6 February Mission - Day 36

It's back into the kitchen today ...

Which appliances do you have but you don't use often enough to justify the space they take? Juicer? blender? bread maker? sandwich toaster? ice cream maker? deep fat fryer? steamer? food mixer? popcorn maker? food processor? coffee maker? slow cooker? microwave? toaster? spare kettle? TV?

Have a look and see what you can live without - unless your kitchen is huge, there's never enough room for all of these things, and having them out on the counter just makes them look cluttered and your kitchen even smaller.

A good place to get rid of electricals is Freegle (or Craig's List, if you are in the USA) - hopefully, it will go to someone who will use whatever you don't!

5 February Mission - Day 35

Today's challenge is to sort through your books - you don't have to do them all, just one shelf at a time. ..

Are there books you've read, liked, but haven't re-read?
Are there books you've started, got bored with, and don't feel motivated to finish?
Are there books you've bought, and wonder why?
Are there reference books that are out of date, or refer to interests you've had, or courses you've done but are no longer relevant?
Are there books you've "out grown" as your tastes have changed?

It's time to move them on.

Some of my favourite ways of doing this (links go to my homepage if I'm on the site)

Bookmooch

ReadItSwapIt (although of course, you get one book back for every one you swap - but it does mean you don't buy any more books!)

GreenMetropolis (sell your books, and plant trees too!) (I'm lindenbooks there)

and of course, Bookcrossing

Other places to give your books away:

Freegle

Your local hospital, school or playgroup (our library has a collection point for books to be donated to our hospitals)

Charity shop (although some are picky, and ditch many donations - anecdotally, Oxfam are prone to this)


(If you want to know, I've got over 400 books I'm going to be getting rid of ...)

4 February Mission - Day 34

Bags, bags, bags ... we've sorted out the plastic type, now I'm moving the attention to any others we have - handbags, back packs, overnight bags, suitcases ... I've got four rucksacks and yet I hardly ever go out walking these days ... I keep them around "just in case" but "just in case" of what?

It's the same with other travel stuff - but that's a mission for another day...

Get rid of the ones you don't use, the ones you don't like, the ones that might let you down as you go through the station/airport/down the street, the ones that hold too much/too little ...

Have fun!

3 February Mission - Day 33

Hopefully this is a challenge for everyone today :o)

I know I work better when I have clear space around me, and when the things I need are to hand, and easily found.

So, today's task is to clear the surface of your desk - whether that be at work, or home - and find a home for all those papers, pens, stray mugs etc.

If you're feeling very brave, you can declutter the drawers as well.

2 February Mission - Day 32

For those of us with little furry friends - have you noticed how much stuff they can accumulate? Spare water bottles, packets of snack treats they don't like, old towels and blankets, toys, carriers, leads, shampoos ... the list goes on and on!

Today's challenge is to sort out the clutter - it would be better if you didn't give away your pets ;o)

If you don't have animals - spend a little time decluttering something related to a hobby of yours.

Have fun!

1 February Mission - Day 31

You might have done this one before, but it's something that needs doing regularly :o)

Go through the fridge and chuck out anything that's out of date, or you've tried and just don't like! And while you're in there, give the shelves a wipe :o)

31 January Mission - Day 30

Hopefully, you've been putting items in the 'keep for now' and 'giveaway' boxes. Today's the day to do something about them!

The first one to deal with is the 'keep for now' box. This contains all those little orphan items that you want to keep but don't have a home for. Now there's less clutter about, it should be easier for you to find homes for these things - so put them away! Or you may have realised you don't really need the item after all - so bin it or put it in the giveaway box.

The giveaway box should also see some action - take the items in them to the appropriate place or person, be it in person or via mail or any other method ... list the items on Freegle or Craig's List for example.

Ideally, your boxes should be empty for the start of the new month!

30 January Mission - Day 29

A very simple mission today:

Clear off all the magnets, post its, postcards and artwork stuck to the front of the fridge and freezer. It will actually make your kitchen look neater and tidier in one fell swoop!

29 January Mission - Day 28

Today's challenge is to clear and tidy your computer desk. Corral those pens, shred that paper, take that mug back to the kitchen.

Wipe your desk, keyboard and monitor too, and give your printer and stuff a quick dust.

Let us know how you get on with this challenge - with pictures if you dare!

28 January Mission - Day 27

Just like food, make up has a shelf life. And it's not a marketing ploy by the cosmetics companies either, otherwise they wouldn't bother putting any preservatives at all in their stuff ;o) Most makeup contains some form of oil, and in time, all oils go rancid - yuck! And that's without all the bacteria transferred to makeup from your skin and applicators - some of them ae the good bacteria that protect your skin, of course, but in excess they can do some harm to your makeup. And some bacteria are the ones that cause spots and break outs - do you really want to be putting them back on your skin?

A few rules of thumb to help you decide what to keep and what to bin:

• if it smells funny - or worse, tastes funny (lipsticks and lip balms) it's  gone off and should be trashed
  
• if it has changed texture - foundations, creams, nail polishes etc -  it's past it's best and should be thrown away. I don't care if you can't get that colour anymore! There's probably a reason for that - it's no longer the fashion, and you'll look dated if you wear it :o)
• if you can't remember when you bought it - it's probably longer than the recommended shelf life
• if you remember wearing this item five years ago - throw it out!
• if you haven't used the item in the last year, it should probably go, too.

Here are some basic guidelines for the shelf life of cosmetics:

• Cream or Compact Foundation: 18 months
• Liquid foundation: 1 year
• Concealer: 12-18 months
• Powder: 2 years
• Blush and Bronzer: 2 years
• Cream Blush: 12-18 months
• Powder Eyeshadow: 2 years
• Cream  Eyeshadow: 12-18 months
• Pencil Eyeliner: 2 years
• Liquid eyeliner: 3-6 months
• Mascara: 3 months (eyes are a breeding ground for bacteria, and also eyes are quite susceptible to infections. Always throw your mascara out if you've had an attack of conjunctivitis, for example)
• Lipstick: 2 years
• Lip liner: 2 years
• Lip gloss: 18-24 months
• Nail polish: 1 year

Some toiletries and makeup have little icons of an open jar or bottle on them, and a number afterwards - this is the expected shelf life after opening. Pay attention to them!

Toiletries and cosmetics from "natural" suppliers such as Lush have a much shorter shelf life, as they don't have so many preservatives in them (if any). I know Lush have Best Before dates on their stuff, and I haven't yet had any problems with exceeding them, but ...

Other things you might like to do:

• buy a new toothbrush, or change the head on your electric one
• wash your make up bag, or replace it
• wash your make up brushes and sponges
• replace your bath sponges/scrubs

27 January Mission - Day 26

Declutter your handbag/man bag/backpack/lunch bag!

Stop carrying around so much stuff you're lop sided, and cut it back to what you really need - and not just what you think ymight come in handy :o)

You can also sort through your wallet/purse and give that a tidy, too!

26 January Mission - Day 25

Today's challenge is a free choice - do whatever is calling you loudest, or causing the most friction with those you live with, or what you are feeling most guilty about, or what you are most worried about - be that clutter, a task to do, a situation you are in, or whatever.

Good luck - and share your achievements with us!

25 January Mission - Day 24

The other day, we went after our socks - today, it's knickers and bras!

How many pairs do you really need? What's the longest holiday you take? Count the number of days, then add a couple of pairs either side for the days before and after and see if that reduces the pile :o)

Do try and get rid of the holey ones, the grubby ones, the uncomfortable "every other pair is in the laundry" ones, the ones with sagging elastic, the ones your mother would have hated you to be wearing if you were knocked down by a bus... LOL

Ladies, you can do the same with your bras :o)

The bonus challenge after completing this is (for the ladies, again) to get yourself fitted properly for a bra, with a reliable fitter. I'm lucky in that I have an independent lingerie shop 2 minutes away, and the fitters are excellent. Wearing the right size bra took off 7 pounds from my appearance, and boosted my confidence no end (as well as boosting my assets!). When you know your proper size, come back and finishing decluttering your drawer of all the wrong size bras!

24 January Mission - Day 23

Today, we're delving into the laundry and ironing! I've come up with a series of (mostly) small tasks for you to 'pick and mix' from - let us know how you get on!

Suggestions:

• declog the lint filter on your tumble drier (if you have one) and also clean off any residue from those tumble drier sheets (if you use them)
• declog the powder dispenser on your washing machine
• descale your iron if you need to
  
• get rid of any empty detergent and conditioner containers. Combine those dregs, if necessary. (Why do I have two half used Febreze sprays?)
  
• if you've got a washing line and pegs, go through the pegs and throw away the ones with broken springs, dodgy teeth etc.
• gather all the stain removers and detergents etc and put them in a basket together. It might also be useful to put a small sewing kit in there too, to fix loose buttons on etc.
• set to and fix any clothes you identified as needing work from your wardrobe declutter
• go through your ironing pile and if there's anything there that's been hanging around for weeks - well, do you really need it?
• if you're feeling really brave, tackle the ironing and *put it away*.
  

Have fun!

23 January Mission - Day 22

If you've done one of the previous challenges, your computer should be looking pretty tidy, and backed up.

But, what about externally? I'm not just talking about your desk (I'm saving that for another day...) but do you have a box (or several) with various computer bits in? I'm talking cables for printers you no longer have (or even printers you no longer use!), modems, speakers, dead mice (of the electronic kind...), boxes and packaging for bits of kit you got rid of, mouse mats advertising products you don't use ... etc etc etc! Games consoles also fall into this category, and inefficient storage systems (like floppy discs).

Go to it, and get it sorted.

Now, most charity shops won't accept electrical equipment, and you don't want to cause a pile of waste like in the picture, so try to recycle these bits where you can. If you haven't joined already, Freegle is a good place to get rid of stuff you don't need, and there are numerous projects which refurb old computers to pass onto a good cause - Mr Google is your friend :o)

22 January Mission - Day 21

Today's declutter task is a bit of a mental declutter, really.

If you're anything like me, you have a to-do list, which never really ends. And, like me, you've probably got stuff on it from 2009! So, today's task is to do as least one item still on your list from 2009 - it can be as small or as large as you like!

If you don't have a list, then pick one area in your home which needs a little extra help on the decluttering front and spend half an hour or so with it!

21 January Mission - Day 20

I hope you're not driving around with as much stuff as this guy :o)

Today's challenge is to declutter your car! Get rid of all the trash you have in there - on the floor, in the glove box, in the boot (trunk for our transatlantic friends!). Look at any mascots or doodads you have - do you really need them? Do you even see them these days? Do you have a "baby on board" sticker when your kid is old enough to order a drink in a bar? What about tapes and CDs - are they laying around unorganised? Are any maps you carry reasonably up to date (ie published this century?). Is your side window covered in car park tickets?

As a bonus, you might also want to:

• check the oil and water levels, and the screen wash
  
• add antifreeze
• check the tyre pressure (properly inflated tyres reduce fuel consumption)
• fill up on fuel while you're not in a rush to go anywhere
• check the safety/seasonal equipment - first aid kit, red triangle, shovel, blanket etc

20 January Mission - Day 19

Anyway, today's challenge is deal with your socks!

Match up the ones you have, chuck the ones that have holes, dodgy elastic or no mates - also the ones that are grubby, uncomfortable, tacky  or don't go with your stuff.

 This I think is a "throw away" challenge - the tips I could find on recycling socks seemed to focus on using them as dusters, or pet toys, and future challenges will be to deal with clutter of both those kinds! LOL

19 January Mission - Day 18

This work of art was made using 2386 plastic carrier bags.

I wonder how many carrier bags each of us has stuffed in corners in our homes?

I'm pretty good at carrying a strong cotton bag when I go shopping, so I rarely take a carrier bag if it's offered. I've noticed supermarkets and the like are fine if you refuse a bag, but clothes shops and department store till workers still give you very strange looks, and ask "are you sure?" in a bewildered tone. My partner is now consistently using 'bags for life' - he likes the ones from Pets at Home - and as he does most of the shopping, our carrier bag stash is much smaller than previously!

As there's a limit to how many bags one can use as bin liners - I'm going to cull the bags down to four, so we can replace each bin bag once - lets get rid of carrier bags.

How to recycle bags

• One of the local charity shops (for the city's hospice) is happy to take used carrier bags, so that's where my stash will go.
• I'm really tempted to make shopping bags like this one or  this one. Aren't they great? I would say, if you do that, then as part of the task, make the "yarn" as part of this task today, that way the bags won't be hanging about...
• If you are into knitting rather than crochet, how about this bag or this one or even this one?
• Some supermarkets have put up recycling banks specifically for plastic bags.
  

Perhaps you can share your suggestions with the rest of us?

PS You might be tempted to keep a few bags back for the stuff you are going to be decluttering, but I don't do that. One of the charity shops gives out "life laundry" bags, clearly branded with their name and I use those, and make my partner aware, after one day, he put my carefully sorted donations in the bin, thinking they were trash...

18 January Mission - Day 17

Today's challenge might be quite tough, especially in a small place. This is where your 'keep for now but no home' box comes in...

Today's mission is to move anything in a room that doesn't belong to the room in which it does! This can be major items, or small stuff - your partner's shoes (my biggest bugbear), your kid's toys,  or even a piece of furniture. And if stuff doesn't fit where you think it "belongs" - think about what you can get rid of to make it fit! :o)

Good luck and have fun!