No.353: What I Decluttered // February 2020

Month #5 for my 1,000 Item Declutter Challenge!  Here are the ground rules:

1. Only spend 10 minutes at one time and only in one specific area.  
2. Monday through Wednesday, seek out items that we no longer need and make a pile.  Then Thursday through Saturday, make a plan for how to deal with them.  (This worked so well and avoided that dreaded box of “what should I do with these?” items.)
3. Possible places to find new homes for items: Ebay/Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, Trash Nothing website or the local Buy Nothing Facebook group and as a last resort, Goodwill

I feel a responsibility for the things I have and want to be intentional with how I dispose of them.  Questions I asked myself: If it’s here, what purpose does it serve?  Can I use it up?  Can I enjoy it vs. keeping it tucked away in drawers and boxes?  And if not, can I let it go to someone who may need it more?

A few decluttering highlights:
+ At the end of January, I participated in Sweet & Simple Home’s “One Box Challenge” (even though I didn’t make a video) to hopefully re-start my decluttering enthusiasm and it worked!
+ I was also feeling a little overwhelmed with my “waiting to sell” piles and weeded through those.  I’d prefer to sell/give them to people who need them, but I gave it my best shot.  Off to Goodwill they go.

WHAT I DECLUTTERED THIS MONTH

• 18 books. I sold a set on ebay and the rest went to Goodwill.
• One “Love Grows Best” sign from Big White Farmhouse.  After closing BWF in the fall of 2017, I still had a few remaining signs that never sold.  I have tried to sell them in different places with no luck…until now!  So happy to get a little space back in my closet!  
• A bundle of vintage spools of thread.  Another set from the BWF days.  Finally sold on Poshmark!
• 6 bottles of aftershave.  More product from the BWF days.  
• One reusable water bottle.
• 5 coffee mugs.  I mean…how many coffee mugs does one really need?  I kept our absolute favorites and enough extra mugs to host family/friends, but got rid of the rest.
• 2 super hero capes. These never seem to be played with, so time to pass them on to another little guy.
• One table tennis net.  Another item we never seem to use!
• One pair of soccer cleats.  Sold on ebay.
• One belt.
• One Willow Tree figurine.  Sold on ebay.
• Two bags of shredded paper.  Junk mail and other personal paperwork that needs to be shredded counts as clutter too!  I’m counting each full container (which is the equivalent of a plastic grocery store bag) as one item.  And bonus: I can use most of it in my compost pile.
• One magazine and one used math workbook.  Into the recycling bin.
• 3 baby girl headbands.  
• 3 mini glass jars.
• 3 pillowcases and two sheets.
• One wireless camera remote.  I bought this last fall and didn’t realize that it wasn’t compatible with my digital camera.  It wasn’t worth paying the return shipping, so I held onto it in the hopes that I could sell it.  Finally sold on ebay!
• 2 duffle bags.
• One pair of slippers.
• One holster.  Sold for Mark on ebay.
• 3 cookbooks.  Last year, I started a cookery challenge only to realize that I really didn’t have that many cookbooks and the ones that I did have…I just didn’t really want to pick up again.  Finally letting some of them go.
• 15 various pieces of clothing.  These were pieces that I’ve had on Poshmark/ebay for about six months and they haven’t sold.  Clearing out some room and sending them off to Goodwill.
• 5 free skincare samples.  This is a bit of a stretch, but if the little samples just stay in the drawer, it’s still considered clutter, right?  Finally used these skincare samples up!