It's been panned

What: calphalon pan
Origin: wedding gift
What's wrong: in summer of '09 it lost its stick
Why kept: out of site and I can fix it
Destination: recycle bin

Confession: it will be replaced. My chef has missed this pan!

Freecycle or Bust

Freecycle or Bust
Originally uploaded by 365 Things

What: "5 used candles, almost 3" diameter, each 3-4 inches of candle left. They've burned down in irregular shapes, and are in a small plastic shopping bag." (From my successful Freecycle post.)
Origin: 4 of the candles were part of a display some friends and I created for a workshop when our yoga teacher came to town.
How Long Kept: 2006? I've used them since then, but the last time they melted into these interesting shapes...
Why kept: Indifference. They were in sight, but out of mind. I guess I thought I might light them again at some point, so maybe a little bit of They Might Be Useful. But, no.
Destination: Freecycle pickup today, or trash. (They're not coming back into my apartment!)

This is not by far the weirdest thing I've Freecycled. (I've also given away some nice things, namely furniture.) It's good creative fun to write a Freecycle post to "market" (for example) a jade plant that has grown into a really bizarre shape.

In NYC, the downside of Freecycle is what I'd call Freecycle drama: people who really really really want something...and then come up with dog-ate-the-homework excuses for not coming to pick it up. That's why I'm making this a one shot deal: if it's not gone by tomorrow, it's landfill, baby.

Bonus: Congratulations to me, for not even thinking about some secondary use for these things.
M adds: That is Freecycle drama everywhere I'm afraid. One woman I promised items to on more than one occasion came up with the most creative excuses. I've heard from my Freecycle buddies that they have received similar excuses!

Losing baby weight!

What: about 30 pounds of maternity clothes
Origin: Stores, hand-me-downs
How long: some since 2005, some summer of 2009
Why kept: just had a baby about a month ago.
Destination: to my sister in law.
Bonus: reclaimed closet space!!! Woot!!!!

Additonal bonus: I feel like the baby weight has been lifted. I took off the "Might Need It" Tag because I know we will not have a need for maternity clothes :-) I added "nostalgia" because there were some shirts that I absolutely LOVED.

Confession: I have kept a few shirts thinking that I can still wear them. I don't think they make me look preggers :-)

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Originally uploaded by 365 Things

What:  Detergent Container
Origin:  My front hall closet, before that a gigantic suburban Kmart (if I remember correctly)
How long kept:  2003
Why kept: I've kept this container filled with water since the NYC blackout.  After the WTC attacks, all kinds of "home preparedness" instructions were circulated, instructing us to be able to "shelter in place" for a period (72 hours?)

After the 2003 blackout, I realized that if we were without power for long enough, those of us in high rise buildings wouldn't have water...so I filled this empty container with water, thinking it could be used to wash dishes, flush toilet, etc.  In other words, It Might Be Useful.

But I guess if it hasn't been useful since 2003, chances are I won't need it.  Thankfully.  Is moving this darn thing around and planning for the worst really worth it?

Destination: Recycling. (I flushed the soapy water.) Buh-bye.

It might be useful?

What: old tiles (gray)
Origin: my bathroom
Why kept: for a possible craft project, but they aren't colorful
How long: summer '09
Destination: trash, but will recycle the box.

Textiles Comprise 6% of NYC's waste

Textiles Comprise 6% of NYC's waste
Originally uploaded by 365 Things

What: Worn out yoga top (and assorted worn out sheets, clothing and even a couple of dead, but clean, cleaning rags).
Origin: Century 21, for the top.
How long/last used:  I got the top probably 7 years ago.   It has no "support" left at all and has thus not been fit to wear out in public;  I have worn it recently at home.
Why kept: Nostalgia, OOSOOM, various.
Destination: Textile recycling booth at the Union Square Greenmarket.

Bonus: I took vegetable clippings to be composted, too.
Another Bonus: The round trip to the Greenmarket took about 30 minutes, and I was back home by 9 am having coffee.  I got to drink in the beauty and diversity of the Greenmarket and people there to buy tasty farm goods.   And I totally dodged the crowds that will gather there later today to buy more stuff. 

Confession: About 25% of the bag's content was worn out bedding.  Earlier this year, I made a pretty reusable gift wrap from a piece of dyed and painted bedsheet...I definitely was holding onto the thought that I'd make some or all of that sheeting into holiday gift wrap.

Hmmm. Maybe not. I can be happy that the stuff will be recycled by someone else.

(And here's a bonus shot of the Greenmarket this morning about 8:30!   And a nice clip about textile recycling, from Council on the Environment of New York City.)

Knick knack paddy whack

Please don't give my dog this bone. The Wonderdog gets ill when she eats rawhides.
What: rawhide dog bone
Origin: I think we got it from a neighbor (hand me down) along with some other treats that have already been consumed
How long: summer 2009
Why: out of sight out of mind. It just recently resurfaced last week.
Destination: freecycle pick up for someone elses pup

Confession: we never planned on giving this to the dog, I have no idea where it has been. It only resurfaced last week.

Living In The Past

Living In The Past
Originally uploaded by 365 Things

What:  Refrigerator magnet.
Origin:  My sister-in-law gave me one of those Snapfish magnets, a baby photo with a calendar attached.  At some point, I cut the baby photo off; that's still on my fridge.
Origin, part deux:  I thought that I might recycle the calendar part of
the magnet, as material for use in one of my art classes.
Origin (continued):  Yesterday, I hung a piece of nephew art on the
fridge, and found this flipping thing hanging there.  It wasn't even holding anything up!
How long kept:  Almost 2 years.
Why kept:  It Might Be Useful.
Destination:  Garbage can in the mailroom of my building.

Confession: It's in the trash in the mailroom because after I tossed
it into my wastebasket, I actually started to wonder if I could slap
some gesso on it and use a cool photo transfer method to create a
magnet with a photo on it.   (I actually thought about pulling it out of the wastebasket; I definitely won't be seen digging it out of the mailroom garbage!)

As "M" and I say in these instances: Aaaghhh!

Hard to let go

What: One of the boy's favorite toys, but it broke
Origin: Garage sale for $1
How long kept (broken); one year
Why: it could be fixed; guilt for the favorite toy
Destination: recycle bin

Rejected By Freecycle

Rejected By Freecycle
Originally uploaded by 365 Things

What: Campaign buttons from the past fall's election.
Origin: Summer, 2009.
Why kept: I was pretty involved in the recent democratic primary, and had a pile of stuff I wanted to sort through and file, in the event I ever did this  again, including these buttons.  (Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind)
Destination: Garbage

Confession: I've been taking classes with some mixed media artists.
These ladies will recycle anything!  And I've experimented with
freecycling some pretty wacky stuff.  I posted this to Freecycle the other day (It Might Be Useful) and it never wound up on the board.

Freecycler moderators, don't judge me, man!

Aahhh, a square foot of counter space reclaimed

What: Two glass decorative jars
Origin: Christmas gift (one was an additional one that my partner at work gave me after he consumed what was inside -- I can't remember what was inside of it though)
When: Christmas 2008
Last used: 2008
Why kept: It might be useful

Destination: Freecycle pick up! WOOT

Confession: The three chocolates from yesterday were inside one of the jars. (blushing)

What Makes Something "Vintage"?

What:   A brand new baby gap fleece shirt, 12-18 months.

Origin:   Newport Mall, 1996?  and then my front hall closet.
Last Used:   Never, although there used to be a small pinchy teddy bear in the box, which I believe I pulled out and gifted at some point.
Why kept:   The occasion for the original gift passed; I saw the child's dad the other day, and his son is now almost a teenager.   It lived on a top shelf in my closet, way above my line of sight, resurfacing during occasional purges.   (It Might Be Useful.)  With all of the nephews I have, you'da thunk I could have released this sooner.   But I never would have found it without this project!  (I Forgot That I Had It.)
Destination:  "M", for the Little Boy.

Confession:  This one's a twofer, because I'm mailing it an Amazon box I had in the closet.

I love chocolate, but....

What: Three pieces of chocolate candy

Origin: Christmas stocking

When: Christmas 2008

Last used: I ate some, probably in February

Why kept: I might eat it... except this past year I had gestational diabetes. It wasn't worth the carbs.

Destination: garbage

Confession:

I felt guilt on several levels. Firstly, it's chocolate. I love chocolate. I hate to waste chocolate. If it was dark chocolate, I might have scarfed it down even though it was a year old and probably very stale (thank goodness it wasn't dark chocolate!) . Secondly, I tossed it.. in the garbage. I didn't compost it and I couldn't give it away. Thirdly, it seemed lame but I did need to get rid of something and I was never going to eat them!

Exiting Today, In NYC

What:   Small can of Chipotle peppers
Origin:  Grocery Store
When:  Early 2009
Last used:  Never
Why kept:   I might need it
Destination:   Food shelf donation basket in the lobby of my building

Confession:  I feel a need for a grander gesture than a simple can of peppers.   I actually gave some food to the basket, more from the heart, earlier in the season.   This was more to meet today's goal.   It doesn't feel like enough.  Hmmm.

M's first thing

I received some hand-me-down baby clothes from some wonderful friends. Thing 2 grew out of them already. I've filled a grocery bag full and it is awaiting Amvets. It's only been in the house less than 5 weeks. WOOT!

First Thing To Go

What:  A metal eco-bottle for water
Origin:  A goody bag at a benefit
Date obtained:  Spring, 2008 (?)
Last Used:  Never
Why Kept:   I might need it.  (And, out of sight, out of mind.)
Destination:  Housing Works Thrift Store, NYC

Notes:   When I described this to "M", she asked why I haven't used it.   I already have one, I said.   She asked, wouldn't a backup be good?   I guess not so much.

Confession:   I took the toy carabiner off the top and kept it.   I might need it.   (Sigh.)

The Rules

So, the rules.   One thing a day.   It counts when it leaves the house.

We'll report on origin, how long we've had it, usage, where it is going, and why we've held onto it.

And on counting, there are some arbitrary rules:

• If we pull 5 books off the bookshelf today, we can't bank 'em for 5 days.   That's one "thing".   Two shoes = one "thing".   Saucepan and lid = one "thing".   Get it?
  
• Regular garbage and recycling don't count.   (But if we throw something out that has been taking up mental and closet space, it does count.)
• "M" lives in the suburbs.   She has a monthly Amvets pickup...so she's going to count something when she puts it in the box for the pickup.   I had better not do that.
• Items that we freecycle or ebay only count when they leave the house.
  
• As "M" says, if we give it to our mom, it doesn't count.   (We'll get it back some day.)

We'll post photos here and on our Flickr group.   Join our Flickr group!

First Post: Why, and How

OK, here's the deal.

We've decluttered, fengshui'd, Gotten Things Done (and some of that actually works, but not for "stuff"), Fly Ladied...

...and we're still drowning in a sea of stuff that we never use, clothes we never wear, unitasking kitchen gear (and d'oh neither one of us actually cooks), and other stuff we don't part with.

Why?

Someone Might Need It.   It's Perfectly Good.   When I Fix It, It Will Be Useful.   It Was A Gift From (fill in the blank).  It Belonged To (add name of dead relative).  I Forgot That I Had It/Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind.  Someday It Will Be Fashionable Again.

(OK, that last one was apparently true with black leggings...but I digress.)

Meditation is the practice of letting go, over and over again.   As a meditator since some time in the late 90s, and a yoga student before that, I recently had an aha moment.

The only way to develop a meditation practice is to actually practice.   15 minutes a day is a different experience than an 8 hour workshop.   Over a course of a year, 15 minutes a day builds 90 hours of experience  (about what you might do at a 10 day retreat).   But you've also built a new behavioral muscle...

No "aha" for me here, on the topic of meditating.  

A weekend long closet purge may be beneficial, useful, or necessary.     

The "aha":  can what's taught about practice, about letting go of the breath, thoughts, etc. have a more worldly application?   What's the transformative possibility of letting go of something material, every day, day in and day out? 

(Sigh.   It took me a year to learn how to balance on one leg, too.)

Here it is, "M"

Now we have to get you signed up!