![]() But you know what? I got by without it just fine. Ohhh that “really awesome” hand mixer I purchased four years ago but only used a dozen times… was it really worth the space in my cupboard? After donating it to a yard sale, there have actually been a few times I thought this particular appliance would have been useful. Quite a few things are held onto “just in case.” But I do love having the extra space in my cabinet. I finally admitted to myself that I just wasn’t going to use these items any more… why not pass them on to someone who will actually use them? Now that they are gone, I really don’t even miss them. But three moves later, I was still hanging on to them. Since then, the colours never suited our living area so we haven’t used them. It actually wasn’t that expensive but, considering we were really counting pennies at the time, I felt attached to the investment I had made in these items. Soon after I got married I bought a tablecloth and set of cloth napkins that matched our house at the time. Not quite sure what I mean? Here’s an example. Sometimes we hang on to things mostly because we paid money for them, not because we are actually using them. (This somehow makes me feel like it will still be with me… even though I may never look at the photo again.) 2. Things I have especially fond memories of, but do not want to keep, I take photos of. It’s best to let go or pass things on when they truly are not going to be worth the real estate they take up in your home. And while I really do appreciate the thought and effort that go into gifts, sometimes I just don’t need those things. ![]() While I really treasure the cards and photos from years past, I simply do not need to keep them all. A lot of *stuff* has “sentimental value,” but that does not mean you have to keep it. ![]() Deciding what to keep and what to give (or throw) away is not always an easy task, after all! Since I began the simplification process, I have identified several recurrent thoughts that may be helpful for someone else to consider if they are just starting to simplify. I hope simplifying not only helps me stay more organised, but helps the kids learn that we do not need to keep things “just because.” Letting go and passing things on to those who can use them is more important than filling one’s house with objects that have no true purpose being there. I plan to take one item per day for the next 50 days, so that within two months I will have gone through most everything we own and figured out whether or not it is worth keeping. You can find this list – along with a printable version – at the end of the article. Therefore I have created a checklist to go through our house again more systematically – one “kind of thing” per day, i.e. Although it was still useful to simplify things in a carefree manner, I have realised that having a master list of *stuff* I wanted to go through and sort would be ideal. For example one day I went through all my lotions and toiletries, and the next day I decided to cull the cutlery drawer. Ethics and Sustainability – Was this created ethically and using earth-friendly materials? Is there an alternative product?Īlthough I do feel like I have already gotten a lot done (and gotten rid of a lot of stuff!), I’ll admit that I have been a bit haphazard about how I have gone about the simplification process.Beauty – Do I like the way this looks enough to keep it for a long time? Is it going to keep it’s form/shape/colour/attractiveness?.Longevity – Is this going to last us for a long enough time to make the purchase worthwhile? Is it going to break or lose pieces too easily?.Usability – How much are we really going to use it… and do we already have something else that will do the same job? (Is it even necessary?).I have created criteria for myself so that when I’m thinking about purchasing new items I consider these points: Having less *stuff* in our home means we have more space to live, and it also means I have less *stuff* to take care of, tidy, and/or worry about.Ĭhoosing to keep fewer, more useful and more beautiful things (and having to get rid of the rest), I am naturally becoming more intentional about what I buy as a result. This has not only been an amazing exercise to help me really think about what we have and why we have it… but it has also reduced the stress and anxiety I feel around our living space and regarding housework. ![]() Over the past few months I have been slowly trying to simplify our living space.
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