What a month! In some ways the MinsgameBOSS challenge (my introduction to the challenge is here) flew by (can you believe it's already December?!) and in other ways I thought it would never end. Because going through your house, your possessions, and deciding what adds value to your life and what does not, is not as easy at it sounds.
It's emotional, it's exhausting, it's MESSY.
Day Seventeen: 17 (x 11, 187 total) Digital Decluttering (FB: unfriended 17, left 17 groups, unfollowed 17 businesses; Twitter: unfollowed 17; Instagram: unfollowed 17; deleted 17 apps from my pone; deleted 17 emails from each of my 3 accounts (51 total); unsubscribed from 17 email lists; erased 17 programs from my DVR.)
Day Eighteen: 18 jewelry display pieces
Day Nineteen: 19 accessories (jewelry, hair, iphone case)
Day Twenty: 20 (x 6, 120 total) books
Day Twenty-One: 21 (x 2, 42 total) DVDs
Day Twenty-Two: 22 (x 2, 44 total) linen closet stuff (placemats, decorative, seasonal towels, cloth napkins)
Day Twenty-Three: 23 kitchen randomness (old Forman grill, vases, bowls, etc.)
Day Twenty-Four: 24 (x 2, 48 total) tupperware/plastic containers
Day Twenty-Five: 25 Copper extra stuff
Day Twenty-Six: 26 coffee mugs, teapot, other kitchen randomness
Day Twenty-Seven: 27 random, extra, unnecessary utensils
Day Twenty-Eight: 28 dishes
Day Twenty-Nine: 29 (x 3, 87 total) linen closet clutter (expired medicine, almost empty lotions, a curling iron that didn't work, etc.)
Day Thirty: 30 (x 2, 60 total) cassette tapes
Including the rest of the month, here are my totals:
Official: 465
Unofficial: 1151+ (including the 850+ from previous weeks)
Near the beginning of the challenge I shared this picture on the FB page for the challenge with the caption: This is what minimalism looks like, when you're in the middle of it.
When I posted that picture I thought that was the worst of it. It wasn't.
Anthony, one of the other hosts for this minsgameBOSS challenge, wrote about this very thing here, about how it gets worse before it gets better.
And he was very right. By the middle it started to feel like a never-ending black hole. We'd start one area by taking everything out. Whether it was a drawer, a box, a closet, a cabinet--everything got taken out and we had to decide what went back in--or, in the case of boxes, where everything went. Our goal: clear out as many boxes as possible! Considering that we aren't moving anytime soon, why do we have so much in boxes?
A few of my thoughts on this whole experience.
- I'm really good at hiding clutter. If you had walked into my home prior to the start of this challenge, you wouldn't have seen a lot of clutter. I like organization and I keep the main areas of my home tidy. However. Once you go a little deeper--open drawers, closets, go into the laundry room (storage area)....well, it's a whole different story. It really brings to mind the old adage: out of sight, out of mind. I was the QUEEN of this. I would just shove things somewhere so I didn't have to see it and go on with my life. BUT the "thing" was still taking up space in my home, my life, my head. This challenge helped my tackle some of those "problem" areas.
- In general, we just had too much stuff. For example, we are a family of 4, only 2 of which are coffee drinkers. My in-laws stay with us when they are in town and I occasionally have a friend (or 2) over that enjoy drinking coffee. So, at any given moment the MOST coffee mugs I would probably use would be 4. I had over 20 mugs in a kitchen cabinet. I kept 8. Over a dozen hit the road and opened some much needed space in my kitchen.
- Another area in which I just had too much? Clothes. I wrote about this more here and cannot reiterate enough how much easier my life has been since reducing my closet by 145 pieces. And I still feel like I have too much! I'm seriously considering moving to a capsule wardrobe (or something close to it), you can read more about this idea here.
- I have a HUGE soft spot for kid stuff. On this, I know I'm not unique. I've talked to countless moms for whom this is an issue. Parting with favorite outfits they've long past outgrown, "firsts" (ie: first shoes, first christmas dress, first birthday outfit, etc), and art/school work is HARD. This challenge really helped me get to the core of why I have such a hard time with these items and gave me some inspiration on what to do about it. As of right now I'm keeping a memory bin for each child and putting things in there I either want to keep or want to eventually pass down to them. The cool thing about this challenge is that I know I'll be back to go through those bins and will reduce even more. It's funny, once you stop transferring a ton of emotional/sentimental value on "things" the easier it is to part with them.
- Kid art/school work is a part of this area. I learned something about myself with this area during the challenge. I am much better at sorting through work at the conclusion of a school year. Because then there is a beginning and an end and I can easily take samples from throughout the year (including some favorites) to keep and recycle the rest. But trying to do it mid-year is too hard for me, for some reason. However, I have gotten better at not keeping EVERY. SINGLE. THING. they bring home. Because I used to keep IT ALL.
- Clutter happens easily. How often do you bring mail into your house and just set it on the counter/table and not sort it right away? That pile gets big fast. Or you take something out to use--an iron, a thermometer, medicine, a nebulizer (can you tell my house has been sick recently?)--and instead of putting it away right after you are done using it, it just sits out? Or laundry just sits in a basket, waiting to be folded and put away? I'm guilty of all these things but working on taking action right away. I've gotten better about putting things away after use but still struggle with mail and laundry. At a minimum, this challenge has made me more aware of these little things that add to the clutter in my home.
- Waste is a big part of clutter--expired food, expired medicine, etc. Going through your fridge, freezer, cabinets and medicine on a regular basis can help reduce that. It's amazing how much old stuff you'll find (or stuff you just don't use/like) when you take everything out and go through it.
I am so happy I helped organize this challenge and finally did it. I had been considering it for a long time and just jumping in truly was the best decision. And good news--we are keeping the Facebook group open and people are doing it for December, too! So it's really NOT too late to jump on board. Some advice if you are considering this challenge:
- If you are considering it--just start. The way this challenge is set up, the beginning is such a nice way to slowly work yourself into decluttering. Today is only the 4th of December which means only four things need to be removed from your home today. I think we all can find four things, right?
- Sometimes it gets overwhelming. Don't beat yourself up if you need to take a break, in fact, do it! Just make it a break and not a stop. A break is needed, especially if you are sorting through emotional things. Just come on back when you are ready. Several people in our FB group talked about taking a break over the Thanksgiving holiday. Some worked ahead, some caught up and some just paused and picked up after. You do whatever works for you.
- Do it with someone. It's a whole lot easier if you have a buddy to declutter with--someone to encourage you when you think you can't do anymore and give you inspiration on new areas to explore in your house. The FB group is HUGE source of support and inspiration--I got so many ideas of areas I didn't even consider decluttering. Like I mentioned, it's still open, so join if you want! (Note: we will be organizing another official minsgameBOSS challenge in June, using the same FB group. I'll post an update closer to that time, so bear that in mind if you are considering this challenge but aren't ready to commit yet.)
Thanks for being a part of this journey--a journey that for me is just beginning. Over 1,000 things left my home during this challenge and I can safely say I have at least another 1,000 to go. I haven't even tackled this storage area in my basement.
It's my last big area, but it is no joke. But now instead of feeling dread at the work that has to happen to clear it out, I feel excitement. Excitement for the space to be cleared, both physically and mentally.
A big thanks to the other cohosts of this challenge, I could not have done this without their support and reading their insights. check out their recaps!
Anthony: Break the Twitch
Laura: One Girl, Two Cities
Heather: Simply Save
Also, thanks to Arc's Value Village for being our official donation recipient for the organizers of this challenge AND for hosting us as we were interviewed for Channel 12 news. Missed the segment? Here it is!
Finally, in case you were wondering, this is what 1,151 things look like.
xo Sara
P.S. Want to see how this whole Minimalism journey of mine started? Check out my minimalism page, it has all my posts on this topic and a few of my favorites by others, for inspiration.