D is for Declutter

 A to Z(ed) blogging challenge - (my) Life in the time of CoVid-19

D is for Declutter

This page is from my progress in the Minimalist Challenge through October 2020.  The goal was to get rid of the same number of things per day as the day itself.  So on October 1st you get rid of one thing,  on October 2nd you get rid of two things, and so on up to 31 things on October 31st. 

I had already done some serious decluttering in January of 2019 after I had watched the Marie Kondo series on Netflix.  The only room in the house that still needed attention was my teaching/craft/yoga room. 

This is also the room that houses all our paperwork - taxes, receipts, bills, mail, and all sorts of odds and sods. 

The page at the top of this post is my successful month of de-cluttering.  Many books, extra knitting needles, and a lot of paintings that I had done (and kept) from my years of teaching.  I also went through all my teaching files and discarded photocopies of this, that and the other thing - twenty-eight pounds of paper!

The very next month there was another challenge for one week in November.  This time I tackled my sewing cabinet drawers and gave away 45 packages of seam bindings/hooks and eyes/snaps. (Don't worry I saved a few for those emergency repairs.)

I also sorted through all my recipes and tossed the hand written ones I have never made, and never intend to make.  Now my recipe box is very orderly and useful!

The most successful de-clutter was the large balance board that was stashed behind my shelving unit that I gave to a friend who was soooooo happy to receive it to use with her kindergarten students.  My gift to her included the two manuals as well.  I was well rid of it because it mocked me whenever I went into that room.  I kept thinking I should drag it out and use it for myself.  I hadn't used it in eight years since I retired from teaching and it has found a much happier home.

Also in the logbook, around the end of December I destashed the yarn I had that I would never use - too scratchy, too fiddly or just not practical to use for the items I like to knit and crochet.  

Some of the items are sitting in boxes waiting for things to open up again and when they do I will donate them to the free store on my sister's little island.  

I am certain someone will start another challenge sometime this year.  I am sure there are still some things around here that need to go.

(Anyone who has seem our basement can start the riotous laughter now.)