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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 1, 2022 4:59:30 GMT
Prettyprettypaper, if we are giving something away that we have listed online we sometimes put it in the mailbox or beside the front step. If we are selling something we give an approximate location (we list the postal.code as a store nearby and give out the address when they are on their way. It usually works out fine. Sometimes we meet people at the store or put first come first served on the ad. I will look at items in the house and ask myself if it brings me joy. Three fish tanks inside each other did not bring us joy and our children did not want them. We listed them for free and someone picked them up on his way home from work at 8 in the morning. He wanted to teach his nephew how to raise fish. We also find places to donate items. Although I am tempted to buy more Christmas items we donated some of ours last year and like the boxes that we keep them in now. In our local group, we refer to those as "porch pick-up." I don't like leaving things out front because of the risk of theft. While it's really no loss to me since I'm already giving the item away, I don't want to give thieves a reason to approach my property (the front stoop is visible from the road) and then start snooping around. I try to simply avoid the situation/temptation altogether. There have been cases of packages gone missing in my area, so I do what I can to minimize the risk. Our group admins require that we list the city we are in, whether we are gifting or asking. People know the general area of the island (I'm in Hawai'i) that they need to drive to before they express interest. This helps them determine if they want to express interest or not. I never provide my actual address until they tell me they are on their way, even after we have confirmed a day and time. I'll wait until they are actually coming. This forces them to make contact with me before they head my way, which is something I like to know beforehand so I can be sure to be available when they arrive. I know I don't really need to, but I try to be courteous and not keep them waiting. We sometimes do "flash giftings" which are either gifted to the first person who responds or the first person who can pick up. I still hold off on giving out my address and follow the procedure above, though. Our group actually has some very strict guidelines as to how we need to word our listings in order to faciliate consistency and transparency.
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 1, 2022 5:08:58 GMT
I will look at items in the house and ask myself if it brings me joy. I meant to respond to this also. This has really helped me with my decision-making in recent years (since I read Marie Kondo's book). This and the Minimalists' idea of "20 and 20" where the thinking is, "if it can be replaced for less than $20 and in less than 20 minutes, it needs to be decluttered." The latter was much harder for me to work with at first. Growing up, my family did not have a lot of money and did without a lot of things. Consequently, part of my issue in letting things go in the past was the guilt of feeling wasteful. For the most part, I have gotten past that though, and it is so freeing!
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 1, 2022 5:21:23 GMT
Success! I dedicated time today to gather some things that I have been meaning to donate. I've mentioned the downsides to gifting things in the Buy Nothing group, but one thing I forgot to mention is the time it takes to gift things in a piecemeal fashion. I do gift items in lots when it makes sense to. Unfortunately, it's not always the case.
Today, I decided I just wanted my stuff OUT. I'm fortunate to have two donation sites within a few minutes of my home, so I drove to one and dropped off a lamp, a large vase, and a bunch of other things. I did go through some of my Christmas bins and donated some of those items as well. YAYYY!!
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Post by mikklynn on Dec 1, 2022 15:34:16 GMT
I have 3 boxes of stuff to donate, yay! I'm working through my clothes and Christmas stuff right now.
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Post by cecilia on Dec 3, 2022 2:19:43 GMT
Took off recycling today. Still going through crafting stuff. sold a few things on eBay so that helped.
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 3, 2022 11:51:28 GMT
Gifted a large decor piece from DD1's baby shower, a table top Christmas tree, and a wreath I decorated last year (and was disappointed in). While only a few pieces, they were all large enough to bug me everytime I saw them still sitting in the garage. Finally got around to posting them in the Buy Nothing Group. The items went to two different ladies who were both excited and thankful to have them. Makes me feel good to see my unwanted items bring smiles to people's faces.
We have a very busy weekend coming up, but I hope to sort through the rest of my Christmas bins and set aside at least one bin's worth of items to donate or gift.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Dec 5, 2022 10:21:07 GMT
So, had a busy weekend.
Emptied the upstairs hallway that houses all the linens, all the extra toiletries, etc. It is three floor to (nearly) ceiling, three feet wide each, shelving units worth of stuff.
Finished ceiling scrape, spackled holes, and first coat of primer is on the walls & ceiling.
Woo hoo!
Realized that after the second coat of paint is on and dried, it'll be time to put things back on the shelves.
This is the perfect time to cull.
I pulled stuff off those shelves that haven't been touched for years. There was a whole shelf of linens that I thought was my father's, but he said they're not. Well heck, they're not mine either.
I'm also not putting things that aren't linens or toiletries back. Like the two bags of donations that I still need to drop off.
And just other stuff that was just stuck on the shelves by family members as they walk through the hallway?
So, yeah, I'm excited to declutter it.
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 5, 2022 20:17:44 GMT
The weekend flew by! I did manage to hand off a small tabletop Christmas tree for DD1 to take to work. I also started working on purging a collection of stuffed Santa dolls that I used to decorate my first Christmas tree in my first home. That was about 20 years ago! I did a Santa-themed tree for a few years and, since then, have kept the dolls (32 of them!) stored in a bag in a really large bin for DD1. I recently had a talk with her, and she agreed to let go of some of them and keep only one set consisting of one each of the six different styles. I was glad because the bin they were in was one of the two largest in storage. She took a second set to work also. I reminded her that anything she takes to work cannot come back home. I decided to list the rest for gifting in the Buy Nothing Group and have a few ladies excited to have part of the collection. As much joy as they once brought me, I am relieved to see the collection greatly downsized. Now to figure out what I am going to do with that HUGE bin as it was cumbersome to deal with.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Dec 5, 2022 21:23:53 GMT
As much joy as they once brought me, I am relieved to see the collection greatly downsized. Now to figure out what I am going to do with that HUGE bin as it was cumbersome to deal with. That feeling of relief is always a sign that what I was holding onto just wasn't that important any longer. As for the bin, if you don't have another use for it, the perhaps offer it on Buy Nothing Group.
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 5, 2022 21:40:52 GMT
As much joy as they once brought me, I am relieved to see the collection greatly downsized. Now to figure out what I am going to do with that HUGE bin as it was cumbersome to deal with. That feeling of relief is always a sign that what I was holding onto just wasn't that important any longer. As for the bin, if you don't have another use for it, the perhaps offer it on Buy Nothing Group. Oh, yes! Gifting to the BN group is always an option for every piece I declutter. I just have to make the decision which, in this case, I want to consider whether or not I can use for other light items that will be stored for a long period of time, give to a family member, etc ... I currently have a stack of empty bins with which I'll have to decide their fate as they are now completely empty since I decluttered so much decor. YAY!!! Feels good to see EMPTY bins, and not empty because I am currently using the decor pieces they once housed.
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Post by tentoes on Dec 5, 2022 23:21:37 GMT
That feeling of relief is always a sign that what I was holding onto just wasn't that important any longer. As for the bin, if you don't have another use for it, the perhaps offer it on Buy Nothing Group. Oh, yes! Gifting to the BN group is always an option for every piece I declutter. I just have to make the decision which, in this case, I want to consider whether or not I can use for other light items that will be stored for a long period of time, give to a family member, etc ... I currently have a stack of empty bins with which I'll have to decide their fate as they are now completely empty since I decluttered so much decor. YAY!!! Feels good to see EMPTY bins, and not empty because I am currently using the decor pieces they once housed. good for you girl!!
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 6, 2022 6:05:27 GMT
Oh, yes! Gifting to the BN group is always an option for every piece I declutter. I just have to make the decision which, in this case, I want to consider whether or not I can use for other light items that will be stored for a long period of time, give to a family member, etc ... I currently have a stack of empty bins with which I'll have to decide their fate as they are now completely empty since I decluttered so much decor. YAY!!! Feels good to see EMPTY bins, and not empty because I am currently using the decor pieces they once housed. good for you girl!! Thank you!!
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 6, 2022 6:26:10 GMT
Dropped off a box of assorted holiday decor to a donation site, along with a sequined top that I realized I didn't actually LOVE. Was feeling so comfortable working on research papers, doing laundry, and trying to stay on top of holiday planning, but I made myself put that box in the car and drive up the road to the donation station this afternoon.
I have to share a wonderful experience that came from gifting some of those Santa dolls I mentioned. One of the ladies that stopped by today got to chatting with DH and DD2 as they played with a volleyball in front of our home. When I came out with the dolls, I started chatting with the lady, who I had never met before. DH and DD2 continued to practice off to the side. We talked for a little while and, as she was about to drive off, DH joined the conversation. We chatted more and, as it would turn out, DH realized he knew the lady's husband from his days in the military! He had also met the lady, but neither of them had recognized each other because it had been so long. Funny thing is, she said her DH and some of the other guys that were in my DH's group of military friends would sometimes wonder what happened to DH after he retired! OMG! What a serendipitous moment!! The lady asked to take a pic with us to show her DH. I told her now she knows how to get in touch with us since she and I had connected on FB. She was so excited to tell her DH that she ran into his old military buddy.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Dec 6, 2022 10:09:43 GMT
prettyprettypaper You are on a roll!!!!😁 The hallway is now finished being painted. So fresh & white. Love it. It's a long, but dark hallway, and the bright white paint helps immensely. No dark, dingy, dirty corners! After work I will wipe down the shelves and put linens & toiletries back on the shelves.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Dec 7, 2022 10:17:52 GMT
And the hallway project is done!😁
I actually wiped the shelves before I left for work to give them time to dry, then when I got home, I put the toiletries & linens on the shelves.
I did not put the miscellaneous stuff that didn't belong back, and instead found other homes where they belonged.
It looks so much better. It was so much work, but totally worth it.
I keep going up to look.😁
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,637
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Dec 7, 2022 10:42:14 GMT
I keep going up to look.😁 This is my favourite part of any large project.
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 7, 2022 17:26:24 GMT
prettyprettypaper You are on a roll!!!!😁 The hallway is now finished being painted. So fresh & white. Love it. It's a long, but dark hallway, and the bright white paint helps immensely. No dark, dingy, dirty corners! After work I will wipe down the shelves and put linens & toiletries back on the shelves. Thank you! Feels grrreeattt!!! *using my best Tony the Tiger voice* Ok, wow, I'm probably dating myself with that reference. LOL I bet your hallway looks amazing! A paint job can make such a huge difference. YAYY! Two ladies stopped by to pick up some Santa dolls yesterday. I also was able to empty another bin and set it aside with the rest of the empties. WOOT! Got to focus on final papers the rest of the week so decluttering may not happen for a few days.
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Post by Linda on Dec 7, 2022 22:38:04 GMT
small amount of progress on my HUGE (and overwhelming) family archive project. I transcribed one trip journal and uploaded to the family drive. I sorted the trip journals into transcribed and not transcribed piles and made cover sheets for the transcribed ones and put them w/the cover sheet into page protectors. I've ordered archivial boxes for storage (I have some, needed more).
Went through a compilation cookbook and determined my mum was NOT a contributer so added that to the cookbook shelf. Took pictures of the cover and transcription of another cookbook and moved it to the cookbook shelf as well after uploading pics to the family drive.
Scanned the hospital birth certificate at the front of the baby care book my grandmother was given when my mum was born in 1936 and shared the scan on the drive - made a cover sheet for the book and put it in a page protector also.
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Post by prettyprettypaper on Dec 9, 2022 12:40:39 GMT
small amount of progress on my HUGE (and overwhelming) family archive project. Sounds like you've made a nice dent. Congrats! Your post has reminded me that I still have a lot of work to do in that department. My plan is to work on downsizing my scrapbook supplies and to also sort and organize all of my photos. I plan to work on those things once I am done downsizing my Christmas decor. I am down to one final paper that is due on Friday. I'd rather be decluttering!
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Post by KelleeM on Dec 9, 2022 12:51:35 GMT
Last weekend I cleared out my dresser and closet. I donated a large trash bag full of tops and socks along with some barely worn nightgowns.
I also went through all 12 Alex drawers that house scrapbooking stuff. Nothing was purged but they’re very neat and reorganized.
Today I’m going to work on dgd’s room. There’s just too much stuff and it needs a major overhaul. I’ll be purchasing a storage unit for it to make it better for the future.
I get a lot of motivation from reading all of your posts!!
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Post by Linda on Dec 9, 2022 13:41:57 GMT
Thank you prettyprettypaper - I inherited the family photos from both my mum and my MIL and this is an on-going HUGE project. KelleeM - good job!
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Post by ntsf on Dec 9, 2022 15:58:39 GMT
I cleaned out and organized my two pantry drawers in my condo kitchen. when I get home..back to major cleaning. I have 4 days with dh before he has more leg surgery and I told him we are going to the basement til I can fit the car in the garage (part of basement). a car has not been in there for over 25 yrs. we are close.. but he needs to deal with his stuff and I have some stuff to put away after doing lots of cleaning this summer.
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Post by cecilia on Dec 12, 2022 8:07:49 GMT
I took a couple gallon ziploc bags of craft stuff to a women's art group for us to use and then left the rest there for future use.
Bad thing is I brought home something I made and I have no idea what to do with it.
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Post by Linda on Dec 17, 2022 22:45:14 GMT
it's almost Christmas/New Years and I have guests (my older kids) arriving 2 days after Christmas so I'm deepcleaning and doing a bit of a declutter as I do so.
Tackled the kitchen nook today - pulled out the cans of cat food we were given that don't work for our cats - they'll get donated. Went through my cookbooks and found a couple to donate and a couple that the older kids would like. Tidied/organised the shelves in there, tossed a bunch of random papers and instructions that were mixed into the cookbooks, got rid of the ziploc bag of shaker caps for the spice bottles - I don't use them - I always just measure with a spoon. Wiped down shelves, swept, mopped. I still need to do the windows but otherwise it's done.
Tossed the broken crockpot now it's been replaced. Found a tub of empty mint boxes dh was saving - he said I could put them in recycling. Tossed the (empty - why?) box from trash bags that was on the shelf. Added some unneeded cat bowls and can covers to donations.
Organised the game/craft/luggage/wrapping closet - found a few things to donate.
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Post by ntsf on Dec 17, 2022 23:31:01 GMT
so after all. my efforts at cleaning 1/2 the basement helped. my husband and I in the last two days cleared out/rearranged stuff so I can get my car in the garage. I have some stuff to deal with but.. 96%. done!!!!!! it is a miracle.
we can only work together in small bits but progress!!
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Post by Linda on Dec 18, 2022 0:12:54 GMT
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,637
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Dec 18, 2022 2:05:12 GMT
I pulled out a Christmas table top decoration that I no longer care for and listed it on my local buy nothing group; it was picked up this week by a lady who said her grandchildren will be so excited by it. It's not especially large but it's one of those things that has been taking up my mental space for far too long.
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Post by Linda on Dec 18, 2022 4:29:44 GMT
yay Chinagirl828I went through 18 cubes in my craft room (these ones are sewing and genealogy mainly) - took everything out of the cube, dusted, sorted through, organised, labelled. Put a stack of fabric, a plastic canvas kit, some wall decals, and a pattern and a pattern book in the donation pile. Making progress...
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Post by cecilia on Dec 18, 2022 6:33:32 GMT
Gathered up a few things to donate. Been tossing stuff that is too dirty to salvage somehow. (Cleaning, donating, etc). Also trying to use up odds and ends of wrapping paper. May take years for that though.
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,637
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Dec 18, 2022 7:30:23 GMT
Also trying to use up odds and ends of wrapping paper. It must have been the year for it as I've done the same thing this year, with a lot of success: two rolls completely finished, and three more that are down to pieces that are only good for really small gifts. If they don't get used in the next few days they'll go in the recycling bin.
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