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!

[quote ImFree2doasiwant]@AgathaMystery I'm scrolling mumsnet. Need to crack on![/quote]
Same. Same.

Today's offering to the gods of minimalism...

Two ancient bras
An old primer that gave me breakouts
An old foundation
A water bottle - broken
A lanyard I never wear
A strange black and gold tasselled rope of unknown origin (!)
5 pairs of outgrown pants of DD
A plastic pot
A strange little microscope type thing in one of those little plastic camera film cases - no idea what it even is
A bottle of squash that no one likes.

Day off so done the laundry and cooked lunch. Nothing to contribute to the thread today but I have had a good chuckle at @CherryAndAlmond offering "A strange little microscope type thing in one of those little plastic camera film cases - no idea what it even is" to the gods of minimalism. Any clue what the gods are called either?

Day 9 - 23

3 carried over
1 deo - eco brand that makes my armpits burn 🙄
1 cleanser used up
1 shampoo used up
1 shake maker charity shop
2 car fresheners bin
1 candle bin
18 cards recycled
1 set lights bin

Total 29 so 6 in hand fir today, I WILL do these later!

Yes I am counting stuff I've "used up" as I'm making a conscious effort to work through them - too much of the same thing, 7 cleansers!! I'm also counting cards - Christmas cards, I would normally keep them - why??

Day 9 got derailed today by a feverish toddler requiring a PCR test and trying to fit a new thermostat that I could not get wired in for love nor money. I did manage to sort through a box of fancy dress. I was behind on days 7 and 8 but these are now done by virtue of fancy dress tat, and once I've got to the charity shop tomorrow I'll be on track again -

7
1- bag of playkitchen bits collected
2-7 tat bits from dressing up box in bin or recycling

8
1-8 tat bits from dressing up box in bin or recycling (plastic medals, toilet roll binoculars etc)

I DID UNDER THE BED!!!

Gone forever:
3 rolls wallpaper
2 vases that I did not like
Many many items of junk
2 empty cardboard boxes
Job lot of obsolete smoke alarms (why?!)
Old clothes I’d put aside for charity shop
Broken shoes

Tomorrow it will be one large bag to charity shop & a huge box to the recycling.

The underneath of our kingside bed is empty and so is the underneath of our chests of drawers.

Best of all I found £80 in notes in an old purse & £50 in an expired restaurant voucher I called them up - voucher expired 9 days ago & we are going next week & can use the voucher.

I’ve not done anything today, so I will do today’s with tomorrow’s lot.

Finally found the motivation to do 14 books that are no longer needed and 9 items of outgrown clothing. 23 items all for charity so I will need to try to get another run done this week somehow.
I am trying to use up duplicates of items and will definitely be adding them to my total and am also going to search under the beds here!

Oh well done @AgathaMystery! That's a great haul.

I dud go through DCs books but sadly books are something I'm very fond of, so I got a very small pile, then decided DC would really need to check they were ok to let them go. So I'm not counting those.

Wow everyone has had a productive Sunday decluttering!

@imfree2doasiwant - I hear you on the books! We're a huge book family... We're out of space on our shelves and I've just ordered some book birthday presents for the kids how on earth do you decide what to get rid of?!?

Day 9:

• 1 baking tray to metal collection
• A bunch of Christmas wrapping paper remnants from the wrapping paper container to recycling
• 7 left over birthday party bag books we already have to charity shop

Really confusing myself by not doing all the things on the "correct" day, but I'd never get it done otherwise. So I realise I've done day 9 (today) and got 6 in hand. I thought I still had today to do, so have just done the rest of the Christmas cards.

Day 10 - 22
6 in hand
17 cards
2 boxes
1 drum kit (woop!!)

Thats 26 do 4 in hand for day 11. I'll try and do day 11 tomorrow as Tuesday is a long day for me abd will aim for some "better " items!

@Eileen101 I really struggle with books. I don't mind the day to day ones I read, but if its a book I love, or a series I love, or an old, classic or children's book, then it stays.

Ds2 is in reception, and came home with a bag and a book, every reception aged child gets one apparently, and the teachers talked about the importance of reading. He said "some people don't have books in their house. What do they do? What about bedtime??"

I've very late to the thread - can't believe it's the 9th January but am going to use this as inspiration and jump in where we are. Every little bit counts surely?

Don't go into the office very often nowhere with WFH directive but am in tomorrow so will be taking some food items that won't get eaten in our house otherwise. Decluttering, treating colleagues and avoiding waste! Will add the total tomorrow.

Day 10 - double figures!

1. Yankee candle (burnt out - glass jar in bin) 2&3) summer dresses x 2 that don't suit me (charity)
2. children's game which we foolishly bought from amazon. It is so shit. Bin.
3. broken toy - bin
4. old t-shirt (charity) 7, 8, 9, 10) 4 x white dinner plates (charity)

Day 10:

• 8 unused dog toys our dog wouldn’t care about found in the attic most of which I’ll send to a dog rescue
• 1 old magic set
• 1 tin of Christmas tea I didn’t like , metal to recycling

Day 10:

Slow one here. I did the charity shop run and added some plant pots. Bought a necklace tho.

Not sure what to clear out today. I could do clothes again. I’ve got loads of work to do and I’m teaching tonight.

5 of DD's white school shirts that no longer fit, 3 books a skirt and vest top

Im at work in the office tomorrow so have done tomorrow's just now

Day 11 - 21
1 x 6 setting dinner set so 18 pieces. Listed on Olio, will charity shop if not gone in a few days.
4 in hand - so that equals 22. 1 carried over to day 12!

Going to try and list some kids stuff for sale later.

A dinner service?! OMG that’s great. I’ve asked DH how he feels about a radical overhaul of the utility room (is CRAMMED) with cycling stuff & he was receptive. I was shocked as usual he says NO & walks away

Anyone else worried they will run out of stuff to get rid of?

@AgathaMystery yes and it's being collected tomorrow!!

I'm not sure what the gods of minimalism are called, but I reckon they are a little bit anti-capitalist.

Today I have gifted them...

5 poo bag inner tubes
A remote control from a cd player I no longer own
A dog chew toy my dog hates
2 pairs of arm bands (my kids can all swim)
One half of a walkie talkie pair (I chucked the other one, then found this one!)
One half of an earring pair (other is truly lost)
A pair of blue plastic star shaped glasses
2 books
A badge.

I have also decanted a half full bottle of hand sanitiser into another half full one. Does that count?

I'm loving this thread. Well done everyone!

Spurred on by reading about bras, I e done my underwear drawer! 3 nursing bras, 5 ratty old undies and 3 too small undies took me up to my quota, I have make up and toilettries in mind for tomorrow

Started today's hunt and am going well.
I have managed to find and bin 2 shower caps that are at least 25 years old. Both were disposable one use items from a hotel, both had never been used and both had perished.

Listed 2 items on Olio to try and both went in seconds....and fast collection promised. Impressed. I have a couple more non food items I am going to see if I can list and then off to see if I can reach my target for today.

Loving hearing the variety of items that everyone is decluttering and the different items that cause an internal battle.

In addition to the items above I have 10 more items of clothing to donate to the charity shop, set aside 5 for recycling and binned an old rain cover. Plus 3 non food items listed and claimed on Olio. 22 in total. Starting to have a build up of items to move to the charity shop/recycling again so going to see if I can fit a run in tomorrow.