Continuing with my September Decluttering Challenge - as many items per day as the date.
Week 1's decluttering is here
Week 2's decluttering is here
15th - 2 craft books, 9 magazines, 3 hair bands, 1 CD
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| Day 15: 1 CD, 2 Books, 3 Hair Bands, 9 Magazines |
16th - 12 magazines, 3 VHS videos, 1 seed necklace from Sri Lanka (a gift from sister)
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| Day 16: 12 Magazines, 3 Videos, 1 Necklace |
17th - 10 magazines. 1 knit top (given by cousin), 1 multi outlet plug in (I bought it, but, it doesn't fit my outlets), 2 CDs, 3 brass bottle openers from Sri Lanka (souvenirs/gifts; there were 4 and I kept one)
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| Day 17: 10 Magazines, 1 Knit top, 1 Multi-outlet plug in, 2 CDs 3 Brass bottle openers from Sri Lanka |
18th - 6 doll stands (from when I used to collect dolls), 1 ice bucket/vase; 1 ceramic cannister/jar, 2 board games, 1 cookbook, 1 perpetual desk calendar with quotes, 2 larger doll bodies (for crocheted doll cushions, still in their sealed packages, originally bought by my mother), 2 smaller doll heads and hands (for smaller crocheted dolls), 1 small doll head, 1 brass ashtray in the shape of Sri Lanka
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| Day 18: Doll Body Parts, Stands, and Games |
19th - 9 books (Christmas Crafts/Decorations, Crafts/Cardmaking, Cookbooks), 5 Crafts magazines, 4 doll hats, 1 torn clothing item (not pictured)
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| Day 19 - 9 Books, 5 Magazines, 4 Doll hats, 1 Clothing item (not pictured) |
20th - 3 Crafts books, 5 CDs (including 1 boxed set of 4), 6 packages of binder divider tabs, 6 crafts booklets
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| Day 20: 3 Crafts books, 5 CDs, 6 Sets Divider tabs, 6 Crafts booklets |
21st - 1 Patchwork Designs book, 1 CD, 3 VHS tapes, 1 Brass ornament, 4 Scarves, 1 Platter, 6 Shell shaped silver plated dishes, 4 Apple shaped silver plated dishes
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| Day 21: 1 Book, 1 CD, 3 VHS tapes, 1 Brass ornament, 4 scarves 1 Platter, 10 Silver plated dishes |
Week 3 decluttering = 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21 = 126
Here are the decluttering totals to date:
Week 1 = 28
Week 2 = 77
Week 3 = 126
Total number of items decluttered so far in September = 28 + 77 +126 = 231
Decluttering doesn't come easily to me. And it's getting more difficult to find decide which items to declutter and which items to keep. At the beginning of the challenge, I had stated that, continuing to declutter all month would give me 465 items decluttered, but, I have given myself permission to stop at 300 or to continue until I reach 500.
I am now approaching the last week plus of decluttering for this month. Will I manage to declutter 465 items? Will I stop at 300? Will I keep going until I reach 500? What do you think?
If you are decluttering, how are you doing so far?
I think you’ll stop at 300 items. Rome wasn’t built in a day! It really gets harder and harder as you go along.
ReplyDeleteI’ve completely fallen off, after a good start. Time to get back at it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, Taconix. It is getting harder to declutter as I go.
DeleteI thought you weren't going to declutter this month because you were going away with family. Don't worry about it; you can declutter in October. :)
Wow! You really are doing great! I'm content right now with just letting go of some of the too many magazines I have. I intend to start on more in the upcoming months. There are still a couple more trips away we'll be doing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. I am pushing myself to declutter. You are doing well with decluttering the magazines. I have a tendency to hold on to my magazines, but, I think I've decluttered all but 2 or 3 that I want to keep. I'm sure you'll declutter more when you have the time. :)
DeleteI can tell that some of those items were hard to part with. Good job. Do you have another stack of magazines you could use to get your numbers up for the last week?
ReplyDeleteThank you, June. I had been going back and forth over some of the items; the brass birds and bells decoration in the last picture, for example, was a gift from my mother and the platter was a housewarming gift from my cousin who is now in declining health due to dementia. But, I'm thinking that if I need to downsize, someday, it is better to have at least some of the stuff out of the house in advance.
DeleteUnfortunately, I don't have anymore magazines to declutter! Well, actually, I have 3 that I have kept for now - one from the month and year when I first came to this country, one I brought with me from when I was in Hong Kong (a knitting/crafts magazine that a cousin gave me), and one from the month and year when my daughter was born. I'm keeping them for now. :)
That is an impressive amount of stuff you're decluttering! I think you can stop anytime you want now, or keep going!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie. I'm still waiting for the decluttering euphoria to hit me; so far, I'm just feeling a bit stressed at letting go of some of the things!
DeleteWow, you are doing amazing with this!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mandy. I can see myself struggling next week, though!
DeleteYou have done really well with the decluttering but I would say stop if it becomes stressful for you. I know I would struggle with that challenge so I didn't even start it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen. It is getting a little stressful, but, I am still motivated to keep decluttering, so I will continue. I really want to get to a point where I can feel that I have decluttered enough, but, I might reduce the number of items per day, depending how I feel. :)
DeleteBless you are down to the nitty gritty of decluttering. I find decluttering gifts very difficult & it's not necessarily because I like the gift, but because I like the person who gave it to me. Are the declutter items actually gone from the house now? That must be such a sense of accomplishment. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary-Lou. Yes, decluttering gifts and souvenirs we brought from Sri Lanka or collected on our travels is difficult. There are memories associated with them.
DeleteThe decluttered items haven't actually gone, yet. The majority of them are bagged or boxed up and in the garage. I will call and schedule a donations pick up at the end of the month, once I know how many bags and boxes I have. It's OK - I will not be tempted to bring any of the items back.
You are doing such a good job at decluttering. I am waiting till the end of the month to post my totals.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. I'm looking forward to seeing your totals; I anticipate that they will be impressive!
DeleteYou are doing fantastically well. I love the doll body parts, reminds me of Angela's bowls of mouse body parts! I'm still going slow, I haven't enough time right now to go through all that I want to tackle, but the number creeps up slowly.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bushlady. Ah, yes, the doll body parts! My mother used to crochet and make dolls dressed in frilly crocheted skirts which were placed over cushions. I kept them thinking I might do something similar and never did. Time to let go.
DeleteSlow and steady is good; you can declutter more when you have the time and feel up to it. :)
It must be therapeutic to be getting through some of your excess possessions, as long as you are truly ok with the choices. I think if it is getting stressful there is no shame in putting the brakes on. I was reading an article not too long ago about people who had done Swedish "death clearing" and then felt depressed in later years because they realised they had expunged all their personal history and were living in impersonal, nondescript rooms. (I know you are not an idiot - just mentioning it.)
ReplyDeleteElla
Thank you, Ella. To be quite honest, decluttering is stressful to me, but, from past experiences, I know I will be happy to have fewer possessions. I seem to have a lot of things I don't really use these days. I suppose, in a way, I am doing my own version of Swedish death cleaning, or, at least, preparing myself to downsize should that become necessary.
DeleteI won't get rid of everything and I make it a point to ask my daughter if she wants any of the items kept. She has also told me, time and time again, not to get stressed about decluttering, that she will have no difficulty getting rid of things when the time comes and I believe her! :D
However much you manage to declutter, I think you're doing really well. I thought I was finished, but then I realise that decluttering is actually an ongoing process. Xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jules. Yes, decluttering is an ongoing process. :)
DeleteOh my! A cliffhanger!
ReplyDeleteYou have done wonderfully. Look at all the things you are removing from your house.
I am rooting for you whatever the outcome is :)
Got to keep my readers interested! LOL. Thank you, Debra. :)
Delete