Overall I am finding it fairly easy so far to part with the objects that have gone.

I have spent very little time thinking 'shall I let you go?' about each and every object. I believe it will get harder as time goes by, after all I have only completed 17 days out of 365!!! There are still many unseen unwanted items of clutter lurking in the hidden depths of my home!!!

I think that the next place I shall look for inspiration is the bottom of the wardrobe. I know for a fact that there is at least 1 bag in there that hasn't been looked at since we moved in nearly 4 years ago. I am even having no luck in trying to remember what is in the bag. So tomorrow that is where I will start.

Day 17

A rummage in my bedside cupboard (oo' er Mrs) turned up some magazines I have finished with, not sure why I still have them but they will be re homed at work so someone else can read them

Day 16

A couple of weight watchers books to add to the pile for my friend who will be calling sometime near Christmas. Although these books have not quite made it 'out of the house' yet their days are numbered. I am pleased to be giving things a new home with someone who they will be of value to.

Day 15

Before

opened my work box for thread to mend some clothes

after

that's better!

not much to throw away but every little helps!!

Day 14

Why keep empty tins....gone!!!

Day 13

Redundant end off ironing board...gone

DAYS 11 and 12

So at last I had the energy to tackle the garage, it's a standing joke in our house if someone can't find an item that it will be 'in the garage'!

Here is the (dreadfully shameful) before picture

and after 4 visits to the tip (I own a very small sporty car)

The after picture

So what went? Well an old computer chair, a battered old trunk, the packaging from a new bed, various boxes, a couple of broken sets of computer speakers, a dead dishwasher (that I haven't replaced YAY!) and various other small bits of 'tat'.

I feel much 'lighter' for having sorted that out!!

As you can see there is still a lot of 'stuff' in there but my DD will be moving out in the not too distant future so the TV, bags of kitchen items and other household stuff is being stored until then. I do dream of the day when I will be able to put my car in the garage!!

Day 10

I decided the other day to get new make up. I don't wear it often but I do like a bit to go out. So I went to Boots and asked for help!! The lady on the no7 counter helped me choose some lovely new products and so when I came home I looked through my stash and turfed out a few things, the Avon products I must have had for over 10 years as the last time I bought Avon was when I was nursing. I left nursing when Immi was 5. She will be 21 in March!!

Talking with OH last night made me realise how far I have come since those days. We struggled hand to mouth each month. There was never enough money. I worked my days off to pay for nursery so I could work my real job. It's hard to let go of the fear that something may go wrong and I wont have enough money. And yet this month not only have I paid out £200 for a new wheel on the car, saved some money and still have some left in the bank at the end of the month, I still worry about money.

I think that maybe why I am so interested in reading minimalism blogs and finding out about decluttering and making more from what I have. I know that we currently have enough each month to live a comfortable life. I know that I want to increase my pension so that when we retire we can live they way we want to. I know that if Andy's benefits stop we can still make ends meet.

I also know that we have things in the house that we don't use that could be sold on. Motorcycle jackets, gloves, boots to name but a few. I feel the urge to Ebay!!!

Day 9

These gloves are past their best and despite having raynauds so needing warm gloves I still have at least 7 other pairs to choose from!! LOL

The best pair I bought were made from silver, they are supposed to be better at keeping your hands warm, they work well as a layer under another pair!!

http://www.tdshealthcare.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1823&oscsid=vs5i2l6lqtuk1gqabp2dqk1nj5

Day 8

A quick first look at my bookcase reveals a few books that can go. I will ask DD if she wants to read them first or they can go to the charity shop. I am sure that there will be more to follow!

Day 7

Spoke to my friend last night. She has been following the WW diet for the last couple of months and has lost an amazing 25lbs!! Well done matey!!

I dabbled with WW but never got my head round the plan really, too many years of following Slimming World! So I am glad to let these go to a good home. In fact I am delighted that they will be put to good use and hopefully will inspire and motivate her.

I went to the doctor today and have a sick note for another 6 weeks- that's a lot of deculttering time!! Plus as it is officially 6 weeks today since my operation I can now start to do a few more things such as push the hoover round (joy! I have not missed that!) and also sex!!! EEEK!

So I will not be back at work officially until after Christmas, which seems a very long time away!! I shall try to make the most of my time by eating well, following the diet plan I have and getting a bit of exercise if I can (can't wait to go swimming again-maybe next week???)

Sadly my car has died (flat tyre) and I am waiting for the garage to ring back and let me know when they will be able to fix it, I actually need a new wheel as the alloy rim is dented and the tyre won't hold to the rim and goes flat when you try to pump it up.. :( .. so I'll be decluttering money from my bank account soon....probably in the region of £250... :(

tada!! With a little help for my OH (who would have though???) I rummaged under the bed and found today's items to go

Hmmm best laid plans and all that DD has gone out in my car so I can't do a tip run or drop stuff at the charity shop :( so I am still hunting for something to toss today. Boo Hoo and I so wanted to post before and after pics of my garage

today's offering, didn't make it to the charity shop, the weather was just awful but should hopefully get there tomorrow!!

OOPS forgot to post yesterday but didn't forget to give something the old heave ho!!

and today I also sorted out an unwanted and unused item too

tomorrow I plan to do a trip to the charity shop and will take those items as well as the 3 bags of clothes already sorted and put in the garage. I will also do a trip or two to the tip in an attempt to have a bit of a clear out in the garage, I will take before and after photos!!!

Why is it so much easier to find one item a day to get rid of than to actually have a big declutter? On the surface the house looks okay, it is once you start to look inside cupboards or under the bed, the clutter is insidious and hidden away. But I know it is there and I also know how it drags me down ...well usually...maybe because 1 item a day is manageable it may seem like a drop in the ocean but I didn't acquire all this 'stuff' over night and i won't get rid of it like that either.

With Christmas approaching I am trying to gently get the message out that I don't need clutter, I am also being much more thoughtful about what I am planning to buy other people, I don't want to burden them with clutter either!

It is a gradual mind-set shift but I am very aware that it is happening!!

Day 2 of 365 de clutter

two identical watches, got one lost it, replaced it!! No longer needed so off to the charity shop they go!!

Well today is day 1 of my 365 de-clutter challenge.

When I started to think about things to de-clutter the first thing that popped into my mind was a mug which my DD brought back from Ireland, it didn't survive the trip!! Although my OH glued it I can never use it. So out it has gone

when i work out how to pust pictures straight onto here I will!

So the visit to the Drs was successful and at last I now have some HRT, starting it tonight, hoping it will ease the hot sweats and dryness. Time will tell. It would also be nice to be able to sleep at night, last night was horrendous. Mind you I then managed to sleep through the blokes mending the drive!!! Hehe!!

Haven't really done much today except catch up on sleep!

Is it really that long since I posted? WOW is all I can say...it is ridiculous o'clock and I can't sleep, so here I am on the computer thinking about life the universe and everything!

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately about minimalism, interesting. Not sure I could go whole hog but a lot of the concepts are appealing to me, decluttering, downsizing, getting out of debt. For once I finally seem to be managing our finances well (shh don't tell anyone) and we actually have money in the bank which seem so odd, I want to do the right thing with that money...above all I am thinking about retirement would you believe. I can see a need to save now so that we can do what we want to when we retire....food for thought.

It seems that I may soon be getting a new car (by whatever method). I am pleased that we didn't have a knee jerk reaction to the 206cc costing so much to repair. It could work out to be beneficial if we do get 'given' a car as seem likely, well at least possible! I like my 206cc but I can see that it is not that practical....wonder how much it is worth? A quick look on the net shows some for sale, same spec for £4k + WOW, don't expect we'd get that but cool...although I hope that things go well on the 16th, I wont be sad to say goodbye to the 206cc, I've had my fun!

I am looking forward to going back to work, I do miss the routine and the people too! I will be pleased to do part time to start with I think, it will ease me back in gently, although I have to say I am really pleased with how well I have recovered so far.

I really must get my head round slimming though as I am not getting very far at the moment, every time I think I've had a good day I sabotage it in some way. Slimming World work for other people why can't I make it work for me? maybe I need a LBM not even my painful knee, the health scare that lead to my hysterectomy or problems finding clothes seem to be enough of a catalyst to kick me into action. Getting weighed at a club each wee didn't work either, any of the times.....how can I make it work for me? What do I need to do?

Well for now I am off back to bed to try to sleep, after all it is 03.24am!!