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Post by Linda on Jan 4, 2017 16:51:25 GMT
Oooh, iamkristinl16, I am totally jealous of your game closet! I wish I had a game closet. We love games, but we are always trying to stick them here or there under the sofa, in cubes with other toys, etc. I'm going to add this to my future home wish list. we don't have spare closets here - 1 per bedroom only (no coat or linen or broom closet nevermind a game closet). I bought a pantry cabinet from WalMart and we use that as our game cabinet (at least for the kids' game - ours are stacked in my closet and tucked into the armoire that holds my dishes, sigh). I do need to go back through it and see if we've outgrown anything else - my age gaps mean we hold on to toys much longer than most families do.
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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 Jan 4, 2017 16:51:53 GMT
Today I unsubscribed from email lists. It was freeing!
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jan 4, 2017 16:59:35 GMT
Is anyone else finding that one drawer leads to another box to another shelf, etc? Monday I cleaned out the junk drawer and ended up with a pile of homeless keys. DH said to toss them but I thought I should try to match them up if possible. I love those clear boxes from Container Store and have tons of them, all labeled. The keys led to the box in the garage labeled "Locks". Turns out 2 of the keys were to a large padlock in that box. There were 2 small keys that said "Master" on them, so I added them to the box in case the locks ever turn up. Then one tiny key went to an old TravelPro suitcase lock. I paired those, donated them, and then tossed the rest of they keys. In going through the box of locks, I noticed that some of the travel convertor plugs were in the wrong box. That led to going through both of the "Plug Adapter" boxes. (We are long time expats and have them for many countries.) I wanted to toss them all in the donation box, but DH thought that I should keep a few as there is always the chance for another expat assignment in the next 5 years. What I ended up doing was tossing any that didn't look good, those with yellowed plastic, or had loose prongs. Some of those things were 30 years old! Now those boxes are organized and I emptied out one of the storage boxes. Took that empty storage box, put the small collection of golf balls and tees that DH had in an enormous box into the smaller box. Then the larger box went into the donation box. All that work from a pile of keys! If you give a mouse a cookie... LOL!!!! But, yes, I experience the same thing!
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Post by micheley on Jan 4, 2017 18:15:42 GMT
Today's project is cleaning up my iPhone. I've already deleted 2,000 photos (200 of dd feeding the same 4 goats?? 80-photo burst of a stationary car?? wth?) and still have more to go through! Never again! No wonder my phone has been so glitchy.
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Post by jennyap on Jan 5, 2017 0:00:00 GMT
Stuff will be tossed out!!! I love the conviction in your voice! Is anyone else finding that one drawer leads to another box to another shelf, etc? Monday I cleaned out the junk drawer and ended up with a pile of homeless keys. DH said to toss them but I thought I should try to match them up if possible. I love those clear boxes from Container Store and have tons of them, all labeled. The keys led to the box in the garage labeled "Locks". Turns out 2 of the keys were to a large padlock in that box. There were 2 small keys that said "Master" on them, so I added them to the box in case the locks ever turn up. Then one tiny key went to an old TravelPro suitcase lock. I paired those, donated them, and then tossed the rest of they keys. In going through the box of locks, I noticed that some of the travel convertor plugs were in the wrong box. That led to going through both of the "Plug Adapter" boxes. (We are long time expats and have them for many countries.) I wanted to toss them all in the donation box, but DH thought that I should keep a few as there is always the chance for another expat assignment in the next 5 years. What I ended up doing was tossing any that didn't look good, those with yellowed plastic, or had loose prongs. Some of those things were 30 years old! Now those boxes are organized and I emptied out one of the storage boxes. Took that empty storage box, put the small collection of golf balls and tees that DH had in an enormous box into the smaller box. Then the larger box went into the donation box. All that work from a pile of keys! Ha, totally BTDT. I try to avoid it by not allowing myself to be distracted. Anything that doesn't belong in the area I'm working on goes in a "lives somewhere else" box. I have one for things to go upstairs, one for downstairs. I can't even touch them until I've finished my current task. When I start on a new area the first thing I do is check the box for anything that lives there so I don't revisit areas any more than necessary.
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Post by melanell on Jan 5, 2017 1:33:10 GMT
Oooh, iamkristinl16, I am totally jealous of your game closet! I wish I had a game closet. We love games, but we are always trying to stick them here or there under the sofa, in cubes with other toys, etc. I'm going to add this to my future home wish list. we don't have spare closets here - 1 per bedroom only (no coat or linen or broom closet nevermind a game closet). I bought a pantry cabinet from WalMart and we use that as our game cabinet (at least for the kids' game - ours are stacked in my closet and tucked into the armoire that holds my dishes, sigh). I do need to go back through it and see if we've outgrown anything else - my age gaps mean we hold on to toys much longer than most families do. We're pretty lucky in that despite having a small home, we do have extra closets beyond the bedroom closets. However, because we have a small home, all of those closets are very full of other things. I understand the age gap issue. We have one about to enter high school while the other is just starting his elementary school years. Save
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Post by canadianscrappergirl on Jan 5, 2017 7:59:25 GMT
I'm definitely in! My life as a whole is a mess and my house too lol!
This spring while hubby was on a hunting trip for 12 days I did a lot of purging in my kitchen/cleaned cupboards and went thru linen closet and clothes closet so I do feel some what good about those areas. They need a bit of re working and a bit more purging at some point this year.
I am going to tackle this huge task by breaking it into monthly goals and then breaking it down even more into weekly so I can have more success! Well that is the hope haha!
January week 1 - go thru paperwork on desk and shred all unnecessary documents *done* -cull any old or empty toiletries/makeup, clean make up brushes, organize what I'm keeping and implement new clear container I bought for it *done* -go thru nail polish collection and cull any I no longer like, straighten and organize *done* --go thru tall Alex unit and organize and toss what doesn't belong there *done*
Week 2 -take the 4 boxes of purged items to good will *DONE* - go thru my book case and cull any books I no longer want *DONE* -Go thru all the christmas cards/tissue/bags/tags and purge what I don't like anymore and try to get it to one container. Put rolls of paper in new holder. **DONE** - go thru stamp clip it up and embellishment clip it up and purge what I no longer want. Organize as I purge and make labels if needed for categories missing. *DONE*
Week 3 -take down tree and go thru decorations purge broken or ones I no longer want. Take down all other decorations. Pack them better put like with like. Try to get rid of one container. **DONE** -get rid of the 2 boxes of vhs movies in bedroom that hubby was supposedly going to convert to dvd and never did, I'm sick of looking at them. *DONE* -go thru the 2 kallax knock offs and purge any scrappy stash I no longer want. Re-label the bins that have changed. *DONE*
Week 4 -clean and organize cupboard in kitchen with glass doors purge the crystal and other crap I don't use -go thru cd collection and make sure cds are in proper cases and organize and purge as I go thru them -go thru my area of clothes closet and drawers and organize and purge clothes and shoes.
I have a huge mess of digital photos that need culling and organizing that will take a long time. I plan to work on this ongoing project by carving out 1 hr a week for that.
I am also in the process of doing a pocket page/project life type album for each of my 4 kids and myself for their childhood. It covers a 20 yr span and I've done the first 5 yrs. I hope to be able to spend 3 hrs per month working on getting the photos copied/scanned and organized for that to happen.
Each boy has 2 bins of memorabilia and ephemera and those need to be culled done and organized. Hope I can spend an hour a month on that, lowballing it for greater success hopefully lol!
I always said I'd never get into the planner phase that is so popular right now but caved and bought one. I am hoping it will help me organize my time better and help to get tasks done
I will post as I get tasks accomplished and update where I'm at.
Good luck everyone!
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Post by canadianscrappergirl on Jan 5, 2017 21:25:29 GMT
I was able to organize my make up and toiletries and purged a grocery bag full of stuff yay! I also cleaned up my nail polish collection and purged 12 bottles!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 5, 2017 23:30:01 GMT
canadianscrappergirl - Great idea to do before & after photos! Makes me wish I had done that with some of my spaces. I also like that you have set a few goals for each week this month. Good plan! Spent part of this afternoon doing a bit of decluttering/rearranging. I'm clearing out a buffet that is being giving away, so needed to find a spot for the stuff in it. On old musical Christmas snow globe is getting donated. A tray I had hidden away is now on my desk top, keeping the tape dispenser/stapler/phone/pencil jar organized. My brushes & wax for chalk painting went into the laundry. In trying to make room, I had to clear out a few shelves. 3 of those florist vases went into the donation box. I have started to organize the boxes of old papers and schoolwork. Still a long ways to go on that, but at least I've gotten started.
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Post by canadianscrappergirl on Jan 6, 2017 0:06:13 GMT
canadianscrappergirl - Great idea to do before & after photos! Makes me wish I had done that with some of my spaces. I also like that you have set a few goals for each week this month. Good plan! Spent part of this afternoon doing a bit of decluttering/rearranging. I'm clearing out a buffet that is being giving away, so needed to find a spot for the stuff in it. On old musical Christmas snow globe is getting donated. A tray I had hidden away is now on my desk top, keeping the tape dispenser/stapler/phone/pencil jar organized. My brushes & wax for chalk painting went into the laundry. In trying to make room, I had to clear out a few shelves. 3 of those florist vases went into the donation box. I have started to organize the boxes of old papers and schoolwork. Still a long ways to go on that, but at least I've gotten started. Thanks! I like to see the before and after it makes me feel good and inspires me to keep going. I really want to be successful this year in getting my house organized and I think by breaking it down I can stay on task. I've already completed this week's goals and I still have 3 days left yay me lol!
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jan 6, 2017 0:16:16 GMT
I decluttered a whole front yard full of leaves today! Lol. We had lots of wind and rain over the holidays bringing the last of the leaves down. And now this weekend, we are forecasted to get 2-3 inches of snow (a BIG deal for us, believe me). So I decided to get the yard cleaned up before as it would definitely be easier to do it before than after. So no real progress inside today due to work and the yard... but I'm taking credit for that giant pile of leaves on the side of the street!
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Post by scrappysurfer on Jan 6, 2017 4:41:56 GMT
My DH got a new job and is in the process of converting our kid's play loft into a home office. He's going to move the desk from our kitchen into the loft, which will require me attacking one of my hotspots. It's mostly paper clutter, bills, pay stubs etc but will surely take a full day to sort through. This will also require clean up of the loft, which has toys, old games and game systems, and empty shelving. I've already sold their unused gaming chairs, so officially my count for 2017 is at 2 lol.
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Post by Bitchy Rich on Jan 6, 2017 14:36:39 GMT
We are moving in March and I am trying to unload as much as possible. I sold two large items on a FB sale group yesterday. Dragged an old pool filter out to the curb where it was picked up. Added a box of (too small for moving) empty cardboard boxes to our trash pick up today.
Dropped off three bags of stuff at the Salvation Army last week. I listed a few random items on ebay, and on the local FB boards. We now have three laminate shelving units in our garage that are now empty, and I will list dirt cheap.
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Post by kckckc on Jan 6, 2017 18:28:39 GMT
Decluttering is one of my goals for 2017. DH gave me a new raincoat for Christmas and there was no room in the coat closet....so I took everything out. I got rid of 7 coats/jackets, some mateless gloves and a couple of those shopping bags that everybody gives away these days.
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Post by melanell on Jan 6, 2017 18:45:54 GMT
I just filled a 13 gallon bag with school papers to put with the recycling. Sheesh. A tree a minute they kill in elementary school---I'm telling you!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 6, 2017 18:53:40 GMT
a couple of those shopping bags that everybody gives away these days. I use those bags to hold things I am donating, thereby killing the proverbial two birds with one stone!
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 6, 2017 18:57:25 GMT
Decluttering is one of my goals for 2017. DH gave me a new raincoat for Christmas and there was no room in the coat closet....so I took everything out. I got rid of 7 coats/jackets, some mateless gloves and a couple of those shopping bags that everybody gives away these days. Where do those gloves go?
I emptied my entry bench last month. I could not believe how many mateless gloves/mittens were in there. I filled up a grocery bag with hats, scarves, and gloves to donate.
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Post by Linda on Jan 6, 2017 19:10:59 GMT
Where do those gloves go? They run away with the socks...
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Post by cannmom on Jan 6, 2017 19:36:32 GMT
We have a pie safe cabinet in the kichen that holds cookbooks, storage containers, and a ton of junk. Cleaned it out today and convinced Dh to actually get rid of some stuff. Victory!! Now I have room for all the storage containers without them falling out everytime I open the doors. Also, declutered one kitchen drawer. It's a start. Feels good to be creating space. If it were up to me I would get rid of probably half of our kitchen stuff.
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Post by Linda on Jan 7, 2017 18:13:21 GMT
putting away Christmas and cleaning house today - 2 pans, 1 oversize mug, 2 potholders, some fake flowers, 2 dozen kids' books...are leaving! Tossed an ornament that's I've already glued three times and is broken again.
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Post by canadianscrappergirl on Jan 7, 2017 18:42:51 GMT
I was able to organize my make up and toiletries and purged a grocery bag full of stuff yay! I also cleaned up my nail polish collection and purged 12 bottles! FFS I go into the bathroom this morning and hubby moved around all the stuff on my shelf and took the liberty to move my hair products to another shelf! He said he was looking for a hair brush, yeah right you're just a ocd freak who has to put his twist on my organizing grr. Hey ass wipe I know you have nothing better to do at 5:30 a.m. before you go to work but keep your hands off my stuff! That feels better haha! Anyone else have a hubby that is ocd and has sleeping with the enemy tendencies or am I the only lucky one?
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Post by LisaDV on Jan 8, 2017 1:28:20 GMT
I finally finished organizing a section of my basement with extras (tissues, soaps, toothpaste, etc.) I live 40 minutes from town, so it's always good to have extra. I also got my pet supplies and Christmas/holiday areas in order. I also reorganized the game shelf and started adding in the kids craft supplies on the 2nd gaming shelf. It felt good.
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Post by jenjie on Jan 8, 2017 1:31:59 GMT
This is a good blog post on where to keep things based on how often you use them. Here is the introduction but he goes into more detail in the linked post. mattbaier.com/2015/11/organizing-shades-of-grey-in-the-kitchen/"One of my core beliefs is that ultimately organizing is not about sorting out your stuff. It’s about sorting your priorities. Since everybody has different priorities and since priorities are always changing, it makes sense to start with a fresh look at where your priorities are today. That process could represent an entirely separate post, but a good place to get started is with one of my favorite rules. Frequency Merits Facility Simply put, the more often you use something, the easier it should be. Conversely, the more remote the use, the more remote the location. Organizing is easier when you prioritize by frequency, not by importance. At some level, you see everything as important or you would have discarded it already. So focus on frequency of use."
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Post by jenjie on Jan 8, 2017 2:22:26 GMT
Because of the above blog post I just read, I'm clearing out the files in my desk. There are several years worth of tax returns plus other stuff that doesn't need to be in that prime real estate.
I'm actually going to revamp my bill filing into something that may not make the most sense but i think it will work for me. Right now I have them in a notebook in page protectors. Problem is, I have a pile several inches thick of paid bills that I have yet to file. I'm going to set up files in the desk, according to month instead of according to each bill. That way I can just pop them in the file when they are paid. It should be easy enough to go back and find things if I need them.
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dantemia
Full Member
Posts: 306
Jun 27, 2014 19:28:17 GMT
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Post by dantemia on Jan 8, 2017 2:23:15 GMT
We cleaned our little side shed a few months ago and recycled unused paint and had the garbage company to pick up the rest. We cleaned a large shed - donated a lot to a friend having a baby. Gave her an additional 8-10 garabage bags of toys, books, clothes. Then on 1/2/17 cleaned out the garage and brought about 10-12 garbage bags to goodwill. Lastly, we had some unopened food items and instead of eating them , I brought them to the church's St Vincent de Paul food container. Oh can't forget about 10 pairs of shoes that my husband didn't want, I donated to the hospital "closet" for patients who don't have anything to wear at discharge ... phew that was tiring
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Post by mama2three on Jan 8, 2017 2:25:18 GMT
I organized bookshelves and separated out a bag of books to get rid of (I've also given away over 10 file boxes of books in the past year and a half ) - it doesn't make a noticeable dent in our collection, although the shelves look neater. If it hadn't been snowing today, I would have dropped them off for the library book sale. DD finally cleaned her room and found a pile of clothes that no longer fit, so those will be going out. And... we got the tree out of the house and about half the Christmas stuff put away. Feels like we are making progress. I'm collecting boxes at work for the eventual emptying of my former home office. It seriously needs to be cleaned and painted. Will be a big job given all the filing cabinets and book cases. I'm hoping to start that in February.
Good job everyone
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 8, 2017 2:31:05 GMT
A man just came and picked up my almost 60-year-old stuffed panda bear. I have pictures of me getting it for Christmas back in the 50's. I have gotten really good at letting go of *stuff* that has been in our garage attic. A woman is coming at 8:30 to take our 9' artificial Christmas tree since the house we'll be moving into doesn't have the volume ceilings this one does. (Thank the dear Lord!!!!) We're also giving her 3 long boughs of pine garland. Keeping my fingers crossed that she shows and it isn't pouring rain.
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MsKnit
Pearl Clutcher
RefuPea #1406
Posts: 2,648
Jun 26, 2014 19:06:42 GMT
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Post by MsKnit on Jan 8, 2017 2:35:12 GMT
Because of the above blog post I just read, I'm clearing out the files in my desk. There are several years worth of tax returns plus other stuff that doesn't need to be in that prime real estate. I'm actually going to revamp my bill filing into something that may not make the most sense but i think it will work for me. Right now I have them in a notebook in page protectors. Problem is, I have a pile several inches thick of paid bills that I have yet to file. I'm going to set up files in the desk, according to month instead of according to each bill. That way I can just pop them in the file when they are paid. It should be easy enough to go back and find things if I need them. Every year, after the taxes have been done, I clean out the desk files. All the tax stuff is put into a manilla envelope and labeled 'Year Taxes' and the other stuff that has to be kept is put in another manilla envelope with 'Year Paperwork.' It has worked so much better than trying to have individual files in the storage room file cabinet.
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Post by jenjie on Jan 8, 2017 2:43:38 GMT
Because of the above blog post I just read, I'm clearing out the files in my desk. There are several years worth of tax returns plus other stuff that doesn't need to be in that prime real estate. I'm actually going to revamp my bill filing into something that may not make the most sense but i think it will work for me. Right now I have them in a notebook in page protectors. Problem is, I have a pile several inches thick of paid bills that I have yet to file. I'm going to set up files in the desk, according to month instead of according to each bill. That way I can just pop them in the file when they are paid. It should be easy enough to go back and find things if I need them. Every year, after the taxes have been done, I clean out the desk files. All the tax stuff is put into a manilla envelope and labeled 'Year Taxes' and the other stuff that has to be kept is put in another manilla envelope with 'Year Paperwork.' It has worked so much better than trying to have individual files in the storage room file cabinet. Great! Thanks for that information.
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janeinbama
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,174
Location: Alabama
Jan 29, 2015 16:24:49 GMT
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Post by janeinbama on Jan 8, 2017 3:43:31 GMT
I cleaned out a makeup drawer in my bathroom and then filed some paper work which lead to going through other paperwork in the file. I filled 4 brown garbage bags full of paperwork which DH promptly burned. I folded some fabric and stored it. The office room looks much better. I really want to scrapbook and feel like I can now. I have some stuff to take to thrift store, but the weather has not cooperated this week. I plan to drop off everything next Friday.
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