I truly believe this goal will add to my satisfaction in life. I’m not shopping for clothes or household items for one year – it’s amazing how much I actually don’t need.
I’ve filled my current abode with books, craft projects and furniture I plan on selling or giving away when I leave, for now I need much of what is there. But I was able to give away a pile of knick-knacks and stuff I don’t use and wouldn’t ever use, even though I had to struggle with some it. But I figured that if I had books that I hadn’t read and stuff I didn’t use even though I’d moved them around with me for years, then I probbly wouldn’t ever read them or use them and now I feel lighter!
Now that I don’t have those items; well, I don’t have to read them – someday! I don’t have to use them – someday! I’m freeeeee! 3 weeks ago

Now here’s an opportunity for Discardia if ever I saw one: on Queen’s Day (April 30, it will be King’s Day on April 27 next year) everyone goes out into the street to sell whatever they want. It is one big national garage sale and Amsterdam tops it all. So I’ll be putting down my blanket on the street and display my wares (kiddies clothes for example) and people can buy them for a few euros. It is awesome.

The only problem I have is that I don’t really want to get up so early but in order to score a good spot, one needs to. Ah well. With any luck I’ll be together with a few friends. If the weather’s nice, we’ll have a good time. I notice that this approaching sale is prompting me to gather really everything in my house that I don’t need anymore. Oh boy, I hope I can even carry it to wherever I’m selling! 4 weeks ago

This is just the beginning. 4 weeks ago

Tossed my high school yearbook. 1 month ago

Really big time. Like never before. And better yet: the guy caught the discardia bug too. I’m getting rid of stuff left and right. Giving stuff to people, throwing stuff out, donating to charity, etc. And everywhere I look there is a new opportunity to create some more space. In the house and in the mind. And boy, do I need it!1 month ago

FYI: Here’s the official calendar for discardia brought to us by Dinah Sanders.

Yesterday I took the three pairs of pants that I haven’t worn because they are too tight and put them in the give-away box. I plan to continue to trim down, but when I get “there” I have no idea of how the pants will fit. Will they be comfortable and flattering? (The weight comes off in different places, the muscles get built here and there, so will I like how they look and feel when I’m at my ideal weight?) Another example: they all are a little short in the legs. Will they really go with the shoes that I have?

I’ve had these pants for years and years. It’s time to let them go!

And now to find other clothing items that are definitely outside of the “yes, I love it and wear it” category. If I haven’t been wearing the items, they NEED to go to someone who can.

(Scurries off to clean the closet.)1 month ago

It’s looking like July for the move now & I’m @ a standstill with this goal. The good news is that I have made undeniable progress & my inclination to accumulate has lessened dramatically. What more is to be accomplished in three months? 1 month ago

• computer screen went to dad
• travel baby beds were sold and taken
• random baby stuff was freecycled
• all kinds of stuff was chucked by guy from basement
• dvd’s are being digitized and put away
• lots of baby stuff was put on sale on the net (but so far no luck except for baby beds)
• feeling of obligation to go to friend’s birthday was deleted from mind and replaced with planning to send card, call to schedule nice meetup (instead of dull family party where I end up speaking with her dim mother every time), and her husband’s 40th birthday which is to take place 3 weeks later anyway. Really, this is clutter. 1 month ago

So that’ll be taken care of too. Awesome. Tomorrow I’m sending off another thing I sold online. Get 30 euros for it too. Woot! 2 months ago

I am seriously cleaning out the house and also my inboxes. In those I found a LOT of mails from my friend S who no longer writes to me so that made me kind of sad but I decided to delete them anyway. Maybe it’ll make room in my head for new, right? There is something almost enlightening abouy discardia. 2 months ago

Went through my cabinet yesterday and pulled out all but a few pairs of pants for donating.

Then El Pisces and I actually took them and the big pile of stuff we’d accumulated next to the front door to the recycling center, instead of letting it sit there for another week! Haha. Yay us. 3 months ago

with donations! Now they just need to leave the house. 4 months ago

Never leave the house now without a bag of something I’m taking to the dumpster or recycle. I’m thoroughly tired of living in a storage unit ;) 4 months ago

Because of the new business I’m setting up, I’ve been clearing bookshelves and spaces and everything to fill it up again but this time with useful stuff. Now all I need to do is actually throw out the stuff I took off those shelves… 5 months ago

What it looks like now. Once upon a time it used to be an entire room, but I have been slowly winnowing it down over the course of years. I want to say the final cull won’t take longer than a day, but you know how that goes. It could happen. I will give it a couple weekends though. 6 months ago

Almost all photography & outdoor magazines from my dad. He gave them to me because he didn’t want them any more & he knows I like to make collages. Setting a mini-goal of going through 50 magazines this weekend. Ideally, I don’t want to spend more than a couple weekends at it, but then I looked at the piles. 6 months ago

Didn’t get rid of as many books as I thought I “should” in this go around. Still hanging on to too much. Even though I have a few months (or more) before the move, I’m feeling the pressure. It always seems these last couple months of the year go by too quickly. 2013 will be here before I know it. Breathe. 6 months ago

Started sifting through art supplies & books today. Every time I do, things become a little bit easier to discard. I also looked through my old journals. I know throwing them out would be a weight off my shoulders but I’m not quite ready yet. Eventually. 7 months ago

Seems I never leave the apartment lately without dragging something or other out to the curb with me. One of the advantages of living in a super crime-y neighborhood: things disappear quickly when left unattended. 7 months ago

I drug my old drafting table to the curb today. It’s big & bulky & the tabletop has grown ultrawobbly. I’ve had it for almost 22 years! I hope it disappears soon because I’m ready to let go now. So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, goodbye. 8 months ago