Taking a hike…

I’m doing pretty good on my weekend task of getting rid of one laptop, but since there is such a thing as spending too much time in front of the computer, I decided a few minutes of fresh air might be a good idea.

Needing to grab a jacked to go outside, I looked at the mess in the outerwear closet.. and decided it was time to clean it up a little.

I pulled all my hanging stuff out and sorted it into my four piles: keep, not sure, for guests and out-the-door.

How do I decide what to keep or get rid of? And what do I mean with a guest pile?

Just to explain how I think, I’ll go into the details of my outerwear below:

I have a few extra jackets that I don’t really use, that I have kept. I have found that an extra jacket or two comes in handy when I get guest from other places and they show up unprepared for the weather or the activities we are doing. I’ve decided I’ll only keep a couple, as it seem like most of my friends favour the same jackets 😉 And these will go into a storage box for when they are needed.

Having sorted the guests jackets, I decided to tackle my “own” stuff:

My ski pants (the only ones I have) are going into the storage box until I’m going skiing.

I have a couple warm ski jackets. One is really bulky, and last year I got one that is just as warm, but less bulky. I don’t’ see myself using the bulky, one regardless of how cold it gets this winter, so I’ll be loosing it today.

In December I got two new jackets, a thin down one, for chilly dry days, and a thin rain jacket. These two I can either use as single jackets or double up (great combo). I’ll be keeping them. But I believe my new thin down one, might replace a mid layer jacket I have used for years. The mid layer one I will put in the storage box where I keep my guest stuff and ski pants. And if it don’t get used during 2014, by either me or my guests, it will have to go next winter.

Oh yes, and I have two leather jackets. One I haven’t used in the last 6 years.. so the odds of me actually using it any time soon, is like…. not going to happen. The other one is fairly new, but I haven’t really used it since I got it about a year ago. So what does a girl do? Well, the one I haven’t used, in like forever, is out-the-door for sure. The other one I’m keeping, with the intention to use it this year. If it don’t get used before next winter sets in, you might find a post about it later 😉

Then there is the bicycle jackets that I got in US, a few years back. Have I used them since I got back to Norway? Nope… Off course this could be due to me not really biking any more. But should I start again, I can use either ones of the jackets I’ve keep for guests.

So what about the rest, well, they have been used recently, so they are keepers. Should I find that I don’t use them during the seasons their are meant for in 2014, then I suspect you’ll hear about them sometime at the end of 2014 😉

So what’s the tally?

8 keep – this includes everything from warm winter jackets to thin summer jackets
2 “allowance” – the leather and mid layer one, that most likely will go out the door later this year
2 guest jackets – if they don’t get used this year, I will evaluate if there is any value in keeping them at all, any more
and 5 toss

I’ve got my weekend cut out for me.

You know how sometimes to get rid of one item, you need to do a lot off work first. Today’s item falls into that category.

I got a new laptop computer for Christmas. My old one do not function properly any more. In addition since I’m the designated computer help for my mum and step-mum, I need one that works. So what does this have to do with decluttering you might ask.

If any of you have ever changed over from one computer to another, you probably know there is some work involved. Like transferring stuff between the computers. That takes time. Well today I’m going to throw one more computer into this mix.

In addition to my old worn out one, I’ve borrowed a computer for one specific task that needed to be done a while ago. And that’s the computer I will “clean” out of my house during this weekend. My old one I will have to get back to after I’m done with this one 😉

This weekends’s task is – transfer my installed SW and documents from the borrowed computer to my new one. Clean up the borrowed one and get it out of the house. I know, it doesn’t sound much.. but I can promise you, it’s a bit of work, especially since it’s also two different operating systems and I might have to change some stuff around to make everything works as intended.

How do I go about this?

I do a little preparation first:

I move all documents I want to keep so they are located in under the “My documents” folder structure
I make sure all my pictures, videos, music are located in their respective “My Pictures/Music/Video” folders. You’ll find all these under “Windows explorer/Desktop/Libraries….”
I put all downloaded software (SW) files into my “Downloads” folder
I go through the Start/All programs overview and write down the SW programs I use that I need, to make sure I install these on the new computer
If I use outlook or any other mail program that downloads the mails to the computer, I make sure I have a copy of the e-mail file, and the address book, so I can import it onto the new one
I make a copy of my “Favorites” folder, so I don’t have to recreate this later
When I have everything sorted and I’m sure I have everything I need, I use an external hard-drive as my transferring media. I use this type of transfer media because I think it’s easy. It gives me a copy of everything just in case. And it means I can choose what to install on the new one right now, and I still have everything on a drive, should I need it later.
When I’ve gotten a copy of everything I want to keep, on my external hard-drive, then I’m ready and

I start the work on my new one.

Depending on how much space is available on my new computer, I transfer the most important stuff from the external hard-drive I just copied everything on to. I put the copied files into a similar folder structure to where I saved them (Documents/Pictures/Music etc.)
I install the programs I need, hopefully I can use the SW I already have, if not I try finding updates online.
After installation, I activate whatever needs to be activated, so that I can use the programs I’ve installed.
I add the old “Favorites” to the new “Favorites” folder
I set up my new email program and import my old emails and address book
Then, if there is any bits an pieces left that needs sorting. I’ll do this

And then I’m ready to go…. I hope!

As you can see.. there is a few things to do. So, I better get started 😉

Wish me luck will you…

January tally

I’ve been at it a month, my little declutter challenge 🙂 So how much have gone out the door? Let’s see:

Below is an overview. You will see that some I count as one or two item, and some I’ll count as individual items.

JANUARY’s TALLY = 63 Let’s see if I can’t do better, or at least as well in February 😉

2 pairs of eye glasses
8 pairs of shoes
250 bullet casings and 3 casing boxes – count as 2 (casings and boxes)
1 plunger
1 set of writing paper/envelopes and 27 cards – count as 2 (paper set and cards)
17 books
1 champagne cover
bunch of Christmas letters and cards – count as 1
1 fertilizer bottle
1 dustpan set
1 terrace brush
2 pumps
1 doormat
6 amaryllis bulbs/plants – count as 1
1 wallet and 19 cards – count as 2 (wallet and cards)
2 outdoor jackets
4 sweaters
3 pairs of wool socks
1 tie
3 scarfs
1 pair of gloves
1 buff
2 t-shirts
3 shirts
1 belt

It takes 21….

It seems like I I’ve gotten into the habit of writing a little “something something” every day, and today is no exception 🙂

Even though I told you a few days ago that I might do bigger declutter bulks, it doesn’t mean I still won’t be chipping away at it. Getting rid of a little something every day is a good routine to get into.

There is an old saying “it takes 21 days to make or break a habit”. Now I’m not a 100% sure on the 21 day rule working for everything. I think it’s very dependent on what habits you are trying to change. Most likely your better off with 30+ days for actually making a habit stick.

But in this instance the 21 day rule might actually apply, this being my 21st day of decluttering (yes I know it’s January 26th, but I have had a few non declutter posts), and because of that, I will declutter 21 items today 🙂

You remember I told you about my fathers stuff? Last time it was shoes, and today it’s some of his clothes. My brother decided on only keeping a few items, and as much as I like some of my dad’s clothes. They neither fit, nor do they look particularly womanly on me 😉

The clothes from dad, that I’m ready to part with today, doesn’t quite make up 21 items, so I’ll throw in a few of my own.

That’s:
2 outdoor jackets
4 sweaters
3 par of knitted wool socks
I tie
3 scarfs
1 pair of gloves
1 buff
2 t-shirts
3 shirts
and 1 belt

So what do you think of that! Day 21 – 21 Items. I’m kinda impressed 😉

No need for protection!

I love champagne 🙂 No, seriously, I love champagne, especially pink Champagne (oh yes, and frozen margaritas.. but we can talk about that some other time).

Last year, my brother, his wife and I killed off a couple of Champagne bottles one night, and one of them had this nice little fancy sleeve on it.

So what do I do? I decide to keep this sleeve, thinking it might be useful for another Champagne bottle… You know, to keep it chilled or protected or something.. I don’t know….

It was obviously some misguided idea I had, that I would tuck some Champagne bottle nicely into this little sleeve, for some reason.

Seriously?

It’s not like it’s going to last long enough after it’s opened, to be needing a sleeve to keep it chilled 😉 and should I need something, there is such a thing as a bucket and ice.

And it definitely don’t need it for protection. Have you seen how many times they try to break a champagne bottle against a ship sometimes, when they are Christening it?

So what was I thinking?

Obviously I wasn’t 😦 and today I’m taking the consequences of this. The sleeve, however how fancy and cute, has got to go. I think my future champagne bottles will survive, in all their “nude” glory 😉

Living a lighter life – a wallet’s short story

I feel lighter now 🙂

My owner is doing a decent job most of the time, only carrying around the most important credit cards, membership card, receipts and things. But I can’t help feeling stuffed some of the time.

I have not been alone. I have a couple of family members still hanging around in this house. They are no longer in daily use and feel somewhat lonely, stuffed away in a dark drawer. Their only job these days have been holding on to a lot of cards that are rarely used, or not used at all. And I know for a fact that my oldest family member is ready to move on to the next realm, he’s done his work and is tired.

Today is a great day 🙂 Our owner decided to bring us all out on the table. She emptied us all out, and while she sorted out all the stuff we were holding, we got to hang out with each other and catch up for a while 🙂

She did really good at getting rid of the unused credit cards, no longer valid membership cards, business cards and so on.

As she was done, she slowly started to put the leftover cards back into our protective fold. This time around though, she left plenty of space for us to breath 😉

And guess what, she let my oldest family member retire. He is now going into the recycle pile so he can move on…

and he’s bringing a bunch of cards with him 🙂

My declutter system

Today I wrote a post about my declutter system. And thinking I’ll be really smart, I wanted this post to show on my menu bar, to make it easy to find later (just have a look, it worked). So I created a separate page on my blog (my understanding is that that was the only way to have it show in menu bar), if anyone else knows a different way.. please let me know.

And guess what… did the “darn” thing show up in WordPress reader or on my Facebook page? NOPE…

So what is a poor girl to do? Well this is my solution. I’m making a post, about my post 😉 How do you like them apples?

Christmas is truly over!

Today the last of the amaryllis died.

You’re thinking, why is this a big deal?

Well a couple of years ago, I came across these beautiful white double flowered amaryllis plants. Since they were rare (I’ve never seen them again) I decided to save the bulbs to regrow them.

Last year only some came out with flower. This year on the other hand, none of them made it 😦 just green leaves, that’s it.

So I have decided to officially throw in the towel on my amaryllis growing abilities (which I obviously don’t have) and I won’t be saving them for next year. I’ll just have to hope they come back on the marked sometime…

Last year. Isn’t it pretty?

Now on the other hand, 5 old bulbs + this years amaryllis is going..

Such a doormat…

I’ve got this post I’m planning, and I’m hoping to get to work on it some this weekend (I just need to get my ducks in a row). But in the spirit of de-cluttering I figured it was time to post another item out the door 🙂

IKEA have this wonderful policy (at least here in Norway.. I noticed the Ikea policy wasn’t quite as “easy breezy” when I lived in Houston). In Norway they will let you return items as long as you have the original receipt and give you the money back. If you don’t have the receipt they will give you a gift certificate for the amount, and there are no limits on how many times you can return without a receipte.

What on earth does this have to do with my out the door item? Well about three months ago I bought a couple of doormats and I’ve been driving around with the one I decided not to use in my car, forever.. but it was time.

Doormat to Ikea, money back to me 🙂