Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 2 - What Doesn't Belong
Now that we took out the trash, now it time to find any other items that don’t belong in your sewing space? Or maybe yours is like mine; it doubles as a guest room. So maybe for you it's about moving items back in once the guests have gone home.
Today we put it all back where it belongs. Use your timer; you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll accomplish in 30 minutes. Repeat if necessary. If you need more time be sure to take a short break in between. You might also need a buddy to clear out some of the larger items.
Beware! Do not get distracted by where your items end up. And I know that this is easier said than done. Today I returned a bottle to my bathroom and the next moment I was up on a ladder dusting off the top of the medicine cabinet.
Today might also be the day you start a brain dump. This is just a place where you can quickly put ideas...I like to call them squirrels and they distract you from the task at hand. I am using a white board and my phone. But you can use a journal or notebook too.
Be sure to use your timer so if you get distracted it will zing you back into the present.
As well as items that belong in other spots in your home, you might find items that need to be returned. Or remember items that need to be returned to you. Or find items that you need to send a thank you note for. Add them to the list to deal with after the timer goes off.
This day has always made me look hard at items that I have hung on to for years. I have had this tray of seashells for that I collected on my world tour 35 YEARS AGO. They are just sitting on this lid of an old container. I realized that I had no desire to mount them in a shadow box. But I wanted to keep them. So I grabbed my youngest son who is quite crafty and asked him to mount them. And now they are out of my space.
I also had this old jewellery box of my mother's that I rescued from her garbage when my parents downsized 10 YEARS AGO. The taffeta is destroyed, the music box seized, the ballerina long gone. I had dreams of refinishing it.
But it isn't that well made. And once it is repaired where would I keep it? I turned to my husband and asked him to be the brave one and make the decision for me. Now it's gone, I'm not sorry.
So I guess the lessons I'm learning is that sometimes it takes a couple of years declutter some items. And sometimes you need a buddy.
Now after you get the hard stuff out of the way, take a moment to clean your sewing machine. Following the manufacturer's guidelines, give it a bit of oil and change the needle and clear out all the fluff. Rethread the machine and add a fresh bobbin.
I hope you feel the energy of your space changing the way I feel mine is. There's a joy in my sewing that I have not felt for many months.
I know you have found some items that you are shaking your head wondering why they are in your sewing room. Post them with the hashtag #jgidqdeclutter2023 and #declutterchallenge2023. I’ll see you tomorrow for Day Three.