|
Post by deafpea on Aug 11, 2021 12:57:16 GMT
I went through a photo box of old photos from my college days and got them sorted by year and event (they had previously been sorted by event only, so several years were mixed together) and put in the Iris "suitcase". I threw out a bunch of old pictures that were (1) bad photos (2) I didn't remember who the people were and (3) I didn't remember the event or didn't think it was relevant enough to scrapbook. Now I just have one more box of photos to go through. They're all the "extras" so it should be pretty easy to put them where they belong. Then I'll just have to figure out how to store the portraits because some of them are larger than the 4x6 size I have of Iris photo cases. They're already organized, I just want them in a more secure container than a photo box that doesn't have a latching lid.
Also have a bunch of clothes to take to donation, and I'm sure I will find more.
I packed up my scrapbook card stock and specialty papers. I'm starting grad school in 2 weeks and may need the space for school supplies plus I doubt I'll have time to do much scrapbooking over the next 2 years. But the box will be put somewhere that I can easily get to, so if I need paper or have some free time (most likely at semester break), I can get to it easily.
Merilee
|
|
|
Post by MissBianca on Aug 11, 2021 13:24:15 GMT
Checking in since I haven’t been around in a while. We are in the middle of moving chaos!! I have about half my house moved into the new place and a handful of stuff from my dads. This is such a ridiculously slow process when you move yourself.
Does anyone want to come help me organize?! Lol Seriously I don’t even know where to start. I love my brother and all but he was not helpful. He tried to be by bringing me boxes but I don’t have any place to put them. There is such a supply shortage it took me 2 weeks to gather enough shelving to start organizing my mom and younger brothers stuff in the basement. We had to get temporary beds for the boys because no one had the beds we wanted in stock. I had to go to 2 IKEA’s and I still don’t have about 1/4 of what I need.
|
|
|
Post by **GypsyGirl** on Aug 11, 2021 16:27:06 GMT
Checking in with my fellow declutters/organizers! So many of you are really making great progress in the last 2-3 weeks. Way to go! Until this week, there's been no decluttering happening here. Those who read the dinner thread will know that a couple of weeks ago DH contracted covid, even being vaccinated. A week later I tested positive as well (also vaccinated). My only symptom was nasal congestion. Never ran fever and oxygen levels stayed 97-99. DH had a much worse case, and being a man waited too late to get treatment when needed. Last Tues. I dropped him at the ER with an oxygen level of 84. He is still there in covid ICU but making great progress on recovery. They began weening him off the oxgyen yesterday little by little. We are hopeful he will be released by the weekend. Any prayers & thoughts of healing are very much appreciated!
This week I've been channeling all that anxiety into decluttering. Monday it was the pantry. Emptied and cleaned, then reorganized some. As usual there were expired things to toss as well as a few things that no one really liked. The reorganizing meant moving a bit more from the upper section to the lower section, especially the less than healthy items! Less cluttered now and a better handle on what I actually need/don't need now.
Yesterday I tackled my nemesis...the upper corner cabinet. I hate that thing with a passion. Way too deep, in an awkward corner and difficult to access with a ladder, which is needed because I'm short. It's been emptied and cleaned, a big pile of things ready to donate and the used items put back in. The top two shelves are basically long term storage for things I'm not ready to part with (family stuff really). Now that I know what's going I can put that stuff up there and add a bit from the lower cabinets.
I also reorganized my countertops. After trying the prep center to the right of the sink, I've accepted it doesn't work. The mixer, coffee pot and tea maker are to the right and all that is on the left is the toaster and the wood bowl of veggies. Going to get a new cutting board that can be left out as well, so that prep work will be much easier. Going to be a lot more healthy eating around here from now on!
Next up is the clear off the dining table and banquette. DH always complains about what a dumping ground it is, so my gift to him is to get it cleared off! Needs doing so might as well use this time to do it. Hope everyone is staying cool and healthy this week.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 11, 2021 16:44:07 GMT
**GypsyGirl** I’m so glad to hear he is doing so much better and expected to be released soon, I’ve been thinking about you guys. deafpea That’s a lot of progress on your photos! That’s one of the projects I’m working on right now but it’s not going nearly as quickly for me jeremysgirl ’s scrap room redo inspired me to go through some of my paper pads. It’s the one area of stuff I have not really decluttered much since the pandemic began. So I went in there ready to go to war with my over abundance of supplies. Yeah, not so much. Even paper pads I was gifted I couldn’t just toss in the donate pile. So I thought okay, new plan, I’ll just take out the sheets I am in love with. So I started and could tell I was keeping more than I should. So I set it aside, knowing it wasn’t in the right space mentally to part with things and not wanting to waste my time. So instead I am gathering all of my Halloween photos and am going to make page kits with the Halloween supplies I have; my intent is to decide what is extra and gather it together so I can use it all to make cards like linda did with her birthday papers. MissBianca I’d love to come, organizing is super fun for me, it lets my super detail oriented anal retentive me come out to play I’d start by making sure you don’t pack or move anything you are not in love with. When we moved ourselves over a period of time we bought a lot of laundry baskets and each day we’d drive them over and I’d put things away slowly while DH was at work (he worked in the new town we moved to so it was perfect). This gave me the opportunity to make sure things were where we wanted them and not just shoved somewhere just to get it done. We moved over the organization/storage furniture first so I could do this. That must be so frustrating not being able to get your furniture, because where does everything go!?! I hope you have better luck getting your other items.
|
|
|
Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Aug 11, 2021 17:07:37 GMT
**GypsyGirl**, I was not aware of your situation. I’m glad you didn’t have it any worse than you did, but hate to hear about your husband. I hope he recovers completely and gets home soon.
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Aug 11, 2021 17:31:10 GMT
|
|
|
Post by cecilia on Aug 11, 2021 20:31:57 GMT
We are planning on getting rid of one of our flea market booths so we are slowly purging things that haven't sold and we have had for a year or more.
|
|
|
Post by mikklynn on Aug 11, 2021 21:07:52 GMT
**GypsyGirl** Thank goodness your DH was vaccinated! I am adding my prayers that he is home by the weekend. MissBianca The furniture delays have DH and I thinking about ordering a few pieces for our townhouse now, rather than after we move in February. There are things we will need, as we've gotten rid of old, worn out furniture.
|
|
|
Post by Scrapper100 on Aug 11, 2021 21:25:16 GMT
**GypsyGirl** I'm glad you didn't get a bad case and recovered and hope your husband can come home this weekend.
|
|
|
Post by ntsf on Aug 11, 2021 22:14:13 GMT
I am taking all the flash drives and cds of home movies I have digitized.. and labeling all them and organizing.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 11, 2021 23:10:01 GMT
I am taking all the flash drives and cds of home movies I have digitized.. and labeling all them and organizing. Did you have them digitized or did you do it yourself? I have a box of my mom’s tapes to go through and a couple of my own.
|
|
|
Post by **GypsyGirl** on Aug 12, 2021 0:21:40 GMT
I am taking all the flash drives and cds of home movies I have digitized.. and labeling all them and organizing. Did you have them digitized or did you do it yourself? I have a box of my mom’s tapes to go through and a couple of my own. What she asked! I have quite a few that need to be digitized and need to get going on that project.
|
|
|
Post by ntsf on Aug 12, 2021 0:25:22 GMT
there is no way I was doing it myself. I used scancafe.. used them for years. right now I think they have a sale on videos for $10 each. I watch for their sales. I have used them for prints, 8 mm film, slides and videos. good customer service I have a lot of my dad's to do.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 0:30:30 GMT
Thanks for the recommendation ntsf!
|
|
|
Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 12, 2021 0:31:14 GMT
I'm making the move to declutter my hallway closet this weekend. Going, going, gone are going to be a bunch of textbooks I used for my masters degree and haven't looked at since I graduated 5 years ago.
There are also going to be disappearing miscellaneous sheets which are also in the closet.
My cat will be pissy about this as she likes to lay in that closet...
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 0:39:56 GMT
jeremysgirl I bet after you get rid of so much she’ll have room enough for her own space…but I bet she wants the sheets! Has anyone ever dealt with old, smokey books? They’ve been in the house with a chain smoker for 35+ years. They’re old kids encyclopedias, children’s books old Reader’s Digest story compilations, etc. I want to help my mom but I’m not sure if it would take ugh more effort and energy than they’re worth to rid them of the smoke. What say the peas, recycle or rid of smoke?
|
|
|
Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 12, 2021 0:42:32 GMT
jeremysgirl I bet after you get rid of so much she’ll have room enough for her own space…but I bet she wants the sheets! Has anyone ever dealt with old, smokey books? They’ve been in the house with a chain smoker for 35+ years. They’re old kids encyclopedias, children’s books old Reader’s Digest story compilations, etc. I want to help my mom but I’m not sure if it would take ugh more effort and energy than they’re worth to rid them of the smoke. What say the peas, recycle or rid of smoke? Nope my kitty has her own pillow on the bottom shelf. I make sure she's cozy in her place. The sheets are on shelves too high for her. She will just be mad I'm interrupting her nap.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 0:47:33 GMT
You sound like us, our cats had their own shelves, their own corners, their own chair in the living room…
(Whispers) they might have been just a touch spoiled
|
|
|
Post by **GypsyGirl** on Aug 12, 2021 1:20:31 GMT
Has anyone ever dealt with old, smokey books? They’ve been in the house with a chain smoker for 35+ years. They’re old kids encyclopedias, children’s books old Reader’s Digest story compilations, etc. I want to help my mom but I’m not sure if it would take ugh more effort and energy than they’re worth to rid them of the smoke. What say the peas, recycle or rid of smoke? BTDT with my parents' house after they passed. Both were heavy smokers. My advice is save your time and get rid of them. Even if you make a dent in the smell, it's never going away fully. It's a common problem our generation is dealing with as our parents pass.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 1:27:02 GMT
Has anyone ever dealt with old, smokey books? They’ve been in the house with a chain smoker for 35+ years. They’re old kids encyclopedias, children’s books old Reader’s Digest story compilations, etc. I want to help my mom but I’m not sure if it would take ugh more effort and energy than they’re worth to rid them of the smoke. What say the peas, recycle or rid of smoke? BTDT with my parents' house after they passed. Both were heavy smokers. My advice is save your time and get rid of them. Even if you make a dent in the smell, it's never going away fully. It's a common problem our generation is dealing with as our parents pass. That’s what I was afraid of. Thanks for sharing your experience!
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 1:32:37 GMT
It seems a lot of us are at that stage where we are sorting through our parents homes, or tying to. I’ve mentioned it a thousand times, but my favorite organizational/declutter guru is Peter Walsh and he wrote a book specifically about this, including strategies on dealing with family members. I found it really helpful when I was reading it for myself, before I even attempted trying to work with my mom to get rid of items that are weighing her down. Anyway, here’s a link, I hope it helps some of y’all!
Let it Go by Peter Walsh.
|
|
|
Post by natscraps on Aug 12, 2021 2:03:11 GMT
It seems a lot of us are at that stage where we are sorting through our parents homes, or tying to. I’ve mentioned it a thousand times, but my favorite organizational/declutter guru is Peter Walsh and he wrote a book specifically about this, including strategies on dealing with family members. I found it really helpful when I was reading it for myself, before I even attempted trying to work with my mom to get rid of items that are weighing her down. Anyway, here’s a link, I hope it helps some of y’all!
Let it Go by Peter Walsh.My mother was a hoarder. Nothing like what you see on the show though. She couldn't let go of anything she thought could be useful to someone and we had some massive battles over stuff. Like a huge bag of random pens from my grandfathers house. Ironically she read that book a month or so before she passed away. She was ready to finally deal with everything but never got the chance. That was 4 years ago. My stepdad and I are still dealing with all her stuff.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 2:43:00 GMT
I’m sorry natscraps . It’s so hard to know what to do in general with this sensitive issue, but especially in those extreme situations. I hope having made the decision to let go of some things and lighten her load brought her some peace in her last months.
|
|
|
Post by tentoes on Aug 12, 2021 2:56:40 GMT
a couple of weeks ago DH contracted covid, even being vaccinated. A week later I tested positive as well (also vaccinated). My only symptom was nasal congestion. Never ran fever and oxygen levels stayed 97-99. DH had a much worse case, and being a man waited too late to get treatment when needed. Last Tues. I dropped him at the ER with an oxygen level of 84. He is still there in covid ICU but making great progress on recovery. They began weening him off the oxgyen yesterday little by little. We are hopeful he will be released by the weekend. Any prayers & thoughts of healing are very much appreciated! I'm so sorry you and your husband have had the Covid. It's sad to read that even though you were both vaccinated, you still were touched with the disease. I am praying for your husband, that his recovery continues, and he's able to come home very soon. Please let us know how he is doing. As for me and my de-cluttering, I've been out of town for the past two weeks, so nothing has gotten done here at home. I'm still dealing with a "bad knee" situation, so even trying to do anything is probably out of the realm of reality anyhow! Hopefully, this knee will straighten up and let me get back to a regular life! I don't like sitting that much!!
|
|
Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,467
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
|
Post by Chinagirl828 on Aug 12, 2021 8:31:10 GMT
And some are just the “sit and look pretty” type - don’t expect me to walk far in them! One day I’ll be in the frame of mind to let those go. Today is not that day though. Ah yes, I have one amazing pair of shoes that fall into this category. I cannot walk in 4" heels on any surface other than carpet and have no hope of keeping up with my DH when I'm wearing them, but dang I love those shoes.
|
|
Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,467
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
|
Post by Chinagirl828 on Aug 12, 2021 8:34:35 GMT
**GypsyGirl** sending positive thoughts your way and hoping your DH makes a speedy and complete recovery.
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 9:14:29 GMT
And some are just the “sit and look pretty” type - don’t expect me to walk far in them! One day I’ll be in the frame of mind to let those go. Today is not that day though. Ah yes, I have one amazing pair of shoes that fall into this category. I cannot walk in 4" heels on any surface other than carpet and have no hope of keeping up with my DH when I'm wearing them, but dang I love those shoes. You should do a sexy photo shoot wearing them and a fabulous outfit. Go all out, get your hair done, your nails, maybe even your make-up. Harness the way they make you feel and document it, I bet it shows up in your face in the photos!
|
|
|
Post by freecharlie on Aug 12, 2021 19:46:07 GMT
Back to working in the basement. Purging feels pretty good
|
|
|
Post by dewryce on Aug 12, 2021 21:17:29 GMT
I was hoping my frustrations with everything going on right now would translate into having a good purging session with my paper collection; but it’s actually making me less decisive which raises my frustration level. I guess it’s on to ticked-off cleaning!
|
|
amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,329
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
|
Post by amom23 on Aug 14, 2021 21:34:46 GMT
It is so hot outside so I'm happy to be inside with central air today! DS is packing to move back to college and I decided to go through my closet. I know I did a closet purge this Spring and donated a lot, but so far I've filled a black garbage bag of clothes and another with shoes. It's just crazy!
|
|