How would you feel if the Ghost of Christmas Past would come and tell you ‘this month you’ll get rid of 461 things because it’ll free the mind, bring abundance, energy, happiness that your Santa list will take a whole different spin'?

In the month of November I have participated in a minimalist game, commonly known as minsgame. Rules are clear and simple, would say minimal if the pun weren't poorly executed: in a month you eliminate things from the house in an exponential crescendo, the first of the month 1 thing, the second 2 things and so on until the 30th. Think twice, because you don’t really know if you can do the 20, 21, 22 things a day until you face the dare.

My game was called Minsgame BOSS from the initials of the 4 bloggers, Break the Twitch, One Girl Two Cities, Simply Save and Social Sarah, who took upon, conducted, directed and completed it masterfully, with grace and ease.

The practice of minimalism has percolated through certain circles as the new age, a new way of living. Wasn’t it to be expected? As any recurring historic event, in the years after the latest 2008 recession, mindless consumption is no longer cool. Leaving the mall with tons of shopping bags is considered trivial and crass (unless you are a stylist in search of a last minute change props). Not to consider the rush to Black Friday’s insanity or to the launch of another designer collaboration with H&M.

Not for the faint at heart, minimalism creates discipline, forms a way of thinking. I haven’t been stung by the bug of the Japanese art of decluttering brought to you by famed author Marie Kondo. Gotta say, I am already enough in love with my shoes that I don’t need to implement a supplemental reverence ritual, they hold the highest spot in the shrine.

Declutter is a thing, and there’s more to the discerning eye than just getting rid of stuff. It begins there and penetrates through the deep cracks of the will of not wanting. All unwanted elements that populate the house, either visible or stored, filed, folded, wrapped and hidden create what I think of as chatter, not healthy coffee shop chatter, but the mean one, like that bad voice that tells you: ‘remember me? I’m that friend that gossiped about your divorce while I was buying you this birthday gift and writing this card that you are saving in this box”. Pouf, of the like of the Ghost of Christmas Past, you really don’t want them.

“Declutter is a thing, and there’s more to the discerning eye than just getting rid of things”

MY TAKE

I found it one of the most liberating experiences. I tend to be very Italian when I least expect it (duh), and that is a Country where we rarely move, we live in the house where we were born until we get married, and there’s always enough attic to keep stuff. The habit of keeping is deeply rooted, we don’t toss, throw, dispose, we use all the leaves of a lettuce, and we don’t challenge ourselves with the question: why? As I was getting ready to move for the non-Italian 6th time in 20 years, it was the perfect occasion.

WHAT I LEARNED

· Funny part, through the month, the more things were eliminated, the more people joined the challenge, creating a domino’s effect like one of those chocolate fountains where you dip strawberries.

· I don’t need to keep all the Christmas cards, bows and wrapping papers from birthdays past, wedding notes all guarded in boxes to keep the memories. The most important word in the above process is memories and those exist whether or not you look at the card. Besides, the above mentioned memorabilia had been guarded in those beautiful decorative boxes and never been looked at.

Preach it girl: how many of you has ever looked at the wedding cards after sending the thank you notes?

· Clutter absorbs bacteria, dust and ill thoughts. Clutter insinuates itself in the mind and becomes addictive, like junk food, the more you have, the more you want.

· Finding drawers filled with electronics made me feel like a hoarder, literally. Why would you keep stuff like the first version of a Blackberry (may RIP) or of an iPod? Move on already.

· It hurts, at times you feel empty, you want to cry, a part of you has been trashed, burned, donated. In truth, it’s only a part of a past you and keeping it alive is counterproductive.

· Parting is good, find the reason for parting from things, just do it, keep the momentum, don’t stop. Your lifestyle has changed, your body morphed with the years, you moved to a different climate, you divorced, you found the love of your life, all of the above.

· I became an adamant promoter of ‘save the planet’: can’t possibly think of tossing the unwanted in the trash, not good to the environment nor my conscience. In Miami is not easy to recycle and if you attempt to properly dispose of polluting materials you are looked at a nerdy bohemian from the 70s With this project, I have found out of many new outlets that would make a treasure out of my trash, none or few in South Florida.

SOME SPECIAL THOUGHTS ON HOW TO HANDLE THE PRUNING OF THE CLOSET

1. Clothes that no longer fit are to be tossed, because honestly they will not ever motivate you to lose weight;

2. Exquisite quality, designer, made-to-measure, evening or occasion pieces belong to a different category that is kept, cherished and passed from one generation to the other. This may be an old continent habit, considering that in this Country mobility and space are of the essence, those ‘heirlooms’ may become an extra volume. Trust me in this, when you open those garment bags your youth comes out bright as a sunray and there’s nothing more energetic.

3. Wardrobe essentials we know are a must, however because you may recur to wearing them several times during the year, they get worn out easily, you need to give it extra attention and care. Hello, that beautiful white blouse from Dolce & Gabbana, how many times you have received compliments and felt like a million dollar babe? The yellowish stain under the arms will come like the law of gravity for perky breasts and wrinkles, but that’s when it times to move on.

4. What to do with what you are consciously uncoupling from?

Here is where another part of me gets really adamant: be environmentally conscious. Mother Nature is utterly generous to us, and especially when nobody around me seems to care, it hurts me. I try to lead by example, with all my imperfections, I am no Saint Francis of Assisi.

Unwearable clothing I shred and use for dusting, mopping the floor, fluffy threads of wool I cut and even use as pillow fillers;

Repurpose: consign, sell online like Ebay, donate, gift anyone who will benefit from what you previously loved. Talking fashion, the most coveted sites for the designer’s addicts are The Real Real and The Outnet. Vestiaire Collective is the latest that collects pre-loved designer clothes from

Recycle, upcycle, and down cycle are different concepts that are cool again, according to Sass Brown who has dedicated the latest years of her career to decode the re-fashioning of fashion. I have met her at The Fashion Project in Bal Harbour, I bought one of her books 'Refashioned' inspirational, fascinating and innovative.

A SIDE NOTE, SIMPLY GLAMOROUS THOUGH: Talking about pre-loved garments, did you know that Margaret Thatcher’s wardrobe will be auctioned off at Christie’s.

minsgame

The minimalism game is like Pandora's Box, it keeps producing results

MY TAKE

WHAT I LEARNED