but you have clearly graduated to a new level of detachment to material things. And that is something to be celebrated.

Today’s Mini Mission

Remove something from your yard that a neighbour might be able to see and think looks out of place or unsightly. Ask the neighbour if you aren’t sure and are game.

Today’s Declutter Item

This jewellery box was no rash decluttering decision. I had been contemplating emptying it and decluttering it for a long time. There was no hurry as there were plenty of other items to declutter in the meantime. Finally the task is done and the box is off to the thrift store. I am still finding avenues to sell some of the contents so they will filter through as declutter items in the near future.

Jewellery Box

“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

One more empty box

Keeping in mind that I have been fitfully decluttering craft supplies for the last two years  today I did something a little outrageous. Well outrageous for me anyway. I threw some perfectly good mat board in the recycling bin. Yes you heard me I threw something perfectly usable in the recycling bin.

The thing is they were also perfectly recyclable but it was a case of faff around with them forever or make an instant decision to get them out of here. I chose the later. You see I have a hard time wasting anything that is even remotely creatively useful and the mat board has been shuffled around in the continuous craft room reshuffle for two years for just that reason and I was over it. In my defence they were small pieces that had limited use but use none the less.

Two entries on Facebook over the last couple of days lead to me make this decision. One was in relation to decluttering unfinished craft projects and the comment or rather question which almost sounded like a plea was this ~ “But what should I do with it?” The second was a status from Mr Green @ My Zero Waste ~ “Morning all; really trying to find energy / motivation to declutter (sans landfill of course!) any tips to ease the butt glue I’m experiencing?”

The former (although possibly about something far more valuable than my mat board) got me thinking that sometimes it just complicates the issue of letting go if you make the letting go too difficult in relation to the objects worth. And the latter says to me that you can’t keep paying for the sins of your past wastefulness by continuing to allow things to be closetfill in a vain attempt to save them from landfill.

Yes I could have put it up for grabs on Freecycle or even cut it into small mats, bundled them up and sold them on ebay. Maybe a craft group or the school up the street could have found a use for them but, chances are, making this effort would probably have resulted in cluttering up someone else space who also can’t let a useful bargain pass them by. After all that is how I acquired them in the first place.

So I did myself a favour for once and saved myself the bother. The time it would have taken to find a new home for them just wouldn’t have been worth the effort. And it’s not as thought they went to land fill. They will be recycled into some other useful paper based product.

Like I said before, I have a hard time parting with stuff that I find to be creatively useful and I probably would have keep passing over these for some time but I had a better use for both the box they were in and the space they were taking up. So I took the bandaid approach to decluttering and ripped those suckers off real fast and out to the recycling bin before I changed my mind. Don’t worry this isn’t something I am going to make a habit of.

Today’s Declutter Item and the subject of today’s post

Mat Board

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I was a little off colour on the weekend but am grateful I am feeling much better today. I am weary after a busy day but I feel well and that is good.

“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

I received a comment form Moni on Tuesday lamenting about the downside to selling unwanted clutter. Here it is ~

Thanks for the encouragement Colleen – am at the point where heaps of stuff has been dumped, and heaps of stuff has gone to recycling/charity bins. I’m now at the point where I’m listing on auction sites stuff that is too valuable to throw out. Now I know that organised clutter is still clutter, but I’m suprised how down it has made me feel having stuff out all over the place again. Am packing it into laundry baskets or plastic bins after its been photographed and listed, but it is suprising how tempted I am to skip onto the next project and leave it all there. It is almost like instant gratification to see things going out quickly. Did anyone else feel like that at this point of things?

Now, I know I have bored you all before with my whining about selling my unwanted stuff on ebay but it is always worth revisiting. And yes, like Moni all that stuff hanging around while I wait in hope that someone will bid on it still drives me crazy to.  Once it has been chosen as clutter I just want it out of here but…

I am only generous to a point. I have given a lot of my stuff away to the thrift store and am happy to do so. More than happy really because it is a very quick and easy way to rid myself of still useful items someone else could enjoy. Plus the proceeds go to charity. But there are things that I am just not prepared to give away.

I like to make a little cash for my kids. I quite often list things on ebay that belong to them, were they mine I would just give them away. They are young adults and not so financially established as their parents or even truly financially independent for that matter. So if I can make them a little money on the side I will. It encourages them to declutter their unused stuff and is better than just giving them a handout. Although it would be a better lesson to have them do it for themselves.

I like to recoup my loses on some things that weren’t well utilised, cost a lot initially or were really stupid purchases that were simply a waste of money.

Aside from the hassle of photographing, listing and waiting there is also the disappointment when the item doesn’t sell. Then the decision as to whether to relist or get the thing the hell out of here so it can stop tormenting me. I really have to ask myself is it really all worth the hassle. I suppose the answer must be yes because I keep doing it. I have enough successes to make it worth the effort. But even as I write that I am not convinced.

So what I have done recently is simplify the process. Previously I used to wait to list my items so that the seven day auction would finish after dinner on a Sunday. This is supposed to be one of those optimal times to end an auction. The problem was I might end up busy on Sunday or simply just forget and then I would be waiting for another week. Not to mention that by Sunday I might have ten auctions to list at once which tends to take forever to do. Heaven forbid I should pay the 20c to set my own starting time.

Now I either pay the 20c or list items whenever I get around to it. I have found personally that the ending time seems to have absolutely no effect on the success of my auctions.

With the thirty listing fee free auctions we now have each month on ebay Australia I am more inclined to throw up things and see what happens. The ending fee is higher but you only pay it if the items sell. This takes away the gambling aspect for me. That is, risking the listing fee in the hope the item sells. This used to really put me off trying causing a lot of procrastination.

Moni has the right idea of putting the items aside neatly so they aren’t littering up the house. I often go one step further and find a box to mail them in once I have decided to list them. I usually have a selection on boxes in a plastic tub in the garage or else I can pick one up for free at the big hardware store nearby. See my earlier post on ebay packaging here & here. This helps me to be able to calculate the shipping accurately before listing.

Half way through writing this post I did some more decluttering with my daughter. There were a couple of things among the items she decided to declutter that were worth putting up on ebay so I took care of that immediately.

I suppose this really will always just be a love hate relationship for me. I love to recoup the cash but I hate the task, but more than anything else I hate the items hanging around for what seems like forever. I really just wish that I would be willing to let it all go for nothing. It would be so much quicker and easier. But I figure if I haven’t given up on that idea yet I am never going to. To make any relationship work there must be compromises and patience. I suppose when it all boils down to it I am more willing to compromise than to let go easily.

So Moni I have no solution for you really because you and I are in the same boat. I bet the other readers will have some helpful advice for you though. All I can say is you either give it away or suck it up when it comes to putting up with the stuff until it goes.

My Baby Girl

Today’s Declutter Item

Another day another declutter session with my daughter. She did well again and we managed to eliminate a whole box of stuff condensing two boxes down to one. The Build-A-Bear clothes in the photo are listed on ebay and also a collectors edition of Rolling Stone magazine. Fingers crossed she makes a few dollars.

More of B's Clutter

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Hubby will be home after spending three days out of town on business. I’ve been outnumbered by children for days and my bank account is suffering. I need back-up. 😆

“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

A guest post by Josh Martin of Josh Martin Ink

I’ve bounced around a lot in my youth, moving from one place to the next. While each move comes with its share of challenges, they are also great reminders of how much stuff we’ve accumulated and a wakeup call to the need to purge and declutter. I’m planning on moving again in the not too distant future. I just know I’m going to be shocked at how much stuff I own once I start emptying the closets and drawers.

I remember my first real move on my own. I left my family home and moved into residence as a first-year student at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. That move required no more than the hatchback and back seat of my Mom’s tiny, bright yellow Geo Metro. My clothes, a few personal effects and a plant for my room in Willison Hall.

My next move was in second year when I moved out of residence and into a house with five other roommates. A bit more involved this time. My clothes, more of my personal effects now that I had a bit more space, a bed and a desk. My plant, owing to the fact that I don’t have any semblance of a green thumb, was long dead by this point.

The year after that I moved down the street to another house. I had to beg the help of a couple friends but even so we were able to move all my stuff without a van. Besides a few odd looks I got as I marched down Marshall Street carrying my mattress on my head, the move went smoothly.

After graduation I went to Taiwan to teach English. It was a great opportunity to declutter since I wasn’t going to bring furniture and the such with me to Asia. I was down to a backpack and it felt great.

Returning to Canada the following year, I moved into an apartment and my possessions slowly crept up on me. I moved to my next place – still in the same neighbourhood – with the help of a few shopping carts. The move after that I needed to borrow my friend’s truck. And the one after that I needed to rent a cargo van.

Getting my first well-paying job in Toronto, I found myself a nice, big apartment. And with the big apartment came the “need” to fill it with furniture. By the time I moved again I needed a giant U-Haul. It took two trips and I even managed to crash it into a display of windshield washer fluid when I tried to gas it up.

Naturally, the more stuff I had, the harder and more expensive the moves became. How did I go from a shopping cart to needing a 20 foot U-Haul? And when I reflect on it, am I any happier now in my large, 2-bedroom apartment than I was living in my cramped room in University? I may not have had much, but I also never laughed so hard or had so much fun as I did in those days.

So if you’re planning a move soon, take some time to really wrestle with the clutter question. Plan ahead and see it as a great opportunity to declutter. Reconsider buying that big house, knowing that it will mean filling it with more stuff you don’t need. And see your new home as a fresh start to be disciplined about stemming the flow of accumulation.

As my next move approaches (and I know, I do move a lot), I’m looking forward to getting back in touch with my 22-year-old self and his trusty shopping cart.

Josh Martin is a humourist and blogger about simple living and making the most out of life. You can find more of his work at www.joshmartinink.com.

Today’s Declutter Item

Finally I think this is the last of the Snoopy Collection. Now if only I could say that about the baseball souvenirs and the craft supplies, but I am working on that.

The Last of the Snoopy Collection

Something I Am Grateful For Today

A lovely sunny day but not too hot.

“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

I got some great responses on Tuesday to my post on having more respect for one’s diminished possessions. There were several comments that really stood out but these words from Ideealistin related well to something I had put in the donation box just the day before.

Here are Ideealistins words –

Using your stuff gives it great value. But I think it is amazing how not storing the stuff you use next to unused stuff, throwing your mind into constant competition mode, adds almost even more value.

Now for how this relates to my decluttered item. I had two pair of white shorts in my drawer. One pair I really liked the cut, style and fabric of while the other pair although functional were a little bit grannyish because they have elastic in the back.

So which pair do you think gets used the most and which pair do you think found their way to the donation box.

Well here is the twist, the pair I like the cut, style and fabric of have really never fitted me properly. I bought them about six years ago and have probably worn then twice. I have, I suppose kept them all this time thinking that maybe one day they would fit me. Who aspires to getting fatter, not me so I figured it was time I faced reality and admitted these were not the shorts for me. They will no doubt be a great find for someone shopping the thrift store this week.

The other pair of shorts are being worn by me as I write this post. They are comfortable, they look nice enough and the granny elastic isn’t visible because my shirt covers it. Perhaps now I will wear this pair more often because they are no longer competing with the pair that I couldn’t really wear but preferred.

It seems my disappointment over my preferred pair of shorts was tainting my opinion of the other truly more useful-to-me pair. I am sure I will now choose to wear this pair more often.

I used to think being “Spoilt for choice” only meant having lots to choose from now I think this definition from The Free Dictionary by Farlex explains the situation better…

• be spoilt for choice  (mainly British) also be spoiled for choice (mainly American) ~ to have so many good possible choices that it is difficult to make a decision ~ With 51 flavours of ice-cream to choose from you are spoiled for choice.

And this is just one more reason why living life with less is simpler.

Today’s Declutter Item

You may wonder why the shorts mentioned above are not being featured as the item for today. I have added two dresses to my wardrobe this summer so I am considering one of those as a trade off for these shorts. This jacket however was just a piece of my old working wardrobe that really needed to go. It lasted about half an hour before someone bought it at the thrift store.

One black jacket excess to my needs

Something I Am Grateful For Today

The imagination my butcher shop puts into making sausages. We are having lamb, mustard and basil flavoured ones for dinner tonight. I hope they taste as good as they sound.

“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

Todays post from the Archives is also a guest post from one of my readers Donna Tressler. I hope you enjoy it. I have included a link to this post because Lena said in her email to me that she found the comment heartbreaking and I wanted to make it easy for you get to the comments should you wish to read them for yourself.  Lena said ~ “I didnt know that so many people are having chronic pain/illness. I am sooooo grateful, I never had serious health issues…“

What Illness Taught Me About Decluttering

Guest Post by – Donna Tressler The Sound Of My Own Wheels

Recently I watched the 2010 Messiest Home in the Country episode of Clean House, which featured a family of four living in a home filled with an incomprehensible amount of clutter. There was a lot of finger pointing in the episode – particularly at the father who “guilt shopped” while he traveled for work, but the thing that struck me as interesting was how illness (the mom was a thyroid cancer survivor) had played a roll in the accumulation of the family’s clutter. Serious illness has a profound affect on people and we all react differently. For this family buying more stuff was the answer to their pain. For me, it was just the opposite.

In 2001 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Initially I was euphoric to have an answer to all the health issues that had plagued me for months, then the reality of living with an incurable (but manageable) illness set in, and I went into denial. I didn’t take care of myself as well as I should, and eventually I went into a flair up of the disease that lasted 16 months.

It was a horrible time in my life and by the time I came out of the flair up, I was physically and mentally exhausted from trying to maintain my job, my house, my marriage, and my relationships with family and friends. It took nearly two years to completely regain my former self, and during that time I began looking for way to improve the quality of my life. In addition to taking better care of myself and managing stress (which is a huge factor in my illness), I looked for ways to simplify my life in the event that I suffered another flair up.

Eventually I realized that the less stuff I have, the less I would have to maintain if I did get that sick again. I’d like to say I had an epiphany and instantly went on a decluttering mission that got rid of every unnecessary item in one fell swoop, but life is rarely that way. Instead it has been a continuous journey of looking at each area of my life with fresh eyes. I began by getting rid of things I didn’t use, clothes I didn’t wear, books I would never read again, and have continued on from there. I’m constantly revisiting a cabinet, a closet, a shelf, and asking what can go from this area?

As I have pared down, I have found that there are several methods that have been most effective for me in getting on, and more importantly staying on, the declutter path. My methods work for existing items in my house and items that I contemplate buying.

• I ask myself if I got “that sick” again, would I want to deal with this item
• I ask myself the questions on the Declutter Decision Making Guide here on 365lessthings
• I ask myself how many hours of working/commuting it would take to pay for the item

Someone once said “life is what happens while you are making other plans.” For me that’s a whole other blog post, but by sticking with my trifecta of clutter busting methods, I have managed to mostly stick to the trail and continue on the decluttering path, which in turn simplifies my life, helps manage my stress and thereby my overall health. It’s a win-win situation.

Click here for the link to the post so you can read the comments if you wish.

Today’s Declutter Item

I used this old album to store card craft samples. I have now used up or recycled those samples because I never really refer back to them preferring to design new stuff  each time. The album went to the thrift store.

Old Photo Album

I think I deserve a break during the holiday season and if I don’t I am having one anyway. So for your entertainment, I have set up five posts for this week with articles from the archives. That is I am going to share with you some old post that you may not have seen for some time that you might find interesting and helpful all over again while I take my break.

I received some unexpected help this week with choosing which articles to use from Lena who has been reading through the archives since she discovered my blog not so long ago. Got to love her dedication, especially since it has assisted me to be lazy for a week. Thanks Lena your timing was perfect.

One more thing. I may or may not be replying to comments it just depends on whether I have the time. A break is meant to be a break after all. I am sure though that I will not be able to resist checking what you folks are up to while I am not looking. Please feel free to chat among yourselves if I am not here. Equally please take a break from me and my incessant declutter nagger for the week yourselves. I will not feel deserted if you don’t drop by. So without further adieu here is the first of this weeks archive posts…

Day 250 ~ Reducing your Travel Clutter

A guest post by my husband

You’ll never meet a traveller who, after five trips, brags: “Every year I pack heavier.” ~ Rick Steves – Travel Writer

These words echo in my head every time I pack for trip, whether business or pleasure, reducing the amount of stuff I carry always makes for a more enjoyable time. Whenever I travel with colleagues, they are amazed by my small bag and unable to imagine how they could do it. Packing light is easier than they think and anyone can reduce their luggage to a manageable size with some planning and preparation.

Colleen and I are committed to only take as much stuff as can be carried onto the flight; a 9″ x 22″ x 14″ bag weighing no more than 7 Kilos (15 lbs) plus a smaller bag for personal items like a camera. We use a convertible backpack/suitcase with zip-away shoulder straps that is lighter than your average roller bag, and easy to tote across town to our hotel. How do we do it? Well, my bag contains the following items:

• 

  Rick Steves ~ Classic Back Door Bag

  2 collared shirts

• 2 t-shirts
• 1 pair of pants
• 1 pair of shorts/swimmers
• 4 sets of underwear
• 4 pair of socks
• 1 jacket
• Vibram Five Fingers
• small toiletries kit
• first aid kit
• 1 small towel
• journal/pens
• sewing kit
• guide book/maps
• phrase book (if needed)

In my camera bag:

• DSLR plus 28-135mm zoom
• 50mm lens
• iPod Touch
• battery charger
• spare battery/compact flash drives
• Archos 604WIFI (used for photo storage and charging the iPod)

I used to carry a laptop but an iPod touch provides me all the computing power I need except for an ability to upload photos from my camera so I carry the Archos 604 *. Despite carrying two devices, I still save more than half the weight of your average 12-13 inch laptop or netbook.

The main advantage of this small uncluttered travel bag is mobility. While most people are waiting for their bags, we are heading to the hotel. We can easily change planes, trains or buses when a delay occurs because everything is with us. Sure we have to do some washing along the way but it is often no more expensive to use a fluff and fold service than to do the laundry yourself. We also use lightweight wash and wear clothes that can be washed in a sink if necessary, and air dried over night.

Virtually nothing in our bag is there because we might need it, we will use every item continuously throughout our travels and when those one-off occasions arise we just buy what we need at that time. Plan for the best and be prepared to spend a little money if needed, why ruin a vacation lugging a huge bag of stuff you never use to save a few dollars. Travelling light is an awakening that can open your eyes to how little you need in your life, try it on your next vacation.

For those who cannot imagine travelling with one small bag, check out Rolf Potts’ No Baggage trip.

* We no longer carry the Archos 604 as we now have two 8gig Compact Flash cards which hold and awful lot of photos, so there is no need to upload photos as we go.

Today’s Declutter Item

Somethings accumulate and because you use them all the time you don’t think to deduce the number you have. These two trays are just that sort of clutter item. Yes they get used but while they are used two others remain idle. They can’t all fit in the oven at once so there is no need to keep them all. One was so old and worn that I sent it to the recycling while the other is off to the thrift shop.

Two Baking Pans

It was a comment for Sabine that inspired this post. She had no desire to do the writing that she usually enjoys because of  all the stuff she “needs” cluttering up her desk. “Maybe it is time to reassess what ‘need’ is.” she said. Then in Tuesday’s post I mentioned how little we really do need as opposed to what we “think” we need. I know I stated in that post that we really only need food, water, shelter and love, it is a little more complicated than that but not as complicated as we tend to make it for ourselves.

You only have to look at the photos all the things I have decluttered from my home to see how much stuff we had that we thought we needed or wanted, only to find that sooner or later we discovered we didn’t need it after all. Somethings took longer to get rid of than others and that was often due to not being quite ready to part with them because we though maybe we still need them. Here are some examples…

• Some we haven’t used for sometime but maybe one day we just might.
• Some had been in use until recently but even though they were useful we really weren’t going to need them.
• At least one was something I thought would be so useful when I acquired it and I used it once in about seven years.
• One just didn’t really fit in the house anywhere anymore.
• One got used once a year to cut leg ham at Christmas.
• Two never did perform the job well that they were designed for.
• Changes of diet, climate and dwelling had a hand in some of them not being used anymore.

They all look useful enough right? It could be very easy to hang on to all of these things with the idea that our circumstances might change and we will “need” them again. Circumstances such as lifestyle, living arrangements, interests, returning to old habits and the like. But please take another look at all of that stuff. What among it is necessary to survival. None, thats how much. And there is still plenty more where that lot came from like the crutches in the garage cupboard that have come in handy three times in five years, the spice chest that only half the drawers hold items that could easily be stored elsewhere, the wine glasses we really have too many of, lots of craft supplies etc etc.

How many items such as this do you hold on to because you think you might “need” them some day. As Lena said in a comment yesterday “Everyone chooses their own games.” The beauty is you can change the game rules if you want to or even the game itself if you like. Take a chance and play the declutter game instead of the clinging to things of limited use

Today’s Declutter Item

This was one too many bicycle pumps and two locks that I couldn’t remember the combinations for.

Bicycle pump & locks

“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

We just passed Thanksgiving (in the US) and are coming up on Christmas and Hanukkah,  and I am willing to guess that December is the most heavily photographed month of the year. Well, last month, I spend an hour sorting through a huge box of photos and memorabilia. There were packets of organized photos from my college years, but beginning with my wedding (1997), nothing was organized, culled, etc. What a miserable experience!

"The photos that survived this culling and an outfit that was in box that belong to my Grandmother Clara."

Here are the things I learned:

1. If you don’t sort through your photos when you get them, it will not get easier 14 years later.
2. If you don’t label your photos, it will not get easier 14 years later.
3. If you’re not motivated to put your photos in albums now, you won’t be any more motivated in 14 years.
4. You will wonder why in the world you took certain photos. Did they once mean something to you?
5. You may experience a sharp, sad feeling of regret when you come across a lovely photo of yourself and someone who is no longer a part of your life.
6. Your digital camera takes far better pictures than your film camera ever did.
7. What in the world was the point of getting every photo printed in duplicate?

And the changes I will make in my photographing habits:

1. I will use my delete button much, much more.
2. I will transfer my photos into Picasa and label them when I download them, deleting more as necessary.
3. I will remember that just because I can take photos of every conceivable moment of an event, that doesn’t mean I should.
4. I will leave my camera at home at times so that I can fully appreciate the event with all my senses, not just through the lens of a camera.
5. I will take fewer photos of things and more photos of people.

I hope you have a great holiday season and that you use common sense with your camera. Remember, each photo you take is one that you have to process in some way. If you don’t, instead of preserving memories, you’re just creating clutter.

"The photos still to be sorted and more than 2 pounds of photos that went into the trash. These were mostly duplicates, lousy shots, and photos of people I did not (or did not want) to remember."

Today’s Declutter Item

I had another sweep through our paper files and found more out of date paper clutter. This is a task that requires attention on a regular basis. 

Paper Clutter ~ Decluttered & Recycled

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Last year, as a thank you gift, a friend gave me a blueberry bush. She knows I hate clutter so she gave me something lovely for the garden. Earlier in the season I replanted it into a lovely big pot I had picked up off the side of the road. I am so excited that is has grown so beautifully in its new location and I harvested my first crop this week. So, it was only two blueberries but they were juicy, sweet and delicious and I am expecting greater things from it next year. Thanks Jen for my lovely plant I am really enjoying watching it grow.

“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

1. If you feel inclined to minimise holiday/Christmas décor, declutter to a point where you are comfortable with the quantity, the effort involved and the storage space required after the event.
2. Try to get as many people on board with the no gift giving rule as possible.
3. Give gifts of experience not clutter to those with whom you can’t avoid gift sharing. This includes children.
4. Try doing a secret Santa when there is going to be a large crowd together for Christmas, everyone buys and gets only one gift. The environment and your bank account will thank you for it.
5. Do as much pre-holiday preparation that you can now before the rush really sets in.
6. Don’t be presumptuous about how your family want to celebrate the holidays. Ask their opinion. You may be going to far more bother than necessary.
7. If you are having a crowd at your home this Christmas why not allocate everyone to bring a plate of food. It will lessen the burden of expense and effort on your part. It is never too late to start a new tradition if you have never adopted this practice before.
8. Start good holiday traditions while your children are young. Set limits on what you give them and introduce them to charitable deeds by encourage them to declutter their old toys prior to the holidays by donating them to children less fortunate than them.
9. Send emails instead of cards, you don’t have to go out to buy them, you don’t have to write each one individually (just copy & paste) and you don’t have to stand in line at the post office to buy stamps to send them. And to top it off polluting transport isn’t used to deliver them.
10. Don’t sway to popular opinion, do the holidays/Christmas your way because that is the best way.

Today’s Declutter Item

Today’s mini mission was to declutter kids toys to make way for the holiday gifts coming in. Look at me I am still decluttering my son’s old toys and he is 20 years old. It was a collection though, which can end up hanging around a bit longer the the norm. I am slowly but surely having success with selling them on ebay.

Snoopy toys sold on ebay $15.50

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Rain. It’s been a warm dry week so far and I was just thinking this morning that I might have to water the garden this afternoon. Well that chore is done and I didn’t even have to lift a finger.

“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