December 2011 Decluttering Recap

Edit, edit, edit, in all things.

I enjoy the practice of letting go of one thing each day. It makes room for the new: whether that means a new and more useful object, perspective, or accomplishment. It forces me to think about what I want the most, to understand my own tastes and values better, and to acquire things more carefully. When it's really working its magic, it leads to feelings of abundance; I realize I have so much that I can let stuff go and not even miss it. I like what it does for my house, too; some of my family members have packrat tendencies, so I tend to watch myself a bit in this area.

I'm going to create a running list of stuff I've thrown or given away here. What can you bear to part with? What is cluttering up your home and mind?

December 2011

December 1st: shredded old financial aid papers from college.

December 2nd: gave a body spray to my sister. Had used it a handful of times since I bought it in 2008 and the bottle was still 99% full. She's into perfumes and sprays; I'm not.

December 3rd: ped egg. Had used it once in 2008 and it tore up my feet!

December 4th: old glitter-encrusted gingerbread ornament from years ago. Tonight, while decorating the tree, I realized I haven't hung it in years because I don't really like it.

December 5th: an old bottled marinade that was going to sit in the fridge for eternity and never be used up. (Fridge doors are like museums, I swear. "Hey, look at this whim from 2009! And you bought this for a recipe in 2010 and never used it again!")

December 6th: empty wine bottle that I was apparently holding on to for future decorating purposes, but now can't foresee myself decorating with it. Into the recycling it goes.

December 7th: old orange-flavored olive oil that I was never, ever going to use up.

December 8th: ratty $3 flip flops that dig into my feet and hurt.

December 9th: guitar-shaped Hard Rock cafe pin that I never wore; put it into my box of stuff to donate.

December 10th: extra microwave going to Goodwill. It's from our old apartment and has been sitting in the attic since we moved into our house, which has a built-in microwave in the kitchen.

December 11th: added bra to Goodwill box.

December 12th: added bra to Goodwill box.

December 13th: added bra to Goodwill box (all bras barely used; don't support me).

December 14th: old, sticky, mislabeled plastic jars of bulk herbs and spices (transferred contents to clean empty glass jars, labeled the jars with a labelmaker, and threw plastic away. Pantry looks so much nicer now).

December 15th: old spice rack.

December 16th: worn, creased, cheap folders.

December 17th: random papers cluttering up the office.

December 18th: a job search guide that I don't need in paper format; more up-to-date information is available online.

December 19th: wrapped up an old set of Russian nesting dolls as a Christmas gift for someone that decorates with those sorts of things.

December 20th: another old-school decoration wrapped for the same person. Looking forward to watching her open her little box of treasures--a mix of old and new stuff!

December 21st: brought the microwave and box of women's clothes, pillowcases, sheets, and curtains to Goodwill. I had been designating stuff for that box long before I started this blog. I actually felt lighter driving away from the Goodwill store.

December 22nd: old stinky pair of shoes.

December 23rd: another crappy pair of shoes that was falling apart and provided no support.

December 24th: gave a bottle of chromium supplements to my sister because I switched brands and dosage.

December 25th: canister of vanilla whey protein powder given away because I don't like the flavor.

December 26th: dried floral supplies given away.

December 27th: wall hanging given away.

December 28th: 2 decorative vases given away.

December 29th: throw pillow given away.

December 30th: returned 2 dvds to my dad that had been in my house for a year.

December 31st: pair of too-small exercise pants given to my sister, who used them and liked them while she was visiting.