Daily Declutter

I feel like I'm just keeping my head above water, but when I reflect I see progress. It's a really good reason to write things down!

I've been working on gifts, which isn't the same thing as decluttering, except this way I won't be stressed when it's time to give gifts. Reducing stress is a big part of minimalisting, at least to me, so I think it counts.

I finished my Mother's Day gift for my mom, except for wrapping.
I finished a gift for my nephew's birthday, except for wrapping.
I started loquat liqueur for Christmas presents (it takes four months to age).

I also cut up a ton of loquats and I am drying them. And I mostly kept the house sanitary. I am tired of people leaving food and dishes lying around after they eat, and I am on the warpath with this. I track down the guilty party, force the guilty party to clean up after himself/herself, and assign another household task as a "reminder" or reinforcement for the future. (Yes, it would be faster to do it myself, but then there would never be any improvement. And forcing someone else to vacuum/sweep/clean the bathroom is lovely. Even if this is not part of "minimalisting," it is what I've been up to today.)

I pulled out a box containing a torn lace tablecloth that belonged to my great-grandmother. I had been saving it because of heritage, but when I looked over it today it was not...special. My great-grandmother lived into the 1990's, and I'm not sure when she bought the tablecloth, but it certainly wasn't a wedding gift! I suddenly can let it go -- especially since my history-loving daughter was underwhelmed by the tablecloth. I will put the tablecloth in fabric recycling (it's that badly torn), the doilies will go to ebay, and I will free up a little more space in the shed.

That's about it for decluttering, but I did make life simpler down the road, and I'm willing to count that today!