I don't think I've mentioned this and I should have done it before now, but Knitty Gritty Thoughts is working on simplifying her life and encouraging others to do so, too. She has been posting lots of links, book sources, etc. and it's really been helpful. For February, she challenged her readers to pick five things to trash and five things to donate - each day in February! While I haven't been doing it each day, I have been making progress.
And it's not nearly as painful as I thought and makes me feel better. Here's what I got rid of today:
Trash
Sweat pants, mismatched socks, ratty shorts
Donate:
Two garbage bags of clothes, a little table, two large wooden shelves, hangers, a decoration, shoes, and purses
What can you trash or donate today? Maybe we should race to see who can purge the most belongings. :)
what a great idea!
Posted by: Mary | February 25, 2011 at 07:15 AM
last weekend i took a car load (including the trunk) of stuff to good will (literaly only room left was the front seat. while i was purging i found a wedgewood china veg. bowl i hadn't seen in almost 6 years-i was thrilled to find it. also, cleared out my desk of papers and other bits i'd been saving out of magazines. i also gave away to a teacher friend tons of containers, stickers, paper, and other crafty bits-i like to do this about every 4 months.
Posted by: lydia | February 25, 2011 at 07:27 AM
I'm away so there will be no donating for me but I wish I had brought some fiber with me to donate to someone else. I have some that I know I'll never spin.
Posted by: Carole | February 25, 2011 at 09:13 AM
Yea! Pick 5! Thanks so much for mentioning it - glad you're simple living challenge-alonging with me! :)
Posted by: keri | February 25, 2011 at 04:07 PM
That's a great idea! I've been also thinking lately that I should nip the problem in the bud by not acquiring things that I am likely to trash or donate. Yesterday, I was in the lys to buy a knitting needle in a size I did not have. I walked around the shop and was tempted by so many things that I wanted but did not need. Thankfully I was able to get away with buying only my needles :)
Posted by: erin | February 25, 2011 at 09:18 PM
Oh I'm taking of this. Have been been cleaning out the room we call "the junk room" for the last two Saturdays. Have made a trip to donate and dump both days. Will finish this weekend.It will be nice to walk into that room without feeling closed in by all the "stuff" we thought we needed to keep.
Posted by: Leslie | February 26, 2011 at 08:09 AM
Sigh.
I so need to do this. I try to always keep a box by the door of stuff to donate. Whenever I find something my kids (or I) can live without, I put it in there. But there's *so* much left to organize and clear out, it's sad.
Posted by: greetingarts | February 28, 2011 at 09:08 PM