Day 25 - 5 things

Strangely, this was one of the harder things to get rid of:

Those are paint samples from choosing a color for our living room, plus some craft paints from various projects over the years.  I think for crafty people, it's hard to let go of stuff like this because you might come up with a craft that would need them!  And I like the IDEA of painting...but I am not a painter.

I ended up posting in the free section of Craigslist because I liked the idea of some local artist or student actually putting my old paint that has been sitting untouched for well over a year to good use.  The first email (I got multiple) encouraged me that this is a much more productive use for my unused items:

"I am an artist (and a freegan), so this is a great find. When can i pick up?"

I do love a good freegan.  Also note, that is 14 items!

We also took the first official trip to Goodwill today to permanently remove many of our collected items from our house.  I asked Jay if he could tell the difference in our house from all the things we've been purging.  I could tell he wanted to say yes...but not really.  This is very telling because 1) we don't even notice all this stuff is gone (ie we never needed it), and 2) we have more work to do.

Day 24 - 5 things

Into the kitchen!

Two pizza slicers (because we have 3), a peeler (because we have 2), a baller thingy that I will return to my mother and I'm not really counting as part of the 5, and 2 things that I don't know what they go with (haven't needed them for the 2 years they've been sitting in the drawer).  And the drawer this was all in finally closes easily!

I told one of my co-workers I was doing this, and she asked if I would send her pics of any kitchen stuff, so she actually gets one of the pizza rollers...awesome.

I had the thought about the peeler that there will probably be a time in life that I will wish I had 2 peelers...it's those "just in case" thoughts that make getting rid of things harder.  But this was a relatively quick and easy drawer to attack.

Day 23 - 5 things

Continuing from yesterday in the closet, I cleaned out my purse and running sock bins.  I know this is more than 5 items, but I just had so many running socks!  I left 13 pairs in the bin, plus returned a few of Jay's to his drawer.  And trust me, I don't run 13 times before doing laundry...I am apparently a hoarder of running socks.

I had cleaned the purses out not too long ago, so I mainly just went through them and cleaned out all the trash and returned all the pens, ponytail holders, and chapsticks to more logical locations.  The one I did purge was a gift from Jay when he went to Africa 4 years ago, which made it really hard because there is a sentimental attachment to it.  But I have a lot of purses, and I've never actually used this one.  I also hand-washed a purse I still like but was just looking dirty so that I will actually use it again.

(The other 2 items were a bracelet and measuring tape found in purses.)

Day 22 - 5 things

Today I hit the t-shirt bin in my closet.  I haven't really hit my closet hard, because I honestly keep a fairly lean-and-mean closet.

I purged 2 sleeveless running shirts because I prefer my assortment of lululemon running t-shirts, 2 long-sleeve running shirts that I've had for probably close to 10 years, and a vintage T that started its life at Goodwill (circle of life, people).  So I'm left with 2 long-sleeve t-shirts, 1 long-sleeve running t-shirt (because I mean really...how many do you need in Texas?), about 5 t-shirts, 1 running tank, 2 yoga tanks, and 3 running t-shirts in my shirt bin.

Also, a few reflections as I only have 2 weeks to go:

• This is WAY TOO EASY.  Each day, it literally takes me 5-10 minutes to come up with 5 things that we can give away.  Once I got over it, I am not nearly as attached to stuff as I thought I was...which is a relief...though I've also realized the things I am attached to (and just avoiding because there are plenty of other things to get rid of).
• We have so much stuff - as I'll post tomorrow, I have almost 20 pairs of running socks.  Who needs 20 pairs of running socks?!  It makes me think about all the time and money we've wasted on acquiring these things.
• We need much less than we think we do.
• I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about how all this stuff plays into religion, politics, consumerism, etc...but it's not organized enough in my head to verbalize.

Day 21 - 5 things

Jewelry was one that after the first clean out (Day 3 and Day 4), I knew I was going to revisit and show some tough love.  I had found an organization in Houston that donates dresses, jewelry, purses, etc to high school students going to prom, and that inspired me to try a little harder to be able to donate more before sending my items.  Thinking about who these things will go to makes me feel like I don't need a few dozen options for myself.

Day 19 and 20 - 5 things

This is kind of cheating to use for 2 days...but this IS more than 5 items per day, plus it took more effort.  Just like last year (when I was inspired by this TED talk), I scanned these 15 pictures while watching Harry Potter and then threw them away.  As in, into the trash.

Once I made the decision last year, throwing pictures away was very easy and very gratifying.  I've had these pictures of Jay's in a stack to scan and had just been putting it off, so this seemed like a good time.

And since they are now digital, I can easily upload:

Day 17 and 18 - 5 things

You know how everyone gives out reusable bags these day?  We don't ever use them.  In fact, we like getting plastic bags so that we have something to put all our Great Dane-sized dog poop in and paper bags for Goodwill donations.  So I kept 5, tossed 5.

Also, some more DVD and CD donations for the library (Jay is a good cleaner-outer and not really a "stop at five" kind of guy).  Last year, we started seriously digitizing life but still have some DVDs and Jay's photos to go.

Day 15 and 16 - 5 things

All these items were hanging out in our laundry room.  A lot of things I had intentions of doing something with, and a lot of things we have repeats of (ie lots of gardening gloves!!).  And we are officially into the third give-away/Goodwill bag...

Day 14 - 5 things

Today is big.  Note:  Jay has not been exempt from this whole process of decreasing.  And you know what makes getting rid of something easier?  When someone pays you money for it.  I've been posting things he doesn't use on Craigslist and Amazon, and we've magically sold 3 things in the last 24 hours!!

First up, 20 pieces of Aurolex foamm (already picked up and paid for last night):

And secondly, 2 DIY sound diffusers (already picked up and paid for this afternoon):

And a piece of software we sold through Amazon (will ship off tomorrow):

That is technically 23 items, which is good enough for me.

Day 13 - 5 things

Today, I hit one of the junk drawers in the kitchen.  As soon as I find my five things, they immediately go in the trash, recycling, or Goodwill bag.  Slowly slowly all our drawers are becoming junk free!!

Day 11 and 12 - 5 things

I got 2 free days while we were in Little Rock (I decided that when I started), so we're back on...

Cleaned out under the bathroom sink:

And a bathroom cabinet.  Surely lotions have a limited shelf life...and surely I've passed it with these guys.  And I don't even know what came in all these little bags, I've had them in there that long.

Day 10 - 5 things

All these items are things I've thought about getting rid of...and then talked myself out of.  Well not tonight!!

The 2 random yellow things...yeah I don't even know what they are.  So I always just stick them back in their little drawer.  So you know what I did?  I asked Jay if he needed them.  He said no.  So they are gone.

The lip balm I found the other night and decided to start using it.  It's yucky (it probably went bad 2 years ago or something).  So it's gone.

The round things are glass thingies for a chandelier.  One is broken, and I just always liked the chandelier without them.  So I'm throwing them in the recycling.

And that long thing is this panel thingy from Ikea.  We have 5 of them in our dining room that make up a tree wall, and I love them.  They came in packs of 2, so this one has been sitting in a closet for 2-3 years.  Well you know, they really weren't that expensive, so when I come up with the perfect use for the last random tree panel in 5 years, I'll just go back and buy another.  (I almost did it again...I thought, "But what if we move and Ikea stops selling them and I want a tree wall in our next house."  Which is all a real possibility, but I can't keep closets full of things just in case we move at some point).

Day 9 - 5 things

Today is admittedly weak...but I've been in a bar drinking wine all night, which is way more fun.  Tonight I hit our TV console. Included are some treasures such as a bootleg copy of Eclipse (as in Twilight) and some random items associated with U-verse (we no longer have cable).  So out they go!

Day 8 - 5 things

Today actually started to get a bit more difficult, probably because a few of these items were gifts.  Getting rid of something that someone gave you is hard.  Like those little incense sticks in the picture below -- I've had them for probably 8 years!  One of my sisters gave them to me, and I've always liked the idea of them...and I have actually used several of them...but I figured it was probably time to let go. She was kind of in a hippie phase at the time, so she probably doesn't even remember giving them to me.

In addition to each day's five items, I throw stuff out (checks with old address) and start using things that are meant to be used (lotions, candles).  So I feel like my progress is bigger than just the five things going in the donation bag each day.

Also, I thought there might be better places to donate some of these things than just blindly giving it all to Goodwill.  Today I found a place in Houston that collects dresses, jewelry, purses, etc throughout the year to donate to girls for prom in the spring.  I'm going to keep a separate bag of things to ship off to them - and knowing that's where those types of items will go will encourage me to let go more easily and be more discerning about how much I am actually keeping for myself.

Day 6 and 7 - 5 things

I have more gloves than days I can actually wear them - got rid of 6 pairs in this batch.

One week down, 4 to go.

Day 5 - 5 things

I tried going for the "natural" deodorant..and pretty much smelled bad all the time. So this is me giving up on natural deodorants, as well as some random lotions that I don't really like the scents.  I've got lots of lotions.

Day 4 - 5 things

Obviously still working on the same drawer:

What gets me is how attached I feel to things I haven't worn in years.  I LOVED LOVED LOVED that middle necklace in high school and college.  I think I'd look like a hippie if I wore it now, but I still feel a little attached.

Day 3 - 5 things

I suspect that finding 5 things to get rid of will get harder.  But today, I found 4 things that I've never even used (they came with necklaces that I do actually wear), and it took all of about 30 seconds.

My mom made a comment a few nights ago about how much the idea of fashion has changed because places like Zara, Forever 21, and H&M sell fashionable things for very cheap - fashion is available to everyone, not just the wealthy.  She said growing up, she had 3 pairs of shoes.  Now, we just keep buying more and more.  In this case, it's cheap jewelry.  These earrings came in sets with necklaces and cost maybe $15 total.

Day 2 - 5 things

Today I technically got rid of more than 5 items, but it was all in the same drawer.

A lot of it just went in the trash, which is crazy because these things have been sitting in this drawer for years.  Key to parents' old house, ANOTHER set of Apple ear buds, Euros, 3-D glasses, YMCA cards (haven't been members for a year)... And a bunch of other stuff in the drawer found a more appropriate home.

Day1 - 5 things

The other day, Jay declared we needed more storage.  When there are only 2 of you in a 4 bedroom home, I'm pretty sure the problem isn't lack of storage - the problem is too much stuff!

Well this got me stressed, especially since Christmas is right around the corner, and you tend to stockpile even MORE during the holidays.

I decided that we should get rid of 5 things every day between now and Thanksgiving.  Excusing ourselves for a few days we will be out of town, that gives us about 35 days, which means we will get rid of 175 items that are sitting in our house that we no longer need.  I honestly don't think this is going to be too difficult...

So day 1 - five sports bras.  Because I honestly only wear my 2 favorites, though I did keep four because that's about the max I ever work out in a week.