Your Life Lessons - Clutter weighs you down in many ways

Second day of July, it's a Monday and it is the start of the 2nd half of the year.  Where did the 1st half go?

There are triggers to jump start me throughout the year.  Some are weather related - springtime is to plant the garden.

Some are event related - we have a birth and wedding this year in the clan.

Then often it is just the accumulation of all of the above that triggers the "oh my" need to pay attention to the stuff in my life.

Today - pulled out a bunch of stuff from my NCTV cubby and that's my task for the next couple of days.  

Clearing out "stuff" on a regular basis lightens the load.  I did one of the upper cabinets in the kitchen (again) and found a few more items that could go to the donate box.  Went through the clothes closet and weeded out some of the pieces that I haven't worn or will not be wearing.  In the office, I went through paper files and found that 90% was outdated and needed to go to the shredder!

I was talking with my mom the other night and she is considering downsizing from the house she and my dad built. Yet she continues to lament that no one wants her stuff.  First time where two generations are downsizing at the same time and no one wants the stuff.  Life evolves, you need to rid yourself of clutter or get stuck in the past.  

Remember, when you are de-cluttering --- reuse, recycle, reduce is the way to go.

Minimalism - May - Donate and Recycle

What a great month!  

My Minimalist Challenge  from Day 21  - keeping only necessities in the kitchen is completed!  My goodness, what a difference.  I have space I didn't know I had.    What I found were dishes I haven't used since I moved in here some seven years ago.  Just because I had the space, well it is now time to determine what I need to keep because I use it.  Owning it is not a reason to keep it!  I found several vases- one of which I haven't a clue where they came from?  


At the beginning of May, I made a list room by room, closet by closet  - not too detailed,  yet enough to get it down on paper.  I find doing that type of exercise liberating.  The ideas are not running around in my head and when in front of me I can see the small tasks vs the large tasks which means something can get done.

On to the cubbies!  I've one of those 4 x 4 cubbies from Ikea in the kitchen.   I'm down to 10 of the 16 completed.  Here's the success in many ways:

- disposed of a complete cubbie of cook books and donated them to the Friends of the Library for their book sale. Really when I am looking for inspiration - I look online.

- used that open space to put my little crochet project in so that it is not stacked on the counter in the kitchen.  You can see the striped bag in the picture.

- organized/ sorted other papers and found enough space to keep my laptop bag and purse in the cubbie.  

There are four more cubbies and those will be done this month!

The Living space was another set of small tasks.  I found old magazines and old books.  Low and behold the mags were recycled and the old books were donated.  Then audio rack where I  found a box of cassette tapes - 30 tapes!  There were some great albums I listened to back then - not so much today.  So to remember those good titles, I made a list of them, and then took the box and donated them to the Friends Sale.

While donating those items for the Friends book sale - I found that the Senior Center in town has a gift/consignment shop.  When I visited, I found more lace - yeah!  I also found that they are always looking for greeting cards.  Wait, this was a bonus.  I have two boxes full of note cards - not any longer!  A full box of them has been donated and I received so many thanks.  I was grateful not to have to throw them out.

Now off to the transfer station I go - like the old toaster that really didn't work, or those power strips that don't protect any longer along with the UPS boxes that were replaced in the office.  Yeah - proper disposal is key today.  More on my bid to increase recycling here in town later on.

Another part of minimalism is to use up what you already own.  I've got a sizable stash of yarn and WIP projects (work in progress).  I purchased some yarn eons ago because I liked it. I hadn't found the right project, the yarn is a bit cranky to use, whatever!  Then - Viola, in doing some Pinterest, I found the pattern.  Thanks to Stuckathomemom.com , I have my inspiration.   It's the beginning of a baby blanket for a basket I will be making up for a fundraiser in September. 

I even looked at some of those WIP's and said that I'm not interested in that project and reclaimed the thread and yarn to use as another project.  

It was a good month.  By being present, opportunities abound about you.  I found new place to give away items and have made a few folks happier that they are enjoying.   Thank You!

June will be even better.  I've the balance of the cubbies to complete; the 2nd bedroom/studio was taken apart to fix the damage from the ice damming this winter so it will be re-assembled with a minimalist mindset; the garage is looming, now that the light is fixed, I'll be taking on small bits at a time.  My goal is to have the garage complete by July.  Of course there is the balance of the damage from the ice damming needs to be completed.  

Are you beginning to look around?  Have you found some precious minutes to be present with you?  Go ahead I invite you to take a few.... your soul will appreciate the opportunity to speak to you.




Day 21 - kitchen cabinets - only the necessities  - Take one cabinet/drawer a day
0.  Cabinet to the right of microwave -----  December
1.  cabinet left of microwave - May 9th
2.  drawer below #1 January
3.  Drawer below #2 January
4.  Drawer below #3 January
5.  drawer to right of stove January
6. cabinet below #5 - March
7.  drawer on left side of island  February
8.  cabinet below #7 February
9.  drawer on right side of island- March
10.  cabinet below #9 February
11.  cabinet above to the left of sink May 9th
12.  cabinet above sink - May 9th
13.  cabinet above to right of sink May 9th
14.  Pantry closet /February

15.  storage in garage.
16.  storage cube in dining kitchen room
17.  Cabinet in dinning room January
18.  Cabinet Below sink!!  - March

Recycle - Our World is in Your Choices

Our In-Line recycling trash container was delivered just before my vacation. It means that we don't have to use the blue buckets any longer, do not have to separate the paper from the cans and such. It does mean we can recycle more stuff that wasn't allowed before we came to this new level.

The Town delivered a 65 gallon container - still not sure it will work in the garage and I've asked to be on the 35 gallon container list. In the mean time, I'm looking at everything I buy and am making a conscious effort to see how much I can reduce what will be my "trash".

Found this video on the infamous 2 liter plastic bottle - some great ideas here for your home!