Category Archives: Decluttering

Gift Giving

5 Comments

Even though I do not buy many gifts it can still be a challenge to find the perfect gift.  I try to make choices that fit with my values and will be truly appreciated by the recipient.

This year The Duke and I have agreed that we are not buying ‘stuff’ for each other and that our trip to the USA was our gift to each other.

Belle, Missy and my immediate family will receive a combination of money, home-made goodies and Oxfam Unwrapped gifts.  These are well worth checking out if you are not familiar with the concept.

Blanket

Miss O and Izz have more than enough toys and clothes so I bought them each a special Christmas ornament when we were overseas and also a couple of cloth badges.  I have recently given them the camp blankets which belonged to Belle and Missy when they were younger and collected badges.  Their main gifts are experiences rather than stuff – tickets to shows.  I will take Izz to see a stage production of Hairy McLary and Miss O to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  These will both be in January and I am really looking forward to sharing the joy with each of them.

At work our team (about 10 of us) used to do a Secret Santa but a couple of years ago we all agreed that it was really unnecessary and we would make a donation to World Vision using their gift catalogue.  We have lots of fun choosing what animals we will ‘buy’.

I feel that my gift-giving will not just add more stuff to people’s lives but make a positive contribution in several ways.  It has also meant that I have no need to spend hours trawling the malls with a million other stressed shoppers so I am happy about that, too.

Now……..The Fallout

2 Comments

Did you get sucked into Click Frenzy?

Was it a success or total disaster?  I guess it depends on your point of view and whether or not you were involved.  Now for the ramifications.  Check this news report.

My day was much more sedate.  I did some paid work from home and then spent some time cleaning my living room.

When I decide to clean properly I remove cobwebs and dust from the cornices, clean windows, skirting boards and the floor as well as dusting and polishing the furniture.  It is a big task but definitely worthwhile when it is finished.  I also cast a critical eye over all of the ‘stuff’ and make sure it is still current and relevant.  I did toss a couple of things but generally everything I have here is useful and/or loved.

2012-11-21 01I have not completed the whole room yet but here is the shelving unit which is all done.

Slow and Simple – A Goal For Living

4 Comments

I was sitting and vaguely wondering what I might write today when I found the following words from Courtney Carver at “Project 333“.

Life is noisy. Inboxes are overflowing. To-Do Lists are three pages long. Time flies. We run late. We catch up. We fall behind. We never finish.

All of those things leave us exhausted and uninspired. How can we keep up and slow down at the same time? How can build in more time, space, and resources for health and happiness?

The answer is simple … use less, do less, need less, spend less. Sure, the answer is simple, but where do you start?

Simplicity can start anywhere, but it can’t start everywhere. Beginning a journey into a new way of life in the same you we ran our old way of life doesn’t make sense. Complicating simplicity by trying to do it all at once defeats the purpose. Instead, start small and start in one place.

These words really sang to me and I instantly felt my breathing slow and a sense of calm and order descend.

Courtney is correct, there are so many aspects of our lives that can be simplified that it is easy to get caught up in a whirl.

I participated in Project 333 quite successfully earlier this year.  Since then, I have not actually counted items but I am continually aiming to streamline my entire wardrobe even further.  I now know what styles and colours I really like to wear and make sure that everything I own truly deserves its place in my wardrobe.

2012-05-28 01A wardrobe is a very good place to begin your journey to a simpler life. We all have more clothes than we actually need and it is a confined space and you can easily quantify the contents.

After you have expended considerable time and energy clearing out clothes that you do not wear or even like, you will think twice about buying more.

I can assure you that once you begin, the principles of simplicity will naturally flow to many other facets of your life.  You will find yourself seeking out simpler meals, decorating ideas and simple ideas for recreation and leisure time.

2012-11-21 01Every little bit helps.  Over time you will find that you can apply the underlying principles of Project 333 to areas as diverse as your linen cupboard, utensil drawer and DVD collection.

002

If you have less stuff in your life you will need less time, money and energy to acquire, store, clean and organise it.  Release the stuff and reclaim the time and space in your life.

And the final word must come from one of my favourite quotes.  This is from Francine Jay at “Miss Minimalist“.

Life is the space between our things.

So, do we want a fulfilling life or a life full of things?

A Pile of Clothes & Something For Me

2 Comments

I am gradually working my way through a pile of clothes that I brought home from Missy’s place nearly 2 weeks ago.  I was helping her to sort and declutter in preparation for her interstate relocation.

Some items were deemed not suitable, too old, worn out or simply no longer loved.  Most would suitable for someone else so they went to the local op shop.

I did score a scarf which Missy no longer wanted.  I am not usually a huge scarf fan but this was a small lightweight one in turquoise, black and beige/gold colours  which caught my eye.  I have worn it twice in less than a week.  The first time was out to dinner when I had a black skirt and 3/4 sleeve top of the same turquoise colour.  The top has a v-neck and no collar so the scarf really finished it off nicely.  Secondly, I wore white 3/4 trousers and a black camisole with a gold tie-up 3/4 sleeve mesh top.  I used the scarf as a belt for the trousers and it added a bit of colour and brought the whole outfit together.  I certainly had not gone out looking for a scarf like this but once I saw the opportunity it fits really well with my existing wardrobe.

Like most people she had some items lurking amongst her clothes which were not wearable for a variety of reasons.  We assessed the viability of each piece and I brought some home for some alteration/mending to return them to fully functional pieces.

The handiwork has included replacing buttons, letting down hems and a multitude of minor adjustments that enhance the wearability of a garment.

One dress gaped where the bodice crossed over but since it was a stretch fabric I just permanently sewed the crossover section.  Another top had fold back cuffs on the armholes which needed to be pressed into place each time before wearing so I stitched them so that it stays in place.  These adjustments are not usually evident at the time of purchase and it is not until you wear an item a few times that you realise that it is not as ‘easy’ to wear as you would like.  Sometimes there is a simple solution that can make all of the difference.

This is the pile that I have finished.  There were some other maintenance jobs like trimming off loose threads and pilled fabric.  All of this combined with washing has created a pile of items with a new lease of life.

I still have a bit left to do but it is not as bad as it looks spread over the ironing board.  Soon it will be a neat pile of wearable clothes.

One of the things that I have learned from my involvement in Project 333 is that nothing deserves a place in your wardrobe unless it is wearable and you love it.

Do you find yourself with a cupboard full of clothes and ‘nothing to wear’?  Perhaps it is time to check out what is lurking in the cupboard.

Back Again

1 Comment

Blogging has taken a back seat this last week as my ‘real’ life has been rather busy.

We have been away for the weekend to catch up with friends and celebrate a ‘milestone’ birthday for my girlfriend.  We had a fabulous time and I have returned refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm after our short break.

I am working through a pile of mending/alterations of clothes for Missy which I have promised I will finish before she moves interstate in a couple of weeks.  I have spent some time helping her declutter and sort some things prior to her move as it is an ideal time to rationalise exactly what you have and what you need.  There is no point in paying to move things that you really do not want to keep.

2012-11-05 01Speaking of things you do not want to keep, this is a pile of fabric that a friend offered to me last week as she did not see the possibility of using it any time soon.  I have accepted it and have space to store it until I start creating.  I think that may be next year as the next 7 weeks are looking pretty busy in the lead-up to Christmas.  However, I already have some plans for some of the fabric and am looking forward to using it.  Thanks, Sandra.

I mentioned that it is 7 weeks until Christmas but my busyness is not really related to a crazy shopping frenzy or significant over-indulgence in food.  It is more about a self-imposed deadline for projects that I want to complete both at home and at work before the end of the year.  More about that in tomorrow’s post.

In The Dark

3 Comments

Here is a test to see how organised your bedroom and wardrobe are.

Try getting ready for bed – remove clothes/jewellery, put away shoes, put on night attire and get into bed without turning on the light.

Can you confidently move around the room and place things in their right position because there is no clutter and everything has a home?

Think about how visually impaired people manage.

I regularly do this and realised that it is because there is the bare minimum in our bedroom and it is always in the same place.

Dressing tableThis is my dressing table and I can easily locate the box for my earrings when I remove them.  For years I had heaps of clutter on my dressing table and I yearned to have it clear and tidy and once I achieved that goal I have never let it go.

If you are overwhelmed by your stuff, try setting small goals and then achieve and maintain one thing before moving onto something bigger.

Mysteries of the Universe

3 Comments

One of the great mysteries is how the utensil drawers get so grubby when the utensils are clean when they are put away.  If anyone can throw some light on this I would appreciate it, but in the meantime two of my kitchen drawers are clean again after a blitz yesterday.

2012-10-20 01I decluttered this drawer a few months ago so everything in it stayed, even though there are a couple of things that only rarely get used.  The contents include:

Electric knife
Rolling pin
BBQ tool
Tongs
Cleaning brush (for the juicer)
Avocado slicer
Chip cutter
Garlic press
Cherry stoner
Apple corer
Pineapple peeler/corer
Scone cutter
Cheese slicer
Jar opener
Ice-cream scoop
Vegetable peeler
Grapefruit knife
Fine bladed knife
Citrus zester
Tea strainer
Tea infuser
Knife sharpener
Spaghetti measure
Egg rings
Measuring spoons
Corn cob holders
Wine aerator
Wine vacuum seal
Corkscrews x 2
Can openers x 2 different styles

This is in addition to the knives in the knife block and 2 jars of utensils which are on the bench.  Everything in the utensil jars gets used at least once per week.

2012-10-20 02This is what could probably be described as a ‘junk’ drawer, although nothing in here is junk – it is all useful.

Matches
Notepaper (an old desk calendar)
String tin
Jar of rubber bands
Black felt-tipped pens x 2
Wind-up torches x 2
Set of small screwdrivers
Compass
Calculator
Scissors x 2
Sticky labels
Brown paper
Zip-lock bags (rewashed)
Muslin
Worn-out tea towels (for covering defrosting food etc)
Bag of twist ties
Bread bags (rewashed)
Cling wrap                   }
Alfoil                            } – these have been sitting here for at least 10 years
Freezer go-between  }    will not be replaced whenever I use them up
Baking paper – I bought this last week as it is apparently essential when
baking grain-free
Cut milk container of bits – homemade plant labels, spare O-ring for the breadmaker, labels for homemade cordial etc.

I regularly clean a drawer/cupboard or two each week, so although it seems like a never-ending merry-go-round it is never a huge job.

Project 333 – Plains & Prints

1 Comment

Today I had a blinding flash regarding the items in my wardrobe.

2012-05-14 02I have plain shorts (black, white and khaki) and plain trousers (black, white and jeans).  I can wear patterned tops with these (striped, floral prints etc).

2012-07-02 09My skirts are patterned (striped, floral, spotted) and I have plain coloured tops to wear with them.

2012-06-11 05But………..never the twain shall meet, so I am limited in the selection of mix and match outfits that I can create.

2012-07-02 03I can, and do wear a plain coloured top with plain shorts or trousers but there is no way I would ever mix 2 different patterns.  So I have come to the conclusion, that although at least some of the patterned tops will remain to be worn with the trousers or shorts, I will work towards having more plain coloured tops that can be used in a greater number of ways.

How have you identified ways to streamline the clothes in your wardrobe?

The Linen Cupboard

3 Comments

As promised in my post from yesterday, I have finally finished the linen cupboard that I started back in about July.  It was not a huge task as I tend to regularly check my linen and cull any excess that cannot be otherwise used, either by me or someone I know.

I finished it all apart from the 3 tablecloths that I set aside to refashion to fit the oval table.  This is how I left it.

001
Most of it looks fine, apart from the 4th shelf with tablecloths, placemats and serviettes in no particular order.

002

Here is the close-up of the shelf to be done.

003

All finished – the tablecloths are in 3 piles.  One pile of cloths for the table when it is round, one for the extended oval table and one pile of ‘other’ cloths.  These are 3 small square one suitable for afternoon tea as well as 3 bigger cloths for the outdoor table and 2 folding tables which we sometimes use if we have a bigger gathering.  The serviettes are on the same shelf as the tablecloths while the placemats are on the shelf below.

Now I am off to make some more wool wash and hope to post the recipe and instructions here tomorrow.