Category: Declutter

TV Detox!

Lately I’ve gotten into a bad habit of turning the TV on early, and even though I don’t always look at it, it steels my attention and the result is that I’ve been spending way (and I mean waaaay) too much time in front of the tube. Yesterday I realized I need to give myself a detox. A TV detox.

Now, since there are a couple of programs that gives me immensely joy to watch, I’m giving myself a daily limit.

And my daily TV limit is – 1 hour.

I know for some this sounds like a lot, but from where I’ve been going lately, this is a severe restriction.

The same goes for my smartphone/iPad time. I tend to get a little engrossed when surfing the web, and before you know it, it’s been hours. So just for measures, I’m going to throw in some restrictions on this as well.

So here it is – no more than 1 hour combined Smartphone/iPad/PC use daily.

There might be one and only one exception to this rule! Sometimes preparing a post takes me longer than an hour. So should I run into that issue during my enforced detox, I have hereby granted myself permission to finish my post 🙂

Now, how long will this detox last? Hmmmmm, let’s see… Why don’t I start with two weeks and see how that goes.

So what if I fail? Then what?

Then! I get no TV whatsoever for a while….

When do I start? Well actually, I started today 😉

Why do I do it? Because I need to be more mindful on what I spend my time on…

And to steal a detail from my friend over at What I shed Today – Shedding style: reduce 😉

 

September tally!

It’s that time again! That monthly catch up to let you know how I did with my decluttering task last month 🙂

So how did I do? Well, actually not to bad for a change. Much better than the last few months.

SEPTEMBER TALLY of things “out-the-door” =  103 items!

81 – items on my – Another crazy purge! And a very happy neighbour. – day!

  • 5 notebooks
  • 2 “baskets”
  • 1 furry pillowcase
  • 1 furry blanket
  • 1 wool carpet
  • 1 file organizer
  • 1 Ikea storage box
  • 40 hangers – counted as 1
  • 4 packs of hanging “lamps”
  • 1 empty tea box
  • 1 roll of stretchable wire
  • 1 wineglass box
  • 3 presentation portfolios
  • 2 packs of table decorations
  • 1 sauté pan
  • 2 purple pillowcases
  • 2 large candles
  • 1 glass container for candles or flowers
  • 1 picture from Virgin Islands
  • 6 cloth place mats
  • 6 plastic place mats
  • 4 Texas cloth napkins – counted a 1
  • 1 plastic table runner
  • 1 red cloth pot holder
  • 2 green glasses
  • 1 bag of decorative rocks
  • 1 glass soap dispenser
  • 1 bamboo plate
  • 2 more large candles
  • 4 bags of decorative stones
  • 6 white wine glasses
  • 6 red wine glasses
  • 2 camping chairs
  • 4 flowerpots
  • 2 glass plant watering things
  • 1 outdoor recliner
  • 2 big floor flowerpots

What else? Lets see – there was:

  • 15 KLM Delft Blue Miniature Houses – that I gave to a friend in – A Tiny Village
  • 1 garden storage box – as part of my – Garden give aways! – together with
  • 3 flowerpots
  • 2 trays for the flowerpots
  • and one of my Hydrangeas

Now…  There is just one thing! As you know, I’ve just had a birthday and as part of having a birthday I added some items to my possession. Between the birthday celebration in Stavanger late August which I told you about in – I’ve been partying 😉 and my celebration trip to Houston (where my suitcase also got lost for a few days) written about in – What I gained this trip – a few items have made it in-the-door!

Let’s see… oh my gosh it’s – 33 items in-the-door!!!

Stavanger party – 6 items in-the-door

  • 1 Birdhouse w/seeds
  • 1 decorative glass elephant
  • 2 small decorative candle holders – counted as 1 since it was a set
  • 1 notebook + sticky notes – counted as 1 since it was a set
  • 1 pink IKEA box that the “birdhouse” gift came in
  • 1 garden book
  • Bunch of champagne bottles, but they don’t count as we drank them 😉
  • and a bunch of birthday cards – think I’ll count them together with the ones I got in Houston

Houston trip – 27 items in-the-door

  • 8 T-shirts
  • 1 shirt
  • 2 bras
  • 3 undies
  • 2 sleep shorts
  • 2 pair of jeans
  • 5 books
  • 2 notebooks
  • 1 ring
  • and a bunch of birthday cards

So… I got a question for you!

When items comes in-the-door, should these be offset against items out-the-door? (I kinda think so)

Or do should I get to keep my out-the-door items “intact” for my final count for the year? What do you think?

 

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Garden give aways!

Before I left for Houston, a few of my outdoor items was moved over to my step-mums allotment. She needed a garden storage box and I had one to many 😉

At the same time I figured I could clear out some more stuff, and she ended up with 3 flowerpots, 2 trays for the flowerpots and one of my Hydrangeas, in addition to the garden storage box.

At the time I totally forgot to take the pictures for my blog 😦

Today though, I went over to her allotment to pick some apples from one of her apple trees 🙂 and I figured it was as good a time as any, to show you the things that made it out-the-door (or out-of-garden as it was) before I left for my Houston trip.

I guess.. better late than never.. right? 😉

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A Tiny Village

Since 1952 KLM have been handing out Delft Blue Miniature Houses that are replicas of some of the Old Dutch Houses situated along the canals in Amsterdam and other age-old towns in Holland. These are normally given to people that travel in business class.

I’ve been traveling a bit over the years and between me and friends traveling on KLM, I have acquired quite a collection of these houses.

In the name of decluttering, I have decided to downsize this collection a little, I don’t really need them all, and they take up space. So I’m keeping 9 (for now) and giving away the rest.

I have a friend of mine in Houston, and his mother is a big collector of the KLM houses. So guess where my left over houses are going?

YEPP, you’ve guessed it 😉 I’ve packed about half of the give always in my suitcase coming over to Houston, and I’m handing them over today!

So today! 15 Tiny houses goes out-the-door (or out-of-suitcase as it is) 🙂

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Another crazy purge! And a very happy neighbour.

Last week, I must have inadvertently eaten a pep pill or something, cause I roamed around the house tearing stuff out of my cabinets, drawers and “loft” space. And ended up with a pile of things to get rid off.

I have a neighbour who just moved in, and since she pretty much came over with nothing but a few suitcases and boxes, from the US, I was hoping there would be a few things she could take off my hands!

A couple of days ago, she popped by to have a look, and I couldn’t believe it, but she took most of my stuff! She looked really happy with the stuff, and even came back to get me, to show me how the things fit in her house 🙂

When I counted up all the stuff that went out-the-door, I couldn’t believe the numbers!

Have a look…

  • 5 notebooks – for her kids to draw in
  • 2 “baskets”
  • 1 furry pillowcase
  • 1 furry blanket
  • 1 wool carpet
  • 1 file organizer
  • 1 Ikea storage box
  • 40 hangers – counted as 1
  • 4 packs of hanging “lamps” – now hanging in her kids play corner 🙂
  • 1 empty tea box
  • 1 roll of stretchable wire
  • 1 wineglass box
  • 3 presentation portfolios
  • 2 packs of table decorations
  • 1 sauté pan
  • 2 purple pillowcases
  • 2 large candles
  • 1 glass container for candles or flowers
  • 1 picture from Virgin Islands
  • 6 cloth place mats
  • 6 plastic place mats
  • 4 Texas cloth napkins – counted a 1
  • 1 plastic table runner
  • 1 red cloth pot holder
  • 2 green glasses
  • 1 bag of decorative rocks
  • 1 glass soap dispenser – given to a friend
  • 1 bamboo plate
  • 2 more large candles
  • 4 bags of decorative stones
  • 6 white wine glasses
  • 6 red wine glasses
  • 2 camping chairs
  • 4 flowerpots
  • 2 glass plant watering things
  • 1 outdoor recliner
  • 2 big floor flowerpots

That’s 81 items – and with the exceptions of a few items, my neighbour took them all! 🙂

How’s that for a purge 😉

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August tally

So let’s see, did I ever get anything out-the-door during the month of August?

Well yes, actually I did! Even though I’m still doing pretty poorly according to my intentions 😦

Remember; I did have a day earlier in August, where I got a few things out-the-door. And I tackled my “junk” drawer. And the last day of the month, a white tornado went through my house and I ended up with another pile of stuff that will be going out of the house over the next few days. Since that pile is still pretty much sitting here.. they won’t count much on August tally, but hopefully on September they will 😉

So lets see, what did August actually amount to?

AUGUST TALLY of things “out-the-door” =   45 items

24 – items on my day getting back on my declutter wagon

  • 1 jacket
  • 1 pair of pants
  • 1 thermal underwear top
  • 6 T-shirt
  • 2 pairs of knitted wool socks
  • 1 BIG piece of silk – bought in Malaysia in 1995, intending to have a dress made…. like that ever happened!
  • 1 clutch
  • 1 bed sheet that don’t fit any of my beds…?
  • 1 pair of boots – they seemed like a good idea when I got them, but they’ve never been used…
  • 1 book – Thor Heyerdal, the adventurer
  • 2 software CDs never used
  • 4 empty DVD boxes (count as 1)
  • 1 pair of sandals – never used, what was I thinking with those heels!
  • 1 plastic serving tray (broken)
  • 1 almanac – 2010
  • 1 shirt – dads – and
  • 1 cardigan – dads – they won’t ever get used and it’s been almost 1,5 years, it’s time to let them go!

Bunch of items – while clearing my junk drawer – (count as 4)

  • 1 wallet (worn out)
  • 1 flash-light (broken)
  • Several outdoor pieces (never used, and never will be used) – count as 1
  • Loads of paper/menus/business cards ++ – count as 1

In addition I finally cleared out some of my toiletries, that I talked about like forever ago in Thriftiness getting in the way of decluttering – I gave most of it to mum 🙂

  • 1 big box of hairspray
  • 1 box of night cream
  • 1 bottle of toner
  • 1 bottle of serum
  • 1 small bag of miscellaneous make-up/trial creams/++
  • 1 bottle of massage oil (it was so old it went into the trash)
  • Bunch of other stuff – count as 1
  • 1 bottle of shampoo
  • 1 bottle of conditioner

And a few things from my “white tornado” day have actually made it out-the-door 🙂

  • 1 Backpack (a friend of mine, way more sporty than me – took this one, and cover and Adidas bag)
  • 1 travel cover for backpack
  • 1 Adidas bag
  • 1 sports bag
  • 3 pc bags
  • 1 weight lift bar (given to a friend, who hopefully will use this more that I ever did 😉 )

So that’s it, for the month of August – 45 items. Not to shabby after all 😉

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A pile of “crap”!

I can’t possible be alone, I’m sure every home has one.

A drawer, a basket, a box, where you store things coming out if your pockets, receipts, take away menus, business cards, phone cover, sticky notes with scribblings on about something you want/need to remember, descriptions on how to change the battery in your alarm, pens, sunglass cover, notebooks, rubber-bands, and in my case also memory sticks and 2 small marbles!!! What the…. where the heck did they come from?

I’m sure we all have that “junk drawer”, that one space where crap seems to congregate!

I cleared mine today!

Good riddance, is all I can say 😉

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Back again…

As I told you in my last post, July tally, the last few weeks I have pretty much just relaxed and enjoyed my time off.

But enough is enough, it’s time to get back at it 😉

Back to my declutter task, back to my blog and back to getting some stuff done around the house!

So here is my first instalment, getting back on my declutter wagon!

  • 1 jacket
  • 1 pair of pants
  • 1 thermal underwear top
  • 6 T-shirt
  • 2 pairs of knitted wool socks
  • 1 BIG piece of silk – bought in Malaysia in 1995, intending to have a dress made…. like that ever happened!
  • 1 clutch
  • 1 bed sheet that don’t fit any of my beds…?
  • 1 pair of boots – they seemed like a good idea when I got them, but they’ve never been used…
  • 1 book – Thor Heyerdal, the adventurer
  • 2 software CDs never used
  • 4 empty DVD boxes (count as 1)
  • 1 pair of sandals – never used, what was I thinking with those heels!
  • 1 plastic serving tray (broken)
  • 1 almanac – 2010
  • 1 shirt – dads – and
  • 1 cardigan – dads – they won’t ever get used and it’s been almost 1,5 years, it’s time to let them go!

24 items, woohoo 😉

Now, if decluttering the rest of the house would just be this easy…

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July tally

I have to admit, July was an appalling month when it comes to decluttering, which you probably have noticed, since I haven’t written about a single thing I shed.

So what have I been doing with myself in the month of July? Well as I wrote in the beginning of July, I was taking an hiatus to focus on my health.

So July month have been filled with trips to the osteopath, loads of rest, beautiful days in the garden and not to forget…

Loads and loads of time occupied with Molly, my furry friend 🙂 With her around I seemed to get “nothing” done. When I sat down to read, she wanted to play. When I worked outside in the yard, she hated being on a leash so I made “borders” so she could go loose, but I still needed to keep an eye on her whereabouts, just in case… When I ate, she wanted food. When I watched TV or had friends over, she wanted to “play” or go out for a walk, or was hungry or something.

So you can see why I got nothing done… right? 😉

Even so, when I think about it, there are actually a few things that have gone out-the-door in July…  Not only have I not written about them, but mostly I have even forgotten to take pictures of them 😦

But let’s see if I can’t manage a small recap anyhow!

JULY TALLY of things “out-the-door” =   22 items

  • 2 reasonable sized Boxwood plants in planters – 1 given to a neighbour, 1 given to my step-mum for her new cabin
  • 8 plastic planters/pots – given to my neighbour
  • 6 books – I’ve actually read 12 as part of my read a book program – but, I’m getting into some of my favourites and they are harder to part with… maybe next month 😉
  • 1 roll of plastic flex pipe
  • a bunch of small plastic plant pots – counted as 1 (no photo)
  • 2 terracotta pots (no photo)
  • bunch of plastic pipes leftover from earlier garden constructions – counted as 1 (no photo)
  • bunch of wood bits and pieces leftover from earlier garden constructions – counted as 1 (no photo)

Let’s see… I think that was it.. I can’t believe I ended up with the same amount of items as in June! And NO it’s not a copy/paste error – it just turned out that way!

Hmm.. if I could part with one extra book, I could beat June tally… Nope, I don’t think so.. not quite yet, gotta think about it first 😉

So her we are – 22 items – just like June!

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June tally

We are all in agreement that the month of June have been a bismal month for decluttering. But even though I haven’t written about them, there are a few things that have gone out-the-door anyhow!

So let’s see what this month have amounted to on the declutter scale:

JUNE TALLY of things “out-the-door” =  22 items

  • 2 hanging baskets – given to my step-mum for her new cabin, including the
  • 2 linings for the hanging baskets and the
  • 2 hooks for the hanging baskets
  • 1 big bag of shredded papers – I normally do a yearly shred after I’m done with the taxes (late shred this year)
  • A bunch of kitchen drawers utensils no longer (or ever) in use – counted as 1
  • 1 red empty leather notebook – also for my step-mum
  • 1 toilet bag after dad
  • Some outdated medication – counted as 1
  • 1 indoor water fountain feature set
  • 9 books – I’m still chugging away at my read a book program
  • and another book that I read and gave to mum while I was in London in May – that I forgot to tell you about, but I’m counting it anyway 😉

Hey, this wasn’t quite as bad after all… for a non declutter month… 🙂

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