Wednesday, January 31, 2018

January Decluttering

I had resolved to declutter three items a day in the month of January and to include some bonus items to bring the total up to 100 items.  Some days, it was easy to find three items a day, other days, I struggled!  I tried not to include regular recycling, such as empty boxes and cans, but one or two ended up on the list, anyway!

Here's what I decluttered in January:

1/1:
- 2 pens (one had dried out, the other ran out of ink as I was writing)
- 1 stem glass (broke!)


1/2:
- 1 gift bag from my stash
- 1 empty sparkling apple cider bottle
- 1 empty gallon sized milk jug

1/3:
- 1 blouse that was starting to fray and the silver trimming was starting to wear off
- 1 pair of grey pants that was too big
- 1 calendar (2017)



1/3 Decluttering

1/4:
- 1 black skirt I bought years ago but never wore as it was too tight at first, felt too short to wear to the office (although it was knee length - I like my skirts to be longer), and is now too loose!  
- 1 old wallet (daughter bought me a new one)
- 1 old pocket planner
1/4 Decluttering


1/5:
- 1 catalog
- 2 magazines

1/6: Didn't declutter as I was too tired to do it

1/7: declutterings included 3 items to make up for 1/6, when I didn't declutter:
3 gift bags from the stash
2 books
1 dead anthurium plant

1/8:
- 2 empty glass bottles from the rose and almond essences for the love cake
- 1 empty lotion bottle

1/9:
- 3 books 

1/10:  
- 2 dried out crazy glue tubes
- 1 cracked plate

1/11:
- 1 binder/procedures manual
- 2 pens

1/12:
- 2 bathmats
- 1 glass pickle jar

1/13:
 - 3 small glass jars

1/14:
- 1 plastic food container
- 1 sinus rinse kit
- 1 jar petroleum jelly  (old!)

1/15:
- 1 travel size container of shampoo (ancient)
- 1 travel size container of body wash (equally ancient)
- 1 lip balm (also ancient)

1/16:
- 1 empty dry roasted peanuts jar
- 1 glass jar
- 1 plastic food container with lid

1/17:
- 1 plastic cereal container (minus lid) 
- 1 candle stub
- 1 old highlighter pen

1/18:
- 1 wooden ornament (broken)
- 1 plastic package clip
- 1 medicated ointment (prescribed for radiation burns)

1/19:
3 magazines 


1/19 Decluttering


1/20:
1 pair of slacks
1 sweater
1 blouse


1/20 Decluttering
1/21:
- 3 pencils

1/22:
- 3 highlighters

1/23:
- 3 pens

1/24:
- 3 handkerchiefs

1/25:
 - 3 handkerchiefs 
(I kept 3 additional handkerchiefs - one embroidered one that had belonged to my mother, one that my aunt gave me on my wedding day which was my "something borrowed and something blue", and one which had belonged to my stepfather, with his initial embroidered; keeping all 3 for sentimental reasons)

1/26:
- 3 pencils

1/27:
- 3 pencils

1/28:
- 2 old bathmats
- 1 hat  
1/29:
- 3 hats (given by the Cancer Center when I was undergoing chemo treatments)

1/29 Decluttering






1/30:
- 3 hats (from the Cancer Center and one that I bought)

1/30 Decluttering


1/31:'
- 3 blouses 

1/31 Decluttering


Bonus items (to make it 100 items tossed):
- 7 pens 

A lot of small items, but that's OK.  I have a bag of clothes to donate; most of the rest was recycled or tossed.

Did you declutter anything in January?  Did it get easier as you went or harder?

14 comments:

  1. Oh well done. I've made a list too but not added it up yet.

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    1. Thank you, Angela. I'm sure you did very well with your decluttering, too.

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  2. There always seems to be something to declutter even though we got rid of LOTS of things when we moved last year. Most recently, I went through my plastic containers.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, there's always stuff to declutter, isn't there? I think I should pretend I am moving; I'll probably get rid of a lot!

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  3. Decluttering -remove unnecessary items from (an untidy or overcrowded place) - you did well, especially clearing out clothes and those hats. Well done. It is really hard when you are sentimentally attached. I have to get in the mood and ask myself "what will the children do with this" and usually that helps me to let go. I am trying to apply this theory to some of our many photos that I am trying to weed out!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sandy. My daughter is less sentimental than I am, and since she doesn't have the memories associated with some of the items, that I have, I think, it will be easier for her to get rid of these items when I am gone! I certainly don't expect her to keep them! I gave away a lot of my various collections, but I still have a lot of books and decorative items. For now, they still bring me joy, so I am keeping them. There is also a sense of guilt I feel with getting rid of certain items - I need to work on that, next!

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  4. I didn't do any dedicated decluttering like you did, but I did manage to toss or donate a few things. I've certainly got rid of a lot of stuff over recent years, but seem to have reached a bit of a block and there is a lot more that needs to go. We all know about "writer's block", I think this must be "declutterer's block". Right now I'd like to toss the sweater I am knitting (yes, that same one!) because I don't think I have enough yarn to finish the sleeves which means I will have to pull them partly undone (I was working on both, if you please) and then I will have to introduce some other yarn in stripes, except that it is chenille yarn so I can't imagine finding anything suitable and really it would need to have stripes in the rest of the sweater. Aaaargh!

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    Replies
    1. I think decluttering is like peeling an onion - layer by layer. In between layers, one needs to stop to wipe ones eyes.

      I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with your sweater! Could you have short sleeves, instead of long? Either elbow length or 3/4 sleeves? Would that be an option?

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    2. Shorter sleeves might work. I had thought about turning it into a vest to wear over a blouse or thin top.

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    3. A vest would be good, too - a bit more versatile. But I have a couple of knitted tops with short sleeves due to the amount of yarn I had (wearing one right now) and I find that they work well with a cardigan.

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  5. Wow! You did really well. I didn't declutter a lot, but I have been reading some of the books in my piles instead of borrowing library books (or worse) buying more books (used ones but it's hard to stay away from them!). I also finished one old cross stitch project I started years ago and have started another one that's been sitting in my to-do pile for a lot of years.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sharon. You are "decluttering" your piles of unread books and unfinished projects! :) I had to stop buying books! I borrow from the library, but I think I have enough to start a library of my own!

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