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

Living My 60th Year --- What the past month meant to me

I've been away from writing for the last month, though I've been Living My 60th Year.  For this post --- I'll write about the life events that I've witnessed and enjoyed.

The last month has been hectic. The office buzzing with 12-14 hour days to meet the deadline of the "season".

One success during the 'season' is that my office has had the chance to be cleared of even more stuff!   For the first time in a very long time, my filing system worked the best and I could see my desk top many times throughout the working day.  

I enjoyed the lengthening of each day as the sun came up earlier and went down later in the day.  While we still change clocks - that is getting so old.  How about we split the difference and keep the clocks the same all year long?  Several states in the US don't ever change their clocks already!

Snow, Snow and more Snow.  My goodness, we, in New England got slammed especially near the Boston area.  Here was a mere 30"s or so - and it is almost gone.  Yes there are brown piles of ice still piled up in parking lots!

And while it snowed outside, I was creating crocheted snowflakes.  I set myself to make one a week and have kept up with that goal.  This past weekend I had some downtime while I helped out at the Connecticut Storytelling Festival.  I completed over a dozen tatted flowers - finished the spool of thread and ready to begin another one.  Then it was on to completing 22 ties that we use in the garden from some leftover yarn from the stash box.

I did some minimalizing  in my home - I'd sneak in few minutes in the morning and sometimes in the evening to eliminate  items that need to be donated or tossed!  The box is in the garage and is full - time to bring it to the donation center.

Spring, Spring and Spring -- hurry up already.  I was watching a squirrel this morning in the tree as he was eating the new buds appearing on the branches.  The bulbs of daffs and tulips are up and some open.  My lavender plant has survived the winter and is showing lots of green on it's branches.

We are set up for our farm plots - new pallets that were obtained over the winter that will help plant our herbs.  The reservations, this year three plots, have been made.  We have worked on the layout, especially with three plots!  Pam and I have made a date to work out the plans so that we are ready to go when they get the plots turned over.

This year our farm will be planted with seedlings that we have grown.  Thanks to Pam for sporting a new set up and we have lots of "kids" we have been taking care of.  She's been traveling lots, so I've been on watering duty.  

My guest room is back in season with a kick off of my nephew coming to stay with me two days after the 'season' was officially over.  We had a good time, learning more about him as he grows up.  He plans to come back after school lets out - we will have lots more adventures!

Later today a friend of mine is coming to stay for a week or so.  She used to live here and relocated to Georgia for lots of reasons.  So I've been picking up and moving more stuff around.  It's those pesky items that need to be taken care of and made done or gone!

One of the organizations that I volunteer with is not working for me any longer.  I do pride myself as someone that rolls up my sleeves and helps make a difference where I live.  It was a lesson my parents instilled in me at a very young age.  For me, now, it is time to move on.  There are plenty of ways to assist in their cause, I don't need to be part of a formal structure.  By the end of the week, all my i's are dotted and t's crossed so that I can turn it back.

I changed the line-up of items I do for myself at the end of the season and that made a difference.  This year - I made the housekeeper appointment for the day after the end of the season.  Between she and I, and help from her son (school vacation) we went through the whole place and it is now spic and span.  The personal appointments for doing my hair, nails, and massage were planned for a few days after.  So far I've really reaped the benefits.  So nice when the place is picked up and I can relax and appreciate it all :)

This past month has meant lots to me.  I've had time to reflect, to move away from certain items of the past, and reduce clutter and unneeded items in life.  I've spent time creating - always a good feeling.  I had the chance to visit with several individuals outside of my wonderful clients.  All in all - a good month.

Here's to a year of catching the dreams you chase,

doing what makes you smile,

and loving the life you live.