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Post by dewryce on Jan 2, 2018 1:35:07 GMT
Questions for fellow organizers. 1. Medical records: What medical &b dental records do you keep? How long? I'm talking about general medical care such as doctor's visits, prescription records, etc. I have a storage container full of those records and would love to get rid of it if possible. 2. Records from the sale of a house: How long is it necessary to keep these? I didn't realize just how much paperwork I still had from the sale of our first house back in 1991. As someone with many chronic illnesses I am anxious about medical records. I think the biggest question to ask yourself is what do you reference? Through the years I have found that what I reference the most is old lab and imaging results so I keep all of them in my medical binder newest at the front of the divider. I've started taking notes for my appts in Evernote so I don't have to keep as much paperwork. I always have questions I want to ask so when I think of them I add them to my ongoing page for each doctor, at the top Of the page. And put the answers at the appt itself and any other notes I need. What paperwork are you talking about for Drs visits? Because I almost only ever get the page with my receipt attached and it doesn't ever include medical info. For non chronic, colds and other misc illnesses? Unless I had a bad reaction to medication I can't see why I would need to reference that. I will say one thing I wish I had kept was some information on prescriptions from when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is because I tried so many and in different combinations and when a new doctor asks I don't remember the details. Having that information would help a lot. Not just what I took, but how it affected me. Not all the paperwork associated with prescriptions, just dates/dosages/effects. That could be combined on one document. Something that might help is a basic document you keep easily accessible online for every family member. I use Evernote for this too. It includes a list of each of my diagnosis (and when it started), info on specialists, current medications and doses, dates of imaging and surgeries (including annual exams and mammograms). Just things I'm asked to fill out for when I do paperwork for a new doctor. For most healthy people it would be easy to add dates of Drs appts and any resulting prescriptions. For me it would be way too long
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 2, 2018 1:39:00 GMT
Does anyone have ideas on how to convince a significant other to purge? And I’m taking about things that have been boxed up and unused for years. This is really my biggest challenge. It was a combination of things for us. The biggest was seeing how much money I made selling the stuff he'd been carting around since middle school (he's almost 62 now). While his closets were full of crap, it turned out to be good crap! Go figure! Other factors included having to empty the homes of both his and my parents and seeing just how much useless junk they had all hung on to. We also decided to stay in our current house for the foreseeable future and there just wasn't enough room for all our stuff. The main factor in getting him to clear out the garage was a new car that wouldn't fit inside. It was not an overnight event, but happened slowly over time. We still aren't where we need to be but have made major progress in the past 5 years. I'm hoping the push this year will get us almost there.
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Post by jameynz on Jan 2, 2018 1:49:47 GMT
Today I have gone through the medicine box in the pantry - threw away expired drugs and creams, put all the half empty paracetamol packets into one labeled box after checking expiry dates, phoned the pharmacy to check what some drugs are for etc - and the medicine box is now tidy. Admittedly I do this every year anyways, but then I progressed to cleaning the microwave, the toaster, the kettle, the cooktop, wiping out the shelf where the microwave sits.....and still did the laundry etc
Hopefully will start on the dreaded kitchen junk drawer and Tupperware cupboard today
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,116
Location: New York, NY
Jun 26, 2014 18:02:19 GMT
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Post by christinec68 on Jan 2, 2018 1:52:07 GMT
Does anyone have ideas on how to convince a significant other to purge? And I’m taking about things that have been boxed up and unused for years. This is really my biggest challenge. It was a combination of things for us. The biggest was seeing how much money I made selling the stuff he'd been carting around since middle school (he's almost 62 now). While his closets were full of crap, it turned out to be good crap! Go figure! Other factors included having to empty the homes of both his and my parents and seeing just how much useless junk they had all hung on to. We also decided to stay in our current house for the foreseeable future and there just wasn't enough room for all our stuff. The main factor in getting him to clear out the garage was a new car that wouldn't fit inside. It was not an overnight event, but happened slowly over time. We still aren't where we need to be but have made major progress in the past 5 years. I'm hoping the push this year will get us almost there. I think I am going to try the “look how much we got for x, y or z” approach. I think money is the reason for some of the bigger items so hopefully a few hundred dollars would ease his pain there and at the same time free up space. Thanks for the advice!
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,116
Location: New York, NY
Jun 26, 2014 18:02:19 GMT
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Post by christinec68 on Jan 2, 2018 1:58:16 GMT
I’m in. I plan to go drawer by drawer, shelf by shelf. We also have a storage space in the basement of our building and an off premises store room. The off site space, I’d like to commit an hour a month to wade through what’s in there. IMO about 80% of it can be sold or tossed but DH isn’t really willing so I have to ease into it because it’s his stuff too. I figure an hour will go fast and be enough time to fill the car with things to sell & donate plus toss some things that are no longer useable. Does anyone have ideas on how to convince a significant other to purge? And I’m taking about things that have been boxed up and unused for years. This is really my biggest challenge. The ultimate goal is to have breathing room in our apartment, use the basement store room for off season clothing, suitcases and Christmas decorations and if I’m dreaming, get rid of the off site space but at the very least downsize to the smallest store room space bc there is a piece of furniture that I know DH will never get rid of and it doesn’t fit here (both in style and size). Three things worked with my DH: 1) Reading It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh. This book, more than any other decluttering/organizational book, really spoke to me and to my DH to a lesser degree. I found myself reading nodding my head for every reason people keep things and being so very energized and motivated after every read. I wrote notes in the margins as I went along and then asked him to do the same. I am about to read it for the nth time and I can not recommend it enough. Different books work for different people so maybe pick up several at a used book store. I like Mari Kondo's (sp?) book too, and found some good ideas, but just didn't connect with it as much as with Peter's book. 2) Seeing results when I did a major purge and reorganize in certain areas. Sure, my craft room results were impressive, but didn't affect him much so didn't motivate him. He had a pretty large collection of sports stuff, including posters and signed pieces, enough to take over an entire room. I asked him to let me guide his decorating in his exercise room and did so using some of Peter's guidance. We went through and picked out the things he treasured the most and highlighted them in this room. 4 walls full of posters became 4 favorites, framed. Countless figurines and pieces were pared down to a dozen or so and displayed on a new masculine glass and metal shelf that took center place as soon as you walked in the room. There was a box and or two of things he wasn't sure of so we kept it, but as time as gone on he's been ready to let it go because he loves his new space so much and has experienced how much more he appreciates the treasures he has kept. The gist of this lesson of Peter's was if you own this item and are storing it because it means so much to you, it should have a place of honor in your home. 3) Good old-fashioned math and money. Another concept from the book was working out how much you were paying for storage space in your home. It was very eye opening. And with DH, money talks. We we have been married for 22 years, living together for 24 and it was a very painful process to get here. I really feel him having an open mind when reading the book was where improvements really started. When we go through things now he is often the one to talk me into getting rid of things. DH isnt going to read a book but I am going to check it out and pass along some useful information. We used to watch his show and DH liked him. Its the weirdest thing but he just doesn’t care enough about clutter and crap laying around enough to do anything about it. He doesn’t even really notice it. It’s great when I don’t feel like putting laundry away right away but sucks when there’s a heap of clothes piled up on the chair for a week bc it won’t fit in the closet. Thanks for for your Reply!
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Nanner
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,960
Jun 25, 2014 23:13:23 GMT
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Post by Nanner on Jan 2, 2018 2:02:54 GMT
We just moved out for a remodel in June and back in in November ... so while packing we decluttered a lot and moving back in same thing. My goal for 2018 is 1. Stay decluttered 2. Really think about before buying something If I need it and If I have a place for it. Still need to go through the garage some . That's my plan as well. Before I buy anything for the house, really think about whether I need it and where I'll put it.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 25, 2024 19:19:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 2:56:08 GMT
I decluttered a lot last year so this year is about organizing. Dh is making a custom garage shelving unit and then we will buy all new rubbermade containers so they all match.
We are also looking to do custom shelves in dds closet and ours.
I am still purging here and there but mostly dvds kids dont watch anymore, books dd has outgrown, some toys and stuffies...
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Post by jamielynn on Jan 2, 2018 4:06:43 GMT
I’m in! I’m doing a room a week until I’m through them all. Everything gets touched, a lot is going out the door, and everything needs a home when I’m done going through the room.
DH is really great at this and did two lawn waste bags of stuff to the trash this weekend already.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 25, 2024 19:19:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 4:10:47 GMT
Questions for fellow organizers. 1. Medical records: What medical &b dental records do you keep? How long? I'm talking about general medical care such as doctor's visits, prescription records, etc. I have a storage container full of those records and would love to get rid of it if possible. 2. Records from the sale of a house: How long is it necessary to keep these? I didn't realize just how much paperwork I still had from the sale of our first house back in 1991. I always thought 7 years was the magic number. Some things I wouldn't get rid of like proof the sale and pay off, but everything else? 7 years, especially if your first house has been sold again.
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Post by mom on Jan 2, 2018 4:13:34 GMT
T oday I have gone through the medicine box in the pantry - threw away expired drugs and creams, put all the half empty paracetamol packets into one labeled box after checking expiry dates, phoned the pharmacy to check what some drugs are for etc - and the medicine box is now tidy.Admittedly I do this every year anyways, but then I progressed to cleaning the microwave, the toaster, the kettle, the cooktop, wiping out the shelf where the microwave sits.....and still did the laundry etc Hopefully will start on the dreaded kitchen junk drawer and Tupperware cupboard today This seriously needs to be done ASAP at my house. I went to get some cold medicine out the other day and it had expired a year ago! Granted, we weren't sick with colds last year where we needed the medicine but still....need to get it in better shape. SaveSave
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 25, 2024 19:19:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 4:17:48 GMT
It was a combination of things for us. The biggest was seeing how much money I made selling the stuff he'd been carting around since middle school (he's almost 62 now). While his closets were full of crap, it turned out to be good crap! Go figure! Other factors included having to empty the homes of both his and my parents and seeing just how much useless junk they had all hung on to. We also decided to stay in our current house for the foreseeable future and there just wasn't enough room for all our stuff. The main factor in getting him to clear out the garage was a new car that wouldn't fit inside. It was not an overnight event, but happened slowly over time. We still aren't where we need to be but have made major progress in the past 5 years. I'm hoping the push this year will get us almost there. I think I am going to try the “look how much we got for x, y or z” approach. I think money is the reason for some of the bigger items so hopefully a few hundred dollars would ease his pain there and at the same time free up space. Thanks for the advice! One thing that worked for me was asking him when was the last time he got a CD or DVD out. Along with asking him when was the last time he looked at class notes from 10 years ago? Once he admitted that he actually had not looked at his class notes since he graduated, he was able to let some of it go. He moved his CDs and DVDs from his dad's to his apartment to my house to our first house we bought together to this one. Other than getting some out for a camping trip, he hasn't touched them. He finally started to part with them. Admitting that they were not being used and it's his stuff that he's complaining about got him on board with downsizing.
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Post by Delta Dawn on Jan 2, 2018 5:39:57 GMT
Hi I have many, many pairs of pants. (Trousers) I have so many and while some fit some don't. I don't dress for work any longer. Most of them are too tight. If I get rid of them I won't have them any longer. If I keep them will I actually wear them? I used to wear them to work but I won't be doing that for a while so they sit. I think I should maybe keep 3 pairs and get rid of the rest? They won't be in style any longer if I wait to wear them until next year. Then what? Another year of no use goes by.
There are some things I can just get rid of easily and others that I have to hold on to.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 25, 2024 19:19:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 12:10:43 GMT
extra bedding. I have way more than one person will use. This is a really good idea. I need to get rid of that too.
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Post by Linda on Jan 2, 2018 12:36:19 GMT
Hi I have many, many pairs of pants. (Trousers) I have so many and while some fit some don't. I don't dress for work any longer. Most of them are too tight. If I get rid of them I won't have them any longer. If I keep them will I actually wear them? I used to wear them to work but I won't be doing that for a while so they sit. I think I should maybe keep 3 pairs and get rid of the rest? They won't be in style any longer if I wait to wear them until next year. Then what? Another year of no use goes by. There are some things I can just get rid of easily and others that I have to hold on to. If they don't fit - get rid of them. If you need them in the future, buy ones that fit and are in style THEN
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Post by KelleeM on Jan 2, 2018 13:06:03 GMT
I love this thread and it’s making me itch to get more organized. But I have 18 months to go before I will gain a room in my home. Currently I have no space that’s for me. My yarn for my current hobby, crocheting, is in two different places and not easily accessible. My scrapbooking supplies are in the basement. I can barely get to some things. When dd and dgd move I’ll have the majority of a room/closet to get organized.
My dh is a purger and an organizer so I consider myself very lucky.
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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 2, 2018 13:45:24 GMT
Yesterday, I went through the hallway bathroom .... Ummmmmmm, there were bath toys in there from when the kids were BABIES! My youngest is almost 13! LOL!
I ended up with a HUGE bag of trash and a really neat barbie swimming pool I have NO IDEA how it got under the sink in the bathroom!!!
I didn't really organize anything, I just went through every drawer, door and cabinet and tossed stuff we no longer need, use and stuff that was expired. Then put what was leftover back where it came from after i wiped out the space. (note to self, get more clorox wipes!) Organizing will come later. Right now, I'm in PURGE mode!
Today, I won't be able to do as much since I'm back to work. But, my goal is to DO SOMETHING every day above and beyond laundry and dishes. (Which is the bare minimum I can normally keep up with!)
GO ME!
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,116
Location: New York, NY
Jun 26, 2014 18:02:19 GMT
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Post by christinec68 on Jan 2, 2018 14:51:47 GMT
I think I am going to try the “look how much we got for x, y or z” approach. I think money is the reason for some of the bigger items so hopefully a few hundred dollars would ease his pain there and at the same time free up space. Thanks for the advice! One thing that worked for me was asking him when was the last time he got a CD or DVD out. Along with asking him when was the last time he looked at class notes from 10 years ago? Once he admitted that he actually had not looked at his class notes since he graduated, he was able to let some of it go. He moved his CDs and DVDs from his dad's to his apartment to my house to our first house we bought together to this one. Other than getting some out for a camping trip, he hasn't touched them. He finally started to part with them. Admitting that they were not being used and it's his stuff that he's complaining about got him on board with downsizing. I've been trying to soften him up to the idea of parting with certain things because it just does not make sense to pay to keep them. I am talking about a box of baseball hats he hasn't worn in over a decade that is sitting next to 2 boxes of empty CD jewel cases since the CDs were moved to binders in order to, get this, save space. And as you mentioned, of course he never pulls out a CD and will rarely put on a DVD. I am hoping that once I can convince him to go to the store room and sees me getting rid of my stuff that's buried in there, that he will be willing to let some more useless things go. I am going to keep mentioning how much money we spent on this store room and what we could have done with all that money over the years.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 2, 2018 14:56:01 GMT
Yesterday I got a little bit of purging done, starting with the eBay stash. Listed a couple of things and then pulled some patterns that were added to the donation bag. If it hasn't sold in a 60 day, out it goes, especially for items with a very small profit margin. My space is worth more than that.
While I am itching to do a major purge in my sewing room, I know from experience that doing small areas at a time is a better method. Last night I rounded up all my quilt batting scraps, those pieces that are 'not quite big enough to use but too big to toss'. At the moment I am not doing small projects to use up the scraps. What I am doing is making small pet quilts for animal shelters, so I cut all the scraps into the right size for those. Anything too small or leftover was put into a pile and tied up...and immediately put in the donation bag.
Just that small action has netted me a stack of batting the right size so I can quickly make some pet quilts, as well as emptied out half a drawer & cleared out some under counter space. My advice to all those just starting out this purging/organizing journey is to start small and remain steady. Work at it one shelf/one drawer at a time, don't think of the entire room. Have a specific spot for your donation box/bag and add things to that immediately.
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TXMary
Pearl Clutcher
And so many nights I just dream of the ocean. God, I wish I was sailin' again.
Posts: 2,793
Jun 26, 2014 17:25:06 GMT
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Post by TXMary on Jan 2, 2018 15:10:37 GMT
I'm in.
The main living areas of my house...living room, dining room, kitchen are all in pretty good shape. I have cleaned them out and maintained that.
Problem areas are both extra bedrooms. Don't open the closets! And I have a few trouble spots in the master bedroom.
Also, my FIL died a couple of years ago. MIL has been gone for years. So we had to clean out the house and sell it. And brought a U-Haul home filled with stuff we didn't need or want. We bought a storage building to put it all in. It needs to go.
I hate clutter!!
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Post by missbennet on Jan 2, 2018 15:12:35 GMT
Questions for fellow organizers. 1. Medical records: What medical &b dental records do you keep? How long? I'm talking about general medical care such as doctor's visits, prescription records, etc. I have a storage container full of those records and would love to get rid of it if possible. 2. Records from the sale of a house: How long is it necessary to keep these? I didn't realize just how much paperwork I still had from the sale of our first house back in 1991. Medical records - we keep nothing after taxes have been filed, and then we only keep anything that was itemized. We don't itemize medical expenses, so for us, that would be nothing. If there were chronic conditions or lab results, I might keep those types of records for future reference. House sale - if the house has been resold since you sold it, I'd shred them all. If not, I might hold onto them or at least scan them and save then shred the paper copies. I'd mostly just keep title stuff and payoff paperwork scanned.
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 2, 2018 15:37:32 GMT
RE: Medical records - I only keep the records of big scans/tests/hospitalizations. DH has a very complex medical history, so I have a spreadsheet of every visit, hospital stay, medication change, etc. I carry that with me to all appointments. It's been very helpful.
I also track the mileage and parking fees on that spreadsheet, so I have it ready for tax time.
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,116
Location: New York, NY
Jun 26, 2014 18:02:19 GMT
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Post by christinec68 on Jan 2, 2018 15:41:08 GMT
RE: Medical records - I only keep the records of big scans/tests/hospitalizations. DH has a very complex medical history, so I have a spreadsheet of every visit, hospital stay, medication change, etc. I carry that with me to all appointments. It's been very helpful.I also track the mileage and parking fees on that spreadsheet, so I have it ready for tax time. I should probably consider doing this for DH. He has a bunch going on and I have some basic information in the notes on our phones but something more formal might be very useful.
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Post by bigbundt on Jan 2, 2018 15:56:19 GMT
One of the biggest things I am committed to this year is to not bring tons of stuff into my house in the first place. Last year I almost eliminated thrift store shopping and I hardly ever go crazy buying clearance stuff anymore. So I'm going to be more mindful of the impulse items that make their way into my cart. I am also going to start selling stuff on FB groups. I have had good luck with kids groups so I'm hoping I have the same luck with other things. First on the chopping block is a few years worth of Martha Stewart magazines. Also a bunch of MS paper punches that I don't use. And maybe some yarn since I've never learned how to crochet or knit. And an old lawn mower. Basically, we have a lot of stuff to get rid of.
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Post by hockeymom4 on Jan 2, 2018 16:32:00 GMT
Pantry is emptied and wiped down.... now to get off my Buy and get everything back in....... but I want to go buy some fancy bins and baskets and labels............ this I think is my major issue with organizing!!!!!!!
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 2, 2018 16:44:55 GMT
I just shipped all the grandkids' Christmas gifts to them, does that count? They flew in, so they couldn't take much home with them.
It feels good to have it out of the LR, though!
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Post by freecharlie on Jan 2, 2018 16:56:38 GMT
I'm going to do my bedroom and walk in closet today. Youbwould think the bedroom would be fine, but we stashed stuff in here whem conpany showed up unexpectantly, and it has just grown since. Dh works mainly nights and by the time he is awake, I am usually making dinner and winding down. He is working a day shift today as they have a supervisor meeting, so I finally get a chance to clean.
Hope I stay motivated
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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 2, 2018 17:08:21 GMT
I'm in. The main living areas of my house...living room, dining room, kitchen are all in pretty good shape. I have cleaned them out and maintained that. Problem areas are both extra bedrooms. Don't open the closets! And I have a few trouble spots in the master bedroom.
Also, my FIL died a couple of years ago. MIL has been gone for years. So we had to clean out the house and sell it. And brought a U-Haul home filled with stuff we didn't need or want. We bought a storage building to put it all in. It needs to go. I hate clutter!! This is us! LOL We can do this! ;-)
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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 2, 2018 17:09:56 GMT
I'm going to do my bedroom and walk in closet today. Youbwould think the bedroom would be fine, but we stashed stuff in here whem conpany showed up unexpectantly, and it has just grown since. Dh works mainly nights and by the time he is awake, I am usually making dinner and winding down. He is working a day shift today as they have a supervisor meeting, so I finally get a chance to clean. Hope I stay motivated Stash and Dash is my favorite cleaning method. LOLOL!!! I have piles and piles of who knows what to prove it! I'm motivated to tackle it!!!
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Post by dewryce on Jan 2, 2018 20:30:15 GMT
I'm going to do my bedroom and walk in closet today. Youbwould think the bedroom would be fine, but we stashed stuff in here whem conpany showed up unexpectantly, and it has just grown since. Dh works mainly nights and by the time he is awake, I am usually making dinner and winding down. He is working a day shift today as they have a supervisor meeting, so I finally get a chance to clean. Hope I stay motivated Stash and Dash is my favorite cleaning method. LOLOL!!! I have piles and piles of who knows what to prove it! I'm motivated to tackle it!!! We call this filing something in the garage. We shove things in a laundry basket and put it in the garage.
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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 2, 2018 20:36:58 GMT
Stash and Dash is my favorite cleaning method. LOLOL!!! I have piles and piles of who knows what to prove it! I'm motivated to tackle it!!! We call this filing something in the garage. We shove things in a laundry basket and put it in the garage. Hahahha! I have tons of laundry baskets full of crap too! I am not feeling so bad with all of us having similar stories!!!
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