Playing the Minimalism Game

[YupIFreakilyHave]

For the month of October I am challenging myself to playing the 30 Day Minimalism Game as described by various people on their YouTube channels including The Minimalists. I prefer Jolita Bartkus' video on this. I know October has 31 days but the last day is for reflecting on how the month went.

How to Play: On the 1st you declutter one thing, on the 2nd you declutter 2 things, on the 3rd three things and so on. By the end of 30th day, 465 items should have been decluttered. Well, that's the aim.

I've been on this decluttering lark for a few years now so it'll be an interesting project. I'll try to update everyday of what was decluttered and maybe a little story of some of the items. I'm doing this online as a way to hold myself to account but I would welcome anyone who would like to join me.

It starts tomorrow. Eek!

Jolita Bartkus' video:

Oh and some fabric recycling bins take all fabric for rags and sell them on by the tonne.

I volunteered for a charity shop a few years back. Broken, stained, smelly stuff is just hard work to sift through and goes in the recycling or bin. If anything has bits missing or clothes have bobbles or holes etc they don’t make the grade for the shop floor even if they are expensive designer labels.

I seem to hold on to things that were expensive and I saved up for. Ultimately they are never going to be used but the memory of the saving up keeps me from binning them.

I have struggled with the binning of stuff, particularly when I don't want to be adding to landfill...... but then I think, this item already exists, no one wants it, it can either sit here in the house because I feel guilty that we have this thing to discard, adding to my mental load and ultimately go to landfill at a later date (even if it is after my death!) OR it can go now, and I relieve myself of its burden. The best thing we can do is not buy more than we need.

Hope that makes sense? We've been away and I'm exhausted, just home now, so will catch up on today's items tomorrow....

Day 11
1-8 unwanted pin badges to a niece who collected them.
3-11 broken jewellery.

I am getting slightly worried about how much I am enjoying this !

@MissCreeAnt @freezerdinners @RedCake those are all very useful things to think about, thank you.

@Trumpton I'm really enjoying this too! Some bits are really hard but overall it is such a fantastic experience.

Day 11 - a big pile of notebooks, scrapbooks, loose paper and magazine clippings from (one of) my cupboards of doom. I went through a phase of cutting out home and garden inspiration for the house - analog pinterest. Now I've just got no time, and a cluttered house, partly due to keeping things like my clippings 🤦‍♀️

Well, it is a game @Trumpton I say that because I'm enjoying it too. I love that owl pin of yours niece's.

Day 11

1 set of star cutters, can't remember the last time I used them, now a JIC item
3 metal cutters, same reason
1 gingerbread cutter, same reason
1 mug I never use from a no longer friend
4 attachments from food processor, JIC items that I have never used.
1 corkscrew I hadn't realised that it doesn't work (I'm looking at you DP)

Total: 66 items

Only 399 items to go.

Oh I did the wrong photo. That photo was of a lovely collage I distracted myself making while I was supposed to be throwing out my piles of notebooks and paper

@freezerdinners @MissCreeAnt @RedCake that's really made me think Thankyou.

Day 11.

Iv started on the underwear drawer of doom.

10 pairs old knickers I wouldn't want to go to hospital in and a pair of odd socks.

OK turns out it was good I got the wrong photo as my name is visible in the other one on one of the notebooks.

Bonuses- 10 little jewellery boxes and their contents, some of which were very meaningful many years ago but not any more. Sometimes being reminded that life moves on is a very good thing!!

Also 9 items of clothing from one of my DC's closets, and an old lunchbox.

Bonus total 122

I can't remember which PP said it was so much easier just grabbing things out of a closet rather than feeling like you have to sort the whole thing but I completely agree!! I can just go fishing in whatever closet / drawer / shelf I happen to be near without feeling like I need to be systematic about it. And even though I know there's still junk left afterwards that's fine, I can go fishing there another day. Hopefully by next month I will have fished out enough stuff from enough places to be able to tidy up what's left.

Taking yesterdays outstanding 33, adding 11 for today = 44

So far today
🟡 old moisturiser
🟡 old hairbrush
🟡 half pack breast pads

Remaining - 41

I will catch up honestly

@THOSEcobwebsareDECOR of course you will! It's no problem to take a roundabout path with a few detours, you can definitely still get there

I am not working this month so it is much easier for me to fit in my decluttering. I suspect it would be an entirely different story if I was trying to fit it around work too

I thought that pile of ‘random’ cuttings looked really pleasing @Declutterclogs

Day 11 - old school books

I am on maternity leave so at home full time however i have a baby, a toddler and covid infected child keeping me busy!

Adding ....

🟡 8 old tubs playdoh
🟡 half pack flash cards
🟡 handful of stones

Remaining - 31

Today’s random assortment of bathroomy stuff. I agree with it being much more manageable when you can just grab things rather than feeling like you need to tidy it all up and make it look beautiful. I very quickly grabbed these things today and the tubs they were in still need a proper sort out. But 11 things out is better than nothing!

🟡 bath bomb
🟡 baby sleep bag with broken zip

🟡 bookstart bag
🟡 old air freshener

Remaining - 27

just doing 2 a day as I said before did this in March

Saturday 2 old electric fires to recycling centre
Sunday old board game and 1 pair of trousers

if you are short of ideas tupperware get rid of anything with either no lid or a lid that is distorted

Woo-hoo those. You're winning, especially as you have so much going on

Welcome @EducatingArti

Yup, it definitely helps that you're only taking out a set amount.

@THOSEcobwebsareDECOR gosh that is full on! I've got 3 too but youngest now at school so is a completely different situation. I really remember those days though - you are really in the trenches! My hat goes off to you as I couldn't manage decluttering at all through those years - was all about just getting through the days (hence the state I'm in now )
Hope your little one with covid is doing OK

@YupIFreakilyHave well done on doing those dresses.

Struggling to get started today but OTOH I did a 30 min run today, go me! I have the cable drawer of doom to tackle but I keep putting it off, as I need to go through it all rather than just pull things out.

@THOSEcobwebsareDECOR love your username. You're going well, alongside your very full time job!

I'm hoping that the new (to me) practice of just grabbing a few things to get rid of will become more of a habit after this game. I just want my house to feel clutter free and easy to tidy.

I REALLY didn't feel like doing it today, particularly as I had to find things to catch up from yesterday... But I did it, and I'm really pleased I did.

Yesterday's catch up:
1 old dummy
1 small box
1 strap from I don't know what
2 boxes of tiny beads I've had (and done nothing with) since I was 19 (a VERY long time ago)
1 pack of lavender scented storage bags that smell actually disgusting
1 completed activity book
2 baby spoons
1 baby camping chair

And today's:
5 books
1 car sunshade
4 baby clothing items
1 set of too small pyjamas

Side hustle total - 74

I'd love to join you! I reckon I am 66 items behind?

Today I went through our chest freezer and got rid of all the food that has been left in there which is out of date. Dates going back to 2015!! So my chest freezer is almost ready to be functionally useful again - I think I threw away around 30 items.

So 30 done

33 to go....