Season's Change

It's officially Autumn! My favourite season for walks in the woods and organizing house in preparation for cold weather.

I went under my house last weekend when there was a break in the weather and dragged up the bins of autumn clothes (the bulky, hard-core winter stuff can stay down there a while longer).

Tuck away the flip flops and filmy summer frocks until next year...

Out come the cozy sweaters, and cord slacks --- how I love to bring them back into regular rotation! It's like getting them new all over again and brings me a feeling of abundance. (I thought about keeping every season's clothes in the regular closets all year, but the thought of giving up the magical change-over is not appealing to me.)

Also, the hand-me-downs bin came out and my youngest son tried on all the stuff that his brother outgrew (4 years age difference). Suffice it to say they are VERY different body shapes and many outfits simply don't fit in any direction (too long and narrow for my husky youngest)

It is sad to give away perfectly good jeans and pants, but at the same time, it felt GREAT giving a very large box of perfectly decent pants to my sister for her very slim son. She won't have to buy pants for him for at least 2 (maybe even 4) years! (NO PHOTO, but it was an impressive amount). Enough pants did fit that I don't have to go shopping and he won't be naked either!

Other items removed from the home this week:

Ancient, heavy, chop saw (now for sale):

 

 Theme lego (sold in a day)

 

Box of shoes, toys and clothes that no one uses (to charity)

and some miscellaneous house hardware that didn't get used in the renovation went to the habitat for humanity store.

A Matter of Maintenance

Days "off" when you take a staycation..... not exactly relaxing, when the mission is to declutter, but certainly rejuvenating when the days are filled with crossing things off the to do list that have languished too long.

This was the week to sort the crawlspace, clean out the detritus in one of the sheds, and thoroughly weed the overgrown summer gardens. Rain or no rain, it had to be done.

With labour day behind us, I packed the hottest weather clothes away - liberating tonnes of space in my closet, (its still too early to bring out the cold weather clothes). I am enjoying the roomy closet, even though it's temporary.

Another victory: We took obsolete electronics to the electronics recycler.... that 10 year old computer tower, a satellite dish and 2 receivers (it was an awesome system at the other house, but this place can't get a signal)


Also prone to obsolescence: Toys!
As the kids grow, their toys change. Keeping on top of the pruning process is a must in this age of excess. The kids get spoiled every year with a glut of toys thanks to family and friends, cheap toy opportunities, birthdays and gift giving holidays. Over the years the baby toys have had their phases... baby toys, preschool toys, learning toys, young kids toys, and soft stuffed animals. Now the more complicated kits and collections are slowly being weeded out. This weekend I found 2 large boxes of forgotten toys in the crawlspace and had the pleasure of donating them without any complaints.

The secret to having them agree to let go? There is more than one way to do it.

• Tough-love Technique: Telling them that if they can't put it away, then it must not be very important to them. Sometimes they simply have too many toys to put them all the way. If there is no home for the toy, I encourage the kids to get rid of less-loved things to make space. It can lead to tears, but it's necessary in a finite world.
• Spacial Awareness Technique: Telling them they need to get rid of the old to make room for the new (good before birthdays and holidays). If they get rid of a lot, they obviouusly have high hopes for the incoming haul! LOL
• Charitable Heart Technique: I plead that they don't play with it anymore, but it is still so great, wouldn't it be nice if it could be passed on to another lucky kid now while it's still nice? (that last one works every time on my youngest generous son). Lovingly pack the items off to charity.
• Enterprising Technique: Offering to post toys online for sale and they can keep the money (good for the toys that are always popular and still in good shape). They learn the issue of depreciation, and that if the toys are broken or missing parts that they are useless.... leading to the last point...
• Take Care of It OR ELSE! Technique: If it's broken or I find it's pieces all over the house I retain the right to toss it, no matter how much it's "loved".

What is lurking in your crawlspace/attic or storage that is obsolete? Decluttering once is not enough. Regular maintenance is necessary in the age of upgrades.

Say goodbye

A couple outfits and purse and a cuddly lamb... all found in my closet.. all completely ignored this season (too long ignored - out the door)

 

My sis (always helpful) says these items look "hideous" and had to go...

 

A 10 year old computer (though it was top of the line in it's day) now even the young kids don't want to play on it anymore. I have removed (and mangled) the hard drives, the rest is going to the electronics recycling centre next time I am out that way. The mouse and small monitor will be getting a second life on another computer.

Chillin'

The refrigerator.

In a home of food and cooking, the fridge is a "hot spot" of activity and mostly overflowing with the perishables and condiments of everyday cooking. And often this most used appliance can become a black hole of forgotten items.

Today was the day I mucked it out.

Consolidating multiples of sauces, tossing the expired salad dressings (why do I even buy them, they always expire before I even get 1/3 through them no matter how small the bottle), and washing the shelves and bins. Happily, thanks to more conscious shopping efforts, there has been little waste in the way of veggies (I wish there was never any waste of food, a goal I keep striving for).

It looks so much sparklier in there, and I know what I have. Very pretty results.

Size matters

When decluttering size does matter!

The size of the space you have and the size of the stuff you chose to keep.

There is the size of clothes that fit too.

Lots of folks have weight fluctuations, some of which are extreme, so I know this is a common dilemma for many people. When choosing what to declutter from the closets... How do I decide what sizes are clutter?

The old rule is that is it doesn't fit, look good or feel good then it automatically gets cut from the wardrobe. But in the last 9 months or so, my body has changed size (unfortunately larger than I am comfortable with). Some items I have given up because I barely wore them even when they did fit, but MOST of my summer-season pants that fit last year are really too small. Since I do think it would be in my health's best interest to lose the excess weight, I am hesitant about getting rid of perfectly good shorts and capris. Yet.

But, where is the line between aspirational clutter and a realistic frugal sensibility?
Is it one size difference?
Or is it a time limit like one year?
I really would like the convenience of only having things that fit in my closet.... And having the pretty clothes that don't fit mixed in with the few remaining bottoms that do fit does add some frustration to getting dressed. But at the same time I keep hoping the smaller clothes will motivate me to do what needs to be done to fit them again.

Does anyone have any ideas? All thoughts will be greatly appreciated?

My Apologies

I am sorry if anyone was following the "spending holiday" posts.

Alas, I had to admit defeat.
I'm not going into the details, but sometimes, retreating is the best way to move forward.

Though I lost this one battle, I will win the war by learning from these mistakes.

Vow of Contentment

I can thank the Happiness Project for this revelation (link)

“By making a vow of stability the monk renounces the vain hope of wandering off to find a ‘perfect monastery.’ This implies a deep act of faith: the recognition that it does not much matter where we are or whom we live with…Stability becomes difficult for a man whose monastic ideal contains some note, some element of the extraordinary. All monastaries are more or less ordinary…Its ordinariness is one of its greatest blessings.”

How does this apply to an everyday life? For someone looking for simplicity and contentment and overall happiness, it has EVERYTHING to do with everyday life!

How much happier would you be if you weren't looking for something better? If you were truly happy with your lot in life?

Lately I have been wanting to sell my car. My grand plan was to sell it, pocket the money and drive the junker that we got for our son to learn to drive in (hubby found a running car for $200 and has put enough money into it to make it safe... but its still not pretty). Drving it until we found the perfect replacement.... or until the teen buys the junker, which ever comes first.

Hubby had a different plan, he thinks we should sell the 4 door sedan and get a fuel efficient, newer, SUV thing so that we would have a practical, reliable and stylish vehicle to be seen in.

In otherwords he wants to UPGRADE.

I had a reasonable offer on my car. But it still makes me sick to think my lovely car has depreciated by 40% in the last 3 year! In effect, we have absorbed $135/month - not including taxes or insurance or maintenance, for the privilage of driving the car.

To add insult to injury, hubby and I went car shopping and found the top end of my comfort zone for car price buys a run down picked over (and sometimes smelly) model of the car that haubby prefers!To get into one of those cars would be like paying several thousand dollars to DOWNGRADE and a significant amount of taxes too.

This is were the vow of stability comes in.

Please hold me to this.

I vow to love my car -even though it isn't dog or cargo friendly & even though it drinks PREMIUM only fuel - because it looks good, it runs great and it is paid for. So as long as this car is safe and reliable and not too embarassing to take to client meetings, I will stay the course. I will remain content - even with hubby pressing for something different.

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'.