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Post by 950nancy on Feb 29, 2020 5:04:27 GMT
I just watched a documentary I’ve wanted to see for a couple of years - it’s called My Stuff or Tavarataivas in the original Finnish. It’s available to watch for $3.50 on Vimeo and might be on some other platforms too. Young guy had dealt with sadness over a breakup by buying a lot of stuff, decides to find out what he really needs to be happy by locking it ALL in a storage unit and retrieving one item a day for a year. So the movie starts with him running buck naked down a frozen Helsinki street at night to get.... a coat. It’s pretty funny and sweet and quite thought provoking. What would be on your list? After you got a coat and shoes and some bedding and then clothes for work, what next? I haven’t decluttered anything for a few days but I got a good new thing to replace a crappy old thing - found a much better iPad cover than the inherited one that came with the inherited iPad with the bonus that it was a returned but like new version so it was half price! I’m not going to keep the old cover. It collapsed way too often. Better go look closely and see if it’s worth donating. It was pretty gross when I got it. Also made progress on my “use what I have” challenge - I was able to use a stamp that I love but haven’t used much with some patterned paper that I overbought, and the results are really pretty! I can make a lot of beautiful cards with this stamp and one sheet of pretty paper + some scraps. This would be my nightmare. While I am pretty good at decluttering, I like having what I need when I need it. I will probably always have stuff I don't use, but my kids will do what everyone else's kids have to do and get a dumpster because there are just things I need daily that I will never get rid of.
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Post by ecvnj58 on Feb 29, 2020 15:05:59 GMT
I’m still going strong on decluttering my bathroom. I got rid of 260 items. Yup. I counted. This is the second time I have gone through my bathroom in about 6 months. The majority of this was makeup I will never wear and nail polish. I used to be obsessed with doing my nails and loved buying nail polish. Then I had a second baby. The second baby (who is 4) really has made me rethink my life and where I am now. Maybe nail polish woman will come back but then I will just buy more. I still have probably 20 bottles. Lol.
Also how many lipsticks does one person need? True story I have been only wearing maybeline lip matte because it stays on all day and I don’t have the memory to reapply my lipstick. I am at the very bottom of my tube. So the answer is I need one lipstick since apparently this is the only one I reach for. I still kept 10000 lipsticks but they fit in one makeup container.
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Post by artisticscrapper on Feb 29, 2020 20:48:50 GMT
I really don’t have a lot of stuff other than craft supplies, dvds, and books. Those will probably be gone through last.
This week I went through everything my bathroom which was pretty easy since I usually stick to one or two lipsticks, shadows, etc. I also did the Kitchen which was mostly expired spices and condiments. I’m down to the drawer with all those plastic containers. I do use them since I like to cook extra and freeze for later. It’s just that the drawer is chaotic. I’ll do that next week along with the desk drawers.
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Post by hop2 on Mar 1, 2020 14:26:39 GMT
I just watched a documentary I’ve wanted to see for a couple of years - it’s called My Stuff or Tavarataivas in the original Finnish. It’s available to watch for $3.50 on Vimeo and might be on some other platforms too. Young guy had dealt with sadness over a breakup by buying a lot of stuff, decides to find out what he really needs to be happy by locking it ALL in a storage unit and retrieving one item a day for a year. So the movie starts with him running buck naked down a frozen Helsinki street at night to get.... a coat. It’s pretty funny and sweet and quite thought provoking. What would be on your list? After you got a coat and shoes and some bedding and then clothes for work, what next? I haven’t decluttered anything for a few days but I got a good new thing to replace a crappy old thing - found a much better iPad cover than the inherited one that came with the inherited iPad with the bonus that it was a returned but like new version so it was half price! I’m not going to keep the old cover. It collapsed way too often. Better go look closely and see if it’s worth donating. It was pretty gross when I got it. Also made progress on my “use what I have” challenge - I was able to use a stamp that I love but haven’t used much with some patterned paper that I overbought, and the results are really pretty! I can make a lot of beautiful cards with this stamp and one sheet of pretty paper + some scraps. Im definitely NOT doing that lol I’m not waiting a full work week to be fully clothed ( under wear, bra, pants, shirt, socks ) geez Definitely not for me. But if somehow I were trapped into doing it I’d get my bathing suit first - so as I’m not naked - I’m an American, former Catholic, I have body issues. I like my stuff, well most of it. What I don’t like I’m working thru what I legally need to keep ( files ) and throwing the rest out or digitizing it. I’m really looking at the stuff I moved 18 months ago and there’s a few things I regret not taking and will ask Ex for ( soda stream, broken but fixable vacuum sealer ) but there’s a bunch of stuff I packed & moved that I’m realistically ready to get rid of now. ( college text books? Really why did I think I needed to keep these? ) Then there’s the stuff I know I’ll let go of someday but I’m not ready right now ( cook books )
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Post by joblackford on Mar 1, 2020 16:12:18 GMT
I just watched a documentary I’ve wanted to see for a couple of years - it’s called My Stuff or Tavarataivas in the original Finnish. It’s available to watch for $3.50 on Vimeo and might be on some other platforms too. Young guy had dealt with sadness over a breakup by buying a lot of stuff, decides to find out what he really needs to be happy by locking it ALL in a storage unit and retrieving one item a day for a year. So the movie starts with him running buck naked down a frozen Helsinki street at night to get.... a coat. It’s pretty funny and sweet and quite thought provoking. What would be on your list? After you got a coat and shoes and some bedding and then clothes for work, what next? I haven’t decluttered anything for a few days but I got a good new thing to replace a crappy old thing - found a much better iPad cover than the inherited one that came with the inherited iPad with the bonus that it was a returned but like new version so it was half price! I’m not going to keep the old cover. It collapsed way too often. Better go look closely and see if it’s worth donating. It was pretty gross when I got it. Also made progress on my “use what I have” challenge - I was able to use a stamp that I love but haven’t used much with some patterned paper that I overbought, and the results are really pretty! I can make a lot of beautiful cards with this stamp and one sheet of pretty paper + some scraps. Im definitely NOT doing that lol I’m not waiting a full work week to be fully clothed ( under wear, bra, pants, shirt, socks ) geez Definitely not for me. But if somehow I were trapped into doing it I’d get my bathing suit first - so as I’m not naked - I’m an American, former Catholic, I have body issues. I like my stuff, well most of it. What I don’t like I’m working thru what I legally need to keep ( files ) and throwing the rest out or digitizing it. I’m really looking at the stuff I moved 18 months ago and there’s a few things I regret not taking and will ask Ex for ( soda stream, broken but fixable vacuum sealer ) but there’s a bunch of stuff I packed & moved that I’m realistically ready to get rid of now. ( college text books? Really why did I think I needed to keep these? ) Then there’s the stuff I know I’ll let go of someday but I’m not ready right now ( cook books ) I definitely DON’T recommend following this guy’s path, although it was fun to watch!! He actually elected to forgo underwear for a while because he figured it was hidden from view - coat and shoes were necessary first because it was below freezing outside and he didn’t have any bedding (although I assume his apartment was heated) - he figured out how to sleep with the coat to stay warm (put your legs in the arm holes!) It sounds like you’re on a much more sensible track. I think everyone who has ever moved and looked at things and asked “why did I keep that?!” It’s a process.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Mar 1, 2020 16:56:47 GMT
Tavarataivas cracked me up while making me think when it was released (six-ish years ago, I think?). It was a quirky documentary to push the viewers to reflect on their own stuff. It was a more extreme experiment based on The Minimalists' packing party challenge and I think the whole point was to make it bonkers to kickstart thinking and make for a fun documentary to watch. It's good pedagogy but of course, it's not meant to be applied by everyone in such an extreme manner.
I do have this bizarre fantasy of starting over from scratch again. Nothing at all but the clothes on my back and my phone + ID papers and bank card. I'd be down with that. It mostly stems from having moved so much as a kid, changing continents and countries multiple times. We didn't pack everything up from one place to the next and often sold off/gave away stuff before moving on to the next place. I think that has left an imprint on me and very likely feeds my minimalist core.
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Post by Linda on Mar 1, 2020 18:02:15 GMT
Tavarataivas cracked me up while making me think when it was released (six-ish years ago, I think?). It was a quirky documentary to push the viewers to reflect on their own stuff. It was a more extreme experiment based on The Minimalists' packing party challenge and I think the whole point was to make it bonkers to kickstart thinking and make for a fun documentary to watch. It's good pedagogy but of course, it's not meant to be applied by everyone in such an extreme manner. I do have this bizarre fantasy of starting over from scratch again. Nothing at all but the clothes on my back and my phone + ID papers and bank card. I'd be down with that. It mostly stems from having moved so much as a kid, changing continents and countries multiple times. We didn't pack everything up from one place to the next and often sold off/gave away stuff before moving on to the next place. I think that has left an imprint on me and very likely feeds my minimalist core. it's funny but that moving and leaving stuff behind often as a kid has two very different likely outcomes for adults - some (like you) embrace it and lean minimalist as adults and some like my DH ends up equating things with security and not wanting to get rid of anything. I wonder if how it is handled during childhood makes a difference - my mum always involved us in choosing what we could bring and in the fun of picking something new once we moved. I suspect for DH it was more a case of stuff just wasn't able to move with him and he was missing stuff at the new flat without being too involved in the process.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Mar 1, 2020 18:39:06 GMT
I do have this bizarre fantasy of starting over from scratch again. Nothing at all but the clothes on my back and my phone + ID papers and bank card. I'd be down with that. It mostly stems from having moved so much as a kid, changing continents and countries multiple times. We didn't pack everything up from one place to the next and often sold off/gave away stuff before moving on to the next place. I think that has left an imprint on me and very likely feeds my minimalist core. it's funny but that moving and leaving stuff behind often as a kid has two very different likely outcomes for adults - some (like you) embrace it and lean minimalist as adults and some like my DH ends up equating things with security and not wanting to get rid of anything. I wonder if how it is handled during childhood makes a difference - my mum always involved us in choosing what we could bring and in the fun of picking something new once we moved. I suspect for DH it was more a case of stuff just wasn't able to move with him and he was missing stuff at the new flat without being too involved in the process. It definitely affects people differently and the perceived deprivation is what will impact each individual the most. This is one of the reasons why social workers who deal with hoarders for the long run, not just for one big clean-up session, are in favour of not taking away the choice to decide for the person they're working with. Hoarders are the extreme version of people struggling with letting go of stuff but in their more extreme behaviour, they help shed a light on more universal truths. It's likely your DH didn't feel like he could make decisions for himself about his stuff and that things he valued were taken away from him. The passive nature of the process can be very scarring. Throw in the main differences in the Big Five personality traits (as they're the most scientific approach to personality) and you can end up with two seemingly opposite approaches to stuff later in life... I will say that I don't necessarily consider this tabula rasa fantasy of mine to be completely healthy and positive. Undoubtedly, it goes hand in hand with other traits born from the same childhood situation that are not considered as desirable as minimalism is these days. I am fiercely independent and take a long time to trust despite being very extroverted. I look ahead a lot and tend to walk away from situations that don't suit me but people sometimes can interpret that as being a bit emotionless, undetached and that can lead to miscommunications and misunderstandings. But still, the idea of starting with close to nothing again is a secret fantasy of mine and I've had it as long as I can remember...
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Post by hmp on Mar 1, 2020 23:13:37 GMT
I’m currently struggling with my scraproom reorganization. It turns out not only am I good at organizing, I’m also good at thinking spatially, and I have the patience to re-work a problem until it resolves to my satisfaction. Normally these may be good skills to have, but when you can make a place for everything & everything is in its place, that negates my “urge to purge”. So my round 2 of purging is not going well. I want to get rid of more so I don’t struggle with taking so long to make choices and I want to get my stash down to only those things that I truly love. But the room now looks so pretty & a lot less crowded so the pressure on me has let up. Can anyone help me get out of this rut? Give me a fresh perspective on how to think about things? Re-motivate me? Thanks for any insights & advice you may have.
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Post by Linda on Mar 2, 2020 1:08:15 GMT
hmp - one thing I do is when I'm scrapping and I pull a pile of paper or a folder of stickers or a drawer of embellishments etc... as I go through to choose what I want, I also keep an eye out for stuff I don't love anymore or that's just about used up and I'm not inspired by what's left or....and cull those things out to toss or donate
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Post by mikklynn on Mar 2, 2020 12:50:08 GMT
hmp - one thing I do is when I'm scrapping and I pull a pile of paper or a folder of stickers or a drawer of embellishments etc... as I go through to choose what I want, I also keep an eye out for stuff I don't love anymore or that's just about used up and I'm not inspired by what's left or....and cull those things out to toss or donate That is exactly what I do. I always have a donate box set aside.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Mar 3, 2020 21:40:23 GMT
I bought a hexagon punch that I'm going to use to help me chomp through my scrap pile. I'll grab several scraps that coordinate or go well, make hexagons for layering, or making a pattern on the background, then toss the leftover scraps.
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Post by mikklynn on Mar 4, 2020 14:08:26 GMT
I went through my 2 Iris cases of Christmas stickers and embellishments. I cut apart the older sticker sheets and only kept the stickers I am likely to use. I pitched all the little bits I have had forever and never used. I moved things like mittens and sleds to my winter box, where they are more likely to be used.
It's no longer a hot mess. I'm going to try to use it up making Christmas cards.
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Post by joblackford on Mar 7, 2020 3:35:29 GMT
I set aside some Japanese things to re-home a while ago but I needed to try to match them with their boxes, and today I managed to pair up 2 out of 3 sets with the boxes. But in the process I went through the Trunk of Japanese Memories which hadn't been opened in more than a decade and discovered some little Japanese dolls I had no idea I owned. I vaguely remember one set but not the others. The silk kimono on one set was starting to crease in storage, just like the dolls I was silently criticizing my relatives for hoarding for so many years... So I will be finding a loving home for them. I'd rather they were damaged by being loved than damaged by being stored. I need to go through the rest of the trunk too. It's mostly beautiful Japanese boxes for things we have on display but there are a few odds and ends, including (I think) a lacquer jewelry box that I was given, which I chipped and then felt horrible about every time I looked at it. So I wrapped it up and hid it away. It wasn't useful to me anyway and the relative who gave it to me is not someone I care to think any more about than I have to. So that's gotta go too! I'd completely forgotten about that too. I've been watching Erica Lucas declutter videos on YT. She's very relatable for many people- she got herself into a hoarding situation through overbuying in this land of plenty, moving many times, and not dealing with the stuff. She has a big house with several storage spaces (attic, basement, crawlspace, shed) so she has TONS of stuff. But she seems to have made a lot of progress and she shows the good, bad and the ugly. www.youtube.com/channel/UCOKniHCzJJojp39zrAViZgQ
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Post by ecvnj58 on Mar 7, 2020 14:26:09 GMT
joblackford, I recently for Erica too. She’s great. She’s so normal to me. I feel like she had way more stuff than I had but really relate to her. You are doing a great job on all the organizing and purging. It really helps me keep going when you comment on my posts and I love seeing how you are decluttering.
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Post by sleepingbooty on Mar 7, 2020 17:39:11 GMT
I've been watching Erica Lucas declutter videos on YT. She's very relatable for many people- she got herself into a hoarding situation through overbuying in this land of plenty, moving many times, and not dealing with the stuff. She has a big house with several storage spaces (attic, basement, crawlspace, shed) so she has TONS of stuff. Thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to give her videos a watch. Guilty pleasure: have someone work through a maximalist home while I deal with a far smaller mess in my own home. Psychology Today had an article about how you should begin decluttering by setting realistic goals. This was focused on your relationship to the items and your space rather than going through the usual torture ("Do I need this?") so it might be an interesting read for those who are trying to get started but find they are struggling to.
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oaksong
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,163
Location: LA Suburbia
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
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Post by oaksong on Mar 7, 2020 19:30:08 GMT
I set a goal for myself this month to clear a surface, shelf or drawer DAILY. So far so good! I’ve been taking before and after pictures, which is eye-opening, and journaling the accomplishments for accountability. I had piled a lot of stuff on a coffee table, my bathroom counter, tv console. It took an average of about 15 minutes to clean off and put away items that had been sitting there for months. It gives me a sense of peace to walk into an organized room, and I feel good that I am finally moving forward.
Thanks for the links to check out!
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Post by scrapperal on Mar 9, 2020 1:44:55 GMT
I set aside some Japanese things to re-home a while ago but I needed to try to match them with their boxes, and today I managed to pair up 2 out of 3 sets with the boxes. But in the process I went through the Trunk of Japanese Memories which hadn't been opened in more than a decade and discovered some little Japanese dolls I had no idea I owned. I vaguely remember one set but not the others. The silk kimono on one set was starting to crease in storage, just like the dolls I was silently criticizing my relatives for hoarding for so many years... So I will be finding a loving home for them. I'd rather they were damaged by being loved than damaged by being stored. <bold added by me> This is such a good thought. I have so much "good stuff" stored away that I should either use or get rid of.
I want to mention a craft garage sale I saw. There were two six-foot tables covered with wood stamps. No exaggeration that the tables were covered from edge to edge, and the trays were two deep in some sections. There were another two six-foot tables covered in other craft supplies. Plus another two smaller tables. This was about half of the lady's collection. She had passed away and some friends were trying to help her husband get rid of her stash. It was so sad to see. He was finally ready to clear out her stuff and it was very painful.
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,454
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Mar 9, 2020 3:46:24 GMT
I set aside some Japanese things to re-home a while ago but I needed to try to match them with their boxes, and today I managed to pair up 2 out of 3 sets with the boxes. But in the process I went through the Trunk of Japanese Memories which hadn't been opened in more than a decade and discovered some little Japanese dolls I had no idea I owned. I vaguely remember one set but not the others. The silk kimono on one set was starting to crease in storage, just like the dolls I was silently criticizing my relatives for hoarding for so many years... So I will be finding a loving home for them. I'd rather they were damaged by being loved than damaged by being stored. <bold added by me> This is such a good thought. I have so much "good stuff" stored away that I should either use or get rid of.
I want to mention a craft garage sale I saw. There were two six-foot tables covered with wood stamps. No exaggeration that the tables were covered from edge to edge, and the trays were two deep in some sections. There were another two six-foot tables covered in other craft supplies. Plus another two smaller tables. This was about half of the lady's collection. She had passed away and some friends were trying to help her husband get rid of her stash. It was so sad to see. He was finally ready to clear out her stuff and it was very painful. I definitely agree with this thought. Although I'm sure that wood stamp collection brought her joy, either in the buying or the owning or the using, I don't want to be one of those people who has a ridiculous amount of stuff for others to have to clean out/sort/sell after I'm gone. I've been starting to think about parting with some of the stuff I inherited from my grandmother. I'm incredibly sentimental so I know it won't be an easy decision for me to make, but I've realised that some of those things make me happy only because they belonged to her, not because I want or need them. If you've gone through something similar, what helped you decide to keep or pass on those things?
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Post by Linda on Mar 9, 2020 11:19:49 GMT
I've been starting to think about parting with some of the stuff I inherited from my grandmother. I'm incredibly sentimental so I know it won't be an easy decision for me to make, but I've realised that some of those things make me happy only because they belonged to her, not because I want or need them. If you've gone through something similar, what helped you decide to keep or pass on those things? I've tried to keep things I actually use or display and pass along things that are just going to be stored. Not a perfect process but an on-going one and I still have stuff that probably needs to leave. Taking pictures before letting go of things helps too - you can then scrapbook the photo and journal about the memories it evokes. ((((Hugs)))
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Post by joblackford on Mar 9, 2020 15:38:13 GMT
Chinagirl828 I agree with what Linda said. Keeping the stuff that you can actively enjoy is the best way I can think to honor the memories you have of a special person. My nana might be surprised at the things I have to remind me of her, but for example, her salt pig is something I use every single day, and it also reminds me of her daughter, my mother (who is still around to use our family’s salt pig). It’s also a beautiful object, and works as well as any generic salt cellar I could buy. The associations are all good. There are other things that I’ve gotten rid of that held mixed or negative feelings - anything that brings up guilt or shame or regret when you hold it is a little dose of emotional poison. It can be hard to throw/give those things away but it’s actually helpful and healing to do so - you may still remember the item but the emotion is a lot weaker once it’s gone. I don’t need the reminders of the stuff that wasn’t good in our relationship/how I may have disappointed or upset her. I love the idea of a scrapbook of memories related to the things, especially the ones that are not useful in your everyday life. Just the process of photographing and journaling (in whatever form) about the objects may help you see which ones are the most valuable to you and which are less important to keep, which ones can be easily passed along. Very helpful for those who survive us too. The stories are often more important than the things - my relative left a lot of stuff that’s just plain junk, but her daughters tried to find out about what looked junk but was actually precious to her. There was sentimental and valuable jewelry mixed in with costume junk, which made it difficult to know what could be tossed. But then again, if you don’t know the story and don’t have the personal feelings that go along with the object, maybe someone else’s sentimental stuff *is* just junk once they’ve passed on. I’d rather they left me the story than the object, if you know what I mean... It sounds like you have quite a lot of things from your grandmother so even letting a few things go won’t mean that you have nothing to remember her by. I’m not sure if you’re much of a journaler but writing about what being “very sentimental” means to you, why having the actual things is different from having the memories, what fears you might have about letting things go, might be valuable exercises. Are you worried that the things won’t go to good homes? Or that you’ll want to have something after it’s gone? Why? What would happen then? (Is regret overpowering, or just the fear of regret?) Or is it judgement from someone else that holds you back? Hope that’s in some way helpful.
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Post by joblackford on Mar 9, 2020 15:47:06 GMT
I set a goal for myself this month to clear a surface, shelf or drawer DAILY. So far so good! I’ve been taking before and after pictures, which is eye-opening, and journaling the accomplishments for accountability. I had piled a lot of stuff on a coffee table, my bathroom counter, tv console. It took an average of about 15 minutes to clean off and put away items that had been sitting there for months. It gives me a sense of peace to walk into an organized room, and I feel good that I am finally moving forward. Thanks for the links to check out! It’s often easier than we expect to start making a difference! I love that you’re making it a habit, and also documenting so you can see your progress and process the feelings. Our eyes adjust VERY quickly. I heard an idea about the piles and stuff being a “silent to do list” - I’m not sure that *silent* is the best descriptor though. It’s like the stuff is prodding me every time I see it, just below my conscious recognition “hey lady, you need to do this! What are you going to do about me! I’m waiting for you to make a decision...” like a low level hum of voices telling me all the things they’re waiting for me to do!! No wonder I’m stressed out and can’t get anything done. I don’t know where to start. Haha, I guess I need to copy that into my journal! Maybe one day I’ll break the piling habit. anyway, keep up the good work, and let us know what progress you’re making. It’s inspiring!
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Post by joblackford on Mar 9, 2020 16:01:02 GMT
I set aside some Japanese things to re-home a while ago but I needed to try to match them with their boxes, and today I managed to pair up 2 out of 3 sets with the boxes. But in the process I went through the Trunk of Japanese Memories which hadn't been opened in more than a decade and discovered some little Japanese dolls I had no idea I owned. I vaguely remember one set but not the others. The silk kimono on one set was starting to crease in storage, just like the dolls I was silently criticizing my relatives for hoarding for so many years... So I will be finding a loving home for them. I'd rather they were damaged by being loved than damaged by being stored. <bold added by me> This is such a good thought. I have so much "good stuff" stored away that I should either use or get rid of.
I want to mention a craft garage sale I saw. There were two six-foot tables covered with wood stamps. No exaggeration that the tables were covered from edge to edge, and the trays were two deep in some sections. There were another two six-foot tables covered in other craft supplies. Plus another two smaller tables. This was about half of the lady's collection. She had passed away and some friends were trying to help her husband get rid of her stash. It was so sad to see. He was finally ready to clear out her stuff and it was very painful. I helped clean out a large, very well organized craft room about 18 months ago. It was so much, and so sad, because it held so much potential - it was a collection of all the plans and wishes this lady had. She’d given up actually crafting 10 or 20 years before but she still kept collecting and buying as if she was still doing it (and I mean, bags and boxes full of film canisters and empty tampon tubes and popsicle sticks and salsa cups, pine cones and rocks and SO MUCH purchased moss! all saved because they were useful back when she was making miniatures). It hurt everyone’s hearts to throw that stuff into trash bags and recycle bins, and it also brought up a lot of other emotions - not least the frustration about her saving so many random things, but also spending tons of money on things she would never use. Not the best thoughts to be having about someone you love who you’ve just lost. It also sucked to have to dig through every personal thing she owned looking for the important stuff - especially when we found the list she’d left that mentioned “hidden cash” that she wanted us to find, but who knows how much or where. Sigh... I understood her denial about her impending death, but my emotions ranged from deep sadness to anger at her selfishness that she left everything for other people to deal with, no consideration for how hard that would be for them.
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Post by joblackford on Mar 14, 2020 15:39:10 GMT
If the world seems to topsy-turvy and chaotic right now, and you have the right conditions to do so, you might want to consider decluttering and deep cleaning as stress relievers during the distancing/ isolation. Our human brains love to have control over things, so it can be helpful to find little things you can take charge over, decisions you can make, actions you can take.
Obviously it might not be possible to get things out of the house - Goodwill isn’t going to have the capacity to take things with no one shopping - but maybe this is the week/month to go through all that ugly old scrapbook paper and give some to the kids for crafting. Or to try on every piece of clothing you own and see if it fits and if you love it. Go through your files and see what old stuff can be shredded or scanned. Go through recipe files and find all the good pantry meals you can make with what’s in your cupboards.
Do you declutter and clean when you’re stressed out? Or does that make you feel worse? I NEED to tidy up when things get really crazy.
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Post by mikklynn on Mar 15, 2020 12:17:46 GMT
Great suggestions, joblackford. I mentioned on the frozen Pea thread I have pulled out all my Christmas paper scraps and 6x6 pads to make Christmas cards. I want to use it up, so I can buy new stuff this fall.
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Post by joblackford on Mar 22, 2020 15:58:59 GMT
Yesterday I was switching over my wardrobe (I keep off-season clothes in a tub in the basement) and noticed that I had a bunch of shoes boxes stacked in our crawlspace storage area. I recycled all 7 shoe boxes and one other box that was labeled "box o' boxes" (it had some camera equipment boxes inside). That was a quick and easy clear out! Don't ask me why I was keeping them - I have plenty of other more useful boxes around the house. In fact, that might be my next declutter! How many little boxes does a person need? I've been watching more Erica Lucas vlogs and getting inspired. Guilty pleasure: have someone work through a maximalist home while I deal with a far smaller mess in my own home. Me too!
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Mar 22, 2020 22:40:11 GMT
I think it would be brilliant for my stress to pull out all my scrapping stuff & reorganize.
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Post by artisticscrapper on Mar 22, 2020 23:45:27 GMT
I have a lot of clothes and purses to donate but no place is open so it’s just sitting there. This isn’t necessarily bad since I still have more decluttering to do and I’ll only need to make one trip. Today I reorganized my craft stuff and reached my goal of clearing out 4 cubes on my Expedit. It’s 16 cubes and I want to downsize to the 12 cube Kallex.
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Post by cumber1137 on Jun 21, 2020 0:19:18 GMT
How's everyone been with decluttering during Stay at Home?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 19, 2024 9:46:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2020 0:39:56 GMT
How's everyone been with decluttering during Stay at Home? I bought more stuff since I treated myself with out to eat $$ by shopping online! Seriously thought, I did do some online shopping at a few stores, particularly a LSS, as they needed the business.
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