Reduce and Reuse

Seattle Public Utilities publishes quarterly newsletters that has tips and information for residents. Here are some of the tips I thought I would share:

• Bring Your Own
• Water Bottle
• When you use a reusable water bottle, you can keep up to 217 plastic water bottles per year out of a landfill, and save an average of $260 per year on bottled water.
• Coffee Cup
• Bring your cup to the coffee shop instead of taking a disposable one. Many shops will also give you a discount for bringing your own cup, and this switch can prevent around 23 pounds of waste per year.
• Straw, just say no to plastic straws
• Switch to metal, glass, paper, or compostable straws--or simply stop using straws. Americans use 500 million plastic straws a year--enough to fill more than 125 buses with straws each day! This swap can reduce the harmful impacts of plastic straws on marine animals.
• Utensils
• Pack your own reusable utensils for meals on the go, and say, "No thank you" to plastic utensils when you order. This switch will help you reduce your contribution to the 6 million tons of disposable plastic utensils that go to landfills every year.
• The Recycle Bin
• Includes: paper, cardboard, plastic bottles/containers, glass bottles/jars, and metal cans. Make sure it is larger than 3 inches, and make sure it is empty, clean, and dry.
• No electronics: if it has a battery or has a plug, it needs to be separated into metal, plastic, and electronic components for proper recycling. TakeItBackNetwork.org lists places that do this on their website.
• No batteries or lightbulbs.
• Batteries can cause fires or explosions when tossed in the recycling.
• Lightbulbs break into shards of glass. Fluorescent bulbs contain toxic mercury that can be inhaled when bulbs break.
• All of these can be recycled when dropped off at a take back location. Call2Recycle.org and LightRecycle.org offer information on their websites.
• When in doubt, find out "Where Does it Go?" by checking our recycling guidelines at: seattle.gov/util/wheredoesitgo
•  The Compost Bin (officially known as Food and Yard Waste Bin)
• All food waste.
• Food soiled paper without a shiny coating. The shiny coating is plastic.
• Approved compostable bags and packaging. The word "compostable" will be on the item.
• Items with words like "biodegradable," "sustainable," and "plant-based" are not the same as compostable.

Soulful Simplicity

Recently, I described a hound dog's eyes as "soulful", with the intent of describing his sorrowful expression. However, while reading Courtney Carver's book, Soulful Simplicity, I embraced "soulful" to be profound love. For those that have watched Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things on Netflix, you would remember Courtney, she came up with Project 333; which is a minimalist fashion challenge that invites individuals to dress with 33 items or less for three months. My fashion outcome is not to implement Project 333 (I have too many hiking-specific articles of clothing), but, I  wanted to continue to learn from others that have welcomed minimalism into their household.

Courtney's journey began when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She wanted to improve her health, build more meaningful relationships, and relieve stress in her professional and personal lives. Courtney is a very practical minimalist, and I was able to further reflect on what is most important to me, and continue to rid myself of all the excess things I possess.

Below are some of the ways that Courtney was able to create more with less--more space, more time:

• Pain point=wake-up call
• Take a look at your pain points, your suffering. It may be a chronic condition or disease, something easy to identify, or maybe it's something else like a strained relationship, the stress of overdue bills, general fatigue, or just a sense of "something isn't right." Those things may feel normal like they did for me, but you deserve better.
• This is your wake up call
• If your life is on autopilot.
• If you never put yourself first.
• If you've become someone you don't recognize to please other people or chase some version of success that doesn't resonate with you.
• If you are constantly self-medicating with food, shopping, booze, TV, or other distractions.
• If you are worn down, beat up, stressed out, and completely depleted.
• Getting your wake-up call is not the hard part, even though it might hurt a little bit. Answering the call is. Choosing to answer the call instead of ignoring it is hard because you know if you do, things are going to change, and change. 
• Having a strong list of whys will encourage you along the way, especially if things get tough.
• What is motivating your journey?
• Why the change?
• Soulful simplicity is that it's not a quick fix or something you do once. It's more like exercise where you have to keep practicing, keep starting over, and keep coming back. It's always here for you, but it's up to you to practice, connect, and reconnect with it.
• Suggested questions about making you:
• How are things going in my life?
• How do I feel physically?
• How do I feel emotionally?
• What do I love about my life?
• Whom do I envy and what do I lie about?
• What changes do I want to make?
• What changes do I have to make?
• The clutter and chaos on the outside make you feel cluttered and chaotic on the inside. Clutter attracts clutter and calm attracts calm.
• The myth of ownership
• Myth #1 Aspirational ownership
• "If I own________________, I will be, look, or feel_________."
• For example:
• If I own a home, I will be a responsible adult.
• If I own a luxury care, I will be safe, comfortable, and appear affluent.
• If I own the latest tech device, I will be hip and cool and more productive
• If I own the best face cream, I will look young. 
• If I own the right containers and hangers, I will be organized.
• If I have the right suitcase, I'll be more adventurous and see the world.
• If I have a bigger table, I will entertain more often and have more friends.
• If I wear the right workout clothes, I'll go to the gym on a regular basis and get six-pack abs.
• Myth #2 Pain- Avoidance Ownership: When we buy things to make ourselves feel better.
• Boredom: "There's nothing to do today, so let's go to the mall."
• Distractions/Procrastination: Instead of decluttering, you go to a container store and buy more stuff for storing your stuff.
• Guilt: Spending time with people you love doesn't have to cost anything.
• Myth #3 Just-in-Case ownership:
• I'm keeping this just in case ______." Articulate what you  think might happen. When you realize that you have been holding on to things for the wrong reasons, it will be easier to let go.
• The just in case excuse for holding on is a messy combination of fear and procrastination. We hold on because we aren't quite ready to let go but we rarely use or enjoy the just in case stuff that we keep.
• Shopping away the pain
• Numbing: "We cannot selectively numb emotions; when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions."
• This new mind-set has not only saved me money, it's expanded my capacity to care for others and to find gratitude in the simplest things.
• Is this love
• I didn't have a goal in mind of how much I wanted to get rid of, but my plan was to just keep going until what was left was only what I used or enjoyed. That meant letting go of the "just in case," the "I spent so much on that," the "but someone who loves me gave me that," and even the sentimental stuff, the stuff I had saved since I was old enough to save things.
• Reset to zero
• At least once a week, reset to zero. Wash every dish, laundry, anything scattered on the floor is picked up and put in it's proper place, every surface is cleared of clutter,, and the entire house is at it's resting state. Email inbox is zeroed (every message is either deleted or acted upon and archived).
• The magic of letting go
• We may each hold on to different items, but we experience a similar struggle in terms of the hold our things have on us. When letting go, it helps to start with the easy stuff like duplicates, and things you know you won't miss---strengthening your decluttering muscles
• Dave Ramsey states that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and 90% are buying things they cannot afford.
• It is ingrained in us to believe that success and growth are tied to bigger and better, so a choice to live in a smaller space and live with less brings up questions. It's interesting how we make assumptions about people based on what they own.
• Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less suggests 'Your home is a living space, not a storage space." Moving into a smaller space you may begin to notice
• Clutter attracts clutter
• Less is not nothing
• You don't have to fill up all the space
• Less indoor space provides more time to appreciate the outdoor space
• When you need to buy things for your things, it's time for fewer things
• Clutter is more obvious (living in a sprawling space, clutter is easier to ignore; in a small space, clutter demands immediate attention)
• It's easier to live in the world when you live in a small space
• The things that make a place feel like home aren't things
• Making space: Action Steps
• Choose your myth
• Identify your pain
• Take care (trade shopping for self-care)
• Try a purchase pause
• Call a stop to shopping for all nonessential items for the next thirty days. Write down everything you want to buy or consider buying and how much each thing costs. At the end of thirty days, add up the money you didn't spend. Ask yourself:
• Is there anything on the list I still want as much as I thought i did?
• If someone handed me the total amount of my fake purchases in cash, would I use it to buy all the things on the list, or use it for something else?
• Return it. If you purchased something recently that you don't use or feel bad about buying, return it.
• Let go of something expensive.
• Get rid of everything that doesn't matter.
• Hide it.
• Have fun with your family and hide something you are considering getting rid of. Don't tell them it is hidden, but box it up and put away for 60 days.
• Let the guilt flow.
• Save $1,000, if you don't have an emergency fund yet, start one with $1,000.
• Redefine success
• Share your story
• Host a simplicity summit
• Consider a smaller space.
• I used my busyness as a sign that I was important, needed, and really good at doing it all.
• It is not just saying no and freeing up time, but slowing down the clock by moving through the day with more attention and intention.
• A meaningful morning routine
• If you'd like to create a meaningful morning routine, use habit stacking.
• Build your routine slowly, habit by habit and minute by minute. Such as wake up, take a shower, use shampoo, then conditioner, dry off, and get dressed.
• Habit stacking gives you the momentum to build multiple habits simultaneously. Each habit triggers and supports the one to follow.
• I have to remind myself that no one cares about what's on my to-do list or how busy I am, or even how much I got done yesterday. What I do is not who I am.
• When your plate is full, you have three choices:
• Worry about everything on your plate, and complain about how crazy busy you are.
• Remove something from your plate to make room for something that matters more.
• Recognize your plate is full and say no to everything else so you can enjoy and engage in what is right in front of you.
• The Busy-Boycott--A 21 day Challenge to Help you Slow Down
• Stop talking about it
• Let's stop telling each other how busy we are. Perhaps, if we can physically remove the word busy from the conversation, we can stop thinking about it so much. Ban the word "busy" from your vocabulary.
• Avoid hearing the word busy by asking better questions. Instead of "How are you?" try "What made you smile today?"
• Do Less
• Every day, eliminate one thing from your calendar or to-do list. Don't postpone it, let it go.
• Linger longer
• Slowing down supports your commitment to create and protect your newfound time and space.
• Instead of saying "I don't have time" try saying "it's not a priority" and see how that feels.
• The real problem was me. I became my work instead of choosing work that becomes me.
• A Gentle Warrior's Manifesto to End Busyness
• I will not say yes when my heart says no.
• I will measure more by what's in my heart and less by what's on my list.
• I will prioritize love and health.
• I will ask for help.
• I will work with people who want my best, not my busiest.
• I will ask better questions, so we don't have to talk about how busy we are.
• I will not let my phone run my life.
• Phones were designed for connection, but the more our phones can do, the less connected we seem to be.
• I will trade my FOMO for JOMO
• Fear of missing out to joy of missing out.
• I will create space for solitude
• Without solitude, I feel depleted. Without quiet, I become overwhelmed and grouchy.
• I will linger longer.
• Sabbath
• We are weary because we do not rest. Weekends have become more about catching up, running errands, and planning for the next week than about resting and enjoying the day.
• How to create your own sabbath
• Schedule your sabbath. Put it on your calendar and make it important.
• Tell the world: tell everyone that you will not be available.
• Take a Sabbath eve. On the night before your planned day off, skip the heavy meal and alcohol. Go to bed early so you can wake up feeling peaceful and relaxed.
• The Art of No-ing
• Be grateful and graceful while saying no
• Be grateful for the invitation, respectful of the time and courage it may have taken someone to ask, and graceful and loving when you decline.
• Be clear
• Saying "let me think about it" is often a delaying tactic. When you know it's a no, say no.
• Keep it short. 
• No is a complete sentence.
• "No thank you. I appreciate you thinking of me, but i have another commitment."
• Making time: Action Steps
• Create a 5-minute morning routine
• Grow your morning routine with habit stacking
• Apply a joyful discipline
• Choose what goes on your plate
• Boycott busy
• Choose work that becomes you
• Become a gentle warrior
• Put your phone down.
• Hope, light, and freedom were all wonderful side effects of simplicity. Simplicity will transform your closet, your kitchen cabinets and all the spaces in your life.
• Trying to convince others
• It's not up to us to tell others what's important to them. 
• We can have conversations and make recommendations, but we can't tell other people what they should keep or let go of, and only you can decide what matters most to you among your objects.
• Letting go of stuff has given me the space to care even more about people. By creating a soulful simplicity, I don't need sentimental items to be a sentimental person. 
• The Victory Lap (save sentimental things for last)
• Strengthen your ability to let go
• Build strength by letting go of the easier stuff: clothing, kitchen duplicates, furniture.
• Tell the story of your stuff
• Take pictures of your sentimental items or write down the reason you saved them.
• Take a victory lap
• The process of giving each item one last intentional, loving use. For instance, wearing my grandmother's dress to Thanksgiving dinner. Then I mentally thank that item for the role it played in my life, remind myself that an object is not a relationship and tuck it lovingly into the donation pile.
• A Simple Life is not the end goal
• When I decided to quit stress as a way to heal, I didn't plan to simplify my life. Simplicity wasn't the plan. There was no plan. All I wanted to do was to get better. It started with a small change to my diet. Once the diet felt like the new normal, I moved on to the next sources of stress: clutter, then debt.
• Before simplifying further, think about what you really want out of this life of yours. Is this the time to simplify more, or is this the time to depend a connection with someone you love? Perhaps it is simply time to rest.
• Simplifying with the goal of become as simple as possible will prove to be as empty as changing your diet to be as skinny as possible.
• Simplicity may start in your closet. At first, the focus is on sorting and donating clothes, but after a while, your lighter wardrobe attracts more compliments, less decision fatigue, and the happy realization that you are wearing your favorite clothes every day.

Resources Discussed in Soulful Simplicity:

Whole30 Challenge

Headspace app

Book: Your Monety or Your Life

Book:The Joy of Less

Book: The Sleep Revolution

Podcast: The Slow Home

Tiny Wardrobe Tour (living and dressing with less)

Blogger list at bemorewithless/soulful-simplicity-resources

Zen Habits blog (slow-habit inspiration)

Book: You Can Buy Happiness and It's Cheap

Book: How to Live a Good Life: Soulful Stories, Surprising Science, and Practical Wisdoms

Book: The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less

Blog: Be more with less

Items I decluttered this round:

• Clothing
• 4 pairs of pants (legging, sweatpant, and 2 slacks)
• T-shirt and shirt
• Chanel purse
• 1 shoe (goodbye Five Fingers)
• Accessories
• Scarf, 2 bracelets, 1 pendant, 1 charm, 2 headbands, and 1 necklace chain
• DVDs: 29 movies and 10 TV series
• Misc: coffee cup, 2 books, 2 magnets, 1 keychain, 2 hangers, 2 eclipse glasses

Hike-a-Thon

Are you looking for a way to make your hiking go the extra mile this summer? Join Hike-a-Thon. This is Washington Trails Association's 15th Annual Hike-a-Thon brings together hikers from all across the state to hike, advocate and raise money for our trails.

Here's what you need to know:

• Registration is open now. The $20 fee includes a Hika-a-Thon T-shirt, fundraising webpage, and access to awards, and weekly raffles. Once you register, you can begin collecting donations.
• The hiking part of Hike-a-Thon runs August 1-31st. Any hiking you do on named trails will count towards your hiking goal.
• There are plenty of prizes to go around for "most trip reports," and "most miles hiked"
• Doing a little goes a long way. Every Hike-a-Thoner's contribution on and off trail, big and small, all combined to create great results. You will be a part of the vibrant and dedicated Hike-a-Thon community making a difference for our trails.

In 2017, Hike-a-Thoners hiked 14,261 miles, climbed 2 million feet of elevation and raised more than $136,000 to help hikers and trails.

To Register: https://give.wta.org/event/15th-annual-hike-a-thon/e167745

https://give.wta.org/event/15th-annual-hike-a-thon/e167745

My Hike-a-Thon Goals:

1. Complete 10 Hikes from August 1st-31st
2. Hike 120 Miles
3. Write a Trip Report for each hike on the WTA website
4. Take many beautiful photos

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

I just finished reading the book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter. The author is an 80-100 year old woman, who has recently lost her husband, and decided she wanted to sort her belongings, so after she died, her children and grandchildren wouldn't have to devote so much time, money, and emotion in decluttering a lifetime of belongings. Even if you are not an older adult, there is some helpful advice that we can implement instantly, or cherish for a later time in your life. Below are some of the statements to aid you in decluttering and possibly guard you from accumulating more things.

• Death Cleaning is Not Sad
• It is a term that means that you remove unnecessary things and make your home nice and orderly when you think the time is coming closer for you to leave the planet.
• It is important because if accomplish it, it can save precious time for our loved ones after we are gone.
• It's a term that is used when you or someone else does a good, thorough cleaning and gets rid of things to make life easier and less crowded.
• It is rewarding to spend time with these objects one last time and then dispose of them. Each item has its own history, and remembering that history is often enjoyable.
• Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is about a permanent form of organization that makes your everyday life run more smoothly.
• Going through all your old belongings, remembering when you used them last, and hopefully saying good-bye to several of them is very difficult for many of us. People tend to hoard rather than throw away.
• How to begin
• The more time you spend going through your belongings, the easier it will be for you to decide what to keep and what not to.
• Start by checking the basement or the attic.
• Don't start with photographs--or letters and personal papers.
• In general, when death cleaning, size really matters. Start with the large items in your home, and finish with the small.
• What to Keep and What Not To
• The intention is not that we should remove things that make our lives pleasant and more comfortable, but if you can't keep track of your things, then you know you have too many.
• Low-maintenance closet: the point is not the amount of clothing that makes a person well-dressed. It is all about choosing clothing carefully and then organizing it well.
• Being organized means that all things have a place of their own.
• Giving everything a place and you won't feel angry, irritated, or desperate when leaving the house.
• Getting a Second Opinion
• If you decide to downsize your home on your own, you may want to talk to someone about it, someone who isn't family, and doesn't have a sentimental connection to the times you want to get rid of.
• Do not forget to write down a list of all the things you want their advice about.
• After each room is done, you should take a well-deserved break.
• Death Cleaning On Your Own
• Men tend to save most things rather than throw them away. That goes for even the smallest nuts and bolts. They think, and rightly so sometimes, that every little things will be useful at some later occasion.
• How to Discuss the Topic of Death Cleaning
• We can more easily say to parents or anyone, really "What are you going to do with all your things when you do not have the strength for or the interest in taking care of them anymore?"
• Following questions:
• You have many nice things, have you thought about what you want to do with it all later on?
• Do you enjoy having all this stuff?
• Could life be easier and less tiring if we got rid of some of this stuff that you have collected over the years?
• Is there anything we can do together in a slow way so that there won't be too many things to handle later?
• A loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you. Not all things from you.
• Did the Vikings Know the Real Secret to Death Cleaning
• When Vikings buried their relatives, they also buried many objects together with their body. This was to be sure that the dead would not miss anything in their new environment, and the family members who remained would not become obsessed with spirits of the dead and constantly be reminded of them because of their possessions.
• Don't Forget Yourself
• If you decide to downsize your home, it is a good thing to not be in a hurry.
• When you remember the money you are saving by doing it yourself, it will really make you feel that the work you are doing is worth it.
• Another benefit of death cleaning: thinking more about how to reuse, recycle, and make your life simpler and a bit smaller. Living smaller is a relief.
• You can enjoy things without owning them.
• Cookbooks and Family Recipes
• Most of the recipes have been slowly thrown away, the time-consuming ones for cakes.
• Unwanted Things
• If you receive things you don't really want from your parents or someone else who wants to reduce the number of their possessions in their home, you should be honest and say, "No thank you, I don't have room for this."
• Just moving things someone does not want in their house to your house is not a good solution for anyone.
• To be grateful and happy for a present when you first receive it is something different, because that gratitude is not connected to the thing itself but to the giver who gave it to you.
• A fulskap (Swedish term for cabinet for the ugly) is a cupboard full of gifts you can't stand to look at, and which are impossible to regift.
• The Throw Away Box
• "Throw Away" box is for small things that are just valuable to you, as they remind you of special days and happenings.
• It is very important that you do not choose a huge box, a shoe box should do.
• Death cleaning is as Much (or more) For You as For the People Who Come After
• It is a delight to go through things and remember their worth. And if you don't remember why a thing has meaning or why you kept it, it has no worth, and it will be easier for you to part with.
• So if you do not have children of your own, you still have a duty to sort out your life. Go through your items, remember them, give them away.
• Going through letters is a very time-consuming--you will get stuck in old memories and perhaps dream yourself back to old times.
• The more you focus on cleaning, the braver you can become. You may ask yourself, Will anyone I know be happier if I have this? If after a moment of reflection I can honestly answer no, then it goes in the hungry shredder.

For me, my minimalist journey has been a slower process than others. I have really made sure to cherish, enjoy, and honor items that I get rid of. The quickest way is not always the best way, so if you have the time, go at your own pace, and continue to revisit your possessions periodically. One category that I constantly revisit, are the DVDs that I own. I continue to watch movies and tv shows that I own. I have realized that the movies just do not bring the same enjoyment and entertainment level that they once did. Especially with online streaming, I have realized if I don't make a conscious effort to watch something I own, I most likely do not rewatch them. 

One of the things that has been helpful for me, as I have been decluttering, is as soon as I identify something I no longer want, I put it in a bag (either consignment, Goodwill, or trash), and then after those bags become full, I take them to the designated place. 

Good luck as you ponder about your future, and the things you want to be left behind, and be remember by!

• This round of decluttering, I got rid of: 
• 4 tote bags
• 21 DVD movies
• 5 TV Series on DVD
• 2 headbands
• 2 gloves
• 1 Ugg Earmuffs
• 3 scarves
• 1 hat
• 1 dress
• 8 pairs of socks
• 1 magnet
• 1 booklight
• 1 pair of headphones
• 1 shotglass

Spring Cleaning

Once the snow begins melting and the sun starts shinning, many people participate in the ritual of spring cleaning, which is associated with heavy duty cleaning and/or organizing. Everyone has their own reasons why they implement spring cleaning in their annual cleaning, for me, this year, it was another round of evaluating what items still bring value and joy to my life...the continued process of being a minimalist. Spring cleaning is one of the few times I actually dust my apartment (dusting is such a pointless chore in my opinion). Upon the conclusion of the process, it amazed me the level of comfort and sense of accomplishment that I feel, in essence, spring cleaning improved my wellness.

If someone was to ask you "What makes you anxious?" You might respond: traffic, bills, deadlines, family, etc; but would you reply clutter? I recently read an article that stated that there's proof that clutter causes anxiety. "Clutter also makes us unfocused, and sends messages to our brains that our work is 'never done.' Additionally, it hinders us from creativity and productivity by 'invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brainstorm, and problem solve." What can you remove from your life that would add creativity and productivity back to your life?

In efforts to cope with stressors in my life, this was the haul that I found new homes for in my spring cleaning endeavor:

• 26 DVDs and 10 TV series
• Clothing: 9 shirts, 5 pants, and one pair of boots
• Accessories: 9 scarves, 2 wallets, 2 purses, and 1 headband
• Jewelry: 3 necklaces, 4 pair of earrings, and 1 charm
• Miscellaneous items: 3 picture frames, 2 video games, 1 hole puncher, 5 bowls, and 1 shot glass

Sometimes the Answer is to Downsize

I became serious about simplifying my life when I realized I owned too much. I have been keeping things that I love and that are purposeful, and this has resulted in appreciating more, spending more time with people that matter, and being less attached to my belongings. Most recently, I decluttered a lot of jewelry, and my large jewelry box was taking up too much space and was mostly empty. Therefore, I donated my old jewelry box and purchased a smaller one. 

I'd rather have extra space and extra time than extra stuff.

As you look around your home and/or car, are there containers that are taking up unnecessary space? Start by just tackling one room. I started with just one item; my jewelry box. As you can see in the two below photos, not only is the new box taking up less surface area, but now it fits in a drawer instead of needing a shelf. Simplicity at the best.

Pondering Donating or Trashing...Your Unwanted Items May Be Reusable!

In the past couple of months, I have completed two more decluttering purges. I accumulated all items, and then divvy them up to their new home (i.e. trash, Goodwill, consignment store, etc). As I am ridding items from my apartment, I try really hard to prevent unwanted items from ending up in a landfill with researching if they could be recycled or reused. As you are mulling over items in your life and home, here are some possible locations you can donate your unwanted items:

• Unwanted Toiletries 
• Unopened travel-sized shampoos you've collected during your travels (shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shaving cream) are welcomed donation items at homeless and women shelters
• Or maybe you have decided you really don't like a face wash after you've used it a few times. Posting a photo of what you're looking to toss on social media; what you no longer want might turn out to be a friends favorite product.
• Worn-out bedding and towels
• These well-used items can take up a lot of room in your closet. The best place to give them a second life is an animal shelter or vet's office.
• Spare Hangers
• Unwanted hangers take up lot of space .If your closet is overflowing with metal ones from the dry cleaner, take them back to the cleaners--most have collection bins right inside the door.
• Spices and spice packets
• You might not notice this, but there are manufacturing codes on the bottle packaging of your store-bought spices. Most spice producers have an online feature where you can check the frseshness of your specifc container using the code. This will help you determine wheter it's time to throw out the contents and recyle the bottles. Only repurchase spices as you need them
• Cookbooks
• Are you keeping a cookbook around because you love a single recipe in it? Photocopy or photograph the recipe and donate the book to your library or favorite bookstore. The Seattle Public Library has a Cookbook Sale annually, and then also quarterly booksales throughout the year.
• Glasses
• Old glass frames, with or without prescription lenses, might be cluttering up your drawer or nightstand. If your eye doctors office doesn't participate in a recycling program, stores like Target, Walmart, PCC will gladly take them.
• Outdoor equipment
• Biking, camping, and sports equipment are bulky and likely to be quite expensive. If they are in good condition, bring them to a consignment shop. A local scouting troop might be open to donations.
• Formal Wear
• Evening gowns, tuxedos, dress shoes, and rhinestone jewelry take up tons of space and has very little everyday use. Approach the theater department at your local high school to take them off your hands.
• Framed artwork
• Is there artwork on your walls that no longer interest you? Try selling on craigslist. Contact your local library, many libraries have artwork loans where you can check out works of wart, just like books, and they accept donations to their collections.
• Product Packaging
• unless you plan on reselling certain electronics you purchase (have the original packaging increases the items worth), your product packiaging should always be recycled. Collecting cardboard is a fire hazard and takes up a lot of space unnecessarily .

Many books and DVDs were donated. Also, since I have completed digitalized all my music, their empty cases were donated. In this photo, there are also many clothes, unused board games, and empty photo albums (photos are being scanned and digitalized as well). The reality is that I spend 30 seconds on my hair routine, and so goodbye hair dryer and straightener.

Empty CD cases, a wireless keyboard that I haven't used in six years, board games (yes, I finally parted with Friends Scene It).

I received a Nespresso for Christmas, so I decluttered my Keurig and all of it's accessories. And yes, the Nespresso provides superior, convenient, on-touch coffee.

This expanded file folder held all the places I want to travel. It included maps, magazines, and brochures. All of these items have now been scanned, and are saved on a hard drive to reference on adventures.

I have begun parting with designer purses that I no longer utilize. These items were sold at a consignment, and I have utilized the money earned from them into new adventures and vacations...cha-ching!

Clothes that I was able to sell at a consignment store.

Kitchen items, empty photo albums, books, dvds (mostly TV series), clothes, and pillows.

When Your Daughter Is A Minimalist....This Could Happen

My parents began decluttering their massive home, and the initial results filled up an entire moving truck. No, they are not physically moving; but rather, they are moving things that no longer provide a purpose or joy to their lives. Being in Missouri for two weeks during the holidays allowed me to help my parents with moving items down three flights of stairs in some instances. As a person that avoids upper body exercise, I met my quota of strengthening for the whole year. Also, my parents stated that it was encouraging and motivating to have me there to assist them delving into truly what items add value to their lives.

So how did my parents execute the daunting task of sorting through years of accumulating and storing items that belong to themselves and others (including their granddaughter, children, grandparents, great grandparents, and other relatives)? That is over FIVE generations of stuff taking up space, collecting dust, and being unused! My parents still have the goal of downsizing to a smaller house, so they realize the reality of taking everything with them is unrealistic, and thus begins their journey towards their new goal.

My parents were initially thinking of participating in the city-wide garage sale that occurs in the spring, but after evaluating the time and effort to do so, they decided that donating the items was the most practical option for them. Their local Goodwill will come and pick up donations if there are at least three big items (usually furniture). My parents donated seven large items; therefore, Goodwill also took their boxes and containers of unwanted stuff.  The truck was emptied when it arrived, and was full when it left. After the truck departed, we came across a few more items that were meant to be donated, so we dropped them off to the store ourselves. It was fulfilling to see many of the items from our home were already out in the store for purchase; things that we were no longer using were finding new homes and not ending up in the salvage yard. Remember to find ways of reusing and repurposing when decluttering when possible and appropriate!

Decluttering the House

• Games/Puzzles: there are so many games/puzzles we no longer play or have outgrown; in addition, there were many card games that were missing cards.
• Books/Magazines: there were so many childhood books that were donated; some were recycled, such as the collection of TV Guides and Disney Adventures.
• Furniture: there are many pieces of furniture that are not utilized in my parent's; the ones that were donated were those that have been deemed uncomfortable.
• Kitchen items: my parents use to own a restaurant, and they have kept many shelving units and dishes that were utilized there. My parents also had many dish sets, and so they ended up donated all sets except for one; which freed up a lot of kitchen cabinet space.
• Baskets: I couldn't believe the number of baskets (various sizes) that my parents possessed.
• Children clothes: my mother kept almost all my baby clothes; although it was immensely nostalgic to go through them, I decluttered many of them.
• Holiday decorations: my mother loves to decorate for the holidays, but she is expending less energy and time into this tradition, so there were many items she was able to donate.
• Pictures and frames: my parents have accumulated many framed pictures that no longer pertains to their tastes and removed them from the walls and storage.
• Niece's toys and belongs: My niece is now a teenager and no longer plays or utilizes many of her things at my parent's house. She went through her things, and kept those that she was unable to get rid of yet.

Dish sets and random dishes

This shows about 60% that was donated

Old luggage, stuffed animals, games, and the couch were donated

Puzzles, games, stuffed animals, books, and videos

Dish sets that are not used and wedding crystal

The items that my niece donated

Figurines that I had received over the years of my childhood.

Stuffed animals that were donated

We recycled this box of old TV guide books

We filled up this entire truck of things that we decluttered.