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!

Now I’m all out except for the 25 temp curtains so I’ll have to try to actively look for things when I can manage that . Might end up behind in the end but I’ll finish since no one is feeling too well here although just DD with the virus so far

Been looking around and have managed to gather another days worth !

Day 23

• 1 half used name label sticker sheet to bin
• 4 large feather pillows that I’ve been suspecting are giving me allergies and DH claims stink to dump
• 1 unused Santa letter writing set to charity
• 1 National Geographic bug dig kit
• 1 new kids book both from my cupboard going out as presents
• 2 old dirty oven mitts to bin
• 5 little fabric bags from wallets and cardholders to rag bank , I’m keeping dust bags for handbags but these are unnecessary
• 4 fabric bags for shoes to rags as well
• 2 empty shoeboxes and more could probably go since I am mainly using plastic shoe storage boxes
• 2 more half empty stale dog treat bags to bin/ food disposal , we have so many I shouldn’t buy any more for months …

I had a manic work day yesterday and did nothing else, but made up for it this morning by going through all my manuals. Ditched about 20 manuals, receipts, instructions for building flatpack furniture etc.

12 empty jars stored for reusing that were taking a whole shelf that is now clear for use in the kitchen. Slightly felt like cheating despite the large space cleared so added a sentimental item - small pot of honey given to me that we will never eat - added to Olio.

Evening all! 70 odd books gone. I’ve made a community library

@AgathaMystery - hope some were murder mysteries!
Gone for @Nordicmom style random sweep first thing this morning - 2 boomerangs, child's book, swim trunks, ornament, notebook and calculator for charity (7) old football programmes and laptop box for recycling (2) pens and an broken calculator binned (2) easily 11 in total

Day 24

• 3 small feather cushions I realised also can go from the attic , they’re not used they were on my bed in the last house but I think they’re giving me allergies so now just in a bin bag taking up space !
• 5 brand new pairs of unwanted mens socks to charity
• 1 large seagrass garden candle holder
• 2 smaller ones of the same
• 4 seagrass coasters all to charity
• 5 more items to food bank ; jam , marmalade etc we have too many off that no one eats
• 4 bits of too small kids clothes from upstairs boxes

I'm beginning to have to hunt for things now, which is a good feeling. Things are definitely feeling clearer.

Today I ditched...

A user guide for headphones
A cardboard box
An old toothbrush
An attachment for hanging the dustbuster on the wall
An old chopping board
A tin of paint
Three almost empty tester pots
A dried up tube of polyfilla
Another unidentifiable plastic thing

I've got a collection of old broken phones and tablets. Does anyone have any suggestions about where to take them? And do I have to wipe the data off them? I'm not even sure some of them will switch on.

Managed to mine sweep behind DD(7)s bed whilst she was at a friend's today. Cleared away 33 bits of craft tat, scrunched up paper and plastic tat.

It only takes me up to day 15 so I'm behind, but I still have 104 items bagged up to get out of the house to various places so these will make a good dint if I can get them out of the house!

I just wiped my old iPad since I want to try to find a place to donate it to …

I’m about to have a shower and go spend a bit of time in the attic while listening to some stand up comedy .I’m a night owl . DH has started moving items back to the garage now from there that the racking is up and removing some pillows etc that’ll go out tomorrow will make space . I have more storage boxes where I’ll move my crystals and porcelain I’m keeping but not displaying right now into . It’ll free up more moving boxes so they can go to recycling. There’s some other stuff there I’ve decided that can go as well I’ve counted already and I’m hoping to find more to add to my list to make up day 25 I’ve started on . My elliptical was delivered for now it’s in the empty dining room since it was too heavy to carry up in one piece . Might have it in my bed room or in the attic room later if it can be carried up in pieces . Lots of packaging going to dump from that tomorrow …

Mainly from the attic ;
Day 25

• 2 plastic hangers to recycling
• 1 bathroom ladder shelf that doesn’t fit in any of the current bathrooms so it’s just cluttering up the attic
• 8 rolls of wrapping paper to charity shop
• 2 half used up rolls of wrapping paper to recycling
• 1 dented metal bin to metal recycling
• 1 pair of too small new kids football boots
• 2 pairs of too small new kids trainers all to charity
• 1 cardboard ring binder to bin and recycling
• 1 more large feather pillow I seem to be allergic to
• 1 yellowed plastic storage box lid
• lots of packaging from the new elliptical machine etc deliveries
• 2 sets of hanging shelves
• 1 set of fairy lights
• 1 old plastic storage box

Morning. Sorry I couldn’t play this week, it has all been a bit too full-on after work.

Including today I need to find 100 items exactly to catch up, so that’s my mission for this morning. Perhaps having had a few days off I’ll see things with fresher eyes as it was starting to get really hard to find things by day 19.

Wish me luck!

I've done nothing the past 2 days so am a but behind. Not sure I'll catch up today either but I'll give it a go!

A lot of this is from the attic as well where I intend to return to today to keep the momentum going !

Day 26

• 3 old soap dishes
• 1 broken twig heart ornament to bin I kept another unbone
• 1 wooden hanging heart ornament to charity
• 1 old plastic storage box and lid
• 1 broken wooden photo frame to bin
• 1 wooden photo frame to charity
• 1 metal jug to charity
• 9 more Nintendo DS games
• 1 broken box lid to dump
• 1 dirty old pencil case to bin
• a bunch of assorted stationary to bin
• 1 unused glass dog cookie jar to charity
• 2 pairs of old pant
• 2 pairs old socks both to rags

And good luck LadyMacnet!

Thanks @Nordicmom

Checking in just to say mission accomplished. I have caught up days 19 -22 and scrambled together 100 items. It has more or less taken all day though.

Nobody wants to read my list of 100 bits of random things but they range from 6 glasses cases, 4 boxes for old mobile phones, several different types of charging plugs, a few pairs of shoes, dried out old pens and biros and eleventy billion pieces of Lego technics!

Excellent job LadyMacnet ! It is time consuming sometimes other times easier but we are getting through the pointless space wasting crap in our houses so that’s what matters !!!! I am doing the last few days a bit a head if I can since I know I’ll struggle unless I’ll start counting individual tiny things .this is my third month now doing this . I have 4 d left and lots of kids clothes boxes in the attic I find making decisions on some of them so hard I’ve already been through a lot of them . There’s a bunch of stuff I need to move to plastic storage boxes from their moving boxes that I won’t declutter but I Always find stuff that can go in the process . I’ve asked DH to go to the storage locker to have a look and to take a few pictures to remind me what’s there . He doesn’t want to start bringing them over until I’ve finished the current stuff in the attic but I want to get a few boxes with school work for instance I can quite quickly look through and let go off . It feels like it’ll never end but I know we aren’t far off now . once we have emptied the storage locker and finished the remaining 1/4 I have left in the attic and organising the garage which is mainly moving bikes and gardening stuff to shed once it’s been built and DH putting his already organised plastic boxes into his new cupboards we are waiting for to be delivered and on shelves and his tools in his drawers it’ll be done . We’ve only just moved here a few months ago so it’s not full of old crap from years and years living in the same house so it’s not so bad . I’ll work on my day 27 next I have a few towards already …

Great progress everyone.
3 vases to return to florist, 2 glass bottles from gifts recycled, old draught extractor freecycled and 4 books for charity. So 10 but 2 small items in that were late Christmas gifts which is less good....

Day 27

• 1 moving box unpacked from the attic and recycled
• 1 box from AirPods don’t know why I’ve kept it this long !
• 1 old membership card
• 1 vaccination leaflet
• 1 old address book I’m finally letting go
• 1 box of new pages for the old address book
• 18 bag , wallet and shoe dust bags to rag bank
• 1 handbag to charity
• 1 really worn out handbag to bin
• 1 board game we just played we don’t really enjoy to charity

Catching up - these should have been yesterday's...

Old sandpaper
A broken wicker basket
Holey socks
A broken hanger
A little brush for an electric razor I no longer own
Some ancient tupperware
A frying pan that's lost its non stick
An ice tray
A tin container
A broken jug.

Been continuing in my bedroom today

Day 28

• a bunch of photos to bin
• a few school brochures
• 1 swimming class info booklet both to recycling
• 1 half used old foot cream to bin
• 4 shoeboxes to recycling
• 12 cardboard jewellery boxes to recycling ( I’ve kept some to pass on my jewellery one day but I don’t need all these )
• 8 jewellery and silver fabric bags

Well done all on such productive Sundays! I’m afraid I have procrastinated after yesterday’s 100 item haul. My cunning plan is to count up the drawing pins that are tucked away in a jar. I am sure there will be at least 23 of them. I don’t have a pin board at home but they will get used at work!

Day 23:

23 drawing pins

Late posting here. 3 books to charity. Broken headphones to recycling. 2 half balls of wool knitted. Finally I have restarted knitting so counting using the wool from my stash. 3 ragged towels to recycling. 9 for today.

Still doing my drawers …

Day 29

• 2 more shoe bags to recycling
• 1 brand new pair of Ugg slides in a box that are too small for me so I’ll add them to my small to sell pile ( I’ve roped in DS to do it now there’s a designer handbag and slippers both brand new ,slippers still in their box ,and DH wants to sell his old Herman Miller chair too , as far as I’m concerned DS can keep half of what we get for them for his help )
• 1 spare pair on shoelaces
• 12 more jewellery pouches
• 3 more jewellery boxes
• 5 new rolls of wrapping paper to charity
• 1 half used up bottle of old hand gel to bin
• 4 unsuitable bra tops to rag bank