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 ~ Souvenirs
I messed up my posting this week. Sorry! So I'm trying again on Saturday / Sunday as a surprise. As you know, I just got back from a 2 week family vacation in Colorado, and I've been thinking about souvenirs, possibly the most unnecessary yet expensive part of many people's vacations, both in terms of money and the time spent seeking the objects. What motivates us to spend hours combing often tacky, crowded gift stores looking at mass produced and likely Made in China shot glasses, key chains, and t-shirts for something to take home, either for ourselves or as a gift for someone who did … [Read more...]
How To Equip A New Home
I got to the end of the day yesterday and realised at 10:15pm that I had forgotten to put a post together for today. Luckily for me Andréia had sent me another post she had whipped up this week. She has obviously been thinking a lot about clutter lately and likes to share her experience with us. She has titled this post "How to Equip a New Home" but she could just as easily have called it "How to Declutter Your Home to Suit You".  Thanks Andréia. So without further adieu here is her post. How To Equip A New Home ~ by AndrÃa I have been decluttering for a while and this question has … [Read more...]
The Norm
My surname is Madsen, that's M A D S E N. It is simple, two syllables, no extra letters that have no purpose, easy to read. So why do you think that most people, when confronted with this name, whether in plain print or spoken to them, automatically complicate it. Nine times out of ten people will pronounce it Marsden, Maddison or even Mathison. I think I know why. Because these three other names are more common in Australia. So people revert to the norm rather than repeat what is said to them or written in front of them. That is the problem with “The Normâ€, it is the usual way of things, … [Read more...]
Craft Like a Beginner
Have you ever had a craft/hobby that got completely out of control. Not so much the making of items but the accumulation of crafting supplies. I most certainly have. Through that experience I have learned a few things and here is my advice on avoiding this problem. Always supply your craft hobby as though you are a beginner. Any wise person who starts a new hobby generally begins with the minimum of supplies in order to try it out to see if they are really going to enjoy it. They buy or better still borrow the basic equipment or perhaps even take a class where the equipment is provided. Then … [Read more...]
Want Not Waste Not
I know the old saying is waste not want not, which basically means ~ Do not waste anything and you will always have enough. Unfortunately that can also mean ~ Save every little scrap so that you can use it in the future. This is how we end up with a house full of "I might be able to use that one day" kind of clutter. What I am suggesting instead is don't want for anything you don't really need and you won't be wasting your hard earned money which would be better spent on something else. That something else could be the mortgage that Cindy was talking about yesterday. When I think of some of … [Read more...]
From the Archives ~ The Leading Question Strategy
I was digging in the archives of 365 yesterday looking for another post when I came upon this little gem. I decided to share it with you again because this strategy has proven useful, at times, in convincing my loved ones to declutter some things. I hope it will work for you. Recently I was let in on a strategy on how to state a case or perhaps even get another person to come around to your way of thinking without their sensibilities being offended. The idea is to get people to think rationally about a subject without them realising that you are leading them in a direction they may not have … [Read more...]
Share ~ Borrow ~ Repurpose
Succeeding at living with less isn't always just about getting rid of things. Sometimes it is about sharing, borrowing and repurposing. I shall give you an example from recent events in my life. I found out six days prior that my parents would be arriving for a short visit this Saturday just gone. As you know my children have both recently left home so space certainly wasn't an issue. The issue was that both children had taken the duvets (doonas) and pillows from their beds when, or shortly after, they left. I didn't mind because they are young and not so financially established as their … [Read more...]
Return It
I implore of each and everyone of you that if you buy something, which for one reason or another, does not meet expectation and is eligible for return, please do just that. RETURN IT! As soon as possible after purchase or when it becomes apparent that there is a problem. There a several legitimate reasons why you might return goods to a store and I will attempt to list them below. However not only are you entitled to return them, whether for store credit or a full refund, in some cases you are doing the rest of the world a favour in doing so. Some products are just a sheer waste of … [Read more...]
Recreational Thrift Shopping
As you all know by now I like to encourage people to buy secondhand rather than new. This is better for the environment. Of course I encourage you not to buy at all wherever possible because most of what people do buy is absolutely unnecessary. Now let me combine those two ideas. What are the potential outcomes of recreational secondhand shopping? Yesterday's eco tip gave you the answer to this question. When you buy something secondhand that you don't need you are potentially forcing someone else, who has a need for the item, to buy new. Â Also that someone may not have a lot of cash … [Read more...]