No matter if you are becoming a minimalist, just de-cluttering a bit, or attempting to get your spending and/or shopping under control, I am willing to bet that you will unearth multiples of the following:
food (pantry items)
paper products (kitchen and bath)
bath & beauty products
I am willing to wager because I was guilty of this in the past.
If you're hesitant to donate your excess, here are some ideas for using up bath & beauty products.
Soap can double as shampoo and as detergent for hand-laundering bras, tights, etc.
Shampoo can double as shaving cream and as detergent for hand-laundering bras, tights, etc.
Conditioner can double as shaving cream and as cleaning agent for your sink and shower (in-between deep cleans, of course)
During a recent purge, I discovered that my beloved Josie Maran Argan Balm had expired in early December 2014! Even though I had been using without incident, I thought it wise to cease doing so. Given that more than 1/3 of the product remained, I felt a pang of guilt when faced with tossing it.
Quite often, we discover expired products in our home. It is sad because we are looking at waste: wasted money, wasted product, and wasted time (the time spent purchasing the product). Thankfully, some expired beauty products can enjoy a second life. For instance, I tested the expired balm as both furniture polish and shoe polish.
Is there an expired product for which you found a second and/or alternative use?
I am fully invested in The Life-Changing
Magic of Tidying Up, but if the idea
of gathering ALL of your clothing and sorting it in one go is too daunting,
start with your socks.
Perfection Paralysis
Sometimes, it isn't feeling overwhelmed that stops us in our tracks, but perfectionism. Do not allow
the desire for perfection to paralyze you and to keep you from starting the
process. Seeking perfection is an exercise in frustration, and it immobilizes
you. It keeps you from trying something new or from starting on a new path.
Crush Compromise
While you don't want to be a perfectionist, you don't want to abandon your ideals and desires completely.If you have a very specific idea of the type of bookshelf that you want to buy, wait for it. The books can remain boxed up for another month or two. Just don't let those boxes hang around forever.
Stop Storage
How many areas of your home serve as a storage unit? Attic? Garage? Basement?
Do you know or need what is in those boxes? What binds you to the
contents? If it's guilt or fear that you'll need it someday, forget it. I've been
donating and de-cluttering for 20 years, and in
that time, I've regretted purging ONE item. One.
Is your house a home, or is it a
storage unit for you, your kids, or your friends? If so, give them the incentive to remove their
possessions: a deadline to retrieve or an invoice. Assuming that it is wanted, saving
grandma's vintage vanity until your child finds her/his first home is fine, but storing 15,000 albums for a child is another story.
Double Duty
Recently, I
read Skin Cleanse, and it made me
re-think my relatively streamlined skin care regime. Why not use extra virgin olive oil to remove my mascara? One product, two uses! Think about
secondary and tertiary uses for products that you already own. Use an expired lip balm to soften your cuticles and to polish leather shoes and handbags.
What do you do when you have finished -- or nearly finished -- with tidying up?
You make tiny tweaks!
This past weekend, I discovered an expired face mask in my small bath and beauty product collection. This prompted a full-on investigation of the expiration situation of my bath and beauty products.
One small tweak: For sanitary reasons, set up a review schedule for the perishable items in your home. Review pantry and refrigerated items at least once a month. Review bath and beauty products on a quarterly basis.
If you have streamlined your possessions, this review should be rather quick and painless. Pitch anything that has expired. If an item seems "funky" in spite of its expiration date, pitch it!
In January, John and I downsized from a three-bedroom, 1.5-bath townhouse in a county north of the city to a smaller place in the city. Our current place is a 986 sf (91.6024 sm) townhouse with two bedrooms and one bathroom. It was built in 1944, and is perfect for us!
We love city living, and we love simple living. Because we have so diligently streamlined our possessions, what you see is the second floor "as-is." I did not tidy or hide things prior to filming.
I plunged into The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up as a way to really streamline my possessions before moving house. Since moving, I have done a bit of tidying up (aka de-cluttering) in the komono categories. I even broke the rules and tidied me mementos before finishing all of the komono because I knew it would be a quick win.
However, it has been far too long since I focused my attention on tidying, so I pushed myself to tackle my electronics today. Thankfully, I am not a big geek when it comes to electronics and gadgetry, and it was stored (except for my Kindle) in a small/medium paper shopping bag.
Recently, both the Minimalist Sparrow and Sharry Berry uploaded videos on the topic of 10 items that can be tossed quickly and easily. Sharry was inspired by Nora, and Nora was inspired by Courtney Carver.
Some of the categories included: abandoned craft items, old, scary cosmetics, excess dishes, mis-matched Tupperware, duplicate items, and clothing that do not wear.
Given that I have worked through the bulk of my my possessions courtesy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I do not have much to address. However, when it comes to simplifying, I believe two things:
That small bursts of simplifying and de-cluttering are ways to keep your home under control while working through your de-cluttering method of choice
Clothing is a category that needs regular attention
After a mere 15 minutes of digging in my closet, I gathered more than 10 items that I am ready to consign and/or donate.