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Post by bigbundt on Jan 5, 2018 17:36:05 GMT
When I have trouble parting with something, sometimes it is simply because I am not ready to part with the IDEA of what that item represents. I don't knit or crochet but getting rid of those things means I am also parting with the idea of learning how to do those things. It took me a couple of years to get rid of all of my apothecary jars because I wasn't ready to part with the idea of one day being like those bloggers who were all put together and decorated for every season. But I hated actually doing it and I hated having them around. And I would pick up things at the thrift store with the idea to redo or because I liked the idea of owning it even though I had no place to put it. But I never had time to actually do anything with them so it just piled up.
So when that happens I either make it a commitment to do/use those things or give up the idea. Because having the idea without the commitment is just a mental burden to me.
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peaname
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,389
Aug 16, 2014 23:15:53 GMT
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Post by peaname on Jan 5, 2018 18:07:12 GMT
I have the urge to purge. So far I've tackled: kitchen junk drawer remote control drawer in living room pantry lazy susan my closet shelves one closet bin one section of hanging clothes
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 4, 2024 15:45:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 18:28:59 GMT
Progress report: ALL 10 drawers in the kitchen have been cleaned out this week! I cleaned them out, washed them out, and put only what I wanted to keep back in. They look great. This was a major accomplishment for me. I will start on the cupboards next week. I have to get rid of the stuff that was "leftover" from the drawers before I go any further!!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 5, 2018 18:42:35 GMT
Guest room...Get rid of it! I had an absolutely horrible house guest that prompted me to be done with house guests. Turned it into the office with a nice sitting area for reading. It was an excellent decision. If you are using the room multiple times a week, theoretically, it should keep clutter from taking over. Also, consider how much of your mortgage goes to keeping a room for guests to use once or twice a year. I do love the ideas of the bins. Cute descriptions. We are empty-nesters, so the guest room is truly a spare room for us. I have an art/craft room and we have an office. Since it is just SO and I, we don't need a TV room (that is the family room). So, we dub the spare room the "guest" room. It has a bed in it, but it also has all the stuff we don't want in the other rooms. When I cleaned out my craft room and realized I wasn't quilting or scrapping anymore, yet I still wasn't ready to part with those goodies, I stuck them in the guest room. SO puts extra electronic stuff in there. We don't have a basement or attic. alsomsknit - I'm with you on the no house guests! We had one who is still referred to as "The House Guest from Hell" even 17 years later! This room is really a "guest room" in name only. It was DD's room and she is now grown and gone. The bed is just a twin, but does come in handy when she stays over to dog/house sit for us. DH has an office, I have a sewing room and last year turned the unused dining room into a study for myself. Like katlady we don't have a basement or attic space, and our garage is detached so not finished. This room has to be our storage area. I do keep my weaving loom in there, but at the moment it is buried under junk. That's why this year's focus is on getting that room in better shape so that I can actually access the stuff stored in there! It's never been this bad before, but with the combination of things from my parents' home, and what moved in during a major remodel last year (and never left), it has become a disaster zone.
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Post by thracian on Jan 5, 2018 18:45:35 GMT
I sorted two more boxes yesterday. Donating one and sorted one.
Total boxes sorted: 7 Total boxes donated: 4-1/2
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Post by katlady on Jan 5, 2018 18:45:59 GMT
**GypsyGirl** maybe we should call it our “basement” instead of “guest room”?! I guess I should be glad we don’t have an attic or basement, keeps us from keeping even more stuff!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 5, 2018 18:54:14 GMT
**GypsyGirl** maybe we should call it our “basement” instead of “guest room”?! I guess I should be glad we don’t have an attic or basement, keeps us from keeping even more stuff! I have a friend with a newer home and generous attic space. She refers to it as her Texas Basement! And I agree that more space would mean I would store more. DH and I are a bad combination - the most sentimental of our siblings, so we ended up keeping all the stuff no one else wanted. We are reformed now though and slowly getting rid of it all. To make matters even worse, DH has a 40x40 hangar for his plane. Probably 1/4 of it is stuff from the house, mostly furniture. It used to live in our 3 car garage (no cars would fit inside), but when we came home for good from our expat days it all moved out there. This past weekend DH told me he is thinking about selling his plane. If he does, that means no more storage and I have to deal with all of that in addition to the guest room. I suspect much of it is going to end up being donated because he absolutely refuses to pay for a storage unit.
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rodeomom
Pearl Clutcher
Refupee # 380 "I don't have to run fast, I just have to run faster than you."
Posts: 3,659
Location: Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma
Jun 25, 2014 23:34:38 GMT
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Post by rodeomom on Jan 5, 2018 18:59:30 GMT
We are empty-nesters, so the guest room is truly a spare room for us. I have an art/craft room and we have an office. Since it is just SO and I, we don't need a TV room (that is the family room). So, we dub the spare room the "guest" room. It has a bed in it, but it also has all the stuff we don't want in the other rooms. When I cleaned out my craft room and realized I wasn't quilting or scrapping anymore, yet I still wasn't ready to part with those goodies, I stuck them in the guest room. SO puts extra electronic stuff in there. We don't have a basement or attic. alsomsknit - I'm with you on the no house guests! We had one who is still referred to as "The House Guest from Hell" even 17 years later! This room is really a "guest room" in name only. It was DD's room and she is now grown and gone. The bed is just a twin, but does come in handy when she stays over to dog/house sit for us. DH has an office, I have a sewing room and last year turned the unused dining room into a study for myself. Like katlady we don't have a basement or attic space, and our garage is detached so not finished. This room has to be our storage area. I do keep my weaving loom in there, but at the moment it is buried under junk. That's why this year's focus is on getting that room in better shape so that I can actually access the stuff stored in there! It's never been this bad before, but with the combination of things from my parents' home, and what moved in during a major remodel last year (and never left), it has become a disaster zone. Here's what we are doing with our "guest room" (our DD's room before she moved out) Behind the doors is the guest room which has a big window and when the doors are open it opens up a view to the back yard. We cut a hole and put up the doors. We are redoing that room to be an extension of the family room and playroom for our DGS. It has a pull out couch/bed and that's all right now. Oh and my plants. When the doors are open it makes the family room twice as big. IMG_20161130_171947 by Tammy Jones, on Flickr
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artsydaisy
Full Member
Posts: 464
Jul 1, 2014 4:55:48 GMT
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Post by artsydaisy on Jan 5, 2018 20:01:27 GMT
When I have trouble parting with something, sometimes it is simply because I am not ready to part with the IDEA of what that item represents. I don't knit or crochet but getting rid of those things means I am also parting with the idea of learning how to do those things. It took me a couple of years to get rid of all of my apothecary jars because I wasn't ready to part with the idea of one day being like those bloggers who were all put together and decorated for every season. But I hated actually doing it and I hated having them around. And I would pick up things at the thrift store with the idea to redo or because I liked the idea of owning it even though I had no place to put it. But I never had time to actually do anything with them so it just piled up. So when that happens I either make it a commitment to do/use those things or give up the idea. Because having the idea without the commitment is just a mental burden to me. I call this "aspirational clutter" because it comes from something you aspire to be, do, or make. I find it a little easier (but bittersweet) to get rid of the older I get. And yes, you have to make peace with not going down that path, or being that person, so it is tough saying goodbye to those hopes and dreams. But I keep reminding myself that I am freeing up my physical space right now and I will be able to return to something if it truly has a place in my life.
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Post by alsomsknit on Jan 5, 2018 20:13:41 GMT
**GypsyGirl** maybe we should call it our “basement” instead of “guest room”?! I guess I should be glad we don’t have an attic or basement, keeps us from keeping even more stuff! I have a friend with a newer home and generous attic space. She refers to it as her Texas Basement! And I agree that more space would mean I would store more. DH and I are a bad combination - the most sentimental of our siblings, so we ended up keeping all the stuff no one else wanted. We are reformed now though and slowly getting rid of it all. To make matters even worse, DH has a 40x40 hangar for his plane. Probably 1/4 of it is stuff from the house, mostly furniture. It used to live in our 3 car garage (no cars would fit inside), but when we came home for good from our expat days it all moved out there. This past weekend DH told me he is thinking about selling his plane. If he does, that means no more storage and I have to deal with all of that in addition to the guest room. I suspect much of it is going to end up being donated because he absolutely refuses to pay for a storage unit. That basement/attic/garage space can be a blessing and a curse. We have all 3 (3 garages, one was built for storing a 5th wheel trailer x2. 1 of the garages has an attic.). The garages were emptied of all the unnecessary stuff this summer. There is very little in the attic--a few coolers and 4 chairs. I won't store things in the attic for fear of the ceiling caving in. Irrational fear. But, it keeps it mostly empty. Half of the basement is finished. The other half has a mud room, laundry, and my pantry. So, actual storage is at a minimum. I can not imagine not having the basement area. The office would have become storage out of necessity. As for inherited parents' stuff...no one has anything I have any desire to keep. We have already inherited DH's g-mother's dining room table. It is my craft/puzzle/folding table. If I have my say, everything will be donated. The only questionable thing I can think of is the buffet that goes with Nan's table. If the drawers work well, maybe. I worked so hard to empty the house of the extras. I do have the luxury that none of them were ever interested in antiques. Then, I would be in trouble.
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Deleted
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May 4, 2024 15:45:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2018 23:36:13 GMT
**GypsyGirl** maybe we should call it our “basement” instead of “guest room”?! I guess I should be glad we don’t have an attic or basement, keeps us from keeping even more stuff! I have a friend with a newer home and generous attic space. She refers to it as her Texas Basement! And I agree that more space would mean I would store more. DH and I are a bad combination - the most sentimental of our siblings, so we ended up keeping all the stuff no one else wanted. We are reformed now though and slowly getting rid of it all. To make matters even worse, DH has a 40x40 hangar for his plane. Probably 1/4 of it is stuff from the house, mostly furniture. It used to live in our 3 car garage (no cars would fit inside), but when we came home for good from our expat days it all moved out there. This past weekend DH told me he is thinking about selling his plane. If he does, that means no more storage and I have to deal with all of that in addition to the guest room. I suspect much of it is going to end up being donated because he absolutely refuses to pay for a storage unit. The highlighted area I agree with him on!! I have a friend--she was an only child. When her mom died, she went and helped her dad downsize. She decided to bring a bunch of stuff home with her. She had to rent a storage unit for it. Then about a year later, her dad remarried. They bought a bigger house to accomodate her stuff and his. Then about 5 years later, her dad died. She also found out at that time that the "step-mother" had dementia, and wasn't able to stay in the house. So, back she goes, loaded everything up and moved it back to where she lived. This time, she had to rent TWO storage areas to accomodate the stuff "until she found time to go through it." That was about 5 years ago--this lady is a teacher, and has summers OFF, but she is still paying for 4 storage units. I forgot to add that her and her husband got a divorce after her mom died, and he took a lot of the stuff from their shared home to furnish his new place. I visited her home recently, and was so shocked at how much stuff she still has!! I think she is a boarderline hoarder. You can make it through the rooms, but they are packed!! So, before I'll ever rent a storage unit, I'll be trashing stuff!! I can't imagine how much she has spent on storage units over the past years. She's talking about "downsizing" because her only daughter got married recently (but they are living with her because they don't make enough money together to pay rent anywhere" I think she should start with the storage units, but she won't listen to anybody!! When I think I have too much stuff, I console myself by thinking about this lady and all her crap!!
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rodeomom
Pearl Clutcher
Refupee # 380 "I don't have to run fast, I just have to run faster than you."
Posts: 3,659
Location: Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma
Jun 25, 2014 23:34:38 GMT
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Post by rodeomom on Jan 5, 2018 23:42:02 GMT
I have a friend with a newer home and generous attic space. She refers to it as her Texas Basement! And I agree that more space would mean I would store more. DH and I are a bad combination - the most sentimental of our siblings, so we ended up keeping all the stuff no one else wanted. We are reformed now though and slowly getting rid of it all. To make matters even worse, DH has a 40x40 hangar for his plane. Probably 1/4 of it is stuff from the house, mostly furniture. It used to live in our 3 car garage (no cars would fit inside), but when we came home for good from our expat days it all moved out there. This past weekend DH told me he is thinking about selling his plane. If he does, that means no more storage and I have to deal with all of that in addition to the guest room. I suspect much of it is going to end up being donated because he absolutely refuses to pay for a storage unit. The highlighted area I agree with him on!! I have a friend--she was an only child. When her mom died, she went and helped her dad downsize. She decided to bring a bunch of stuff home with her. She had to rent a storage unit for it. Then about a year later, her dad remarried. They bought a bigger house to accomodate her stuff and his. Then about 5 years later, her dad died. She also found out at that time that the "step-mother" had dementia, and wasn't able to stay in the house. So, back she goes, loaded everything up and moved it back to where she lived. This time, she had to rent TWO storage areas to accomodate the stuff "until she found time to go through it." That was about 5 years ago--this lady is a teacher, and has summers OFF, but she is still paying for 4 storage units. I forgot to add that her and her husband got a divorce after her mom died, and he took a lot of the stuff from their shared home to furnish his new place. I visited her home recently, and was so shocked at how much stuff she still has!! I think she is a boarderline hoarder. You can make it through the rooms, but they are packed!! So, before I'll ever rent a storage unit, I'll be trashing stuff!! I can't imagine how much she has spent on storage units over the past years. She's talking about "downsizing" because her only daughter got married recently (but they are living with her because they don't make enough money together to pay rent anywhere" I think she should start with the storage units, but she won't listen to anybody!! When I think I have too much stuff, I console myself by thinking about this lady and all her crap!! Watching hoarders often puts me in the mood to purge!
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Jan 6, 2018 0:01:45 GMT
Oooh I'm in! This house is beyond need of decluttering. I'll see how much I can get done this weekend. Of course I happen to run into this thread when the Moon is in Virgo . It's been such a day of calculating things and keeping inventory at work, might as well keep it going at home since the energy feels right for it ETA: I know what to do to set my goal. I just got a toy ball for our cat that makes a chirping sound when you roll it. He loves it, but it will get stuck in many many places and get lost. So my goal is to make this house where the ball can't get suck under anything else but furniture and he will have more room to play with it.
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naby64
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,925
Jun 25, 2014 21:44:13 GMT
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Post by naby64 on Jan 6, 2018 4:14:08 GMT
I'm am counting myself in. We have been in this home 20 yrs in April. All kiddos are out. Just us and 3 dogs.
I am going to use the A Bowl Full of Lemons challenge to work my way through this house. I started in one cabinet tonight and I am happy with them. I have already gotten trashbag out and a box full of glasses. Which reminds me, I think DH threw the box away with the glasses instead of bringing it back to me to use tomorrow.
This will go hand in hand with redecorating the house.
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Post by dewryce on Jan 6, 2018 5:13:43 GMT
naby64, we are doing both at the same time as well. I think that will help because as we redo floors, paint and put up moulding we'll be moving furniture around a lot so it just makes it easier to go through things, and then clean everything very well before moving it back to its permanent position. I'm pretty against rented storage. I think there can be exceptions, but for the most part I feel it is just helping you (general) put off making decisions. We did use them once, downsized by a lot for a one year period, so we put things we could mostly live without for that year in a small storage space. But, we kept it well organized so we could easily access it when needed. We saved a lot of money by doing that and then moved out of town. I say this, and then I'm imagining having some out of the way place to store my seasonal decorations. *sighs* bliss. But I don't want to spend the money every month either. I wish our attic space was more easily accessible and we could put it up there.
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Deleted
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May 4, 2024 15:45:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2018 5:53:59 GMT
@naby, we are doing both at the same time as well. I think that will help because as we redo floors, paint and put up moulding we'll be moving furniture around a lot so it just makes it easier to go through things, and then clean everything very well before moving it back to its permanent position. I'm pretty against rented storage. I think there can be exceptions, but for the most part I feel it is just helping you (general) put off making decisions. We did use them once, downsized by a lot for a one year period, so we put things we could mostly live without for that year in a small storage space. But, we kept it well organized so we could easily access it when needed. We saved a lot of money by doing that and then moved out of town. I say this, and then I'm imagining having some out of the way place to store my seasonal decorations. *sighs* bliss. But I don't want to spend the money every month either. I wish our attic space was more easily accessible and we could put it up there. We have a shed my husband built and we keep our Christmas things out there--and our out of season clothes, and other things we need to go through!! We organized it all this past year, and got rid of a ton of stuff, but it has a way of getting un-organized!! We don't have a basement or an attic. We do have a garage, but it's packed. (we have a tent trailer and a car in there, and bikes!) and a bunch of other stuff. We'll be going through that this year too!! We're trying hard to get our stuff organized in a way it might stay that way!!
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Post by dewryce on Jan 6, 2018 6:04:28 GMT
@naby, we are doing both at the same time as well. I think that will help because as we redo floors, paint and put up moulding we'll be moving furniture around a lot so it just makes it easier to go through things, and then clean everything very well before moving it back to its permanent position. I'm pretty against rented storage. I think there can be exceptions, but for the most part I feel it is just helping you (general) put off making decisions. We did use them once, downsized by a lot for a one year period, so we put things we could mostly live without for that year in a small storage space. But, we kept it well organized so we could easily access it when needed. We saved a lot of money by doing that and then moved out of town. I say this, and then I'm imagining having some out of the way place to store my seasonal decorations. *sighs* bliss. But I don't want to spend the money every month either. I wish our attic space was more easily accessible and we could put it up there as well. We have a shed my husband built and we keep our Christmas things out there--and our out of season clothes, and other things we need to go through!! We organized it all this past year, and got rid of a ton of stuff, but it has a way of getting un-organized!! We don't have a basement or an attic. We do have a garage, but it's packed. (we have a tent trailer and a car in there, and bikes!) and a bunch of other stuff. We'll be going through that this year too!! We're trying hard to get our stuff organized in a way it might stay that way!! Jealous! We have an eye out for one that would be okay with our HOA (height restrictions) as well as be large enough to house our seasonal decorations and yard equipment. But anything large enough to be able to use easily is too tall. I should just design one. Just st think of how much easier it will be to access the items in the garage and shed once you're done. Very exciting!
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 6, 2018 14:04:18 GMT
I did a major cleaning of our garage in the fall. I love it! I can access everything. Nothing is on the floor except the mower, snowblower, and some big pots. Everything else is on the 2 sets of shelves. My wonderful brother brought his truck over and took all the extra lumber DH had been hoarding.
I have two boxes ready to go to Goodwill, but I want to get one more today. I'm going to clean out the game cabinet.
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jan 6, 2018 14:45:34 GMT
When I have trouble parting with something, sometimes it is simply because I am not ready to part with the IDEA of what that item represents. I don't knit or crochet but getting rid of those things means I am also parting with the idea of learning how to do those things. It took me a couple of years to get rid of all of my apothecary jars because I wasn't ready to part with the idea of one day being like those bloggers who were all put together and decorated for every season. But I hated actually doing it and I hated having them around. And I would pick up things at the thrift store with the idea to redo or because I liked the idea of owning it even though I had no place to put it. But I never had time to actually do anything with them so it just piled up. So when that happens I either make it a commitment to do/use those things or give up the idea. Because having the idea without the commitment is just a mental burden to me. I call this "aspirational clutter" because it comes from something you aspire to be, do, or make. I find it a little easier (but bittersweet) to get rid of the older I get. And yes, you have to make peace with not going down that path, or being that person, so it is tough saying goodbye to those hopes and dreams. But I keep reminding myself that I am freeing up my physical space right now and I will be able to return to something if it truly has a place in my life. You two are singing my song. Clutter in our lives is always about so much more than the stuff itself. If we can figure out why we hang on to stuff, it's so much easier to let it go. I heard an inspirational quote the other day. "Clutter is postponed decisions." (Barbara Hemphill)
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Post by cmhs on Jan 6, 2018 14:50:32 GMT
I started the A Bowl Full of Lemons challenge this morning and so far, I've cleared out, cleaned and organized 2 drawers and 5 cabinets as well as the top of the fridge. Admittedly, it's the easiest side of the kitchen to work on because I tend to declutter these cabinets fairly often but it still feels good to get it done! Later today, I'll do the other wall of cabinets and drawers.
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Post by peano on Jan 6, 2018 16:25:46 GMT
I’m feeling so proud of myself. I’ve taken advantage of this freezing cold weather to tackle a bedroom/closet decluttering/deep cleaning project that’s been hanging over my head for years! The energy flow from all the emptiness makes me feel wonderful.
These feelings led to a companion project where I had started decluttering my office/craft room and moved things onto the upstairs landing to give me room to work. These items have languished there for months. That got cleared out yesterday and are going to Goodwill and the dump today. But I learned a little lesson from this—do projects in small bites and the project isn’t complete until things have been put back. Why didn’t I realize this before?
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Deleted
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May 4, 2024 15:45:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2018 18:26:43 GMT
Good going ladies!! I cleaned out 11 bottom cupboard in my kitchen this morning. Only have 2 to go! (the hardest ones, as it's the cleaning supplies!) So, I'll finish that one today, and start on the upper cupboards next week. I started with the kitchen, which is supposed to be the hardest room in the house, so once I finish the top cupboards, it should be all downhill from there right? I didn't get rid of much, my dh thought my tupperware cupboard would lose some things, but I just can't! I looked them all over, and I use them all!!
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Deleted
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May 4, 2024 15:45:59 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2018 18:37:43 GMT
Wow!! Something got into my DH! He went into the basement (he's nuts, it's barely 40F down there). He filled a garbage bag, put a couple plugs/electronic parts into the box for future recycling, and dumped out two boxes that had school stuff from 10 years ago. In the engineering world, it's all outdated. The paper went into a bag for recycling. The old texts went into the trash. I think he's looking for another box from school. I'm feeling lazy compared to him.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 6, 2018 19:11:39 GMT
Everyone is really doing well with their purging! I love hearing what ya'll have done to gain control as it is inspiring for me! No physical decluttering going on here today. However, I've been taking care of things like downloading bank statements, cleaning up digital files, etc. We have 2 Visa cards that have rewards points on them. One of those you get a better rate by getting gift cards. I ordered a $100 LL Bean that will buy DH some new t-shirts. I also got a $25 iTunes card for DH (audio books) and a $50 Starbucks card for myself. All from points that were just sitting there. The other card has a better cash back return, so I claimed a $200 statement credit which will help pay off Christmas gifts! This afternoon DH and I are going to get him a new phone as his iPhone 5s is on it's last legs. Then we are going to AT&T to separate our cell phone accounts and hopefully get better rates. The reason we are doing this is because his new company doesn't issue company phones. Instead, they will pay his cell phone bill. Separating them will be less bookkeeping for both of us. That will add money to the budget every month! Next up is to deal with the health club/trainer. The company will pay the health club portion, but I have to add his name to the account. The trainer is something I waffle on. I currently have 2 sessions/week. Would love to cut that back to 1 session/week for the budget, but hate to lose the extra workout. I'll be back to purging sometime tomorrow or Monday for sure though!
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Post by flanz on Jan 6, 2018 22:53:22 GMT
I'm in. I need to be in. I'm overwhelmed by clutter and it stresses me out. And I get even more stressed out trying to figure out the best way to go through it and get rid of it. I have too much stuff and it is NOT making me happy. I need to drive that lesson home. Less will be more for me in 2018. I need cheerleaders to remind me, so here I am. I'm in too. Sooo much to go through and organize. I've decided to hire a lovely young woman to help me one afternoon a week. Time will be next to sacred on my calendar and it will for e me to tackle stuff at least once a week. Not hiring a prof. organizer, but rather a 27yo friend of dd's who has Fridays off right now. I'll pay her $20/hr. Win/win. And I realize that i am very privileged to be able to afford this help. I have suffered from energy depleting chronic illness for big chunks of my adult life, and I truly need help if I'm going to get this done
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michellegb
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,915
Location: New England and loving it!
Jun 26, 2014 0:04:59 GMT
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Post by michellegb on Jan 6, 2018 23:34:51 GMT
I've cleaned out one junk drawer, organized an accumulation of scrapbook kits that were in a few different spots and started going through some clutter in the living room. It's not much but it's baby steps during a busy week is something I'll be happy with. Tomorrow, I plan to tackle the pile of shoes and magazines/books that are beside the bed. It's something I'll see each morning and that will be motivating to me. flanz That is a great idea! I hope that it works well for you!
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Post by alsomsknit on Jan 6, 2018 23:35:00 GMT
I started the A Bowl Full of Lemons challenge this morning and so far, I've cleared out, cleaned and organized 2 drawers and 5 cabinets as well as the top of the fridge. Admittedly, it's the easiest side of the kitchen to work on because I tend to declutter these cabinets fairly often but it still feels good to get it done! Later today, I'll do the other wall of cabinets and drawers. So did I. The cabinet over the fridge & top of the fridge is done. Also, the top cabinets that have the dishes, glasses/mugs, and food. Plus, 3 drawers. Still need to do the cabinet over the stove and the floor to ceiling one. The bottom cabinets are going to be a problem. My knee has been giving me issues since we hit the deer in November. The whatever Dr injected a steroid into it to get rid of the inflammation. So, I am hestitant about being on my knees to clean out the lowers. I already irritated it by climbing up and down off a chair to reach the top of the fridge and that cabinet. Grrr! Halfway through my husband asked why I wasn't using the stool to make the climb easier on my knee. Duh! I never thought of it. It's been a day of stupid though. In talking to my son, he made two simple suggestions that never occurred to me. Yet, has made a huge difference. It's a nice chunk done.
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Post by Pahina722 on Jan 6, 2018 23:47:02 GMT
One of our local charities is doing a collection drive this Thursday, so all I have to do is get stuff to the curb and it’s folks will come around and pick it up. So today, DH and I started on the kitchen, boxing up older small appliances that we’ve replaced with much better ones. We also got rid of loads of accumulated crap we had forgotten that we had, like lunchboxes from DS’s middle school years (he’s a sophomore in college now), bags of travel tumblers, etc. We also cleared out the coat closet and have been working on our individual closets. DH took on DS’s bedroom closet, since we told DS that if he wanted to keep any clothing left in his bedroom when he returned to college, it had to be in a drawer.
Next up is finishing our closets and the Man Cave closet which is sort of a black hole. I’m almost scared to get too deeply into it.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jan 7, 2018 0:14:05 GMT
Today I didn't clean anything, but I made a conscious choice to not buy a book, a package of rubber stamps, decorative knick knacks in purple, etc.
May not sound like much, but it certainly is a different mindset to choose to not buy something, even if it might be fun to have, and even if it isn't expensive.
This year I'm really aiming to save as much as I can.
I also want to use what I have (like my scrapbook stash), instead of looking for the next shiny thing.
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Post by mikklynn on Jan 7, 2018 2:17:56 GMT
I cleaned out the game cabinet and donated half of what was in there. The Big win was getting DH to drop all the boxes I had ready at Goodwill
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