This week's decluttering didn't go quite as well as last week's, but, I still managed to declutter at least one item each day, although I took a little bit of liberty with the item I counted as tossed on my birthday! It did come from my dwindling stock of birthday candles, though, so, it counts!
11/8 - 1 toy rocking chair (to be donated)
1 picture frame (to be donated)
1 packet plastic beads (tossed)
11/9 - 1 VHS tape (yes, I still have those! to be donated)
11/10 - 1 name plate from when I used to work (tossed)
11/11 - 1 birthday candle! (lit, blown out, and tossed)
11/12 - 1 bottle old nail polish (tossed)
- 1 old powder compact (tossed)
11/13 - 1 glass vase (given with flowers)
1 food storage container (given with food)
11/14 - 1 wooden box
11 items decluttered (including the birthday candle). I am keeping to my goal of decluttering at least one item per day. I am starting to feel the effects, here and there! An empty shelf appeared on one of the shelving units and it remained empty for a whole week, until I moved three items from other areas to be displayed there. Which opened up a small space on an otherwise full shelf. There are other items I've been eyeing, but, I haven't been able to decide if I want to keep or give away. They have been put on notice!
I would like to declutter my books again and I was hoping to do some of that, this week, but, I put back every book I pulled out to declutter! It's not that the house is being overrun by books; there are no stacks and piles of books everywhere. I have plenty of shelf space for the books. It's just that I am wondering why I am keeping them all! I have some favorites I read and re-read - you can tell which ones they are because they are falling apart! I will probably continue to keep them. There are others I've read once or, occasionally, twice; will I re-read them again if I keep them? Then, there are others I haven't read yet, even though I've had them for years - if I haven't read them, yet, will I read them if I keep them? The hardest books for me to declutter are the crafts books and the home and garden type books. I just like to look through them from time to time. Decluttering the books is going to take some effort!
Did you declutter anything this week?
I find letting go of books the hardest task although I rarely read these days with having failing eyesight. I have some VHS videos kept too. This decluttering is so very hard to do!
ReplyDeleteI have a whole shelf of VHS videos! I rarely watch them, these days. Maybe I should make it a point to watch one a day from now till I've watched them all and then declutter them! :)
DeleteBooks are hard for us to declutter, also, but it's about time because the shelves are full. We may get to it sometime this winter when it's too cold and snowy to do much else. It's rewarding that you are starting to see the results of the decluttering. It reminds me of the saying, "Slow and steady wins the race."
ReplyDeleteYou know it's time to declutter the books when the shelves are full. :) "Slow and steady" used to be one of my mother's favorite sayings. Her other favorite saying was, "Change is good". :)
DeleteBooks are hard to declutter! There is something about having your own library to delve into and some books really deserve further readings. I still haven't parted with "Christy" by Catherine Marshall. I've had it for years and read it several times. I hang onto all my books about wild plants and DH hangs onto all his books about steam trains!
ReplyDeleteI did pack up a finished jigsaw puzzle which has gone into the donation box.
I must say I enjoyed having my books on hand during the lockdown (and even now) because I haven't been going to the library! I love to look at crafts books, etc., even if I don't make any of the things shown in them! Or, to spend an evening looking at pictures of gardens and plants, even if I can't grow half of them! Even so, I sometimes think I just have too many books!
DeleteWell done on donating the finished puzzle. :)
Well done Bless. I used to be the same as you about the books and eventually came to realise that there were a lot of novels I kept on the shelves but never ever selected them to read. These were ones my sister passed on to me so I decided to have a good clear out and I honestly haven't missed them. I now have a 'system' for managing the books so it doesn't get out of hand again and so far it's working well, keeping the books to a sensible amount.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen. Sounds like you have a good system to manage your books. A friend of mine suggested using the amount of shelf space as a guide - keep as many books as I have room on the shelves, but, if the books outgrew the space, then, declutter some to make room for the new books. I have gone beyond that stage now - I've sufficient room on the shelves for books, but, I still think I have too many books! Very few of them are novels, most are non-fiction and a lot of them are crafts and gardening related. :)
DeleteI've got my books to where I want them after years of donating and selling them.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with the books I have.
Let's see, what have I gotten rid of in the past week - without looking at my list I remember putting a couple pillowcases in the donation box and a small fan. Yesterday I put 2 little ceramic turkey s&p shakers in the box. I remember a wooden hanger and a frame from earlier in the week.
Just everyday things I no longer need.
Sounds like you have gained control over your books! :) I have shelf space for my books, but, I keep looking at them and thinking I still have too much! I still don't know what my "just enough and no more" point is, when it comes to books!
DeleteYou did well with this week's decluttering! Just what you listed from memory amount to 7 items, so, an item a day for the past week! :)
I am so impressed with your decluttering and it inspires me to keep chipping away here as well. I need to have a sort through of Lily's clothes again soon - the girl just keeps on growing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. One item here and another item there all add up over time. It's easier to declutter children's clothes because once they outgrow something, you know they can't continue to wear it again! :)
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