The march towards Minimalism continues...

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

Hey all, thought I'd make a new thread to encourage us all to keep going on the journey to minimalism!

Oh and my current target for minimising is my sheet music! I've cleared the shelves where my main stuff has lived for a while, and found all the rest (I had various piles of it from parents bringing it up etc). I've shelved my definite keepers but I really need to be ruthless and get rid of some stuff I don't play.

Fuzzpig, a way to keep your sheet music!!!

Great ideas Arti. My daughter would love the baking one.

Have to own up and admit that my most recent charity bags are are still in the car where DH hid them when we had a visitor

So much for taking it easy! Went to put on a load of washing this morning and discovered clothes moths in my dirty laundry basket! Cue unexpected morning vacuuming of that part of bedroom + spraying areas with ant killer (all I had to hand!). I then went to work and earned £35. I have spent £25 online on buying moth spray and blocks for wardrobe and drawers. Cheaper than having to replace clothes though I guess!

I think I have got the beginning of the infestation so hopefully it won't be too bad, but I will have to keep on top of cleaning - particularly in the bedroom which is the only place I have a wool carpet!

So where did I get probe fore hols, well I managed to eventually take several bags to charity shop. Books to charity shop and one run to tip. My house still doesn't look much better it's v untidy but I feel better for making a start. Having been say to beach and realised I mainly wore a £5 skirt, £3 flip flops and various t's Icahn safy get rid of some of the stuff I didn't pack and that which I didn't wear.

I know this may sound obvious but I keep wondering why on earth I can't just power through the house having a good old chuck out like I used to. Well kids for one! I've still Ben reading the blogs, I'm sort of there with letting go if stuff but still need to change buying habits.

I'm decluttering our bedroom today.

I am so fed up. I keep looking everywhere thinking where, where has it all come from. So I am in a foul mood, they type of mood where I feel reckless and just want to be done with all this crap.

I am a SAHM so apparently it all falls to me to do this. No one else seems bothered the state the house has got into. Dh talks about getting the toilet fixed - manual flushing is the least of my bothers.

Wobetide anyone who fails to put an object back into it's place when I have done this.

I dont feel like I am winning at the minute, the shadow of DS bedroom looms after ours.

Sorry for the moan and extra posts but felt I should add my positives:

I have cleared out two large carrier bags full of rubbish
One basket of DS clothes, One basket of DD clothes
One small bag of craft stuff (random things thats ended up in there)
One box of stuff for charoty
One large bag for charity
A few plates from DS snacks while he has been i there watching tv

I am left with a few empty bags for life thathave been the foundation of my floorobe for some time. One basket of my clothes Ive to find space for and small pile of DH clothes to find space for. Other than that I can actually air out the mattress and give it a dam good clean.

Only thing (sorry) I have piles of clean washing and more dirty washing in laundry bin - where will all this go?

I'm off to clean it so at least I can see what a clean and tidy room looks like again.

andsmile you have done loads. Have some . Well done! Hope you are feeling better now. I understand where you're coming from. I feel like I have been doing this for years but I still don't have the home I want - but no-one else seems bothered at all.

I have a friend visiting for the day on Wednesday, so that's Tuesday f**d as I tidy, tidy, tidy and snap at my poor DCs. Think I have room dysmorphia as I can only see the bad bits!

arti hope the infestation is sorted. Sounds horrible.

Buffy has your big clear out made a noticeable difference? I hope so.

Oh jimmy room dysmorphia - LOL that is an excellent term and I could apptly apply it many times.

proseccoco (and anyone else selling/freecycling) I admire your patience of putting it on, waiting, sorting out collection/postage. I tried the ebay thing, lost some money. I just havnt got time - i dont want to faff. I still have one oe two pangs of guilt about the really good stuff ive donated in terms of what that money could pay for - but then the chazza's were very grateful for all the stuff. My kids dont appear to be harmed - just me fussing!

I get what you mean prossecco about embracing the 'true' minimalism - removing one layer of obvious excessive stuff from the house is doable. Stopping spending harde - but pleased we never bought anything back at all from holidays. No trinkets, prints, fancy £5 pots of jam.

I ponder things like my cake decorting stuff which I may use 3 times per year. Scrapbooking craft things, a lot of which my DM bought for me. I havnt used any for over three years. I feel conflicted about getting rid of these things, but I know I should.

We only bought nougat back from our holidays.

(I only posted that for TIO).

brought

Hello, Ive managed a bit more today just put two bags and a box int he car to take to the charity shop tomorrow.

I now have a bedroom, a clean one with fresh bedding.
All my laundry is done - last things out on line.
I tidied clutter from dining table to living room understair cupboard and ate our meal at the table as we do most nights but not for months.
Ive decluttered the odd thing here and there from kitchen but not done cupboards.

BUT - I now have a living room full of random piles that need to be sorted through in the proper decluttering sense. But is does all belong to this room if it to be kept. It is interesting to see where the acual gaps are in storage and what is not being put away correctly etc.

Is it wrong to enjoy cleaning so much when the room is completly clear, neat and tidy

Happy midweek minimalists.

I bet you'll feel great when you've finished those random piles!

Lovely weather here, have been able to get through lots of post-holiday washing. We are doing a street sale this weekend and today the kids opened the boxes into which they have been popping things for the last year to think about prices. Ive discovered DD has got a commercial mind. She has BOGOF and 3 for 2 offers planned.

None of the items have made their way back into the bedrooms. Phew!

I've lost my way a bit but just checking in for some inspiration from you lovely people.

Packing for holiday has been illumunating. I barely have a week's worth of clothes that I actually want to wear, and my summer nightwear is one set I like and a drawer full of random bits. But shopping is the last thing I should be doing!

clear thats great you've the DC's involved. Reading that you've been doing that for a year has made me realise I really do need to be more patient - I j ust want it all gone and organised.

I shoved random piles into cupboard! WE had a lazy day but what was lovely was the DC (2 and 8) spent nearly two hours at the 'reclaimed' dining table doing painting. We also ate all three meals at it. (it had been piled high with laundry and clutter for months [blus] )

erin99 Hi there, hope you found what you are looking for - I signed up to 'like/follow' minimalist FB pages that are from two bloggers - I like to read them to keep me on track and they pop upp everyday in newsfeed. I too found holiday enlightening. Im not massively into summer clothes ie shorts and cami tops as I burn so I foud it easier.

Im really trying to stop oggling 'new season clothes' on my favourite. I nearly ordered two dresses, and shoes yesterday - i really dont need them but they are beautiful - this is where I struggle

I too would have taken it all to a charity shop for immediate relief but sadly my DCs are only motivated to part with their stuff for material gain!
(To be fair, every time we have had younger visitors, DD has found something in her box to give away.)

My DS(8) wont part with anything - I asked him about a 1.5m long soft cuddly crocodile (ikea) and he said no, still likes to sleep with it.

Will not part with any series 1 Skylanders even though we are now on Swapforce, and they are brining another series out.

He has agreed to parting with his farm and castle - includes beautiful scheilch knights and animals. It irks me that they were expensive toys which I dont think have been played with enough. Bloomin hot wheels - they are cool appraently but still dont get played with.

I don't think DS would have done either at that age. He still finds it difficult and didn't have much to sell. DD was more motivated to clear out toys she hasn't played with for a couple of years in order to buy different toys which older girls were selling! At least the toys are less voluminous we had plenty more space in the car on our return journey.
Tomorrow I should have time to take the bits that didn't sell to the charity shop. Next project it so attack the bags of work and creations that came home from school at end of term.

Hello! Can I join you? I have been trying to declutter for a good year or so now and have come a long way but still have a long way to go.

I can't see my house ever being completly enjoyable until we have had our extension done, which will be at least another year until it's even started.

BUT I can do my best and get rid of as much as possible. I have 4 kids (age ranging between 4 weeks and 6 years old) in a 3 bed house so it's never going to be easy. But My 2 girls are away this week so trying to get masses of stuff on ebay/freecycle etc while they are not hear to save stuff. I have my boys at home but they are 4 weeks and 18 months so not old enough to want to keep it!

I have completed the decluttering of my kitchen - all cupboards have been decluttered, cleaned and tidy. It's amazing how the insides of cupboards get dirty. Been in this house 18 months and this isn't the first time I have done it. It's only clean items going in, and the doors are kepts shut - where does the dirt come from?!

Today I am working on my living room (which also acts as a dining room, toy room, everything else room). Which I have already started. I steamed the carpet in half the room last night (Can't do it all at once due to furniture, time, backache and DC). And have moved the furniture around to what i thought would be better, but I am not keen on it So it may have to go back, we will see.
Got loads of stuff to list on ebay, but I need the time to do it! I downloaded turbo lister last night though, meaning I can create the listings at any time of day/night and then upload them in the evening, meaning I may actually get on with it.

My main tasks for today are to finish moving the furniture around, Clear out all the crap from behind the sofas etc, give the room a good clean, get some stuff listed on ebay, and declutter/organise my shelving units and cupboards. As well as the usual daily cleaning of course.

So much to do though, it does feel overwhelming at times

Hello! Yes it's totally overwhelming isn't it, hard to know where to start. We have a similar incentive to your extension in that we are hoping to move in the next year or so and I absolutely DO NOT want to move with all this crap! We actually agreed that if we get somewhere to move with short notice, we will try and take time off before the move to blitz as much as possible.

Anyway. We actually made a little progress yesterday. Very little progress in the grand scheme of things BUT I have to remind myself that it is still something. It's better than what I manage most days so I have to take it as a win!

Not really sure what to attempt today! Maybe the Dining Table Mountain (yes, I have one too!) but TBH none of the stuff on it has its own place yet. That's the difficulty - apart from the kitchen and clothes we've never really gone through everything and given it all a home. We've always just shoved stuff in cupboards randomly. We've lived here 6 years!

So what I've been trying to do - and managed to get my DH on board with - is organise it all very slowly. Literally one shelf or drawer at a time. It's surprisingly hard to decide what should go where and to shuffle stuff around.

ooops - fallen off thread

should be: sorting out bedding from wooden chest to see what can go to chazza

actually am: pratting about on t'internet

nuff said!

Hello. I will be joining you all.I am super-keen on minimalism, but it's really hard to get rid of stuff when you don't drive, so lots of our stuff has piled up.

We will be building an extension in the autumn and the conservatory full of broken stuff that won't fit in the bin must be emptied. DP has taken a fortnight of work, so I am going to see if I can persuade him to do a massive declutter in the first week and swan around in minimalist bliss for the second week.

I was thinking of planning g on doing a room per day, but properly, with everything being put in a pile, and either returned to its place, sent to the tip, sent to the charity shop or photographed and boxed up ready to sell by the end of the day.

Hello. Sounds ambitious!

Arti, did you get that chest sorted?

Started tidying our office space today. It's a work in progress. I have filled a bin bag. I thought all the school work (apart from this year's) was sorted with only the special stories and pictures kept but I found a whole ring binder full of DDs exercises from 2011-12 . On the up side, I can see how much her handwriting has improved! I also chucked plenty of out of date catalogues and a few books for the charity shop.