Simple. Organized. Life. » 10 Things Challenge

10 Things Challenge – Week 14.

David — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:42:09 +0000

It should be about Week 50, but because I don’t do them every week (or every month) I am only at Week 14. Oh well. In any case, it’s time for another cleanout of “stuff”, because… I am getting ready to move yet again! I am moving back to California in the next month or so, and am using this as an excuse to once again go through my belongings to see what I can purge. First of all, here is the corner of stuff currently awaiting its trip out my door to the Salvation Army and the local library:

There’s much more than 10 things in those bags. There are about 15 books, some household goods that I have been carting around for years unused, and a bunch of other assorted crap that somehow was held on to the last few times I moved. It feels good to know they won’t be moved again!

Remember when I got my bookcase to look like this, back in February?

And then when I got rid of that giant bookcase and got my book collection down to this size?

Well, I have now cut my book collection down even more, and every book I own now fits in this trunk:

I clearly remember the days of spending hours packing up books in order to get ready for moving, but no more – this trunk holds them all, with room left over for a few more. Every time I move, packing is getting so much easier!

Anyway, just figured I would share “Week 14″ of the series I started last year to get the ball rolling in decluttering my space. Hope it inspires you to either start your own 10 Things Challenge or get back to one you started with me in the past!

10 Things Challenge – Week Thirteen.

David — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:09:48 +0000

OK, so it’s been 2 months since I last wrote up a 10 Things Challenge report, but I haven’t stopped getting rid of stuff! While there seems to be a backlash against the “Live With 100 Things” meme lately (I was always against it – it’s too strict and silly), I am all about keeping only what I need and not much more, even if that means I have more than 100 things – which I do. But in preparation of my latest downsize, I have been donating and selling a ton of stuff that I just don’t need or won’t work in my new place. For example, remember this?

That was my gigantic bookcase that at one time was actually full of books, and then was slowly culled down to what you saw in it here back in February. As of a week ago, only 5 of those squares were in use after I donated another 3 bags of books to the local library. And here is what it looks like now:

Yep, all gone. Who needs a HUGE bookcase when there is nothing to be kept in it? My personal library is now down to a size where I am just going to stack the books against the wall in a corner and call it a day. I kept my favorites and a few reference books, but other than that I decided that if I really wanted to read a book again I could just get it from the library. Besides, my new apartment is 50% of the size of this place (1300 sq feet vs 756 sq feet), so I need to keep it down to the essentials – of which that 6 foot by 6 foot bookcase was not. I think this move is going to be one of the easiest yet, as aside from the kitchen stuff I only needed 10 boxes to pack up all my belongings. A lighter load is definitely good for my brain.

Oh, and this past week I also downsized my car – from a 4 wheel drive Subaru Forester station wagon to a Mini Cooper S. Way better gas mileage and way more fun to drive. I figured that if I wasn’t ready to go car-free (this city is SO not good for that), a smaller car would lower my expenses and carbon footprint.

So there you have it – an update on the challenge. I am still purging and downsizing, and to be honest – my head is clearer. I don’t know if it’s because I have less stuff to worry about or just that having less “stuff” to maintain offers up more free time, but either way I am truly loving downsizing my life. Are you still doing the 10 Things Challenge? If so, how’s it going? If not, why not?

10 Things Challenge – Week Twelve.

David — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00:32 +0000

OK, so a few weeks ago I wrote Week 11 of this series when I was getting rid of 34 books from my bookcase. This alone was pretty good news and I was pretty happy with my accomplishment. However, soon after I finished bagging those books up, I went crazy… in a good way. I went back to the bookcase and pulled another 31 books out of it to get rid of! I now have only 4 of those squares in my bookcase full of books; I guess it’s time to get rid of the case itself, huh? But, it gets even better – I then pulled everything out of my office closet and methodically went through it all, removing the following items I am getting rid of this week:

- An electric guitar I haven’t played in years
- A stand up fan
- A portable cd/tape player
- A rubber horseshoe set
- A wooden wall clock
- 2 model cars
- 2 shoeboxes full of cables/cords/adapters
- An over-the-door hanger
- A walking stick I made myself but have no need for
- A shoebox full of 4-track tapes from my days of being in bands
- 2 curtains
- 5.1 surround speakers I no longer use

All this “stuff” doesn’t seem like that much when it’s all put away in boxes, closets, and shelves. But once you start piling it up in the middle of a room it seems like a lot more. I looked at my 5 bags of books and all this other stuff and realized that I had paid to move it all here to my new apartment only to now be getting rid of it. I thought I had gotten rid of all unnecessary stuff back in New Mexico, but I guess not! It really is amazing how much crap we lug around “just in case”, isn’t it? I am on a quest to get rid of everything in my house that I don’t use on a weekly basis, and so far so good.

Are you still doing the 10 Things Challenge? Seems I have accidentally turned it into a 50+ Things Challenge but hey – who’s counting? Next week I will tell you about what I did to my master bedroom closet, so stay tuned!

10 Things Challenge – Week Eleven.

David — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:30:40 +0000

Sure, it may be 4 months later, but it’s still the 11th time I have posted a 10 Things Challenge! For those of you who don’t know, back in August of last year I started an almost-weekly post listing 10 things I was getting rid of in order to declutter my house. Well, I got rid of a ton of stuff and then moved to Colorado where I live now. And since I am settled in here (although thinking of moving yet again), I decided there was much more I could still get rid of and that I didn’t need. Over this past weekend I pulled 34 books from my bookcase – and it’s just the beginning. I am going to try to sell these books, and as soon as I get rid of them I am going to pick another batch. I am really seeing no point at all to keeping 95% of these books that I could get from the library and read any time I wanted to. So out the door they go! Here is what my bookcase looked like before I chose the 34 books:

Looks pretty empty already, right? Well, at one time it was full with books – every single block was stuffed. Now there are half empty ones, along with the bottom left one which holds my now-deceased cat’s homemade cat scratcher that I am keeping for the next one. And the USPS bin is for paper recycling only. It’s not so much of a bookcase now as it is a catch-all for a bunch of stuff. Also, those vases are going to be sold as well I think, as I don’t really have a use for them and have been moving them around for years.

And this is what the bookcase looks like as of today:

A little emptier, a little lighter. Now, to get rid of the books I took out so I can go back in and pick more. So there you go – another 10 34 things out of my house for good! Are you still doing the 10 Things Challenge? If so, how’s it going? If not, why not?

10 Things Challenge – Week Ten.

David — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:30:19 +0000

It’s now Week 10 in the 10 Things Challenge and there are only 2 more weeks until I move to Colorado. While it’s very exciting to be moving back to the city where there is life and things to do (and sports teams!), I will certainly miss the quiet and wide-open spaces of New Mexico. Onwards and upwards, or so they say. For this week, I am not going to put a picture up because most everything I got rid of are big and bulky pieces that I am not taking with me to Denver. I can honestly say that I don’t think I have ever owned this “few” things in my life, and it is quite refreshing to see just how easy this move it going to be. A couple of pieces of furniture and some boxes, and that’s about it. My new home should be pretty damn minimalist! Let’s take a look at what I got rid of this week in preparation of the move:

1. TV/Media center – Sold to the family moving into my rental
2. Wood bookcase – I am keeping one and getting rid of this one
3. China cabinet – I am not big on displaying wine glasses, so this is going
4. Mac Pro – I sold it and consolidated down to just my laptop
5. Table & chairs – Had been on my porch all summer and don’t have room in my new kitchen
6. Rocking chair from IKEA – had 2, only keeping 1
7. Bamboo window blind – it’s been in the closet for over a year, and it doesn’t fit any of the windows in the new place
8. 2 curtain rods – again, no need or space in the new place
9. 2 curtains that go with said curtain rods above
10. My Jeep – I finally sold my Jeep and am just keeping my Subaru. I will miss the fun times in the Jeep, but in the city it won’t serve the same purpose

So, there you have it 10+ more things leaving my house less cluttered. That might be it for me until I get to the new place and start unpacking, only to find more stuff I could have gotten rid of.

What 10 things are you getting rid of this week?

10 Things Challenge – Week Nine.

David — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:30:27 +0000

It’s now Week 9 in the 10 Things Challenge and at the same time I am decluttering, I am also packing to move to Colorado. So while I am getting rid of this stuff just to have less, it will also make my move much easier. This week I only gathered a very small pile to give away, but not every week can be like Week 7! Without further ado, here are the 10 things going out the door this week (along with tons of trash & recycling from preparing to move):

1. Dreamcatcher ->Give away
2. Bobblehead Cat ->Give away
3. Duncehat Man ->Give away
4. Deck of magic cards ->Give away
5. Razor cartridges for razor I don’t own ->Give away
6. Green “socks” ->Give away
7. Stack of 47 CD’s ->Friend
8. Obama bumpersticker ->Give away
9. Biodiesel bumpersticker ->Give away
10. Can’t tell you what it says bumpersticker ->Give away

So, there you have it 10+ more things leaving my house less cluttered. What 10 things are you getting rid of this week?

10 Things Challenge – Week Eight.

David — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:30:13 +0000

It’s now Week 8 in the 10 Things Challenge and I am still managing to more and more stuff that I just don’t need to keep! Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I will be moving in a month – in fact, it gives me even more encouragement to get rid of this ~~junk~~ stuff. I really love that you guys are getting involved in the challenge for yourself! Here is what I am moving out of my house this week:

1. Bag of more computer/audio/video cables ->Give away
2. CD case ->Give away
3. Plastic travel zip up bag ->Give away
4. Old corner shower soap caddy ->Give away
5. Messenger bag from Old Navy ->Give away
6. 20 Questions game ->Give away
7. College Architecture Book ->Donate to library
8. Quick & Easy Cookbook ->Donate to library
9. Shaker Tradition Book ->Donate to library
10. Wooden Houses Book ->Donate to library

So, there you have it 10+ more things leaving my house less cluttered. What 10 things are you getting rid of this week?

10 Things Challenge – Week Seven.

David — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:30:31 +0000

It’s now Week 7 in the 10 Things Challenge and I am still managing to find more stuff to get rid of! It seems more of you guys are as well, as each week there are a few more comments from readers doing their own decluttering. I love the participation, guys! While I will have a big announcement coming up in a month or so regarding my “stuff”, I will continue with the 10 Things Challenge — and hope you do as well! This week will be a little different for me than past weeks, as I am getting rid of two boxes FULL of tools I don’t need or have duplicates of. There are in excess of 75 tools in these boxes, far exceeding my 10 things for the week. Take a look:

So, there you have it – 10 75+ more things leaving my house less cluttered. What 10 things are you getting rid of this week?

10 Things Challenge – Week Six.

David — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:29:36 +0000

It’s now Week 6 in the 10 Things Challenge and I cannot believe how much stuff I have A. found in my house and B. gotten rid of. When I brought all my goodies over to the free box, they nearly attacked me to get the stuff out of my hands. Glad someone else has a use for my unwanted belongings! More and more of you are getting involved doing your own challenge at home, and I really like that some people are leaving comments on these posts with their own lists. It’s all very encouraging! Here is what I am getting rid of this week:

1. Ugly white mug ->Free Box
2. Frame->Free Box
3. Frame->Free Box
4. Frame->Free box
5. Frame->Free box
6. Big bag of acrylic paints->Free box
7. Old external hard drive ->Friend
8. Broken plate/dish ->Free Box
9. Document organizer->Free box
10. Coupon organizer->Free box

So, there you have it – 10 more things leaving my house less cluttered. What 10 things are you getting rid of this week?

10 Things Challenge – Week Five.

David — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:30:35 +0000

It’s now Week 5 in the 10 Things Challenge and I have easily gotten rid of over 50 items already! More and more people are doing their own version of the challenge at home, and I could not be happier hearing about their progress and attack on clutter at home. Want to participate? Round up 10 things each week and get them out of the house, and then stop by on Wednesday (when these weekly posts go live) and let us all know what you got rid of. Here is what I am getting rid of this week:

1. Power strip ->Free Box
2. Power strip ->Free Box
3. Old Xbox, controllers, games ->Craigslist or friend
4. Sketchers shoes ->Free box
5. Manda Bala DVD ->Free box
6. Sketchers shoes ->Free box
7. Annoying clock ->Free box
8. Heart paperweight ->Free Box
9. 3 chargers to items unknown ->Free box
10. Coaxial cable ->Free box

So, there you have it – 10 more things leaving my house less cluttered. What 10 things are you getting rid of this week?