So,
I’m combining these two challenges this week, because I am already
incorporating these things into my life.
The
Week 23 ‘de-clutter your wardrobe’ challenge is pretty self-explanatory, and
something that I’ve been doing for a long time.
I
think I’ve touched on it before in a previous blog; if it’s over twelve months
old and I haven’t used it, it’s gone.
Deb’s
challenge for week 23 suggests going through things more thoroughly, and really
organising yourself. Here are the five
steps she suggests:
Sort ‘like with like’ so
you can clearly see what you own.
What
she means, is keep similar things together.
Keep the singles with singles, tee’s with tee’s, jeans with jeans and so
on. Now, to some people, this would
sound anal, but to me (who is anal), it makes perfect sense. Not only can you see what you actually own,
but you can fucken find things.
Get rid of items that
belong in the trash.
Things
that you would simply be embarrassed to wear, for whatever reason. Like, if it’s ‘out of fashion’, or doesn’t
fit, or threadbare, or too crappy for ‘play clothes’. Get rid of it.
Just
a side note: I have play clothes at home.
Play clothes are clothes that are still serviceable, but too crappy to
wear out in public. Stuff that I don’t
mind being trashed in the garden, or when I’m chasing cows around, or in the
kitchen, or when I’m doing housework. Old
tops, trackie pants, jeans, jumpers; play clothes.
Assess what you have left
to see what you have too much of or not enough of.
I
recently did a cull of my wardrobe, and got rid of the things that I don’t wear
anymore, but sadly, that’s left me with some serious holes to fill.
At
the moment, I find that I don’t have sufficient winter clothing. I’m wearing like the same four tops that I’ve
been wearing for months, simply because I don’t have enough warm clothing.
Sure;
I can go out and buy more, but it’s easier said than done. I don’t always have time to go shopping for
clothing, and when I do have time, sometimes I don’t have the money. Then, when I do have the time and the money, I
can’t fucken find anything I like. Isn’t
that always the way?
I
figure, if I was skinny, I would be able to shop anywhere and buy
anything. Even though I’m sure skinny
people have difficulty finding appropriate, flattering clothing; they have much
more choice. Fucken skinny people.
Ask yourself hard
questions.
Do
I really need this when I don’t wear it anymore? Even though it’s pretty? Even though it holds
such good memories? Do these items belong to another life? Another part of
me? Am I just hanging on to this for
sentimental reasons? Is it time to let
go?
Fill in the gaps to
intentionally create your new wardrobe that you will use and love.
This
I’ve been doing for a while. I don’t by anything
unless it will go with what I already have in my wardrobe, or unless I’m likely
to get a lot of wear out of it. I like
to mix and match, where I can, to get the most mileage out of my clothing. However, I can be boring with my selections
at times. I rarely do patterns or
florals. Very rarely. Boring block colours for me, people. Zzzzz….
So,
Week 23’s challenge was about sorting out your threads, including
accessories. Yes; I’ve even culled some
handbags and shoes. OMG. That nearly fucken killed me, but someone out
there at an Op Shop will be enjoying them.
So,
this brings us to the Week 24 Challenge: Clutter Prevention.
I
don’t know about you, but I find over a period of time, that the ‘clutter’
comes back. You do a massive clean-up or
a massive cull, and six months later, you find yourself doing it again.
Charlie
and I don’t buy a lot of ‘stuff’. We’re
not materialistic in that sense. Yes, I love
cook books and dvd’s, so I tend to see these collections grow. However, I couldn’t tell you the last time I bought
an ornament or decoration for my house. I
couldn’t tell you the last time I bought something for my kitchen, because I believe
I have everything I need anyway.
However,
I still need to cull, and most of the culling is done in the fucken shed. That’s Charlie’s domain, and again, I’ve
touched on this before.
However,
sitting here typing this makes me think of the boxes full of old cook books
that I have in the top of the wardrobe.
It may be time to cull some of them too.
I
think the key to preventing clutter is being content with what you have. Some people just buy shit for the sake of
buying it. They see something, and they
simply must have it, whether it’s realistic
or not.
Sometimes
you’ve got to step back and ask yourself whether you really need something. Too many of us buy stuff on impulse, from a
new set of pretty towels for the guest bathroom (when the ones you have a
perfectly fine) to the latest whizz-bang tv (when the one you have works
perfectly).
We
just consume too much shit, and it’s not just the clutter factor involved, it’s
the cost. Sure, something may only cost
you $10, but if you impulse buy ten times, suddenly, you’ve spent a $100 on
shit you don’t really need.
You
know what I could do with $100? Buy a
couple of new fucken tops for winter, is what.
I
like to ask myself if my life will go on if I don’t have such and such a
thing. Sure, it sounds tight-arsy, but let’s
be real here: I have a fucken mortgage to pay and a car to run. It’s a matter of priority.
Plus,
I would rather spend my money on things I know I would enjoy, like books (for
my Kobo), cook books, plants for the garden, and new fucken clothes for winter.
Your
money only goes so far; don’t waste it on a heap of shit you can really do
without.
I
think the fact that I’ve got other priorities in my life (like a fucken
mortgage) has forced me to understand that sometimes, you just can’t have all
this shit you want.
It’s
taught me to be content with what I have.
It’s taught me to live in the present and enjoy the things around me,
and set limits on what I can afford. It’s
taught me to not stress over the material, and shift my focus on to more
worthwhile things, like time with family and friends.
It’s
simplified my life, I suppose you would say, and isn’t that the entire purpose
of this challenge?
Peace
out.
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