The minimalist quiche

[educatingarti]

This is a new thread to replace the minimalist journey one which is nearly full!

BeCool once you change, there is no going back with decluttering (which moved onto minimalism for me) I literally couldn't live any other way now. That's why I got you when you mentioned 'seeing the light'.

I liked one article about - I'll bear in mind to post some others I come across too!

DC are with their Dad for 2 nights - I want to get rid of filing cabinet COMPLETELY while they are away! I have a small Muji set of 3 drawers that I have nominated to be the Home Office/paper filing place. I will also scan some stuff I feel anxious about getting rid of completely.

Current issues are: where to keep important papers - birth certs/passports etc.
How many bank statements to keep (I have online banking and I've now switched to PDF's but only recently).
Bloody chargers - phone/camera/kindle/photo printer etc. Eventually I'd like a behind closed doors charging station. Until them I need ideas.

I need to be really ruthless with this task & employ everything I've learnt so far.

We've used one the 'really useful boxes' brand which is specifically for filing papers. I like it be its not too big.

I'll ask DH about statements, I can't remember how long we keep ours. We only keep the current year in our filing box though. We haven't gone paperless yet, DH doesn't want too

The main thing for me is that the papers/office stuff will move out of the living room and into a space on shelves in the hall. I will loose a piece of furniture!! exciting

OMG the Really Useful Box people make a special Xmas tree storage box - how wonderful. Mine gets wrapped in large bin bags and duck tape and stored under the bed.

My New Home Office To Be
Except on mine the top tray is 2 slim drawers - good for pens, hole punch, tape etc. Then a drawer of papers to keep for a year or so (most recent bills?) and a drawer for envelopes etc.

That is the goal. Also the shelves are on the way out of the flat so it would be a good place to keep important documents, so in the event of an emergency they could be grabbed on way out the door (hmmm possible good place to keep DVD backups of photos too?)

They also make a wrapping paper box which I looked at, it wasn't minimalist enough for me though (decided I didn't want to keep Xmas paper from one year to next so didn't both with it!)

We have a live potted tree which lives outside after Christmas , but yay about Christmas tree box!

Slow progress here after the weekend's flurry of activity. DDs have cleared out their wardrobes in the hope of getting new clothes/footwear. They are growing at an alarming rate so they well get their wish once I've assessed what's left.

Here are a few decluttering blogs I've checked out over lunch:

Creative ways to declutter

What NOT to do

Decluttering small apartments

Seeing clutter

Project 333 Re wearing less.

Back to work for me.

I don't keep Xmas paper but part of being an "organised (kind of) FT working single parent of 2 young DC" means having a selection of kiddies gifts to hand, wrapping paper and card making stuff (if not actual cards for when DD runs short of time) so I have 1.5 rolls of pretty wrapping paper & some brown paper. I keep them in a long purpose made Paperchase wrapping paper bag - hanging up in the wardrobe.

It will be moving eventually - I'd like to get it close to the 'present/card etc bag'

BeCool I'm looking forward to checking out links tonight !
My method with kids wrapping paper is to buy the two sheet set packets in Tesco's (because they're flat) and then I keep a couple of sets in an A4 clear plastic envelope folder with the pres stud on the front. I also keep a couple of kids cards in there too.

Thanks for those links becool, will read them later. And the wrapping paper idea minimamls

I am not getting anywhere today, been out with children this am and now just need to do a normal tidy before tea.

Am going to try and get something out of the house just so some small progress has been made

Tallulah one of the Creative ways (I think) was to get rid of one object a day - 365 objects per year.

Might be a good place to start if you can't do childfree, and assisted bursts of decluttering?

4 bags dropped off to local charity shops this lunchtime - bliss!

I missed the recycling collection this morning DRAT!!!!

One of the things I find difficult as a single parent is co-ordinating the recylicng collection. I need to do it the night before but this involves leaving our flat, and block and a short walk to the street to leave the bags there for collection in the am. I find this difficult to do with the babies sleeping - it's only a short walk, but what if something happened to me? What about my 2 young DC alone in the flat???

So I have three large bags of recycling in the boot of the car until Thursday night - when I will put them out early evening. One more nearly full bag of recycling indoors!

BeCool your enthusiasm is contagious! I have been working towards minimising the paper I keep as well. I can't do with just the 3 drawer system unfortunately, I've got business papers I have to keep. I just bought a filing cabinet that fits in the bookshelves and will be decluttering our two filing benches (which we also use as side tables by the sofas). I'm going to replace them with stools that can also be used for extra seating when we have guests.

Tonight we took both wardrobes out of our bedroom. One will go into the granny annex for guests. The smaller one is being moved down to the hall to keep out of season coats and winter gear in. I'd love just to have two coats each with out of season being stored in our wardrobes, but DH isn't on board and I find the kids do need a few coats / outerwear. I am down to two coats now . We have a new wardrobe on order and I'm giving DH most of the space in it and hoping that we can get rid of the chest of drawers and have an empty corner. Even taking my small collection of clothes out of the wardrobe I saw quite a few things that can go. I think that once the house is put back together and I have bit more head space I am going to spend some time figuring out my wardrobe. I have very few clothes compared to most, but I don't wear half of what I have. I need some new clothes, but want to be intentional about what I get. I've also got to do something with my wedding dress. I'm leaning towards just selling it on.

On an unrelated, but exciting note, I now have plumbing in my kitchen again after about 8 weeks! No more traipsing dishes back and forth from the granny annex!

Thanks for those links BeCool I'll have a read tomorrow. Tonight I'm busy making things look perfect for another estate agent to take pics at 9am in the morning. 1 room down, 5 to go. Have to find time to feed DDs too (they're having a rare school night treat of watching a DVD )

I've found some more kitchen things to rehome and so made space in a kitchen cupboard for the baking trays etc which used to live in the oven.
I keep marvelling at how I see our stuff in a different light since this thread and it's predecessor. We only moved in a few months ago and I thought I'd optimised the kitchen space when I unpacked. How wrong I was!!

Sorry about the rogue apostrophe

Wendybird I'm not yet convinced that the 3 small drawer home office/filing system is going to work for me yet either!! But it is my goal - if I didn't live in quite so tiny a flat I'd have a bigger system, but I don't, so a bijou solution is required.

I didn't get quite as much done last night as I envisioned! I was very tired after 2 bad nights with toddler night terrors, and the DC have gone to their dads for first time. I was frankly exhausted after work. Ate some leftovers, friend popped in for a glass of wine, I watched a bit of telly & had a pretty early night - SLEPT ENTIRE NIGHT. WOW!!!! Another night like that tonight.

I got half a drawer done. Things in bin/recycling/shredding. Big pile I'm going to mentally struggle with - that is the major challenge isn't it? I've printed out the decluttering questions to ask myself & pinned them on wall.

Another box of charity shop donations is in the car to be dropped off a lunchtime.

MAJOR DECISION REQUIRED: Do I get old iMac repaired or not? It's great to use for photos & music, which I need and love and it's also good for DD1 to have something to use (I keep my laptop childfree). But I'm not sure there is a proper place to put it! I'm inclined to get it repaired and make a space for it, but I do have a laptop too. Might be excessive?????

I guess keep for DD, shame the money fairy can't drop out the sky and you could replace with iPad if you DD needs something to use. Simply by they're so small and minimalist
Not very sensible reply I know. Or helpful.

I've promised DD an ipad when she can brush all the knots out of her hair herself!!! She is very excited.
She has tight very knotty corkscrews - I doubt she will be getting the knots out in the next few years. Which is a shame as ipad would work for all the reason you say MM
the iMac is great though as she can play her own music etc on it, and she knows how to work the mouse etc,.

Just calling in for more inspiration! Thanks for all you have posted. You are keeping de-cluttering in my mind, even if I'm not managing too much at the moment - though I did tackle some ages old paperwork yesterday that had just been lying around!

Since I've had my iPad, I literally have not taken my laptop out of its bag (it wasn't an iMac though)

Hello everyone. Can I be in the Quiche please?

Since finding this thread the other day I've taken 10 bags and a huge laundry basket (full) to the charity shop. I also greatly overfilled our wheelie bin this week, which luckily the binmen took. Very inspiring thread!

I can't believe I'm even thinking about 'minimalism'. It's a word I've always associated with stark white walls, harsh lighting and those black and chrome chairs from the 80s - not sure why exactly. I like cozyness - soft light from beautiful lamps, big comfy sofas in soft fabric, a pretty blanket thrown over the arm, lovely old carved wooden furniture etc. That's what I've been trying to acheive anyway but I've failed miserably. Our home looks shabby, cluttered and studenty instead. Bugger.

Looking with fresh eyes it's becoming clear that I've just got too much stuff (and 2yo and 12wo DSs now too). So the beautiful antique cupboards I love so much are just completely drowned out by the collection of other, not so lovely, huge bits of furniture, washing, toys and piles of miscellaneous crap everywhere.

I know the few bags I've got rid of haven't even scratched the surface. I just feel paralysed with indecision over the most ridiculous things (yesterday - an old Tupperware container that I've used once. I was actually there thinking 'but it's vintage Tuppaware' ). Reading through this thread has made me realise that we all feel like this - I'm so glad I found it.

The Tuppaware tub went to Age Concern you'll be pleased to hear. Now to tackle my hoarded piles of:

Toiletries (No hope of using them up but struggle to throw even the smallest bit in a bottle away without the paralysed feeling)
Cleaning products (does NOT reflect the state of the house unfortunately)
Underwear. Knickers specifically - I have over 100 pairs I think, although I've chucked about 20 tatty or uncomfortable pairs. Can't resist pretty kegs.
Old crockery/bric a brac that I just 'like' but has no real purpose and sits in cupboards.
Dry food stuffs. It doesn't fit in the kitchen cupboards and is piled untidily on top.

I think my hoarding tendencies are partly inherited from DM, who also can't resist the bric a brac shelves in the charity shops (and then passes it on to me!) and partly from years being skint from adolescence into my late 20s and not having many clothes - the knickers thing is definitely about this I think.

But I've made a start! A clean, tidy, uncluttered home will be mine.

Welcome Ponderosa - you sound so much like me but with a bigger house!!

You're getting it in your head. the Tupperware moment was important. Well done. You will make it!!!

This is what I've done re:

Toiletries I have a small stash of "need to use now else they are going in the bin" - mainly nice fancy scrubs, body lotions etc. Re shampoo etc I have one in use and one spare in drawer. All else was clutter and I released it. When spare moves to current then it will go on the shopping list. I have discovered a few more hairbrushes last night so they need to be assessed as a group and some will be released. For me the grouping together stage is really important - only then do I see that I have 5 baby hairbrushes, none of which get used. When I operated as a cluttered person* (*disclaimer I still am decluttering but I don't think I operate/think as a cluttered person anymore - I'm in a state of flux) and I couldn't find something I needed I would buy it again - more clutter!!!

Cleaning products - chuck the nearly empties you aren't using today. Instant results. Chuck what you don't use - I bet there are products you have brought but don't like the smell of etc. Keep them together. Note what you have left and don't buy anything more until you are nearly out.

Underwear - I need an edit here too. I have lots of fancy stuff I've chucked already. I don't wear it. I kept about 5 pairs (plus about 15 everyday knickers) and I think their life is now limited too. But 100 pairs is a lot. Could you give yourself a goal to get down to say 10 'everday' and 5 'fancy'? Or even 20/10 to start?

Old crockery/bric a brac Apply the do I LOVE IT, NEED IT, USE IT? ruthlessly here. And if the answer is NO then it's rubbish, cluttering your life - box it, take it to charity shop & never give it another though. The space you will achieve is far far far more enjoyable and positive than the clutter.

Dry foods Can you start by throwing away everything out of date - give yourself permission to eat fresh healthy foods might help combat 'waste' anxieties? Then consolidate what is left, and you'll get a better idea of what you have. Start to use it up. Buy less until the "food to see us through the Zombie invasion" has shrunk rapidly. I'm currently working with this challenge. Ideally I want much much less food in the pantry than I have even after the decluttering.

Remember it's not a wast to release something from your life/home. But it is a waste to keep it and allocate precious space in your home/life/mind to it when it brings you no joy and you don't use it.