Mini Minimalist Challenge: 12/31-1/4

[wordbox]

Hey everyone! I know lots of us have big goals for 2013 when it comes to decluttering and organizing our homes. I participated in these Mini Minimalist Challenges in 2012 and it was VERY helpful. It was fun to set small, attainable goals and chat about things we had found to get rid of, areas that we tackled, etc. I'm starting up the threads again for the new year, and will do my best to maintain them. I'll probably copy and paste a lot of them word for word from what we did last year, and am open to suggestions if you have areas that you would like to work on or ways to improve...

The Mini Minimalist Challenge runs each week from Monday-Friday. Weekends can be used as catch up days, and would be a great time to drop off donations. Before & After pictures (or any other progress photos) are encouraged!

I will post the entire 5 days all at once, in case you would like to plan ahead or work out of order. Keep in mind that not all challenges will be relevant for every person or every home. If you find a challenge that does not need to be done, or is in an area of your home that you do not have, either consider it a day off or focus on an area that you really need to work on.

The goal will be to purge 5 things from each area. You may find more and you may find less, but you want to aim for at least 5 whenever possible. If you stick to the minimum, you will purge 25 things from your home every week! Comment with your progress and to encourage others and share your successes and struggles.


Monday 12.31.12: Purge 5 holiday items. This could be cards, decorations, gifts you don't plan on keeping, or anything else that is lingering from the holidays.

Tuesday 1.1.13: Purge 5 items from your bathroom drawers/cabinets.

Wednesday 1.2.13: Purge 5 items from your desk/office/mail space. If you don't have a desk/office/mail space, then purge 5 items from your junk drawer.

Thursday 1.3.13: Purge 5 items from your pantry. Check expiration dates!

Friday 1.4.13: Purge 5 items from your laundry room.

Good luck!

[ArronDalesMama]

12/31/12 - 5 holiday items


1. Thanksgiving door hanger
2. Candle and holder
3. Snowflake candle holder
4. Santa candle holder
5. Random unfinished tree skirt.
6. 2 holiday hurricane vases.

Yay I completed today. Helped that I put my decorations away yesterday. Even cleaned out the closet since I had the boxes out.

[AfWife8405]

12/31:

1 Christmas Tin
3 Broken Ornaments
3 Ornament boxes

[dudleypippen]

12/31: 2 Christmas serving trays, a basket, 3 cookie tins, 1 small tree and an ornament. Oh and an old box of Christmas cards I held on to for some strange reason

[scwendy]

12/31: purged 50+ ornaments, a tree topper, three holiday knick knacks, and three large porcelain figurines

1/1:

1/2: purged over 10 items & sorted so mail keeper only has current bills due, separated items for this year's tax return

[babynme8]

Oh yay I love these!

12/31:
1. Cookie Tin
2-8. Christmas Cards

1/1:
1-3. Bath Poof Thingys
4-5. Half used Shampoos & soaps
6. Razor

1/2:
1. Lone flash card from my boards
2-3. Rent Receipts
4-8. Misc. Junk Mail/sales flyers

1/3:
1-2. Empty boxes
3. Empty PB Jar
4. Stale Wheat Thins
5. Random sack with stale marshmallows??
**I think I need to remind everyone in this house what a trashcan is

1/4:
1-3. Empty packages/boxes
4-5. Plastic hooks

[wordbox]

Awesome you guys! Thank you so much for joining in.

12/31: I purged 3 mini stockings, an ornament, and a stack of Christmas cards. I'll probably add a few more things this week, since we're taking our tree down either tomorrow or Wednesday.

[babynme8]

I want to get my tree down but the boxes are in the shed and there is too much snow/mud to get back there. But if it's still nasty out by the weekend I'm gonna suck it up and get out there anyways.

[TypeAMom]

12/31: returned 4 X-Mas items, but replaced them w/ 8 smaller items.

Wait, I forgot that I donated stuff today! 1 large Halloween decoration, about 50 kids books, about 7 women's shirts, about 10 kids' clothes items, 1 stuffed animal and about 5 other kids' toys. I feel so much better now.

1/1: 2 old razors, gave away 16 stockpile items as belated X-Mas gifts

1/2: 2 pens, instead of buying thank you cards, I'm using up 15 thank you and blank cards we had on hand

1/3: we've been eating through our stockpile so the pantry's already clean. my room needs more work, though: sold 5 items on craigslist and pulled 2 for donation.

1/4: 1 skirt and 1 shirt that I'm giving up on getting stains out, 1 detergent sample I found and used up

Thanks OP for posting this mini challenge. It's very motivating!

[Quickshep19]

I put my holiday stuff away on the 26th. However, I tossed 10 or so gold ball decorations so I'm ok on that front, lol.

Jodie ~ mama to Big K, Medium K & Lil' k