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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Apr 1, 2020 16:36:52 GMT
Welcome to the April decluttering and organizing thread. Are most of you stuck at home these days? Other than a drive around town, or to do a curbside grocery pickup, we are staying home. I am planning to do some work in the dreaded guest room, but am very limited as to when I can get in there. It's right beside DH's office, where he is now working. I did pull a basket full of craft items from the eBay pile and plan to photograph/list those later this week in my office.
My other goals for April will be sewing up fabric/finishing UFOs, as well as purging and digitizing slides and photos.
Is anyone using this time at home to work on their purging/organizing goals? Come and share what you are all up to!
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rickmer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,123
Jul 1, 2014 20:20:18 GMT
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Post by rickmer on Apr 1, 2020 16:54:29 GMT
okay, i have been lame. cooking and baking so most of my work has been cleaning up after myself and putting kitchen back in order.
BUT i have lived here for 8 months and it's time to get real!! pulled apart a "corner" of crap still in my dining room, i mounted 3 45 records in frames for music loving DS yesterday and we are going to put them up on his wall, DD printed off 15 b&w photos and put them in little frames she got from ikea, i have command strips and we are going to hang those up today too!
i am sorting thru DD's maple lea doll clothes (like american girl but canadian) and going to post batch of outfits/shoes on FB marketplace site and try to make a couple of bucks. i *always* donate since people have been so generous to me and i have gotten some great deals at value village but not working and no prospects for work in the near future so every bit helps!
i have other stuff to donate that will go in my trunk this week too. may not be able to drop it off but need it out of the house!
i also pulled out frames i have been saving in a corner to do a photo wall and am going to lay them out in hopefully a pleasing manner and get them up on the wall - created a costco photo centre membership and will order the photos and fill them in when they arrive.
other than that, the christmas tree in a giant purple bin that is still in my living room was going to make it downstairs.... except i am putting a board on it to do a puzzle since the last puzzle on the dining room table was kinda disruptive to live around. so it can stay!
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Post by maryland on Apr 1, 2020 16:59:39 GMT
I am trying to deep clean, but it's hard with all 5 of us home! I am going through the attic now, and bringing down summer clothes. We are in PA, so we could have a warm April or snow! But since we won't be going anywhere for at least a month, no wearing our nice winter clothes. So switching winter to summer clothes. Our attic is a disaster, so it's overwhelming. But no better time to do it than when the kids are stuck at home!
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Post by mikklynn on Apr 1, 2020 17:25:02 GMT
In the search for my missing childhood photos, I found a bunch of unused chipboard albums. They are going in the donate box.
Oh, and I just ate a can of soup that's been in my pantry for ages. The best by date was January, but it was still delicious. That counts as decluttering, doesn't it?
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Post by ntsf on Apr 1, 2020 17:26:22 GMT
I am the secretary for a board for the last 6 yrs (for my church) and I went through all the various papers lying around.. organized them by year in folders, got rid of extras. put the papers in date order... and threw into recycling 3 bags of paper!!! small. steps..slowly...
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Apr 1, 2020 17:27:50 GMT
the christmas tree in a giant purple bin that is still in my living room was going to make it downstairs.... except i am putting a board on it to do a puzzle since the last puzzle on the dining room table was kinda disruptive to live around. so it can stay! Brilliant! What puzzle are you working on? I ordered 4 from Barnes & Noble this weekend. Three of them are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I can set up on the island or the table. Will most likely go for the table since we rarely use it for meals lately (just the two of us). But no better time to do it than when the kids are stuck at home! Exactly! Not like they have a busy social calendar keeping them on the go these days!
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rickmer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,123
Jul 1, 2014 20:20:18 GMT
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Post by rickmer on Apr 2, 2020 14:15:36 GMT
Brilliant! What puzzle are you working on? I ordered 4 from Barnes & Noble this weekend. Three of them are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I can set up on the island or the table. Will most likely go for the table since we rarely use it for meals lately (just the two of us). table is best if you don't need it to eat - doesn't hurt the back so much!! one on my dining room table was a dowdle one - kind of folk-arty of montreal... 1000 pcs. next up, is a kodak one, fireworks over the hudson, also 1000 pcs. also ordered another dowdle one of hockey (DS plays) and one yesterday from amazon of a bunch of vintage disney buttons (not like clothes buttons, like badge buttons). i am very particular about the images. can't have 2/3 of the puzzle as blue sky, etc. i am pretty sure the night sky/water of the fireworks one will send me right over the edge! lol!
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Apr 4, 2020 20:24:47 GMT
I would have thought that I'd be purging & organizing like crazy, but that has not been the case.
Mostly because I've been learning right along with my younger kids how to set up & complete e-learning, which is new to their classmates & teachers alike.
Today i went through my clothes, trying them on, making sure i only keep what fits. Putting it back neatly.
I took four decorative pillows out of my closet, & relocated them.
I threw away an old shoebox that was falling apart, and put the shoes away neatly.
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Post by Linda on Apr 4, 2020 23:33:34 GMT
Not accomplishing as much as one would think but DD13 has been hard at work in her room organising and getting rid of stuff and DH has been hunting for his keys and organising a little and getting rid of a little along the way. I did get rid of some things when I re-did my closet (DH finally put up a closet rod for me!! it's been nearly a decade).
I used up some scrap fabric making masks. And I'm using up scraps making postcards for nursing home residents. My hope is that by the time all this is over, my scrapbooking and fabric stashes will be more manageable.
Still scanning my mum's photos - next up are the 40-ish photo albums.
And I'm trying to get rid of stuff as I'm moving around the house - if I see something out of place or I have to dig through a drawer etc.... do I need to keep it?
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Post by SunnySmile on Apr 4, 2020 23:59:04 GMT
I am going to sort my stamps, add in new ones and make a new stamp catalog. My old one is completely useless. I'm taking organizing projects one at a time so I don't get overwhelmed.
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Post by Linda on Apr 13, 2020 19:28:53 GMT
wow- this thread fell a long way back...
sorted through my sewing basket today and decided I was never actually going to sew up those fabric panels so put them in my donation bin. Mended the bag that was in there so now it can go back out to the car.
Sorted through the drawer with my sewing tools -scissors, needles, bobbins, seam rippers etc... and downsized a little. Sorted through my drawer with elastics and trims and bias tape etc...and downsized that enough that the overflow shoebox contents now fit in it - and since the plastic shoe box was cracked - I tossed it.
Didn't finish the twill tape I needed to mend DD's chemise - I know I bought some right before all this started but I can't remember where I put it - it was on my desk for a while but is no longer (probably because I cleaned off my desk recently).
DH has been sorting slowly through the bags and boxes he cleans into....shredding papers, tossing junk, putting a few things into a box to donate.
No progress thus far on scanning albums - planning to grab one now and work on that
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Post by tentoes on Apr 18, 2020 5:12:44 GMT
I had to hunt for our thread! I'm staying with family during this covid thing, so am not home much! We are getting ready to move me permanently to my family's home. We are doing it tomorrow. I went to my house today to prepare for the move. I will not have room to move all my stuff, so over the next few months, I'll be getting rid of a lot of stuff. My house is about 1400 sq foot. My area here is about 400 sq foot plus bathroom.
Today I got rid of a dresser, a dining room set, a recliner, a computer desk, a chair-side table, 2 sets of sheets, 3 blankets, a bunch of towels, washclothes, hand towels, a set of pans, two sets of silverware, a set of dishes, 22 glasses, and I'm not sure what else. Moving is hard!!
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Apr 18, 2020 11:59:41 GMT
tentoes You're doing a great job. Preparing to move is rough.
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843
Jul 12, 2014 21:58:10 GMT
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Post by pridemom on Apr 18, 2020 12:16:17 GMT
I haven’t posted, but we did a huge clean out while getting our home ready to list. Once we move, we are going to be very careful about what we unpack and put out, purging more as we go.
I gave away yarn and fabric. I wish we’d been able to have a garage sale, but we did fine someone to pick up donations.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Apr 18, 2020 13:44:19 GMT
we did a huge clean out while getting our home ready to list. Once we move, we are going to be very careful about what we unpack and put out, purging more as we go. That's us. We've been in the house since January and are still working our way though the boxes in the garage. We took a bunch of antique and collectible stuff to the auction house yesterday for an on-line auction. I have a pile in the corner for donation when things open back up. There's also a small pile of things that will go to one of the children. The main thing is... we're dealing with it. Every now and then we run into a piece we want to take upstairs and display/use in the house. For the rest, we are making decisions and letting it go. Oh, and to be fair, this is mostly all my husband's stuff. He's beginning to really buy into the whole decluttering idea. I hope I didn't jinx myself by putting that out there!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Apr 18, 2020 14:54:40 GMT
Hello fellow declutterers! Glad to see we are still working away at our projects, no matter the size. I've been limited this month by the room needing the most work being next to DH's office, as well as yet another gout flare in my feet (first one then the other). I have been trying to work on a drawer here or there and have a small box for donations whenever things open back up.
Earlier this week I drug out my electric juicer to use up some oranges. It's been well over ten years since I used it and it all came back to me why. It was hard to get certain parts off and on, and a major pain to take apart again to clean. I got out the manual and noticed the original sales receipt taped on the cover. We purchased it in 1992! I'm not what I was more surprised about, the fact that it is 28 years old, or the fact that the original sales receipt had not faded a single bit in all that time! Compared to current sales receipts that you can barely read right out of the register and fade away within 60 days. I've boxed up the juicer and all the parts/manual and added to the donation bin. That cleared up more space in the pantry and solved the issue of where to store those odd sized attachments.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,329
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Apr 18, 2020 16:18:45 GMT
I went through my closet yesterday and have another large black bag to donate. My pantry was full and kinda messy, but as we've been eating through the extra food it's getting back to normal. I have a good size pile of stuff for the dump in the garage that will go as soon as the weather warms up a bit more.
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Post by mikklynn on Apr 18, 2020 16:44:34 GMT
I've been going through my kids memorabilia boxes. I have found some fun school papers and artwork. I've also tossed stuff.
I am creating memory books for both of them. Everything, including school photos, will be in one place now.
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Post by Linda on Apr 18, 2020 16:57:30 GMT
I've scanned 7.5 photo albums so far...lots more to go
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Post by tentoes on Apr 19, 2020 10:36:51 GMT
I am "mostly" moved in to my rooms at my son's home. It went better than expected. Next weekend we move the entertainment center, and during the week I'll move over my hanging clothes. Some things can't be moved yet, as we are building an out building to house my scrapbook supplies (someone say she shed???!!) We'll also put some stuff from the garage out there so I can have a spot in the garage for my car. It will also house my out of season clothes in storage boxes. We ended up extending the living area by leaving the closet doors off the huge closet and putting a shelving unit in there. That made the room about 3 foot deeper, although I lost a big portion of the closet area. The bedroom area has a closet about the size of my closet at home--so I should be ok. Besides that, the shelving in that area will hold a lot of my "stuff" but now it will be seen, and not hidden, so not "everything" can be put there! Oh well!! It looks nice. My ddil is an interior designer, so I'm getting help to make it look ok!!
One of my granddaughters is getting married in September, and she will be living in my house! I had her helping move yesterday, so while we we were at my house, she helped me in the kitchen, and she is taking a lot of stuff off my hands. I have an air fryer, and an instant pot, and a mixer, and stuff like that--and my everyday dishes, and most of the kitchen stuff that takes forever to buy--cookie sheets, cake pans, glasses, Tupperware, and almost everything in the kitchen!! So that is helpful for her. She said she will be able to pare down her registry now!! That made me happy. I gave my grandson some things too--my printer-scanner, and my computer cabinet, and a living room chair.
So, my house is kind of empty--the scrapbook room is still full. We'll bring that stuff over here when we get the large shed built. (it will be a little less than 1000 feet when it's done.) With all the county offices closed because of the virus, we're not sure when our plans will be approved--but it's ok! I'm happy. I have my here, and I slept really well until about 2 am--and now I'm awake!! I may have to take a nap today!! haha!
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Apr 19, 2020 10:51:46 GMT
tentoes I'm glad to hear your move is going smoothly so far. I bet your she shed will be wonderful once it is built. Can't wait to hear all about it! 😁
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Post by mikklynn on Apr 19, 2020 13:04:18 GMT
tentoes I am so happy it went well. I love that your DDIL is making it pretty for you.
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hannahruth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,613
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Aug 29, 2014 18:57:20 GMT
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Post by hannahruth on Apr 19, 2020 20:51:13 GMT
Spent the day cleaning out the cupboards in the laundry.
Had been so efficient when putting things in there initially, neatly in boxes so it was easier to access but over the years had been just putting things on top and there was no order there any more. I emptied out bottles that had nothing more than a dribble in, half empty boxes of this and that, unused bits and pieces from Ikea furniture that was not needed, older disused light globes, dried up half tubes of glues, just in general a good clean out.
So now it is all back together with only usable items, in boxes that are clearly marked and I can actually see what is in there. Felt so good getting rid of the rubbish. Good thing it is bin day so everything is gone.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Apr 19, 2020 22:16:23 GMT
Didn't exactly organize, but did vacuum the heck out of my room. Pulled everything out from under the bed, everything away from the walls, and vacuumed every where.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Apr 20, 2020 2:09:52 GMT
Hi I have a moving box of streamers and gift bags and junk. They are going into recycle week after next. That is my goal this month.
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Post by Legacy Girl on Apr 20, 2020 2:27:49 GMT
Our dining room is the catch-all room. It's still not great because with the quarantine, it's now our overflow pantry, but we all worked together a couple of weeks ago and got it as organized as we could. I'm still planning to redecorate it. I have the decor, but not sure how it will all fit together, and I need someone handy to help me hang stuff. That is NOT up DH's alley at all, so I'll need a Plan B. DD has gotten the organizing bug several times during quarantine. She took every spice and seasoning packet out of the spice cupboard last night and pitched what was expired, organized what remained, etc. So thankful! I have a pie safe that we use for pantry items as well, including beans, rice, potatoes, onions, small appliances, etc. No progress on the inside yet, but the top of it serves as my office space, for lack of a better phrase. I had mounds of printed photos in envelopes stacked up there (from various applications that DD has had to complete) through the years. I also had a few old planners and calendars that I needed to go through and see if there was anything I needed to save. So, I spent quite a while last night working on that. It's no longer ready to topple if you just look at it. Still have two small Longaberger baskets with odds and ends that are on there that I need to go through, but at least they're contained. I changed the sheets on our bed today and got fed up with all of DH's stuff all over the floor on his side so I organized that, too. Otherwise I was going to break an ankle climbing over books and other items. Fresh sheets! I will sleep well tonight. Anyway, just a few smaller projects to feel good about. Seems like small is about all I'm capable of during this time. Anything else just seems overwhelming.
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Post by ntsf on Apr 20, 2020 4:33:42 GMT
I took all my scrapbook stuff out and organized it. started making masks.. so will have to get back to the project.. but got a long ways forward.. like all adhesive in one place!!!
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Post by Bobomommy on Apr 20, 2020 4:36:45 GMT
We rented a roll off dumpster and cleaned out the attic. The basement office and playroom are next.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 10, 2024 10:06:38 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2020 11:45:28 GMT
I made some masks this weekend and the sewing box is full of junk. My husband sews too so I will try to get it cleared out but like to check with him on throwing stuff out if he has saved it. Need to throw fabric scraps from masks. I cut up pillowcases and the scraps have no purpose. I should be able to get this done. There are messes/ new situations everywhere so I just need to focus on one thing. Kids stuff for school, working from home, extra food....when your house becomes a school, office, warehouse and 24/7 hangout you have to rethink some things...and thinking is harder for me lately.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Apr 20, 2020 12:08:21 GMT
So now it is all back together with only usable items, in boxes that are clearly marked and I can actually see what is in there. So how many times will you open the door just to look at your work and feel happy? I tickle myself with how much I like to "admire" my decluttering and organizing results. Lol.
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