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...

BeCool yay for your success! Very impressed! Love clear counters !

Yeah - there are the BIG moments on this journey, like completely sorting out kitchen and the little ones like 6 weeks post sort out getting something permanently off the worktop and into cupboard.

Both are worthy of celebrating!

Glad to hear that Becool
MM do you currently pick up after your DCs?

I try not to, unless we have a guest coming. It's harder to get the offender to do it and to refrain from doing it onself because it's so much simpler but in the long run, they need to get into the habit. I work from home so I do a lot of stepping over things until the offender is around to deal with it.

Or depending on how you parent, you could consider installing a rule that if Mum has to pick it up, she tidies it into the bin.

Afternoon all.

Precious that didn't sound smug at all, it was really useful. I'm going to go back through what you wrote when I haven't got a two year old with a cold clambering all over me and see if I can make some immediate changes.

I do FlyLady too (well, I try) but I find it a bit samey. I am awful when the novelty value of something has worn off. I find it very hard to stay motivated - with anything, not just decluttering!

I spent half an hour on my paperwork pile this morning and managed to fill two box files of stuff to keep, half a carrier to shred and a full carrier for the bin. There is still heaps to go At least its a start though.

Clear yes I pick it up 9 times out of 10...

I get utterly overwhelmed with resentment at picking up after the kids. I try to get them to do it as much as possible. But they just do it badly, either because I haven't left enough time for them to do it properly, or because I don't have energy to stand over/help them.

Drives.

Me.

Nuts.

Mine are a bit older I think. You can play Minecraft on Daddy's computer once you've done xyz works pretty well.
If they don't put their breakfast plate in the dishwasher, I remind them once and then leave it there and say innocently 'Oh, I thought you wanted to eat your lunch off a dirty plate' so they remember for the next few meals. But it does mean a certain amount of temporary clutter.

My 5yo is slowly getting it.
She does the following (sometimes I don't even have to ask but we are getting there):
hangs book bag up, and coat;
puts lunch bag in kitchen;
shoes into shoe box;
and clothes into laundry basket (still working on JUST the dirty ones getting in there);
Plates, cutlery etc into kitchen (no dishwasher);
picks up random paper bits and bobs when I ask (mostly);
clears table for meals when I ask.

This morning she had 5 minutes and I put her to work wiping toothpaste off the hot tap in the bathroom - she had put it there - and she did so well I got her to clean the entire handbasin. She did a good job and felt proud of it - YAY!!

almost balances out the 2yo who is a whirlwind of destruction. Just as well she is incredibly cute .....

Just come to see how you are all doing. I've ground to a halt after my frenzy of activity earlier in the week. But the areas that I have cleared and organised so far - I'm finding it much easier to kep clear and tidy up now I know where things should be tidied to.

I'm also trying to apply the "if it can be done in 2 minutues, do it NOW" rule rather than leaving things sittinga round. That's changing the habit of a lifetime though so it may take a while to stick... I think I read it takes 6 weeks of doing something every day for it to become a truly ingrained new habit.

I have been lurking and found it really useful. I now realise I don't have to keep things just in case I may want them one day! I have htown away loads of half full bottles of bubble bath/body cream etc. They all moved with us 8 years ago. I decided if we haven't used them up in the last 8 years we are unlikely to do so in the next 8! I have thrown lots of clothes in the charity shop bag. I felt that as I had spent money on them I had a duty to wear them until they literally fell apart. I have realsied that getting rid of clothes I don't like is OK. I am unlikely to wear them anyway and quite honestly the vast majority were dirt cheap 10 5+ years ago.
I also had a massive pile of stuff I thought I should Ebay as it MAY be worth something. It has been there for 3 years. Having read this thread I gave myself permission to throw it all out. It may be worth something, but the space is worth more!

I still have lots to do but I have made a start and that helps. My daugfhters pre-school does a fgabrtic recycling collection twice a year. Parents donate old clothes, shoes etc and the company pay the prteschool £5 per kilo. I already have 5 bin sacks and the next collection is June. The fact that the stuff I throw out is raising money for pre-school makes me feel ok about getting rid!

Hey mnistooaddictive welcome and congratulations. Sounds like you have made a major breakthrough in your thoughts and feelings about stuff!! For me giving myself permission to get rid/thow away/not ebay etc was a huge step - sounds like for you too!! Hooray!

It feels great doesn't it?

I love THIS BLOG on minimalisim and the link is to an article re starting out.

Morning lovelies. Not much decluttering here still. I'm in the wrong frame of mind for just about everything at the moment.

However I've decluttered flour, eggs, butter and sugar into cakes for the dc's birthday party Sunday :)

So far so good on the not much coming in.

I have a confession to make. Please don't flame me. I've relapsed.

I got a free sample of some Body Shop shower gel that was lovely, and I went and bought some (with DH's encouragement - it's his fault!), and immediately started using it despite having at least two bottles started already. I have since got back on the wagon and put it in my drawer, and replaced it with one of the old bottles, which I will now use up. (I'm too tight to throw away perfectly useable shower gel, it's just not going to happen.)

In an attempt to redeem myself I am off down the chazzer in a bit, with a bag of bits and pieces. Am I allowed to stay on the thread?

No Mrs Penny get off it now.

Anyone into Buddhism on this thread?

Three steps forward, one step back
Don't worry about it Mrs PA, you're still on track!

(gee that was crap!)

Well done for confessing - I can't imagine anyone will ever get flamed here! It's a safe harbour - even for those who purchase excessive shower gel on occasion :)

It reminds me of my confession about my steamer a few weeks ago

sok you have made me want cake now!

@ MrsPs sinful shower gel.

mn you sound like you are doing brilliantly. I am going to start chanting what you wrote about "It may be worth something, but the space is worth more" as a mantra

I think it will be my mantra too attila! I have a lot to do. My next challenge is books. I love them and struggle to get rid. I now have a kindle but have a huge collection of books that I can't bring myself to dump!

mn hello
I moved into this house in December and as I unpacked my books I asked myelf 'Will I read again? Will I lend to a friend/my kids when older'.
I managed to weed out several boxes of books this way.
The 'don't knows' and 'can't remember what I thought of this' went in a box by my bed and I am slowly working my way through them. So far very few keepers.
I'm not even letting myself borrow from the library or start on my Christmas gift books until finished. I will still be happy when people give me books because they are usually books they have read and think I'll enjoy. But I will see it as sharing an experience and allow myself to pass on books when finished and not feel bound to keep books which were gifts.

As well as charity shops, the an interesting option for passing on books is bookcrossing www.bookcrossing.com

(Sorry for all the repeated info for those who have been on this thread a while)

Ah, thanks gang :) (I'm probably pushing my luck if I tell you it was on 3 for 2 so I bought two other unnecessary items as well though, right?)

Yes, that really is the final straw!

What are you all planning to attack this weekend? Need inspiration...