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Post by mikklynn on Oct 19, 2021 17:04:27 GMT
I cleaned the garage yesterday to make room for patio furniture for the winter. My sister is going to take the bench my dad built, that I don't have a place for at townhouse. I tossed 2 hoses, a rusty floor squeegee, a small lighted Christmas tree, and a long extension cord. I have started boxing up lawn chemicals and automotive fluids to take to the hazardous waste facility. I'll be able to get rid of one of the shelving units in the garage!
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Post by ntsf on Oct 19, 2021 17:15:53 GMT
well. the garbage truck arrived at 6:05 am.. dh is all on board with trying to make space in the garage for the car. so I got rid of a lot of big stuff. and now just have to do more clean up. our garage is in the basement.. with laundry there, and storage. we are on a hillside.. so it is built as a floor under the main living areas.
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Post by Linda on Nov 2, 2021 19:36:22 GMT
We worked on the garage this weekend - it's full of DH's stuff - mostly boxed but not all. He brought a bunch of stuff up to his space, put some stuff in the new garage (tools etc...), made a pile in the new garage of electronics recycling, tossed some stuff, filled a box for donation, made a pile of boxes of books (I'll be bringing upstairs one box at a time)...there is visible progress. We (he) made a few decisions on where shelving units will be going so that's something I can work on making happen.
There's a big pile of stuff blocking the door to the Christmas closet - it's mostly DD21's and she'll be taking it when she moves out in late December but I'm going to need to move it up closer to the garage door before December so I can access the Christmas closet (upside is that'll make it easier for them to load the Uhaul)
He's still keeping WAY too much stuff but for now - if he keeps it in places where it's not in MY way (the new garage, his space upstairs), that's not a hill I'm dying on.
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Post by ntsf on Nov 2, 2021 20:12:31 GMT
I made progress on the garage. I have a big stack of recycling to put in bin, a bag of clothes for recycling a stack for goodwill, and a stack for the art recycling place. I am aiming to get car in garage in 2 weeks. yeah!! every bit helps
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Post by alsomsknit on Nov 4, 2021 1:03:48 GMT
I put away Girlie’s collar, leashes and such. My big dog days are over. But, my heart can’t take passing them on just yet.
The loveseat I want gone is still there. It was her’s for as long as we owned it. DH prefers to wait until we find new chairs, so the delivery people will take it away.
My SUV may have taken its last drive, too. There is something wrong. We are at a point of deciding how much money is acceptable to put into her. She’s 20 years old next month.
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Post by Linda on Nov 4, 2021 3:38:54 GMT
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,739
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Nov 4, 2021 5:59:10 GMT
DS put 3 stand up shelving units together for the garage. That helped get things more organized and off the floor. As I rearrange I take the car out to make it easier to move from one side to other.
Wanting to continue to park easily in garage with winter coming keeps me motivated.
Old owners left behind a Sauder (pressed wood put together) shelf in there, lots of wasted space, useless. Next week is monthly garbage "big sh!t" pickup day, as DS calls it so it will go bye bye and more breathing room will be returned. Sigh.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 4, 2021 9:07:42 GMT
It's been a hard month.
My mom was what I'd consider the ultimate declutterer. She held very little sentimental value to anything, and had no problem tossing what was no longer useful.
Two days after her cancer diagnosis, when the doc had said she had 4-5 months left, she bagged up her spring & summer clothes & shoes & tossed them, because she knew she wouldn't wear them again.
So, when she passed three weeks later, there wasn't much to bag up. (My dad needed it out, because it destroyed him to see her stuff when he couldn't have her). There was just winter clothes, a few pairs of shoes, a coat, a couple purses. She lived minimally. And it felt very sad to see the majority of her personal possessions fit in three or four trashbags.
Her hobby was tending plants, and as the seasons come & go, so do the plants. But it's not clutter, and nothing that has to be bagged up.
Her passing is really making me think about my own possessions.
I have 40+ scrapbooks, and that's just they way it is. I had already given the kids permission to dump them when I die.
I did, however, pass on a bunch of supplies that I wasn't appreciating anymore. Better to another scrapbooker than in a landfill.
I've been tossing clothes as I've washed laundry. Trashing anything that isn't exactly what I want to wear and feel good in.
I passed on a pair of flats that fit and were worn twice, but that i don't love.
Today i hope to declutter more. I walk into a room with new eyes, seeing a bag of "to get to later" stuff and realizing it needs to go now, because I don't want anyone else to have to deal with it.
I'm feeling my mortality very strongly in the past two weeks.
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,739
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Nov 4, 2021 13:50:23 GMT
LavenderLayoutLady I'm so sorry about the loss of your mom. It's so hard. Especially with moms that love us our whole lives and feelings were mutual. ((hugs)) I too looked at "stuff" differently after my mom passed. , "Things" just matter less than in the "before". Couple that with moving after a divorce and you can be sure I've purged plenty. Also been frank and open with my to (adult) kids with the what- ifs concerning me. They know that they should in no way feel obligated to keep stuff but at the same time feel free to keep whatever they want, to have and use in whatever way they please. I've purged and what I do have left is much more organized and in its place. Should be easy(er) to deal with for someone else. aka my kids it should be easier for others now after I go and it's easier for me now just to live more simply. (Still have enough and plenty of stuff just better and easier to do with organized more so. Anything I can do to make it easier since we are still close and they still like me as well as love. The feeling is very mutual. 1000 fold. ((more hugs))
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Post by Linda on Nov 4, 2021 14:02:25 GMT
((((Hugs))) and prayers LavenderLayoutLady - I'm so sorry for your loss. Feeling my mortality - yes, very much so after my mum died (coming up on 2 years this month). My mum was a hoarder so different in that there was a ton of stuff to deal with but I don't want to leave that mess for my kids. ((((Hugs)))
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Nov 4, 2021 14:59:00 GMT
LavenderLayoutLady - I am so sorry about your mom. Life sometimes sucks - and this is one of the top two times (my dad was the second). It's hard, it's unfair and it just sucks. Facing your mortality and tossing/decluttering is one way to handle it. I hope that you are able to find peace in the coming days. (((hugs))) Please feel free to share more about your mom here. Many of us have been there and totally understand.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,329
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Nov 4, 2021 15:19:32 GMT
Losing a parent is hard (been there done that). Having to clean out their homes is the worst and can really put things into perspective. Why are we keeping what we are keeping? Does it serve a purpose? Does it bring us joy? Are we keeping items out of guilt? Is it our own guilt or are we letting others guilt us? Are we just too lazy to do the hard work of purging?
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Nov 4, 2021 16:29:45 GMT
Are we keeping items out of guilt? Is it our own guilt or are we letting others guilt us? Currently dealing with guilt and an item my mom gave me before she died. Mom had a gorgeous cherrywood needlework floor stand with various attachments. I needlepoint but only small items and never with a floor stand. My youngest sister is an avid cross stitcher - and has been for nearly 30 years. However, mom refused to offer it to her because she was pissed at sis for refusing to come to their 50th anniv. reception (among other things). So this thing has been occupying space in my house, unused, for 10 years. I have finally decided to send sis a photo and ask if she would like to have it. If so, I'll pay UPS to package it up and ship it to her. However, the guilt for going against mom's wishes may eat me alive! (only half kidding)
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Post by ntsf on Nov 4, 2021 16:33:37 GMT
my parents took about 3 relatives homes.. after each had lived in these homes over 60 yrs. so a year or two after they retired, my parents bought a 2 bedroom condo and downsized. I have been downsizing my dad's stuff after my mom died and every time I visited. now, my dad's home will be sold next summer.. and we will be downsizing again. but I am happy that there is only a condo's worth of stuff.. and I know what most of it is and not piles and piles of stuff. I also cleared out and got rid of stuff at my dad's vacation condo.. so I feel a little ahead of the game. working on my own basement.. going to goodwill again today.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 4, 2021 18:03:58 GMT
Thank you, ladies, for hearing me.
Today I really went through the basement & my bedroom area.
Out went:
A hard plastic infant pool
A toddler basketball hoop
A Cozy Coupe
A mirade of old summer toy crap that won't be used again.
Two baby car seats, trashed, slashed, & bagged.
Baby toys
Clothes of mine that I dont want. Toiletries gone.
Just really ruthless cleaning.
Trashed papers that I dont need. Put away/filed what i do need.
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 4, 2021 19:48:23 GMT
Are we keeping items out of guilt? Is it our own guilt or are we letting others guilt us? Currently dealing with guilt and an item my mom gave me before she died. Mom had a gorgeous cherrywood needlework floor stand with various attachments. I needlepoint but only small items and never with a floor stand. My youngest sister is an avid cross stitcher - and has been for nearly 30 years. However, mom refused to offer it to her because she was pissed at sis for refusing to come to their 50th anniv. reception (among other things). So this thing has been occupying space in my house, unused, for 10 years. I have finally decided to send sis a photo and ask if she would like to have it. If so, I'll pay UPS to package it up and ship it to her. However, the guilt for going against mom's wishes may eat me alive! (only half kidding) Let the guilt go. I hope your sister will love and cherish it.
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 4, 2021 19:53:30 GMT
LavenderLayoutLady I can't imagine how hard it was to go through your mom's things, even though she was a minimalist. Hugs, dear friend. I thought getting rid of DS's Cozy Coupe was hard! He had so much fun with that thing and was so cute. He's 41 now, LOL.
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Post by tentoes on Nov 4, 2021 19:58:40 GMT
I am getting ready to take a little trip. In the process of packing, I've found a few things that are too big for me, so I put them in a bag to get rid of. Also found some things I haven't used in ages, so I guess I don't need them anymore. I added them to the bag. The bag is now full. Funny how you can walk past something for 6 months and not realize you aren't using it anymore. As I continue to pack for my trip, I'll see what else I can find to start another bag.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Nov 4, 2021 20:17:28 GMT
Let the guilt go. I hope your sister will love and cherish it. Knowing this sister, probably not. But I need to do what's right for me - and rehoming it is what I need to do.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 4, 2021 20:34:37 GMT
LavenderLayoutLady I can't imagine how hard it was to go through your mom's things, even though she was a minimalist. Hugs, dear friend. I thought getting rid of DS's Cozy Coupe was hard! He had so much fun with that thing and was so cute. He's 41 now, LOL. Yes, honestly, that Cozy Coupe sat in the basement for an extra year because I was just sure we'd need (?) it for something. LOL, they couldn't fit in it even if they tried. It was great fun when they were very little though.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 6, 2021 10:25:30 GMT
I continued yesterday.
There is this massive china hutch in the dining room that spans the better part of a wall.
And it was filled with everything but china, it seems.
It's definitely a sort of functional catch all, and if kept reasonable, that's a good thing.
It took me three hours nonstop to take out all the things that didn't belong. Kids' toys, Lego, all the times I've emptied my back pocket onto a shelf to deal with later, the already done or mostly done To-Do lists, flyers from the school, graded homework that I was holding onto why?, bits of this, bits of that.
I put the like-items together.
It is where we keep the disposable masks, the batteries, glasses lens cleaner and wipes.
Also where we keep extra drinking glasses, because the kitchen cabinets can only hold so many.
The gravy boat, the serving dishes, the tea set all still have their place.
And there is so much space! You can actually see into it now. There is no risk of opening a door and things randomly falling out.
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Post by Linda on Nov 8, 2021 2:10:49 GMT
well done @lavendorlayoutlady
DH and I worked on the garages today. A bookcase we were using for shelfing in the garage has gone to the kerb. Another one was repaired and put in place and stuff organised on it. I moved the hand weights over to the section where the workout gear is. I put about a dozen magazine holders in the donation box along with an umbrella to a Little Tikes picnic table (my youngest is 15)
I move several things from random spots in one garage to their actual home in the other one - the new hose belongs with the gardening stuff, the random pile of screws and nails was put in a small plastic box and moved to the workshop area, things like that.
We also moved wood from the shed to the workshop and a workbench that he had been given (it's a converted door with stands)
It feels like progress. We would have done more but we had to go into the city to bring DD15 to her Girl Scout meeting (it's 2hrs long but 1 hr drive each way)
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 8, 2021 9:55:19 GMT
linda Sounds like good progress!
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 8, 2021 12:08:03 GMT
My youngest sister came over yesterday and took away the large planter bench that our dad built. I am so happy to have it out of my garage and to a family member.
Today I will take all the old paint, fertilizer, and weed killer to the hazardous waste collection center. I just have to find a home for the lawn mower and the garage will be done.
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 8, 2021 16:57:33 GMT
Aarrghhh! I loaded the entire back end of my SUV with household hazardous waste items, drove to the drop off facility, and they are closed on Monday. Shoot.
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Post by Linda on Nov 15, 2021 20:19:31 GMT
all of the boxes of books are out of the garage and upstairs in the guest room. Once DD21 is done with finals, she'll be packing her books (with my help as she has a bunch of mine mixed in). At that point I'll put all the fiction books on her bookshelves and hopefully get all the non-fiction on the shelves in the guest room.
I asked DH (again) if we have a date for the movers for the rest of the furniture - not yet but he probably should call and set that up (!)
Otherwise not feeling like I'm making much progress...
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 25, 2021 12:21:32 GMT
I did manage to drop off all my household chemicals and old paint. That stuff really accumulates.
I purged all my old yard work clothes. I also am working to clean out my Christmas decorating bins, as I decorate. I bought 4 new red bins and will repurpose the old bins for packing for our move.
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Post by Linda on Nov 28, 2021 3:07:01 GMT
did some more work in the garages dealing with DH's boxes - I think all the ones that needed to move into the workshop area have now been moved, several have been emptied, and there's a pile on and near the back stairs that need to go up to his attic or his space.
DD21's boxes from college and the dishes she inherited and her fridge/microwave were all stacked at the back of the garage blocking the door to the Christmas closet (under the back stairs). I've moved them up front by the garage door so they'll be easy to load into the Uhaul (she leaves in a month) and I now have access to the Christmas stuff. Tomorrow I'll pack up the fall/Thanksgiving decor and pull out the Advent decorations.
Some more stuff has made it into the donation pile - we need to make a drop-off trip soon.
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Post by simplyparticular on Nov 29, 2021 13:28:48 GMT
Purged two boxes of books to family on Sat, and filled the car with 2 more book boxes, a large air hockey table and misc holiday deco we’re done with. Heading to thrift store on way home from work.
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Post by Linda on Nov 29, 2021 14:11:39 GMT
put half of the Thanksgiving books into the donation pile when I packed up the fall/Thanksgiving stuff yesterday
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