These books were hand-me-downs from my aunt, but they aren't the sort of thing I read. I finally decided on a New Year's resolution today—to read more fiction (I don't have a particular number of books in mind)—but mostly my goal is to get to some classics I've been meaning to read for years. I always gravitate toward non-fiction, and leave fiction on the back burner.
Airways Brewing coaster
I mentioned before that we have a number of coasters from breweries we like. This coaster, after years of use, has become stained and warped. So it can go. And actually, I'd like to sit down and go through the coasters we have, because we have more than we use on a regular basis.
Travel toothpastes 3 and 4
I think I need to give Santa a heads-up that he can skip these in our stockings in the future, because we don't use this brand of toothpaste. Besides, then he'd have more room for the airplane shots that he's always kind enough to include!
Reindeer noses
These came in our stockings, and while they might work for our annual tacky holiday party, they would just be stored for 364 days a year and used for one. Also, they're made of plastic, which is something we're striving to use less often. So we don't need these.
Trivets 1 and 2
These Christmas-y trivets are festive colors, but we already have enough trivets. So it just doesn't make any sense for us to keep these, especially considering that we don't often use the trivets we have.
Bowl scrapers 1 and 2
We already have one bowl scraper, and got these in our stockings. Once again, the colors are very festive, but we just don't need this item in multiples.
Syrup jug
This is cute, but not something I need. I'm not Canadian, and I don't like syrup, particularly maple syrup. I really can't think of a reason to keep it, but I'm sure someone else would enjoy it.
Magnet set
We have enough magnets, but I probably would not keep these even if we didn't. Magnets in the shape of little casserole dishes just aren't my style. But they're bound to be somebody's.
Whisk
If we kept this whisk, we would have five. Five is too many. Four is probably too many as well, so I'm going to pay more attention in the next couple of weeks to figure out which ones we use the most. Then the others can go.
Leopard print tote
One of my Christmas gifts came wrapped in this bag. Wrapping things in reusable bags is a great idea. But I have never been a fan of animal prints (no offense, animals), and don't see that changing at any point in the future. So I won't keep this bag.
Notepad
I learned about ableist language this year, and have done my best to stop using it. (For a bit of background on the topic and why it matters, read here.) So I just don't feel comfortable keeping and using a notepad that says "crazy" on it.
Progress: 475 items out of 500 = 95% done.
Note: 475 items gone in 2011! That's pretty darn good (though I guess I should've called the blog 9.5 Items A Week). I feel some guilt that Christmas added some items to our house, but those items are either a) practical or b) perfectly suited for us. I very much appreciate the careful gift-giving my family did. It's the stocking stuffers that generally turn into clutter, it seems. My dad's side of the family is huge, and all the men get identical stocking stuffers, and all the women get identical stocking stuffers—just for simplicity's sake. Maybe I will ask Santa to skip my stocking there next year. The thought behind the stocking stuffers is nice, but frankly, I'd rather not deal with the stuff. It's my hope that in 2012, I can get more of my family on board with de-cluttering. Happy New Year! And thanks for all the feedback and encouragement you've given me this year.
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