Handprints on the Wall is hosting a new weekly carnival called Minimizing Monday. Today they start with the clothing and shoes in your closet. I hope it will inspire you to clean out your closet and that you’ll participate in this carnival if you have a blog, or that you’ll come back and report next week by posting a comment on my Minimizing Monday post.
Minimizing the stuff in my house is at the forefront of my mind right now, so I was excited to start participating in this weekly carnival and I’ll use it as a prompt to share some of my thoughts with you on reducing the amount of stuff we have in our household.
Why Less Stuff = More Time
I want to have less stuff in order to have more time. Stuff carries with it a kind of owner’s toll. Stuff takes time to acquire, use, maintain, clean, organize, store, and purge from your household.
This week I am getting rid of some toys and clothes that my boys have outgrown. I’ll be taking some large items to a consignment store and the rest I will donate. I also hope to go through the clothes and shoes in my closet following the inspiration provided by Kendra and Sashwhy.
What stuff will you be purging from your household this week? Where will you send that stuff that is leaving your household?
Unopened personal hygiene stuff is going to local homeless rescue mission, and the clothes and shoes are off to be Freecycled!:)
Stuff we get rid of typically goes to the local battered women’s shelter. They need anything and everything!I agree that we have too much stuff! I think this week I’ll purge one of our bookshelves. Eek.
Heather – you and the girls at Handprints on the Wall have motivated me to start a little purging challenge of my own. Your post today was a confirmation of something I’ve been contemplating for a month or so now. http://twolittlevikings.blogspot.com/2008/07/viking-take-on-minimizing.htmlThanks for the motivation!
I guess this is pretty timely for me, because I’m hosting a ginormous garage sale this weekend. For the past month or so, I’ve been slowly working my way through all of my belongings and picking out things that don’t have sentimental value anymore, that I have no definite use for, that no longer fit my tastes or decorative scheme, that take up too much space for their place (like stuffed animals), and clothes that don’t fit or I no longer like or will (or should) wear. It’s been kind of difficult to purge like this, since I’ve had some of these items since 9th grade (that’s about ten years ago), particularly a Tigger stuffy that my first boyfriend gave me and a Tweety sweatshirt and Snoopy sweatshirt that I wore All the Time for every one of those years. I figure, though, that married women who only have a year of college left don’t wear juvenile clothing, and so I’m choosing to pass them off to another teen who will cherish them. There are also many gifts I’ve been given over the years that I haven’t used very much but have been afraid to get rid of, in case the person who gave them to me found out. If my parents were coming to this sale, they probably wouldn’t speak to me for a while… I do like how roomy the house is starting to feel though.
I just cleaned out some clothes from my closet this weekend too using the “haven’t worn” rule as well. Added them to a big box I’m saving into. When it gets full I’ll figure out what to do with it. I also have a big cleanout for some storage items planned for this Friday, my day off of work. I’ll have to report back what I’ve accomplished then!! Getting organized gets me giddy!
Kelly – Way to go! Sounds like you did a great job of cleaning out your closet already! And I’m glad that the free Ziploc Big Bags came in handy for you!
I just cleaned out my closet this weekend. I purged lots and lots of clothing. The barely worn stuff went to a similar-size single mom who is strapped for cash in my office. The other three bags went to the local thrift shop who donates proceeds to a food pantry in our area. I used that “if you haven’t worn it/used it in a year get rid of it” rule. I have resigned myself to the fact I will never fit into those small pants/skirt. Besides, that stuff I was hanging onto will be way out of style by the time I am ready for it. As a side note, I used the Ziploc Big Bags I got this week from the Clean Home Journal Giveaway. You are the best Heather!