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!

[ladybranston]

3 more bags of rubbish to the chute yesterday. My bedroom closet looks marvellous :) corralled all the hair/skin/nails stuff into three wicker basket and now even have 4 gloriously empty shelves!

i love gaps!

[JimmyCorkhill]

1 gumtree item rejected at the door for having tatty stickers which I STATED IN THE ADVERT [and breathe).

[clearsommespace]

Miss Annersley, I think work uniform doesn't count so if that formal wear not something you wear out of work, you could consider it to be uniform.

My problem is that we don't get four seasons. My summer dresses are about the only thing that only get used during one season. Long sleeved T-shirts, jeans etc are nearly always required.

[evertonmint]

Clearsomme - I think the idea is that you review your wardrobe every 3 months rather than completely change it as some things are relevant for more than one season (indeed jeans are year round for me unless its a spectacularly hot summer). So some of the thick winter jumpers and coat may go in spring to be replaced by lighter ones (and for me my furry winter boots will get replaced with a pair of Converse but I'll keep the ankle boots throughout spring) but your tops and jeans might stay the same. Rather like you'd do it anyway, but just with a bit more focus on it, putting away the things you don't need and making sure that everything works together so you have lots of easy to put together outfits.

[evertonmint]

So you won't have 132 items in the house (33 x 4), you'll just have 33 on the go at any one time and some will be used for more than 3 months.

[delasi]

Fell off my TIO, back later!

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

So I'd separate work wear (which I definitely don't wear outside work) and then choose 33 items?

[AmberSpyglass]

That sounds right missannersly, if you were a firefighter or something and wore a uniform to work that couldn't be included in your everyday wardrobe so makes sense in your case, too.

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

I'd make a rubbish firefighter - 5'0 and a weedy size 6-8... maybe I could crawl into small spaces to rescue cats!

Off to see if I can pick 33 things! Is there a blog on this or a book or something?

[AmberSpyglass]

Google it, missannersly, there's a website. I don't think I can be arsed am inspired to go the whole hog atm but I have massively downsized my wardrobe and am thinking much more about how to put existing items together to form outfits I wouldnt necessarily think of

[fuzzpig]

Hi all :)

I have not been minimalising at all lately! We have pretty much been treading water. Things have been getting better generally though - and although the decluttering has thoroughly stalled we are totally settled with the mindset of not bringing stuff IN - so that's still a lot better than before!

I still need to catch up with the thread and after I've finished the book I'm reading, I'll be reading Minimalist Parenting to hopefully give myself a dose of motivation.

But big news chez fuzzpig! After over 3 years of being out of work (due to injury) DH has got a job! :o :o :o

I am so happy but can I admit here that I am FREAKING OUT BIG STYLE. I'll be suddenly having to do pretty much everything and I'm not sure how well my health will stand up to it :( at the moment he does basically all childcare and housework stuff, although I have been able to contribute a little more lately since my health is improving. It will be a real shock to the system though.

So I'm going to need to seriously organise now to make life as simple as possible. He starts next week (!) which I had already taken as leave, with the plan of getting some serious decluttering done with DH! Oh well.

[pixiestix]

There is a Project 333 Facebook page as well, if you are on FB. The woman behind it repeatedly says that its not supposed to be a project in suffering so if it is too hard to stick to 33 items, or to do it for 3 months, then tailor it to a project that suits you - one month or 50 items, or discount shoes from the total etc. As long as you are challenging yourself in some way, and pushing yourself to find out why you shop/think/dress in a certain way then you will benefit from it

[Chottie]

Hello - can I join you? I am gradually decluttering too. I started with my clothes, shoes and makeup. I try just to have stuff that I actually wear and like.

Please can someone tell me about steam mops? I have solid wood floors in the bathrooms and kitchens, would a steam mop be ok for these? At the moment, I am cleaning these floors with e-cloth mops. First I dust and sweep the floor, then I wash it over with a wood cleaner. How would a steam mop be different?

[clearsommespace]

Excellent news Fuzzpig!

Chottie I don't know about suitability of a steam mop for wooden floors.

Personally I didn't get on with the one we had and we sold it on.
We had only hard floors in that house (downstairs was all tiled as is the custom here). You still have to vacuum first before steam mopping. It does clean well. With young children I found it impractical to clear, wash the whole area in one go. The advantage is that the area is pretty much dry as soon as you've cleaned and the disadvantage is that it's more faff to get started with the steam mop than a mop and bucket. So as we were always doing small areas we couldn't be bothered with it.

We had an attachment for windows and it made them streaky. It would be good to get rid of the worst on filthy windows but you'd need to clean them again properly. It was good for the window frames which were all PVC in that house.

Steam mops are probably more suitable for people who have opportunities to do housework without people under their feet. But I can't see how anyone would use it for a small spill so you'd need a mop and bucket anyway. Therefore not very minimalist!

[BeCool]

Hi all - things have progressed so well for me these last few weeks. I live in one bed flat with 2DC and since separating from XP 14 months ago I have been decluttering and changing our lives.

In last few weeks I have built bunk beds and turned bedroom into children's space. Now ALL THE TOYS are in the bedroom - none in living space, during the week at least.

I am sleeping in the living room on proper sofa bed. It is working out OK. I am sleeping well most nights.

Last Friday I have builder/handyman come round - he attacked my long list including replace broken oven, hooks here and there, attach furniture to the wall, put up drying rack in bathroom, fix loo handle, fix shower, install 2 new ceiling lights etc. Then I made some curtains for the girls room and for one brief wonderful moment in time everything was perfect.

Shower/mix tap broke again this morning - not builders fault, it's The Bathstore's fault. Seriously I would never ever recommend that company unless you want to buy utter crap. Worst case scenario I will need to pull bath out to get new taps in - sigh! Which will involve lots of ££ retitling etc. It's disappointing as it is The Last Problem To Fix!!! And I thought I had - sigh!


I have had a clothes drying epiphany - I got this IKEA drying rack put up at one end of the bath near a window I can leave open an inch or 2 - if I use the octopus thing for socks and knickers I can get a modest load onto the drying rack and it is drying in 20 hours or less, without heating on. So I hang after the DC have gone to bed and take it down before they have a bath at about 6.30 the next day. If I do a small load every night I might never have the big drying rack living in the living room for days at a time again.

Next step is to start going through drawers and cupboards again and throwing some more stuff out.

[clearsommespace]

BeCool, we have that too, in our utility room.
It's great! Sadly with four of us including a boy who needs clean trousers every day we still have the airer in the living room much of the time when it is raining.

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

I tackled the Cupboard Under The Stairs. Plotting divorce. DH has 5 toolboxes AND a large plastic storage box which I bought and threw all the DIY stuff that was everywhere lurking around the house into and even still the cupboard is FULL of little screws, tools, wire, odd plastic things all scattered everywhere.
He doesn't even do that much DIY!!!!

ARGH

[harrietspy]

BeCool, I am taking notes.

Thanks to whoever posted the link to Mindful Browsing. I've installed it and am finding it very helpful, even though I've had to make Mumsnet one of my no-go sites. (Obviously you can override it, but you have to wait, which means you have to think about whether you really want to visit the site). I've also bought the Freedom app, which turns off internet for anything up to 8 hours and there's NOTHING you can do to put it back on again. I want to get some serious writing done next week, so that should help.

Have any of you simplicity-parenting fans watched Project Wild Thing? I've rented it to watch later.

I've been feeling a bit low recently due to disintegrating domestic arrangements and have found myself wanting to buy unnecessary things... Just a bottle of body wash on special offer, nothing extreme, but we already have lots... Interesting how we want to accumulate when we're sad, eh?

[fuzzpig]

I totally understand that Harriet, 'stuff' is comforting and the little thrill of buying something new just gives you a lift doesn't it.

So, I've caught up on the threads at last! I just wanted to return to this:

It's like eating a Ginsters pasty in the miserable flurorescent glare of a petrol station at 2am because that's all there is and you just need to mechanically stuff something into your face so you can keep driving.

YES!

I have been trying to apply mindfulness techniques to my whole life, since learning about it in group therapy (I had this last year for my disability). Particularly - which is why your quote makes me smile - with eating. We are generally trying to eat 'cleaner' as a family and one little rule I've set for myself is no more eating 'on the go'. If I want something that much I will sit and enjoy it, not try and furtively eat it on the bus or eat it while walking and not really notice or enjoy it. And it turns out that I rarely do actually want it, I'd rather get where I'm going.

[delasi]

fuzzpig Congrats! I can understand your worries though, hope you can make a system so that it's manageable and DH/DC if old enough can pitch in.

BeCool Wow, that's a lot done, and thank you for your experience, wishing you all the best.

Nothing happening here, other than shopping blush Replacing worn out stuff that will go, hopefully this week. A lot going on here with illness, undergoing lots of tests, busy everywhere, just glad we're on top of dishes and laundry! Possibly moving soon (been flat hunting for a while) so thinking about what I really want to take. I'm going to pack up a few important books and bits now, then chuck basically everything I don't want to move with. Tired of having stuff around for the sake of it!

[delasi]

Ha oops, I meant

[fuzzpig]

Soooo I've come up with a plan which I shall submit to your approval please minimisers!

There is no way I can do a big decluttering attack now. It was barely possible with DH around to do all other stuff!

So, I've decided that I will make it part of my schedule/plan (I'm going to be making lists of housework etc as I haven't a hope in hell of managing otherwise) to do two small lots per day - minimum 15mins but hopefully 30 if I'm up to it.

One lot will be physical decluttering - basically just pick a drawer/shelf and sort through it - and the other will be digital! I have loads of stuff like photos, emails and mp3s to organise and at least that is physically restful but will still be an achievement.

I work 10-2 either one or two weekdays so I won't be able to do it then but if I do it all other days when DCs are at school that still gives me 7 days a fortnight. I can make a difference in that time right? Please tell me I can

[fuzzpig]

Glad to hear you might be nearer to moving delasi! A great incentive to carry on minimising. I hope we will get a house to move to within the next year or so and I definitely don't want to take all this crap with us!

Good point about DCs pitching in. Eldest will be 7 in June so she can definitely help a bit!

[MiniSoksMakeHardWork]

Congratulations fuzzpig on dh's job

Freecycled two car seats (both owned by us from new so happy to pass them on) and a baby walker which just would not sell. Shame as it's in bloody great condition for being nearly 6 years old but hey ho. It's out of my way now.

In process of removing many, many outgrown/shrunk pjs and underwear of the dc. Have filled a plastic Xmas sack already

Have let this thread drop off a bit which is a shame so I'm going to make it my mission to catch up on it at least for 5 minutes of an evening. Just to remind me that I do still need to get rid of a whole load of junk from my house. The charity shop/free cycling is the way forward at the moment. As much as I'd like to sell some of the stuff, it's taking up time and space I simply don't have.

[clearsommespace]

I think that could work Fuzzpig. I usually do 15 minutes slots because of time constraints and it is making a difference. Slowly but surely.

DS is notoriously slow at getting on shoes coat etc. He doesn't actually start until I'm completely ready. So rather than stand over him getting frustrated I am going elsewhere and doing the looking thing. I open a cupboard and look at the contents or try to look at a room like I've never seen it before. Then I can think about what I've seen when out and about and deal with it next time.