This post is a little overdue. I chose to spend my weekend writing time with my nose in a couple of books so I woke up on Monday morning with no plan for this update. In fact, I’ve pulled back from blogging for most of the week. It’s been a wonderful little break and a much-needed interpretation for my word of the year: Less.
I ended May with a couple of decluttering goals for June. Spoiler alert: I didn’t accomplish them and will be carrying them over for July. But I did manage to list a few things on Ebay over the last two months and have earned nearly $100 for my efforts. Not too shabby!
My biggest lesson of the month: the most passive way to make progress on this goal is to ignore the impulse to buy things. The fewer things coming into the house, the better! At one point in June I was incredibly tempted to put in a big order at Hands Across the Sea Samplers, which would have been a financial, decluttering, and time management mistake for me. Instead of putting in the order, I made a cup of tea. And then another. And then another. The impulse passed by the end of the day but it was a close one. I had a full shopping basket! But the act of preparing and enjoying tea is miraculous and I highly recommend it for all of your moments of uneasiness.
The multitude of interpretations for Less is the beauty of this word. It’s possible to create a grand plan for achieving a certain idea of Less and follow through – and that’s a success! And then it’s possible to not follow through at all – and that is also a success. I’m not sure where I’ll focus my efforts in July but I’m sure something will pop up for me.
As always, thank you to Carolyn for hosting this monthly linkup. Be sure to visit her and the other bloggers participating this week and prepare yourself for loads of inspiration.
Friends, I hope your weekend is full of exactly what you need. Take good care.
The Cozy Burrow 
This is a keeper! “…the act of preparing and enjoying tea is miraculous and I highly recommend it for all of your moments of uneasiness.” But did your sampler-avoidance provide an opportunity to replenish your tea supply? 😉
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hahaha, no! I am drinking the super inexpensive Red Rose Early Gray tea lately and am loving it!
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LOL, good for you. And I loved your pairing of less and pause. Taken to heart for sure!
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I think decluttering is an ongoing process. I have been working on it forever it seems. And yes choosing what to bring in and limiting those things is where it begins. I have become so picky about what to bring home with me or order online. I love making and drinking tea
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Thank you for that reminder, Lisa. You are so right – decluttering never ends! And tea is wonderful 🙂 I hope you have a great weekend!
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I find that sometimes just filling out the order form is satisfying. I have ‘sleep on it’ stipulation to myself for online orders. Usually I cancel the order the next morning wondering what I was thinking! You’re right, the best way to declutter is to not bring things into the home. The ‘thing’ maybe cute or pretty but f it doesn’t serve a function, I don’t want it.
I was asked many times last year why it was taking us so long to move into our new house then why it was taking so long to clean out the old house. I went through everything and didn’t move anything here that I didn’t want. I was ruthless in sorting and I’m so thankful I was. Our new home is not cluttered and and it’s easy to clean.
Have a good weekend and a fun time next week, blessings!
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YES! Sometimes I just put things on my Amazon wishlist instead of buying it… and then never go back to buy it! I love that you took your time with your move and made sure you only took the things that mattered to you. What a great way to reset your home! I hope you get tons of time to quilt this weekend, Gretchen. Take care!
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Love this! A good cup of tea can be the solution for so many things. Humans seem to be predisposed to want “things” and what a pull those things can have. But taking a break with tea helps hit the pause button. Keep calm and sip tea! 😉
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I love this! You’re totally right. 🫖☕️
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I totally understand the dopamine hit from buying things, but in most cases there’s nothing I really need (other than, say, food or consumable products). I’ve tried to be better about making purchases and waiting a while before hitting buy. Sometimes the item will no longer be available, which solves the dilemma for me, and sometimes I lose interest. So I think your tactic of making a cup of tea is a great way to take a pause!
I think the decluttering is going to be an ongoing process, probably forever. So whatever you can do is a win, as far as I’m concerned!
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I’ve been listening to Kelly Corrigan’s podcast book club about the book, Life Worth Living. They talked about this question – does our spending reflects our values? It was so good to chew on that question. I like this idea of making a cuppa before pushing the complete purchase button. Thanks for this tip.
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I love that question – thank you for giving me something to think about this weekend!
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Great idea. Drink a cup of tea and then another amd another! I will fill up the shopping cart and then “sit on it”.
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I love it! I hope it helps! Have a great weekend, Linda 🙂
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I. Love. This. Post!
Taking a break to make tea. And then another. Brilliant. This could apply to so many situations. Thank you for the inspiration.
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You’re right – a cup of tea could probably solve a lot of our problems!! I hope you have a great weekend, Laila!
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Making a cup of tea before hitting the order button is a good strategy. You are so wise about not buying additional things but man it is hard. I feel like I subscribe to newsletters and the like and end up being bombarded by advertising for yarn, fiber, books – the things that I so enjoy. It’s my own fault for sure. I do try not to buy on impulse but sit on the urge for awhile. I hope you have a nice weekend.
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Goodness, I do the same thing with all of the newsletters. And I also watch YouTube videos that fuel the fire as well. And it’s hard for me when I feel like I’m missing out on something! But I made it through that one moment of weakness and here’s hoping that I can make it through many more!
Enjoy your weekend, Jane!
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Just read a great post in which it’s suggested you request a library book to ease the shopping itch!
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I love this idea! Thank you!
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I love all of this, Katie! I have been doing that pause before purchases for a few months now… it makes all the difference!
And… decluttering, well… I remind myself frequently it is a “work in progress” it eases the frustration (somewhat) at the slowness of the task!
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Decluttering is SO frustrating! I think this is area in which I’m the hardest on myself: my inability to make ANY noticeable progress!
I love that you’ve been inserting a pause before purchasing, Kat. It goes against all of my instincts (I tend to focus on scarcity, not abundance) and it’s been a hard change for me!
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How did I miss this post?! (likely spending more time with books and less time on-line?!) I’ve been pondering the idea that Less doesn’t necessarily mean “almost empty” … it can be Full or More or Enough on its own (or, like how it relates to spending – the More shows up in your wallet!) It’s just a reframing! and a cup of tea is ALWAYS a good idea.
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Spending more time reading and less time online is ALWAYS a good thing! I love your reframe of Less. I think in a lot of ways I’ve been reframing it as Enough. As in – I don’t need to buy all of these cross stitch patterns – the ones I have are ENOUGH. And once they’re stitched (in about 20 years), then I can decide on more.
And I’m absolutely with you on the cup of tea. It always helps!
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“…the act of preparing and enjoying tea is miraculous and I highly recommend it for all of your moments of uneasiness.” I love it!
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Thanks, Karen!!
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