Yikes, the totals for June were not good, but everything leaving is a good thing, right? And I am really taking a look at what I am bringing in especially for the reselling. There's a fine line between hoarding and having some inventory!
Books 17
Magazines 6
Misc. 6
Crafting 8
Sad, sad total 37
This is the column I read while scrolling one morning. I thought it was an interesting dilemma and a good answer. It's definitely one I struggle with!
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It wasn't a good month in the way of decluttering. The last week we were away and the week before that...well, I'm just drawing a line under it and not thinking about it.
Books 23
Magazines 1
Misc. 3
Crafting 3
A total of 30 items left the house. Not the greatest amount, but at least things left the house!
After reading My Two Cents and her idea of concentrating on one room for decluttering in May, I've decided to pick just a room and work on that. For May, I am going to work on my bedroom. It's not a large room and it's feeling rather claustrophobic right now! That definitely means it's time to get rid of something.
So, for May I'm going to sort through and hopefully declutter the bedroom. I'm hoping the weather will warm up enough that I will be able to put away winter clothes and pull out some more summer. There are things I want to get rid of in the winter clothes and it's a good time to sort through the summer ones too.
I'm hoping to get a start on things soon. Unfortunately, I'm come down with some sort of cold/flu thing. I'm achy, nose running, sore throat and just generally feeling ick. I think I caught it from daughter who came down with something the day before we left. Hopefully, it will be a short thing. For now, I'm trying to balance resting with basic daily stuff.
Sunrise yesterday morning.
I'm so glad I did my photography day yesterday. Today wasn't so nice. It was quite a bit colder - below freezing all day - and quite dull. I did a walk at Asylum Lake and really wished I hadn't bothered. The trails were horrible. I'll preface this by saying that the snow is quite deep - on some well-used trails it has been packed down and on others not so much. Because of the warmer temps yesterday and the colder ones today, the snow and ice melted, got trodden on a bit and then refroze. It makes for some (what I call) watch where you are stepping, or you'll break an ankle trails. In several places the melted footprints went down several inches. It's not a lot of fun. My walking friend and I have arranged to meet back at the fish hatchery tomorrow.
I came home and did the usual everyday house-y stuff and then I tried to declutter. I am really struggling with it right now! I went up in the craft room, looked through things, declared that I'm going to use them and didn't get rid of basically anything. Sigh. I'm really thinking of pulling out a few things to put in a use-it-or-lose-it pile.
I said yesterday that I was going to try to declutter at least 10 items today and I did manage it. I got rid of 16 items by the end of the day but that was a struggle!
Here's the photo I took of a few - they are mostly books but hey-ho, anything going is good, right?
I ended up taking this sign off the bedroom wall and putting up another picture that I had purchased and was hanging around.
On a side note - I have been posting photos of the mugs I've been using on Instagram, so I took a photo of one I'd picked up the other day and thought I'd check on Google, just to see if it was worth anything - sometimes I enjoy them for a while and donate or resell. I checked this one, and YIKES! it has sold consistently for $50+ dollars! I paid either 1.29 or 99cents for it.
I've started back on the decluttering wagon. It was a pretty slow month in January, but I did get rid of a few things. Every little thing that leaves the house is one less thing in the house!
Books - 11
Magazines - 6
Clothing - 43 items
Misc. - 17
Crafting 3
A Total of 80 items!
Looking at the total, it isn't really as bad as I thought it was.
This month, February, I am joining in with That British Woman for her 28 day decluttering challenge. I am hoping to get more than one a day (haven't managed that so far lol) but I am determined to get rid of at least 1 item each day.
I remember when I started doing the decluttering last year, I struggled at first, but the more I got rid of things, the easier I found it. I'm hoping the same will be true this year!
A few of the things I let go of.
As I mentioned before, I didn't do as well in May as I had hoped BUT we did go away for 10 days and a long weekend. I am continuing with the decluttering, so I'm trying to focus on the positive and keep moving forward.
CRAFT - 7
MAGAZINES - 4
BOOKS - 58
MISC. - 20
The craft items - shaking my head. The books, well I'm really pleased about those! I am definitely finding them easier to get rid of. There are still a lot in the house, but the bookshelves are beginning to be a bit more manageable. I haven't purchased any more new ones and only a couple of used ones (non-fiction) that I plan on looking at and re-donating).
June is going to be another rough month, I think. We're going away for a week in June so that might cause a bit of a decluttering wobble, but I am going to continue on. Hopefully, that craft total with be a little higher.
I think at the beginning of the month, I had said that I wanted to get the front porch organised and cleaned off. It is almost finished. I will have it done by the weekend. Husband built the bench (that has an area for storage). I have taken care of all the boxes that had gathered on the porch. I chose which ones I would likely use and recycled the rest. I have yet to clean off the carpet and take care of a couple more items. I will have it done by the end of the week. We have a rubbish pick-up first Friday in June so there are a few things that are being put out on the curb for that. Husband is also going to take a load for donation at the charity shop this week too. I'm really pleased with the progress.
Speaking of progress. I am quite pleased with the state of the living/dining rooms. I have been working on them for a while, and they are beginning to look a lot more how I would like them to look. There's still a bit to be done, but they are coming along.
I wish I had a house-y photo to show, or even a decluttering photo, but I keep forgetting to take any.
I am really pleased with what I got done this month. Some days I don't feel as though I've done a lot of anything but looking at the list, I'm quite pleased with all the things that have left the house. I am going to keep going. I can't say all months will be this way BUT every little thing that goes is one less thing in the house.
I've been doing well with the lists, but I haven't made as much progress with the small piles of things that seem to have gathered around the house. I need to add at least one to the list each day, so things are put where they are supposed to be. It's all too easy to just put something somewhere 'for now' and then neglect to move it. Mind you, I'm not the only one in the house that does this.
I must admit that I'm a little embarrassed to post some of the totals, especially the books, as it just goes to show how many books I actually have. The sad thing is that there are so many more to go through and sort out. It does seem to be easier letting them go. I wish the same could be said for the crafting items!
CRAFT ITEMS 54
MISC. 21
MAGAZINES 57
BOOKS 142
I am really pleased with the magazine total AND the fact that I haven't brought any more into the house. I was really, really tempted to stop at my local Barnes and Noble Bookshop and pick up the latest Outdoor Photography magazine they had. I resisted. Instead, when I got home, I looked on Pocketmags on my Kindle and purchased the new edition for 1/3 of the price! So, it cost me less AND I didn't bring a physical magazine into the house. I'd call that a win, at least it was for me.
Me, peeking out cautiously, embarrassed by my book hoard
I didn't go for a walk today. To be honest, it was just so cold I couldn't be bothered. It was about 1F/-17C with wind chills colder than that. It just didn't sound appealing. I almost changed my mind when I looked out the back window and saw the sunrise over the trees. I don't get a great view, but the skies over our big trees at the end of the back garden turn a nice colour some mornings.
As it was so cold I did decide to give frozen bubbles a try. I wish I had a clearer view to take photos, but I gave it a go. Not sure how the camera photos turned out.
A phone photo. It's fun to try...and a little frustrating!
I did end up getting quite a bit done. I'm pleased with crossing everything off my list and then some! The book donation pile is coming along nicely. I'm hoping that, by next week, the weather will be a bit better, and I can drive some boxes - yes, boxes - of books down to the library bookshop for donation.
I'm not doing overly great in the craft room BUT I am making sure that each time I go up there I pull out a few things for donation. I feel like it's going to take a while, but every little bit is progress. It's better than not tackling it at all! I do feel like every bit I get rid of, makes me feel as though I can get rid of a bit more. Does that make sense?
Tomorrow, it's still going to be cold in the morning, but we're on a warming trend. Makes me laugh as that still means we're not getting above freezing until Sunday but next week we might hit 41F/5C which is practically a heat wave! There are bound to be people out in shorts. Mind you, we did see a man in shorts at a petrol station on Sunday. He was with a woman and a couple of children (they were well bundled up at least!). Shorts though - brrrr!
Anyway, what I was going to say is that I am going for a walk in the morning. I'll bundle up and just keep on moving. Even if it's not for long I'm going to get out for a walk.
We did go out yesterday. Poor husband was back to coughing again and not feeling good in general. Son was still sick. Temperature. Coughing. Husband did take me out but sat in the car for the most part. I didn't blame him. It was pretty chilly when the wind blew (temperatures did not get above freezing even without the wind) and the cold wouldn't do him any good. I did manage to take a few photos though I am sorting through them. The silly date/time thing on my camera got changed again and I'm back in 2024 grrrr...it doesn't do good for the photo organising.
Son stayed home from work today. As my walking friend wasn't walking, I decided to go to the lakeshore (closest easiest bit to drive to) and took a walk along the beach. There wasn't any ice on the sand, but there was plenty of ice in the lake. It was a lovely walk, chilly again, but the sun was shining, and the beach was deserted.
Husband texted me while I was out telling me he was coming home from work early as he wasn't feeling well either. They both have fevers and coughs. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I catch the darn thing. Sigh.
Things on the home front aren't moving forward very well. I've been trying to do some sorting but have stalled. The weather later in the week doesn't look good. We are under a Winter Storm Watch for Wednesday into Thursday so I think that I might spend that time doing some more decluttering. I can't stop, I have to keep going forward. A little progress is better than none, that's what I'm telling myself!
Holes like this one are part of the reason to use caution when walking on ice! I didn't step in it. I stayed firmly on the beach. I don't go out on any ice however sturdy when I'm walking alone. It's not just about going through to water, you can literally break something on bits like this!
*Firstly, let me say that I didn't begin the decluttering until Jan 10th
I'm actually quite pleased with how the month of decluttering went. It's certainly an ongoing process. There is a box in the corner that I put things in. Sometimes, it's something I see when I'm looking for something else and other times it is more purposeful decluttering. I think it's going to be a matter of getting rid of things AND not bringing a lot of new things into the house.
* Another disclaimer. I am a book hoarder. Reformed. Sort of. Mostly. I am really trying not to buy books, but sometimes I slip. There are a LOT of books in my house, tucked away in nooks and crannies and all sorts of places. I have a lot more to get rid of!
TOTALS
54 books
25 craft items
6 miscellaneous items
15 magazines
I'm still really struggling with the craft items. I go up in my craft room, look around, can't think of anything I want to get rid of and leave. Sigh. It's too crowded up there to actually do much crafting so it needs to go. I need to just grow a bit of a spine and GET RID OF IT. Not sure what's holding me back - maybe the thought I might use it on a project, or the money I spent on it. Sigh. Any tips?
I am finding it a bit easier to get rid of the books and I'm working my way through the magazines.
All in all, I am pretty pleased :)
FINANCES THIS MONTH
It has been a bit of a spendy month, helping son out with his new place, furniture, cleaning supplies. Sigh. Food bill, too high - I need to do better! I'm doing okay with the hobby spending. I spent about $10 this month on things from the dollar tree, which really isn't bad.
I am going to have to decide if I want to keep on with the reselling thing. I think that contributes to some of the clutter in the house (definitely not organised) and some of the spending as I buy things to resell. Maybe I should challenge myself to sell x amount before I bring anything else in. It's nice to make a bit extra money and I was hoping to do some of this as husband slides into retirement to help fund the little trips we make.
I'm giving myself February to see how things go financially. In March I might MIGHT start writing down every spend I make, though I must admit to being a little afraid of what I find.
PHOTO
If I was a mini-figure, this would be me, out in the snow with my camera trying to capture a good shot
Another dreary start to the day. I did go for a walk. My friend and I were about ten minutes away from our cars when the rain started to come complete with wind. I got a little bit wet. Sigh. This afternoon brought a few brief glimpses of sun between rain showers. Not nearly enough though!
I did my food shop, and I did get to the library to renew my library card and to drop off the books/DVDs I've been decluttering. I did have to go inside to renew my card and was going to stop at the library bookshop, but it didn't open until 12 and I was there at about 11.15! A little bit of me was disappointed, but I was also pleased as I wasn't tempted!
I came home and did some house stuff and a little bit of sorting and even more procrastinating!
A bit of a random twist in the post but these thoughts evolved from my thinking about decluttering.
I enjoy nature journals. If I could draw at all I'd have lots of them. As it is I take photos, and I enjoy creating nature journals. I keep an eye out for interesting bird/flower/nature books at secondhand shops with plans that I can use the illustrations in journals and notebooks. However, I'm struggling with pulling them apart, using them. Anyone else or is this just a part of my funny brain's thinking? It isn't just the old books. I have several previous planners by Marjolein Bastin that I can't seem to cut up and use. If you don't know who she is, google her, she does the most wonderful nature sketches. I love her planners! It shouldn't be hard to at least pull those apart!
It's another lot of things I have to decide what I'm going to do with. Do you have any trouble pulling apart books or magazines or such?
Photo today - one of the beavers being busy before winter comes!
I did get up this morning and take a rather dull walk. The beavers were out doing their thing which was rather nice and there weren't many people around. I sat on my log, watched and listened as the gathered geese honked and took off and just made a lot of noise. It was really rather...well, peaceful for all that noise.
Holes in trees like this made me think of my childhood reading Enid Blyton and imagining all kinds of wonderful, fantastical creatures that lived in the woods.
I came home and did a bit more sorting. This week I've managed to get back on it again. I am really pleased with the progress I've made.
Here are some of the things I've managed (well, those I remembered to make note of!)
* 33 Music CDs
* bunch cards
* 4 audio books
* silicone teacup molds
* 2 rolls curling ribbon
* 7 miscellaneous items
* 35 books
* 76 DVDs (wowwww!)
I am SO pleased with what I got accomplished this week. Sadly, it doesn't even seem to have made a dent, but I shall plod on as the more I get rid of the more I'll be able to see the results!
Is anyone else decluttering? Is it an ongoing process or something you do once in a while?
Hope everyone is having a good weekend
Friday night. Another dismal day. The forecast last night didn't look too bad, well not bad temps and the clouds, well, there are always more cloudy days than sunny ones at this time of year. I got up with the alarm, bounced got out of bed, had a bit of caffeine before dressing and heading out. It still looked really dark out. I opened the back door and well, heard the patter of a steady rain. I looked at the forecast on my phone and on the computer. No rain in sight. So 'they' said. Ok, maybe it was just a blip. I got dressed and headed out. It was a bit drizzly, but no rain, right?
I got wet on my walk. It was horrible. Luckily, my raincoat was in the car and I had the good sense to put it on. My friend did show up for the walk and we managed once around the park. We had a good natter, didn't see many people (or birds for that matter!). There weren't many people around - a bonus! At least I got out for a walk, right?
Everything just looks so dismal.
This afternoon I chatted with my sister and I started sorting DVDs. Both my sons were around so I checked with them and husband about the DVDs and there is a pile ready to donate. There are a few I might stick on Ebay (just for a month) and see if there are any sales. Those are the ones that aren't on streaming services and are hard to find. I'll give you a count on donations tomorrow. There is quite a pile! I have sorted a few I want to watch once more before donating too. The bad thing is the DVD player has gone bad (well, it's been broken for a while) so I've ordered a new one. This is a 2-in-1 that plays both US DVDs and UK ones so I'll be able to get rid of the other player too. I think there has to be a limited on how long some of the other DVDs stay around.
Tomorrow - it's supposed to be cloudy again (I miss the sunshine!) - but hopefully it won't be drizzly and I can get out for a walk.
Do you have plans for the weekend?
Do you have a lot of DVDs or have you got rid of them all?
I actually feel quite productive! I sorted through the drawers in the bedroom yesterday and the wardrobe today. I am pleased to say that I have boxed up 32 - yes 32! - items of clothing to be donated. I got rid of 9 bits that were in no fit state to be donated. There was also a bag of rubbish - ends of wrapping paper, broken hangers etc. While I was on a roll, I got rid of 5 old cooking magazines and 21 books!!! Husband has three big boxes to take to the charity shop on Saturday. He will also be taking 17 photography magazines to his friend's house when he visits Saturday afternoon. I'm really pleased with what I've got rid of so far just in a couple of days!
I've just got to decide on what to work on next. I think it might be the coat cupboard by the back door. I think there are still things in there that belong to the 'children'. If there are they are going to be dontated or got rid of. They have been gone for years so I can't imagine they'll want them any longer.
I do struggle to get rid of things, but it's strange that once they are gone, I don't miss them. I shall try to keep that in mind as I move forward. The goal is to rid the house of clutter and for everything to have a place.
I also really need to work on the books. Those are definitely something I struggle with. There are also more magazines. There is one magazine I really like; it has lovely photos and is more like a book. I have been hanging on to them, but I am thinking that as I finish decluttering the photography magazines, I might work on getting rid of those. Perhaps over winter. It would be nice to sit with a nice hot drink on a cold winter's day and read one of them and let it go.
As for future photography magazines I am thinking that I might do an online subscription. The one I really like is available on Kindle and at less than half the price. Or I might do a Kindle Unlimited Subscription which includes several magazine subscriptions. I'm not sure which. I know it is still money spent, but there will be less clutter and less cost. Until I'm ready to give it up completely I'm thinking it might be the way to go!
Anyway, photo for the day. Cormorant. I have been seeing a lot of them. There were lots in England - several at the seaside and a couple in the park in Ipswich! I've been seeing them since I came back to Michigan too. There has been one hanging around at my usual walking spot. I've seen them there before, but I don't usually see them quite as close as this one has been coming. Also, when husband and I went on our Sunday adventure we watched as one got hold of a really big fish and ate it! Swallowed the thing whole!
So here it is
The sun was shining this morning. Really lovely. I got out early and sat and watched the beavers for a while and then had a nice walk. There was a fisherman right by the beavers' lodge, but he moved soon after I arrived and then the beavers came out. I'm not sure why they fish right there as the sticks and tree logs line the bottom of the lake. It seems there are other, clearer areas where the fishing would be better, but what do I know?
Anyway, it was very relaxing. After watching the beavers, I took a walk. I heard lots of bird sounds. Up in the field the Tree Swallows and the Blue Birds were competing over who would get to occupy the two bird houses. A little Chickadee even took a lot in one of the houses while the Tree Swallows and Blue Birds were flying around.
A little later husband and I went out to do a bit of shopping and to take a look around for poly greenhouses (not sure that's the right term). We don't want anything too big, but something that would protect plants from the deer. It has to be able to be taken down and stored in winter. We think we've found one, but we want to do more research as to what else (food) we can grow there in pots.
I did actually do a bit of sorting today too. I'm on a roll! No books today but I was up in the craft room. Some hard decisions will have to be made. Sigh.
Question - how long should an item be kept if it's not been used so far?
Question - when decluttering, is the price you paid for something a consideration in whether you get rid of it or not? Or do you just chalk it up to a purchasing error and - hopefully - going forward you avoid that error?
Some things I really have to think about. I think that second one is holding me back in some areas.
One of my beaver photos from this week
Some phone photos from my walk today and my Things That Make Me Smile photo
104/366 - it's sunny!
I'm really missing my car. I think I'm going crazy. I think I need to at least go for a walk around the neighbourhood if nothing else. I don't really like doing it as I don't want to talk to anyone lol. Anti-social or what? I like just wandering with my camera and not sure I want to do that around here either. Sigh. Husband did get an update on the car and (hopefully) it should be done by Friday. They are apparently just waiting for a bit (not a lot lol) of tinting for the back window. I can't wait for it to be done!
So what am I doing while in the house all day? As I haven't got to the shops this year I've been pulling things out of the freezer to make meals this week. That's not a bad thing. Hopefully I'll be able to use a few things I've been meaning to use. Housework? Can't say I've done a lot extra of that. Decluttering? Well...
I must admit that I don't find it easy to declutter. I've been trying to concentrate a bit more on the craft room as I really want the space to be able to create and right now I can't because things are cluttered up. As I sort through things, I feel that I'm just moving a lot of it around from one place to the next. However, this afternoon I did tackle some of the (too many) paper pads I have. I pulled out quite a few and added them to the donate pile. They aren't full pads, I have used some pages, but they no longer fit my taste. There aren't that many pages missing though, enough I know that they will be able to sell them.
I've also been sorting through some more magazines. As I write this, I have a pile beside my chair that I am slowly sorting through. I have put quite a few in the recycle bin, a few in the donate box and three I added to Ebay yesterday and they sold almost right away! They have already left the house thanks to husband making a trip to the post office today. In a couple of cases, instead of keeping the whole magazine, I (shock, horror, gasp!) pulled out a pattern/picture I wanted to keep and got rid of the rest.
I am beginning to realise that this decluttering journey is just that. It's not going to happen overnight. I can't just pull out a bunch of stuff and get rid of it. I can pull things out, easily get rid of a few and then have to revisit to pare things down a bit more. As long as I'm going forward the clutter will become less.
I've also been working on one of my photography projects for the year which is to organise some of my older photos. As I'm not taking a whole lot of new ones I'm looking back through the old ones and cataloguing them. It's going to be a huge job. I did some while I was at daughter's and am still plugging away.
As for what's making me smile?
85/366
As I was sorting though things in my craft room I came across these cute little wood cut-outs. I have now put them up on the wall in my room. They make me smile.
86/366
I had some nice cup a soup in my mug today. Mum got me this. It came with an Easter Egg one year. I always complained how hard it was to get a 'real' chocolate Easter Egg over here in America, so Mum bought me one and kept it until I came over in the summer. It's a good memory.
I was going to label this post Monday and then just remembered that it wasn't!
Update on my tooth - it finally stopped hurting a lot on Saturday. I was still having twinges through the weekend, but it's definitely okay now. I think the whole gum/jaw was bruised and when I tried to eat on that side, I was aggravating it. I do have to go back on Friday for a crown this time. I am definitely not looking forward to it after this last time. I am going to not think about it until Thursday night!
I managed to get everything done today that I wanted to get done. I have a meal plan made and also a list of a couple of things that I need to pick up tomorrow. I didn't run any errands today. I gave myself today to get caught up on house things. I have also made a list of things to get done this week. Now it's just a matter of not getting distracted and following through with the list.
We shall see. If I start getting on a roll, I might share the lists each week and whether or not I follow through.
DECLUTTERING - do you still hold onto DVDs or CDs? I have a stack of both. They are on my to-do list. I would like to get rid of half. Which half? Ha, ha. I suppose the easiest to get rid of would be the ones that I can see on one of the streaming services. I don't subscribe to any music services but how much do I listen to the CDs? I suppose it's all a balancing act. I can honestly say that I haven't watched or listened to a lot of them in a while.
The photo for today - I saw this puff thing attached to a leaf. Not sure if it's supposed to be that way or it's a fungus of some kind. If anyone knows please let me know.
Back tomorrow.
I've been thinking about this for a few days. I know that I need to get back on the delcuttering wagon. I feel as though I need a bit more space around me. I haven't been creative up in my craft room for a while as it is just too messy, and it doesn't make me feel at all creative. But how do I choose what to get rid of?
In my craft room there are lots of things that I like and think I would use. Do I want to give them up? Honestly? If my house was bigger and I had more room I'd probably hold onto more stuff. But do I really need it? Am I really going to use it? I have so many projects that, even if I lived another 50 years, I wouldn't get them all done. I do know that, after going through Mum's things and Jane's things, I really don't want to leave all this for my children to deal with. The things certainly wouldn't have the same meaning to them as they do for me.
So, back to the title - how do you decide what to get rid of? Do you miss the stuff when it's gone? Is there something you've given up that you regret? Do you feel guilty about letting it go especially if it was something given to you with love? How do you decide what to keep?
I have been decluttering some magazines. You would think they would be easy to let go of, but I'm not finding it all that easy. I do like the space created by letting some go so I am going to keep plodding along.
If you have any decluttering tips, or things that work for you, I'd love to hear them! I do appreciate the input and comments.
Today's photo - The Stream
