Project 333 – What Went Back

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Posted on May 19, 2015

As promised, I will share a bit more of my wardrobe clean-up.

This is an overview of the bedroom on Saturday morning before I started.

It is not looking the best as I have made it to the end of the full-time working week and now it is time to sort things out.

I mentioned in my earlier post that I removed everything from the wardrobe. I made the bed and hung up the jackets from the end of the bed before I started so that I had a clear working space.

Although one of the basic ideas behind Project 333 is to actually remove all but 33 items of clothing from your closet I had never actually done that. I believed that most of my clothes were worn year-round due to our relatively temperate climate. That is still the case and I have not limited myself to a precise number but as we are approaching our coolest months of the year I removed my summer clothes.

Here is the small pile of dresses, sleeveless tops and shorts which I will not wear again until the weather is hot. This is in addition to those items which I have specifically set aside for our trip to Singapore.

I took the time to critically examine each garment and try on a few different combinations to discover what worked together and how I felt about it. A few pieces have been taken by the local recycle boutique on consignment and a couple more gone to the op shop.

This is what I was left with. I will wear these clothes for the next 3 months with 1 or 2 possible purchases.

There are 2 pairs of trousers, a pair of jeans, 2 shirts and a jacket not shown as I was wearing them/they were in the wash. The pile of summer clothes is bagged and on the top shelf along with a couple of bags and 2 sunhats.

It is now easy for me to see what is ‘missing’ so that I can make considered choices when I go shopping.

One of the things that is obvious from my selection of clothes is that I love prints – florals, stripes, spots, checks – I have them all. I can now see that this is what has held me back from pursuing a ‘capsule wardrobe’ as many like to describe it. So many blogs and discussions seem to revolve around plain colours, neutrals and mix’n’match themes. In general terms, they also lean to what I regard as ‘wishy-washy’ colours – cream, sand, khaki, pale denim which do not inspire me. I love (and look best in) black and white as neutrals with strong, clear colour accents – red, emerald green, purple and fuschia and my clothes mostly reflect that.

I feel like my wardrobe works for me.

Project 333 – Clearing the Cupboard

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Posted on May 16, 2015

While this post is not strictly about Project 333, it is about decluttering my clothes so I have kept the Project 333 tag for ease of locating the post in the future. Today I decided to empty the entire contents of my wardrobe and dresser. Here is the empty wardrobe. The first category that I chose to scrutinise was shoes. Here they all are. Yes, all 21 pairs. Now, I don’t really know how that compares with what other people have but it does seem like a lot for someone who supposedly tries to keep things to a minimum. I sorted them and these are the ones I have worn in the past week. An additional 3 pairs in the past couple of months. Winter footwear that has been worn in the last 12 months. Three special-purpose ones that have not been worn in the last year but still get to stay. In fact, while typing this I remembered that the patent heels have been worn in the past year.

This brings the total to 18 pairs which have made the grade and will return to the wardrobe.

Here are the three pairs that are moving out.

Black heels which I had replaced but not got rid of them. They have not been worn since the new ones were purchased.

Red flats which are nearly 3 years old. The heels are worn and they are not overly comfortable.

Pewter sandals which were a mistake as they are really a half-size too small. Hopefully someone else will get a really good pair of sandals that fit them well.

I did not cull a great number of my shoes as most of them do get worn on a regular basis. This was a useful exercise as it made me consider each pair and the value of keeping them. I have also identified the next pairs which will go over time and I will be giving more thought to the shoes I buy in future.

Over the next week I will be sharing some of the other discoveries and decisions I made when I emptied my wardrobe.

Meanwhile, I would love to hear about your shoes – what sort? how many?

Marie vs Me

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Posted on March 24, 2015

Over the past 6 six weeks I have become increasingly aware of the name, Marie Kondo. For those of you who feel like you have been living under a rock, she is a Japanese decluttering and tidying guru.

One of the things that seems to have captured people’s imagination is her method of folding and storing t-shirts and underwear. When I first read about this, I dismissed it because I figured I did not have enough t-shirts to warrant having a special method of folding them. Origami, anyone? Anyway, my clothes fit quite nicely into the available space.

All of the hype got the better of me tonight so I resorted to Google. There are many links but here is a Youtube video on folding underwear.

As far as I can see there is nothing particularly startling about that. I do know that I would go insane if I had to unhook my bra every time I went to get dressed!

Here is my version. Unfortunately, no video, just a couple of still shots.

This is one of the small drawers from my dressing table. I have put it on the floor for this view.

Back left – 6 bras
Front left – 6 pairs of knickers
Back right – 6 pairs of stockings
Centre right – 3 pairs thick socks
Front right – 11 pairs of ankle/lightweight socks

I have more socks than I need but I see no reason to throw any out. I will keep them until they are worn out and not replace with as many. There are already about 6 pairs that have gone in the past couple of years.

This is a closer view with the drawer back in position.

My underwear drawer is the top left-hand drawer. The other top drawer holds my pyjamas, scarves, bathers and sarong. The lower two drawers are full width and contain shorts, travel pants, tops (short and long sleeved), cardigans and my home and exercise clothes.

Nothing is over-stuffed and I am happy with the way everything is folded and fits in.

I will probably have a bit more of a look at what Marie Kondo has to offer but I don’t think I will be changing how I fold and store my clothes anytime soon.

Are you a Marie Kondo afficionado? Should I set up my own decluttering business? 🙂

Kitchen Appliances to Keep – Or Not?

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Posted on March 10, 2015

I am short on time tonight but I thought I would share this link which is food for thought. It lists 5 kitchen appliances that you may not really need. They are:

1 Blender

2 Electric Grill

3 Baby Food Maker

4 Microwave oven

5 Panini Press

I have been giving quite a bit of thought to this exact topic recently so when a friend posted the link it caught my eye and gave my a bit more to think about.

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you have and why. I will be back with my own detailed response tomorrow.

Keep watching for a new series beginning on Friday.

Keeping Things Tidy

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Posted on February 25, 2015

I saw the following question posed on an internet forum the other day.

“What room do you always like to keep tidy?”

The answers were as wide-ranging as there are people. My favourite was probably, “The guest toilet – the family are banned from using it”.

Of course then there is the small matter of interpretation. What do you regard as a tidy room? Pristine? Basically clean? No clutter?

A tidy room in a home with a number of children might be vastly different from a single or two adult household.

The 2 rooms that are always clean and tidy at our place are the bathroom and the guest bedroom. As one clever person observed, no-one actually ‘lives’ in a bathroom, therefore, therefore it is easier to keep tidy. After having lived with 2 teenage daughters I would dispute that assertion in some instances. Our bathroom now is small and sparsely furnished and requires only a quick wipe to look fresh and sparkling.

I find it interesting to note that the 2 rooms that are the most difficult to keep tidy are the study and the sewing room. I don’t think that it is any coincidence that these are the areas that still require more decluttering.

Remember, the more stuff you have, the more cleaning, tidying, storing and organising it will require.

Tables should be clear surfaces ready to be used.

This is the shelving unit in the living room.

I always try to keep the bedroom as clear as possible as an uncluttered, calm room is more conducive to good sleeping.

Move the unwanted stuff out and the house will be easier to keep tidy and you will have more time to spend doing the things you enjoy.

What rooms do you always like to be tidy? What are the challenges you face? Are there rooms that defy even the best of intentions?

I would love to hear what you think and perhaps we can work together to make some progress.

Downsizing the Drawers

Sew My Stash Sunday – 5

Two Minutes to Tidy

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Posted on February 7, 2015

It is great to feel that the decluttering efforts are really making a difference. This morning I noticed that the shelf where my recipe books are stored was very grubby and needed cleaning. It was a simple matter of grabbing an armful of books and placing them on the bench while I wiped down the shelf and then replaced the books. This took me less than 2 minutes.

I have never had hundreds of cookbooks but nevertheless it has taken about 3 rounds of culling to get it to this. You can read about a previous effort here.

Cookbook shelf

That was about 14 months ago but a few more have moved on since then, too. I do not miss any of them and have not have occasion to regret my decision to move them along. Recipes are something that has really been revolutionised by the advent of the internet. There is nothing you cannot find. Also, recipes are like clothes – there are definitely trends and fashions.

Do you have recipe books? Have you reduced your collection?

Project 333 – One In, Two Out

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Posted on February 5, 2015

I think we have all heard the mantra of “One In, One Out” in order to keep the clutter under control. This week I have gone one better. I made this skirt last week.

Now I have sent these 2 skirts to the op shop.

I bought the navy/white one when we were in the USA in 2012 and it is wearing out. The lightweight fabric is pulling away from the seams at the sides of the waistband and I noticed that it has actually split along the fold of the hem in a couple of places so definitely time to go. The red/white skirt is one that I made a while ago. I attempted to make a pattern from the navy/white skirt. It was reasonably successful and I have certainly worn it many times but it is far from perfect. Now that i have a perfect pattern I will be using that for future skirts that I make. Time for these to go.

More To Go

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Posted on February 4, 2015

A couple of days ago I read a comment online by someone unknown to me that they had decluttered so much that they had nothing left to declutter. I have no idea what their circumstances are or what they consider essential but I know that I have not reached that point. In fact, I am not sure that I ever will or even want to. We do not have a huge amount of stuff but for me it is more about carefully streamlining what we own to a selection of good-quality items that match our lifestyle. Our needs change and therefore, our possessions will change accordingly.

On the weekend I was cleaning in the kitchen and one thing led to another and I ended up re-looking at the cooking utensils that I use. I have supposedly decluttered these on at least 2 previous occasions but it never hurts to look at them with fresh eyes and a more detached point of view.

This is what I am taking to the op shop today.

There are a couple of sharp knives that have seen better days and I simply do not use them. A scraper for cleaning a George Foreman grill which we no longer own. A cleaning brush for something – I don’t know what and as far as I can see it has never been used. Spoon and spaghetti strainer which are not used. Meat mallet – I haven’t beaten meat for over 20 years – our diet does not include recipes that require it. Spaghetti measure – was part of a corporate Christmas hamper a few years ago and has never been used. Small aluminium skewer – I have a set of stainless steel skewers and this is no longer required. Chip cutter – this came from my mother’s place when she was decluttering some years ago and I have never used it. A good idea but I cannot remember the last time I made chips at home and I am quite capable of cutting potatoes into chips if the fancy happens to take me. Anyway, aren’t “hand-cut chips” the latest craze on menus??

So what stays?

Electric knife
Carving fork
Scone cutter
Rolling pin
Fine grater
Metal tongs
BBQ tool
Pineapple peeler/corer
Apple corer
Cheese slicer
Cherry/oliver pit remover
Garlic press
Ice-cream scoop
Citrus zester
Grapefruit knife
Skewers
Vegetable peeler (not shown)
Jar opener
Tea strainer
Tea infuser
Wine vacuum sealer
Cork remover
Bottle/can opener
Measuring spoons
Corn cob holders
Egg rings
Knife sharpener

The electric knife/carving fork and cherry pit remover are the only items that would be rarely used. Everything else is used regularly, mostly on a weekly basis. Some, like the grapefruit knife and corn cob holders are seasonal but still essential.

I also have 2 jars of cooking utensils that I use almost daily. There location on the bench means that they are easy to grab as I am cooking and preparing food.

Wooden spoons x 4
Metal whisk
Potato masher
Metal spatula
Non-stick spatula
Non-stick spoon
Slotted spoon
Small sieve
Can opener
Pizza cutter
Rubber scrapers x 3
Brush
Citrus juicer
Pie slice

I also have a knife block with 6 assorted sharp knives.

To a hard-core minimalist this probably looks like a huge number of utensils, however, I prepare and cook most of our meals and use these items very frequently. It is important to keep and use what works for you.

There are lots of areas of my life where I could reduce my possessions but I think I have completely decluttered the kitchen utensils to my satisfaction.

What utensils do you use every day? Are they much different to what I have shown here?