Out with the old and in with - NOTHING! Further adventures in minimalism.

[MrsPennyapple]

Following on from the Minimalist Journey and Minimalist Quiche threads. The journey continues...

hobnob it's the BEST feeling isn't it?

My kitchen got the work over about 6 weeks ago now. And even though the benches do get a tiny bit cluttered at one end if I'm not being very strict, it's so easy to sort out and in a matter of a few minutes, peace, clean and calm is restores.

Bliss!

3 large bags of clothes into the school clothing recycling bank this morning.

Brilliant Hobnob. I'd find somewhere for the teapot to display its beauty.

Today's mission is the dc's room again. It seemed to explode sometime last week, books and clothes everywhere. So I've two boxes to fill with stuff to go. Fingers crossed I can get down the bookshelf today so I can actually get rid of the hideous thing and put a smaller one in which will get less cluttered.

Ok, ok, ok, it is ally our fault. Yes I'm definitely blaming you lot. I get at my desk, think I'll just catch up with minimalists before starting work and.... end up feeling so inspired to declutter but I HAVE TO WORK!! Grrrr!

Find one thing to pop in the ongoing bag/box to satisfy your urge?
Set the timer?

I feel 'stuck' at the moment with decluttering. I'm not sure what to tackle! Really wish BeCool or one of you could cast an eye over my house. We've been in our new house for three months now so really I should be able to move forward with my decluttering!

Someone help me!

Maybe we should all scoot over to this thread on the American Mothering site and be unfaithful to Mumsnet simply so we can all post pics of our progress?! We could join this thread www.mothering.com/community/t/762506/post-pics-of-your-clean-clear-space
Or start our own?

Anyway, check out the very long thread bc it's very inspirational!

Some lovely spaces here for inspiration: pinterest.com/benita_larsson/nice-spaces/

....well for anyone who likes white.......
And some organising ideas here but it's personally too cluttered for me: pinterest.com/benita_larsson/organizing-ideas/

thanks MM will check those out.
We can post pictures to MN now can't we?
I do wish I'd done proper 'before' pictures.

Isn't that just to your profile though BeCool, I wish it were on the actual thread!

I think MN have to set up a special topic - S&B has a S&B with pictures version, for example here

Maybe we can ask?

Found a cushion to declutter

Go arti - I think I have 2 more that can go.

I have tomorrow off work so I'm going to go to IKEA with DD2 and try and work out the system for the living room wall I want to buy. My vision is it will be cupboards, with a charging station, room for CD & DVD storage, tv in the middle somewhere, DVD/freeview wtc below and rest of the wall in a combo of shelves and cupboards so everything will be out of sight. It will make a HUGE difference to our lives.

Friend is coming over tonight to help me measure up the space properly.

I just saw on MM's links above someone using an IKEA plastic bag holder to store wrapping paper - perfect. I know just the place for that. So I will get one of those and a new lampshade for living room to replace the quite dirty/dusty one we have ATM.

(mantra - I will NOT be buying random crapola, I will NOT be buying random crapola, I will NOT be buying random crapola, I will NOT be buying random crapola ..... etc)

We need a shoe storage device and I have spotted the ideal one at IKEA but I am putting up with shoes scattered around the hall floor until I have got rid of some more stuff as DH loves storage solutions. I don't want him to be able to argue 'we could put x, y and z in it'.

Regarding breaking things, yes it counts as decluttering. (Except when it's DDs egg cup which I will have to replace.) It was because the relevant cupboard was a bit full so I have sorted through. Where do all the plastic storage wander off on holiday? We moved 4 months ago and I didn't have any boxes without lids of vice-versa and I now have 6 lids with no boxes.

I have that ikea thing with wrapping paper in it too! Ahh, pinterest.

My display cabinet arrived today and I've unpacked the dreaded 'best' crockery in there. It was my grandmothers wedding china and I do love it (simple white with a silver edge). It looks very smart in my black cabinet and I will use it when we entertain, which I intend to do a lot of once we get through this renovation! To atone for my cluttery sins, I decluttered two bags of random stuff including DS2s winter coat. I'm in a good groove of taking things directly to the charity shop once he has outgrown it.

MM I had a look on that Mothering thread and they just seem to post links to flickr or photobucket? Or am I not seeing it properly? We could certainly do that on this thread if we wanted to share couldn't we?

Woo hoo! Well. Not quite but achieved today. The blackout curtains which I bought for dc's room when the clocks changed have finally all gone up (I'd got one out of 4 on). Box of books removed from dc's room and several money boxes. I figure they only need one each and there were 7 on the shelf. Took the blasted big tub from the garden, a pushchair I want rid of, a rocking unicorn, and two bags of clothes/shoes to storage. Forgot to take bags out of car so need to load up for another trip later this week and remember them this time.

Also spent some time decluttering the garden of weeds as it was a lovely day.

Didn't quite get bookshelf empty but I've only got one shelf to rehome things from and then it will go on freecycle.

I got home earlier today as dd got sent home early from home for alleged diahhrea. She's fine but I will have to keep her home tomorrow at least. So after dinner I decluttered some toys. Some destined for the car boot pile (getting bigger but our sale is in under two weeks so not much longer) and others for the charity bag.

Going to make use of tomorrow and declutter more. Will do some work too but decluttering will be good especially when school is taking the charity bags and the more bags we bring the more money we get for the school! Win win. Might even tackle ironing pile. I'm just going to take tomorrow as a day off and not worry too much.

I'm pondering my attitude towards tidiness and organisation. I like it, but I'm also afraid of it. I don't know why. Perhaps I dislike perfectionism and the negative emotions that can generate when perfect isn't possible, so I avoid it and adopt the mantra that a little bit of chaos is always good. But the chaos has been taking over. I am enjoying this organisation and control, but I am afraid of how I will feel when I am back at work and it is harder to maintain or when others in the house don't maintain it too. Minimalism makes it easier by having less stuff to worry about I suppose. But for some reason there is something stopping me being a totally clear surfaces everything in its place kind of person. I wonder why.

Just popping in to say my Austerity Housekeeping book is free for 48 hours from lunchtime 8th May, for the people who missed it last time!

MyPrecious, I think you can probably get rid of the car paperwork, seeing as you sold that car two years ago. Maybe shred anything with your personal data on it?

I am weak with paperwork too. It is the job I put off doing because it is so boring!

Just joined a very active local Facebook selling group and popped my first clothing item on there. I buy quite a bit of branded stuff, Jojo's , Mini Boden etc so I'm hoping that the minute my little ones grow out of stuff I can put it on Facebook for collection only so things can be decluttered instantly It was quite nerve wracking writing the first post! Just put a jacket through the wash and its drying now, I intend to list that tomorrow. I can only have three pictures at one time.