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...

Today's mission is to find a receipt. Which I know we have but eluded the system as we got rid of the bloody box! Without it we can't get our 5 month old tv repaired or replaced. Fuck.

Just a quick hello and I'm off to finish hanging hooks on doors and in the entryway today. I'm also planning to re-organise the kids books so that they are easier to rotate. I have some lovely Muji filing boxes to make the job more enjoyable My mum arrives tomorrow and the 'library' (small room shelved out) is a hot mess of hotspots.

Repeats to self. "I must get off MN and do some work". "I must get ..."

No wonder I never get around to much de-cluttering!

Just finished 30 min sort upstairs. Did another pass at my clothes. Blimey I have collected such a huge quantity of tops over the years!

Many of them I don't wear any more. I looked through them to see why, so I can avoid this happening again. The main reasons are -
(a) fashions have changed and I have added newer things instead and
(b) they were always too tight over my boobs. So I need to remember to be very careful when buying any more clothes in future to buy something that fits my bust!

Hello! I'd like to join if I may. I started off the year quite well with a full flat declutter but then ground to a complete halt. It all needs to be gone over again, but its much harder the second time around! All the easy "wins" have been dispatched to the chazzer or the tip already. I'm hoping that if I have to account to you guys then it might motivate me to get off my backside!

Lime I too have got to do another pass at my clothes, but my weight has fluctuated madly in the last three years, and it feels really wasteful getting rid of "fat" clothes or "thin" clothes that I might need again in six months. Added to that I'm hoping to get pregnant again this year, which brings a whole host of other wardrobe challenges. I might just skip the whole clothes declutter until I am a bit more settled in my body shape Unless anyone has any words of wisdom?

Oops. Visited a friend who is moving from a large old house with basement to a small modern flat last night and came away with a Kenwood bread machine.

The idea of the visit was sound, I went to collect some long sleeve cotton tops for a trip we are making in the autumn to a hot country where I will need to cover up for modesty reasons. (My usual summer wardrobe is all short sleeves and shorts.) My theory is that it will be easier to give these items away after I've used them seeing as they were rescued from someone elses charity shop bag.

The bread machine isn't clutter if you use it! I luffs mine and use it nearly daily.

Welcome *Attila! I think with wardrobe you can still go through it and get rid of items that don't fit you well when you are in that size, are too worn or you just don't wear because it isn't your style. Keep only the good stuff that you actually wear. In your situation I wouldn't get rid because of size though as it sounds like you've got a ways to go until you settle into your shape!

Hooks are finally hung, so that is one less thing sitting around. I need to get a piece of wood to totally finish though, so another project for another day. I have managed to reorganise the kids books and rotate the bookshelves. The library is still a tip though. I need to spend an evening in here when the kids aren't 'helping'. I also need to purchase some sort of CD storage for DHs million CDs that are too precious to declutter. I vetoed hanging the storage from our last house and DH has just left the boxes on the floor in a huff. Actually I may just stack the boxes on the shelf and let him figure it out. There is a low shelf available behind the sofa that I won't see, so won't cause visual clutter for me [selfish emoticon].

Welcome Attila and Trazzles!

I really want to get back on track with the decluttering. I might try the "one item a day" approach and see how that goes. I love the idea of a home that is pretty much presentable most of the time. I think DD has a few toys that could go. She has a birthday coming up, when there will almost certainly be an influx of annoying noise-making things, so I could get rid of a few in preparation. There is one in particular that I hate. DH (still feels odd typing that) has this friend who thinks it's really funny to buy DD the loudest, most annoying toys possible. We smile and say thank you and put them in the toy box, but luckily she doesn't really go for them, which means they are in excellent condition and should sell well at the charity shop.

We also need to start work on the spare room, which DD will move into, so hopefully we'll be able to get rid of some more stuff there.

I'm pleased to have a bag full of junk to "bless" someone else with via the charity shop. Now I just need to remember to put it out first thing tomorrow... Mostly DS' old clothes but its a charity that collects items for their shop rather than just clothes so I've given them some of the other things I've been meaning to throw out for ages - candle holders and the like.

Will not be around much for the next couple of days so I hope I've fitted 3 days of decluttering in to 1!

Quick question though: how do you deal with it when people insist on giving you presents that are just clutter? My lovely family do this a lot at Christmas. They are well-meaning though I have asked them not to and explained why (ie. I have the least comfy bath ever made (it has straight sides!!!) so impossible to relax in. So I don't have baths. So there is no point in buying me relaxing nice bath stuff) but it keeps coming - things that slowly build to an avalanche of that because I don't use them and feel guilty about giving/ throwing them away. What do you do?!

avalanche of TAT!

Out with 2 stairgates. [win]

Trazzle, don't feel guilty about giving away.

Once a gift has been given to you, it is yours and you can do what you like with it. The giver wants to give you pleasure and doesn't want to burden you. (And if they are the kind of person who wants to give you something you won't enjoy, then you shouldn't feel guilty.)

If they are clearly unused and in presentation packaging they could make good raffle prizes. There was more advice about toiletries in the first thread (search for "minimalist journey").

It sounds like you have been clear with your family so maybe they lack imagination and you need to hint at what you would like.

MyPreciousRing you don't sound smug at all. You sound like you've really nailed this decluttering & home managemement and made successful and pelasing changes to your life. I think it's great that we are all on different stages of the journey.

trazzeltoe IKWYM re presents etc - as attitudes change on your side but not the other. Your family don't have to become minimalist to get on side though. Talk to them of your journey and your changes in the home. Ask for consumables as gifts - flowers, chocolates, wine, naice jams etc. Tell them you love bathroom treats, but can they make it shower stuff, not bath soak as you never have baths, or even better body oils (or whatever you fancy). But as clearsommespace says don't feel bad about giving YOUR possessions away and remember the alternative (keeping them forever?) is not a viable option.

Re the DC, would relatives be open to shopping from a list of sorts? I direct people to my amazon wish list when they ask what to buy the DD's - which is full of things they might like as a gift or need. For older DC I'd just suggest itunes vouchers or similar. Would that help? And remember as much as it is a journey for you, it will be for relatives but much much slower. Oh and bubble bath is effectively shower gel but with another name :)

oh & congratulations MrsPennyApple

MyPrescious how many children do you have and ages? Want to know if it is possible with 5 and 8 year old who drop things where they're standing and walk off It drives me potty. You have now given hope.

Trazzle I had to be really blunt with family year after year. They now have the message. I couldn't bare the thought of them wasting their money and more stuff eventually (even via charity shops) ending up in landfill.

I ask for things like Neals Yards soaps or beeswax candles etc, stuff that can be used and I love.

My friends and I club together to get each other massages, pedicures, etc for birthdays. No tat!

building that sounds lush! Hadn't thought of that idea!

clearsomme I brought some great cereal containers earlier this week and they fit in the cupboard (the DC's one with all the plastic bowls/cups/spoons etc). So off the worktop! HOORAY!

Thanks for the tip - sometimes the seemingly obvious solution is just too easy to miss! (I've not seen a cereal container since I lived with my Mum so I'm feeling V V V grown up now).

Maybe ask parents and siblings for a treat like that. Or tickets to something like a gig. Or concert. Or whatever you call it.