DE-CLUTTER.... Weigh in 7!

ahhhh clutter... it's not just me right?!?!

Hands up who can see themselves on a future episode of hoarders?! *RAISES HAND* Go on.. be honest! Oh to have a west wing for nothing by my stuff… and some one to file it nicely for me... oh and iron it too! sheesh… 

I’m half way there I swear!!! OK maybe a slight exaggeration but I keep things for the MOST ridiculous reasons...  ‘Just because’… it brings back a memory… it reminds me of a song or holiday… a happy time in my life... it WILL fit me again! be a shame to throw it out! ... a t-shirt from a concert… I have a million excuses! Then I pack it away till the next 'sprain clean' and convince myself to hand onto it all over again... 

Ditching stuff isn’t throwing away a memory… that’s always gonna be there… and sometimes .. letting go of things can bring you to the next stage, where you really should be… and its hard.. it hard to let go of somethings that means so much… but in the long term… its better.. I' not saying you have to chuck everything out... but if you’re living in the past … you can’t get on with the future… right?

Clutter is every where… your desk at work… take 5 mins today before you leave to sort it ... Monday morning will seem dreamy! I promise… 

Before you go food shopping .. write a list… go through the fridge and see exactly what you have… those little jars lurking in the back… sort ‘em… don’t waste money on food that you prob already have… no guess work… it literally takes 10 mins to work out a weekly meal plan… and there’s nothing worse than chucking out food you’ve paid for and just hadn’t planned ahead… I’ve done it many times! It sucks... 

If you went through my kitchen cupboards right now… there’s probably a couple of things that shouldn’t be there… either because they're out of date and i had good intentions... or they’re too many points and I’m keeping them for the magical ‘visitors’ that never show up! The first week of every January I gut my kitchen… no matter the weather.. how hungover or tired I am… I’m a spring baby and I love a good spring clean… but the temptation to buy-one-get-one-free and ‘stock up for the snow / heatwave / power cut / water-powershortage’… bless us.. its an integral part of our DNA… our mothers and fathers did it before us… 

The Skinny Mum has got a chest freezer that could see her through about 6 winters no problems… apples tarts… a whole pig… stewed rhubarb… you name it… she’s got it in there… I'm an only child... I didn’t lick it off the streets I tell ya… 

Stand in front of the wardrobe this week for 15 minutes... that wardrobe of which you have NOTHING to wear… and choose a couple of things that can go… and try on a couple of things and promise yourself you will wear them! Swap your stuff with a friend…. that handbag you bought on impulse but are afraid to take out in public… you know she’d love it… you both got the same size feet… you know where I’m going… you can revamp your wardrobe with 3 or 4 new things… drop them a text tell them your making some space and you have a few things they might love… let them do the same and bingo! Not a penny spent... but you'll get a few new looks and you're not growling at the scarf you got in pennys but wouldn't wear for the last 6 months! 

Organise your apps on your phone/tablet/ipad … sort out the post, with all the election  nonsense going on our hallways are full of leaflets! Go through the magazines you have and cut out the bits you want… recycle the rest… 

Do you even remember whats in there?!

Stand in front of your fridge and get it ship shape for summer… You will feel so much better… so much lighter… Defrost the freezer! Yes it's a crappy job but so rewarding! All that space when you chuck out that soup with freezer burn! Tangent: I really can’t face any more butternut squash soup… 

Who hasn't got one of these bad boys?! and what's with the magic disappearing lids?!

Declutter the people who sabotage you… the people who drain you … the people who you always say yes to and really want to say NO to… be brave and just say no… life will go on ... and they will get the job done regardless... and what ever you do don't feel guilty... it's your time.. your energy and your life... 

In an ideal world... sigh... 

Clutter will slow you down… it will drain you… so this week… sort it! Take one little space at a time if that makes it easier... I found this challenge on line... adapt it to you and in a month you'll have more space to breathe... 

Make space in your life for what really matters... that means YOU! Ask yourself these questions when you're going through stuff... and be honest! 

AMAZING losses in the challenge this week... only two weeks to go... you lot are seriously keeping me on my toes!