Decluttering (16th) - 200 items

I focused on two major things today - magazines, and all those electronic and computer cords etc.

I like gardening and self-sufficiency. In 2013, I grew 1000kg of produce in my backyard, so you could say this is a major focus. (You can read more about all that on my Thrifty Kiwi website). I've found a number of magazines to be great sources of inspiration and encouragement, so have subscribed or bought many issues of New Zealand Gardener, Kiwi Gardener, Lifestyle Block, and Organic NZ. I've intended for a while now to go back through the back-issues, take copies of the information most relevant to me, and then pass them along to a friend who would enjoy them. But I've been too busy to follow through on that process. So the mags have sat in a cupboard, and on my mental to-do list. I didn't want to just let them go, because there is so much good info in them! But ENOUGH! I choose freedom from the nagging need to do that job. I choose the space instead of the items. Besides, I have a couple of shelves full of great gardening books, unlimited access to the internet, membership in many libraries, and I know that all the REALLY good stuff in those magazines will turn up again in future issues, or be published in their periodic special issues. So out they go. 103 of them, in a box, ready to go to my friend who I know will really enjoy going through them and benefit from the information (and to whom I give full  permission to tear them apart, keep what she wants, and recycle the rest).  

Along with the magazines worth passing on, I also am passing on a cardboard stand that holds them all on a shelf well, and throwing out a stack of cardstock, 6 assorted brochures and magazines, and a pile of post-it notes.

I was clearing some odds and ends from the bookcase I cleared of books yesterday. One of those was a basket full of phone chargers, headphones and assorted stuff. After going through it, I also grabbed the tub of computer and related cords stored away in a cupboard. How many universal phone chargers does one family need? I kept three, plus gave my husband a couple of USB cords to keep in the car for when he is away. Every time we get a new computer, an ethernet cable comes with it. How many of those do we need? I kept one and tossed the rest. Assorted audio/visual cables? Everything that needs connecting is already connected. Bye-bye to the rest! Disused cell phones? Various phone-to-phone and phone-to-jack cords? A broken camera? A spare mouse? Cables for who-knows-what? Never used SIM cards? Etc. Out it all goes! All in all, I discarded 81 such items!

Below are all the items I kept from this category - the spare phone will be plugged in as soon as a jack is added. 

As I was getting dressed this morning, I remembered why I don't wear one of my favourite bras anymore - it has a broken wire which hurts! Out it goes. 

I also returned a road code and special pillow case to my daughter who recently moved out. 

---

As I was loading things into the van to drop off, I also grabbed a few other items from the shed - a set of Winnie the Pooh bed ends I had saved from my daughter's bed, intending to do something creative with them, which I haven't got around to, a mattress from a camp bed we no longer have, and a folding deckchair my son acquired but seldom used. 

This brings the total for the month so far to 951! Might break the 1000 tomorrow! Whoo-hoo - freedom here I come!