I can only see 10 in the photo, but there really are 11 in this stack, I swear—I counted it three times. I could have photographed each one individually and written about all of them, but then we all would have been here for far too long. My paring down is rubbing off on my husband, apparently; he went through his clothes and decided to donate these shirts. He wore the green striped one in the middle of the stack on one of our first dates, and that's pretty much all I have to say about his shirts.
This is a favor from my bachelorette party. I am extremely grateful to my friends for going out of their way to throw me such a fun bachelorette party—I had a blast. The thing is, I am just not a heart person. I've kept this because it was given out at the party, but honestly, I received other gifts and have plenty of memories from it (really!)—I don't need to keep a wine stopper I'm not going to use just because of where I got it or because of who it's from. Giving this away does not mean that I don't love and appreciate my friends.
Wine and food pairing guide
This was a Christmas gift from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law a few years ago. I've learned a lot from it; most importantly, it taught me which wines are best to pair with spicy foods. I have already gotten everything I can from this book, though. I'm a vegan and my husband is a vegetarian; most of this book focuses on which wines go best with different types of meat. There must be an omnivore out there who would appreciate the information.
Jarhead
I am glad I read this, but it was so intense and depressing that reading it once was enough. In that way, it's like Black Hawk Down. It's valuable, but not something I'll return to. In passing it on, someone else can get something from it; it does no one any good sitting around taking up space in my house. Anyway, an interesting fact for those in the Northwest is that the author, Anthony Swofford, used to teach at Lewis & Clark College. Also, I'd like to take a moment to thank all current and former members of the military I know for their bravery and sacrifices. Politics aside, our troops—particularly veterans—deserve much better support than they get.
Progress: 80 out of 400 items = 20% done.
Hey Trista, thanks for the link. Great article. It is sad about food waste, but buying the right amount of food that you'll use without tossing any out is quite a skill and something to work towards with so much waste around us. I often wonder how much of those Cost-Co size bags of things get wasted. Your blog makes always makes me look around and spot things that aren't earning their rent anymore. I like the idea of having a number to work toward as a great way to keep motivated.
ReplyDeleteHello Trista, just back from a few days away and catching up on your blog posts! Great news that your actions have inspired your husband to join in. I especially like the way you point out in this post that decluttering a gift from a loved one does not diminish your relationship in any way. So many of my clients are struggling with that kind of guilt, you are an inspiration to anyone needing a good clear out.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! Something that helps my husband and I keep our food waste down is making just a few big meals per week and then eating those for multiple lunches and dinners. I know some people dislike leftovers, but it works for us. And the number definitely is a motivator! I'm excited to reach item #100.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judith! I have to remind myself of that every time I part with something that was a gift from a loved one, but it really is true that it doesn't diminish my relationship with them at all. Guilt isn't fun, but neither is clutter!