Last week I found myself worrying too much about other people's clutter. I am not referring to my readers here of course but to people in my own personal scope of friends and acquaintances. In the end I decided that ~ as the old saying goes ~ "God helps those who help themselves."  Which for me meant all I can do is offer my help and advice but in the end if people aren't willing or able to make changes then I shouldn't concern myself over it. Below are a list of the thoughts that came to mind through my frustrations last week that I feel compelled to get off my chest. It is not … [Read more...]
Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom – Decluttered Kids’ Parties
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom Clutter and birthday parties, especially children’s birthday parties, fit together like a hand and glove, don’t they? They don’t have to. My youngest, Audra, turned 10 last week. Her birthday party cost less than $31 (less because there were food leftovers), generated virtually no trash, and was a great success. First, let’s think about the things that create trash at a child’s birthday party. Disposable table cloth (cheap paper or plastic) Paper plates Paper napkins Paper cups Cheap themed decorations (Often all of the above are … [Read more...]
Simple Saturday ~ Share your experience on resisting temptation
I received a post request from Jane some time ago and was hoping you, her fellow 365ers, might share with her  your personal experience with this issue. Here is Jane's subject for you... Resisting temptation. How others handle trying not to drag home more stuff like knick-knacks & clothing, etc. What are their proven methods for curbing the buying urge? The Weekend's Mini Missions Saturday – Declutter your patio, deck or porch. Sunday – Declutter items that have accumulated on your coffee or lamp tables in your living room. "In daily life we must see that it is not … [Read more...]
Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom – Why You Need a List
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom I love lists. I used to love them more. And you know what? I used to be a lot more organized and a lot more efficient. Coincidence? I think not. I cannot stress enough that you need a list - probably several of them. I don't care if you keep them on paper or electronically. I do both, but for me nothing beats the satisfaction of crossing off a to-do item with paper and pen. (Great repurposing of half-used spiral notebooks that come home at the end of the school year every August.) Especially is you tend to dilly-dally and procrastinate, you need a list. If you tend … [Read more...]
Freebies often equal clutter
Yesterday's mini mission got me thinking that it has been a while since I wrote a post on the subject of freebies and it's about time I did. Who can't resist a freebie? It isn't everyday that someone offers you something for nothing and it's like getting a gift right? Well unfortunately like many gifts the freebie is often something you don't really need and it soon becomes clutter. One advantage a freebie has over a gift though is that it isn't usually given to you by a loved one so refusing it isn't going to hurt anyones feelings. That being so, I would suggest doing just that, politely … [Read more...]
Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom – Why 365 Less Things?
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom - A Review of the Basics Why 365 Less Things? Let’s get the grammatical question out of the way first and promptly. Yes, we know it’s supposed to be 365 Fewer Things, but it’s not. That’s all there is to it. (Can you believe that Colleen regularly gets comments from readers telling her she’s named the blog wrong? Do they think they’re the first to notice? Declutter this worry from your mind: You're not the first.) Now on to the meat of the matter: Why does 365 Less Things exist, and how can it help you? I truly don’t know the origins of the 365 Thing … [Read more...]
Simple Saturday – Declutter Your Pet’s Tags
Does your pet wear a collar and tag? If you have a pet, I hope the answer is, "Of course!" Today is a great day for inspecting your pet's tags. Are they still legible? Are they still accurate? If you have a tag from Home Away or another finding service, dial the number and make sure the information they have is correct. Does your pet only have current tags? I once found an animals whose owners kept putting on new rabies tags like they were charms on a charm bracelet. Remove the extras. Heaven forbid your pet should get lost, but we all know it's possible. Even the shyest cat or … [Read more...]
Change your focus
First read this comment by Jane from last week in response to Cindy's Weekly Wisdom ~ Mental Clutter It is interesting how one simple transfer of focus can make such a big difference to someone's life. Think about it for a minute ~ Jane has transferred her focus from avoiding unpleasant tasks to finding a reason to cross something off her to do list. She naturally got no joy from knowing there were unpleasant tasks awaiting to be done but she gets a great deal of pleasure eliminating things from her to do list. The pleasure can not be achieved without the task being done. Nothing has become … [Read more...]
Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom ~ Mental Clutter
Cindy's Weekly Wisdom I was surveying a newly installed fence and gate - my own - and I suddenly thought of Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project. Unfortunately for us, I don't own her book, so I can't mine it for an appropriate quote, but one of the keys to happiness that she extols is getting things done and off your to-do list. Make a mammogram appointment, write a thank you letter, update your resume, get your fence fixed. Taking something off your to-do list automatically makes you feel happier. I know it did me. The sad saga of the fence goes like this: In September 2009, … [Read more...]
The basics of everyday decluttering
Being as this is the first week of the new year I have decided to put together a basic everyday decluttering post for those who have stumbled onto my blog looking for help with their New Year's resolution to minimise their possessions. So without further adieu I present you with the basics of decluttering your home with the slow and steady approach. Keep it simple ~ Everyday decluttering is about decluttering slowly and deliberately one item at a time. There is no need to disrupt your household by pulling everything out of a large area causing a huge mess, making rash decisions on what to … [Read more...]