|
Post by Delta Dawn on Jul 30, 2023 0:51:17 GMT
I got rid of a mammoth sized ziplock of makeup I wasn’t using. It was all ‘nice’ stuff but it had to go. I felt my shoulders lighter without it all. (Literally). You may like flannel pyjamas and I love makeup. I love purses, too. How many arms do I have exactly? I think just 2 and how I have that many is anyone’s guess. Or scarves? Yeah I have 8! That said, I love the purses and the scarves.
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Jul 30, 2023 0:56:31 GMT
You know what? Maybe I will. At the very least I can post about my own triumphs over bringing things into the house. I don't know if it will catch on with the group there but I can make the effort. please do - I'm definitely being more conscious of how much I buy and what I buy now
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Jul 30, 2023 3:52:56 GMT
I don't have a problem getting rid of things that I no longer want, need or use. Especially stuff others have gifted-given to me. I appreciate being thought of and the other persons kindness. But....If I don't care for it, won't use it, don't need it....it goes in the give away or donate pile. In this situation, with your pajama sets: I wouldn't get rid of them, because eventually pajamas wear out (become threadbare, get torn, raggedy, etc..). Depending on how often you do laundry, keep some in the daily rotation (I have five sets in my daily rotation), and box or bag the rest and keep them in reserves (in a closet under the bed, etc..). When a current set wears out, replaces them with a set from the reserves. You've already spent the money on all the current pajamas. If you get get rid of some of them and one of the *kept* pairs wears out, you're going to have to spend more money to replace them. But if you have the already purchased ones in reserves, then you won't have to spend more money. I agree with this, clothing is something that eventually wears out and ends up needing to be replaced so I would look at what I have with a critical eye. If I still liked it, it looks decent, it fits right and is comfortable but I just have too many, I’d just put away the excess in an out of the way place to pull from later. If I didn’t *really* like it for whatever reason (wearing thin, ugly, uncomfortable, etc.) then out it goes. It would be another thing entirely if there isn’t space to store the extra stuff, then you would have to take into consideration how much storage space there actually is and work backward by putting the favorites in first and when you run out of space it’s time to decide which of the non favorites have to go.
|
|
snyder
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,992
Location: Colorado
Apr 26, 2017 6:14:47 GMT
|
Post by snyder on Jul 30, 2023 4:02:32 GMT
I'm better at it as I have gotten older, but still have a difficult time with those items people have given to me. I cherish them and it is really hard to let loose.
My son is very creative and he keeps EVERYTHING! He may need that in a phot shoot of a project he builds or some other unknown reason. If he was more organized, it might not be so bad, but he is quit cluttered.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Jul 30, 2023 6:59:24 GMT
I celebrate every bag of stuff that leaves the house. every bag. by celebrating, by sharing with my kids.. etc. the good feelings expand and I get motivated to do more. I also do it in very very small steps.. not too many decisions on any one day. I found it also helped to take photos as you said, of every bag, every box. It may feel like you’re not getting rid of much when you’re doing it a bag/box at a time, but if you look at all the photos combined I bet it will amaze you. Definitely motivating!
|
|
|
Post by lg on Jul 30, 2023 9:16:29 GMT
I don’t have any trouble getting rid of things, but I’m thinking about why some people do. When I was a kid, my mom would have me go through my drawers and. my toybox on a regular basis to get rid of things I wasn’t using. Could that be why I don’t have a problem with this? Maybe there’s some message we get as kids like, waste not want not or some thing like that This is a habit and practice I have tried to foster and train my kids in since they were little. You feel overwhelmed? Let’s have a look in your room and see if there’s anything we no longer need. You want to keep that scribble on a scrap of paper? That’s okay. We’ll revisit it later when you are potentially ready to let go of it. Hoarders heart (YouTube) is currently doing some decluttering with her kids and she goes into detail about the trauma she experienced as a kid (parents throwing out her treasures before she was ready) that is a great insight into creating a safe space and safe practices to make sure decluttering is a happy, calm experience and not one filled with panic and dread. She also goes through her feelings as she goes through things - I highly recommend her videos no matter where you are in your decluttering journey (I’m what people would describe as an essentialist or minimalist but I still have areas to work on!)
|
|
|
Post by mikklynn on Jul 30, 2023 13:08:11 GMT
**GypsyGirl** said what I was going to say - look at every pair of pajamas. I bet there are some that are not as comfortable as others, have sleeves that are too short, or have lost their shape. Let them go and only keep the very best. I cut up cotton and flannel pajamas for cleaning rags. They are great for cleaning stainless steel or dusting.
|
|
|
Post by iamkristinl16 on Jul 30, 2023 13:29:11 GMT
I have a hard time with this as well. Sometimes it is about the cost (what it would cost to replace or what I spent). Sometimes I think I could sell something instead of donating but then it sits there for months without being listed. I was recently watching a YouTube video (I think minimal mom—I like her, although I have no desire to go as minimal as her). She talked about the cost of keeping things. It costs me mental energy, anxiety, peace, frustration with family members and myself, time, and so much more to keep things that we aren’t using or simply having more inventory than we can manage. I’m trying to keep that in mind. I just want a peaceful home that isn’t embarrassing if someone stops over or that doesn’t feel overwhelming to walk into.
|
|
|
Post by Bridget in MD on Jul 30, 2023 13:40:17 GMT
I have a hard time with this, esp now that I am working from home. And I am not happy with my current weight. So I dont want to get rid of clothes that I bought at a smaller size, nor can I with my current size. I also cant get rid of all my work stuff bc what if I have to go into the office or go someplace where work casual will do (ie, the theater, a nice dinner, etc).
My DD came home from college this winter and due to roommate issues, she had completely moved out of her dorm room and was going into a differnet dorm for spring semester. She could hardly move in her room. Not only did she have her college stuff, but clothes left over from HS. I encouraged her to take the time to go thru her bags, and we'd go thru drawer by drawer in her room. She REALLY didn't want to, but I set up a time for a purple heart pick up and that deadline helped her (all of us, except DS, who, I guess I will have to wait and see what he takes to college LOL). We got rid of 7 bags of clothes and shoes, and it felt great. I worked with her and if she ever felt guilty or wasn't sure, I told her to set it aside and we'd deal with it after, but encouraged her NOT to feel guilty and I think that helped a lot.
|
|
|
Post by Bridget in MD on Jul 30, 2023 13:43:25 GMT
by the way, freecharlie what happened with your house? were you able to get XH to re-agree to the price you had agreed on?
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Jul 30, 2023 13:47:32 GMT
This is a habit and practice I have tried to foster and train my kids in since they were little. You feel overwhelmed? Let’s have a look in your room and see if there’s anything we no longer need. You want to keep that scribble on a scrap of paper? That’s okay. We’ll revisit it later when you are potentially ready to let go of it. same - and my youngest (16) still has a decent size tote that I got for her years ago as her container for papers she wanted to keep (because they were getting overwhelming) - I used to it teach her the container theory -she could keep any scrap of paper she wanted as long as it fit in the tote and the lid shut. It fills up (less often now) and she has to go through it and will decide on her own that some papers are no longer keep-worthy and then she has space for newer papers. But yes, once they were toddlers, we worked together to make donation decisions about toys/clothes (and yes, I saved plenty of toddler clothes and toys that I might not otherwise have that they had outgrown) but that meant they knew I wasn't getting rid of their things without their knowledge (and years later when I went through the saved things, it was easier for both of us to say goodbye to much of it)
|
|
|
Post by freecharlie on Jul 30, 2023 15:16:09 GMT
by the way, freecharlie what happened with your house? were you able to get XH to re-agree to the price you had agreed on? not exactly. We are still going back and forth, so it isn't over yet
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Jul 30, 2023 15:45:00 GMT
by the way, freecharlie what happened with your house? were you able to get XH to re-agree to the price you had agreed on? not exactly. We are still going back and forth, so it isn't over yet I’m sorry to hear that and hope you can get it resolved soon.
|
|
artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,051
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:10 GMT
|
Post by artbabe on Jul 30, 2023 15:53:47 GMT
I'm a borderline hoarder. So is my sister. So we've worked out a plan this summer where one of us goes to the others house for a day and helps clean stuff up and get rid of it. Somehow it is easier to make those decisions with another person's input. It has really been working well for us so far. I'm still drowning in stuff but we've been chipping away at it and I feel so good about my progress.
When I purge my scrapbook stuff it is easier for me to put all of the stuff I don't love in a pile. Then I take those to my scrapbook retreat once a year and my friends love to go through it and pick out stuff. It becomes fun for me because they are so excited to go through my discarded stuff. I've found it much easier to purge stuff when I know how much fun they have finding (for them) treasures.
|
|
mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,601
Member is Online
Oct 2, 2017 23:20:46 GMT
|
Post by mich5481 on Jul 30, 2023 17:33:35 GMT
Maybe you should post this over there? Encourage those who post to share their "pre-decluttering" triumphs! I've been working harder at not bringing more stuff into the house. For me it's not a feeling of guilt that keeps me from decluttering, but being overly sentimental about everything that anyone in the family every made, owned or touched. I'm working on it though! You know what? Maybe I will. At the very least I can post about my own triumphs over bringing things into the house. I don't know if it will catch on with the group there but I can make the effort. I've posted in that thread a few times about canceling various subscriptions and reducing what comes in my house. 😃
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Jul 30, 2023 18:46:47 GMT
I'm a borderline hoarder. So is my sister. So we've worked out a plan this summer where one of us goes to the others house for a day and helps clean stuff up and get rid of it. Somehow it is easier to make those decisions with another person's input. It has really been working well for us so far. I'm still drowning in stuff but we've been chipping away at it and I feel so good about my progress. When I purge my scrapbook stuff it is easier for me to put all of the stuff I don't love in a pile. Then I take those to my scrapbook retreat once a year and my friends love to go through it and pick out stuff. It becomes fun for me because they are so excited to go through my discarded stuff. I've found it much easier to purge stuff when I know how much fun they have finding (for them) treasures. LOL I think it really depends on the person as to how helpful they would be. When my BFF and I were helping her dad clean out her late mom’s craft stuff, it was definitely not easier because we basically enabled each other to keep more of it than we probably should have! But since her mom’s stuff was nicer than our stuff, we figured we could bring her stuff home and get rid of ours, LOL. I’m working on that. I can’t tell you how many times since then that I’ve found the perfect thing I needed for a project that I took home from her mom’s. Now my sister on the other hand would literally throw out, give away or donate EVERYTHING which also isn’t helpful.
|
|
|
Post by Scrapper100 on Jul 30, 2023 19:31:42 GMT
I'm a borderline hoarder. So is my sister. So we've worked out a plan this summer where one of us goes to the others house for a day and helps clean stuff up and get rid of it. Somehow it is easier to make those decisions with another person's input. It has really been working well for us so far. I'm still drowning in stuff but we've been chipping away at it and I feel so good about my progress. When I purge my scrapbook stuff it is easier for me to put all of the stuff I don't love in a pile. Then I take those to my scrapbook retreat once a year and my friends love to go through it and pick out stuff. It becomes fun for me because they are so excited to go through my discarded stuff. I've found it much easier to purge stuff when I know how much fun they have finding (for them) treasures. That’s why my stash is growing I used to go up crops and do this too. I moved and haven’t been to a crop in at least 8 years. I went a few times after my move but she doesn’t hold them any more. I need to do a massive purge.
|
|
caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,478
Location: So Cal
Jun 26, 2014 16:42:12 GMT
|
Post by caangel on Jul 30, 2023 19:34:58 GMT
Check out the Netflix documentary: The Minimalist, Less is Now. It has some general ideas on the whys behind keeping thing and questions and ideas for changing your relationship with stuff. I find learning about minimalism helpful even if I have no intention of being one.
For me what has really made an impact is understanding that every possession takes up space and my time, even if it just sits there. And I try to ask it worth the space and time it is taking up in my life.
For me holiday decorations are a big one to consider with this in mind. My focus is on fewer large statement items and things that make my house feel seasonal (fall, winter, spring, summer) vs holiday (Halloween, Christmas, Easter, 4th of July). I really like the Cozy Minimalist on IG for seasonal decor ideas.
I also consider the feeling I get when I see the item. What memories/thoughts does its presence create? Are they positive? If not, I give myself permission to get rid of things that bring negativity to my life, even if it is perfectly good/useful. It could be as simple as being frustrated because it doesn't work as well as it once did or bad memories of the person who gave it to me.
Lastly finding a dependable way to easily get rid of items has been key for me. My Buy Nothing Group is really good and I've been able to get go of so much, a lot has to do with the knowledge that it is directly going to someone who wants/needs it. Everything else goes to Salvation Army, which isn't much. I don't sell anything because the little money that I'd make isn't worth my time over getting rid of things quickly and easily. I also find selling stressful so no need to add that to my life.
|
|
|
Post by maryland on Jul 30, 2023 23:24:20 GMT
The book Decluttering With the Speed of Life - Dana White was great! I listened to it on libby and it helped. Someone here recommended the book.
|
|
amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,338
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
|
Post by amom23 on Jul 30, 2023 23:30:12 GMT
I just came across a really good quote:
"Having less isn't about removing the things you love, it's about making space for the things you really love."
|
|
|
Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jul 30, 2023 23:42:21 GMT
I really like the Cozy Minimalist on IG for seasonal decor ideas. Would you mind linking this? I did a search and while several varieties of this name came up, none seemed to have seasonal decor ideas. Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jul 31, 2023 0:04:47 GMT
I just came across a really good quote: "Having less isn't about removing the things you love, it's about making space for the things you really love." That’s a good one. I also remind people that memories are in your mind and not in items. You don’t have to ‘have’ the item to spark the memory.
|
|
caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,478
Location: So Cal
Jun 26, 2014 16:42:12 GMT
|
Post by caangel on Jul 31, 2023 2:10:54 GMT
I really like the Cozy Minimalist on IG for seasonal decor ideas. Would you mind linking this? I did a search and while several varieties of this name came up, none seemed to have seasonal decor ideas. Thanks! Oops, I had the wrong name instagram.com/thenester?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
|
|
caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,478
Location: So Cal
Jun 26, 2014 16:42:12 GMT
|
Post by caangel on Jul 31, 2023 2:12:23 GMT
The book Decluttering With the Speed of Life - Dana White was great! I listened to it on libby and it helped. Someone here recommended the book. She has a great podcast- A Slob Comes Clean
|
|
|
Post by maryland on Jul 31, 2023 2:55:08 GMT
The book Decluttering With the Speed of Life - Dana White was great! I listened to it on libby and it helped. Someone here recommended the book. She has a great podcast- A Slob Comes Clean I listened to a couple but forgot about them. I will try listening to them again. Thanks!
|
|