It can be very helpful to read about other peoples experiences with de-cluttering their homes. There are so many helpful tips out there on the big Wide World Web and I will explore more of them and add some more links on my page as I find time. I have noticed while reading a few over the last couple of days that the biggest mistake for most people is setting to0 high goals. I believe, one day at a time, one room at a time, one drawer at a time are often goals easier reached and less daunting to consider. Do what works for you and if something looks too much to handle move to another area … [Read more...]
Day 83 Product Reviews
We have all seen advertisements for product that enticed us into believing that "I just can't do without that!" and "I must have one!"Â We have fallen in love with the idea that the advertisement is selling. I say idea because even though the idea is great that doesn't mean that the product is going to live up to the expectation that you have drawn up in your head. The tip today to save you money and wasted space is to get on your computer and look for product reviews for these "must have" items before you rush out to buy them. Granted you can't always believe the reviews either but if there … [Read more...]
Day 81 Every little thing counts
On January 15th my give-away for the day was wedding invitations that I made for a friend's daughter's wedding. My husband said that was a cop out and not really purging anything yet I thought this was one of my best donations yet. You see I have a lot of papercrafting items such as tools, cardstock , paper, adhesive, embelishments.... but I really haven't been doing a lot of papercrafting lately. I have previously made the invitations for the engagement party and when I was asked to do the wedding invitations I thought what a great oportunity to contribute to their special event and purge … [Read more...]
Day 80 Owership is not Compulsory
A couple of days ago I added my bicycle to the things that are to go to charity. I have owned a bike since I was about nine years old. I rode a bike to school almost every day from that age. I bought my first new bike when I was about sixteen and when I started working for my parents' business at the age of nineteen I used the bike to deliver the monthly accounts. The use of the bicycle got less and less once I was married and had children but it has been one of those thing that I have always owned and relied on during a long period of my life. I have never not owned one since the age of … [Read more...]
Day 79 Use ‘m or lose ‘m
Another place that I have found lots of the same thing tends to accumulate over time is in the bathroom cabinet. Bottles of moisturiser in particular have this tendency. Someone gives you one as a gift, you pick up a couple at a motel you stayed at or a friend has a Body Shop party and you feel obliged to buy something and so on until there are five slightly used bottles/tubes you use on a rotational basis taking up a lot of space. My solution is to chose one today use it and only it until it is empty then move on to the next one until you are down to one and only buy another when that one is … [Read more...]
Day 78 The gift that just keeps giving???
Rule number one of de-cluttering... Just because you have something that was given to you as a gift doesn't mean you can't get rid of it. A quick story to emphasise this point. When moving house once when I was a teenager we were packing up a clock that had hung on the kitchen wall for as long as I could remember and for just as long it had been 10 minutes fast. One of us said to Mum "Isn't is time we got rid of that stupid clock it has never kept time properly" and my Mum's response was "I can't get rid of it, it was a wedding present". While carrying the box the clock was sitting in … [Read more...]
Day 77 Too much of a good thing
How many of you have all the following cleaning products cluttering up that space in the laundry cupboard, under the kitchen sink or in the garage. Microfibre Cloth & Water • Window Cleaner • Car Wash • Floor Cleaner Toilet Cleaner • Drain Cleaner • Mould Spray • Bleach Cream Cleanser • Metal Cleaner • Stove Top Cleaner All Purpose Spray • Shower Cleaner Carpet Spot Cleaner • Pre-Wash Spray In my experience you only need the four products hi-lighted to do most of the cleaning jobs around the home. Toilet cleaner with bleach will do … [Read more...]
Day 76 Sometimes we need help
Lets face it, we all have clothes in our closet we haven't worn for some time that for one reason or another we are reluctant to part with. Well, today I have a plan to help you sort out your closet and at the same time take away the difficult part of that task, choosing. Pick a friend someone you have known for a least a couple of years who you trust and value their opinion. Ask them to help you go through your closet and decide for you the items that they feel need to go. Since they have known you for a reasonable amount of time they will know what clothes they have never or rarely seen … [Read more...]
Day 71 Dematerialise
The idea behind 365 less things is not only to rid our home of clutter but also not to replace that clutter with new clutter. I like to refer to it as "dematerialise", that is to stop being a victim to the constant materialistic urge to keep up with the Jones or use "retail therapy" to put joy into my life. I am now getting lots of joy sending things out to other homes that might need it more than I do and saving my hard earned cash to use where I feel I get more satisfaction, like travelling or going out for a nice meal somewhere special or paying off the mortgage quickly. These things may … [Read more...]