A graphic of a blue kitchen with pans on the stove and crockery in the cupboards
Episode 264 – 10 things in your home that may be aspirational

When it comes to decluttering there is one emotion that is lesser known but vital to conquer if you want to be successful. In today’s podcast we are going to talk through 10 things that might be lurking in your home that fall into the aspirational category… or do they? Let's find out.
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Transcript of this podcast episode
00:00
When it comes to decluttering there is one emotion that is lesser known, but vital to conquer if you want to be successful. In today's podcast, we're going to talk through 10 things that might be lurking in your home that fall into the aspirational category. Or do lay. Let's find out

00:31
you're listening to the declutter Apple podcast, bringing you tried and tested no nonsense tips and advice from the leading experts in decluttering, and organizing your home. Now, here are your hosts, Ingrid Jansen, and Lesley Spellman.

00:54
Hello, and welcome, listeners. I'm Ingrid. And I'm Lesley. If you're new to the declutter hub podcast, you're so welcome. What you'll find is that we try and find a fun factor in the serious business of decluttering. And if you've been here for a while, you know exactly what we mean. So thank you so much for listening.

01:14
If you'd like to get involved in conversations related to this podcast, it all takes place in our Facebook group. So come and join our lovely, warm, supportive community. To find the Facebook group go to declutter hub.com forward slash group to find out more, or you can search for the declutter hub community on Facebook. Well,

01:34
Lesley, it's a 10 Things podcast and we love it. We know our listeners love it, we can't wait. And I think it was like, what have they thought about now? But before we go into that, what do you did? Tell everybody about this lovely review, right? Yes.

01:52
From Sarah.

01:54
Yes.

01:55
It would be wrong of me to read it out. You see, you're caught you you. So we need to tell everybody and then you come to me is that I'm gonna say it. And I know that you get very upset if you don't read them.

02:06
Well, let me tell you what she says during the Lesley, I've been following you for a long time now and never miss an episode. Recently, my phone broke and I realized how much I missed hearing you check all fixed clutter. The Knitting episode really resonated. As this is a real tricky area for me as a member of the NATO community, who is also determined to effectively declutter and maintain the home. As always, Lesley challenged my thinking, and made me refocus on managing my knitting supplies, and consider how this is impacting upon my relationships, and ability to move forward with decluttering. I love how Ingrid recently talked to her kitchen wins small tips, which really can make a huge difference to a space. You've had my vote for the best podcasts. Thanks for the laughs and for being there alongside my long journey of decluttering. Our family home. This podcast is accessible and practical. Lesson Ingrid really care about the impact of clutter on a diverse collective of our communities, and are not afraid to dig deeper into the challenges some of us face offering advice, which is insightful and honest. I can't wait for the next episodes. thank Sarah, that is like a review and a half. That's like brilliant.

03:31
I'm a bit nervous about this about the fact that she said, Lesley challenged my thinking and made me refocus on her knitting supplies and how this has impacted on a relationship. So I was like, oh, maybe she just got a couple extra nice knitting needles, and she's sinking into despair about their relationship with their partner and like maybe I went a bit too far with a missing one. But anyway, no, no, it's fantastic. And that's what it's all about. It's all about challenging thinking and for us trying to think a little bit well it's not really outside the box but bringing our experiences of real life and real people and real issues into the podcast and we're so glad that that has impacted you look that

04:10
you know what Lesley? We weren't we were looking at kind of how what people write right. And we have so many lovely reviews and it's so important because the more reviews we get the more people that algorithms the computers out there think oh, a lot of people review this podcast I we need to push this forward because this is apparently good, good information. And that's really good for everybody, isn't it because more people get to hear us chat and laugh and learn. And we of course then get more feedback about what we do and it gives us some Polish doesn't it?

04:46
Absolutely does. And Sarah did say she voted for us for best podcast so we were up for the listeners choice podcast of the year was and suddenly we did did not win because the people who won literally had like 70 million downloads. So we didn't really

05:08
stand a chance. But I think we put in a good effort or our listeners put in a great effort. So if you voted for us for the listeners choice podcast of the Year Award for British podcast of the Year Award, is that right? Yeah, I thought it was. Yeah. Thank you. We really appreciate it. And Evan wants to kind of rallied around to try and get us out there. But we just didn't quite make it that way. Next year, maybe next year, when us we get the more algorithm pushes, maybe we'll have 35 or 70 million downloads next year, Ingrid?

05:38
Oh, that would be worrying. Let's see. I mean, it wouldn't be worried that somebody's not people coming up me, I recognize your voice. I'm like, It's possible. Anyway, we need to get cracking because we've got a 10 Things podcast, and we love it as the speaker. So we'd always say, it lasts longer than we think. And we have a list to get through because there's 10 things. So we're going to let's just kick it off with number one aspirational item in the kitchen. Lesley drumroll

06:10
Dino thing we need to talk about what aspirational means before we go in with, it is always very keen to just go in and like we need to explain what the podcast is about. And we're constantly jumping in and people were like, Whoa, what's going on what's going on, we need to talk about what is aspirational really means and so basically, we're gonna go LinkedIn was very disappointed networker a little disappointed for those of you watching on YouTube, because I've stopped her in her flow. But basically, what we want to talk about is aspirational things. Now, it may be that some of the things on our list you're like, but I've got that, and I use it every day. So it's not aspirational, which is absolutely fine. But this is the idea that you would buy something that's going to kind of make you do something or something that you aspire to do. And sometimes you don't quite use it as much as you want to or thought you would do so. And then it becomes aspirational. And then it just sits there, and then it doesn't get used, and then it becomes clutter, but we're still holding on to it. But we feel a little bit guilty about not having done that. So we're gonna go through a list of things you wish, some of which you may or may not have in your house, which we were considered to be examples of aspirational items, and you can prove us wrong. I'd be interested to know how many of these you've got in your house, Ingrid Johnson, because we always go through we always approve a list. And then Ingrid goes, well, I've got that in my house. So she buys the list down but then she doesn't complain that she's got them in my list. But don't now's your time. And good go into number one. Yeah, and I have number one. Of course you do. Of course you do. But that's okay. Yeah, say what it is first.

07:46
It is a pastor maker. And I have one and we you will not meet my husband uses it on a very regular. I'm very lucky. I get home my pastor on a very regular basis. So and it's lovely. I can really recommend it. But if you bought a pasta maker, I mean, replace pasta maker with bread maker spiralizer. Some other thing, maybe EMIC ice cream maker, maybe even an air fryer, you have any I mean, we buy stuff a rice cooker, and then we think, Oh, we go through this phase of using it 2345 times and then we're like, okay, we're over this now. And it kind of disappears in the corner of a kitchen cupboard somewhere never to see the light of day again. Right Ingrid?

08:30
Okay, so, okay, you're saying you've got a pasta maker and yarn uses on a very regular basis. I tried to challenge that. Is it literally making fresh pasta? Several times a month?

08:43
No, not several times a month, several times per year for dinner

08:47
parties. Yeah, or just yeah, uh, when we. When we go to family vacation. Spikeball, you literally make your own spaghetti. Yes. Why though? Why?

08:57
Because it's so nice.

09:01
Last to show up. All right.

09:03
I know but you know, several times per year to think comes out. It's like an attachment to our kitchen aid. And yeah,

09:10
well, I've been to English house. And the only thing I've ever had in this house is a takeaway. Just for the avoidance of doubt. Never had any fancy pastor. Just that little bit. You just rolling out the pastor make a few special guests.

09:28
Oh my gosh, I wouldn't be so much trouble and yours is gonna come home later on like we have to make.

09:37
Anyway, so the idea is, there are many things in your kitchen. And we need to evaluate what those things are to decide whether they deserve space in your house. If you're Ingrid and you're literally making spaghetti bolognese pasta every three days like she suggests you are then that's perfectly fine. But if you're not and it's taken up valuable space and you just Looking at it feels a little bit guilty every time perhaps it's time to go doesn't need to be a pest to make a copy any of the things that we mentioned

10:06
definitely, I'm just all hot and bothered now I'm gonna move quickly move on to number two lash curlers. I do not have these well literally,

10:21
I do have these, ah, and I use them. But I'm going to say I've had them probably for 20 years. Okay, I'm gonna just started using them. That's because I used to have kind of nice lashes, right? And then when you get older, your lashes start to become like flat and short and stomping on top of all the other stuff that happens, right, that's rubbish, generally, but and I was like, What am I going to do? Like I need to do something. So it's either get false lashes or try really hard with the lash curlers to put some kind of URL in them or bend in them to make them curl. Oh, so the question the point I'm trying to make even though I do have these in my house, and I do use them is have you got beauty equipment that you've bought? You think is going to make a difference that you've never used since the day you bought it? Yeah, no. Have you got anything? No, nothing? No. Have you got a pumice stone?

11:24
No, no,

11:25
you've got literally nothing

11:31
because I just Oh, fun

11:37
relating to beauty.

11:39
No, not really. I've good like minimal like, I just don't find it far too expensive.

11:45
You know when it could be it could also be like a, like a bright red lipstick. If that if something if that's something that you bought that night. You know, one of these days I might fancied wearing a bright red lipstick could be a color could be a certain color of makeup what you want the thought was a bit more I'm not saying that a red lipstick is really far outstripped what I'm saying. I'm saying. But there are examples of things that maybe are a little bit more exotic than you would normally choose. And that would also fall into the aspirational category. Yeah, so we're one all at the moment. You've got I've got the lash curlers, and I can bet your bottom dollar neither as I've gotten

12:20
I was looking at the going. Yeah, we're good. We're good on next month. We're gonna be so much trouble after this podcast. Lesley we're going to be like bombarded with people who said the Scotland's after this. We're gonna

12:32
get trolled. We're gonna get trolled. All right.

12:35
All right. Number three, a water coloring painting sets. Definitely don't have that allegedly.

12:43
No. Would it be nice to have that? No. I mean, it could be anything. So we plumped for that, because that might be something that was a little bit more for throw away. You know that you might, I'd love to do a little bit of painting. But it could be any other kind of crafting endeavor. So if you're not a crafter, and you go I'd love to do that. It could be painting by numbers. It could be you know, so we know what crafting things are and artistic things. But are we buying those with a view to doing something that we think it'd be great and they just sat there on the side, never having been touched? Or with one. In the watercolor example with one it's been used one time, things like that. Crafting is a big one. And if you're not a crafter, sometimes you might buy something aspirationally thinking that you'd like to become a crafter. And if you are a crafter there's definitely aspirational craft in common for a lot of crafters with different types of craft project, right?

13:46
Absolutely. I think it's like also paint and material and I mean, I mean the list is endless equipment to use when crafting different scissors and stampers. And gosh, I think you can go you can go mad when put crafting material and it all looks so great and good. And it's really I think it's really aspirational. I don't have any anything like that. And the only thing I do have is kind of these books that you can paint. I'm just I'm just trying to think now already for a couple of minutes the name when you can kind of cover them in like numbers Color by Number No, not the numbers, but it's more like just normal that you buy these books that you can just coloring with like pencils or

14:27
coloring book.

14:28
Yeah. But like not like a child.

14:31
See one like an adult coloring book. Yeah,

14:33
yeah. All right. And

14:34
how how is that in your? How many of those have you done?

14:37
None. I mean, because the kids got them so when they got older kids had them when they were younger. And then of course the older they get the kids got more of a gun more of an adult kind of more themed one but beautiful owls and stuff and I'm always like, Wow, looks amazing. And my son and daughter actually do that kind of stuff, but I might not even encourage me to do that.

14:56
Oh, are you saying that you bought that for yourself? Are you saying that? It's

14:59
never there? On the kids differently kids, I would have never bought that myself. Alright, okay,

15:03
so you're not starting crafting or painting anytime soon. And now if you and I ever turned creative at any point, I just don't know the world will have gone mad

15:17
Oh my gosh. Oh, let's go on to number four. Lesley, I'm I have these. I know

15:23
you have these. But have you got any amongst your collection of these? And we're going to say what it is in a minute that you would consider to be aspirational? Yes. Okay, but

15:34
it's a cookery book. Okay. Oh, well, I've got a whole row of them. And they're already filled out like four times, but still because we had so many because that's what you get when you've got a hospitality background like me and my husband were both in hotel school. So through the years, you know, there have always made good presents and things you know, and then you you've got some from the university and themselves. You get cookery books, like the bibles of Cookery, and all of that kind of stuff. But there's definitely stuff there that I've never cooked out on. But they're so beautiful. But so it's Yeah, tricky.

16:08
Is the one called How to make your own pasta.

16:12
No, but I think we have that at some one point. We didn't have that at one point. Yeah. But I think so. We had loads. Now we've got a small, we've really, really, really thinned it out. But they're still aspirational.

16:25
Definitely, I think I think the points that we're trying to make here is even within a collection of things that are useful. So Ingrid and Jana definitely cooks and for some people. And so even within that there are cookery books that are aspirational. Within our collection of normal books. If you're a reader, there will be some that are aspirational. There'll be some that we're looking at thinking, Oh, we feel like we should some day read Crime and Punishment. For example. It might be an aspirational box. It's not something that you enjoy, but you kind of feel like you ought to Yeah, yeah. And so really evaluate within collections of things, whether or not you have things that you are keeping from an aspiration or perspective. And so it's not we're not saying destroy your cookie box. That's not what we're saying. We're saying evaluate. There are emotions that are making you make an irrational decision about certain things in your collections, and cookware box are a big one when it comes to aspirin. Oh yeah. And you can keep on going and every time we do cookery books, you can understand what's aspirational. It's very simple with a cookery book if it's never been opened, and it's not kind of was splattered with food typically, then it's typically quite an aspirational one, you know, some that are a little bit awkward, a little bit tricky, and you don't cook in that way anymore, or, you know, things like that. So really think that through about whether you've got any sitting in your cookery book collection,

17:47
if you've got any book or books left. I'm like I'm doing it I'm trying to tell you here.

17:56
I do have cookery books, but I don't have any that I don't cook out of right. Promise, really pared it down. I mean, I remember what I did a show around my cookery books in there for the membership and one of our members was like completely horrified with the kind of the way that I decluttered them. So Bruce kind of got in my head, and I'm like, I need to not be aspirational anymore. And so I called them right down. And it makes me happy because I probably got seven or eight cookery books that I cook from all the time. Yeah. Love these online, right? Yeah, yeah,

18:26
sure. For sure. For sure. Right. Let's move on to number five. I have this

18:33
course you do.

18:37
But it's not aspirational.

18:39
Yes. And I have this, and it is aspirational. Which is, and it's no surprise that you've got one of these or several because you aren't Dutch and that is a bicycle. Okay. Yes. So in many people's houses up and down the London around the world, people have got bikes sitting in their shared their garages, they've never ridden on for quite some time. And they do quit take quite a lot of space. You're either a bike user or not a bike user. Yeah. Do we think that at some point, we're going to get back on the bike? That's the question. So I have not used my bike and I'm gonna say five years. Don't want to like it. It's old and clunky. And just I mean, I still keep it. Yeah, I think I keep it because my husband probably got eight bags, and I feel like I'm going to take one of the spaces. Almost you know what I mean? So

19:34
even noted, Steve rode a bike. Of course he wants it to work. Like, I didn't realize that Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah. No, he's telling me Yeah, yeah, remember? Yeah, I've never seen him on a bus.

19:49
Please don't just got one bike. He's got like, of course your house like several bikes for different things on the other side of the road. Oh, no, no, that's a hybrid I don't know that says whatever. mountain bike and that like, why do you need all those bikes? Right? But anyway,

20:04
I know. I mean, we have six bikes in this house and we're with four people. Yeah, I mean, my sister, I think she's got like, at one point, I think she had that. But 10 bikes with the five of them do biking is a whole thing in the Netherlands. But of course, we, indeed you have people who, like do it as a sport, you've got people who mountain bike, then you've got city bikes, and you've got, indeed a lot of electric bikes now. So you can do longer distances. I mean, there's a whole thing. So yeah, we actually went on holiday with our four bikes. So besides a trailer with lots of tents and things we also brought up for bikes and we cycled around. Love it.

20:41
So I understand that bikes are not aspirational for you. But would you concur that bikes are aspirin an aspirational item? For many people in home?

20:50
Absolutely, absolutely. Find them everywhere. Or they buy the bikes for the kids hoping that the kids want to ride them and the kids then would rather have a scooter or and because they grow grow so fast. In the beginning, the kids who go through bikes like there's no tomorrow, so very tricky, then to get rid of them again and get the next size up and yeah, yeah, definitely bikes. Definitely aspirational. So actually, we each now have one aspirational item, in my case, some cookery books, in your case, a bike not that

21:21
one. Oh, so we're going one Oh, and we're and honestly, we have no idea what the tally will be at the end of it. But we will see. Let's go to a break and then come back in a minute and carry on the competition. Hello, everyone.

21:33
Welcome back. We're in a tie. It's one one meal, Lesley. So let's move on to aspirational. Item number six. I definitely do not have this.

21:48
Okay, so I'm gonna go for scrapbooking album photo album.

21:55
Now you say photo album, I have that?

21:58
Oh, no, you need to put aside the box.

22:02
I'm like, It's scrapbooking. That would be like crafting. When would it be like no.

22:09
Yeah, like photo albums. And I'm not talking about a third one with things in it. I'm talking about, you've got all of the photos. And you've got the album sitting there waiting for photos to be put in it.

22:20
Yeah. I don't have that. You don't have

22:23
that? No. And I don't have that. Because I have done all of my photo and scrapbooking product projects that I want to do thus far. Yeah, I'm not saying I'm gonna come back to that later. But I'll buy an album at the time that I want to do the projects. And so I think that quite often, I think the problem with this kind of stuff is sometimes we may have bought those albums, or been given those albums many, many years ago and held on to them with a view that we're going to do something with them. And let's think about other things like baby books, all those kinds of stuff that we buy thinking that we're going to put like, Baby memorabilia in right as well. So that would fall into the same category. And then we've held on to it still for 20 years. And we go Do you know what, when I retire, I'm going to do that to have the chance. And so yeah, that's the kind of thing that I'm thinking about. And I have a sneaking suspicion that there's a lot of those hanging around and they are aspirational. But should we let go of that aspiration? Or should we keep hold of it? What do you think? So if you're 45 You've held on to those that baby book or scrapbooking book or whatever it is, since you were 32? Should you keep hold of it? Or should you let it go?

23:41
Oh my gosh, that's a really tricky question. Literally, actually, I think I think there comes a time we have to ask the question, do I actually see myself doing this? Yeah, even if and if you if the answer is yes. I think you don't have to go okay, I'm going to commit the time to it now and do it or, but no to one day, I'm going to do this. Because then one day is another day of the week. Is it? So oh, this tricky, tricky question.

24:09
I like to keep you on your toes and grid by now. I know you are a professional Declutter. I

24:14
know but I'm not. I'm a sentimental soul as well. So

24:20
I think I think for me, it will be about the suitability because the passage of time may mean that something more suitable, more easy to execute on us come along. So now a lot of people have still kept photo albums with like cellophane kind of you know, the cellophane things like cover things like I remember the called. And actually we're more likely to do a photo book now which is digital. And I think it's about evaluating that kind of thing. So I think it's more about is it modern, and it might be that it's a beautiful photo album that you were given 20 years ago that's got a huge sentimental value attached with the absolutely are going to do. So I think it's about evaluating Yeah.

24:59
I think also the quality of the scrapbook itself, right? Do you like the color? Is it too big? Is it too small? Is it in the material that's not suitable anymore? I think there's lots of reasons but I think you're right. There are of course, as always the exceptions to the rule too. tricky question, right. Have you got one?

25:17
What a scrapbooking? Yeah, yeah. No.

25:19
Okay. mean either. Still one, one, just checking, just checking. Okay, we're moving on to number seven on our 10 things of aspirational items that you may want to declutter. Number seven is face masks.

25:33
Now, do you know what kind of face mask I'm talking about?

25:36
Go for it like explaining to me before I say the wrong thing again? What face mask are you talking about?

25:42
I'm not talking about COVID face masks. Yeah. Because they're not aspirational at all. Avoidance of doubt. I'm talking about those things that you slather on to you is that a word slather lather? On your face, on your face? That kind of thing. Beauty products that promise so much and sometimes delivered depends on who you are or not. Often, if you are me, those kinds of things that we buy in the hope that we are going to miraculous miraculously look incredible tomorrow,

26:20
have you got any less you Spellman?

26:21
I do and when I use them? Imagine what I'm going to

26:27
look like right? Now.

26:30
I probably got one. Okay. And then we'll use that. So I keep them I kind of get them they have this stays terrible, right for buying stuff, right, as you know, but they have at Marks and Spencers every year they have like a beauty calendar thing. It's a bit like buy something. And if you buy this calendar, it's like 20 pounds, I would never ever buy anything like that myself, because it was just a lot of clutter, right? Well, it's not always close to there are things within that that are cluttered with things that are brilliant, or things that are a little bit cluttery, right. So I would go through the stuff, see what I wanted, donate the stuff that I would never use, which is probably five out of the 20 things. You see what Leah wanted, because there'd be things in there that she wanted. And then I would keep some things that I would use but I'm not like doing like face masks and beauty regimes every week. Not really happening. And so but I do have some face mask products that I will get around to using at some point.

27:22
Nice. Very good. What about you? Of course not. Have

27:28
you ever done like a sort of, like a thing where you put a face mask on at night? And now we're friends or anything like that? No, no. Never in your life?

27:35
No, no, I'd rather go to the woman and lay in a nice room with some nice music and

27:40
die. 100% Yeah, but you have done that. Yeah, yeah, for sure. For sure. Okay, yeah. Yeah. Can you think of another example of something that you might buy? That's beauty products that's aspirational.

27:53
Maybe like cream, like wrinkle cream or something?

27:59
I don't think it's called wrinkle cream. I think it's called anti aging. Anti Aging products. But yeah, those kinds of things. Many, many, many beauty products are aspirational. And so really, really think that through and look at whether or not you're using them.

28:16
Yeah, I think so too, because they're expensive. You know, I think I've when I've gone to client's house and they've got like, lotions and potions and bottles and things and and serum and these draw things in this glass little that you have to kind of squeeze and drop and massage it in. And I'm like, that's like a fortune of money in here. But please use it and just don't buy it as quickly because it all goes off at some point. So I'm always be like, oh, so I don't know

28:42
that those people are looking at the menu though.

28:46
For yourself. Right, okay, we have to go and this is going to be like the longest podcast ever. Okay, number eight. And I'm thinking that I think I actually did colada this last year is a yoga mats. I declutter this.

29:02
And how long did you have it before you declutter? And how many times did you use it?

29:06
I learned ages. Because at one point I actually went to yoga. Got the yoga mats did yoga for ages and ages then for some reason, you know how it goes. It just got off the radars it things happen, kids in work and other things. And then you said let me keep the yoga mat just in case. And it was like in my cupboard for like I say, like, seven years or something and then have a single yoga mat is like crumbling apart.

29:34
This sign is a sign that you're not destined to do yoga again. Yeah, yeah. But I

29:39
quite enjoyed it, but it's just it came into my life and went out of my life. And I'm not worried but I had it but no longer but

29:46
amazing what it looked like if you put the face masks on and did the yoga in the pasture and started doing painting like this could be my life I still have so much more fulfilled. look amazing bills then and stuff. You know, I mean, not worrying about these things maybe

30:05
I said, I don't know if that's ever gonna happen. So let's say

30:08
yoga mat. There are many, many people who love and enjoy yoga. Of course there are, but they're there for many, many people as well. Many of the people there are aspirational exercise equipment, bobbing around could be a treadmill, could be an exercise by could be a set of dumbbells could be those kind of band things that you pull up and down. There's many, many examples of those that we've seen in houses, taking up valuable space. Now, all of these things, if you've got the space, and you want to continue to be aspirational for a while you go for it. So we're not saying you need to get rid of your yoga mat, just because you've had a couple of years off yoga. Just be if you feel that you're going to go back to it realistically where the realism and the forefront of your mind, then don't worry about it. So we say these things just to encourage you to evaluate whether or not these things are aspirational and whether or not you feel you will return to them at some point. Yeah, so yeah, exercise equipment is a big one, isn't it? Ingrid? And typically takes up quite a lot of space as well. Those balls as well. Right, those big balls. Yeah, those what do they call those? exercise balls?

31:15
Yeah, yeah.

31:16
So last face incredible rowing

31:18
machines? I mean, yeah, for sure. I have none of these. So I'm good. You did have it? I did. Yeah. But no longer.

31:28
Right. And I do not have no actually I do have a yoga mat. So is it aspirational and inspirational? Because it's in my kids do yoga? Okay. So it's in my house. Okay. Not utilize the yoga mat for quite some time. My children do. Okay,

31:46
but we're still one one, then. Yes, I think so. Right. Next one, number nine, gratitude or bullet journals, or things that I love to do in my life bucket list journals. I mean, you've got all these lovely things that have been like notebooks or molestie. But a bit more focused on a certain thing, daily gratitude things. I mean, amazing if you do this, right. But if you've been given it as a present, or you're like, oh, this sounds like so much fun. He's been in your house for four years, and you haven't even come close to take getting it out and writing stuff down. Why should they your house,

32:26
that's really interesting, because you see me looking across. So this was a gift. So if you're on YouTube, yeah, this was one of my secret santa gifts. Last year from one of my very good friends. And I loved it as a gift. I thought it was fabulous gift is called One Line a Day, a five year memory book. So it's kind of like a five year diary. But the idea is that you write one line a day in it. And that could be any, it doesn't specify what kind of line it could be. At a great day. This is what happened. This is what I was thinking motivational quote could be anything, right? Yeah, I really liked the idea of it. But I've not filled anything in and said that is truly aspirational. Yeah, but it was a gift. So then there's other things wrapped up in that right, which is built. So my decision on that is, I'm going to wait for 2024 Give it another run around the block. See if I start in January 20 box to do why the idea of that? How nice would that be? To have five years of things to look back on? How might that be? Right? Same with a gratitude journal gratitude journal, same with a bullet journal? What a lovely thing to do, what a lovely thing to aspire to. But realism has to kick in and decide whether or not you are actually going to do that. Yeah. So I'm going to give it one more shot. And then if I don't if I've not used it by February, March time next year, then it's going to go into the charity for someone who will really enjoy that.

33:51
Yeah. So my daughter start gotta a glass jar with like a cork to close it the gutter from Ikea or something. And she writes a tiny little note, she's got like a purple sheets of paper. And she she writes down a tiny little message for herself with that one thing for the day, that she cuts her filter and put it in there. She has done that every day since the start of the year. Right. So impressed with her. I'm like, Wow, what a fantastic thing to to look back upon. She writes a positive thing now that was lovely that day.

34:30
Yeah. You said last thing. So that's what I could do with my one line. Yeah, yeah. What a nice thing to do.

34:35
Oh my gosh, I love it. Yeah. So you're gonna be for me, it will be totally aspirational. I would not do that.

34:40
That's the thing. So again, it's all about you and your own individual. Yeah, all of these things are all completely individual. You might be someone that's listened to his podcast, we've got all 10 of these and are using them and enjoying every single one of them. Yeah, to me, or you might be somebody who goes, I've literally got all of those and I've never used them for the last 10 years. Yeah, just to me and so You know, it's about evaluating what your version of these aspirational items is.

35:03
Yeah, for sure, for sure. Now let's the I'm almost afraid to say number 10.

35:11
We just threw it in there for fun, right? Yeah. It's not for fun, because it's for many, many people is completely aspirational. We've seen and we've decluttered, many, many of these things across the years. Yeah, that is a decluttering. self help book?

35:25
Yes. I mean, loads over the years, every house nearly that I've been to. And when we tackled the books, we found several one or several books about decluttering.

35:37
We have. And so why are they aspirational?

35:40
I think, I don't know, I think it just people think that by reading a book, their house, will the kid Declutter. And there's so much more involved than that, right?

35:51
I think so. I think so it has to, there's a lot of things that go, it's a great starting point, right? It's a great, great starting point. And there's some fantastic decluttering books out there, that are gonna give you some of the tools. And this is not a big push for the declutter, by the way, but this is our experience of what we see, you need more than just to read about it, you've got to actually commit to it. And you've got to have other things, accountability, tools, structure, all of the things combined need to come together. And it's interesting, because we've read so many decluttering books over the year, and some of them are very practical. And some of them will give you more than just the motivation, they will give you the structure as well. And I think that's really important. So those would be and there will undoubtedly be some decluttering books out there that are spanning those two things that are super helpful. But I think that you definitely need both in a book to get to that place if you're struggling with your clutter, right?

36:53
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, for sure. I think it's important. I mean, people have said to us have said to us many times, when are you gonna write a book? And we're like, oh, well, at some point, at some point, we're just not ready yet.

37:06
Right? Yeah. But if we ever did write a book, I know exactly what book it would be. And I would like to think that it wouldn't be one that would be left on the shelf. Yeah. aspirationally. I'd like to think it would be one that gives many of the tools required to execute on that. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, pretty close to button number 10. So Ingrid,

37:27
I know.

37:28
Have you got any decluttering books, but, of course,

37:31
I've got decluttering books. But I think I've read almost all of them. I mean, I think there's one or two that I haven't read yet, but I think I've read almost all of them.

37:43
Yeah, and but you're the thing is, and I've got decluttering books as well, here on the front page, we've got them. But that's different, right? Because that's research and, you know, just supporting fellow declutter is and enjoying the way that different people look at things and stuff like that. And so I think it's, it's an interesting one. So yeah, but it's up to you and depends on what you're doing with the with that book, and whether it's serving its purpose. So if you read it, or didn't read it, and it's still sitting on your shelf five years later, then perhaps it's an aspirational thing, and perhaps something like a podcast gives you more of what you need to get the job done.

38:26
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Well, Lesley, I must admit, I'm like this. This podcast was quite the podcast. So how long have we been here?

38:40
People are enjoying it Time flies when you enjoy something.

38:43
Oh, I know. I love it. So I'm looking at the list and I think was when we were one one at the break. Neither of us have scrapbooking albums. You have one face masks, but you use it. I don't have any you have a yoga mat, but your kids use it. You have a gratitude journal that is aspirational. Haha. So it's two what so it's one two to me. And we both think one shot actually, I won.

39:09
Uh huh. You weren't I worked at I kind of worked that out like five minutes ago. Just gonna go through it like go through the process. I was like, how did that come to be that I set up a competition and lost that it's like so not like me. I didn't really think that was very good. I. Anyway, so aspirational stuff, lots of stuff hanging around in our houses, we've not even spoken about clothes. We've not even spoken about kitchen utensils and all of those kinds of things. There's so many things that are aspirational our home, the beauty is finding it and working out whether it is aspirational for you because all of these things can be super useful. The things that we've spoken about. If you're using them, enjoying them and they add into your life then they are not aspirational, they are useful items and absolutely not clutter, but the goal is to find out whether you do Have any of those aspirational things that dotted around so we would love to know what it we Ingrid house in a Yeah. So it was to one, two out of 10. For me, one out of 10 for Ingrid, yeah. Jump into the comments. How many of these things evaluate whether aspirational and let us know. I can't

40:17
wait to be honest with you. I'm like, We're either gonna get like, bombarded with people, like, I've got all of these and I'm absolutely fine. And none of them are aspirational. Or we're gonna go. Yeah, I actually have a lot of these that are all aspirational. I can't wait for the comments on this one. So let us know. Go to declutter. hub.com, forward slash 264. And then you'll find the podcast and you can leave us a comment. Or you can share it with us in the Facebook group, the declutter hub, community emotion space decluttering, with listening grids, or you can just email us if you don't want to do any of these other things. I want to know this now. So let us know we're going to I'm going to be absolutely cracking up already. Because it's just so interesting. And we hope, yes, we've been laughing and but we hope as well that we give you a bit of light hearted fun as well, because we know how our decluttering is. And we hope with making you laugh a little bit, you're gonna kind of break through the Oh, it's so hard. Yes, we know how hard it is. But if you can laugh your way through it a little bit, like the lady said in her review, like I just it makes me smile, you know? Wonderful. So have a great day. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll see you soon.

41:38
Thanks so much for listening to the declutter hop podcast. Don't forget to subscribe to us in your podcast player so you don't miss an episode. And we'll see you next week.
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Marie says:

24 October 2023 at 3:23 AM

Hello from Australia! I just wanted to let you ladies know that Ep 264 10 Things in your home that may be aspirational was so interesting and left me with plenty of food for thought.
I have been on a 2year decluttering journey with plenty of bumps along the way. I recently came unstuck with photos. What to do with 100's and 100's of photos, what do I do with all the albums, and photos in shoe boxes etc. It was such an overwhelming task and it made me realised that you are absolutely right when you talk about "emotion based declutter" and our emotional connection to our "stuff".
I had to laugh at the pasta machine because mine is gathering dust in a top kitchen cupboard however I can't bring myself to give it away because it was a present from my son! As Lesley mentioned the yummy pasta that her husband makes I thought I should give the pasta machine another go!
The 10 Things list also made me realised that it is not always black and white. It would be easy to follow the principle of decluttering something when you don't use it for 6 months or a year. Scrapbooking is my go to place for a calming activity however I may have a 2 or 3 year break from it and then I happily get back to it and I think that's ok.
Learning how you describe the emotional aspect of a decluttering journey has been so valuable and I am very grateful to have discovered your wonderful podcasts.
Kind Regards,
Marie

Reply
1. Ingrid Jansen says:
  
  24 October 2023 at 3:01 PM
  
  Hi Marie,
  
  Thank you so much for listening to our podcast and we're delighted that our chat is helping you with your decluttering journey.
  
  Many thanks, Ingrid
  
  Reply
Mary Ryan-Nelson says:

21 October 2023 at 1:14 AM

Sorry to learn that The Declutter Hub Podcast didn't win the award of best podcast show of the year. However the judges shouldn't base their decision on number of listeners. I feel that
The Declutter Hub Podcast should have won for providing the most useful and enjoyable podcast.

Today's podcast motivated me to put my large stack of photos in albums and to declutter some.
However I am not able to declutter any of my cookbooks nor my decluttering books.

Reply
1. Ingrid Jansen says:
  
  23 October 2023 at 4:48 PM
  
  Thank you Mary for your lovely comment! We have another two awards to go to, so fingers crossed we have more luck there.
  Well done on putting your photos in an album. That must have been such a lovely job to do.
  If you love your decluttering and cookbooks they can stay no worries.
  Ingrid x
  
  Reply
Episode 264 – 10 things in your home that may be aspirational

We have a small number of organising products we love and they're all in our shop

Episode 322 – How to avoid Black Friday shopping Don’t Buy Ask Why

Episode 321 – The secrets of organisation when you have ADHD with Ian Anderson Gray

Episode 320 – What is clutter blindness and how to fix it?

Episode 319 – Katie Mortram from Good Housekeeping chats all things clutter

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