Putting a number on Minimalism

A lot of minimalists like to have number limits on belongings.
Project 333, 100 things challenge, etc. I love these blogs and projects for motivating me, but honestly a number limit doesn't quite work for me. The milder versions have less constraints, but of course even the "you don't need more than 8 of anything" rule feels too restrictive.
Let me explain
I don't need more than 8 shirts..... ? Or is that no more than 8 long sleeved shirts? Or is that no more than 8 long sleeved button up shirts? Where do I draw the line at the classification of each thing? 8 pants? Or 8 jeans, plus 8 cords and 8 pairs of slacks? See the problem?

One thing is for sure, even with 8 of EVERY category, my fashionista sister would never understand any limit but the constraints of how much she can CRAM into her large closet and 3 dressers (and of course the off season closet and the formal wear wardrobe too). 
My preference is a compromise. The limits are not numerical absolutes, and they aren't maximum capacity space constraints either... I figure if I can easily find what I need within the closet (or drawer)and everything in there is what I can wear NOW (the right size, and in good repair and a style I like) then that should be the perfect amount!
With this special density, the one-in-one-out rule is completely necessary. Otherwise things can very quickly slip into an over-crowded chaos.

Just ask my pantry... it is over the comfortable-access-capacity on a regular basis!

Goal #13 The Junk Drawer

Be afraid, be very afraid! The junk drawer is a common fixture for most families. It's the place to find a screwdriver, tape, the spare batteries and everything else that was left on the counter that didn't have a kitchen task to do.

Goal #13 Clean Out the Junk Drawer

Background: I have a confession. There is more than ONE junk drawer in this house. There is the standard kitchen one, one in the living room, one in the diningroom and even one in my office.

Challenge: One drawer at a time, clean out what shouldn't be there and re-assess what should.

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Process: With each location, get some materials set out ahead of time. Prepare a large flat surface to sort on, 4 baskets (toss, keep, put away, donate) and cleaning supplies for wiping out the drawer once it's emptied. Next empty the drawer ALL THE WAY EMPTY onto the flat surface. Then take a moment to enjoy the cleared space.... ah, doesn't that feel good? Now you can look at what you were storing in there.... the garbage should be obvious the broken bits and dead batteries (I have them, you do too right?) The stuff that found it's way to the drawer instead of "home" should also be obvious. DON'T GET DISTRACTED HERE: put the items in the "put away" basket for now. Take the time to focus on what's in the "keep" basket. Is it a duplicate? Does it belong in the drawer? Any wires can now be labelled and tied up tidy, a small container might be handy for keeping the screwdriver bits together, etc etc. Now you get to put the "keep" stuff back. You can see if a divider, or small baskets would help out (not until after the purge though). Back to the "put away" basket.... Why was it in the drawer? Is it's home in the right place? Easy to find and there when you need it? Is it a duplicate?

Verdict: It's not called a junk drawer for nothing! I think gremlins are putting weird crap in there. Used napkin in the livingroom drawer anyone? Busted plastic battery cover for a lost toy in the kitchen? On the bright side I found a DVD series that I borrowed last summer that I can now return (how embarassing). The drawers are now easier to open, close and find stuff in -- I love my clean drawers! Of course I know that this challenge needs to be visited regularly and often.

Goal #12: Spring must be coming

The seasonal "sport" of gardening accumulates a lot of stuff, even for a casual participant like me.

Goal #12: Gardening Paraphernalia: Part 1

Background: Because I garden on impulse pretty much exclusively, I have too many impulse purchases tucked away in various areas of the house and yard. A practical aspirational clutter, because I WANT to grow more than I do, but rarely follow through. I'm quite sure I have duplicates, duds and expired stuff in the mix.

Challenge: Keep only the things that work best, that are relevant to my current garden and are still viable.

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Process: In part 1 of this challenge, focus on the gardening materials that are kept indoors.
Start by pulling all the gardening things together to really see what there is. Set out a large, easy-clean area to make the inventory... then get searching. That means going into the darkest recesses of the garage, laundryroom, under the sinks, etc. ... you know where you hide this stuff. Ask the tough questions: Is it broken? Why did I buy this? Do I use it? Do I need it? Is this still relevant to the plants I have now? Has it expired?

Verdict: I found duplicates of fertilizer in almost every cupboard. I guess I think I use it more than I really do. I also found seeds that I had bought for my last house (I have lived here for 12 years!) I think if I haven't planted them by now, I won't be -- and that's provided they are even still alive. I know now with certainty where the supplies are and what I have BEFORE the impulse Spring planting season arrives here!

Goal #11 Growing Growing GONE

As kids grow, they out-grow clothes, boots and jackets, mittens, hats, etc... timing is everything.

Goal #11 -  Kid's Clothing

Background: Both kids being boys means that one gets the hand-me downs of the other. That has worked well up until recently when their very different bodyshapes and clothing tastes showed differences that made hand-me-downs not so wonderful.

Challenge: Go through the kid's clothes and reduce the items that don't fit, aren't favourites or are in bad shape. And maybe even set LIMITS to how many of each kind of garment they each own (fit comfortably in the space provided even when everything is clean - or a number limit).

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Process: Pull out the clothes that are in current circulation and ask the kids about each piece: Does this still fit? Why don't you wear this? Wear is the match to this sock/glove/PJ set? An enlightening set of questions for some of it!

Verdict: It took a while... a whole weekend with many many interruptions. I won't deny it. There were tears. Apparently the reason why some of these items are in such bad shape is because they are FAVOURITES and not willingly relinquished. I let them keep a couple outfits as "grub" clothes because I have some grub clothes in my closet too for dirty chores.... but with the warning that if I saw them worn to school then they might just lose them! Some things were hard for me to let go- stuff I thought was quite flattering or good quality but they didn't want -- since it will be on their bodies, I let it go.

I'm sure some parent trying to put clothes on their kids will appreciate what I have donated, and the messed over ones have beefed up my husband's rag supply.

Goal #10 Scrub a Dub Duds

How many sweet smelling bodywash gels does one person need?

Goal #10
Reduce perfumes, lotions & soaps

Background: I know I must be hard to buy for, because I get a lot of pretty "spa" sets for gift occassions. While I appreciate the scent-iment, I can't possibly use all of any one set before the next one comes along. Then there is the trouble of the moisturizing lotions... I really prefer an unscented moisturizer.

Challenge: Reduce the lotions, soaps and perfumes to the ones that are most loved and used regularly... and not expired.

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Process: Pull everything scented from the livingroom, office, & bathrooms (you never know when the urge to smell pretty may come along) Beware of lotions that have been there for YEARS... if they haven't been used by now, SHOULD THEY BE?!

Verdict: So many pretty smells!  It was hard to get rid of some of these because they were given with love and I genuinely liked the scents. BUT like I said above I prefer an unscented moisturizer.... so I kept one favourite for summer legs and got rid of the rest. I consolodated two half used hair spray bottles to one and binned several scrubs and bubble baths that I haven't reached for in 5 years. The unopened lotions are in the donate box now. So my bathroom drawers are roomier and there are none but my very favourite to reach for now.

Uh-Oh

Decluttering is a beautiful thing.
The process that liberates the space is like fresh air coming into my lungs!

But...

That thing that isn't supposed to happen keeps happening -- I find myself "missing" things I have purged!

My niece was over playing with my old toys, and I found myself regretting not having my blond Barbie anymore for her to play with -- she is blond, so she likes blond dolls. And my Barbie clothes are VERY limited now. Then again for something that gets played with maybe once a year, it's quite probably enough! In the end she had fun with the Latina one (I kept the Korean, Japanese and Spanish) and still found enough outfits to have a great little plot going.

And I did get my hair cut. SHORT. Short hair needs product, but I'd already decluttered my short hair goos. I now have 1 mousse and 1 light hold hairspray to work with. At first I resented "losing" the stuff, but you know what? I figured it out WITHOUT buying anything new!

Sometimes I find myself looking for a book, trying to find an obscure serving dish or a bagged-out sweater that have already been let go. There is a pang of disappointment, doubt and maybe even regret. But it's just a pang, and I always seem to be able to find away around the lack without serious consequences.

I guess that means I didn't really NEED it after all, right?

I still have a LOOOOONG way to go in this decluttering process. More dragons to slay more hang ups to get over, more crap to wade through before I will truly feel successful at this.  But I am moving forward and every step feels lighter letting me know this is the right path for me.

Goal #9 Variety is not always the spice of Life

Keeping a spice "just in case" seems like a good idea when you love to cook as much as I do, but in truth if the lid hasn't been opened in 5 years, it's probably not worth using even if the perfect recipe presents itself tomorrow!


Goal #9 
Clear out the spice drawer (and cupboards too)

Background: I LOVE cooking! The flavours from around the world excite me... so as a result I have amassed an enviable selection of spices and herbs. There needs to be a time limit to this culinary collection (there are recommended time lines, but I'm too frugal to rotate them THAT often).

Challenge: Time to get realistic about what has expired, and what is not going to be used again. This will leave room to more easily find what is regularly used and what is loved in the spice drawer! Gather all the bottle spices from the spice drawer, bin of spice bags, and economy size spice jars from around the kitchen and purge the ignored, expired and "not my taste" flavours from these locale.

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Verdict: Under 1/2 hour of time to do.... and now the spice drawer is so much easier to use! And the overflow to other cupboards is no longer a problem! 7 glass bottles, 4 small plastic shakers, 2 ziploc bags and a large jar (consolidated down to a small bottle) of spices/herbs removed from my kitchen.

Process: The kitchen smelled amazing as I dumped the old spices and herbs to recycle the glass bottles. I sneezed, and maybe even felt a little regret at "wasting" this resources.... but truthfully it was a long overdue chore.

Goal #8 Sewing Notions

I haven't dragged my sewing machine out in years... I still want to use it someday, so it's not going anywhere, but what about all the bits and bobs that are in that sewing box?

Goal #8
Donate all outdated materials that aren't being useful RIGHT NOW and can be easily replaced when I take up sewing again.

Background: I really enjoyed sewing. Oddly, I did it a lot more before I had kids. I inherited a large quantity of fabrics, laces and bindings from the various elders in my family... and what do you know.... I don't use them!

Challenge: Be realistic about what I will use. If I haven't found a need for it in this last decade, why do I still think I may need it someday? Donate the excess now and enjoy the space it frees up!

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Verdict: Better than expected! I gave a box of great-granny's laces and bindings to a niece that loves making small figures (she loved it). I also gave her a jar of buttons and most of my threads and ribbons.

Process: All of these things were already together so it wasn't a hard challenge. 15 minutes from dusting off and opening the bin to closing it back up again. It was easy once the decision was made... I did feel a little catch in my throat when I came upon my grandma's hand-crocheted lace. I kept that. Just one roll. It's just too pretty and sentimental (and not replaceable).

Imagination Exercise

Since my sister won't "rob" me like I was hoping, I have to find a new way to shake up this blind addiction to my everyday stuff. 

A kind of shock therapy could be helpful.

How about pretending I am moving?

Even better, pretending I am DOWNSIZING!

Or I could get crazy here and pretend I am downsizing and moving to a different continent! ooooh.... that may be a better challenge farther down the road... for now I will stick to the idea of just moving.

Moving means sorting, purging, prioritizing and really weighing if something is worth the time and effort of taking it along.... sounds like a great decluttering exercise!

I am no stranger to moving. At last count I have called 48 locations "home" in my lifetime (and I've lived in this house for nearly 12 years!), my parents did not live together and they both had the itch to move very regularly - hence the stupidly high number. Those itchy feet have passed down to me and the only things that have stopped me from continuing the trend forever was: A) Money and B) My Husband (and kids). I have "settled" here in that the offers on the other houses have fallen through over the years one way or another and we aren't desperate to take a hit to leave this place. Our house is pretty good actually. Cheap enough to maintain small enough that it can be maintained and has evolved over the years to accommodate our changing needs. The location is on the edge of rural enough for my country-boy-husband while central enough for work-at-home me -- and the school only a short walk away has been a unifying part of my kids' academic and social life so far.

Moving involves a pulling-out of EVERYTHING. Every single item needs to be prioritised as it is packed: occassionally used stuff gets packed first, decorative items and other non-essentials go into boxes next, then the everyday items need to be weighed as to how badly they will be missed when they are packed... until finally you are down to the bare minimum that fits in one tote for the morning of the move. It's an exhilarating process! (or is that just me?)

Then there are the dregs .... Everything that is trash or unloved or isn't important enough to come-with  -- in short everything you don't want to pack -- is either tossed or sold.... or if you are a lazy mover, hucked into a miscellaneous box to be sorted (and loathed) on the other side.

If this mindul, evaluative, methodical process can be used on each room of my current house, I will surely end up with less than I have now and really know what it is that I have chosen to move on with. If while taking this action, I pretend to be moving into a home with LESS STORAGE it will be even better!

So many of the places I have thought to live in over the years actually do have less storage than this place... this house really has obscene amounts of shelving for a home this size! It may open up new opportunities to have less storable crap. More opportunities, and less stuff, that sounds good to me.

Let's pretend....

Parameters: It's conceivable that a future house could easily be 100 sqft smaller with 1 less kitchen cupboard, 1/2 the pantry, and a storage space a fraction of the size we have now!

Timeframe: 8 weeks is realistic. Countdown to April 9th as the theoretical moving day!

My boys are growing

As the kids grow there are eras that are outgrown. The ample amounts of baby gear and strollers have long since been passed down to neighbours and friends. In the past are the chunky primary coloured toddler toys and sandbox gear. Replaced with tiny bits of lego, hotwheels, skateboards, bikes and electronic gadgets. Now that they are older, they make many of their own decisions regarding toys.

Let it be said here... older brother is not very good at passing down his toys... even if he doesn't want them anymore, he doesn't like "giving" them to his brother. It's been a stress-point since the beginning. I try not to get in the middle of the battles, but I do have to mediate from time to time to keep either from collecting too much broken or worn out items or paying too much or trying to take back items after a deal has been reached, etc etc... and I will sometimes pre-empt the transaction by selling or donating the item to prevent younger from having too much (failing miserably with that BTW).

Up until very recently, I have kept my older boy's clothing after he's outgrown to be hand-me-down to the younger (elastic waist bands are forgiving for different shapes) it takes between 2-4 years depending on the timing of their growth spurts. There is a place in the storage closet for these things and totes marked and rotated.

Suddenly a new era has appeared.

Young boy is heftier than the slim older one... and there aren't a lot of adjustable waist bands on the pre-teen sizing. Not much CAN be passed down I realised last size switch. Out of 12 pairs of pants he could only wear 5! The rest went to charity after storing for so long... kind of annoying really.

Here is the dilemma... do I keep the totes for the years in between ages "just in case" the clothes will fit and be appealing to the younger one? Or do I let the skinny jeans go now and just accept that more money will be spent when the time comes for the younger to need new pants?

Goal #7 Cables and Cords

Got a Gadget? It most likely comes with a cable or 2....

Goal #7
Reduce, organize the cables/cords to what is used/needed.

Background: Adapters, charges, connectors all over the place....my junk drawer is full of them.... what are they all for anyways?!

Challenge: Find the gadget that the cable/cord goes to and label the cord. Edit duplicates and redundant items.

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Verdict: Mixed results. There were some charger cables that I just had no clue what they went to (and I'm afraid to throw them out in case the thingy show up needing a charge! BUT I did find a handful of USB cables that were identical, so I picked 3 favourites of varying lengths (one for each computer) for the many items they can be used with and donated the rest.

Process: Junk Drawer, office drawer, laundry room bin, bedroom side table, coffee table drawer... they all had cables! I pulled them all into one place and sorted the redundant from the good. (I really don't think I need 75 ft of phone cables anymore with all the cordless phones in the house). With the wireless router working so reliably these days, 4 different ethernet wires are redundant now too. Unfortunately it was a huge challenge finding the gadgets to go with the charger cables. The ones I found, I did label. the ones I did not find are now living in a clear plastic shoe box in my storage space. I'm not sure this goal is "done" exactly. But so far, it's taken a couple hours.... yes I'm that disorganized and had that many cables!

Snapshots of L E S S

Here are some pictures of recently released items... (I must make a habit of taking pictures more often.)

Goal #6 Pretty Little Things

All that glitters is not gold. Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, broaches, watches, hair accessories all have a way of coming into the home but never leaving (they don't take up much room). I think NOW is the time to admit that some of these pretty things have overstayed their usefulness (or fashion era!).


Goal #6
Keep only the Beauty Accessories that are flattering, that I love or have real sentimental value.

Background: I don't really have a problem in this area.... or at least I didn't think I did until I dragged it all out onto my bed! Little boxes and baskets housed an amazing quantity of sparkly bits!
Challenge: Be ruthless! Cull all jewelry down to the most beloved. Cull all but the best quality hair accessories. Bin the broken, soiled or odds, bag the rest for charitable thrift donation.

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Verdict: From 6 bins and baskets down to one jewelry box (and a small hair accessories basket) in less than an hour. I now know where every piece is, and I know every bit works properly)

Process: Put each box, basket and bin onto my bed in front of the full length mirror. Got a big tray out for safe sorting. Asked the questions of each item: Does this work the way it's supposed to? Do I have all the pieces? Do I still like it (this is where the mirror comes in handy)? Is it comfortable to wear? Does it have any cash value (I don't have much in the way of "real" jewelry so not much fits this category for me)? Some choices were really easy.... bold patterned scrunchies?! broken earrings?!

BONUS! During this cull process, many empty baskets and pretty boxes presented themsleves. Some I repurposed (replacing uglier ones) and left overs went off to my favorite thrift shop as donations. Not an easy thing for me to do... I find small storage boxes almost as appealling as what in them.

Goal #5 Book Clutter

Reading is an amazing hobby. It educates, entertains and can whisk you away to places as far reaching as your imagination can travel... just open the pages and away you go (no batteries required). Purging books is like purging friends somehow...

Goal #5;
Edit book collection. The primary goal is to release the commitment of reading so many of the books that have made their way (with honorable intentions) into the house - a realistic time limit of one year to read it should be helpful. Secondary goal is to make every book have a real home in the correct bookshelf.

Background: Like so many others, I love a good book. And I have a hard time letting go of a good book too.  It's too easy to happily pick up a few books at the thrift store that look interesting (or that the kids might like). The problem lies in the sheer QUANTITY of books that I am still trying to find time to read! A massive bookshelf is not enough. My kids each have a good sized bookshelf... but all their books don't fit either. It's hard to find what you want, and worse, it's a heavy burden with so much yet to be read (exciting, but still a burden when the time just isn't available).

Challenge: Set realistic expectations for what can/should be read in the next year. Go through the ones that have been read and decide if they are worth reading again... if they are, can they be found at the library? Also see if any of the books in the kid's rooms are not enjoyed or outgrown (we do this regularly, interests change often). Then sort which may be useful to the school library, and the rest can go to the charitable thrift store... put the boxes in the trunk of the car to leave immediately! Let them go to be experienced by the next eager reader!
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Verdict: Some success, it was a challenge to actually convince myself that there wasn't enough time in a year to read them all... brutal choices had to be made for this goal!

Process: One bookshelf at a time. Every book was pulled off the shelf to be categorized, inspected for damage and sorted. This gave me the wonderful bonus of putting the "keeper" books in logical order as I put them back!

Living the dream

How would real-life be if this house was ideal?

How much would have to go before it's truly great in here?

I had a test run of that idea when we had our place listed for sale last summer. All extraneous things were removed to my sister's garage to make the house "show-home ready". The good news is the extra stuff (aka "clutter" to a potential buyer) took up less than half her single car space.... maybe 6ft cubed if that. It was a wonderful way to live in my husband's eyes.

Yes, daily cleaning was quick, rewarding and easy.

BUT certain, inevitably necessary things were missing. The biggest example, bulky seasonal items were removed (coats quilts, boots, etc.) it opened the closets right up (very nice) but in "real -life" we need these things.

By going through the process of decluttering piece by piece I hope to get to that peaceful living space that we had when the house was listed, without sacrificing real life for all seasons.

How? I am really evaluating the value each item adds to our daily life and weighing that against the cost of physical space it occupies.

So far so good.... I've lost count of the number of bags and boxes that have left since I started worrying about clutter.... still a long way to go though... and I'm up for it!

Goal #4 Office Supplies

A natural transition from craft supplies is stationery, this goal I have tackled before, but somehow the pens, clips and everything else office-supply-like seems to multiply on their own. Especially after digging out the craft items.

Goal #4
Reduce Office Supplies to What I Use, Need & Love

Background: How many mediocre pens does a family of 4 need? I admit I have a bit of a stationery addiction. I love pens, markers, pencil crayons, tape, glue, paper, clips and bins.... they are just begging to CREATE something. I get positively giddy in the big-box office supply places... and there lies the problem. I'm always happy to find a different pen or drawing stick.... and even if they are sub-standard, they stick around languishing in drawers or bins.

Challenge: Take all these supplies from every corner of the house and edit, edit, edit to a reasonable and practical amount of supplies. Take the excess to the school for their use. Remove the duds to the bin.

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Process: All in one pile, each item was tested (pens, markers, scissors, glue, stapler, etc...), then the useful items sorted by category. Each category was then judged strictly.... Is it being used? Is it a favourite? How many of this item is really needed?

Verdict: small bag to trash (half-used notebooks, dead pens, old markers, dried out glue sticks...). And a decent sized box taken to the school: crayons, hole punches, primary scissors, fancy paper, stickers, rulers, pencil boxes, pencil sharpeners, blank notebooks, etc. The entire sort/purge took 1.5 hours while watching a favourite chick flick for the 100th time -- it was almost fun! And the best part is NOW I know what there actually is in the house in the way of supplies (and tht they all work) and where to go when I need them! A very liberating feeling.

More or Less

More is just... "more"... not "better", not "new & improved"

More money spent
More space needed
More resources used
More responsibility
More trips to the store &
More trips to the landfill

For now, the planet may appreciate it if we say "enough" instead of "more" for a while....

Goal #3 Craft Clutter

The hardest part of clutter is when you come across something you REALLY wanted to complete, but didn't.  There is guilt over the money spent, regret over not having accomplished it, and embarrassment over having forgotten about it for so long. 


In my life, it is especially painful finding a craft that I intended on doing with my young boys -- they are not so young any more. Plaster casts of tiny feet, finger paint and stringing beads are no longer cute rainy day activities. That boat has sailed and I am sad that I missed some opportunities.

Goal #3;
Find NEW homes for the craft supplies that we have all outgrown (yes there are lots of well-intentioned projects for mom that never got completed too)

Background: Even after many purges of this type of thing, I still have some unopened or gently explored craft supplies intended for the primary years! From fuzzy craft bits to a small mountain of crayola crayons, stickers, play-dough, these items are tucked away all over the house.

Challenge: Gather ALL the supplies to one place, make decisions, donate to the local Boys & Girls Club programs... after all my youngest boy did do preschool there and they are wonderful people that do wonderful things for the local kids. Or find other appropriate homes that the supplies can go to in less than a week -- no lingering regrets!


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Verdict: This was one heck of a goal, I had no idea what I was getting into! This one took 6 hours to complete (not including transit to the B&G club -- that's happening tomorrow)

Process: I had to open every drawer, every cupboard and every closet to search all of it out (and I'm pretty sure I have missed some). I piled it all in the family room and sorted it first into keep/purge piles then into age-appropriate bags. Whenever possible I just set the entire bin to be donated (why keep a container when they could use it?). Some decisions were very easy....  for example colourful pompoms and popsicle sticks are not needed here any more.... and the robot flannels I intended to make PJs out of will find more appreciation with my sewing neighbour that has a 2 year old. Other things were more challenging.... my niece still enjoys play-dough quite a bit, it would be nice to keep it around for when she is here...

Daily Grind

With a picture of what my ideal space SHOULD be, this daily process of selecting things to donate away is getting easier.

(Time willing) Every item I come across is getting interrogated: 

"What have you done for me lately?" 

"Why should I keep you around to take up space and resources?" 

"Is there something similar that works better or is preferred?" 

"Will I suffer in any way if you are not in my life anymore?!"

Even though I just took 2 decent sized boxes away last week (Post-Christmas cull), There is now another box almost full today. The dining cabinet that houses the table linens got a once-over today. I found a variety of things to part with: candle holders that aren't my cup of tea anymore, and some tea cups too, a stoneware platter that I never really liked (a gift), a stainless steel martini shaker that leaks to the point of me never wanting to touch it, and a couple picture frames (what were they even doing there?). All that hiding and crowding the linens and platters that are actually used!

The cupboard works better now. And that is the whole point of this exercise -- make the space work for the life I live now.

Goal #2: Take the boxes/paper accumulated over Christmas to recycling centre

Background: We hosted Christmas AND had out of town guests over the holidays, the result was a mountain of paper and cardboard. We have a recycling pick-up program, but the pick up day isn't for two weeks!

Challenge: Gather it all into the covered deck area (on a calm-weathered day), sort the various recyclables into appointed bags and deal with the non-recyclable left overs too. Then drive it all to the recycling centre and responsibly put it in the correct bins without going crazy (the place is a muddy garbage infested zoo of impatient people at the best of times).

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Verdict: Amazing! By setting it up as a challenge instead of a dreaded chore, I was able to get the tools ready ahead of time, gloves, bags ..... patience... and after 30 minutes of sorting I had everything sorted and bagged and in the back of the truck! I decided to see if they would take the Christmas tree too -- I wasn't going to have it languishing in the backyard until Spring like usual!

Process: As stated above, by being organized with the tools and clear of purpose it came together smoothly. I picked a windy but not too rainy day to do it, so there were moments when I was chasing down festive ribbons, but it got done in one afternoon, and now it's off my porch and out of my head! They took the tree for a nominal fee so that was a bonus. Amazing!