|
Post by Loupy on Jun 14, 2015 11:45:12 GMT -7
365 Less Things...Reducing our "stuff" one day at a time.By: Colleen Madsen @ www.365lessthings.com/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.Life moves on and clutter can be the result of that. Today lets declutter some stuff from our previous lives.Monday – Declutter something pet related. It might be something no longer used for your pet , something not wise to have around when you have a pet or even something still lingering from the past even though you no longer have a pet.Tuesday – Declutter something child related. This could be an outgrown item of a child living at home, of your grown offspring who have left the nest or something from you own childhood.Wednesday – Declutter something that was given to you that you no longer wish to keep.Thursday – Declutter something you no longer need in your work life, be that current or past.Friday – Declutter something for a sport or pastime you no longer involve yourself in.Saturday – Declutter something you once used regularly but no longer do.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.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 16, 2015 12:26:49 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 16, 2015 13:16:15 GMT -7
The endless to-do list From: Colleen Madson @ www.365lessthings.com/Posted: 16 Jun 2015 09:00 AM PDT Isn’t it baffling that no matter how much you reduce your belongings and simplify your life, there still seems to always be an endless to-do list. I think it is highly possible, at least in my case, that while I am un-complicating one area of my life I am filling that void with something else.
Actually as I write this, I am sure I published a post on this very subject not so long back. Nevertheless I am going to prattle on about it again today. If for no other reason than the fact that I obviously didn’t listen to my own advice the last time.
Sometimes even the things we enjoy in life can begin to feel like a chore. The effort of manoeuvring other activities just to fit them in can be exhausting. And then there is the physical clutter that sometimes manifests due to them.
I don’t actually know where I am going with this post so I am just going to give some examples of things on my to-do list that are just draining me at the moment. Things that I aspire to getting around to doing but are actually just causing clutter in my life that I don’t need.
First Thing: On my balcony I have a louvred cabinet door and three picture frames. I can see the potential in them, which is why I “rescued” them from the gutter in the first place, but I really don’t have the inclination or possibly even the skills to do anything with them. But what they really are is aspirational clutter making my balcony look unattractive and harder to clean. They have to go. Should I find the time and inspiration later I am sure I can acquire replacements just as easily as I acquired these.
Second Thing: I really enjoy creating my handcrafted cards and using up my supply of craft materials. However there are a lot of materials among them that I don’t like enough to warrant the space they waste in my home. Allowing those to linger is making the decluttering process far too long winded. At the same time I find it hard to say no to interesting papers etc that I can see potential in.
Solution: On Monday I made a pledge to not bring in any more paper crafting materials for two months and I am going to stick to that pledge no matter what. In fact I hope to stretch that pledge out longer once the two months are up. Also I am going to round up a collection of materials among what I already own and donate them to my local thrift shop.
Third Thing: I have been taking on far too much responsibility and not delegating enough when it comes to my art space since taking it over in April. It is time I stopped being such a control freak and gave myself a break. One of these responsibilities has been to bring the space in line with the new standards of presentation. That is the reason for props such as the picture frames and louvred door mentioned in the first thing above.
Solution: I have started delegating and am resisting any temptation to acquire any more merchandising items. Especially ones that require upcycling.
Forth Thing: There are a few tasks on my to-do list that are unavoidable yet I have been procrastinating over them. Although avoiding them is not causing clutter in my home it sure is causing clutter in my head. In my experience, doing is usually far less painful than procrastinating, so heaven knows why I still find myself doing it at times.
Solution: I pledge now that these tasks will all be completed by the end of next week.
I love repurposing, I love crafting, I love organising, I love helping others and I love to be thorough… but one needs to know where to draw the line. As it is impossible to be everything to everyone all of the time.
Are there areas in your life that need decluttering? Are you overtaxing yourself, even when it comes to the things you enjoy? If so maybe it is time to cut yourself some slack and take a break from it all.
Today’s Mini Mission Declutter something that was given to you that you no longer wish to keep. “If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown
Eco Tip for the Day Don’t accept free promotional products that you have no use for. Accepting these just encourages the continuation of this practice while the environment would be healthier without the manufacture of cheap throwaway or needless items like these usually are.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 17, 2015 17:48:23 GMT -7
Declutter your FreezerFrom: Hilda @ www.fromoverwhelmedtoorganizedblog.com/Today's the day to declutter your freezer. If you have more than one freezer then you can do one today and save one for the weekend. Toss all the freezer-burned stuff, really old food, or food you won't eat. Then if you want to organize your freezer to help make it easier to see what you have so it doesn't get as cluttered in the future. Here are some tips: www.fromoverwhelmedtoorganizedblog.com/2014/03/2-tips-for-organizing-your-freezer.html
What's the oldest thing you tossed from your freezer? If you don't already, please be sure to write the date you put your food in the freezer on the bag or box. Check them often to make sure you are using them up in the correct amount of time.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 18, 2015 14:19:17 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 19, 2015 9:50:15 GMT -7
Here's a good one for our group. I am down to one drawer with my cookbooks. Most of mine now are stored on my Kindle. I do have a couple from my mom and grandmother. I am keeping those. Good luck with this one!!
Today's kitchen decluttering task is to declutter your cookbooks. If you use yours a lot and have the space to store them, then they're not clutter. But if you're like many people and your cookbooks are collecting dust because you find recipes online, then purge those cookbooks today!
Here's some tips...www.fromoverwhelmedtoorganizedblog.com/2014/04/maximizing-vertical-space-in-small.html?
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 21, 2015 14:15:41 GMT -7
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 do some digital decluttering. Some purely digital some in a more tangible form. You will understand what I mean as you read the daily missions.
Monday – Today declutter any DVDs that you no long enjoy to watch or really don’t watch enough to warrant keeping. Perhaps also ones your children have grown out of. This would be an example of tangible digital clutter.
Tuesday – Today declutter some purely digital clutter. Perhaps clean out your email inbox, sent box and/or your email trash folder.
Wednesday – Declutter CDs that you no longer listen to and perhaps are even embarrassed you ever owned.
Thursday – Take a look at your photo folders and delete poor quality pics or multiples of the same thing. One of them must be the best and there is not need to keep the rest.
Friday – Declutter old computer games that you or your children have tired of or grown too old for.
Saturday – Have a look through the folders on your computer that hold text documents. I bet there are many that are no longer relevant.
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
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 22, 2015 14:04:55 GMT -7
Today's Mission...
Today we're decluttering kitchen towels and cloths. I'm talking about the ones you use all the time, as well as the ones you may have waiting for special occasions or for when the daily ones get too old. Think about how many you need based on how often you use them, how often you change them, and how often you do laundry. Toss any old, worn out ones, or any with stains or holes. Pull out a few new ones from your stash and start using them. Think about how many extra new/good ones you need, considering how long they usually last, how often you receive or buy new ones, or how often you have guests over. If you have more than you will use in the next 6 months, give some away (donate or give as gifts). No sense storing too many for too long. How many kitchen towels and cloths can you purge?
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 23, 2015 13:46:53 GMT -7
Today's Mission...
Today let's declutter recipes. You may have already done this when you did your cookbooks, but if not then take a few minutes today to pull out all your recipes (printed, written, torn from magazines, recipe cards, etc.). Toss any that you've had for a long time and never made (chances are you never will) and purge any that you made and didn't really like. Be realistic. If you've got an online method of storing recipes (Pinterest, Evernote, etc.) then get rid of the physical ones you no longer use.
If you have time to organize the recipes you're keeping, do it! Start a binder, write some new ones out on recipe cards, or scan your recipes and organize them digitally. Check out any online recipe groups you belong to and check those recipes too. Either re-organize them or delete them if you are not interested in them anymore. Save what you want and use and get rid of the rest. That way you will be able to find your favorites quickly.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 23, 2015 17:30:37 GMT -7
Declutter as if you are moving house From: By: Colleen Madsen @ www.365lessthings.com/There is nothing like the prospect of moving house to motivate a person to get rid of their clutter. My son and his family have been doing this for a few of months now. Initially it was to make room for the new baby that is on the way but then they decided they had had enough of renting a home from someone who wasn’t keen to maintain it. So they decided to move house.
He is lucky because he has a very easy way to get rid of his clutter. And that is to fill up the trunk of our car every time we have reason to go to his house. I think he actually invents reason for us to drop by just so we can take another load away. But that is OK as I go to the thrift store every week and am glad to help him out by dropping the decluttered items off there.
So this week they have started moving in and are already finding that maybe the configuration of the new home may cause them to have to declutter more things. My son is very good at decluttering, as you can imagine because he watched me doing it for years before he moved out. So he is happy to let go of as much stuff as possible. I am not sure whether the rest of the family are so keen but, as I said before, moving is a great motivator. He told me just yesterday how proud he was of his stepdaughter who has been very compliant at sorting and letting go of some of her stuff.
So where am I heading with this post. Well, my great motivation to declutter was to eventually move into a smaller home. My son and his family are also being motivated by moving. So why not use that as an approach for anyone to look at their possessions in a different way. If you are finding yourself stuck for ideas of things to declutter or have things you are on the fence about decluttering, why not ask yourself the question of ~ “If I were forced to unexpectedly and suddenly move house would... I want to…
…move this stuff. …pay to move stuff I don’t really use or love. …really want to find space for this stuff in my new home.
Because, let me tell you, sometimes these situation sneak up on you. Life happens and the next thing you know your current home is not right for you or not where you need to be. Sometimes life happens and you can no longer care for the size home you have or the amount of stuff that is in it. So now is the time to get your home in the sort of order that is easier to manage now and easy to transfer elsewhere if life happens.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 24, 2015 20:07:53 GMT -7
The Social Networking/Surfing Dilemma A Guest Post by Deb J
Even though I only check my email and Facebook 3 times a day, I am finding I spend more time than I would like on both. I don’t spend much time “surfing the net.” Texting is not a problem because I only use my cell phone for emergencies. The emails are few and mostly have to do with business type things. I have been able to get my name off most email lists other than for those like my doctors, Mom’s doctors, our bank, and my credit card.
I really do not have a huge number of people I keep up with on Facebook, yet I find it takes too much time to skim through it all. The majority of people are from church as we have a group on FB we use it as a way to keep up with what is going on. Unfortunately, anyone who is in that group has to be friended and means getting all of their posts not just the ones to our group. That is where one of my issues is. Some of them put too many posts on there. Even though I have tightened things down as tight as I can get them, I still receive all of their shares, comments, etc. because many of them have not tightened things the way I have. I want to get their group posts but would like to not get all the others.
It is nice to be able to send a text to fill someone in on something they need to know yet will not interrupt them while at work or in a meeting. It sure can save making an extra trip if someone can pick up an item at the store on the way home. It helps to keep track of where your teen is. Facebook or places like it are a good way to keep everyone up-to-date on your life without sending multiple emails or making multiple phone calls. It’s a great way to share pictures or invite people to an event. I find myself sending fewer and fewer emails because I am able to use other ways of “talking” to people. Email has become a method I use when I have much more to say and only to one person.
I know that face to face or a phone call is nicer but if the person lives far away you can’t always talk to them face to face and the differences in time may make it hard to connect. That makes me very glad to have these other methods. So this brings us to the subject for today. How much time do we spend on social networking and other online activities? Is it too much? Do we really need these things? There are some really good reasons for having them. Some of them come in pretty handy. I know we did without them years ago but does that mean we have to today? If we are going to use them, how do we become better at decluttering the area of the time we spend on them?
One thing I am going to do is cut back to checking all of them twice a day. I am also going to create a couple of personal groups on Facebook so that I will only see what I want from certain people. I am also going to work on educating people on how to tighten up their accounts. I think some of these will be a big help. What are some ways you are decluttering your online life?
Today’s Mini Mission Declutter CDs that you no longer listen to and perhaps are even embarrassed you ever owned.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 25, 2015 11:30:52 GMT -7
Today's Mission...
Today we are decluttering those cabinets above your fridge and stove. They're hard to reach so they tend to not get opened very often. If you haven't used the things that you find in there in a long time, think about whether you really need them. What did you find hiding up there? While you are there be sure to clean off the top of the fridge and the stove hood if you have one. De-greaser might be helpful here.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 26, 2015 14:05:06 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 28, 2015 18:28:22 GMT -7
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.
Life moves on and clutter can be the result of that. Today lets declutter some stuff from our previous lives
It seems to have been a while since I focused on the philosophy behind the 365 Less Things approach. I tend to take it for granted that we all know what that is, and we just get on with it. However this week that is going to be the theme for my posts. Even though my home contents are greatly reduced I can still benefit from taking that ten minutes a day to assess if there is anything still lingering that I could happily do without. After all, my home size was also greatly reduced, giving me less room to store those less than necessary items I may have kept just because I once had the space. It is aways nice to have a little empty space which leaves room for the next phase of life to arrive. So lets focus and six tasks this week that we can easily achieve in those ten minutes.
Monday – Think for a minute which drawer in your home is the messiest or most difficult to use due to how much stuff is crammed into it. Take ten minutes now to focus on finding and decluttering some things in that drawer that you don’t need. Things that, once removed, will make that drawer far more functional.
Tuesday – Take ten minutes to go through the most cluttered shelf in your kitchen cabinetry and declutter a few things that you rarely if ever use.
Wednesday – While you are preparing yourself for the day take ten minutes to go through your toiletries cabinet in you bathroom. Declutter anything that you don’t use or is past its used by date.
Thursday – Take ten minutes today to sort through your socks or underwear drawer. Ten minutes is all it will take to sort and identify those items that you avoid wearing until you are desperate. Declutter anything that you aren’t comfortable wearing.
Friday – Take a look on and in a desk or work space today. Give yourself ten minutes to find and declutter something that is not used and wasting space in this area.
Saturday – Take a look in an old photo album and take ten minutes to choose and toss some photos that don’t do much to record your life history. Duplicates, fuzzy shots, meaningless plants or animals (not pets), people you don’t recognise or who flitted through your life without giving much meaning to 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 Consider doing some things by hand rather than using an electrical appliance. Mix that cake by hand, tighten that screw with an old fashioned screw driver rather than and electric drill, sweep the floor rather than vacuum.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jun 30, 2015 18:27:19 GMT -7
In the moment Posted: 30 Jun 2015 09:00 AM PDT Today’s post has been brought out of the archives as a timely reminder to stay in the moment. We all spend far too much time “multi tasking” and thinking about what has to be done next, which often will result in poor quality output and stress. So I wanted to reiterate the message that we need to strive to keep our minds in the moment, as the only time we have is right now.
***********
I want you to take one minute now to do exactly as I say. Read the full set of instructions below and then act them out immediately before you forget…
- Stop what you are doing.
Close your eyes. Take 5 slow deep breaths. Listen to the sounds around you. Stay in the moment for one minute.
Open your eyes and read on. Slowly and deliberately.
Lately my mind has been all over the place flitting from one thing to another hardly taking time out to savor the moment. A few of times I found myself really concentrating on what I was doing and it was a very good feeling. I slowed down, focused and took time to really complete my task to the best of my ability. I found myself actually enjoying these tasks even though they were chores like ironing, cooking and cleaning.
Instead of thinking negative thoughts like – ‘I would rather be doing something else’ – I honed my mind onto the positive feeling I could get out of the situation.
Instead of rushing through the ironing like a crazed maniac I slowed my movements and really focused on pressing out each wrinkle. I gave myself time to think what was the best way to lay the article of clothing, across the ironing board, to get the best result. I think I actually got finished sooner because often in my haste I iron the odd crease in by mistake which can take some effort to get out. When cooking I gave full attention to each step of the process. I prepared the ingredients ahead instead of trying to chop, measure and stir all at once while cleaning as I go. We all know what a disaster that can be. With the cleaning I focused my mind on how good it feels to have a clean and tidy home and how good each area looked when completed. I concentrated on one small task at a time and as a result didn’t find myself running up and down the stairs or between rooms extra times because I forgot what I went there for in the first place. Basically I slowed down and savored the moment. I know you may be thinking that you are a busy person and you can’t afford such a luxury but you really can. Have you ever heard the expressions “The more haste the less speed.” or “Haste makes waste.” I am sure they were words of wisdom quoted from experience. Not only can it be counter productive when you aren’t focused on what you are doing but there is a good chance you aren’t getting any pleasure out of it either.
I wrote this post late on Wednesday night after I had given up trying and let my husband do a guest post for me that day. It suddenly occurred to me that I couldn’t write because my head wasn’t in it so I took 5 deep slow breaths and listened to the crickets outside in the night. That was enough to bring my mind out of its fog and get me back on track.
So remember to take 5 to refocus your mind and be in the moment. You might actually find that is saves you time in the long run.
***********
And how does this post even relate to decluttering you might ask. The philosophy of the 365 Less Things approach to decluttering is all about going slow and steady. Spending at least ten minutes each day to find something to add to your pile of decluttered items. So if you take the time to set aside those then minutes it is also helpful to stay in the moment during that time. This way you can focus your mind completely on the task of finding and letting go of that item. Focus just on that one item you want to find and release today.
Do not focus on, what may seem like, the mountain of other items that you still need to deal with once this item is relinquished. They don’t matter until it is their turn to be in your spotlight, in their moment.
Today’s Mini Mission Think for a minute which drawer in your home is the messiest or most difficult to use due to how much stuff is crammed into it. Take ten minutes now to focus on finding and decluttering some things in that drawer that you don’t need. Things that, once removed, will make that drawer far more functional.“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 5, 2015 12:24:46 GMT -7
Mini Mission Monday ~ Elephants Grave Yard
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.
Monday – If you have a basement, garage, attic or general storage area in your home, today would be a good day to seek out an “elephant” ~something you no longer use any more ~and send it to the outgoing clutter pile.
Tuesday – Another elephants’ graveyard can often be found in the back of kitchen cupboards. Have a dig around in there today and see if you can find some excess storage containers, crockery, electrical gadgets… that you never use and declutter them.
Wednesday – The tops of closets are another place where less than useful or sentimental stuff is often stored. Get up there and find one or two things that you could happily part with.
Thursday – Under beds are not only a good example of elephant graveyards but dust bunny heaven. Find something under there today to relegate to the donate pile.
Friday – Back to the closet today. Items of clothing can certainly fit the dead elephant theme. There is usually a section of a closet where the least used items of clothing gravitate to. Take a look through that section of your closet today and declutter one such item
Saturday – And how about those book shelves ~ I haven’t picked on them for a while ~ how about you visit the elephant book graveyard and choose five books you are unlikely ever to reread and declutter them.
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
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 7, 2015 13:04:10 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 9, 2015 15:12:56 GMT -7
Today's Mini Mission... By: Hilda M. Rodgers
For today's decluttering task, go through all the hats and see what you can purge. For those in the summer season, declutter baseball caps, sun hats, etc. (and winter stuff if it's still hanging around). For those in the winter season, go through your winter hats, gloves, scarves, etc. Purge anything that doesn't fit, is worn out or torn, or that no one has worn in the last few months. Also look for unnecessary duplication and give away some of the excess hats. If someone in the family really likes variety in baseball caps, see if you can store some of them in another location to minimize the clutter. Have them choose 2-3 favorites that they wear the most and then store the rest in a bedroom closet or something. Also, maximize vertical space to store hats (cubby-hole organizers or back of the door shoe pocket organizers are great for this!). Baskets on a closet shelf work well. That way they aren't tossed on the floor or in a pile. How many hats can you purge today?
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 10, 2015 11:09:51 GMT -7
Today's Mini Mission... By: Hilda M. Rodgers
Today's entry decluttering task is to relocate and/or purge any objects that don't belong in your entry. Things that have been dumped there instead of put away where they belong. Don't worry about paperwork or mail... we'll deal with that soon (just make one pile of it for now). If you come across stuff that doesn't really have a home but that belongs in your entry area, just leave it in your entry area for now and as the month goes on you can think about where you want to keep it.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 11, 2015 16:26:46 GMT -7
Today’s Mini Mission... By: Hilda M. Rodgers
And how about those book shelves ~ I haven’t picked on them for a while ~ how about you visit the elephant book graveyard and choose five books you are unlikely ever to reread and declutter them. Please do not throw books away. There are many places you can donate them. Some public libraries will take them, school libraries, charities and second hand stores. If you've read the books and they have no more value to you, share them with someone else who will enjoy them.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 13, 2015 12:26:18 GMT -7
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 spent a few days, yet again, last week helping someone move house. As a result I am once again writing a set of missions that reflect the various groups of items in homes that tend to accumulate and expand over time. It is often the same kinds of items in every home that are the objects of this problem. And that is all the more reason to harp on about it a bit. Because let me tell you, all that accumulation makes for a lot of unnecessary waste of time and cause of stress at an already very stressful time. I will elaborate on that in a post later in the week. So lets get started with our missions.
Monday – Declutter a few excess kitchen items. Crockery, cutlery, pots, pans, plastic containers, gadgets…
Tuesday – Declutter pantry ingredients that you never or rarely use and vow to keep them to a minimum in the future.
Wednesday – Declutter or use up some liquids that are sitting unused. That might be toiletries, cleaners, paint or other chemicals that were once used but then set aside wasting space and spoiling.
Thursday – Declutter some nick nacks or novelty items that have lost their appeal.
Friday – Declutter some outdoor items ~ plant pots, timber, pet toys etc ~ littering up the yard.
Saturday – Declutter some unnecessary items cluttering up your garage. Boxes, leisure equipment, tools, car parts, rejects from inside the house…
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
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 13, 2015 20:44:29 GMT -7
Eco Tip for the Day
Don’t throw those old sheets, towels, blankets and pillows in the trash donate them to an animal shelter, humane society, wildlife rescue service, kennel or veterinary surgery.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 14, 2015 14:51:03 GMT -7
365 Less Things Clutter Maintenance Posted by Colleen Madsen @ www.365lessthings.com/Clutter Maintenance
Every time I have moved house I have had a reasonable length of notice. Although, sometimes the definite ~ “Yes we are moving.” ~ may have come a little last minute but the maybe had been on the cards for long enough to have me get the preparation ball rolling. And by that I don’t only mean decluttering but also…
1…rounding up of like items throughout the home. 2…bagging up tiny like items that might get lost if not secured together. 3…cleaning items that may have become soiled either by constant or lack of use. 4…running down of consumable items such as, toiletries, food stuffs, cleaners etc 5…getting the outdoor area in order by removing unwanted items, weeding, trimming and scrubbing down. 6…dismantling items that you don’t want to waste time with on moving day. And I am sure the list could go on but I think you get the picture.
In my case I even had to do an itemized inventory of every item that was going in the removal for insurance purposes. I must say this was the worst job of all, so if you don’t need to do it then I am very pleased for you.
However back to the decluttering, because this is one of the most important parts of preparing for any move. My mini missions this week gave a hint to some of the major areas to keep in mind when you are about to move house, and lets reflect on those and some others soon. But first allow me to repeat the warning my last post on this subject carried. Sometimes the necessity to pick up and move house doesn’t come with very much notice. Just like the move that I was involved in last week end. All manner of circumstances can arise that will force you to pack up and move on almost in an instant.
So the moral of this post is to always be prepared. Don’t allow your possessions to accumulate beyond control. Don’t neglect the condition of your home or your stuff so that you have to scramble to get it into moving and move out condition. And don’t allow junk to build up so disposing of it at the last minute requires skips or trailer loads to get it all off the property.
So lets look closer at this weeks mini missions and perhaps some other areas of your home that are best kept under control at all times. Keeping in mind that there can be so much waste by being forced to toss or donate great quantities of things when being forced to move in a hurry. And not being on top of things will require extra last minute preparation and/or expense to haul away.
The kitchen: This would have to be one of the most cluttered areas of many homes I would think. With cupboards full of stuff often rarely if ever used. Some of which require a lot of wrapping to avoid breakage, thus filling many boxes and a lot of room in the removals van. There is also the potential for lots of liquid items that can get really messy if they break during moving. Some companies won’t even allow you to pack such items. Then their can also be lots of little-used food stuffs ~ sauces, spices, dry goods…~ that, if seldom used, are a waste of space in your pantry but also time consuming to sort through and prepare for careful packing when moving.
The Bathroom: I couldn’t count the number of houses I have visited that have bathroom cabinets full to overflowing with toiletries and other items that are no longer used. They have just been shoved to the side at some point and are now sitting there wasting space and spoiling. Just throw them away and don’t replace them if they have become unusable or offer them to someone else if they are still fine to use.
My preference for the use of toiletries is, if you decide you don’t like a certain item either use it up before replacing it. Or, as I mentioned above, offer it to someone else but don’t just let it linger. I personally use them up, because I don’t like waste and the products usually aren’t that bad that I can’t stand to finish them off. Using them up teaches me to be more careful about what to buy in the future. It also teaches me that many of these products are just a gimmick that aren’t worth wasting my money on in the first place. I came to this conclusion after trying one product after another and being constantly disappointed.
The Garage: Like Nicole stated in her post last week, the garage is a place where things, already rejected elsewhere in the house, go to be ignored until you “might need them someday”. Well guess what, someday rarely if ever comes. Except the someday when you have to move house and you have a garage full of useless-to-you stuff that has now become a real millstone around your neck. If it isn’t being used, and isn’t likely to be, get rid of it now. Some examples of this sort of clutter from the move last week are boxes from electrical items purchased over two years, sporting equipment not used since moving into the house, unwanted kitchen gadgets, motorcycle accessories, excess pet equipment.
The Bedroom: Need I say, clothing and shoes. Then there are fiddly bits in bedside cabinets, dust collecting decor items, rarely worn costume jewelry, clothing, shoes… Oh, and did I mention clothing and shoes. Two huge boxes of clothing and shoes were donated from the house last weekend. That screams excess, wasted money and not nearly enough clutter upkeep to me. But at least it was decluttered and sent on to the thrift shop rather than wasting space in a moving van.
The Yard: The bigger the yard the more work involved in keeping it in order. Some people love that kind of work and would rather be out there pottering than spending time inside. I am not one of those people but I do understand their choice. Others however make this space their dumping ground. Plastic plant pots, discarded leaky garden hoses and building supplies (bricks, boards, wire etc) stacked up against fences. Pet toys and bedding, used and unused, scattered here and there. Kids outdoor toys in varies stages of condition some used some long forgotten. You get the picture. Without this sort of build up of stuff the yard is very easy to prepare for moving out. However where there is no upkeep what a chore it becomes rounding up all these unwanted items and hauling them off to the tip.
Cleaning Supplies: My laundry room is cluttered with excess cleaning supplies at the moment. Not because I usually use these items but because they would otherwise have just been washed down the drain during the last two home moves that I have been involved in. I would prefer to bring them to my house and use them up than see them go to waste, because they are unwanted or are dangerous to pack for an interstate move.
This is another subject I have written about more than once in the past. Purchasing one cleaning product after another in a bid to make cleaning easier is a fools game. Cleaning requires effort not copious amounts of chemicals. Trust me, I know this from experience. Microfibre cloths, water, and a good organic multipurpose cleaner will clean most things in your home. Enough said. Keep your cleaners to a minimum in your home and you will save a whole lot of space and money.
Home Decor Items: Nick nacks, curtains, rugs, cushions, throw rugs, lamps, picture frames etc etc, can make your home look warm and inviting, however they all collect dust. At all times they require maintenance and if neglected will need extra attention when moving. Prior to moving, your soft furnishings will require laundering or cleaning while the fragile stuff requires dusting and careful packing. So less = less in this area. The less decor items you possess the less work required to prepare and move them. Unless you don’t mind moving dust and grime along with everything else to your new home.
In summary, a little effort and decluttering here and there on a regular basis will keep your home and its contents in good condition and under control. Then whether you suddenly find yourself having to move, have a rental home inspection or have visitors arrive on short notice you won’t have to experience unnecessary stress or embarrassment. And if none of these things do happen at least your relaxation time will be all the more enjoyable knowing that there is not grime and clutter building up around you.Today’s Mini Mission Declutter or use up some liquids that are sitting unused. That might be toiletries, cleaners, paint or other chemicals that were once used but then set aside wasting space and spoiling.
Eco Tip for the Day Don’t leave tasks linger for so long that you have to redo them such as drying the washing or folding it. This can cause you to have to waste more electricity rewashing and ironing. Need I also mention your wasted time and wear and tear on your appliances.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 15, 2015 10:26:25 GMT -7
Today’s Mini Mission
Gather up a group of similar items that have spread throughout your home. That may be pens, hair ties, nail files, small tools… Once you have them all together declutter the excess and store the rest in one place.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 16, 2015 13:02:25 GMT -7
Today’s Mini Mission
Declutter something that hasn’t been used in a long time. After all, if you don’t have a use for it then your home is not the right place for it.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 17, 2015 13:41:34 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 21, 2015 9:33:16 GMT -7
Mini Mission Monday ~ Digitise By: Colleen Madsen @ www.365lessthings.com/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 some items that we could digitise rather than keep the tangible form of. This should free up some space without actually getting rid of the item altogether.
Monday – Declutter some household appliance manuals. Choose a couple and google the item to see if there is a copy of the manual on line. If so throw away the paper copy.
Tuesday – If you have a file of paper bank statements declutter some, if not all, of them today. All of this information can be accessed by online banking. Set yours up and begin getting rid of all that redundant paperwork. It is so unlikely that you will ever need any of it, digital or tangible, so stop hoarding it in your filing cabinet. Before you know it you may find you can declutter the filing cabinet as well.
Wednesday – Digitise receipts for things you either need for insurance or warranty purposes. Chances are you will also never need them in either in digital or original form. Check with your insurance company if it makes you feel better about decluttering them.
Thursday – Digitise some keepsake items by either scanning or taking a digital photo of them and saving it to your computer, or better still a cloud. Items that you rarely or never look at should be easier to convince yourself to let go of, so begin with a couple of them.
Friday – If you have any bills that could be switched to online billing do that today. This will reduce the paperwork coming into your home and also cuts down on paper waste and transportation which is good for the environment.
Saturday – If you still have a home phone take some time today to consider switching to purely cellular. Why have extra big clunking phones taking up electricity and valuable space in your home when smaller more versatile cellular phones can more than suffice. (This isn’t really a digital tip but close enough)
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 declutteringEco Tip for the Day Save electricity by not turning on electrical appliances, like irons, hair straighteners etc, too long before you use them and by not leaving them on while you decide to take a break during the task.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 21, 2015 10:48:58 GMT -7
Digitising User Manuals By: Colleen Madsen @ www.365lessthings.com/Today I thought I might bore you all with how to digitise your user manuals rather than allow them to take up space in your home. Feel free to disagree about the sense of digitising if you like, I have no problem with how you choose to use the space in your home. I live in a two bedroom apartment so space is at a premium and not to be wasted.
There are so many manuals available online in PDF form that you can download to your computer. Today, as an example, I googled for the PDF of my Brother P-Touch PT65 label maker. It must be at least 12 years old. I found the PDF in one try, downloaded and saved it to my computer and decluttered the paper copy.
A PDF filed logically on your computer is so much easier to access than digging around among twenty other manuals in a file box. In my case that box is in the bottom of my linen closet. I created a subfolder in my Documents folder call “Household User Manuals” and that is where I am now saving any user manuals I can find PDF’s for online.
Below are some instructions I put together for those who don’t know how to go about finding and saving the PDFs they will need.
Find out the make, name and model number for your gadget/appliance. It may be printed on the paper manual or you may have to check the information plate on the item itself. Go to your computer, find the Documents file and create a new folder in this file and name it Household User Manuals (or whatever name suits you). Close out of Documents and open your internet browser. Use the search engine there (I use google) and the details you have collected on the item, to find the user manual you require. Hit the download button provided at the website to download the document. Once fully downloaded (there is usually a timer in the bottom righthand corner of the screen) wave your curser over the bottom lefthand corner of the document/screen. A row of symbols should appear prompting you with the usual options (print, enlarge, reduce, save…). Simply hit the save option. A box will drop down from the top of the screen prompting you to give the file/document a name. Type in your chosen file/document name that will identify the appliance the manual is for. (eg, in my case Brother P-Touch labeller PT65) This box should also show what folder the document is to be filed in. It may open to a default of the last folder you saved something in, and not the one you need this time. Make sure you choose the folder you created in step 2. (Household User Manuals (or whatever name suits you). Then hit save. Job done and you can start on the next manual. You could likely have manuals for appliances/gadgets you still own and use that a really old – like my forty year old Elna sewing machine. You may have no choice but to keep original user manual such as these, as a PDF may never have been created of it. An occasion could arise where you need this manual to get the instructions to use a function that you as yet aren’t familiar with.
However by chance I happened to google this manual and, lo and behold, a PDF has in fact been created for it. Downloading that is next on my to-do list.
If you can’t get your head around going digital I have another suggestion to reduce the paper clutter in this area. Get out the manuals and remove and recycle all the extra pages transcribed in foreign languages. You most certainly won’t be needing those. There may also be installation instruction for the appliance. Chances are you will never again need those either.
I must point out two things at this point.
I use a laptop or notebook computer, so it is easily moved to the appliance I might need to access the PDF manuals for. If you only have a desk top computer (no laptop or tablet) it will be more inconvenient for you. It may also be prudent to back up these files to an external drive or a cloud for extra security in the case of a computer crash. This is only necessary if you are insecure about the possibility of the PDFs becoming unavailable online once they get a little old. I’d say there is little chance of that, given that I can access that manual for my 40 year old sewing machine.
Today’s Mini Mission Digitise receipts for things you either need for insurance or warranty purposes. Chances are you will also never need them in either in digital or original form. Check with your insurance company if it makes you feel better about decluttering them.Eco Tip for the Day Add a few one pot meal to your weekly menu. Cooking everything at once saves on electricity and your precious time. I often also cook the meat portion of my meals separately but cook all my vegetable together one way or another. A slow cooker or a set of steamer saucepans come in handy for this method of cooking.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 22, 2015 10:55:24 GMT -7
Today's Tip From:Hilda M. Rodgers @ www.365lessthings.com/If you've decluttered all you can in particular areas of your home, then yes, organizing what you're keeping is important to help keep your home from feeling cluttered. I've got lots of organizing tips on my blog in addition to the decluttering tips smile emoticon My #1 tip for maximizing storage in small places is to use vertical space as much as possible (tall shelves w/baskets, shelves on walls, tall cupboards w/door to hide things, pocket organizers on the back of doors, shelves/drawers in closets, tall chests of drawers instead of long short dressers, etc.). Also, if you have a garage, basement, attic, shed, etc. then use that space to store anything you don't use regularly but still need to keep, so your "normal" space is home for the things you use all the time. Lastly, if you're buying furniture, look for things that offer storage or that serve multiple purposes (e.g. storage ottomans, coffee tables with storage underneath, beds that are tall enough to store things underneath, etc.). Thrift stores, Freecycle, garage sales, etc. are great places to find affordable options.
|
|
|
Post by Loupy on Jul 25, 2015 22:36:39 GMT -7
|
|