Addicted to Decluttering

I think it might be possible to be addicted to just about anything.  I used to be (unknowingly) addicted to my clutter, and now, after having de-cluttered in huge ways more than once, I am discovering that there is something I love about getting rid of things.

It all started after having a child.  I started to accumulate so much stuff for my little one--- toys, clothes, baby paraphernalia-- that he would outgrow within a matter of months.  It sent my clutter quotient over the top, so I started to pass things on.  Also after having a child, my spare time quotient became severely diminished, so I started to cut down on things that took time, like dusting trinkets, watering plants, and doing massive piles of laundry.  This helped me get rid of most of my knick-knacks, plants, and about half or more of my family's wardrobe.

My second major declutter-athon happened when I moved to Canada.  If it didn't fit in the moving van, it got donated to someone else.  Couches, wheel barrows, and plants were among these items. 

I started off on my decluttering kick after watching a friend transform her home, and downsize her major possessions like her house, and dramatically start to simplify her life, home, job, and possesions.  I love the feeling of empty space, and having a few really special things rather than lots of this and that.  One major change I've made is to BUY ONLY WHAT I REALLY WANT and to STOP BARGAIN HUNTING.  So instead of shopping endless hours at thrift stores and accumulating lots of clutter in the form of things that vaguely resemble something that I would rather have had, I just get the thing I really want instead.

This doesn't mean that I spend my money unchecked, or buy tons of stuff.  It is actually the opposite.  Because I get only what I really want/need, I feel much more satisfied.  Plus, buying quality items usually last a lot longer than cheaply made sale stuff.  I've discovered that the best way to eliminate clutter from your life is to not bring it home in the first place!

Lately, I am trying to look at my spending with a critical eye.  Since I am in the business of recycling woolen sweaters into felted children's clothing, I am acutely aware of all the possibilities for refashioning textiles.  I know I am part of a throwaway era or culture, and I am making it my goal to withdraw myself from that trend.  Reconstructing garments from previous ones is one way that I do this, and not buying so much plastic in the form of packaging and containers, is another.

It is a household habit now to regularly fill up a box or 3 with things we've outgrown, or are no longer in need of, mostly clothing for the growing boy, books we've read, and old bottles of baby tylenol or other expired items.  I love to have room on the shelves, and to know what is in my cabinet or drawer without even having to look.

This month I got rid of 5 or 6 boxes of clothing alone AND 52 items from the bathroom.  My son saw my pile of bathroom clutter on the counter ready to go into a give-away box, and with my gentle suggestion managed to declutter around 60 or 70 of his own things, mostly old books and little plastic toys, but a fair amount of broken garbagey stuff too.  It sure felt good.

Addicted to Plastic!

... and I don't mean credit cards, thankfully.  No, I mean food packaging, my kid's toys, clothing I wear, and bottles for everything like shampoo, dishsoap.  I just spent the last few days in bed with the flu, and happened to rent the movie 'Addicted to Plastic' from my favorite metaphysical bookstore in my tiny little blip of a town.  It was EYE-OPENING, to say the least, and I had to admit to myself that I was/AM addicted to plastic, and you know what they say... the first step to overcoming an addiction is to be able to admit it.

I buy the ecofriendliest soaps, and they all come in plastic bottles.  Organic chips-plastic coated paper packages.  Herbal teas-individually wrapped in plastic lined paper sleeves.  And my new favorite MOO business cards-plastic coated-forever!    So hopefully, now that I am more aware of my immediate environment,  I will be able to stop or at least slow the surmounting presence of this substance we call plastic.

Last trip to the market, I forwent the plastic bottles of acidophilous, and found one with a glass bottle.  I also put back the bottle of Ecover grapefruit scented dishsoap that was on sale and vowed to bring in my old bottle and fill it at the bulk dispenser that, thankfully, my local Kootenay Coop Market provides.  I am also patting myself on the back for getting my eggs from friends and neighbors and for making my own Echinacea now rather than buying yet another little bottle with rubber eyedropper lid.

What I learned from seeing this movie was that IT NEVER GOES AWAY!  No matter what you recycled, upcycle, transform it into, it will always be here, in ever accumulating amounts, and it will only get broken down into smaller and smaller pieces that eventually end up in the bellies of the smallest living creatures which then get eaten by larger creatures and eventually again by me, unless of course I become vegan, which I just might be forced to if I don't stop this unchecked plastic consumption binge I have been on.

Thankfully though I have some of the best water on earth right in my own backyard.  I went to a family wedding in Riverside, CA this summer, and if you haven't tasted the water there, DON'T.  It's  no wonder everyone drinks water out of plastic bottles.  Oh, and I learned from another movie on water that wasn't nearly as good, that Aquafina and Dasani water are both bottled out of Detroit tap water after undergoing a few more filters than their tap water does.  Eeew!

Shined my sink!

Eat your heart out Fly Lady!  (and thanks for the inspiration)

Yesterday I'm not sure what came over me.  It was one of those mornings that started off as procrastination to the sewing I meant to do, but miraculously it ended up being a very productive day.  I think it was the Fly Lady.  Her website is a smorgasborg of clutter freeing information and links, and amongst them, is the "Shiny Sink Video".  I have to say, the music to it is sort of cheesy despite what others think, but something about it gave me an appreciation for all those shiny, clutter free sinks, so off I went to shining my own.

I didn't stop there... I got dressed, put on my Shoes (granted they were slip ons but it did the trick), picked up the whole house and started sewing.  I even got rid of a few articles of clothing for the clothing swap I'm going to this weekend, thanks to her page on decluttering, something about setting the timer and taking 5 minutes.  I thought 'I can do that.'

And this morning, I stepped out of bed, got dressed, forwent the routine bathrobe to the bus-stop scenario, and BRUSHED MY HAIR and tied it up, ready to face the day!  It's contagious I tell you!  It feels so good.  I also wonder if the running and Echinacea tea I've been drinking every morning instead of Earl Grey is helping.  Or maybe it's my addiction to feng shui and space clearing of which this is my favorite decluttering book.  I just noticed she has a new updated version for 2008.  While I'm up to admitting things I will say I am also addicted to setting goals of which this is my favorite goal setting book, called Eat That Frog.

Now I'm off to the sewing table next to sew up a dozen pairs of soakers that I cut out yesterday.