If you are doing the 30 Day Minimalism Game (details in video below) or you are decluttering your home for a more streamlined post-lockdown, here are twelve things you might want to clear out from your space today and we’ll admit, it’s starting to get a little harder to think of things as the days go on!
Credit: Artyom Geodakyan/Tass/PA Images
- Flowers: If you have some flowers in a vase that are looking past their best, it may be time to pitch these in favour of some new ones or to give your vases a breather in preparation for Mother’s Day or the summer months when you might have lots of lovely flowers from your garden.
- Vases: While you are working within this area of your home- check out your vase stock- if you have more than you could ever fill, let go of some of these and just keep the ones that really mean something rather than freebies or unwanted gifts.
- Plants: While you are on the hunt for flowers, you might come across a plant or two that no longer looks as good as it once did. If it is past the point of revival, pop it in your green recycling bin and enjoy the space it once took up.
- Plant pots: If you are purging the plant and you can’t see yourself filling it again because you prefer the look of a clear surface, you could always try and give away the pot or sell it if it’s a unique design or desirable brand, along with any others that you’ve not used in a long time.
- Baking equipment: I’m talking about rusty baking tins, excess cookie cutters or wooden spoons- whatever is going spare in your baking stash that is taking up space needs to find a new home.
- Baking ingredients: Date check the ingredients you use for baking such a pre-made packet mixes, flour, food colouring, eggs, butter and make sure that the next time you want to bake, everything is well before its recommended use by time.
- Baked goods: Check your cupboards for baked foods such as bread, cakes, doughnuts, biscuits, muffins- anything that has been lurking on the shelves for a while and you are unsure if it’s still in date. If you have no intention of eating any of them and they still have some shelf life left on them, give them to a friend, family member or food bank.
- Work related stuff: Perhaps you have an old notebook that is filled with outdated information and scribbles from meetings, old magazines related to your field of work or printouts of powerpoint presentations that are no longer relevant- if so, shred all of these and start afresh.
- 2020’s Mother’s Day items: You may still have cards and drawings hanging around from last year- if these are still important to you- why not scan them so you can look upon them when you want without having to keep the physical copy?
- Your Mother’s things: This could be anything from unwanted gifts from her, things you need to return to her when you next see her or items that she has passed onto you and you feel guilty about getting rid of them. I am giving you permission to let go of these items if they aren’t bringing you any joy. She wouldn’t want you to feel miserable over something she brought into your space.
- Packaging from deliveries: These have a habit of sticking around if you think a box or a thick bag might come in useful for your future posting needs. If you haven’t used these in a while, chances are that day will never arrive. Recycle them and enjoy the space they leave behind.
- Finally...workwear: If you know for certain that you won’t be going back into an office anytime, then you can probably get rid of some of your workwear if you had an excess of it before. Take it back to a minimum- for the odd meeting or possible interview and make sure your wardrobe is primarily lounge and casual wear instead!
RELATED: Minimalism: 11 Things you can declutter on the 11th March 2021
Seeds: Perhaps you bought some seeds because you promised yourself you would sprinkle them all over your healthy breakfast of a morning and still reach for your beloved cereal. Or maybe you bought them to feed the birds in your old home which had a garden but now you live in an apartment. Whatever your reasons for having an excess of seeds in your space, give them away to a bird lover or someone who digs a fibrous breakfast.
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