Are you one of those people who has a shelf full of cookbooks with the good intention of being experimental in the kitchen but tend to stick to the same tried and true recipes? Or perhaps you are someone who steps that up just a notch by trying a new recipe only once in a while. Then this post is for you. In fact even if you are adventurous in the kitchen then this post may also be for you. Especially if you'd rather spread out your cooks gear than waste space on cookbooks that you don't really need. Or perhaps you are a want-to-be cook who buys foodie magazines and clips recipes that you … [Read more...]
“…the answer is invariably in the question.”
"...the answer is invariably in the question." Â This is part of a quote from a wise man. That man is Billy Connolly and the quote is from the same book I mentioned yesterday. So, how does this relate to decluttering? Well I am about to give my thoughts on that. In the Guides section of my blog you will find my Declutter Decision Making Guide. It is packed with questions to ask of yourself when deciding whether you should declutter an item. However this quote from Billy Connolly got me thinking ~ (Wise words from worldly people often have me applying their wisdom to the subject of … [Read more...]
Clutter on a grand scale
Recently my parents put a deposit on a property in a gated retirement community. I have to say I am very proud of them for taking this step. Mind you, it isn't a fait accompli until the home is built and they have moved in, but being open to the idea and making the first move is a wonderful thing. The home my parents are currently living in has become far more than people at their stage in life to should have to maintain ~ inside and out. In my opinion, the home itself has become their biggest item of clutter. Too many rooms to keep dusted, vacuumed and fresh, to much yard to mow and … [Read more...]
Decluttering, the cure for retail therapy
I was wondering what I should write about today when it occurred to me that I have just past the four year anniversary of blogging about decluttering here at 365 Less Things. That got me thinking about how things have changed and in some cases how things haven't. My living circumstances have certainly changed, having reached the goal I originally started out trying to achieve. I am a little amazed that the goal never really changed over that time. However, my principles of decluttering haven't changed at all. So today I thought, just for fun I would dig up a blog post from about this time … [Read more...]
The Great Unveiling
Today I want to share with you photos of my new home. It is a work in progress but I am sure you will agree that we have slotted in fairly well so far. However my photography leaves a little to be desired. We are constantly decluttering and reshuffling and it is coming together nicely. This Friday we take possession of a secondhand 70s sideboard which will replace my craft cubes that have been serving as our TV cabinet since we moved in. Two of the cubes will go into my kitchen cupboards while two others in the spare room wardrobe will be decluttered to make room for the paper file drawer … [Read more...]
Happy New Year ~ What is your resolution
Hi there. Just a quick post today to say welcome to any new readers scouring the internet for suggestions of New Years resolutions. I have one for you ~ Resolve to declutter one thing a day for a whole year. It isn't hard but it sure is effective if your house is currently cluttered. For those of you who have been decluttering for a while set a decluttering resolution that suits where you are at with your mission to unclutter. My resolution this year is to get rid of anything that doesn't fit comfortably into my lovely new little two bedroom apartment. I am loving it here and the only thing … [Read more...]
Handbag Clutter
This week we have been talking about making decisions about what is clutter and what isn't. Recently I received an email from a reader named Lesley who shared with me a story of why she decided to declutter and downsized her handbag. Here is what Lesley wrote~ "Hi Coleen, I have recently come across your website and I am enjoying it very much and finding it very inspirational. I was reading some older posts from your archive and came across one regarding handbags, and I wanted to share my experience with you. Three years ago my large, very cluttered, handbag was stolen. It contained too much … [Read more...]
Thursdays with Deb J ~ Craft Supply Overload
In the year 2000 I created my first scrapbook project ever. I had no supplies so I went to the store and bought a few sheets of paper and some embellishments in order to create a small, soft bound encouragement album for my boss who was going through chemo. I made the pages, decorated two as the intro and my page and then passed it among our co-workers so they could decorate a page according to their tastes. When it was done I had nothing left of the supplies. That was good. Not long after that I was invited to a scrapbook supply selling party. It was fun. I enjoyed what we made. My boss … [Read more...]
Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom ~ Moving
Last month, I helped my friends, The E family, move. In the last month, I also helped my daughters' school pack for a move. The Es have lived in their house 13 years; the school has been in this location 10 years. Let me tell you, I have seen a lot of junk, stuff, things, good stuff that's no longer needed, beautiful useful items, heirlooms, and lost & found in the past month. A lot. Moving really forces you to focus in on what's essential. This is especially true for the school, which is being torn down and rebuilt. For the first half of the next school year, The Girls' School of Austin … [Read more...]
Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom ~ Don’t Over Buy
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom At the end of every school year, I volunteer to take home all the lost and found from my daughters' school. I look through it, sort it, wash it, fold it, and give it to charity. The amount of lost and found (or as the Head of School calls it, "Lost and Sometimes Found")Â is absolutely amazing. Â At the end of this school year, I had 20 expensive metal water bottles (one still had a clear $25 price tag on it), a dozen lunch bags in good condition, probably 50 items of clothing worthy of the thrift store, and 5 or 6 coats, including one very nice Columbia brand … [Read more...]