"My mind sees that I am nothing, my heart sees that I am everything, between these two poles my life unfolds."

Monday, October 17, 2011

When Less Feels Like More


Monday Greetings!

I trust your weekend was a good one. We've had overnight frost three times in the past week and the ferns, like everything else in my yard, have just about had the biscuit. With winter right around the corner, I finally made it my mission this weekend to get ruthless with the clutter that has so stealthily snuck up on us. I usually do this at least once a year, but have been lax in the past few and it was beginning to take it's toll. Every closet in this house was FULL!

Streamlined :) 

The first spot I tackled on Saturday was my main closet. The week before last, I transferred my summer clothes to another closet, and the fall/winter ones over, but I really hadn't gone through everything with a critical eye. Everything that didn't fit properly, was getting dated, worn or I never liked in the first place (why do I buy belts? - I so seldom wear them!) was bagged up. Isn't it incredible how much stuff we end up with that we're always kind of meh about. I even went so far as to separate my out my summer jewelry, scarves and shoes. Now my closet currently houses 1/4 the amount it previously did and it feels GREAT! I know from past experience, that getting dressed will be much easier for the next while - I find I make better and quicker decisions when faced with less choices. I think it's human nature - for example, have you ever given your children too many options for what they could have for lunch? Or what movie to watch? A lot of humming and hawing and no one can seem to agree on the same thing.

On Sunday, I continued the de-hoarding throughout the rest of the house. We had more suitcases than Joan Rivers on an overnight stay at the Hilton! My dear husband (like a lot of men I suspect) doesn't like parting with anything, but he eventually gave in - or up hehe! Today I feel organized and got in a decent workout to boot :)

A few rules I find useful when organizing are:
~Tackle messes one room at a time.
~Ask yourself if you really need something. If you hesitate, you don't.
~If you haven't worn it in a year, (unless it's a special occasion outfit) you probably won't again.
~If you've replaced it, (ie: keyboard, coffee maker, suitcase, coat) get rid of it.
~Get everything you are parting with of out of the house - it's all in my car until my Goodwill run tomorrow - but allow yourself a cooling off period (a day or two) in case you are having second thoughts about a particular item.

Here are the two things I could never have too much of ...




In fact, I did take a quick look at my books, but couldn't do it!


The less is more principle can follow through in so many areas of our lives. We've been dieting; really just eating smaller, simpler meals.  As a result we weigh less, yet have way more energy and more of our clothes fit properly! I'm also spending less time in the kitchen - so now I have more time...


This Monster, weighing in at 1,486.6 pounds, is not an example of less is more!
The squash, grown in St. Thomas, Ontario, has easily flattened all previous world records.
You might think something this size would be inedible, but Mr. Jarvis states
he and his wife made delicious soup out of another giant last year.
 The full story here.

That's all for today, if you have any organizing tips you'd like to share, I'm love to hear them.
I think it's a constant battle for all of us :)

Cheers!

7 comments:

  1. Wow! Imagine the bowls of squash soup from that big sucker of a squash, and I do love squash soup.

    I'm in the midst of switching my summer clothes to winter also. I would much rather be switching them the other way around.

    Oh well, spring will come back another day.

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  2. Your closet is so neat!
    I love that bowl,droool.
    I've been going nuts with the kid back in school,doing all sorts of cleaning and sorting. It feels good:)

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  3. My 2 Pesos, Thanks for stopping by!

    Lorene, I wouldn't know where to begin, but you could likely fill a freezer!

    LaelShine, My closet looks so good, I'm tempted to just stay in my pj's for a few days and admire it lol!

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  4. I am a minimalist, so my clutter-roundups happen monthly - much to the dismay of my family! I do have a little trouble giving up books, though. That’s my Achilles' heel. My biggest motivation to clean up is having a charity calling me every few months and asking if I have anything to donate. I always answer ‘yes’ and they add my address to their list for pickup day. And then, since I’ve committed to it, I have no choice but to roundup a few things. Great way to encourage me to cleanup.

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  5. Perhaps your husband should take a few pointers and "de-hoard" his office! (EEK!!! - that would be me! Now that's scary and it isn't even Halloween yet!)

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  6. Hi Martha, I strive to be a minimalist - I'm certainly much more streamlined than I used to be lol! Monthly clutter-roundups sound like a great method.

    Anonymous, That's your office? I thought you were just storing all that stuff to open up your own antique mall!

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Thanks for stopping by - and leaving your comments! I love reading them :)