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Post by tentoes on Feb 22, 2020 21:46:20 GMT
tentoes There's an exercise that is used in your situation: touch every single item and keep moving through them, making your decisions as you go. If you have the energy and time for it, plan for a few days with your slides, a cup of coffee or tea, music or a podcast playing in the background or a patient friend sitting with you. Go through all of the boxes, pulling each slide and make a definitive compilation of the very best. Set yourself a limit (1, 2 maybe 3 boxes) and start the tough love: which of these slides are you willing to carry the burden of keeping just in case better technology comes out? If you find that you are struggling with each slide, you may want to stop the torture after an hour or so. But if you find that you are able to start separating your very fave pictures from the rest, keep going. It would be a wonderful way to find a compromise: at least 90% of the slides will be gone in the end, focusing solely on the pictures you may want to blow up should technology get significantly better.  In case you just needed someone else to tell you that it's ok to let go of these, I'm joining Linda in letting you know you should allow yourself to let these go. Double-check you have the photos backed up a couple of times, including on a secure cloud (or two) to give yourself the peace of mind and then release yourself from those 30 boxes. A healthy declutter process is a long process. It requires taking your time and not rushing through it (you'll form regrets, impulse buy to replace and become even more hesitant to get rid of something in the future). Yes, you should try the swimsuits on to see whether they fit. That's the logical step. It's annoying, takes up time and energy but if you tackle it bit by bit, you'll get there. Just keep working at it daily. Mark down 30 minute power declutter sessions + clothes try-outs in your planner 6 days out of the week (and give yourself one to just kick back and relax!). It is possible. You've got support here! Please check in whenever you feel like it or need it. Thanks Hon. I think I'm leaning towards dumping them. I haven't heard back from the other three kids about the slides, even though I've heard from them about other things!! (now one of them yet!) I know I have them backed up on two different externals.
Another thing, my 30 minute declutter session this morning turned out to be 4 hours. I did get through 5 drawers, and threw out most of the stuff. The rest of the stuff is organized into like items. (some sewing things, some skin care products, and some scarfs.) I didn't find anything good enough to give away. I did put a few things in a drawer to "think" about for awhile. Thankfully I have until July before my move, and I really am making better progress than I though. My room is now finished--one other bedroom is finished, and one bathroom is finished. The kitchen is started, the living room and dining area are finished except for a tablecloth drawer, and a file cabinet. The kitchen has been started. I still have my craft bedroom, one bathroom, and the rest of the kitchen left. (to say nothing about the GARAGE and the SHED!!) The shed has been cleaned out and organized before I decided to move--so I just have to go through it now with "different eyes". I will have help with the garage. Have three men in my life that want most of the stuff (My son, my grandson, and the man my granddaughter is going to marry.) Between the three of them, all the tools will be taken care of for sure. It's just "everything else" I'll have problems with!!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Feb 23, 2020 0:21:58 GMT
Finished with the sewing room for the weekend. That one last shelf of fabric turned into a shelf and 3 drawers that I emptied and reorganized. The decorator fabric is now folded more neatly and organized better. 12 pieces of fabric made it to the eBay pile, with a few more into the donation box. Seeing that I could get about $100/yd for a piece of hand printed ikat by Brunschwig & Fils made that decision much easier!  If only they were all worth that much! I filled up another grocery sack with things to donate. If I couldn't quickly figure out what type of interfacing something was, it got donated. Put all the keepers into matching Ikea ziplocs and labeled them. Now they are all in one drawer and easy to access. The shelves look so nice now, not an overflowing jumble. Can't wait to get in there and do some more sewing! |
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Post by tentoes on Feb 23, 2020 0:31:54 GMT
Sounds so nice Gypsygirl! The one-room I haven't touched yet is my craft room (well, I did clean out some drawers, but nothing else!) My sewing stuff is in a box in the shed. That will be easy to pack because it's all flannel for baby blankets! As far as I know, nobody is going to be needing any baby blankets until after my move!! I'm taking my sewing machine, my thread box, and my sewing table with me. I haven't sewn in several years!! Not even sure I remember how to thread the sewing machine!! I guess it will "all come back" when I try it right?
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,900 
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Feb 23, 2020 2:52:16 GMT
I spent all afternoon in my craft area. It's coming along. Still keeping too much for someone who isn't scrapbooking, but it will be easier to go through it a second time further down the road. But I also couldn't even get to the table surface or anything because of the piles, couldn't have made a card because I couldn't have found some of the supplies or found a flat surface to work on. Now, well I'm still working on it, I'll be able to make something crafty if I want.
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Post by mikklynn on Feb 23, 2020 13:10:31 GMT
I finally got DH to sit in his office while I handed him things to decide whether to keep or toss. This is huge!
He had tons of rolls of drawings that we recycled, books he never looked at that we donated, and sports memorabilia we arranged on the walls or donated.
Whoo!
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Feb 23, 2020 13:25:49 GMT
Jean recycling made easy!!! Thanks @zingermack for posting that site. I've shared it with my girlfriend group as we are all encouraging one another in streamlining our lives. |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 21:55:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2020 14:33:30 GMT
Jean recycling made easy!!! Thanks @zingermack for posting that site. I've shared it with my girlfriend group as we are all encouraging one another in streamlining our lives. DH came at me w/a pile of jeans that I'd be embarrassed to take to the charity shops. We were about to cut them up for rags when I decided to look for jean recycling because I know some shops do it. We found that Zappos site and I was so grateful. Far better they be shredded and reused in something not going into a landfill for a while. So I wanted to share in case it could help others. Glad you found it! |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Feb 23, 2020 15:00:08 GMT
Far better they be shredded and reused in something not going into a landfill for a while. I wish there were more recycling opportunities for all fabric, not just jeans. I think at some point we will see it though. Have you watched the Netflix series "Next in Fashion"? A young British designer really touched on the subject of recycling and industry pollution during the Denim episode. It's good to see designers considering this from the get go with their designs. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:55:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2020 15:15:30 GMT
Far better they be shredded and reused in something not going into a landfill for a while. I wish there were more recycling opportunities for all fabric, not just jeans. I think at some point we will see it though. Have you watched the Netflix series "Next in Fashion"? A young British designer really touched on the subject of recycling and industry pollution during the Denim episode. It's good to see designers considering this from the get go with their designs. "Fast fashion" has been a disaster for the planet both in the sourcing energy/material waste and the dumping it creates. I try not to buy stuff that will fall apart quickly and to donate stuff still in decent condition. But I read 'Second Hand' and I know a lot of it still ends up in landfills. |
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Post by Linda on Feb 23, 2020 23:08:30 GMT
Dropped off two bags and a picture I no longer love (art print) at Goodwill today.
Dropped off ALL the recycling - ugh we need to get into a better habit of doing this weekly so it doesn't build up
Took all the framed 8x10s off the wall in the hallway and family room - hung one big picture in the family room instead. I think some vintage family portraits will end up in the hallway.
Plan is to lightly scrapbook the 8x10 (onto 8.5x11 pages - so basically matted and labelled) chronologically and just display the most current for each kid (and then as a new one comes in - the older will go in the album). So there's a big stack of framed photos on my scrapbook desk mentally labelled 'to do'
I'm down to ONE box in DD19's room - a combination of framed photos (the vintage ones for the hall) and my mum's mostly unframed paintings. I think I need to talk to HL or Michaels about what the cost would be to frame the rest so I can hang them (in a future guest room - so I guess I need to figure out a storage spot for now)
Tuesday morning is trash night - our bins are already overflowing - not a good thing from an environmental perspective but some stuff just doesn't recycle and can't be donated/sold/reused. But at least it is out of the house.
Still working on slides - 21 boxes to go...Hopefully I can get them finished this week and move on to another project.
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milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,900
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
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Post by milocat on Feb 24, 2020 3:43:36 GMT
Spent more time today downstairs in the scrap area. Making great progress. I don't want to think of what I'm going to do with all the stuff I'm getting rid of.
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Post by tentoes on Feb 24, 2020 18:07:33 GMT
Thanks @zingermack for posting that site. I've shared it with my girlfriend group as we are all encouraging one another in streamlining our lives. . We were about to cut them up for rags when I decided to look for jean recycling because I know some shops do it. We found that Zappos site and I was so grateful. Far better they be shredded and reused in something not going into a landfill for a while. So I wanted to share in case it could help others. Glad you found it! Have you seen some of the stuff that sells for NEW??? Holes and shredded areas are typical. Your stuff would probably look new next to a lot of that stuff!! |
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Post by tentoes on Feb 24, 2020 18:45:10 GMT
I cleaned out a drawer in my hutch this morning. Got rid of a lot (considering it was only one drawer!) It had tablecloths, placemats, and napkins in it. Now it still has the same things in it, but about 1/10th of the amount. I don't use tablecloths anymore, only placemats.
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J u l e e
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,531
Location: Cincinnati
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Feb 24, 2020 19:06:26 GMT
My daughter and I helped my mother declutter her bathroom closet this weekend. It took much of the day on Saturday.
My father died 25 years ago. My mom was not ready to go through her things or think about moving at that time. Over the last 25 years she has slowly filled all the closets and drawers in a four bedroom house that used to be shared by six people! She is now ready to move into something smaller and assisted (a condo association). And she has no idea how to do it.
When I got out of the shower on Saturday morning, I had to move two baskets of hairbrushes and lotions to get to a towel. I looked at the seven shelves in the closet and the shelves on the closet door and could not believe what was being stored in there. I asked my mom when was the last time she went through the products in her closet. She said she recently took everything out and washed the shelves, but just put everything back in when she was done - couldn't throw any of it out.
She also buys in bulk from her days shopping for a family - but does not have the space for this. She has three dozen toothbrushes she keeps taking from the dentist, but she uses an electronic toothbrush. She has four curling irons and several hair dryers - in case one morning she is doing her hair and one decides to stop working. Extras of everything. I told her she could put on a hat and drive five minutes to her Target and be back home doing her hair again in the same amount of time it would take her to go get her step stool and move aside everything to get to the spare hairdryer.
Anyway, it's definitely a struggle and a process.
We emptied the entire closet and sat with her while she went through every item - nail polishes that were hardened, old tubes of things that didn't have lids, consolidating the four packages of q-tips, etc.
It was just one closet but everything that is now in it is used and easy to access. She's amazed with the space and how organized it all is.
We made a basket of the half dozen bottles of lotion and shampoo, dozens of bars of soap and toothpaste and makeup wipes, etc., and told her to use up all of these products before she can buy anymore - and when she is on the last one, she can go and buy ONE more to replace it.
My daughter left that project with the idea of decluttering and purposeful shopping very impressed upon her.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Feb 24, 2020 19:11:10 GMT
Spent a couple of hours going through all the drawers in my sewing room. Got rid of several old notions and tools I don't use or have duplicates of. Reorganized the containers in the drawers and made every thing more accessible. I also pulled all the machine embroidery tools out of the drawers and will add those to their new top shelf location. Also pulled out all the packages of covered buttons and put in button boxes. I'm ready to do some sewing now! The 2 sets of book shelves (upper cabinet type) and the pattern drawer still need to be organized, but I'll save that for another time.
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If only they were all worth that much!
