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:

*talk

Catching up will take me a while !
Day 4 : A big notice board that has marks on it (kids didn’t want theirs after the move anymore this leaves us one that’s maybe going to the study or the kitchen and is now waiting in the attic room) , a few old face towels to rag bank , old food from the fridge , a drinking glass that’s chipped ( DS has been putting metal serving spoons where glasses go grrrr I’ve been wondering why we are getting broken glasses these aren’t cheap so I am annoyed but now that we know why it hopefully stops ).

Day 3 2 outgrown children's coats and one coat with a broken zip

Count me in!

Day 15

1 jolly messenger bag
1 plain rug
1 ugly cushion that came with the sofa
1 double bedsheet
2 double duvet covers, no longer have a double bed
1 massive bedspread that is lovely but very awkward to put on as it's so heavy and then it drags the duvet down and I wake up feeling cold in the winter night 🥶
1 redundant hottie cover, ❤️💕
1 swimming cozzie, never comfortable in it
1 hat, bit tatty
1 very worn silk purse, that DP kept because it reminded him of when we first met but he was willing to let go of
1 falling apart wallet, another item that DP kept in his memories box
1 too small hat for DS
1 too small pair of gloves for DS
1 too small scarf for DS

Total: 120 items

Day 5:

• a dog Halloween scarf that came in his treat and toybox ,we just don’t have a use for this but we liked everything else in it except also
• a couple of very stinky rock hard pumpkin shaped chews ,I always worry our puppy will break his teeth on I’ve read some vets advice against anything this hard ( we did keep a little orange flavoured bone he seems to like )
• a few pairs of rusty scissors
• a worn out ceramic tooth brush holder
• a bottle holder / soap dish from the same range that’s seen better days

Day 6:

• a knackered old rucksack for school of DS that somehow escaped the previous declutters ,he’s had a nice new one for a year already so don’t know why he kept it ( he packed his own room for the move so I only saw it the other day , he’s a teen )
• a big newspaper and magazine stack ,I’m now emptying my magazine basket after not having any time to read them in our moving mayhem recently
• some of DD destroyed stationary from school now that we are getting to halfterm I’ll refresh her pencil case ,I don’t know what she does to them !
• The Game of Thrones series of books DS finished and doesn’t need to keep will go to charity shop
• an unused body scrub that leaked in a moving box and when I was cleaning it up turned out to be horribly oily and messy ,and I could hardly clean it off my skin with even soap so hated it is in the bin
• a manky wooden spoon that we used to shove old food down the food disposal is in the bin

Day 7:

• a few old water bottles to recycling
• a couple of pairs of DS old trousers and shorts , and DH and my T-shirts to clothes -and rag bank
• a giant sack of puppy kibble that was in the bottom of the dog food bin that our now 1 y dog won’t eat anymore

-DS old zip card although I’ll possibly need to replace this, he’s been using an oyster but normally doesn’t use a bus at the moment ,has a rail card and the school bus

• a wooden little cutting board that was stained and not needed anymore
• a stack of DD half finished sticker books to recycling , one unused to charity

-a half used sticky carpet protection film roll we used in the move but is horrible to apply and DH refuses to keep for next time Pheeew I’m getting half way on catch-up …

@Nordicmom you are going fabulously- very impressive to watch!! You'll be caught up in no time.

A big welcome to you @Motnight I hope you find it as fun and rewarding as I am.

Day 15 (half way through the month!!) - 15 things from the hatsncoatsnthings closet.

Bonuses - 12 more out of date pantry items from the back (feel a bit guilty about those), an insulated baby bottle bag (my baby is at school) and a set of champagne glasses that were a 21st birthday gift. Bonuses 182.

Day 8:

• DS old swimming goggles he’s got 2 new pairs
• a couple of old dog towels now that we’ve got more we don’t need these
• 2 broken storage boxes that arrived cracked
• a new glass based lamp DS dropped
• 2 big VegTrugs from our last house garden ,we are having the new garden landscaped and will put in bigger boxes for a kitchen garden
• a outside broom
• a broken garden hose the dog had chewed also from the last garden
• clippy sock hanger that I kept in the move but the noticed was all scratched and we never used anyway

Day 15 - cat toys. Just spent a happy 30 minutes playing with the cat but he has never had any interest in the balls with bells in, he is more of a feather rod type of guy.

Day 15:

Car seat
2 x paperwork folders tidied up (about 1cm thick wad of paper to shred)
4 x recipes cut out of magazines (written out into a notebook - I have been meaning to do this since 2009!)
8 x baby socks and tights (still fit but are quite worn and we have plenty of others)

Everyone is doing amazingly. Tomorrow I am going to try and tackle some wedding presents that I have been wanting to throw for ages but DH won’t get rid of simply because they were wedding presents. I’m going to test him to see if he can even remember who they are from (I can remember so he can’t just make it up). If not they are going!

Arggg I have a dilemma. I have a bundle of hankies about 20. Do I count these as 1 item. I just feel like I have to otherwise I'm cheating.

Right I'm going to count these as one item. I can always add them in later.

Day 15.

Anxious again but not sure why. It's stuff I don't use or wear just sat in a drawer.

1. Cardigan won in a competition Iv worn once.
2. 5 books.
3. 2020 diary Iv kept because it was a gift
4. Swim goggles never going to wear as can't swim anymore.
5. Mustard tights that make my legs look weird.
6. Bundle of hankies. Nylon and I hate them.
7. Ice resin kit I bought 4 years ago. Never used.
8. Bundle of bra straps.
9. 3 headbands can't wear give me headaches

10. Broken Buddha

Good skills everyone, I think you are all being really strict with yourselves. @mrsjackrussell I totally would have counted the hankies as 20 items! But maybe I will get stricter as my totals come down. Nylon hankies though!?!

Right I'm behind and I'm off to have a bash

@mrsjackrussell nylon hankies needed to go for sure and yes I would count them as a bundle of hankies so 1 item. Good call. 👍🏼

@YupIFreakilyHave thanks I feel better now

@MissCreeAnt es nylon hanky's not good. Like blowing the nose on sandpaper

@mrsjackrussell sorry to hear you're feeling anxious. Is it the decluttering or is it generally?

OK, managed day 6 but found it a struggle. Feeling really tired after operation so concentrated on rest instead. 6 items were: baby sun hat, writing stencil from maths set, sharpener that is worse than a butter knife, a cushion inner that has seen better days and 2x dvd storage boxes (holds 500 dvds in wallets) which we managed to get £10 each so that is more money in the emigrating fund.

Day 9:

• a large clothes airer that arrived broken that I’ve forgotten to return in all the commotion ,either sending it back or it’s going to the dump
• some of DD summer uniform that’s too stained to keep at least white socks maybe some shirts etc now that we are starting half term and she’ll be in winter uniform when going back
• a lip balm from a brand I really like and it’s nice and unscented too but always feels a bit grainy when put on which I don’t like so out it goes , I need to look through all the toiletries again for everyone while unpacking and organising the back stock even though I decluttered them before moving there’s always more that can go in hindsight
• a big declutter ; a metal bike box DH is selling from our last house garden we’ll have a different shed put in here when doing the garden ,we’ve sold several bikes and small boats too with great success on eBay so hoping to make a few hundred they’re expensive and it’s in good condition
• last year’s pocket calendar now that we’re soon going into the next , I always keep the previous year’s one for a while so I can check things like medical app etc it’s been handy before
• the giant cardboard and furniture packaging mountain must be counted , DH has been lugging it to the dump for weeks and there’s no end in sight anytime soon since things are still arriving
• a sports drawstring bag DS had two of ,he only needs one
• a bunch of eco kitchen cleaning rags

that just fall apart in the washing machine . We found dark microfibre ones work better and can be washed lots of times and reused

• a few old bras I think it’s time for them to go although I’ve had trouble finding good similar ones so might keep one and toss 3-4

Think I’m done for the day . This will get much harder unless u start counting individual small items . We threw away so much last month when moving that now there’s not so much left but I do have a full house so I’m so sure there’ll be enough to dry to day 30 many months in a row . I just remembered the baby and children clothes boxes in the attic for one I’m working through ! In our old storage locker we’ll give up once we’ve sorted out the attic room there’s definitely lots that can go like baby changing table , 2 buggies etc …

Day 7; 3 new wooden dolls, going to olio those. A board book, will olio that too. Hairbrush, kids snack and happy meal toy found to complete this 'day's.

I haven't done this challenge but I came to celebrate some decluttering today and I reckon I'm somewhere near the right number of items to catch up:

8 manky pillows
3 manky towels
6 old pillowcases, 2 fitted sheets that have lost their elastic, 1 mattress protector sans elastic, 2 old duvet covers
Several metres of scrap fabric
3 drawers full of old hair products, rollers, random empty jewellery boxes, clips, broken straighteners & curling tongs etc - drawers have been blocked for 18 months+ since I turned my dressing table into a WFH desk
About a billion items of baby clothes
6 baby coat hangers
1 mirror
3 IKEA wardrobe accessories that have never been fitted in 5years
1 blouse missing buttons
1 dead fly that had been on the windowsill for an embarrassing length of time

Car is packed up for the recycling centre/charity shops in the morning 🎉

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, clutter-less contentment 😊

Day 10 :

• set of three wooden hanging star ornaments will be returned I found the wood a bit too orange for my liking ( mango wood apparently )
• a set of three wooden standing star ornaments will go back for the same reason
• 3 metal wire hangers from the dry cleaner to metal recycling
• a few old clean fabric masks to rag bank
• two mystery ink pens from DD pencil case that aren’t hers one to bin , one will be returned to school next term
• some old pillowcases to rag bank ,need to organise our linen cupboard properly once my baskets for it arrive then there might be more bedding or a few towels to go although I did these before moving ,there were a few question marks then inc these pillowcases maybe a matching duvet cover or two , we’ve got new sheets so old can go
• 2 dog tags with our old address although these have been replaced
• DS school thick annual publication ,we read these and then unless he is in them they do go to recycling I have lots of things I’ve kept from the kids for memories inc from school and we can’t keep everything or we’d drown in it as I tell them DS understands this better and isn’t so attached to stuff unlike DD 9 y who treasures little bits of paper etc
• rest of the roll of eco friendly cling film that was impossible to use it didn’t cut well then got stuck every time and got worse and worse just broke up in pieces

-Guinness world records book 2021 I am asking DD to read this and other similar annual books plus to do her few activity annuals like a minegraft one before Christmas and possibly getting another one . I like to glance through these books too . Right I managed to catch up to day 10 already but the speed will seriously slow down now I’m sure . Will now catch up on reading the thread .

DGC craft basket sorted.
1 Old felt tips,
2 pencil crayons,
3-8 work books ( used),
9 scrap paper (used)
10 , glass jar
11 scruffy hard paint brushes
12 stamping pens
13 wax crayons
14 more dried felt tips
15 more pencils
16 tin for pencils
Bonus another container.