gone and back again

The ipod touch 1st gen came back.

It didn't play the games that the 9 year old wanted (though I told her that the games were limited before she came to get it in the first place) I suppose I could have been a jerk and said "tough luck, you should have done your research before you bought it." But I didn't. I gave her the money back and accepted the iPod back into my life. Then I loaded it back up with songs and some goofy old games and played with it for a while. There is nothing wrong with it other than it's old and apple doesn't support it anymore. As long as I have it, I can run it.

But the 2 chairs are sold now. The lady seemed happy. And I am happy to have the space and to have the cash too.

Next on the chopping block:

A smallish, ugly, in-the-window, air conditioner. It was a welcome relief from the scorching heat of the other house (with it's full sun exposure and big windows), but in this house it's completely not neccessary. It works and I COULD just keep it in the crawlspace "just in case" since it isn't costing me anything if I don't plug it in.

But thats just silly.

It still works and surely someone is out there desperately wishing they had an air conditioner that doesn't cost a fortune.  
**** in less than 24 hours someone bought it without even haggling - I even found the manual for it! ****


More things that are leaving:

Summer clothes that aren't working for me anymore... I am saving them for the next time I see my slender friend. She may have them or take them to her next clothes swap or sell them as she wishes.

 

AND some more books (no photo sorry)

For Sale

iPod Touch (1st gen)

I loved you well, but got a new bigger one for Christmas last year.

Then my boy loved you but got a bigger, newer (2nd hand) one with his birthday money.

You languished on my desk for too long, so you went for sale.

(yesterday someone offered an acceptable $50 and now a 9 year old boy gets to love it)

Chairs

You were perfect at my last house. Strong, easy to clean, perfect size for the eating nook.

In this house you are just in the way... surely someone will pay $30 for a pair of solid wood chairs.

I will hang on until the ad expires, if no one wants them, then off to charity.

 

Polyester Pest

This has been a problem with my wardrobe as far back as I can remember - polyester makes me sweat.

So even a beautiful colour, comfortable, flattering garment has to be rejected because of the fabric composition. It's getting trickier to identify it too. I used to be able to touch the item and tell, but they are getting better at making soft, natural feeling weaves.

Example: I have a nice shirt that I got recently thinking it was that new bamboo fibre. It is so soft and drapes beautifully, some french design brand. But I wore it the other day and sweat buckets! I couldn't figure out what was going on because it wasn't THAT hot out. After I got home, I peeled it off and searched for the tag... it was very faded (2nd hand garment) but I finally saw the cause "100% polyester". It tricked me!

The thing is I still want it in my wardrobe. It's pretty -- AND its comfy -- a hard combo to beat. But I can't be sweating like that everytime I wear it, and I'm not a fan of antiperspirants.... sigh... it's gotta go. So sad. At least I didn't spend a fortune on it.

Like every rule, there are exceptions. I have 4 shirts, 2 dresses and one pair of black slacks that are a polyester/spandex blend because they have a very specific purpose. These are my travel clothes. They are wrinkle proof, pack VERY small, wash up and drip dry quickly and look fantastic on. Its worth the sweat for all those features when travelling. And worth the space they take up in my closet the rest of the time (yes they look THAT good). I got to take them to an out of town wedding just a couple weeks ago, I was the only one in my group that didn't need to iron in the hotel room before heading out.

Sometimes the convenience outweighs minor discomfort, but for day-to-day life the polyester is not welcome in my wardrobe.

Too Full

I was doing so well! But I should know by now that decluttering is an ongoing process, and old habits die hard without due diligence.

This week the cupboards started overflowing again - the game of food tetris was happening any time I was looking for something. And worst of all I able to find what I KNOW I had to make meals!

Today I took action and ripped it all out - one cupboard at a time. With the helpful formula of Julie Morgenstern Sort, Purge, Assign a home, Containerize, Equalize... I reclaimed the SPACE in my cupboards again.

I put things where they belong, I removed expired and unhealthy foods (mostly impulse buys), then I made sure the container (where applicable) was properly filled and an appropriate size for the contents. And the cupboard had only the things it was supposed to have.

Only getting rid of a grocery bag's worth of neglected food, I reclaimed order in the kitchen pantry. My recycle bin was almost filled with plastic bags and cardboard boxes. And the chickens received a bonanza of wheat bread crumbs and stale cereal (and a box of unsalted soda crackers that they can have later moved to the feed shed)

What astonishes me is how fast I lost control.

Obviously I have a long way to go...

Out of Sight Out of Mind

365 things was talking about space allocation to help with clutter control this week.

I am a big fan of this technique, but I have discovered a trap of sorts. Complacency with what is in the allocated space can create a stagnation. If it is contained, and tidy, then it can be easy overlooked as an opportunity for decluttering and further streamlining.

Exhibit A: storage in my son's room. Tidy boxes crammed full of stuff in a cube shelf unit. Today I dared to look into those cubes and found a veritable plethora of bits and bobs that are completely useless! So I just rooted around for just FIVE MINUTES and got a whole grocery bag of less loved hotwheels, "prize" toys (from fast food joints) and other fun bits that show up in charity shop grab bags. So easy, so fast.

Falling Off the Chuck Wagon

I started the year off with a "pantry challenge" and it was a huge success! Good thing too because our freezer died (hubby repaired it but it took a few days) and if it wasn't so empty we would have ruined many more foods.

The temptation to fill it to capacity again has been surprisingly easy to resist. I guess I really am in a more stable place emotionally with food. (Pat myself on the back) I trust that food is available and easy to access. I trust that I can afford to feed my family now and in the future. I trust that space in my freezer/pantry is not an emptiness that always needs filling. Yep, I have had food issues.

Of course, when I look to make one of my staple dinners and find that I'm out of something, the surprise and disbelief as I rant at the cupboard is almost comical. "HOW can I be out of stewed tomatoes?" I've had to get used to actually checking BEFORE I start making something, instead of assuming my cupboard is like a well stocked grocery store.

Confession time.

I bought baked beans in bulk last week. Only 6 cans, but still, I've been so good.

Menu planning has helped. I draft up the menu based on the sale flyer, check the cupboards for the ingredients and fill in what is needed. I also have a chalk board to put down any staples that have run out so I can watch for them to go on sale again.

The freezer is still easy to go through, the fridge seems wo go through phases from STACKED-STUFFED to not-stuffed-but-still-not-bare and the pantry is full, but not bursting at the seams or flowing into other rooms like it was before!

To Thine Own Self Be True

I got this dress from one of my sister's closet purges with dreams of wearing it to a spring wedding. She never wore it and now she is about 4 dress sizes smaller. It has a retro cut that makes me feel like Mrs. Cleaver or something. Totally cool even though it's slightly too big and a bit fussy fabric compared to my usual dress preference.

 

 

Well there is a wedding coming up, so I tried it on to see if it was appropriate. My family didn't like it at all on me! So straight to the donate box it went. After all, if I couldn't wear it to the function I got it for, what good is it in my closet? NO GOOD!

 

Hopefully someone else will love the retro styling as much as I do AND look good in it. I was quickly forced to admit that though I think its cool, it's just not ME.

 

Is there anything in your wardrobe that you totally groove on but isn't your style? Maybe it's time to make space for the real you instead.

A Little of This , A Little of That

Stuff I just chose not to wear in the last 12 months:

 

pants too small now!

(just admit it and move on)

Excess cables and wires:

 

Every little bit helps when the goal is to have space.

Oops

Sometimes a thing is stored too long.

Dry goods that expire in the pantry, or adhesives that dry out for example.

Yesterday I visited that found box of stationary and found that the many envelopes that I had been hoarding for years had all sealed themselves up over the damp time spent in the shed this winter. About 3 pounds of pristine and pretty envelopes rendered useless by neglect. Now they are recycling.

Live and learn.

Heading that way

Yesterday I had to go to the bank, and my youngest said he wanted to see that the thrift shop next door had to offer. So I thought "Yay! An opportunity to make a donation!"

I asked my son to follow me to his room and we pulled out all his shirts and I held them up one by one and asked "Keep or Donate?" When he looked like he might be waffling, I gently reminded him that he had lots of shirts and if this one wasn't one he loved that it still would be a NICE thing to donate. After that was done, we went through the same routine with the pants. To show him that I wasn't picking on him, we went to my closet and I let him chose a dress that he thought was "hideous" and a pair of flip flops that are a garish color (he was getting impatient so I didn't push farther). The loot stuffed one of my extra fabric shopping bags (that I was planning to donate).

Banking, donating and browsing was all done efficiently and my son didn't even find anything he wanted to buy (except a bag of candy from the pharmacy next door... so close!).

I think it may be something to consider as a new habit as a compliment to the one-in-one-out rule. Fill a bag for donation before even going to the store, it's worth a try to do it every time.

Nice Mug

It has been a subtle transformation with removal of the excess in my household.

One box or bag at a time - a broken item not replaced, a rarely used thing just disappears, not dramatic at all (except the actual moving house last summer part)

It's funny that lately people keep noticing (for the first time) some furniture that I've had for over a decade -- now that it fits properly. "Is that new? It's nice."

Others are starting to notice that I have "less". Most are comfortable with it, but some folks have interesting reponses.

"Is that ALL your coffee mugs?"  More than one friend over for coffee has mentioned the number of mugs we have now. I don't run out of them even with big family dinners, so I'm not sure what they mean. MOST of the time only 2 per day are used, then they are washed. I was thinking the dozen we still have is a bit excessive, but apparently others think we need more.

 

(oops, that menu shouldn't be there!)

GOAL #37 Linen Closet

Finally took my own advice and let go of some of the "baggage" attached to the overflowing linen closet's contents! Namely, resisting the facts these items are past their prime, outlived their usefullness or ruined (no matter how expensive they were). I should use the nicer items that I already have, I need to release the left overs to leave room for the good stuff!

Here is the goal:

• For linens- 2 sheet sets per bed (so there is enough for when company comes), with a maximum 2 pillowcases per pillow and no more than a winter and a summer duvet per bed.
• For bath towels- only the ones in good shape!
• For dish towels- only the ones in decent shape that fit in the drawer.

To resist the temptation of putting the threadbare, bleached or stained back into rotation (some were very expensive/past efforts to remove them had failed) I made sure to tear them into rags right then and there and put the bags of rags out in the garage for the super messes. And for the excess linens, the local thrift store will be getting a decent bag of donations tomorrow (I seemed to have been hoarding pillow cases for some reason). I had cleared out most of the decorative oddballs (duvet covers and throws) before we moved last year, so it wasn't too outrageous... even still, 2 STUFFED grocery bags of rags and a cloth shopping bag of donated linens made a BIG difference to how tidy and functional the closet is. Its a big improvement with only 15 minutes of work.

On a footnote (pun intended) I brought out the summer shoes and culled a couple pairs that I have decided I don't need anymore. And a handbag that is very cool and well built, but ridiculously heavy so I don't enjoy using it!

Bu-Bye :)

Here is the result! Way better than the over stuffed chaos that was there before.... the striped baskets (that areNOT full anymore) each have a specific theme: 1) twin sheet sets, 2) spare queen sheet set and 3) housekeeping rags

Bad Feelings

If you don't have it anymore you can't:

• Feel anxious about how much it cost
• Feel guilty about  never using it
• Feel embarassed that it doesn't fit anymore
• Feel overwhelmed that it hasn't been repaired or finished it yet
• Feel frustrated over having to clean/maintain it
• Feel buried by the space it takes up
• Feel shame/loss/anger over the memory that is attached to it

Those are things I know about decluttering.
It is work to remember all these points, especially if you have had the thing a long time,... that's the hardest part, admitting that the item may actually be emotionally toxic.

Have the courage to admit that the time is up with the items that invoke the above feelings: say good-bye, forgive yourself and move forward to more space and a wide open future. You have my permission to give it a new home and toss the 'baggage'.

Easy Choice!

While looking for my gardening books, I found a whole box of stuff I don't need. All of it in very good condition, these shirts and hats are going to my favourite charity thrift shop.

Missing In Action

It was inevitable... I am missing something I feel I need.

I'm pretty sure that I did NOT declutter my favourite gardening reference books... but I can't seem to find them! Since the move and the paring down of books, I guess they could have gone astray. They aren't in the bookshelf here.

There was a box of books under the house that hadn't been opened yet, but the gardening books weren't in there - it had my yearbooks from high school! (I am keeping those until both my kids graduate at least because they think it's funny to look at me as a teen)

In the sheds I found a forgotten box with stationery in it... It will be be edited agressively because the only thing I missed was the geometry set that I needed for the kid's math homework. Thankfully, I resisted replacing it because I KNEW I had one SOMEWHERE!

I wonder where the books are? I really want them to plan my new vegetable garden this year! I need plant pairings and soil preference and planting times for my zone... that's a lot of digging on the internet (pun intended).

Besides, that's half the fun of gardening- sitting with a good plant book pouring over it taking notes and sketching plans! Dreaming of big harvests and the freshest yummiest food.

Putting on the brakes

I've had to slow down my decluttering efforts because of other, more urgent matters. Note I said "urgent" not necessarily important.

Spring has sprung and I had to squeeze every available moment of decent weather to work on the yard. We have "decluttered" a long row of neglected and diseased hedges along the driveway and a tottering cinder block wall in the front. As well we have prepared the veggie plot for the new season and built a better gate for the free-range-chicken-zone of the garden.

With all this yard action I have had little time to think about the other goals that I've already started! So the laundry room still looks much the same.

It didn't help that the freezer decided to die and all the contents had to taken in a mad rush to my sister's freezer. Thankfully my handy husband found the problem and resuscitated the appliance, so we were spared the unpleasant task of buying a new one! I am so lucky we did the freezer challenge in January, otherwise there would have been far too much to fit in my sister's space!

Easter, birthdays and a whole mess of new, demanding contracts for work have also interupted my desire to purge the clutter. The desire is still there, but I can't do much about it right this minute.... oh well.

Don't give up on me, there is more to toss, and more to see.

Small victories like these are still happening:

 

 

 (an empty cabinet that needs to go to a different house...

... it was a hand-made present so it's a tough one to let go of)

 

PLUS my husband has purged 3 coats and a pair of shoes too!

I wish I took pictures

I made a deal with my youngest boy this weekend... if he could help with some of MY chores, I would clean his room. After short negotiations as to what chores he'd have to do, he went for it.

So I spent a good part of Sunday tearing into the plethora of bins and containers in his room. It looked waaaaaay worse before it started looking better, but now there is some logic to the containers (all the playmobil in one place, hotwheels in another, for example).

Thanks to all the practice I've had in my own spaces lately, I had great success consolidating and streamlining his storage bins! I put SIX high quality empty bins in the crawlspace (I know I should just donate them, but I will give them some time to prove useless before that). There was a small amount of trash (toy packages) and only a small amount of damaged toys, so I didn't really remove a whole lot of volume. It was just the miss-filed items that were taking up so much extra space. And that accident has been fixed now.

He came home from an outing with dad to a better looking and better functioning space. Oh ya and it was cleaner too. With everything torn out, I could vacuum and dust in the chronically blocked corners... small mountains of dust and pet hair lurked there (ewwww). With less bins now, theoretically it should be easier to clean these corners more often. It's now Wednesday and it's still very nice in there. :)

In other news: 2 weeks ago I gave 4 very large, quality, hinged plastic bins to my sister to help her rotate toys in her kids' playroom.... she has seen my decluttering successes and thought she'd try cutting down the immediate choices for her kids so they could find it easier to put things away and easier to find something to play with. By rotating the toys, old will be new again in a few months, and clean up time should go faster.

It's funny how there is a certain point where too much choice is annoying instead of fun - that's where her playroom had gone to. Nobody wanted to play in there. Now that 4 large totes worth are out of sight, and several more bags were donated or tossed, and even a large piece of furniture was removed, her kids suddenly love their playroom again!

No I didn't pest my sister to do it, she just saw with her own eyes that I have been happier with less, and recognized that it could solve her playroom frustrations to have less too. And I just happened to have a bunch of empty bins (!)

Align Life with Priorities

I found "extraorganized.com" recently and thought I'd give some of the concepts a real effort.
(My comments are in the CAPS)

"Align your life with your priorities"

What is important to you, at this moment in your life? Over the next twelve months, aim to gradually bring the way you spend your time into alignment with these things. To help identify your core priorities, think about the following questions:

• What are your top five priorities?
FAMILY - HOME - CREATIVITY - MONEY MANAGEMENT - HEALTH

• From a friend’s perspective, what would they say your top five priorities are?
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. ANY FRIENDS WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT IN THE COMMENTS?

• Does the way you spend your time reflect either list?
WELL, I WORK FROM HOME SO I CAN BE CLOSER TO FAMILY, AND THAT FORCES ME TO MANAGE MY MONEY CLOSELY, AND MY WORK IS CREATIVE... ALL BUT THE HEALTH THING ARE COVERED THERE. I EAT HOME COOKED MEALS MOST OF THE TIME AND PAY ATTENTION TO MY FOOD, BUT EXERCISE COULD BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY FOR SURE :)

• Is there anything getting in the way of your priorities? Is it worth it?
SOMETIMES THE PRIORITIES CONFLICT: MESSY HOME THANKS TO CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS, OR LESS FUN TIME WITH FAMILY THANKS TO RESPONSIBLE MONEY MANAGEMENT. OTHERWISE MY REALITY IS INLINE WITH MY PRIORITES MOST OF THE TIME.

BUT IF I COULD ADD ONE MORE PRIORITY IT WOULD BE A SOCIAL LIFE OUTSIDE OF HOME/FAMILY. MY PRIORITIES (AS THEY ARE) HAVE LEFT LITTLE ROOM FOR ANYTHING ELSE. I SUPPOSE CREATIVITY AND SOCIAL EXPANSION COULD BE INTERTWINED IF I WENT FARTHER AFIELD FOR MY CREATIVE OUTLET BEYOND MT CAMERA LENS OR COMPUTER SCREEN...

GOAL #36 - Entryway/laundryroom

Not a lot going on in the entryway (there is no room to hide bins anyways!) but I do have an excess of reusable grocery bags in the coat closet. I think the eco thing to do is use these extra bags as my donation containers for a while.

The laundryroom is a whole other story. Stacks of bins for shoes, cleaning supplies and other bits and bobs. Here is the starting point....

 

The goal is to to clear off the horizontal surfaces and limit the busy-clutter.

Away for Good, Away for Now

I put an audio book on and got packing today.

SO FAR...
Away forever - one box of stuff is going away forever
Away for now - going to the crawlspace with "expiry dates" written on them - 1 large box of DVDs and 1 box of books

 

(small sampling of stuff going away so far)