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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jun 3, 2022 18:42:07 GMT
My sister and her husband are coming to visit in six weeksb - they are minimalists with a ton of energy and they keep their (no pets, no kids, just two fulltime working adults) house spotless. I have six cats, a teen, and a husband who is a packrat and I lack that ton of energy. So six weeks to whip my place into shape and still not have it look as good as theirs. Wow! That's some serious motivation! However, they need to just accept that your life is different and you live differently. As long as you aren't violating some health code somewhere, I wouldn't worry too much, other than picking up and making it look neat.
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Post by dewryce on Jun 3, 2022 19:03:54 GMT
My sister and her husband are coming to visit in six weeksb - they are minimalists with a ton of energy and they keep their (no pets, no kids, just two fulltime working adults) house spotless. I have six cats, a teen, and a husband who is a packrat and I lack that ton of energy. So six weeks to whip my place into shape and still not have it look as good as theirs. Wow! That's some serious motivation! However, they need to just accept that your life is different and you live differently. As long as you aren't violating some health code somewhere, I wouldn't worry too much, other than picking up and making it look neat. I agree, don’t worry about what they think. What is important is how your family feels in your home. DH and I are also pretty minimalist in our decor and our house is fairly clean, though only certain areas can be called spotless. But truthfully, most people probably wouldn’t want their houses to look like ours, too impersonal for them, not warm enough. But we just tried that, to change to warmer colors and more decor, but found it just wasn’t us. Now we’re in progress of changing back as much as we can. Anyway, all that to say that the house should feel great to those who live in it. Try not to compare your life to others, I’m sure there are elements to your life your sister wishes she had. eta: Coming back to share something I wasn’t sure I would/should. I am a total neatnik and minimalist. It’s serious enough that a lot of stuff visible literally makes me anxious and makes my shoulders bunch. I even gather all of the signs and pamphlets in hotel rooms and hide them first thing. Same with the coffee maker that we are not going to use. I organize and straighten my table at restaurants. All that to say I’m anal retentive about this to the core. So, pretty much the last person you might want to welcome to your home, right? So I will admit that going to other people’s homes, some restaurants, etc. can be, let’s call it trying for me. Normally in a busy or cluttered environment I have learned to focus on the person/people. And if I can’t just focus on whomever I am visiting, blocking out the atmosphere, my body will get a little bit tense. And I will admit that I DO sit there and sort of rearrange and ‘get rid of’ things in my mind. Or even pick-up. I do it in my dreams too. But as sort of severe as my issue is…I don’t judge the person at all for their home, no matter how much it might not be to my taste. Does that make sense? I also mentally catalog things I like to maybe implement in our home, because there are always elements I like about their homes. So there is worst case scenario for you. Also…if they have no kids and no pets and work full time they might have enough money for a house cleaning service and just don’t admit it!
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Post by Linda on Jun 3, 2022 19:10:22 GMT
**GypsyGirl** and dewryce - she would never say a word - we both lived through mum visiting and giving us the white glove treatment. It's all in my head and it's a voice that sounds like my mother asking me why I can't be more like my sister. My house is clean - I probably don't dust often enough or thoroughly enough (but other than my sister - who does?) - but it's more cluttered in places than I would like and there are some home improvement projects that DH has put off finishing (mostly because he got stuck but we're not sure who to call to finish them) and of course the piles DH and DD leave in their wake.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,403
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Jun 3, 2022 20:16:36 GMT
**GypsyGirl** and dewryce - she would never say a word - we both lived through mum visiting and giving us the white glove treatment. It's all in my head and it's a voice that sounds like my mother asking me why I can't be more like my sister. My house is clean - I probably don't dust often enough or thoroughly enough (but other than my sister - who does?) - but it's more cluttered in places than I would like and there are some home improvement projects that DH has put off finishing (mostly because he got stuck but we're not sure who to call to finish them) and of course the piles DH and DD leave in their wake. Personally I like having a deadline aka company coming to motivate me to complete projects I've been procrastinating on LOL! PS - Did you ever say what your plans are for your former home?
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Post by Linda on Jun 3, 2022 20:39:44 GMT
amom23 - I like having a deadline (company) to motivate DH to complete projects...it's just he doesn't always focus on the ones I most want accomplished. The deadline is helpful for me also and I'm sure I'll get more decluttering done as I go. we're planning to sell the other house - it's a mobile on 4 acres and will probably be sold as-is and I suspect it'll be torn down by the new owners. We had bought it used as a fixer-upper and learnt quickly that we're not fixer-uppers, lol. But Dh still has some stuff over there that he needs to move over here, and some stuff that'll hopefully got the dump tomorrow...and a big pile of scrap metal....and he wants/needs to clean up the yard some....before we put it on the market.
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Post by alsomsknit on Jun 4, 2022 0:37:52 GMT
As part of the clean out, my son claimed the ugliest lamp. Tried to get Mom to get rid of it in the last spring clean of her bedroom. She thought it was ugly as well. But, there was history to it that I can’t remember. It is still at Dad’s house. I hope my son forgets it exists. It must be a thing for the kids to latch on to the ugliest thing of their grandparents. When my MIL passed and FIL went into the VA home, we cleared some of the furniture out and things to bring home. DD was 11 and insisted on having a cross stitch that MIL made. Wait for this....it is a saying that says "If you Sprinkle when you Tinkle, Please be Neat and Wipe the Seat!" Even better? MIL had it framed in an old wooden toilet seat ring! It was hanging in her bathroom for years! That thing has been hidden away for years in my house. Why do I keep it? Because hopefully someday she will get married. There will be a bridal shower - and I already have the perfect gift for her! At least she was 11. My kid is this.close to his 25th birthday. Love the bridal shower gift idea.
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 4, 2022 14:08:53 GMT
linda I am pretty neat and organized. I honestly dont care about other people's homes when I visit. Just enjoy seeing your sister.
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Post by Linda on Jun 4, 2022 14:21:55 GMT
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,403
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Jun 5, 2022 23:02:19 GMT
I've had such a good day! I have basically been home alone which is so great to begin with, but I made good use of my day and didn't plop down and watch TV, etc. I was able to declutter, clean and organize so many hot spots in the laundry room, mudroom hallway, storage room in garage and the hallway closet where we keep our out of season coats and luggage. Yesterday was a good day too and I got quite a bit of stuff done around the house that I just continued with today. I made a trip to the dump and now have another black garbage bag of stuff for the dump. And of course I have another donation pile started. PS - God hasn't struck me dead yet for the China pieces I donated LOL.
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Post by Linda on Jun 7, 2022 17:53:19 GMT
reorganised the upstairs closet - it's a catchall of sorts - holds the games, the luggage, wrapping/mailing supplies, extra school supplies, and tempura paint that DD15 isn't ready to give up yet.
The only thing that came out was an empty storage box (which'll go in the garage for now - that's the sort of thing that'll get re-purposed) but it's much more organised now.
Emptied out another box of photos and sorted into the photo cases by year.
I think next up are the two boxes of postcards - I want to save some but not all.
I think we might be going to IkEA this weekend - if so, I'm hoping to pick up 2 Alex drawers, a table top and leg, and a 3x3 Kallax to re-do my scrapping corner
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 8, 2022 11:54:45 GMT
Well, I inadvertently purged two lamps yesterday. I was actually going to donate them. One fell out of the SUV when I opened the hatch. The other fell off the chair I set them on in the garage.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jun 8, 2022 13:37:40 GMT
Well, I inadvertently purged two lamps yesterday. I was actually going to donate them. One fell out of the SUV when I opened the hatch. The other fell off the chair I set them on in the garage. OOPS! Well, that's one way to declutter!
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Post by tealpaperowl on Jun 8, 2022 13:55:59 GMT
Question - where do you store your vacuum? mop? broom? Steam cleaner? I don't have a hall closet (well we do butits opposite the stairs so the ground isn't flat). Looking for idea's as I can't stand them just sitting in the laundry room!
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Post by Linda on Jun 8, 2022 14:26:11 GMT
Question - where do you store your vacuum? mop? broom? Steam cleaner? I don't have a hall closet (well we do butits opposite the stairs so the ground isn't flat). Looking for idea's as I can't stand them just sitting in the laundry room! we have a two-storey house - downstairs they are stored in the garage except for the vacuum cleaner which seems to be stored next to the hall closet (it's supposed to be IN). Upstairs - they are stored in the corner of the jack and jill bathroom - the sink area has three doors and we've blocked the two into the bedrooms with furniture on the bedroom side leaving just the hallway door. But there are little alcoves/mini hallways where the doors are and we use on of those for storing the vacuum/steam cleaner/broom
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Post by Linda on Jun 8, 2022 14:28:15 GMT
consolidated postcards down to ONE box by sorting through and finding a bunch that could be tossed or passed along
reorganised the bookcase that the photo/document archive is mostly on.
made space for and assembled my new recliner for the craft room/office - it looks like a Queen Anne style chair but reclines - so comfy for reading
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,403
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Jun 8, 2022 18:46:22 GMT
Question - where do you store your vacuum? mop? broom? Steam cleaner? I don't have a hall closet (well we do butits opposite the stairs so the ground isn't flat). Looking for idea's as I can't stand them just sitting in the laundry room! We keep ours in the laundry room. The Dyson stick vacuum is attached to the charge and wall mounted. The broom, mop, etc. are also attached to the wall with one of those wall organizer hook things. It looks pretty good since when you walk by the laundry room you don't actually see those things hanging. I do have another vacuum upstairs that I keep in the game closet next to the family room (which is located over the garage and by the kids bedrooms).
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Post by maryland on Jun 8, 2022 19:15:16 GMT
Our attic is a disaster! So much Christmas stuff takes up so much space for something we use one month a year. We have just a little storage space in our attic.
I am doing a bit at a time. It's hard to work in the attic because you can't stand and it's either too hot or too cold, never in between (we have extremes in weather in southwest pa). So I am doing sheets and blankets. The kids want to save so much. So I will make them store it in their closet instead of the attic. I have beautiful old Pottery Barn quilts that I hate to throw away, but they are from PB Kids and my kids are 19, 22 and 24. So I will donate all of the quilts instead of them just sitting in the attic. The kids will not use them anymore. It's hard to part with them, but having space will be so nice!
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 10, 2022 11:21:25 GMT
I packed and moved all my photos in frames. I unpacked them yesterday and ended up donating about 95% of them. Either they don't go with my new house or I just don't have table top space. I had built-in bookshelves in my old house, so way more display space there.
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Post by natscraps on Jun 10, 2022 12:12:56 GMT
All the adult clothes got bagged up and dropped off at the teen mom home on Wednesday for their fundraiser.
The weather was decent so I tackled half of the attached garage yesterday afternoon. (We also have a detached one that is DH’s and its own nightmare) Went through all of the outdoor holiday decorations and threw out the halloween lights that got chewed through (why DH put them back in the box is beyond me). I need to buy a bin to keep outdoor extension cords in. Right now they are just laying on the shelf. I made DS’ sports stuff and bike more accessible and got his soccer goal down from up top and hosed off the cobwebs so he can actually use it.
I’ve also been working on my scrap room and sort my pattern paper. I’m determined to fit it all into my 2 Iris carts. I ordered the 1” deep Iris containers to make it easier to find things and getting rid of the 2.5” ones that came with the cart. I put 2” of paper in the get rid of box so far.
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Post by dewryce on Jun 10, 2022 13:55:04 GMT
Question - where do you store your vacuum? mop? broom? Steam cleaner? I don't have a hall closet (well we do butits opposite the stairs so the ground isn't flat). Looking for idea's as I can't stand them just sitting in the laundry room! Upstairs we store those in the laundry room behind the door. Downstairs we store them in the garage. I’d absolutely love a cleaning closet on each level. Doesn’t have to be but a foot and a half deep and a couple of feet wide. When I win the lottery and we custom build our home I’m going to have them! We got rid of a bed frame we no longer wanted, and then some carpet and other items that needed to go in bulk pick-up. We are fortunate that we have that once a month and you don’t have to sign up for it. I also keep being inspired by this thread and items are more easily making it into the trash and the permanent donate box. I’m also fixing or otherwise improving Christmas decorations. When I put them up this year I kept out everything that needed something done to it, even if that was just better storage or to be steamed. There was a lot more than I expected, enough to cover a card table. So I have that in my craft room and every day or so I’m grabbing something and working on it. So far I have about half the table done. Next year my goal is to take care of things as they occur!
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Jun 10, 2022 14:29:27 GMT
Well, I inadvertently purged two lamps yesterday. I was actually going to donate them. One fell out of the SUV when I opened the hatch. The other fell off the chair I set them on in the garage. I've had similar mishaps. I just figured it was the universe's way of telling me that item *really* had to go. Lol. Question - where do you store your vacuum? mop? broom? Steam cleaner? I don't have a hall closet (well we do butits opposite the stairs so the ground isn't flat). Looking for idea's as I can't stand them just sitting in the laundry room! I don't understand the "ground isn't flat" part. Maybe it's me, but I just can't picture what you mean. We do have all of ours tucked into various closets or pantries. If you simply don't have a space to put them away like that, how about a decorative screen somewhere that you could tuck them behind?
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jun 10, 2022 14:45:33 GMT
PS - God hasn't struck me dead yet for the China pieces I donated LOL. That gives the rest of us hope that we won't be struck dead either! Question - where do you store your vacuum? mop? broom? Steam cleaner? I don't have a hall closet (well we do butits opposite the stairs so the ground isn't flat). Looking for idea's as I can't stand them just sitting in the laundry room! Prior to our remodel the vacuum lived in the foyer closet. The mop and broom lived in a corner of the laundry room. Now we have a proper broom closet in the laundry/mud room and it all lives there. The only thing I regret on that one was that it is built up like a regular cabinet so the vacuum has to be lifted up to put it away. It would be too costly to redo that cabinet, so we live with it. A lesson that some things look great on paper, but IRL not so much. I also keep being inspired by this thread and items are more easily making it into the trash and the permanent donate box. Same here! Sometimes I see someone mention what they did and it gives me ideas on how to handle my own issues/stuff. I packed and moved all my photos in frames. I unpacked them yesterday and ended up donating about 95% of them. Either they don't go with my new house or I just don't have table top space. I had built-in bookshelves in my old house, so way more display space there. I am doing the same as I get things ready for the movers on Thursday. So far 4 frames have gone into the donation box. These are frames that have seen better days, have broken easel backs, or are hopelessly outdated. Most of them have been in their frames 30 years. Most will go in a photo album, the few left will get new frames.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jun 10, 2022 15:21:50 GMT
This week there has been more organization and not as much decluttering, though that is still happening on a smaller scale. I've added a camera bag, DD's riding jacket from her horse show days (last one in 2005), various picture frames, a couple more things from the old eBay inventory.
The movers are scheduled to pack next Thurs. and load next Friday. After researching more, we opted to put everything into one large climate controlled unit we will have access to. That has made the prep work so much easier because I don't have to separate things. I will have them load the furniture in the back of the unit and any boxes I need to access at the front. Now it's just a matter of pulling things that don't need to go into storage at all.
This weekend I am going to finish up moving all the slides to archival storage boxes, then will donate the old reels. Those will be stored in DH's office and I can take my time having them digitized over the next few months. Two archival slide boxes take up a lot less room than 15 slide reels! Need to get all my cameras sold and then donate the rest of the camera bags and accessories.
I can't believe I forgot to share the big purge I did a few weeks ago when I finally dealt with my collection of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazines...11 years worth! I had nearly every single issue. I looked into selling them a while back, but decided I just didn't want to deal with it. Thought about donating them, but it seems very few donated magazines ever make the shelves at the one thrift store that does take magazines. It wasn't worth hauling them over there to end up in the trash. So I went through and took out all the paper dolls, then put the magazines in the recycling. Still pains my heart a little, but it was time to let them go. When I asked myself the decluttering question of "can I replace this if I need it down the road?", the answer was yes as there are many on eBay. Odds are greater I will never need them though. Major space cleared out from that destash!
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 11, 2022 10:59:48 GMT
I'm gathering excess office supplies this weekend. I'll give to my friend that volunteers at an elementary school. I discovered I have 2 almost full boxes of envelopes, so one of those can go. I also have packages of lined paper from my kid's school days that can go.
I also placed an order with IKEA for pickup. Fingers crossed I can pick it up this afternoon. I ordered another Expedit/Kallax unit for my scrapbooks. Now I can have them all in one place.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jun 11, 2022 13:11:23 GMT
5 slide carousels emptied and slides put by event/category into the storage boxes. There are 4 more carousels to do today, but since those are from DH's family I'm hoping it goes a little quicker. With mine I found I spent more time really looking at them. Some of those slides I had not seen since the 70s so it ended up being a walk down memory lane! Goal today is to finish those carousels, then get them and the video tapes and negatives stored away.
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Post by MZF on Jun 11, 2022 14:03:15 GMT
Decided to get rid of almost all my stamping supplies--got them listed on FB marketplace really cheap as a lot, but no bites so far. Offered them to a nearby youth community for underprivileged after school/summer programs, but they did not want, so need to just donate to Goodwill/SPCA--I'll wait til Monday and then donate (weekends are crazy at the thrift places nearby). But they did take my final puzzle cleanout--29 puzzles I've done and won't do again. I want to get rid of my curio cabinet so it's emptied and stuff that was in it has been either donated/rehomed/decided to keep. I'll put on marketplace for a very small amount/maybe a freebie, or maybe the ReStore place will take it. I've seen them beautifully painted/reconfigured as a coffee/tea/bar center, but I know I just won't do it--so it's gotta go. We continue to destash/pare down....it seems it's never quite 'done'....
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Post by mikklynn on Jun 12, 2022 11:57:49 GMT
I have filled 3 more boxes to donate. I added more books, some baskets, and some organizing bins that I know I won't use. I've also thrown away more stuff.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jun 12, 2022 12:07:16 GMT
Ladies, you all inspire me, as always!😀
Last week my (now graduated) hs senior cleaned out & rearranged their bedroom, in preparation for college life (they are attending locally, and will still live at home). They are the best declutter I've ever known.
Yesterday I tackled the school supplies and such that my elementary kids brought home when emptying their lockers & desk.
OMG.
Seriously.
So much stuff. And so much barely used. Several marble composition books with literally one page written on. Folders that never actually were used.
The school asks for each student to bring an enormous amount of supplies each year, but they don't really use it all.
Anyway, I tossed all the things that were not useful, and kept the rest towards next school year.
I also organized ALL the school supplies. Last year I overbought, to have stuff on hand in case mid-year they needed to be replaced.
Holy cow, Batman! I do not need to buy crayons, folders, pencils, glue, colored pencils, rulers, calculators, marble composition books, clear contact paper, index cards... The list could go on.
My next goal is to assist my youngest two in decluttering their bedroom. They are both "keepers" and find value in small plastic toys from classmate birthday loot bags, and tiny slips of paper with a drawing on them.
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Post by bigbundt on Jun 12, 2022 12:27:44 GMT
We're moving in a month and it was unexpected so I'm now face to face with all the decluttering I put off during Covid. Spent four hours in one daughter's room going through every bin, box, and drawer taking out toys and putting like with like. Put them in ziplocs and packed them up and will only take out what she specifically asks for when we are in the new house. So far she's loved her new clean room so I'm hoping most of those things can be put in a consignment sale. Bye bye stupid little LOL Doll accessories that get everywhere! Cleaned out the kids' art cart too, have a bag of trash from that.
Been going through my craft room the last week and have thrown out so much dried up and unusable stuff. Got six huge boxes of things that I've offered to teacher friends to come and look through before I donate. Eight boxes of general household things are sitting in my garage ready to go to a thrift warehouse tomorrow when they open.
Tomorrow I hope to go through other daughter's room and both of their closets. Also need to get into our storage building and go through holiday decorations and the stuff stashed in there.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,403
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Jun 12, 2022 13:25:07 GMT
Yesterday I cleaned and reorganized the mudroom part of the garage. I have some more to do today, but what an improvement! I easily got DH to part with some of his older work boots. There is now a good wall space to put up some coat hooks for DH work jackets. DH even agreed it was a good idea. He will most likely have jackets he'll part with after the hooks are installed. It's crazy how hard it is to keep the garage clean. We live in the country and have all 4 seasons of weather so it's leaves, snow, mud and repeat.
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