Week Thirty-Nine, Items 361-370

Paints

I used these paints to make this sign for Seattle's Rally to Restore Sanity, but I have not used them since. When I talked about wanting to spend more time painting, this is not the sort of paint I meant. I don't need these, and I don't want them taking up space. Someone else could actually get some use out of them.


Blue tank top

I didn't wear this tank top all summer, so it can go. I love the color, but this just doesn't suit me. The ruffle is too big, and I don't like the way the back is cut. I have several other shirts in approximately this shade of blue; I don't need to keep one that I don't wear.


Luggage

This is a piece of hand-me-down luggage I received. It's basically the maximum size for a carry-on, and it's pretty heavy. I like to travel lighter than that. This has so many pockets that I used to use it as a file folder for sorting and storing magazines. But now that we've gone through and cleared so many magazines out of our house, we don't need this. We won't use it for luggage, and don't need it for storage.


Outdated sailing rules book

My husband and his family are really into sailing, so I understand that my husband has some sailing stuff. But a book of sailing rules for 2001-2004 is not going to do him any good. I had not even seen this book until he gave it to me to donate, so that's a clear sign that it can go. If I haven't seen him use something in the six years we've been together, it isn't something he needs to keep.


Bell

Another item my husband had but wasn't using. I am not sure how he came to own this bell; he's had it for longer than I've known him. But it's just been sitting around, taking up space on a shelf in his room. He said he doesn't have a use for it, so out it goes.


Travel mugs 1 and 2

Prior to this week, I hadn't paid much attention to the kitchen while doing my decluttering. A quick glance, though, revealed a number of things we don't need. For example, these two travel mugs. I bought them before Howard Schultz sold the Sonics. Since then, I have wanted nothing to do with Starbucks. So I'm happy to get these out of my house.


Steamer

I bought this in 2006 or 2007, when I first became interested in cooking. I can recall using it twice. We eat a ton of vegetables, but we typically eat them raw, roasted, or in stir fry or soup. We rarely steam them. If for some reason we want to do that, a pot will do the job just fine. No need to have a separate appliance—especially one that is so bulky.


Immersion blender

Another appliance we don't need. We have a large food processor that we love and use often. It is well worth the cupboard space it occupies. An immersion blender is a good idea, but it isn't something we need. It's not hard to puree soup using the food processor, so this immersion blender can go.


Large space heater

And another item that we don't need because it duplicates things we already have. With the way our house is laid out, we have found that space heaters are actually the most effective heating method (in conjunction with insulated drapes, which are actually really great at keeping heat out during the summer, and in during the winter). We have two space heaters that are very small, and one that is somewhat tall and skinny. This one is large and cumbersome, and not as efficient as the others. So it can go.


Progress: 370 items out of 400 = 92.5% done.