Declared: A Year of Decluttering

Last year we decided we were having a year of consolidation [which you can read about here]. And it was pretty good really, we feel that we have 'consolidated' our lives a lot. Unexpected things came out of it, like moving from our house in the country to a regional town again, and some of the things we knew we needed to do were also done, like consolidating bank accounts. Things that you can just put off, and put off, and put off. Still a few loose ends to be tidied up, but all in all, we feel consolidated, for now.

Audrey and Beryl enjoying a dust bath under my little quince tree [in need of a tidy up..]. But what have chickens got to do with decluttering?

So this year, we have decided that our focus is on decluttering. There's nothing like moving house to highlight how much excess 'stuff' we are carrying. So it's all about going through our belongings, sorting out what is staying, what can go, and then making it happen. We made a good start on the process late last year, using the local paper to rehome some of our unwanted and unnecessary things - an extra baby car seat, a hand-me-down porta-cot [we co-sleep, so it seemed unnecessary], a home brew kit that was an unwanted gift. And this represents just the tip of the iceberg.

I'm not even thinking about declutting my books at this stage, although I did have one of those 'ah-ha' moments recently where I realised I could, I really really could, actually part with at least half of my book collection. I could, but it seems pointless when we have some built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves in this house. So perhaps for the next move I will tackle the books. For now, we have a shed full of extra bits and old things and bikes and broken lawnmowers. An extra bed, his old speakers, my old gym equipment. Two extra washing machines, a second pram. Desks we don't use.

It's a big job. That's why we've decided this whole year is dedicated to the big declutter. Little things from the house can also go - clothes, toys [already, and our son is not even 10 months old!], kitchen appliances we don't use, little belongings that hold no meaning for us. It is an ongoing process. I dream of a house and shed where there is space, and room to breathe. A place for everything and everything in its place. Nothing that doesn't need to be there. No clutter. No climbing over garden tools that lie sprawled over the shed floor, with all the shed space taken with unnecessary things. 

Do we really need a whole year dedicated to the process? I think we do. If last year is anything to go by, we didn't feel like we even started our 'consolidation' until the middle of the year! Plus keeping our focus on this whole decluttering thing is helping us make better purchasing decisions. Already we see this thing or that, and think hmmm that would be ok - or is it just an unnecessary thing? Something to use once or twice a year? Hardly worth it. We are becoming smarter consumers. This whole decluttering business feels like the hangover from poor purchasing decisions in the past.

And what of the chickens? Well, we need to do some decluttering in that department too, as little miss Frankie has got five baby cheep cheeps running around now, bringing the tally in our little town backyard to eight. Of which, potentially five can be roosters. What were we thinking?