The minimalism game Jan 2022

[ImFree2doasiwant]

The idea is to get rid of 1 item on the 1st of the month, 2 on the 2nd, 3 on the 3rd etc. I hopped on the way of a thread in December but am here to start afresh if anyone want to join in. I might do this in reverse though, starting with 31 today and working back to 1, only because DC are going to their dad's tomorrow 2 fir days so I will have the time to maje a good start at it.

I aim to post updates daily!

Well it was 6 pairs. Now it’s 4 as a friend wanted 2. They are really lovely brushed cotton & when they are ironed OMG so fab. However, I’ve chubbed out of them so off they go.

Size 14 one careful lady owner.

Got to keep going tomorrow. More clothes I reckon. I’m sad I’ll never wear any of them again. I’m shocked when I see photos of myself now but I think I dress well and have a nice Barnet so it’s not all tragic.

ONWARDS.

This took a while to assemble last night but hopefully it will give me a headstart for the rest of the week.

Day 17

1. Reward card for TK Maxx / Homesense I never remember to use
2. Packaging for cat treatments
3. Broken torch
4. Cardboard box which has been languishing in the boot of the car
5. Induction pack for parents from ds school.
6. Another broken torch
7. Plastic bolt for unknown item
8. Another plastic bolt for said unknown item
9. Sticks for diffuser oil - I don’t have any diffusers

10. Small plastic box for broken cat toy (laser light) 11. Small metal tray 12. Coat hanger 13. Coat hanger 14. Coat hanger 15. Out of date dip mix packet 16. Another out of date dip mix packet 17. Finished bag of dishwasher tablets

Day 16

• 14 DD new shoeboxes to recycling ,shoes now in a plastic storage boxes
• 2 last term’s school calendars to recycling

Day 17

• 15 worn out dog toys into bin
• 2 sets of old Christmas lights

Am a bit stalled here but folding the rest of the clean laundry today so might get some outs from that . Also need to go up to the attic sometime soon since our shutters will be fitted later in the week probably and there’s two windows up there as well

Back on it today after a weekend off.

Ancient ring reinforcement stickers
A little tin
5 unpaired socks
3 magazines
A bag
A hairclip
A fish tank
Some cardboard from a delivery
Pen lids with no pens
A couple of strange metal clip thingies

It's amazing how many things there are in this house that I cannot identify the purpose of.

I'm behind - have only today completed day 13. BUT I have 17 items pending for the charity shop, 8 for the textiles bin at the tip, and 30 for the school's 'bag2school' fundraiser which I'm not allowed to drop off until 22nd, so I'm counting that as technically being ahead, if not in practical terms

13
1 - broken slinky binned
2-3 old swim nappies binned
4 Paper child's 'chefs hat' in recycling
5 broken coat hanger
6 - 12 clothes posted out for eBay
13 - empty CD case

Searched the top of the washing machine. Various bottles and cans that will never be used again recycled (3) or freecycled (5) the most useless feather dusters ever binned - all they do is release feathers into the air (2) plus broken buttons/collar stiffeners, broken empty storage box, stained tie (4). And a google mini speaker that has never been used (possibly because it is above the washing machine!) off to free cycle (1) Total 15 And the top of the machine wiped down and tidied for the first time in many years which was a win.

I thought I was going to struggle today as only just got started abd still lots to do before I can turn in. 10 minutes later and 15 items done. Few out if date things that I'm never going to use however long they stay in the pantry!

Day 17 - 15
4 in hand
1 ood Fajita seasoning
1 ood Bread flour
1 ood Yeast
1 ood Flaxseed
2 ancient Pyrex
2 egg cups
1 tiny plant pot.
1 instructions for something no longer owned.
1 medicine Spoon

Girls.

Today I did the freezer. Holy hell. 22 items gone forever.

And now DD9 y has Covid hurray ! I knew this day would come with her being unvaccinated and it going around schools especially. Slightly worried about getting it myself with my health problems but I’ve had my 3 shots. I will now keep a distance to her but just yesterday we played a board game together for quite a while . She’s only got a bit of a temperature so not too poorly . Rest of us testing negative on lat flow . Had to cancel our shutter fitting on thu and will have to reschedule a bunch of other app which is a pain in the a… but I’ll be very happy if rest of us wont get it !
On the other hand there were some really good news this morning as well . We just found out we are able to get some extra stamp duty back from when we were buying our new house and selling our old one and it’s a big sum that’ll pay for our garden landscaping and more ! With that and getting nearly all of our rental deposit back I feel like we’ve been really lucky at least in some way recently even if I just had bad news about my health ( although seems im not in that much trouble thankfully ) and then DD got sick . I’m not mentally great atm but I’ll try to keep on going with jobs and projects to get through . Still ahead a bit so here is

Day 18

• 10 pairs of too small pants to rags
• 2 of my shoeboxes to recycling
• 3 paper Christmas ornaments to recycling
• 1 broken glass candlestick to dump
• 1 unsuitable ( too tall and too big for our candles ) candlestick to charity
• 1 new puzzle to charity we don’t need

Might as well do the next few days to find out how much ahead I still am I think soon I’ll start to run out .

Day 19

• 4 finished books to charity (2 ours and 2 of DDs about growing ,up she’s 9)
• 5 more moving boxes unpacked in the attic and study going to recycling
• 2 DS finished puzzles to charity
• 4 DH old pyjama shirts to clothes bank
• 2 half used thank you card packets to recycling
• 1 nearly used up lip balm I’ve decided I don’t like the smell of to bin
• 1 old storage box from Christmas tree ornaments to dump ,they’re now in a better clippy lidded bigger box

Day 20

• 20 pairs of old socks to rag bank

Day 21

• 1 dog book I finished to charity
• 4 DD too small tops
• 1 DS too small sweater
• 1 DD too small dress
• 1 DS too small trousers
• 1 DS too small pyjama pants
• 2 of my broken pyjama pants all to charity , rag or clothes bank
• 1 Christmas tree ornament
• 1 small standing Christmas ornament both to charity
• 1 rusty metal tree garland to dump
• 2 broken wooden table decorations to bin
• 1 chipped drinking glass to dump
• 3 pairs of old socks
• 1 lone sock all to rags

We’ll looks like I only have one /two more further days worth left on my list after these days so I will have to do some more decluttering in the attic etc despite feeling down since this month I really want to finish on time !!!!

Wow people are going great guns

Day 18:
8 pairs of too small kids shorts in the charity shop bag.
1 pair of kids socks in the charity bag
1 pair of kids socks in the bin
1 summer romper in the bin - why I didn't notice it was stained beyond redemption when I put it away is beyond me.
2 rubbish plastic toys that are missing some bits in the bin.
1 toy dish rack in the tip pile. It's never in the toy kitchen, just moves periodically around the kitchen, always where I need to put my feet 🤦🏼‍♀️
1 old sunglasses
1 old lanolin cream
Bundle of Tesco points vouchers shredded now that they are all on the app
1 empty bottle of olbas

Didn't think I'd manage today's, so pleased.

Crashed and burned today - it’s all been a bit hectic and I’ve been out of the house all day - straight from work to ferrying ds around for football training. I’ll put day 18 on ice and try to catch it up at the weekend.

Pleased I still have company on this thread. Very random today - cushions, soft toys, rolling pin and pan stand, 2 shopping bags to charity (7) sorted toy money from the real coins in a piggy bank thrown earlier this week and used the mainly coppers coins to buy supper at the supermarket using the self service tills (2) extra old sponge and scourer from beside the kitchen sink binned (2) file of papers from an event last year and receipts from Christmas recycled (2) broken cloth mask recycled (1) 14 reached, still so much to do

@Nordicmom sorry to hear DD has covid. You may well get away without catching it, I was amazed that DS aged 6 had it and neither me nor the 4 yr old caught it. Despite him sleeping in my bed abd coughing all over me!

I'm eased with todays haul, sold quite a few of these bits, not for much but the few pounds here and there add up to £30! So pleased I did this backwards, I'd be struggling going the other way. Might do that next month.

Day 18 -14
3 x waterproof kids trousers
2 x coat
2 x gloves.
4 x pjs
1 x back pack
1 x wellies
1 x Slippers
1 x book.
1 bag

16 so 2 in hand

@SuperDiaperBabyI think we've all done brilliantly, seeing others posts is a definite motivator.

Amazing, and such an inspiration.

I decided to tackle paper today. I think it will take all week. I took photos of 20 years worth of collected recipes and put the pile in the recycling. About 40 pieces of paper.

@CherryAndAlmond I bought a recipe book fir putting recipes in, that's that's job i could do easily in the evening. I've only had it 2 years.....

Day 19 - 14
2 in hand
1 bubble bottle
1 tennis ball container
1 rubber glove
1 dishcloth
1 xmas artwork
1 packaging
1 bauble.
1 package for lights I threw away last week
2 ood kids meds
1 teething gel
1 packaging
2 parts old car seat

16 so 2 in hand again. I havent stopped today, 16 items not much to show for it but put the rest of the Christmas stuff away and reorganised a couple of areas - not fully done but part way which will maje it an easier job in future.

Items counted yesterday sold and collected.

@Nordicmom sorry about the Covid. That sucks.

Slow progress here. I managed some more clothes. I’m working long shifts this week so short on time. I’ve also started removing a scarf each time i leave the house. I leave them at bus stops yes I’m insane.

Took an easy win today after a busy day - 13 story tapes from a shelf bagged for charity.

@AgathaMystery clever way to get rid of at least an item a day - only limiting factor is how many scarves you need to start with....

I read something about taking a random item when you gonto visit someone and hiding it in plain sight in their house. Another top decluttering tip

@ImFree2doasiwant

I read something about taking a random item when you gonto visit someone and hiding it in plain sight in their house. Another top decluttering tip

I swear my MIL does this. I frisk her when she comes to stay. She keeps bringing DH GCSE coursework to us. HE IS ALMOST 46.

Day 22

• 4 pairs of old pants to rags
• 1 DH long sleeved T-shirt to clothes bank
• 1 glass water bottle to recycling
• 2 dog toys to bin
• a stack of magazines , newspapers and catalogues to recycling
• 1 old broken iPad cover to bin
• a giant pile of paper etc from now decluttered bedside drawer
• a few old hair bands to bin
• a couple of those little plastic things in shirt collars to bin
• 1 more finished book , am reading trough my book drawer determinant to actually clear it this year
• packaging from DH beer calendar and the dogs calendar to recycling neither have been finished yet but I’ll remove the contents and get rid of the trash finally
• broken curtain clip
• 1 DD stained pyjama top to rags
• a bunch of old food from the fridge that was cleaned
• 4 packets of dog treats

That's a good selection @Nordicmom , I'm also trying to read through my "to read" pile, and donate the books I keep not reading. My mum gives me a lot and theyre not always my thing.

I'm also going through the bathroom using up odds and ends of stuff that's been lurking.