Week Thirty-One, Items 246-253

Storage boxes 1-5

We used to store our DVDs in these cases, but when we got a new TV stand—which has lots of nice, deep shelves—we moved all of our DVDs directly onto that. This tower of storage bins has just been sitting, unused, in my office since then. In theory, we could use these for something else. But, because we haven't by now, I think it's unlikely that we will. Besides, getting rid of these gets some plastic out of our lives—that's always a good thing!

Lighter

I have never smoked a cigarette in my life, and my husband never has, either. So how did we end up with a lighter? Well, I bought it when I needed a way to light candles for a spur-of-the-moment birthday celebration. Definitely not the best purchase I've made in my life. And this is definitely not something we need to keep.

Charades game

Charades is a great game for people who are really outgoing, creative and dramatic. I, frankly, am much better at word games! In fact, I was recently at a baby shower where two word-related games were played. I won the first one, and then pretended that I didn't also win the second one. (I did actually win, but thought it would be unseemly to win both games.) Anyway, this game belongs with someone who will enjoy playing it. Charades is just not for me.


Armband

I had no idea I still had this! This was an armband I wore during a Take Back the Night march at my college. Take Back the Night is an organization that began in the 1970s; its mission is to end sexual violence against women. Anyway, it's a wonderful organization with an important goal, and I am fortunate to have been able to participate in one of their events. All that said, I do not need to keep the armband I wore in the march.


Progress: 253 items out of 400 = 63.25% done.

Week Thirty, Items 239-245

Sudoku game 

Like millions of people, my husband and I love Sudoku. We also love to play board games. So this ought to be perfect for us, right? Unfortunately, Sudoku doesn't really translate well into a board game. We received this as a gift, and appreciate the thought (really, had the game been better designed, it would've been the perfect gift for us!), but we don't need to keep a game we don't play.


Headband 4

I came across yet another headband I don't ever wear. This is the problem with buying things that come in packs. If they don't work for you, for whatever reason, then you have multiple items to deal with. Probably part of the way that people wind up with odds and ends around their houses.


Shower gels 3 and 4

More odds and ends! And yes, more cumbersome beauty supply samples. I have not purchased anything from this company in a while, but the next time I do, I'll be sure to do it in person. That way, I will be able to decline the free samples. I appreciate the sentiment, but I really don't need the samples.


Purse hook

The idea behind this purse hook is that you put the hook on a table, then hang your purse on the hook. That way, you don't have to set your purse on the floor. It's a fine idea, but I don't need this. I'm used to resting my purse strap on my knee when sitting at a table—that works perfectly, so why would I need an object to help me do something else? Also, this is not adjustable, and thus won't fit every table. Finally, I don't think I've ever seen a table and said, "You know what this table needs? Another item on it." Less is more. An item that accomplishes an unnecessary task is itself unnecessary.


Flowered shirt

I used to wear this shirt a lot, but after years of being washed and dried, it is now too short for me. (Since starting this project, I've taken to line-drying clothing items much more often than I used to.) My wardrobe is one of the main things I'm seeking to downsize through this decluttering project, and it's been a relief to go through, try things on and part with things that don't fit as well as they could. It's so much easier to get dressed when I know that things fit.


Soccer jewelry set

I was given these because they are the colors of the Seattle Sounders (my second-favorite soccer team. My ultimate loyalty is still with Bayern Munich!). I love the Sounders, I love jewelry, and I did very much appreciate the thought behind these. But sports and jewelry are things I just don't mix. I wore sports-themed jewelry when I was in elementary school, but I don't do that anymore.


Progress: 245 items out of 400 = 61.25% done.

Week Twenty-Nine, Items 231-238

Red shirt

Of course I had to make this red shirt the first item in this post to go! As I think I've mentioned before, I've learned by doing this decluttering project that I don't really like red. Not bright red, anyway. I never wear it. So someone who likes to wear red can get some good use out of this shirt.


Orange shirt

I am usually not a big fan of orange, either. This shirt came in colors I liked better, but I bought it in orange in an attempt to branch out and wear a color I usually don't wear. A number of clothing items I've posted on this blog have been things that are just slightly different from what I typically wear. I always had good intentions when I bought them, but I never wound up wearing them much. This project has definitely taught me that it is not worth it to fight my own style. I like what I like, and that's fine.


Khaki capris

I know several people who would cringe just at hearing the phrase "khaki capris." I definitely think they are hit or miss. These fit well and are comfortable, but they are just too casual for me anymore. Somebody else could get some good use out of them, though.


Gift card holder

As I mentioned earlier, we've still got a fair amount of random odds and ends around the house. This little mitten is one of them. This was used as a gift card holder, and so it could certainly be reused. I won't do it, but someone else could.


Patch and pin

Years ago, one of our friends gave out a bunch of little items that she felt represented each of us. She gave my husband the songbird pin, because he's a singer, and she gave me the patch that says "body shop" because she thought I had a nice figure. The sentiments are still appreciated, but we have not actually done anything with these.

Camera straps 1 and 2

I've had my trusty little point-and-shoot digital camera for nearly six years now. For all that time, these two straps have been sitting in the box. I have a different one that I use and like, and had completely forgotten about these two. I'm sure someone else could use them.

Progress: 238 items out of 400 = 59.5% done.

Week Twenty-Eight, Items 221-230

Nail polishes 3 through 8

I love nail polish, and bright and dark shades in particular. But these six individual polishes were sitting around unused for various reasons. I love the color of the hot pink, but have a different hot pink with a much more user-friendly formula; the yellow is sheer, which I don't like; this green is a medium green, while I prefer bright or dark greens; the royal blue nearly matches the sapphire of my engagement ring, and I don't like things that are matchy-matchy; the purple is a blue-toned purple, while I prefer red-toned purples; and the gray, when applied and dry, looks too close to black. (I swear I'm not as difficult as that sentence made me sound!)


Shower gel packs 1 and 2

I still do not like beauty supplies and samples that do not come in resealable packages. I appreciate immensely that philosophy is such an animal-friendly company, but I do not like the cumbersome samples that are too large for one use but that do not store well for future uses.


Sticky notes 2

I mentioned in March that we have too many sticky notes. It's still true. So when I stumbled across this unopened package of them, it was a no-brainer to get rid of them. At least this picture of sticky notes is slightly better than the one I took of the other package months ago. Still, I don't think I am destined for a career as an office supply photographer.


Constitution print

I used to have this print hanging up in my dorm room in college (for reference, my first day of college classes was 09/11/2001), but I haven't put it up anyplace since. I find the Constitution fascinating (and am particularly fond of a couple of its amendments), but the style of this print is just not really me.


Progress: 230 items out of 400 = 57.5% done.

Week Twenty-Seven, Items 211-220

Refillable planner

This is one of those planners that you can buy the refills for every year. Which is great, only I haven't purchased a refill in a couple years now. I'm not getting any use out of this planner anymore, but someone else might like it.


Pair of hair clips

These came in a pack with similar pairs of hair clips. I wear the dark brown and black ones that came in the pack from time to time, but I have never used these frosted white ones. I'm sure they would look fine in blond hair, but, put in brown hair, they might look like some sort of detritus. No, thank you.


Snowflake ring

Yet another little random object floating around in the box of tacky holiday things. The one thing this ring has going for it is that it's similar in color to my all-time favorite nail polish (a Hard Candy shade from back in the day). I'm thinking that another round of ditching odds and ends is coming up, because I'm tired of little things like this. I want to just clear them out.


7 t-shirts

Even after clearing out this stack of t-shirts, my husband still has plenty remaining. Most of these are pretty old, and a little worn out. I've yet to figure out how he manages to be so hard on so many of his possessions.

Note: 


I'm past the halfway point. I had kind of expected the decisions to become harder by now, but I still have not reached that point. I have a lot more stuff to get through before I will face any difficult decisions about parting with things. I haven't decided whether I should increase my goal for this year, or continue this project next year. Maybe both! I'm down 220 items (not counting about a dozen items that were too cumbersome to photograph, including a longboard and a nightstand) and still nowhere near as decluttered as I'd like to be.


Progress: 220 items out of 400 = 55% done.

Week Twenty -Six, Items 201-210

Travel case 2

This travel case was a giveaway that came with a makeup purchase a while ago. It's cute, but I haven't used it. I have enough travel cases, so this one has just been sitting around. I'm giving it to someone who will use it.


Pink shirt

This shirt is, let's see, about 8 years old. It's still in perfect condition (rather remarkable for a shirt from Old Navy, I suppose), but it just isn't my style anymore. I like the pattern, but it's been ages since I've worn light pink. It's a cute color on little girls, but I feel too old for it.


Black shirt 2

I have several black shirts, and this is my least favorite of the bunch. I like the tonal stripes up at the top portion, but the fit is just a bit too boxy for me. I hardly ever wear it, so it can go.


Jeans

These are my husband's jeans, and this pair is too big for him. Nobody needs to hang on to jeans that don't fit (he has two pairs that do), so these can go.

Meet the Parents

Back in the first week of this project, I said Zoolander is the only Ben Stiller movie I need to own. After going through our movies, I discovered we actually had another. Because my enthusiasm for this movie can be summed up with the word "meh," this can go.

Word usage book

As an editor, I have seen people use the wrong word countless times (one instance that stands out was when someone used "precedent" instead of "president"). While I definitely appreciate the purpose of this book, I don't need it. My husband doesn't need it, either—he has me around to correct him! This book should go to someone who will get some good use out of it.

Foam football

This little football toy is about the size of my palm. It feels pretty similar to a Nerf ball. I am not sure how we ended up with this, but it seems like it'd be a good toy to pass on to someone with a kid.

Fabric pieces 1, 2 and 3

These fabric pieces were all in a box of stuff we have for our annual tacky holiday party. I am not sure whether they used to be attached to each other, to something else, or what. I have no idea what to do with them (not being the crafty type), so they can go.


Progress: 210 items out of 400 = 52.5% done.

Week Twenty-Five, Items 193-200

Star Wars trilogy

My husband and I each have our own copies of this boxed set of the original Star Wars trilogy. We both love these movies (let's not speak of the prequels), but that's not reason enough to keep two identical boxed sets. We don't need duplicates of things, so one of these can go.


Tom Clancy book

There's a thrift shop across the street from the auto repair place we use. This came in handy one day when I had to wait two hours while getting some work done on my brakes. I went across the street, bought a book, then sat down and read it while I waited. This kept me occupied for a couple hours, but I don't feel the need to keep it.


CD case

Several years ago, I bought a set of classical music CDs at Costco. My husband has a music degree, so I thought I should put a bit of effort into listening to classical music—I thought that maybe if I listened to more of it, I would come to like it. Well, no luck on that front. But the set did come with this CD case, so perhaps someone will get something out of that purchase after all.


Striped Bermuda shorts

I used to wear these to work, but now that I work from home, I just don't need as many office-appropriate clothes. These are well-suited to Casual Fridays; they're comfy and casual, but fit well within the standard business casual dress code. I haven't worn them in a couple years, though, so they can go.


Black hanger

I have mentioned before that I like all of the hangers I use to look the same. Well, this one is not like the others. So it can go to someone else (someone less particular, I suppose).


Crystal pendant

This is a pretty little pendant, but it's so understated. I don't wear necklaces all that often, but when I do, I like them to be more noticeable than this one—larger, more colorful, or both. I'm sure someone with slightly different taste in jewelry would enjoy wearing this. Bonus: Packaging it up in this little gift box gets another item out.


Lanyard

I have no idea what event this was from or why I still had it. It could certainly be reused, though. There are no markings of any kind on the lanyard—just a spot to insert a name tag or other pieces of paper.


Red poppy

I am proud of getting rid of this, because I think it demonstrates how I've gone from being a person who holds onto things too easily to being a person who knows how to keep only what's necessary. I got this from a Korean War vet around Memorial Day. He was standing in front of the grocery store with a bunch of these little poppies, giving them out to those who donated to the VFW. I gave him $5 and we started talking. I mentioned that all of my grandpas (I am blessed; I had three) served in the military, and he wanted to hear about them and their service. He told me he was removed from a bad home when he was small and put into foster care, and that he considered his foster father—a career soldier in the Army—to be his real father. So he went into the military to follow in his father's footsteps. It was just such a humbling and inspiring conversation. In the past, I would have kept this poppy as a reminder of it. But I know that I will think of that conversation every Memorial Day, and that the memory lies with me—not this plastic poppy.


Progress: 200 items out of 400 = 50% done.


Now that I am halfway done, here are all 200 items broken down by category:


Clothes: 43
Household Goods: 26
Books: 22
Accessories: 21
Miscellaneous: 18
Movies/TV Shows: 15
Toys/Games: 14
Craft/Office Supplies: 14
Health/Beauty: 12
Holidays/Parties: 7
Shoes: 3
Car Stuff: 3
Pet Stuff: 2

Total: 200