Straighten Up

03/13/2024

Still getting rid of things... One of the hardest decisions in that regard was my business! I have decided to retire. It's been a great ride and I have loved helping people regain control over their stuff and find peace of mind. Thanks to all who have supported me in so many ways along this path.

For now this site will stay up. Maybe poking through my year of getting rid of things will inspire someone.

01/20/2023

Yep, I'm still getting rid of things- slower than one thing a day, but still staying aware of the things that I have that I don't want/need. I put a couple of nice tops in the donate pile this week. They are in great shape, from a quality store but I feel awful when I wear then- always pulling and tugging on some part of them. Hopefully they will fit someone else better.

But the reason I'm showing up out of the blue is this- Passwords are increasingly needing to be stronger and stronger. You may find this helpful and possibly inspirational. I for one am going to spend some time updating my passwords!

We’ve updated our password table that’s been seen in the news and shared everywhere - and this time we’ve brought the receipts for the methodology behind our 2022 update!

02/14/2022

A surprising number of people have been asking me whether I am still getting rid of things. Who knew so many of you were watching last year as I got rid of something every day?!

The answer is YES! I am still getting rid of things. Not seeking to do it daily, although the number probably approaches that. As I said before, this is a strongly formed habit now and it is not unusual for something to suddenly come to my attention as not needed any more.

Some of the things that have gone include:
a pair of worn mittens
some books (too many "coffee table" picture books!)
brand new dog collar that didn't work for my dog (gave to a friend's dog)
a couple of plastic water bottles (yes, you can have too many of these!)
a jar of unopened hot sauce went to some friends with tougher palates than us (whew)
a business card holder (I will be retiring soon so won't need to display cards anymore)
some rusty canning jar lids
a beloved purse that I have mended and patched and just needs to be retired finally.
And last but not least, a bunch of odd stuff from a dresser where I keep linens, craft stuff, candles, etc. I went digging for something in there and ended up dumping out a couple of drawers and, surprise surprise, finding stuff I didn't need or want.

Is anyone out there still tossing stuff too?

01/13/2022

It seems that despite choosing not to find and share something to get rid of every day this year, I have formed a strong habit over 2021 and continue to seek things that no longer serve a useful function in my home. (I did have a brief moment of fear the other day that I would become a minimalist in the starkest way possible...)

I won't be posting daily but I will periodically share some of the things I've discovered and gotten rid of.

Some of the things I've gotten rid of in these first days of January include:
-a book a friend lent me (sent it back to her)
-gloves worn through at the fingers
-a couple of old toothbrushes designated for cleaning. Not sure why, but these seem to suddenly be plentiful every once in a while.
-a medicine cabinet we have always disliked but somehow has remained in our bathroom for the nearly 30 years we have lived here. Actually, also the shower caddy, tub, sink and toilet are gone. We're in the midst of a renovation there.
-a small tape recorder I've saved so I can listen to the few cassette tapes I have saved. I took it out to use a few weeks ago and it is broken. Time to send those tapes off and get them changed into a different media.

01/01/2022

Happy New Year everyone!

Here are a few reflections on my year of getting rid of things:

I feel lighter, I really do. My home is not cluttered, but not bumping into things that are just taking up space and not being used for various reasons has made a difference- in the spaces all around my home. We are reveling in opening up the cabinet in our kitchen island and being able to easily remove the food processor that is in there because the other (rarely used) appliance that used to be in there too is now gone. We used to have to move things to get to other things and everything only fit if it got put in a certain way. That is just one example of how good it feels not to have things packed into spaces. Just because they fit doesn’t mean they have to be there. It's a much better feeling to open a cabinet or drawer and see some space rather than wall to wall stuff.

It also feels good that most of the things we got rid of were able to be recycled in one way or another. Just being able to say “someone else might need or can use this” helps with the giving away process. And it was fun to give some things to people I know who piped up when they saw what I was getting rid of and said they could use it.

I don’t regret one thing that I got rid of. I think there was only one thing that I decided to get rid of and then changed my mind (the ceramic elephant I made in grade school). And- truth be told, I found another bag of pillow fluff under a bed in the spare room so I don’t even regret having gotten rid of the one I was looking for the other day! Double bonus- no bag of fluff under the bed plus a pillow I can use. Note to self and maybe some of you: remember to check under your beds for stuff you never use!

It is half tempting to see if I could go another year… 365 more things? I’m not ready to be a minimalist and I don’t want to get down to tossing single paperclips so for the time being I think I’ll just stay mindful of what I use and what I don’t and go from there. Thanks for joining me on this journey!

12/31/2021

DAY 365! The final day of the challenge to get rid of something every day! This is a small sampling of what is leaving my attic now that my darling daughter came home to visit and went through the things that have been stored for her over the years. I could probably credit a few weeks worth but since my year is up and the stuff wasn't mine to begin with I won't. Because multiple bins are leaving the attic I will take credit for that.

It's been an amazing experience to find something to get rid of every day for a year. More on that tomorrow. Anyone else who has been following along and/or doing this with me- would you please share your thoughts/experiences as well?

In the meantime, Happy New Year everyone! Be careful and stay well and keep on looking around for things you don't use, need or want that can be donated, recycled or tossed!

12/30/2021

Day 364 of the challenge: Spray bottles that don't spray despite multiple adjustments and much effort go to recycling.

12/29/2021

Day 363 of the challenge: Santa brought me a new garlic chopper so I can toss the old one that I had to hold together to make it work.

12/28/2021

Day 362: It is me or do some towels just not absorb water the way they should? This one always feels wet and my hands never feel quite dry. I like the color and the pattern on it but one of the things I've learned in this year of getting rid of things is the freedom on not keeping things that might look good but are annoying or don't serve their purpose. I'm getting rid of it.

12/27/2021

Day 361: Today's "toss" is a little different- I am going to head off the need to get rid of these cute shoes, which are exactly what I was looking for but don't q-u-i-t-e feel totally comfortable. I know from hard experience that I don't break in shoes, they break in my feet, which is never good. So I am returning these so I don't end up getting rid of them down the road.

Slowly, slowly I am learning the lesson not to buy things that aren't just what I want or that don't fit just right. That little thing that is 'off' doesn't go away! It stays annoying... or uncomfortable... or whatever. It's best not to add such things to one's home or wardrobe in the first place.

12/26/2021

Day 360: Another find in the medicine cabinet that can get tossed. Some cream that I really don't like and don't use. Out it goes.

12/24/2021

Day 358 and 359: Masks keep popping up all over the place- I made these, which are supposed to not make your glasses fog up. Well, they don't- because I don't wear them! ;-) They are not comfortable so they are washed and someone else can use them if they want to. I'll donate them. There are 2- but I mistakenly took 2 photos of the same one before I gave them away so I'm taking today and tomorrow for this. Merry Christmas everyone!!!!