The story of Adam and Eve, I believe, is about more than just defying Gods wishes and giving into temptation. Even many religious people believe this to be a made up story, a parable if you will, to make a point. Or even several points, if you read between the lines.  One clear lesson of this parable, that I see, is to be satisfied with what you have and not be forever wanting for more or other things. Given the age of this story, even if made up, it is obvious that people have been inherently greedy for a millennia or more. So why is it that no matter how much we have we are always … [Read more...]
The joy of acquiring less
One thing I have noticed since I began my decluttering mission is how much more pleasure I get from the items I do acquire. The reasons for that are... I am more careful about my choices so therefore am much more satisfied with the items I do acquire. I acquire stuff far less frequently these days so it is a bigger novelty when I do acquire. The things I buy get well used because they are bought with much consideration and not just on a whim. I generally get things at a good price, if not free, because I don't feel the need to acquire urgently, so am prepared to wait until what I … [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...]
On the subject of craft again
As anyone who has been reading here for a while knows, I have decluttered a lot of craft stuff over the last four years. My goodness, it actually has been more than four years now that I have been blogging about decluttering. Anyway, I had a tonne of paper crafting supplies which I reduced down to an amount I was happy with. I had designated a space I wanted them to fit into and achieved that goal. You can go to my Before and After page for a look if you haven't already seen the results. I did not declutter them all my supplies I spent very little time using them for the last few years. This … [Read more...]
This goes with this goes with this goes with that…
Have you ever noticed how when you buy something it requires you to buy something else to go with it. You buy a new dress and then decide you need shoes to match. You buy a new cookbook and realise you need some extra utensils and ingredients to make the recipes. You buy a piece of sporting equipment and you need to by a storage bag, another piece of equipment, maintenance equipment and supplies. You buy a leather garment and you need leather conditioner. You buy a bike and need a pump, an oil can, a helmet and a basket... I could go on and on about this for hours. And the same goes to … [Read more...]
To err is human, to forgive divine.
We all make mistakes and it is unpleasant to admit them to ourselves. We have to remember that we are not perfect and trying to be so is a mission in futility. So don't expect perfection and most of all forgive yourself when mistakes are made. Some clutter items are simply errors in judgement when acquiring the object in the first place. Who hasn't done that? I know I have. I still make these mistakes from time to time even though I buy very few things these days and put a lot of thought into purchasing. Such items can seem like good purchases at the time and even get used to begin with, but … [Read more...]
Beware the product demo!
I am writing this post with this weeks mini missions in mind. It might help you identify some of those too hard to use items loitering in your home. However the intention behind it is actually to help you avoid acquiring such gadgets in the future. When viewing product demonstrations, whether in store, at a home show, on television or online, one thing to remember is that you aren't shown the full picture, and the person demonstrating the product may have had hours and hours of practice. The simplicity of operation of a gadget is enhanced by that fact that you don't see  the staging of the … [Read more...]
Avoiding the pitfalls
Much of the clutter in our homes is stuff we didn't need in the first place. They are often things we purchase to make ourselves feel good... Things for making us feel attractive. Things that make our homes look nice. Things that are intended to lighten our work load. Things to amuse us. Things we buy to please others. Things to create a little more comfort. Pretty things that caught our eye in a moment of weakness. ...and the list could go on. Ultimately though, these things often lose their appeal fairly quickly and the cycle begins again. Poor impulse purchases would … [Read more...]
When you buy things that turn out to be a mistake…
...and it is way too late to return them for your money back, what do you do? When our lodger left in the summer, I took the opportunity to revamp the room and change how I furnished it as things were getting shabby after 10 years. I dithered for ages over the best storage solutions for the range of people we tended to attract. My dithering drove me mad so in the end I just went for it, but then ended up with some pieces that were not the best solution. So I got it wrong, despite lots of thought. So, after more re thinking I did get the right pieces for maximum space and storage, but had an … [Read more...]
Thursdays with Deb J ~ Sensible Buying
First I have to tell you that I am not fond of the word sensible. It strikes me as an inhibitive word. It’s something I have to do because someone said so. Ah, my rebel heart shudders at words like this. BUT!! Sensible is a word we need to attach to our vocabulary way up there at the top of the list. Let’s see, this brings to mind words like wisdom, prudence, of benefit to. So okay! Maybe it’s not so bad of a word. I guess. Maybe?! Wisdom in buying. Well, okay, I know better than to buy a Lamborghini when I can only afford a Focus or not to buy a Versace but a White Stag. But is that … [Read more...]