Decluttering an is an on going process...

My husband and I come from a long line of clutter loving people. In the beginning of our marriage, we had our junk room! It was so overwhelming to find things. Truthfully, It was too much to even walk into the room.

We decided the only way to solve the problem was to move into a smaller apartment. The excess had to go with no mercy. There was a great sense of relief. We were able to pass the items along to family, friends, freecycle, and craig's list. The landfill was the very last option. It was the first of many declutter sessions over the years.

We have a few simple questions to ask ourselves when we start a new decluttering project.

Some examples:

• Have I seen this in the last 4 months? Is it a seasonal item?
• Will I use it in the next 4 months, if not is seasonal?
• Clothing
• Is it in good condition?
• How many do I have? Is it necessary to own that many?
•  Books
• Have I read it? If I yes, do I need to keep it?
• If I want to keep it, is there an ebook version instead?
•  Do I really need or want the item?

 For us it is about the balance between what we enjoy and what is needed. We want to live a simple, clutter free life while enjoying simple pleasures. My crafts and Mr. Zombie's movies will stay. We will continue to review as necessary so the house is pleasant and free of clutter.

Please share the methods that you use to declutter your home. Or, do you use different questions to help sort between clutter and necessary items.

Why we gave up the TV!

The television became an unwanted distraction. Instead of cleaning my house or cooking dinner, I would get caught in the TV. In an effort to become more healthy, we chose to give the TV away.


We still have options if we want to see a movie or a show that still enjoy. The bonus is that we don't get caught up in every new show that comes along. We don't get exposed to commercials each and every day. The websites that we view the most are Hulu.com, Netflix,com, and Joost.com. In the beginning, I would surf to the network sites but found myself checking out other programs. The extra sites plus watching new shows was a major time waster.


Instead of TV, we do an assortment of other things. We get our daily or weekly tasks out of the way. It might not seem like the most enjoyable activity. The free time that we have together allows us to relax. We listen the radio, old radio plays, and reading books together.


The bonus is our electric savings. We no longer have a TV, DVD player,  or surround sound system draining the electric. It was one small step to downsizing our cabon foot print.


Is there something that you gave up that friends and family don't understand? Were there positive unforeseeable consequences?

Spring is just around the corner

We moved to our new property last June so we were unable to grow any fresh vegetables, herbs, or berries last year. Our first square foot garden will be put in this spring. Over the next two months, we will build raised beds for our backyard. There is a lot of overgrowth that needs dealt with along the back fence. The overgrowth provides privacy but not help our garden grow to its fullest potential.

Many cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash will be planted. We will put in some raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries for jam, if we can resist eating them first. We will have to put a small fence around the berries because Zoey eats them right off the plant. It was adorable the first time but not so much when she gets the berries before you can pick them. Stevia, mint, parsley, basil will be planted but we still have to decide on other herbs.

Our eventual plan is convert the majority of our yard to the garden. Mr. Zombie and I were inspired by the Path to Freedom story while reading their Urban Homestead blog. They prove that homesteading in the city is not only possible but within reach for us. We were no longer limited to buying a house in the country. When we were offered our house at a low price, we chose to follow their inspiring example and bought the small property for our homestead.

In the coming months, we will share our plans for a rain water harvesting system and updates on our garden progression.

Welcome universe

Welcome to the Strange Knit blog. My husband, Mr. Zombie and I have been happily married since 2002. We are childless couple unless God changes our plan. Rosemary, a schnoodle and Zoey, a rat terrier provide many hours of entertainment. Our zoo is rounded out by two cats, George and Fred.

Our life can be complicated at times due to my agoraphobia with panic attacks, major depressive disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Mr. Zombie is extremely supportive and understanding with my condition. Many people have far worse struggles but mine can still be crippling.

Our eventual goal is to be self sustainable in a major midwest city. We use a wood burning stove in the winter. In the spring, we plan to start our first garden on our property. Next harvest, our first canning session will begin so we can rely less on big box stores.
In the future, my blog will include our journey to self sustainability, my crafting, our little zoo, and my mental illness struggles. Feel free to email me at StrangeKnit@gmail.com'