Here are the five comments I singled out for favouritism this week…
Andréia in response to Andréia’s declutter story ~ Stuff in our lives is very relative… Read more
Ideealistin in response to Eliminate clutter without even trying ~ You asked for the readers’ ways of decluttering without even trying… Read more
Mrs Green in response to Eliminate clutter without even trying ~ …think I would add DVD rental to your list… Read the full comment
Cindy in response to Eliminate clutter without even trying ~ Ideealistin’s comment reminded me of another category of clutter that can be eliminated… Read more
Jennifer in response to Eliminate clutter without even trying ~ I am often surprised by the intersections between different movements… Read more
The five blog posts/web articles I most enjoyed this week
Listen Feel Breathe ~ The bridge builder
Be More With Less ~ Calm down mini mission
Organised living solutions.com ~ Tips-on-getting-organised
Upcycled Love ~ Ask-yourself-to-buy-less-crap
Search.earth911.com ~ Where to recycle almost anything if you live in the USA
Today’s Declutter Item
Getting more and more ruthless with the cookbooks. There aren’t too many left now. Mostly ones I need to copy a few recipes out of that I actually regularly before I declutter them. These have gone to the thrift store.
Cookbooks
My Grateful List
- Something that made be laugh ~ This from Fail Blog – Tip Math Fail – I don’t think that person could English either.
- Something awesome ~ Freshly baked chocolate chip muffins. Even better with a little whipped crean and a few juicy ripe strawberries.
- Something to be grateful for ~ The tiler finally came to start on finishing the balcony repairs.
- Something that made me happy ~ My daughter calling to tell me how much better she is at saving these days and that she hasn’t gone over on her phone plan for three months. Hope springs eternal!
- Something I found fascinating ~ Deep sea nature shows.
It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow
ooh, lovely, more lovely blogs to explore… after I’ve done the essentials of the day of course:O)
I seem to be having a natural little break from the major decluttering fest of the last few months. I’m keeping up with my systems to stop new clutter piling up, including much less washing up since I reduced our glasses and china in the kitchen. Just 2 large/2 small/plates/bowls/4 glasses really has made a big difference and the kitchen is much tidier and it just feels easier to keep on top of kitchen mess.
No doubt the next level of decluttering will arrive when I am ready. I do love my more streamlined life.
Hi Katharine,
you have reached declutterings higher ground.
I use the rinse and repeat method in my kitchen. Once a glass or cup is used it gets rinsed and we all the only one cup and/or one glass a day. I even made cute beaded ID hanger for our glasses so we would know whose is whose. Then I decluttered several glasses and cups.
Yes, this was a great week for comments, especially on the one post about elminating clutter without even trying.
Yes will done Cindy with that post. It sure got the readers chipping in on the conversation.
Great links – I really appreciate you doing these every week.
Thanks Calico ginger,
it would appear to be a lazy day for me because I don’t have to write a post but the truth is I have to scour through a lot of blog post to come up with five I feel I would like to share with you. That takes up far more time than actually writing a post. I learn a lot from them myself though so that is OK. The comments are easier because I read them all anyway and just have to cut and paste. Sometimes it is difficult to narrow it down to just five but five it is and I am sticking to that.
So I decided to go to the Fail Blog link you gave in your grateful list today, and now I’m still wiping away tears of laughter!! The series of comments where everyone calculated different amounts is priceless, as is this comment later on: “Oooh, tip argument. Having been a waitress, I’m not touching this with a ten foot pole. I’ll sit back and watch the fireworks, though!”
Thank you for the marvellous laugh to end my day, Colleen!
Hi Jo,
Liam introduced me to Fail blog last Christmas and we nearly wet ourselves laughing at the Creepy Santa Fails. I think they have removed them now but it was hilarious. There was this one old fashion kind of santa peering in the window and he looked like some sort of creepy pedophile. Glad you enjoyed the laugh. I have scheduled something funny for Sunday so stay tuned.
Hi Colleen! Just getting a little reward for part of the job done… 😉 Just checking out your links (always something new to be learned). One of the links (“Ask yourself to buy less crap”) was for me. I was kind of angry today, and decided to go to a Walmart (a bad idea all around, because a have some extra money). Then, just before I left my home, I started to think: “What do I NEED to buy at Walmart?” The answer: “Nothing.” So, why was I going to Walmart? To buy crap to feel better about myself instead of talking to my husband and solving the problem. So I decided to talk, felt better, and NO, I didn’t go to Walmart.
Hi Andréia,
Way to go (or not to go as the case may be)! shopping angry is worst than going to sleep angry. I am glad you sorted things out with hubby. Who’d have thought learning decluttering skills could help with communication skills as well. Win Win!
Yes! Like one other post said, shopping, now, sadly, seems to be the answer to everything to some people. The worst of it was, I had already bought some essentials to the house in the afternoon. I did need to buy some other products, but I have to make a list. I was going impulse shopping. I was problably going to buy stuff I didn’t want or need, but it would be easier than talking. The funny thing is, before really decluttering, I felt sad that I wanted to buy stuff and had no money. Now I have the money to buy the stuff I used to crave, but I don’t want to buy it anymore. 😀 :-D. Have a nice weekend away!
Good move Andreia!
I’ve been challenging myself this week not to go into to town becasue I didn’t need anything. I’ve been budgeting and definitely need to up my savings in the next few months so am avoiding unecessary trips, because what do I need?
We need to save our money! 😀 😀
Thanks for the link love, Colleen! That is one of my earliest posts, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Lynn,
it may be older but it’s still relevant and good.
Lovely post today…especially useful is the earth911 link…finding sources for recycling paint , small appliances and computers is just what I needed!
Hi Kelley,
I hoped that link would be useful. I must do a search and see if I can find a site like that in Australia.
Thanks for sharing my comment as one of your favourite fives. I enjoyed Ideealistin’s response too about honesty.
Colleen, you would have laughed this week. We’ve had a German TV crew with us for 2 days and I made every one lunch, only I had decluttered my cutlery (as per your instruction a few months ago) and, as there are only 3 of us living here, I kept 4 of everything.
When we had 6 of us sitting around the table (taking shifts because we only have 4 chairs) I had to wash things up before the next person could use them! I think I even got away without anyone noticing LOL!
ROFL that you think you got anyway with it without anyone noticing! We’d have the same problem…well, except we’re not likely to have a German TV crew dropping in anytime soon LOL.
Hi Mrs Green,
that is too funny. What is even funnier is that I have three people living here and we have about 12 of each piece of cutlery. I use a dishwasher so I need more than one set. I have about 20 teaspoons and we sometimes run out of those. Clearly I drink too much tea and coffee.
Hi Mrs Green,
glad you liked my honesty 🙂
Please share when and where to material about you will be aired, will you? I don’t want to miss it! (and in case it was the public german tv: they only have their material online for a week)
Thank you so much for the mention! I’m honored when I make it into your Friday lists. My cookbooks take up less than one shelf on my bookcase, but I see at least three that I’ve never even tried a recipe out of in the 6 months to (eep) 2 years that I’ve had them. Time to do some culling.
I’ve been thinking about how to keep my pottery clutter down, and it’s simply come down to being more picky in the studio. Medicore bowls and vases get mushed and the clay reused. Only the things I’m really happy with make it home (and they’re nice enough to give away as gifts when I get tired of admiring my own handiwork!).
Hi Jennifer,
culling those cookbooks turned out to be a lot easier than I thought. I can’t say I have missed any of them.
I love that you bring you handwork home to admire for a while before passing it on to someone as a gift. I like to enjoy my creations too before rehousing them.
Hi Colleen,
So happy that you liked another one of my posts. The bridge builder is an amazing story and such a great reminder that working together and helping each other is just as important, if not more, as making progress and having success in our own lives and goals.
I hope you have a wonderful week 🙂
Hi David,
I thought it was such a lovely parable that I wanted to share it with those who may not normally read your blog. I think I might go back over now and read it again just for a little bit of feel good to start off my Monday.