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Monday, January 10, 2022

Monday Musings Week 2 - Where does all this stuff come from? More importantly, why is it still here?

Wow, I looked in the closet that I need declutter and clean out and wonder why after almost 5 years in this house are we holding on to all of this stuff! Part of the challenge is that Hubby can't let go of any hobby items even if they aren't used for 20+ years. Ya never know ...

So half the closet will be devoted to his hobby history and some to storing the suitcases and an air bed. I'll have to see what is left that I can remove.

This has led me to wonder if I can declutter 2000 non-consumable items from our home this year and personally bring in fewer than 22. Hmmm.

I also read last year about the idea of visual clutter bothering some people and for sure it does me. So I’ve been putting things behind closed doors to decide about later. It also makes cleaning a bit easier and there is always a lot of dust here probably due to the farming not very far away.

The concept of resetting your home also appeals to me but I am taking it slowly as I want to do one or two spaces at a time and clean thoroughly at the same time. To start that means my office with some time on the small bedroom closet too. One very visible space and one closed door storage space.

So far I’ve found 29 items to remove and am clearing my office of visual clutter and rethinking what I want to have in there yet again. A tiny start but a start.

Do you have any decluttering or limited acquisition goals for this year?

17 comments:

  1. I had the hardest time downsizing hobby stuff so I can identify with your husband. It's almost like hobbies are an extension of who you are and to get rid of them---even ones you haven't used in a long while is like getting rid of part of who you are. Or who you want to be.

    I do plan to downsize this summer when I can work in my storage unit in the parking garage. I don't need half that stuff in there.

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    1. That is a good point about why hobby stuff that will never be used again is hard to let go of.

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    2. Misadventures - that is exactly how I feel about clothes that are now slightly snug - they are an extension of who I WANT to still be! 😆

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  2. I love to declutter so there isn't much around here to go. Except for the hobby items...

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  3. I would like to think that I have less than 2,000 items in my entire home, but I'm not sure if I have the courage to find out! 😆

    I will admit to being pretty shocked at how many items I just purged as a result of taking delivery of new bedroom furniture. At least 20 items tossed, and more identified if I can just find the courage, lol.

    I will say that I rarely regret purging, and for the rare occasion when I discover I need something I've purged, I just repurchase. That works out to approx one repurchase for every few hundred items tossed, so a more than equitable offset IMO.

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    1. The number of items you own would certainly be affected by how you count. Clothing vs each item, cookware vs each item.

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  5. The other problem with downsizing hobby items is that in many hobbies literally any piece no matter how small can be used to make or do something. By leaving things behind when I moved there was a lot of forcible downsizing but even as I put away my downsized Christmas I know there is work to be done.

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    1. I can see how that is true of many hobbies but we are talking a large telescope, golf clubs, guitar, etc. in his case.

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  6. I rid my home of 3,500 items over two years and I am now hitting those items that have sentimental value to me. That makes it so much harder. Slowly but surely things will be removed, recycled or donated.

    I am not downsizing hobby things yet, as we need to be busy with something during our long cold winters and during the pandemic.

    You can can do this.

    God bless.

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  7. I agree about visual clutter. I think it adds to stress and anxiety and people just don't connect the dots. I try and do a reset daily. I look around in the morning and see what needs to be put away or back to where it belongs. My absolute favorite Youtuber is minimom from NZ, she is the most honest minimalist I have encountered and truly and inspiration. I've decluttered so much in the last 12 years, but there is always more, so I'm doing 365 things for this year.

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  8. I'm not stellar at decluttering (yet), but I am trying really hard to gift consumables instead of junking up other people's houses. I like your idea of letting go of 2000 things this year and only bringing in 22!

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    1. The thought has already helped me not buy more books but use the library instead and to try out the extra bed pillows we have instead of buying a new one. I seriously doubt I will find 2000 items I want to let go of but you never know!

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  9. I was actually surprised that my husband really struggled to pare down his "stuff" prior to our recent move. I figured I'd be the one to have trouble. Maybe each of us comes to a certain point in our lives when something clicks and we are ready and willing to let go. I don't know, but I'm really glad to have fewer things to care for. Haven't missed a single thing yet!! Good luck, Juhli!

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  10. I decluttered all summer when we remodeled our daylight basement into an 800 square foot apartment with no stairs. The hardest part for me was finally acknowledging my husband would not join me in the effort. So we have a garage full of boxes of his stuff. At least they're in boxes now, though.

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  11. Visual clutter really does get to me. I do semi-regularly clean out the closets. Have you ever watched Clutterbug videos by Cassandra Aarnsen's on YouTube? She has an interesting explanation for different storage types. I think it helps in a family.

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