Day 327 Not too many not too few ~ 23 Nov 2010 Each person’s goal when it come to minimalism is very individual. I, for one, cannot ever see myself living with only 100 things as some minimalists suggest. In fact at this point in my journey I have no idea how many more items will leave my home before I am satisfied with the end result. It may be that as time goes by my embrace on this lifestyle could strengthen and I may detach myself from even more of my belongings than I ever considered when I started. Who knows? Being comfortable in the here and now with what is too many and what is … [Read more...]
Flood victim with a great attitude
In Australia for the last couple of weeks news stories have focused mostly on the terrible flood situation in Queensland and the aftermath now that the waters have receded. One particular news story really caught our eye last Saturday night and I wanted to share it with you. In fact I want to share two stories with you because if a person ever had reason to be proud of their fellow citizens, this is it. It just makes me want to shout Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi! The first story is about how the wonderful folk of Brisbane and surrounds who weren't personally effected by the flood quickly … [Read more...]
Day 297 Pet Clutter
Pets as Clutter A guest post by Cindy Bogard We have five pets: two dogs, one cat, two guinea pigs, and I was the decision-maker for each acquisition, but as I tripped over Tucker the dog this morning, I started thinking about the animals as clutter. I love them, and I don’t intend on getting rid of them (well, maybe the guinea pigs who have become eating, pooping nick nacks), but still I wanted to think about them in a new way: Are animals clutter? Certainly owning animals involves clutter. The dogs have food, leashes, bowls, beds, brushes, medicine, and clippers that have to be stored, … [Read more...]
Day 284 The joys of decluttering
With fear that lately I have started to sound like some of the nuns I remember from my school days, preaching hell and damnation day in day out, I thought I might write something a little more upbeat today. I'd like to point out the joy that can be found in decluttering your home. This joy can be appreciated from day one, not just at the end of the journey. See if you can identify with the joy of..... A Fresh Start - It is never too late to begin a new phase in your life. Cut yourself some slack and don't dwell on the past. Acknowledge the things you got right and learn the lesson of … [Read more...]
Day 242 Cleaning Out the Closet
A guest post by - My Husband During a recent overseas business trip I read about an experiment to choose six clothing items and only use those items for a month. You could have multiple copies of each item, even a different colour counted as a separate item but underwear, sleepwear, shoes and jackets etc did not count. I looked at my standard travel wardrobe, and found two pairs of Columbia pants, four sweat-wicking golf shirts (three colours) and two pairs of shorts. Five items to which I could add a more formal shirt for those dressier occasions, and still meet the Six Items or Less … [Read more...]
Day 230 How many handbags does one woman really need?
ONE Yes that's right ONE. That is all you really need. Having said that, I own more than one handbag myself. I actually have three but I only ever use one. Maybe it is time I decluttered the other two. I used the other two bags more often before I needed prescription glasses but they are not big enough to hold the case. One of the reasons why I stick with just one bag is because I just can't be bothered moving the items I keep in there all the time from one bag to another. I don't like to carry a big bag because like every other space the bigger it is the more you fill it up with … [Read more...]
Day 219 Minimizing the kids wardrobe
Earlier this week I received a comment from Angelina requesting that I write a post about minimizing kids' wardrobes. Below is what she wrote... I love your blog, I read it everyday. I am a stay at home Mom with two kids. I was wondering if you can write about Minimalist Wardrobe for Kids. My kids have so much clothes, I don’t know how to keep up with them. My mother in law buys them clothes all the time, non-stop. The clothes are driving me crazy. Keep up the great job, I can't get enough of your blog, I’ve recommend your sites to my family and friends too. Now first up I would … [Read more...]
Day 214 Supply and Demand
There is an election going on at the moment here in Australia. The politicians often jump on the environmental bandwagon to win votes. The issues they promise they are going to address when they win are just a drop in the bucket to what really needs doing. In fact they aren't prepared to do much at all when it comes to the manufacturing of pointless garbage like... the free toys in kids meals and other promotional products wasteful single use gadgets shoddy appliances that don't last and can't be repaired Disposable cutlery & plates Cheap souvenirs The sheer quantity of … [Read more...]
Day 189 Communicating feelings
One thing I have observed during the process of writing my posts, answering comments and emails, and reading other decluttering blogs is that lack of communication is a real problem when it comes to clutter. It causes clutter in the first place by people giving well meaning gifts that are not wanted by the receiver. Also because we try to protect others feelings people keep items they no longer want. Although it is commendable to try to be thoughtful about others feelings, sometimes your own personal needs should take precedence when the result effects your new sustainable way of living. … [Read more...]
Day 184 Budget program
For a long time now my husband and I have kept track of our savings and spending using budgeting programs on our computer. We record pretty much every cent we spend so we know where the money is going. Recently we bought a new Apple Mac Mini so our old software is no longer compatible. We downloaded and tried out a couple of free software programs but have not been to happy with the performance of these. I have been persevering with one anyway just so we can keep track of things as usual but after today we have decided that we really don't need to do this any more. There are two reasons for … [Read more...]