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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 27, 2020 20:33:24 GMT
I forgot to come in here to do my weekend total. I'm starting to struggle finding stuff in my one-bedroom apartment! I feel like I've turned almost everything over at this stage... I worked with specific themed goals in mind on Saturday and Sunday. It worked better at this stage of the game because they were either things I still needed to do and had put off or that were inspired by everything you ladies have been doing and posting in here! Thanks for enlightening me. 1. Disney As I mentioned earlier, I went through the two Disney boxes and managed to find 47 items to donate. 22 DVDs, BRs and box sets. Several art prints and lithographies. A beach towel. A couple of mugs. Two puzzles. And loads of smaller things, even a Mary Poppins tote bag. I didn't even remember having that... Some of it has already been claimed and picked up. I'll do the final sweep and drop off the rest at a local organisation on Thursday. Total: 47 items 2. Use it up! [kitchen edition] With so many people cleaning out their pantries, I thought I'd reorganise my one pantry-ish shelf in my one kitchen cupboard, tee hee. I noticed I had some tins of black beans that had a best-before date in a few months' time so we meal prepped a vegan feijoada with those and the left-over black rice. Some dry chickpeas had been in there for quite a while as well as some piquillo peppers so we improvised some piquillo pepper hummus. That got rid of the last bit of tahini as well. We also used the oldest tinned tomatoes, frozen minced meat, some spice mix, more piquillo peppers, more chickpeas and kidney beans as well as some fresh veg to make a classic chilli. And then I made some basic Dutch oven bread using up white flour and the yeast that was close to its best-before date. Total: 14 3. Just in, already out Prepared the returns for a dress and a pair of jeans that I bought during the winter sales but don't like enough to keep. I also received a birthday parcel in the mail that had a bunch of extra perfume and skincare samples. I went through those immediately. Total: 8 4. Hi ho, it's off to work we go I found some more things to bring to work. For everyone to use: a set of artisinal hot chocolate on a stick cubes, a box of stevia sugar sticks and a pack of Christmas biscuits that need to be eaten before the end of the month, eep! I also took another box of extra soft Kleenex tissues for my desk. Total: 4 5. Coming out of the closet Sports bra, yoga pants that just don't do the yoga pant thing on me (you know, staying put on my bottom!), 1 set of bed linen that never was our taste but we kept anyway because it was a fancy gift, 1 fitted sheet that's too large for our mattress, 1 pair of earrings, 1 necklace. Total: 6 Grand total: 79 which covers me for days 24, 25 and 26 with 4 items to carry over. I'll do today and tomorrow in one sweep tomorrow by cheating a little bit: I'm *really* running out of stuff to get rid of in my own home so I promised to go help a friend KonMari her clothes tomorrow after work. I hope you'll all forgive me for this little trick up my minimalist sleeve.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 27, 2020 20:49:04 GMT
I got on another roll and found 51 items for the weekend -- some of these included throwing away old receipts, accumulated stuff at the bottom of my purses, old pens, etc so I'm not necessarily only looking about what I can give away but getting rid of "stuff" in any capacity. Go you, that's not the kind of junk you want in your trunk! Kudos on finding so many items for the weekend. Day 27: 20 sheets old docs for shredding, 2 pairs gloves, 1 cushion, 1 smash book, 1 toiletry set, 1 laminator, 1 collapsible coffee cup donated Identified: home of a scrapbooker I added up the entire month and I’m only at 117 items. The good news is I have been decluttering every day. The bad news is I’m no where near where I thought I would be. Some things were multiples that I only counter as one item but still. 117 items so far = 4 items/day. When you look at it like that, it's actually a very decent amount and definitely something to be proud of. Way to go, I say! I may have mentioned that I have been doing this for 1.5 years. I actually have made huge progress towards minimalism and have really started critically thinking about every item that comes in my home. I still have a ways to go but I’m good with just continually making small progress. I read some studies on clutter, keeping stuff "just in case" and whatnot. Professional consensus seems to be that the one-step-at-a-time method yields the best results for long-term changes, be it for regular people or those with actual hoarding tendencies. It looks like you're on the right path. Well, I almost feel like I've done the opposite of decluttering because we went to pick up a carload of stuff that FIL wants us to help him sell. So now the basement has a table of creepy dolls and old knitting and sewing stuff. I commend you on this new challenge. You're doing important work for your FIL. I hope that you can work through selling off all his stuff quickly so you can regain your space and help him move on. It's beautiful cooperative work though and I really admire your willingness to sacrifice your space and time to give him a hand. I've sold a couple of things I listed online, including a DVD box set that has been in my "must list online to sell" pile since my last major cleanout in 2015. Woohoo, money! I didn't have it in me to list anything so kudos to you for pushing through and selling those things. It takes time and patience to do it. At least 50 items made it into the “craft-get rid of“ box. I’ll take it to my next crop and let my friends have first dibs before it goes to goodwill. Aww, I love that you're letting your friends shop your stash! From declutter to treasure. I went through one food cabinet today. Tossed the "special occasion baking mixes and seasonings" for the parties we no longer have. I hope you're ok with no longer hosting those parties and it's not because of a sad reason, otherwise *hugs* to you. I do have my dies, stamps, stamp platform, and manual die cut machine now stored in a doll cupboard. I have the rest of my space organized. I've done some scrapping and there's been a lot less searching! Oh yeah, that's awesome! I'm so glad this has actually made your hobby easier for you.
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Post by joblackford on Jan 28, 2020 0:35:46 GMT
I added up the entire month and I’m only at 117 items. The good news is I have been decluttering every day. The bad news is I’m no where near where I thought I would be. Some things were multiples that I only counter as one item but still. Other good news. Some areas that have been problems are now cleaner like my bathroom cabinet, my hall coat rack and my closet shelves. I’m just going to keep going. I may have mentioned that I have been doing this for 1.5 years. I actually have made huge progress towards minimalism and have really started critically thinking about every item that comes in my home. I still have a ways to go but I’m good with just continually making small progress. That sounds awesome to me! I think the habit of going through things and considering critically is probably far more valuable than just meeting an arbitrary number (although I totally get the gamification purpose of the Mins game, and the way it works you up to a goal you would balk at if you started there). Whatever Ms Kondo might say, decluttering is not one and done - new things are constantly coming in so you have to have systems to keep things under control or, ideally, make continual improvements.
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eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
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Post by eastcoastpea on Jan 28, 2020 1:45:25 GMT
sleepingbooty, I really just have to say how much I appreciate the way you continue to be so supportive and uplifting to everyone on this thread. You seem to have just the right words to say to everyone. No parties at our house because our 30x50 built-in pool liner was destroyed in a storm. $8,000 just for the liner, not including installation, made us pull the plug on it. If the kids were still little we would have replaced it, but cars and college are approaching and it seemed smarter to put money towards those things instead. I filled a trash bag with kids clothes for donation last night. Good and bad at the same time. Today, I dropped them off and then went into the store (Salvation Army). I walked out with a 30 piece dish set for .99 cents, and a few other things, none priced more than $1. I will be passing the dishes on to someone else, but they will be in my house until the spring.
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eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
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Post by eastcoastpea on Jan 28, 2020 1:48:24 GMT
joblackford, I just looked at your Etsy shop. Your creations are wonderful!
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joyfulnana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,821
May 28, 2017 23:43:26 GMT
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Post by joyfulnana on Jan 28, 2020 4:43:29 GMT
I've lost count, and not kept up with the number of items per day, but I'm still decluttering things here and there every day. I've purged several things from my stash that I keep hanging onto thinking I'll use them. I've kept that naked chipboard and jar full of washi through 3 mini purge attempts in the last couple years. I've finally let it go.
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Post by joblackford on Jan 28, 2020 6:09:31 GMT
joblackford , I just looked at your Etsy shop. Your creations are wonderful! Aww, thank you!
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 28, 2020 19:46:55 GMT
sleepingbooty, I really just have to say how much I appreciate the way you continue to be so supportive and uplifting to everyone on this thread. You seem to have just the right words to say to everyone. Aww, that's very kind of you to say. I just love seeing everyone's progress and willingness to share their month-long journey! No parties at our house because our 30x50 built-in pool liner was destroyed in a storm. $8,000 just for the liner, not including installation, made us pull the plug on it. If the kids were still little we would have replaced it, but cars and college are approaching and it seemed smarter to put money towards those things instead. Crap! That's a major downer. I imagine it must've been upsetting to realise what had happened during the storm. It's the kind of loss that makes you look back and see that you're nearing a new season in life which isn't always an easy or comfortable thing to do. I hope you can transition toward a new kind of social gathering and fun in the future, especially if you enjoyed hosting. You've got a lot of great things to look forward to and to celebrate with your children approaching their young adult years! I've lost count, and not kept up with the number of items per day, but I'm still decluttering things here and there every day. I've purged several things from my stash that I keep hanging onto thinking I'll use them. I've kept that naked chipboard and jar full of washi through 3 mini purge attempts in the last couple years. I've finally let it go. Go you, joyfulnana! Sometimes you need a little extra time to make up your mind about whether to keep or let go of something. Glad this declutter cycle was the push you needed for some of your "clingy" craft supplies.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 28, 2020 19:54:12 GMT
Turns out my friend had it all in her to get through her clothes. She just needed someone to keep her company, pour some wine and give a few final verdicts on how some of the stuff looked on her. It was actually loads of fun! We laughed, we reminisced and we filled quite a few bags. She flew through the stacks of clothes pretty quickly, much to my surprise. I think she'd been anticipating and wanting to do this for a while...
I definitely hit my daily targets for yesterday and today by proxy. She had clothes dating back to her lycée/high school days! At least 15 pairs of shoes and boots gone, a big stack of T-shirts, several winter coats, several formal dresses, a bag filled with all kinds of hats and headwear, etc. I couldn't believe my eyes. She has a modern apartment that comes with some built-in storage near the entrance which was full of clothes as well as a large IKEA Pax wardrobe in her bedroom. We only managed to get through the clothes in the entrance storage. I promised to return for her proper wardrobe soon.
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Post by Jessica on Jan 28, 2020 22:18:35 GMT
Turns out my friend had it all in her to get through her clothes. She just needed someone to keep her company, pour some wine and give a few final verdicts on how some of the stuff looked on her. It was actually loads of fun! We laughed, we reminisced and we filled quite a few bags. She flew through the stacks of clothes pretty quickly, much to my surprise. I think she'd been anticipating and wanting to do this for a while... I definitely hit my daily targets for yesterday and today by proxy. She had clothes dating back to her lycée/high school days! At least 15 pairs of shoes and boots gone, a big stack of T-shirts, several winter coats, several formal dresses, a bag filled with all kinds of hats and headwear, etc. I couldn't believe my eyes. She has a modern apartment that comes with some built-in storage near the entrance which was full of clothes as well as a large IKEA Pax wardrobe in her bedroom. We only managed to get through the clothes in the entrance storage. I promised to return for her proper wardrobe soon. That is so cool. And maybe that's what I need -- my friends coming over to help confirm that it's okay to get rid of clothes. It's so easy to second guess yourself but if someone else says "eh, get rid of it" then I would likely be more inclined to do that...but maybe not.
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Post by ecvnj58 on Jan 28, 2020 22:22:49 GMT
sleepingbooty that sounds like such a fun day. It’s easier to do the chores with wine and friends.
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Post by anniefb on Jan 29, 2020 5:48:19 GMT
Well nearly at the end of the month down under so thought I’d post my final two days: Day 29: Set of quilting fabrics to make quilt top - to be sold Day 30: 3 cookbooks, 2 xmas decorations, 20 project life cards, bag of 8 handmade tags to the op shop What a great challenge this has been and pretty enjoyable too. Thanks to sleepingbooty for the suggestion and encouragement during the process. I’m sure there’s more that could be decluttered but I’m pretty happy with where I’ve got to over the last month.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 29, 2020 16:40:55 GMT
Jessica ecvnj58 I highly recommend the wine-with-a-friend method! And in general, doing annoying chores in good company is always so much better. anniefb Congratulations on finishing the month and being the first to cross the line! I love how you kept us informed daily with your progress. Definitely inspired me to look into some stuff as the weeks went by (and now I feel I should jump back into my Project Life cards to get rid of a few more). Come collect the trophy!
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 29, 2020 17:08:41 GMT
Day 29 AKA bathroom and craft supplies! Bathroom: I finally went through a gift set with bath products I had received but not used because we don't have a bath tub. It's a mix of solid bath oils and bath bombs. I am giving 8 of the 11 away to family. I selected 3 to try out at the hotel on or upcoming weekend trip. I just put them away in my travel bag so I'm considering them out of the door as well. I've been using up some products over the past couple of weeks and I was officially done with 3 products last night/this morning: a serum, a foot lotion and conditioner. I'll do another at-home-spa night tonight in front of Netflix to try and finish up some more. My poor SO has no clue what he's in for... I also found 2 brand new toothpastes we won't use because I didn't realise until I got home from the shop they were fluoride-free. Total: 16 Crafting: Two albums I just will not use. I've been unwilling to part with them because there are no LSS around here at all and the import cost on such goods is always a downer. But it was time to take these empty babies off the shelf. I used anniefb's Project Life card declutter idea to reach my daily total. Total: 13 And that's 29 items for me today. It's just past 6PM here. I'm going to treat ourselves by picking up some sushi from our fave Japanese restaurant, getting the skincare out and preparing the living room for an improvised spa night so I can finish these 30 days in style, with super soft hair and skin.
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Post by Linda on Jan 29, 2020 20:21:05 GMT
popping in towards the end - really haven't gotten rid of much at home beyond 3 pairs of jeans that are now too big for me - but I was out of state working on my mum's house for three weeks...
50+ BOXES of books were donated to her local library book shop (this was round two - we donated a similar number in December as well). 30+ big (black) bags of clothes and household items were donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters (in addition to even more donated in Nov and Dec).
Recycling bin was filled to overflowing four times with magazines etc....it's a big bin (like a wheeled trash bin - maybe65 or so gallons)
We filled the bed of a pickup truck five times with trash (it'll be incinerated) and my BIL took probably 100lbs of papers to shred.
Hopefully all that counts for something (and please don't look at the 36 boxes of stuff I brought back here - a good chunk of which is photos/slides/papers/letters that I'll digitise but not keep all of off after digitising).
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 29, 2020 22:57:49 GMT
Hopefully all that counts for something (and please don't look at the 36 boxes of stuff I brought back here - a good chunk of which is photos/slides/papers/letters that I'll digitise but not keep all of off after digitising). Oh Linda, your hard work counts for so much! You've been a rock through this immense loss, pushing forward with your December project and the minimalism game in January. I'm in awe of the way you've handled the past couple of months and how you've navigated life. All those boxes of donated and recycled items don't just count for something, they are a testament of your strength and character. I'm so proud of everything you've done. I hope you are too and that you are managing your emotions through all of this. *hugs* On top of that, so many books and clothes are now going to be able to serve other people and help them live their life. What a beautiful message to begin the new year with...
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Post by Linda on Jan 30, 2020 2:09:02 GMT
sleepingbooty - thank you for your kind and thoughtful words. I think it's been helpful to work on mum's house and go through everything
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Post by Jessica on Jan 30, 2020 2:30:50 GMT
popping in towards the end - really haven't gotten rid of much at home beyond 3 pairs of jeans that are now too big for me - but I was out of state working on my mum's house for three weeks... 50+ BOXES of books were donated to her local library book shop (this was round two - we donated a similar number in December as well). 30+ big (black) bags of clothes and household items were donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters (in addition to even more donated in Nov and Dec). Recycling bin was filled to overflowing four times with magazines etc....it's a big bin (like a wheeled trash bin - maybe65 or so gallons) We filled the bed of a pickup truck five times with trash (it'll be incinerated) and my BIL took probably 100lbs of papers to shred. Hopefully all that counts for something (and please don't look at the 36 boxes of stuff I brought back here - a good chunk of which is photos/slides/papers/letters that I'll digitise but not keep all of off after digitising). You are amazing. What a lovely and worthwhile project to tackle and emotionally overwhelming to boot (and I hope it was a healing experience as well). Congratulations and you have earned the right to relax. Hugs to you.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Jan 30, 2020 19:04:23 GMT
Evening of the final day for me! To end the game, I decided to just go all out: 5 more books dropped off at the street library on my commute, 4 empties after last night's home spa session, 40+ Project Life cards to be recycled, 2 bottles of white wine ready to be taken to a fondue and raclette dinner at friends' mid-February, 1 pair of boots that I wish were more comfortable than they actually are in the donate box along with 3 unused notebooks. Total: 55 Grand total: not completely sure but I exceeded the total amount and probably got close to 500 things. Granted, some of those were really small (PL cards, birthday candles). Still, I'm very happy with the result and feel like this was an invigorating way to kick off the new year! To everyone who played along: thank you so much. I loved reading everyone's progress, thoughts and detailed lists of things that went out the door. This thread was a lovely place to feel supported and inspired to keep going! I hope all of you feel lighter and maybe even a little wiser after 30 days of decluttering, organising and thinking about our relationships with stuff. May February bring you loads of goodness (and not too many new things ). Here's to all of you and your fresh homes!
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Post by hop2 on Jan 31, 2020 22:03:49 GMT
Ok to finish out the month I’m having my ex letter ‘bonfire’ tonight lol I counted there are 40 letters I’m burning. I checked, as long as it’s in the public bbq stand I do not need a burn permit
I think if I count every piece of clothing & every item individually I completed the challenge. It came in spurts some days I did nothing, other days I threw out tons of stuff. I dropped the clothes off last weekend.
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Post by catseatcheese on Feb 1, 2020 9:01:36 GMT
I haven't posted in a while as the month started catching up to me. I am now 36 weeks pregnant and starting to get a bit tired in the evenings. I still managed to give all of the books away at our book club event last Sunday. In addition, I have to finalize another shredding party this weekend to get the rest of the paper out (I already put several bags out to the recycling but there is one more box full of paper that needs to be shredded). This weekend I started washing baby clothing and we will put together the stroller as well. This has been a great challenge and I really appreciate all of the support! I feel a bit bad because it is required to "bring in" more stuff when you have a baby but I was able to get rid of so much that I just used current furniture and drawers. I didn't even need to purchase anything new. Thanks to sleepingbooty for setting up this challenge.
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Post by mikklynn on Feb 1, 2020 13:42:00 GMT
I haven't posted in a while as the month started catching up to me. I am now 36 weeks pregnant and starting to get a bit tired in the evenings. I still managed to give all of the books away at our book club event last Sunday. In addition, I have to finalize another shredding party this weekend to get the rest of the paper out (I already put several bags out to the recycling but there is one more box full of paper that needs to be shredded). This weekend I started washing baby clothing and we will put together the stroller as well. This has been a great challenge and I really appreciate all of the support! I feel a bit bad because it is required to "bring in" more stuff when you have a baby but I was able to get rid of so much that I just used current furniture and drawers. I didn't even need to purchase anything new. Thanks to sleepingbooty for setting up this challenge. Go put your feet up! Congratulations on the new baby coming.
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Post by mamakoala on Feb 1, 2020 20:35:03 GMT
I'm in! Today is the first of February and I'm throwing away my old boxy scrap box albums that are so heavy and bulky. I got some new, smaller ones and these have to go. So I'll count them as one item.
Haha I see this was forJanuary. Oh well. If anyone wants to play for February I will start a new thread!!
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,467
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Feb 1, 2020 20:49:30 GMT
If anyone wants to play for February I will start a new thread!! I still want to work on decluttering so I’ll play along with you.
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Post by Jessica on Feb 1, 2020 22:45:38 GMT
If anyone wants to play for February I will start a new thread!! Absolutely!
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Post by ecvnj58 on Feb 2, 2020 19:32:58 GMT
I’m in for February too.
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Post by katlady on Feb 3, 2020 3:14:12 GMT
I never checked in for January. I got rid of 6" of scrapbook paper in January. I think that makes me good for January and February. And that doesn't count the 6x6 paper packs and the Project Lift cards I also got rid of. I also got rid of a garbage bag full of stuff. I didn't count anything. I was just busy throwing things in the bag. I still have more craft stuff to go through in February. I still want to get rid of 6 more inches of paper, then I'll be left with 6", which is enough considering how little I scrap. Great job everyone!
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Feb 4, 2020 2:48:12 GMT
I didn't quite manage to finish out the month, but I kept up through about the 28th. And I probably have enough old clothes waiting to be tossed that I could make up the final few days quickly. I tossed a bunch of pantry items well past their prime (years, not weeks)... some things from my office... a whole heck of a lot of half used cosmetics... Although I didn't officially finish, I really appreciated having this challenge, sleepingbooty. I went through lots of things I've always intended to get to but never did, so it was a really good motivator.
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Post by joblackford on Feb 8, 2020 2:23:52 GMT
For some February inspiration, or just as minimalism “porn”
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