Wednesday 9 January 2013

The Year of Less - The Little Things


 
 
I am really focused at the moment on simplifying our lives, clutter busting, looking at things as they are now and thinking of how I can change them to make our 'Year of Less' a good and constuctive one.
 
 
Sometimes it's lots of little things that when added up make the whole, and getting rid of clutter can be an all out sweep of the house that takes a couple of days or weeks as I did last year, or a slow and steady trawl round little parts of the day to day areas as and when you use them and live them.  It is this second type of clutter busting I am doing this year, getting down to the real nitty gritty of what we use and why, and seeing what we need to keep for here, to save to take to our new home (we will have two homes on the go for at least a year so we will need some duplicated basics to set up the new house) and what can be cheerfully dumped into the car boot boxes ready for selling in Spring to raise money towards the new house.
 
 
 
 
Yesterday the top of the microwave looked like this, a bowl of eggs for our use (we eat all the Bantam eggs and sell mostly the larger eggs) and a tin full of salt and peppers.  We had the two tall grinders for Sea Salt and Whole Black Peppercorns and a spare black pepper grinder that I used when cooking if I had already laid the table with the tall ones, to save my legs fetching and carrying.....lazy oink that I am,  a squeezy black pepper grinder and two each of salt and pepper shakers.
 
WHAT!! - way too much and totally not necessary!!
 
 
 
 
These two were filled to the top with the contents of the others....
 
 
 
 
....and these have been washed and dried and have gone into the car boot sale box....
 
 
 
 
...along with the tin they had all been standing in, luckily I had the lid tucked in the cupboard.
 
My reasons for keeping what I did - the tall grinders we use day in, day out and from now on I will walk to the table to retrieve them if I have already laid it!  The cute cat salt cellar because it is full of memories, I bought it as part of a matching set when we had a gorgeous cat called Pepper who looked just like them.  The pepper shaker got broken in a house move and so we find it amusing that we now have salt in 'Pepper'.   The pepper is part of another set that also got broken but that holds so much it is really useful.
 
My reasons for getting rid of the rest - although I love them and they are useful I don't need them, the same for the tin, although it has been useful I have another that is almost the same size that I prefer so it is going.
 
 
 
Now the top of the microwave looks nice and simple and much more pleasing to the eye and it makes me smile when I see it.
 
 
It's the little things that make me happiest sometimes.
 
 
Things sorted this way are going to be listed on the stand alone page at the top of the Blog called '365 Going, Going, Gone - Less Stuff' so I can keep track of what we have decided to sell and try and reach the minimum number of things that we want to let go.
 
Sue xx

17 comments:

  1. very tidy, living between 2 houses will be ....erm interesting :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're going to treat our new home a bit like a 'holiday home' until we move in permanently, although it will be a very hardworking holiday home.

      The first year or so will be spent putting up fences and re-decorating every weekend and hopefully we will be able to manage some full weeks there when we will get some of the bigger jobs done that need doing before we move in.

      So yes, very interesting!!

      Sue xx

      Delete
  2. It sounds like you are going to have a very fun filled & busy year.

    ReplyDelete
  3. So, your 'new home' is going to be your 'forever home'? Have I got that right? And one is near lovely hubbys work and one isn't?

    If I've got that right, you must be so excited to be where you are! :D Goodness you've come a long way, and this post has shown me how far we have yet to go!

    I wish you tons and tons of luck Sue :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is, you have.

      Where we live now is near to where LH works, although this area is way out of our price bracket to be able to buy in, so we have found our forever home in Lincolnshire.

      By staying here for as long as possible LH will be able to work longer hours at his 'proper job' and earn the maximum amount possible to fund an early 'semi-retirement' to our new home. A little commuting may have to be tolerated for a while with LH staying with friends here during his shorter working week while we pay off our mortgage.

      Sue xx

      Delete
  4. Good luck with this - I could do with also having a sort out!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Think of all the extra calories you'll burn walking for the pepper!
    Good luck, Sue. Jx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha....it's all of six feet!! See I really am a lazy oink!!

      Sue xx

      Delete
  6. I've always admired the simplicity of the Amish. We all have way too much stuff - I know I do !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Is the 'forever home' a done deal? How soon before we get to see lots of pictures?

    ReplyDelete
  8. We're trying to do the same thing and making some progress. I keep reminding myself that it is a process on the days I become frustrated.

    Can't wait to see the new home!

    ReplyDelete
  9. We're pretty clutter free already, but this year (with my daughter moving out too), I'm aiming to get right down to the nitty gritty too. I love it. It makes me feel free!

    ReplyDelete
  10. A car boot sale sounds like just the motivation for decluttering. I put away some china bits and pieces the other day (I have a flat plastic stacker box on wheels that goes under a bed). I thought,if I don't display the pieces, why the hell should I keep half of them. I am going to keep my eye out for a boot sale and maybe get rid of some of the stuff.

    Cheers - Joolz

    ReplyDelete
  11. The little things do make a difference, don't they? I sorted out a wrapping station (not that I wrap much these days but all stuff needed is together) and a postage station (envelopes, stamps, return address labels) - it just feels so much more under control!
    We have just finished about 18 months of living in 2 houses, rather than commuting for work we stayed in my mother in law's house (she has moved to a nursing home) - however the house has now been sold and I think I am going to be much happier. I got sick and tired of having to remember what to take each week (one week I left home, got about 5k up the road and realised I had no work trousers, back home to get them of course!) but I have to say that I was grateful for the blessing of having her house to stay in when needed as I don't think I could have commuted to work all that time. Luckily I only do generally 1 day in the office so the round trip is bearable, plus I know that I only have to do this for no more than 2 years till I retire (actually I can now say that I will retire at the end of next year, woo hoo!)
    Cheers Judy xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. I often wonder why I hold on to things...they are just that "things!"

    I am getting myself ready for a big overhaul too. I dont know why it feels so hard to do...would definitely be easier to clean house!

    x

    ReplyDelete
  13. The 'little things' can make SO much difference. I'd already decided that my motto for this year will be "simplify it" so similar to your "year of less" - it's going to be fun seeing how things unfold.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Sue
    I am completely in tune with you - I intend to go through absolutely every last nook and cranny in the house this year and evaluate everything I find and there will have to be a good reason to keep the items I decide to hang on to.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are now turned off for this old blog of mine. Thank you for reading the posts, I hope you enjoyed them. xx

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.