Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 20, 2024 3:35:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2018 7:36:24 GMT
I’ve made good progress with cleaning stuff out & organizing since I put the Christmas decor away. My house is small, my DH is a wonderful man and a pack rat. I come from a long line of packrats myself but I’m trying to break the cycle and only keep what I love & use.
Today I cleaned out the guest bedroom & closet. My DHs father recently passed away & he has brought home a lot of things but I got it organized & stores in that closet along with my scrapbook stash. There is room for guests to hang clothes & there are a couple of empty drawers in a small chest in the room. The furniture no longer looks like a jumble.
The other bedroom is where my grandsons sleep & I store toys for them. I need to organize the closet tomorrow & store outgrown baby equipment in the attic.
Then I need to organize my jewelry. It’s a mess & I can’t find what I want.
So, progress was made today & I feel lighter. I have 8 large boxes of items, 2 shopping bags of clothes & a small lingerie chest that is going to the thrift store next week.
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LeaP
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,939
Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
Jun 26, 2014 23:17:22 GMT
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Post by LeaP on Jan 14, 2018 8:21:02 GMT
I'm so impressed that this thread is up to 11 pages.
Our local Salvation Army is not taking donations, but I have given books to the library and the school. Also being merciless with paper.
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 14, 2018 12:29:38 GMT
deafpea I bought a Christmas book every year, too. I purged most of them after Christmas. My kids are in their 30s, and the grands had no interest in them. My younger two kids are 9 and 6 so I figure I still have a few years before they'll be out of the storybook stage. Not sure yet if I'll hang onto them for the grands or give them to my children to give to their children or whatever. Merilee SaveSaveI saved 5 or 6 of the best ones. I'm a book lover and just couldn't part with all of them!
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Post by bigbundt on Jan 14, 2018 15:57:31 GMT
In the last week, I changed up the configuration of the walk in closet in my craft closet. I had previously moved in two unused bookcases on the right wall and hung my seasonal wreaths from the rod on the wall perpendicular to it. Great way to store them but they were getting in the way because they are all different lengths and it impacted what I could put under them. So I installed a closet rod way up high (we have 10 foot ceilings) for the wreaths and that has been AMAZING. Bought some shallow wire shelves to put on the that wall for easy access to little things and our tools. Ended up taking four bankers boxes filled with crafting stuff to a local thrift store. I also consolidated 5 embroidery floss boxes into one, two-sided thread organizer. Like this: Which brings me to a category I need to tackle: empty craft storage items. As I have been purging and consolidating, I have been throwing these items up on my highest shelves in my cabinets and they are starting to overflow. But I worry that as soon as I get rid of something, I will need the same exact thing. So I am trying to overcome that thought process.
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Post by bigbundt on Jan 14, 2018 16:04:05 GMT
Oh, and I also bought this for my printed pictures. I did a dirty sort of my pictures and got rid of a bunch of weird ones I had no idea what they were or duplicates. Took the rest and roughly organized them by time or place and put them in the little boxes. Still have to go through a large chest of school and sports pictures (and figure out a container for them since they will not fit in this box). Once that is done I can dive more meaningfully into each small box and organize/label those.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jan 14, 2018 16:13:10 GMT
Lesson learned: If it doesn't work for me when I buy it, it won't miraculously start working for me a year or two down the road. But I worry that as soon as I get rid of something, I will need the same exact thing. So I am trying to overcome that thought process. This thread has so many little jewels of insight about how to overcome clutter and be more organized. Thanks to everyone who shares one of these insights. They are really helpful thoughts to mull over.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 14, 2018 17:59:14 GMT
But I worry that as soon as I get rid of something, I will need the same exact thing. So I am trying to overcome that thought process. I conquered that by asking myself two questions. 1) Can this be replaced easily down the road if I ever need it again? 2) Is that replacement a cost I can afford? In the case of empty craft storage containers, the answer for me would be yes to both questions. As a result of that quick quiz they would be donated.
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Post by kckckc on Jan 14, 2018 19:27:31 GMT
This week I cleaned off my desks - I threw away a few things, but mostly this just consisted of putting up stuff that had collected there.
I also cleaned out my pantry - again I threw away a few long expired items, but mostly I just rearranged things so I could see what I had. My kitchen is actually one place I don't have much clutter - I don't like to cook and have no desire for kitchen stuff or gadgets, so kitchen decluttering mostly consists of wiping out the cabinets and putting things back in place.
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Post by KelleeM on Jan 14, 2018 20:01:10 GMT
Yesterday I went through my clothes for the third time since I started losing weight a year ago. I removed about 15 tops, four went to my daughter, a few went to dh’s shop to be cut up for rags and the rest went down to storage (I’d fight dh on this but he’s seen me lose and regain weight before so I let him pack it away). I cleaned out my nightstand and organized Cpap supplies, electronics (charging cords/cables, etc) and replaced the power strip I had with a hub with 4 usb plugs and three outlets. It looks so much better! I bought a necklace stand for my dresser and hung all of the short gold/white gold/silver necklaces I wear regularly. I eliminated two little dishes that were always a mess of jewelry. Dh cleaned out the pots and pan cabinet as well as the plastic containers. He’s a far better arganizer than I am.
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Post by bigbundt on Jan 14, 2018 20:01:47 GMT
But I worry that as soon as I get rid of something, I will need the same exact thing. So I am trying to overcome that thought process. I conquered that by asking myself two questions. 1) Can this be replaced easily down the road if I ever need it again? 2) Is that replacement a cost I can afford? In the case of empty craft storage containers, the answer for me would be yes to both questions. As a result of that quick quiz they would be donated. True. We've been in our house for about a year so I'm starting to feel more comfortable with getting rid of things that do not work in the new house. But I've only had my craft room for a few months and have gone through a few edits and reorgs so it still feels like a work in progress. With this last adjustment I'm closer to it, just not ready to pull the trigger.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 14, 2018 21:02:20 GMT
One thing I am focusing on this year is bringing less stuff into the house. I swear that's half the battle! yes- definitely half the battle - possibly more. ITA! Especially when it comes to books, kid toys, etc.
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Post by mnmloveli on Jan 14, 2018 21:34:30 GMT
As soon as I saw this thread all the way back on January 1st, I couldn’t wait to jump in. As soon as my Christmas decorations were away I started.
My pantry closet needy some help, so I bought (6) 13” square cubes to aid in organizing baking pans, storage containers, serving platters/dishes, etc. It looks awesome now. I also managed to free-up 1/2 a kitchen cabinet that held different serving platters/dishes Still don’t know what I’ll use that for.
I’m a jewelry collector and one of my cabinets was out of control. I managed to get that all straightened out yesterday.
My watch collection has never really had a proper home. Last week I found glass top watch boxes that held 24 watches; I bought 2. Never saw boxes that held so many. They were perfect for my collection with a few spaces to spare. Makes me so happy to see them on display.
My next challenge this week is to get all our personal & business paperwork in order. Looking forward to making a list of all account numbers, passwords, etc so everything is in one place and locked away.
Happy Organizing !
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Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,958
Jun 25, 2014 23:13:23 GMT
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Post by Nanner on Jan 14, 2018 22:08:24 GMT
This weekend's project was small. Organizing the shelves in the walk-in bedroom closet. I did that. Tossed a few things and put it all in order.
This doing just one thing per week (weekend only) is working well for me. It's do-able with my schedule, so I'm not feeling overwhelmed.
We also bought a billy bookshelf for the empty wall in that closet, along with several baskets for the shelves. DH will hopefully put it together one night this week, and I'll use that for shoes and purses. That'll probably be next week's item.
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Post by dewryce on Jan 14, 2018 23:20:35 GMT
But I worry that as soon as I get rid of something, I will need the same exact thing. So I am trying to overcome that thought process. I conquered that by asking myself two questions. 1) Can this be replaced easily down the road if I ever need it again? 2) Is that replacement a cost I can afford? In the case of empty craft storage containers, the answer for me would be yes to both questions. As a result of that quick quiz they would be donated. Question 3) Is keeping it worth the physical space and the mental weight of knowing it's there and a decision you still feel like you have to make?
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Post by refugeepea on Jan 15, 2018 1:14:32 GMT
Anyone still scrapping? Yesterday, I reorganized my paper in these holders www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009MRKYXU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1They hold up to 500 pages and you do need them full or they will fall over. You can fit 5 in an IKEA Kallax cube and they will stay up that way. What I do like about them is that they are plastic. I buy file folder labels at Dollar Tree (they last forever). I write the type of paper (themed or misc.) and cut it down so it will fit on the front of the holder. As new paper comes in and it changes, they are easy to rip off and write something new when adding to or taking away. I just make sure to push down hard on the sticker label, so the edges don't pop up.
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Post by refugeepea on Jan 15, 2018 1:22:53 GMT
In the case of empty craft storage containers, the answer for me would be yes to both questions. As a result of that quick quiz they would be donated. That's another thing I need to get rid of!
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Post by bigbundt on Jan 15, 2018 1:44:55 GMT
I just went through our fireproof safe and shredded outdated documents and reorganized everything else. Went through all our mortgage/refinancing/closing papers from the four houses between us. I didn't get rid of anything because I couldn't find a consensus on what to keep for how long but there were a lot of duplicates. It is still a thick pile but a little smaller. I need to figure out where to keep them. I'm also laughing because the closing paperwork from the house we bought in 2007 is about triple the size of the paperwork from the house we bought last year. That explains why we were in and out of the lawyers office so quick when we were prepared for being in there for awhile.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jan 16, 2018 3:06:14 GMT
Been reorganizing stuff and it feels good. Some stuff has been tossed some donated. I also have quite a bit of stuff to go to my MIL when comes to visit soon. I'm really looking forward to that stuff going away.
I've been working in our garages and I have to say they are so much better than they were 2 months ago. I'm still not happy with things on a few shelves and want to find a better way to store some things that get used often.
Some days it's just a couple of small items and other days it's a box of stuff I figure as long as progress is being made I am happy.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Jan 16, 2018 3:49:04 GMT
If I get rid of all my Crichton stuff can that count for something really big? I have about 150 cartridges? They are going to the school. I want the peace of it all being gone.
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StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,663
Location: Ohio
Jul 5, 2014 1:53:49 GMT
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Post by StephDRebel on Jan 16, 2018 4:01:56 GMT
Yesterday I cleaned out, defrosted and organized both freezers and the refrigerator. Today, the pantry and all of the kitchen cabinets. Jake happened to stop by for lunch so he grocery shopped the cabinets and took two bags of food and kitchen stuff home with him and then Josh had some friends who recently moved into apartments over and they took a ton of stuff. Altogether I packed up 5 boxes of assorted stuff we don't use. I love that they were here to claim stuff as I was going through cabinets, some of the things I probably could've auctioned off for housework completed. You should've seen the frenzy over the silly hot dog cooker that my grandma sent for Christmas a few years ago, the popsicle molds, and the George foreman grill. They were super excited and I've got 4 empty cabinets and DH has an entire cabinet for his french press, coffee mug, and tin of coffee. It's a skinny cabinet but he's super amused to open it and only see one thing on each shelf.
I can't believe how much guilt I had over gifts and how many I had held onto for years although I never opened them. I had a hot dog machine! What the actual heck. This year, I sorted things as we got gifts and had no guilt whatsoever passing gifts that aren't me in any way, shape, or form and didn't have much thought behind them right on to someone who will love them.
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Post by jennrs on Jan 16, 2018 13:13:57 GMT
Wow this is a lot of progress for so early in the year! Good job, everyone!
I also worry about needing something later that I get rid of. I read somewhere, if you can replace a rarely or never used item for less than 20 minutes for 20 dollars, then you should feel ok about parting with it. It’s not very likely you will ever need it though. That has helped me part with many things.
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styxgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,866
Jun 27, 2014 4:51:44 GMT
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Post by styxgirl on Jan 18, 2018 13:15:35 GMT
It's been a while since I last posted. I haven't made much progress on the house, but at my business, I am trucking right along! We have a warehouse that has been bugging me since last MAY! We've been able to focus on getting it organized and moving stuff OUT! So, even though it's not at home, it's at my work-home. LOL!!!!
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Post by JoP on Jan 18, 2018 13:29:39 GMT
As soon as I saw this thread all the way back on January 1st, I couldn’t wait to jump in. As soon as my Christmas decorations were away I started. My pantry closet needy some help, so I bought (6) 13” square cubes to aid in organizing baking pans, storage containers, serving platters/dishes, etc. It looks awesome now. I also managed to free-up 1/2 a kitchen cabinet that held different serving platters/dishes Still don’t know what I’ll use that for. I’m a jewelry collector and one of my cabinets was out of control. I managed to get that all straightened out yesterday. My watch collection has never really had a proper home. Last week I found glass top watch boxes that held 24 watches; I bought 2. Never saw boxes that held so many. They were perfect for my collection with a few spaces to spare. Makes me so happy to see them on display. My next challenge this week is to get all our personal & business paperwork in order. Looking forward to making a list of all account numbers, passwords, etc so everything is in one place and locked away. Happy Organizing ! I’d love to know where you found the glass top watch boxes that hold 24 😊 watches please
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Post by JoP on Jan 18, 2018 13:31:03 GMT
I went through the wardrobe in the spare room and donated two bags of coats to the homeless shelter and a small bag of clothes to the charity shop
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Post by deafpea on Jan 18, 2018 13:44:28 GMT
This was a quick little project that I did on the spur of the moment. I had two dishpan-size bins of emergency kit supplies sitting in my downstairs bathroom. I decided to go through it and see if any of it was still good. There was a bunch of baby stuff that I will find a new mom to give to. I also threw out the hand warmers and light sticks--they expired in 2014! It was a little thing but it's done!
Merilee
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Post by bigbundt on Jan 18, 2018 15:12:28 GMT
I am packing up my music CDs and will bring them to our recycling center this weekend. I can't remember the last time I listened to one and my toddler pulls them out and throws them around all the time so out they go. I would donate them but they aren't in good shape, don't have cases, and half are missing the cover papers (whatever they are called).
Also found a couple of boxes of old unused checks that will be shredded.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 18, 2018 15:14:03 GMT
Since Houston has been frozen over the past two days, I've been busy with organizing and clearing out stuff. I took all the boxes of photos and DD's school memorabilia out of my office and stacked on the dining room table. Now I have room to spread out and sort those things. The spot where they had been is where I have put all the stuff that I want to list on eBay. I also cleared off a small table next to my desk and have a spot to take the eBay photos. While I was organizing the eBay stuff, I pulled 6 gallon bags full of ribbons, lace and crochet doilies and added to the garage sale box. I have now filled 4 boxes. While it is still a bit hard to let go of all this sewing stuff, I am finding it freeing. A week after boxing up 41+ pieces of fabric, I would be hard pressed to tell you most of the ones I got rid of. That makes me hopeful that as I go through the rest of the fabric it will be easier to let go of more! I bought those last year to organize my scrapbook paper and love them! It really helps to organize and keep the papers neat. Much easier to find what I need instead of those drawers I was using before. It was a little thing but it's done! All those little things add up though! Even with going through cabinets at least once a year, I am always amazed at the expired stuff I find.
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Post by bigbundt on Jan 18, 2018 15:20:20 GMT
I honestly didn't know hand warmers expired! I just pulled out the packs I bought for a trip to NYC in 2009 and don't see an expiration date on them. Used a pack last week when my toes were frozen and they worked fine.
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Post by mnmloveli on Jan 18, 2018 15:43:17 GMT
As soon as I saw this thread all the way back on January 1st, I couldn’t wait to jump in. As soon as my Christmas decorations were away I started. My pantry closet needy some help, so I bought (6) 13” square cubes to aid in organizing baking pans, storage containers, serving platters/dishes, etc. It looks awesome now. I also managed to free-up 1/2 a kitchen cabinet that held different serving platters/dishes Still don’t know what I’ll use that for. I’m a jewelry collector and one of my cabinets was out of control. I managed to get that all straightened out yesterday. My watch collection has never really had a proper home. Last week I found glass top watch boxes that held 24 watches; I bought 2. Never saw boxes that held so many. They were perfect for my collection with a few spaces to spare. Makes me so happy to see them on display. My next challenge this week is to get all our personal & business paperwork in order. Looking forward to making a list of all account numbers, passwords, etc so everything is in one place and locked away. Happy Organizing ! I’d love to know where you found the glass top watch boxes that hold 24 😊 watches please Walmart ! It was an independent seller on the Walmart site. There was quite a few people selling them on Walmart but “watch” the pricing. They were selling for anywhere from $22 - $60 and they looked like the same exact box.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 20, 2024 3:35:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2018 15:58:01 GMT
I've gotten a bit de-railed, but ready to go again today!
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