Sheepskins and Fairylights: Clearing Out The Clutter

Showing posts with label Clearing Out The Clutter. Show all posts

Thursday, 18 February 2016

Great Big Wardrobe Shake Up

I have given my wardrobe a mahoosive overhaul over the last few weekends. I wrote here about simplifying belongings & life generally.

I have been really strict asking myself - Do I love it? Does it fit? Does it suit? But I think the most important one is 'When did I last wear it?'

Sometimes I'd have that little voice - you know the one, it goes "But I really like these" the voice of reason then would go "Ok, so you really like them so why haven't you worn them in three years?" Charity Bag!!!

I know some people do things like turn the hangers round when they've worn something, or tie a ribbon round the top of the hanger to help them to get rid of excess, but I know what I have and haven't worn.

I'm comfortable in my skin and with what suits and what doesn't. I have 'my uniform!' It turns out it's navy, grey & cream! Or striped as you can see.....

So here is my wardrobe before I started - I also have work clothes in another wardrobe. You can see everything is crammed in - there are more shoes under my bed! & the drawer below my hanging space. I pulled everything out of the bottom of the wardrobe to start, but left everything hanging up. I then just went through every item, one by one. Some stayed, some went...

Here's what I knew could go straight away. These boots to my Daughter - the Kurt Geiger I wear with smart trousers for work but they are starting to wear on the heel, my daughter loves them. The boots I haven't worn for years & really like them???? hard to part but they had to go!

Some of these shoes I am selling in a dress agency which I haven't done before, some for the charity shop. I know what I love and wear time and again in the shoe department - no rash purchases for me in future! It's ridiculous how much we accumulate - we wear 20-30% of our clothes 70-80% of the time on average. I would say that's me! What about you?

Accessories going, being given to friends who I know will get more wear out of them, or again my charity shop of choice Help The Aged, who I am registered with for tax relief. The little denim bag has sneaked back in as I am going to a couple of festivals this year and it may be useful???

Going to try selling these at my local dress agency. Before Christmas I sold a few things on Ebay and got bit really hard. A Hush dress with tags still attached went for three pounds - I was nearly sick - that was just one item at that time. I am loath to put these particular items on Ebay.

You can have too many pairs of jeans, yes you can!! Other's will say you can't - but they is wrong!

These I will try on Ebay......ggggrrrrr.

& here is my finished wardrobe, less cluttered, pleases me more than you could know, haha! Admittedly still shoes under the bed......the Sweaty Betty bag I put the bottom of longer items in so they don't get dusty on the wardrobe base.

This is my jumble of workout gear - cycling, running, pilates.....No wonder I can never find anything!

Here it is tipped out .........

Not very often I run every day, so here is what I decided to keep. I do need another pair of long running pants. That's the beauty in having a good sort out. It does help you to see what you need also. I am focussing on need not want.....hhhhmmmmm, let's see how long it lasts!

Pilates wear - all keepers

I often have a cycling holiday so best to hang on to most stuff, although some went, mainly because it was dingy.

Here is what went - I took it to work and it all went, lots of free technical t-shirts from doing races. I am always going to skip on the t-shirt now.

Trunk sorted! :-) This makes me happy! No frantic searching, with ten minutes to go from now on!

I really enjoyed this sort out, it is really cathartic and almost addictive. The more I purged the more I wanted to get rid of. I actually became stricter with myself during the whole process.

I have had a few new items sneak in since I did this clearout which I'm going to share tomorrow. But they were purchases that I really thought about first, not rash purchases. This is how I hope to be now. In many ways I am becoming a much more considerate shopper.

Thanks so much for dropping by. I hope I've maybe inspired some of you to have a sort out yourselves - if you do, enjoy it! XX

Friday, 8 January 2016

Simplicity

There's a lot being written at the moment, about slowing down, savouring the small moments, paring back, living a more simplistic lifestyle. For years we've all been told to work hard, plough all our money into property, getting the biggest mortgage we can afford. When actually, aren't experiences, spending time with family and loved ones, having the money to do so, creating memories more important? I think so. A smaller mortgage means you could work less hours, be your own boss.

This year I want to embrace change. In lots of areas of our life. Be a little more 'frugal'. We live in such a throwaway society. I want to consider where and what my money goes on, but also what I am bringing into my home.

Our home is too big now the children are gone and we are becoming more and more aware of how little space we actually need to live. So, it is up for sale (again). It is a home that needs a family like ours to come along and love it, caretaking it for the next century as we have done, nursing it's old bones, doing everything in keeping with it's 1650 beginnings. With it a large garden - why did we ever want a big garden? So many weekends spent 'tidying the garden' something that in reality we don't enjoy. What we do enjoy is sitting in it, having BBQ's with friends. Moving to a smaller home will free up time and money. I want to see more of the world, have weekends away, go to the theatre, feel that should job difficulties arise we are secure (I work in the NHS and currently have lots of friends in the NHS facing redundancy).

I am going to go through this house, every drawer, every cupboard, the loft, the garage over the next few weeks and having a massive clearout! How do we accumulate so much 'stuff?' I have done this twice before, following reading The Joy Of Less. Only this time I thought I would share here with you! Less stuff, less time spent cleaning and moving things around. Only things I truly love and find useful will make the cut. When anything new is brought in, something goes out. Currently wrangling over a new frying pan with Mr.L, why hang on to the old one 'just in case'? Haha!

Books! If I have not read them in ten years will I ever?! I think not, there are so many good reads, those that have been sitting harbouring dust are never going to make the top of the pile - even if they are a 'classic'.

Clothes wise, I am quite good, I consider carefully before any purchase and tend to buy in the sale, but I will be having a sort out there too! I intend to adopt the one in one out method, get rid of any clothes unworn in the last year, organise my wardrobe, sort out all my running, pilates and cycling gear, currently one huge tangled mess in a wicker trunk.

No longer are takeaways a treat in this house. They are a regular occurrence. I worked out that on average we spend sixty to eighty pounds a month on takeaway. I want to change this - both my husband and I are not bad cooks and can quickly and easily throw a curry together (our takeaway of choice). I would rather spend this money on an experience, a day out, something needed.

Over the Christmas period there were lots of plans made to eat out with friends. I started saying 'no' - Christmas is such an extravagant time as it is without meals out, cocktail nights, christmas parties for various clubs, work, groups of friends etc. So, I offered to host, everyone brought food, drinks and good cheer, and secretly I think a number gave a sigh of relief and voiced it was better than going out! The nights were full of laughter and carried on into the small hours, often with friends staying over. Don't get me wrong, I love going out with friends, just not every week!!

I love a nice coffee shop, but again, whilst I have been off sick, I dread to think how much I have spent in them, often disappointed by the cake. Tomorrow I had agreed to meet a friend in a tearoom, literally five minutes walk away. What the hell?! So, I gave her a call and now I am making soup, she a cake, and we shall have gorgeous coffee ground and brewed by my lovely Mr. and chat forever without worrying about freeing up the table. I love a tearoom/coffee shop as part of a day out or bike ride though :-)

I am relishing that I have weekends free coming up. Last year I started to address that I was running around like a blue assed fly, saying yes to all and everything asked of me. Wanting to be all things to all people, yet being that person who relishes solitude, time to replenish, time to gather thoughts. I learnt that people don't take offence, that it is ok to say no, maybe suggest another option, another time.

I know that when I have time for myself, a tidy, uncluttered environment, a place for things to go not just dumped it has a positive effect on my mind. I feel more in control. This article is worth a read. This is going to be doubly important as I return to work but also start college at the end of this month.

So, what do you think? Do you crave a simpler life, less belongings, more experience & free time? The opportunity to work less hours, be your own boss?

XX

Sunday, 6 October 2013

Good For The Soul

That's what is said about having a good clear out!

Just look at these photo's of our study.....
minging! A disgrace!

Unloved, unused and in danger of becoming a dumping ground.

Our home is for sale as now with our Son at Uni and our Daughter rarely here there is so much of our home underused.

So for now I have decided to give it a good clean and try to use it more and

make it my own space :-)

It's a beautiful room with a stone wall, beams and a big old oak desk complete with inkwell. The piano is in here and I am proud to say it is played regularly although you

would never think so looking at these pictures!!