Anyone want to join me in a minimalist journey?

[lucysnowe]

I've been reading a load of minimalist mum blogs and have been brainwashed inspired . We are undergoing some building work at the mo and the amount of stuff everywhere is absolutely doing me head in. Once it is finished I want to have a ginormous sort and throw out. We are getting a tumble dryer and I plan to start culling clothes, sheets, towels etc, with the aim of getting ALL washing done each week and not have massive full up bins cluttering up the place. Next: toys, ornaments, and random bits of paper. Anyone fancy doing the same for the New Year?

99p listings are usually free, were they all start at 99p?

I've just sold a load of books, DVDs and games to We Buy Books and Music Magpie and made £180! Rather chuffed with that, I must say.

I'm having an existential crisis (!) over a bit of bathroom decoration. My mum gave me a piece of wood with spaces for candles in it a couple of years ago. It's perfectly nice, if random. We don't need it, it takes up space on the windowsill and I've never lit the candles. Everything says charity shop it! But I feel really guilty...argh.

Antoinette, what do you feel when you look at it? Is it beautiful, do you love it? Does it make you feel light inside?

If you love it, keep it and use it.
If you don't love it, release it to be loved by someone who does.

(All flylady, not me!!)

Xxx

Antoinette, that's fabulous!

bluecarrot, sounds like you're making really good progress!

I am really going to need the wisdom of this thread when I face the Garage of Despond.

So much of the stuff I've let go of so far has been comparatively easy. But now I'm faced with a lot of children's paperbacks that I loved. My dc aren't big fiction readers. Ds1 prefers factual books and ds2 loves comic books. I want my dc to know that reading is life-enhancing... but just writing this I realise: 1) I keep watching telly on my laptop in bed instead of reading so I'm expecting them to behave one way while I behave another; 2) they have lots of books that they love; 3) they're never going to read my Cynthia Voigt and Margaret Mahy collections. So why am I keeping them?

In the new year I'll see if the school would like them as freebies to give to the older children.

I'm not ready to let go of our vast library of picture books yet. I find it so hard that my boys are growing up so quickly... I feel sad...

This isn't just about decluttering, is it?

Harriet- Push past this wall and I swear it gets easier much faster. Even though I've felt a bit low, I've kept going at a rate I can hardly believe myself.

Is there a sure start center, tots group, women's aid center etc nearby that would appreciate a few of the picture books? Are any friends having children that you can gift them saying they hold happy memories and you hope they enjoy them as much?

Can you resolve to let go 50% of them?

I hope to have more kids in the future and I've kept 10 books that were valued by me and DD in her first few years. There's loads that I found hard to let go of but when I see other kids getting joy from them I feel great. I can always re-buy ones I regret letting go. The ones I kept all haw inscriptions in them for dd.

But if you can't do it now, just come back to them. Maybe next month, maybe next year. It's allowed you know ;)

gracelesslady it's going to charity. I don't love it! Thanks

I know the feeling about books...one of the reasons we have so much stuff is because I have never been able to bring myself to get rid of books, even ones I don't like. It was quite therapeutic today though-I went through them and realised that even selling the 50 odd I am, none of which I like or need or will ever read again, I still have hundreds and hundreds to adorn my walls and provide DD with something to read over the years! Getting rid of her books would be harder I think, but try to see it as a way to clear space for your DC to have only books they love, and space for future heirlooms...

I'm on a roll today (this thread is bloody marvellous for me in terms of inspiration and kicks up the bum!) and have just spent a happy hour going through my wardrobe. I've now got two bin bags of clothes for charity, one of shoes and bags for charity, one of the very good quality stuff that I'm going to give to a friend and some as-new shoes and a bag that I've stuck on eBay. Now I just have to go and put 30ish hangers on freecycle!

Very productive antoinette!

Proud of DD who has now reached 80 items by sorting though her magazine collection. Aiming for 100 (total) by tomorrow.

I've spent last two hours washing out and disinfecting the plant pots and kids toys from the carport ready for winter storage /giving away. My back aches and I'm not finished but I've no more room for them to dry so it's time to stop for the night. Except for the wall of boxes. It's now approx 10feet deep x 4ft wide x 8 ft high. And a lot of the boxes are filled with other boxes! If, after a cup of tea I still feel like doing it, I'm going to put all the cardboard boxes aside for filling for charity. The plastic ones and bags ( carriers already recycled- these are fabric, bags for life, ikea type bags etc) ill start deciding what can go. Ill try and keep only the boxes that will stack well together and and odd sized ones can be donated. The bags - ill make up two bags of bags to take to the supermarket- one to keep in house, one to keep in car.

Another run to dump this morning.

Don't plan any more today- I have a little bit of painting to do then a bit of wrapping, then a bit of baking :) if I come across things I'm ready to let go of then they will go in the boxes under the stairs but otherwise focus is elsewhere today. :)

Ah, that makes sense about eBay- thanks for explaining. It's surprisingly busy on there and three of my four items already have bids against them after less than a day.

So before the light went this afternoon I took some more pictures of stuff to list this evening. DP asked me to do some of his as well while he went over to his Mum's. I was happy to do it until I realised I had to iron half of it first - grrr.

DP has (without any prompting) started listing a chunk of vinyl for sale online, sorted out loads of stuff for eBay and sorted through some of his mystery cupboard contents.

It feels like it's starting to come together a bit and I'm finding this thread very motivating. Antoinette £180 is very impressive. It sounds like you're on a roll.

I'm only managing to do short bursts of Sorting Out as ds is still in the sleeping on me at all times stage! Still, have put some bits on freecycle and have a mental to-do list.

It's funny how during the holidays my kids seem to go to bed earlier
I managed to declutter some play - doh things that don't ever get used (play doh letters of the alphabet cutters) my children were happy to see them go and I washed out the play doh box and placed the remaining bits all back in again. Haven't done much else other than that as I have been busy with children and Christmas baking.

blossombath being screen free can be tough sometimes but I found I got used to it very quickly, there are lots of benefits too. My oldest girl, her reading level is amazing for her age, probably because she spends at least two hours a day reading. She is very content to lay on the sofa with a quilt with her books. We use the library a lot.

You could resolve to offload any paperbacks that public library has, anyway? Would that be more comfortable.

I have been culling toddler books (youngest DC is nearly 5). We've enjoyed them but time to move on.

I am still hiding my head in sand about sagging shelves in the loft.

Washer dryer has given up the ghost

House is full of half washed, very, very wet clothes

DH has gone out to give cards to friends and left me in charge of the remote

We are at the same stage RarelyUnreasonable. BUT spurred on by Queen, I have 4 items on ebay. Baby steps...

The book thing is something that I have to face. We have a children's collection rivalling the library. I was looking forward to a cull, then got pg with #3 And my eldest is a book worm so is enjoying being able to read her old books for herself. But they are everywhere

Oh no, Antoinette, sorry to hear about the washer-drier. Now this is the time when it is not good to have just one towel per person and one set of bed linen per bed! Hope you manage until you can get a new one/repair it.

Lots of impressive work upthread, well done! I am making smaller progress, mainly because we only moved countries in April so had a mammoth clearout before coming, but still I want to reduce the stuff in our home.

I'd struggle with getting rid of DS's lovely picture books. They are just so gorgeous. Also hoping for another DC, so I have reason to hold on for now, but in a few years, I guess I shall have to pass them on. I didn't have any difficulty getting rid of my own books, as once I've read one, I don't re-read, apart from a couple of reference books, which I've kept. Though I suppose I can read anything I need to learn about online. Unless our Internet connexion goes!

Feeling happier being more minimalist, though the frugal me also sees sense in investing in a few things to keep for years, rather than replacing regularly. That balance again.

Just want to wish everyone on this thread a very happy Christmas filled with comfort and joy .

Antoinette, I hope your dryer problem is fixed soon.

See you after Christmas.

Thanks Harriet

Merry Christmas everyone xxxx

Merry Christmas! Hope you don't get anything you don't need, that isn't gorgeous and/or nourishing.

Yes, Merry Christmas one and all!

Yes Merry Christmas everyone, looking forward to this thread in the New Year!

Wishing everyone a gorgeous and nourishing Christmas!

Happy Christmas all. I'm also hoping to get rid of lots of stuff in the New Year by this time next year my whole house will be sleek and minimal.

Merry Christmas everyone :)

Already benefiting from organized, minimal(er) home as I pack overnight bags and find bits to take to a wake, leaving home 6am on Boxing Day. And yet here I am, on Christmas eve drinking mulled wine (non-alcoholic) and surfing Mumsnet (DDs xmas eve gift included a MOshie Monster mag. Havent seen her in nearly an hour...thought I would have needed the time to get organized, but Ive run out of things to do!)

Heres to simpler living :)

I'm a little late to the party, but can I join? :)

I often feel overwhelmed by "stuff" and hate it. Also, I'm pregnant (DC2 due in May) and would really really really like to pare down before she/he gets here.