Sunday, January 23, 2011

52 Weeks o f decluttering - week three

My main achievement this week has been more on the organising side and less decluttering - as the year starts to get busy again, I have spent some time organising my car. Even though I no longer spend the time I once did managing "mum's taxi", my own commitments see me on the road most days: three days commuting to work and two weekdays and the weekend balancing home, health and community responsibilities.

Back in the days when I worked five days a week and spent an hour travelling each way, I learned that it pays to keep stuff on hand that you might just need. Here are some the essentials I keep on board:


  • Enviro shopping bags: I now have a system where all my ecosilk and fregie sack bags are corralled into one tote bag, which I grab and take with me on any shopping trip, large or small. Also keep a refillable water bottle and a keep cup in there, to prevent the "I forgot" scenario!
  • Weather kit: I have been caught too many times with our variable and unreliable climate, so now I am ready for just about everything nature can throw at me! As well as umbrellas, I have some of those throwaway ponchos an my gum boots (wellies, rain boots!); I also keep a long sleeved sweatshirt for when it is colder than predicted and for our summer, there is a hat, parasol, sunscreen, insect repellent and water bottles!
  • Overnight bag: this is a new addition, which I have been meaning to do for ages. A small duffle bag holds nightwear, toiletries and a change of clothes (including shoes), plus medications for three days. The recent floods motivated me to get this sorted!
  • Just in case: as well as a first aid kit, there is a bag of dog bits and pieces; personal care stuff; reading material; a rug and cushion; spare bathers and towel; pen and notebook and other odds and ends - If I get stuck somewhere I am ready for just about everything!
My work organising this week consisted of relocating all those archive files to my storage unit , making use of the space freed up by our working bee and getting them out from under my feet at the office. I might even be able to claim some of the rental on my tax!

So not a lot of use of my three sorting baskets this week, but clearing the decks for future progress!
I bought a set of these last year - best organising purchase ever!
From Flylady, of course!

http://orgjunkie.com/52-weeks



2 comments:

shirlnutkin said...

wow! this is great. although not formally part of the 52 weeks of decluttering, i'm going to tackle my car trunk! congrats on creating unoccupied space!

Marilyn Holeman said...

Hi Yvette,

I'm visiting from Org. Junkie. We live way out in the country--so I can really appreciate using your car as a "big purse!" I love the big bins you bought from the Fly Lady--so much nicer than black trash bags! I'll have to go check that out. Thanks for sharing. Happy organizing this week! (Oh, and you need to update your personal info. Did the wedding happen in November?)