amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,447 
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Post by amom23 on Apr 29, 2023 19:26:50 GMT
April was busy for DH and I as we were able to travel to all of DS college golf tournaments. The weather here at home is just starting to get warmer and the snow is 75% melted. This weekend is all about Spring cleaning. I have a pile of "crap" for the dump and another pile of donate items I will drop off on Tuesday. This coming week I want to reorganize my recipe binders and my bedroom closet. I also have a couple tubs of school papers/projects from the kids that didn't make it into their school albums. I think it's finally time to toss them. Also, DS girlfriend is coming to borrow a trailer to move out of one apartment and into another. We are gifting her some furniture and I can't wait for that to be out of the basement.
My sister from out of state is coming in a few weeks to visit our mom who is in the nursing home. While she is here we need to go through what I've been storing of mom's and make some decisions about what to keep, toss or donate. I'm looking forward to her help with that project.
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Post by cecilia on Apr 30, 2023 8:32:46 GMT
Couldn't sleep so I am up trying to catch up on films (way behind) and listing on eBay. Hopefully I won't go overboard with listing like I did before.
We didn't have the month we hoped for at flea market. Hopefully May will be better with tourists coming in for summer. Horse race track season ends on the 6th. Lots of temp workers (including jockeys) have either left or going to in about 10 to 14 days so some of our customers are leaving so it may be a toss up on foot traffic. I didn't buy much at yard sale for booth. Glad I didn't get all of the books.
Still can't decide where to give excess supplies. Art center still has some, will sell rest. Local residential high school has 2D and 3D art classes so I may give some of it to them. Fabric will likely go to quilting group for their homeless blanket project.
Trying to clean up back porch where rescue dog is. Need to throw away blankets on top of his house. Will probably wait til it's only in the 70s for lows same with his blankets on porch, though those will just be replaced. (Won't replace house blankets til fall).
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Post by Linda on Apr 30, 2023 19:41:34 GMT
I'm taking a break in the midst of a BIG book reorganisation project. The fiction books were dealt previously - they are in alphabetical order by author and in Storygraph as owned and TBR or Read.
Now I'm tackling the non-fiction..I have found some fiction that got mixed in that I'll have to deal with later. I'm sorting into broad categories - History, Military History, Religion, Humour, reference, Art, Poetry, ...not sure what else...once I get those dealt with I'll see what's left and if it needs subdividing further or if it can all be clumped as Misc
(We have a TON of books - the 2 smallest bedrooms are combination guestroom/library...one has fiction, the other non-fiction - and the walls are lined with bookcases. I tend to read and then pass along unless it's something I know I'll want to re-read and I read 150+ books/year but DH is more of a collector to read 'some day')
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Post by Linda on Apr 30, 2023 22:15:05 GMT
And the sorting is done and all the books are on the shelves. Found a few duplicates to pass along and/or donate and will no doubt find a few more when I add them to storygraph but that's not today's project.
It honestly didn't take as long as I had feared.
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Post by calgaryscrapper on May 5, 2023 2:28:39 GMT
Went through the refrigerator yesterday, wiped it down and cleaned it out. Did a Costco run today and bought fresh produce,
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Post by Delta Dawn on May 5, 2023 3:25:12 GMT
Tomorrow is garbage and compost and I made sure everything I could throw out is out. I need to get back at storage. The garage sale is in 2 weeks. I am working at the garage sale by unloading stuff and my dad said he wanted to sort through books. We are working on different days.
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Ryann
Pearl Clutcher
Love is Inclusive
Posts: 2,643
Location: PNW
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Post by Ryann on May 5, 2023 15:56:55 GMT
I'm officially done packing my craft room. There are no more things to be placed into boxes. While packing up I was able to pull together a large box of stuff that I'm passing on to my crafty BFF. When she's done with it I'm sure it will end up on her Buy Nothing group as that's how she declutters. We have two moving pods arriving on Tuesday and later today I'm going to order a large temporary dumpster to be delivered at the end of next week.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,447
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Post by amom23 on May 5, 2023 16:54:18 GMT
DS girlfriend and her parents were here this morning to borrow a trailer to move her into a new post college apartment. I was able to gift her a couch and matching chair, TV stand/table and a kitchen table set. All the furniture was in great shape and relatively new. I am so happy to have it all gone.
This week I've been able to get my other projects done. Things are looking pretty good around here.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on May 6, 2023 23:19:03 GMT
I see this thread come up daily and find it motivates me. This.
So much this.
I have not been doing a great job at specifically decluttering lately, because... life.
But I feel like a part of something when I see this thread and can go toss a thing or two also.
Today I worked in the yards.
I trimmed the dead wood from the hydrangea.
Also pruned the azaleas. Needed to open them up a bit so the stems/bark doesn't mildew. They already bloomed this spring, so needed to do it before the new buds formed for next year. I put all the trimmings in the compost.
I'm looking forward to the end of the school year. We definitely need a start fresh.
I need to buy/gather the book report books for next year, and donate the old ones.
I need to donate a lot of outgrown uniform pieces.
I need to buy new bookbags and lunchboxes. This next year, the kids are only allowed clear bags. (which is a kick in the pants/budget, seeing last year they were required to buy laptop protecting bookbags).
I'm looking forward to buying new and fresh supplies. And tossing anything that comes home ragged, used up, and broken.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on May 7, 2023 14:34:07 GMT
Today I feel motivated.
Son filled a trash bag of miscellaneous stuff, unprompted.
I tossed a broken framed poster from the kids' room.
So, anyone want to talk about the worst catch-all spaces in their homes.
For me, it has got to be the dining room china cabinet. Which holds anything but china in it.
And it really wouldn't be useful for china, per se, because we aren't that kind of family. But I'm just so tired of the "Just shove it in here and deal with it later" mentality that it brings. (I'm guilty of this too, unfortunately)
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Post by Linda on May 7, 2023 15:45:27 GMT
For me, it has got to be the dining room china cabinet. Which holds anything but china in it. we actually DO store china in ours (as well as in the sideboard) - but we do use it. But DH tends to pop any small breakables into the glassed in upper section 'to keep them safe from the cats' until we find a better spot but he never finds a better spot so it looks messy and cluttered and the open section between the top and bottom...as well as the top of the sideboard and the end of the table? He's always dropping stuff there 'for now' - they are cleared off at the moment because I put my foot down last night and insisted the room get cleared up before our coronation tea but it won't last. Doesn't help that the table seats 6-8 but we're usually just 2-3 the kitchen counters are also an issue - the area on and around the microwave accumulates snacks - typically stuff DH buys or brings home from work but doesn't actually EAT - I keep asking him to go through it and make decisions...I think the issue is he WANTS to try all the stuff but knows he's not supposed to be eating it so it sits... And then the peninsula seems to hold empty packages (the trash bin is RIGHT THERE), packages that need to go BACK in the pantry, and recycling (which just needs to go in the garage - the door is RIGHT there). I'm constantly clearing it off but it's a losing battle. |
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on May 7, 2023 16:14:32 GMT
the kitchen counters are also an issue Yes!!
The 3 other adults that live here are all people who need to see something to remember it exists. So, if they plan on making a recipe, or eating oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow, or eating the last of a snack..... the ingredients/package/etc must sit on the counter.
A tiny, small counter.
An already cluttered counter that holds a few small appliances that are used daily.
My biggest problem with this is that everytime i cook (daily), I have to move all of that stuff so that I can use a mixing bowl, or chop vegetables, etc.
My next biggest problem is that they don't move things when they cook, so I am constantly wiping up flour that has coated everything on the counter when they bake, or droplets of sauce that somehow they didn't notice.
It's not worth the hurt feelings that would happen if I mentioned it to them every single time, but omgoodness, I can't keep up.
I'm constantly clearing it off but it's a losing battle. I know this feeling well. |
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Post by Linda on May 7, 2023 16:20:08 GMT
The 3 other adults that live here are all people who need to see something to remember it exists YES - but also if they see it enough times, it becomes background and is no longer visible to them |
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 7, 2023 16:21:02 GMT
Speaking of catch all places LavenderLayoutLady my DH shocked the heck out of me by actually going through his big pile of junk in front of the door to the âappliance garageâ on the kitchen counter the other day. đ€Ż LOL. Itâs his primary drop zone that I wish was somewhere else. The pile is still there but at least now itâs a lot smaller. Iâd LOVE it if the pile was INSIDE the cabinet door where it wouldnât be visible to the world, but Iâll take the baby steps. On other fronts, I donated three huge boxes of clothes and a box of shoes that I had forgotten about that didnât sell when I had a garage sale in I think 2019 to Epilepsy Foundation yesterday. Turns out one of the high school sports teams was doing a clothing drive nearby and I was able to get rid of all of it at once, easy peasy!  AND when I was looking at their website to see what else they take, I discovered they will also take stuffed animals, which most places donât accept. I have two laundry baskets full of very nice, like new, clean, not played with stuffed animals that DD doesnât want and I really hate the idea of just throwing them away because until now I couldnât find a place that would take them. We bought some perennials for the house, and in the process of getting them in the ground we threw out something like 6-7 broken planters that had been piled up in the back yard. I also added more things to the Salvation Army donation box by the door that Iâll drop off there once itâs full. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 7, 2023 16:22:10 GMT
the kitchen counters are also an issue Yes!!
The 3 other adults that live here are all people who need to see something to remember it exists. So, if they plan on making a recipe, or eating oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow, or eating the last of a snack..... the ingredients/package/etc must sit on the counter.
A tiny, small counter.
An already cluttered counter that holds a few small appliances that are used daily.
My biggest problem with this is that everytime i cook (daily), I have to move all of that stuff so that I can use a mixing bowl, or chop vegetables, etc.
My next biggest problem is that they don't move things when they cook, so I am constantly wiping up flour that has coated everything on the counter when they bake, or droplets of sauce that somehow they didn't notice.
It's not worth the hurt feelings that would happen if I mentioned it to them every single time, but omgoodness, I can't keep up.
I'm constantly clearing it off but it's a losing battle. I know this feeling well. Same, but I have a BIG counter and itâs still an issue! Sigh. |
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on May 7, 2023 16:31:54 GMT
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Post by MZF on May 7, 2023 16:53:13 GMT
We are in So.Cal this week. We brought down the last of DS#3 stuff, filled the back of our Rav 4, but yay!! it's finally out of the house. Stopped at Goodwill prior to the trip down here Sat and dropped off a duffel bag full and small box full of stuff --so double yay! Now to enjoy our visit with DS and chill out at the zoo and some of the museums here.
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 7, 2023 17:36:44 GMT
I had been sitting on those clothes for so long it was really starting to stress me out! I still have a giant pile of virtually new kidâs socks on the guest room bed that I was contemplating putting on the Buy Nothing group but wasnât sure if that would be something anyone would want. Then just yesterday I saw someone else post some and they were snapped up within an hour! So I guess I will post them there and hopefully someone will come get mine too. I bought them right before Covid for my kid to wear to school and then there was no school for over a year. The kid barely changed out of pajamas that entire time she was doing school from home which is why we had so many practically brand new clothes and socks that she outgrew before she ever wore them. |
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Post by calgaryscrapper on May 9, 2023 4:44:39 GMT
crazy4scraps, here we have âThe Inn from the coldâ that provides accommodation for families and takes donations. Maybe you have an organization in your area.
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Post by lg on May 9, 2023 11:19:08 GMT
Another bag of unwanted items going off to the markets including Lego sets my son doesnât want any more that Iâll sell (bagged and checked that theyâre complete including instructions) and Iâll give him the money once they go. Also a few unopened games and gifts going to go as well, Iâd rather someone who will actually play with them have them instead of sitting unused in a cupboard here.
I have a kid who just doesnât want a lot of things including toys which is so unique!
Having to pack up dhâs grandfathers house now that he is deceased and so there are some things coming in (unfortunately) that I will have to find room for - he was a woodworker so there are a lot of furniture pieces that he made. They are beautiful but SO LARGE which is frustrating in some respects⊠why didnât he collect Disney pins or craft supplies instead as a hobby???
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 9, 2023 13:14:48 GMT
crazy4scraps, here we have âThe Inn from the coldâ that provides accommodation for families and takes donations. Maybe you have an organization in your area. We have a local organization that takes clothing and gives it directly to people in need in the community for free and thatâs where I prefer to donate. The issue is that they have very limited donation days/hours for drop off and they only take items that are âin season.â The problem with that this year is that weâve had an early winter with snow starting in October and a very late cold snowy spring and every time I had planned to take the stuff over there we had storms come through so it didnât get done. Then to complicate matters, they change seasons April 1st over to only accepting spring and summer things even though we still had over a foot of snow on the ground then. đŹđ«€ So the clothing drive put on by the school for EF was the next best option, and it got everything out of my house at once. Plus one of DDâs friends was diagnosed with epilepsy last summer, so IMO the Epilepsy Foundation wasnât a bad option. |
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Post by mikklynn on May 14, 2023 13:56:09 GMT
I'm hoping this is the week I find time to buy a storage cabinet for my garage. I want to get rid of all the bins. I also want my DD to hurry up and be ready to take my old table and chairs for her patio!
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,761
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Post by mich5481 on May 14, 2023 19:15:40 GMT
My mom and I sorted through 9 fabric bins of Christmas ornaments. They are all different sizes. We've got 3 kitchen trash bags full of ornaments, 4 empty bins, and a table wreath ready to donate. We have two smaller empty bins, and then the keepers in 3 bins - 1 large one for my mom and 2 smaller ones for me.
We have a couple more large bins to sort through, but I'm not sure we'll do them today.
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Post by Delta Dawn on May 14, 2023 23:12:25 GMT
I managed to declutter a big eyesore of a Rubbermaid tote today. I am so happy! It was in an obvious place and I finally got it under control. I did keep the good stuff in it and got rid of the rest either donate or garbage/recycle.
This stupid thing sat in our storage locker for years. I had oodles of face masks in it and tossed them all because they were exposed to heat (the bag of chocolate chips was hard as a rock). I have enough to donate and found some treasures. It has taken me months to get at this and it was visible from outside. In any event itâs a success story.
I worked crazy hard at set up at the garage sale on Thursday because the person I was working with needs hips or knees or both done. I hope they made a lot of money. All those clothes are out of my garage. How awesome is that?
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finaledition
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,896
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Post by finaledition on May 15, 2023 4:05:11 GMT
For Motherâs Day I was able to get my 3 kids to pitch in on projects and am feeling so accomplished because of their help!
YDS started purging his closet and he did a pretty good dent. Will make it much easier for me to go in and straighten it up for when we list our house.
Dd-she listed about 15 things on eBay for me. Huge help!
Ods-he helped move some items out to the curb for a curbside junk pick up Iâve scheduled for tomorrow. He also went through a box of old iPhones (we had a lot for some reason). He charged them up and wiped them and then looked them up on Gazelle only to find out they are mostly worthless. But at least now I can go drop them off.
DH got a huge garbage bag of clothes to donate. And while everybody was doing their jobs, I got to tackle the linen closet and have a huge bag ready to donate and also a huge bag of clothes and shoes.
2 weeks till we list the house so need to tackle my office/craft room this week.
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 15, 2023 4:29:55 GMT
My mom and I sorted through 9 fabric bins of Christmas ornaments. They are all different sizes. We've got 3 kitchen trash bags full of ornaments, 4 empty bins, and a table wreath ready to donate. We have two smaller empty bins, and then the keepers in 3 bins - 1 large one for my mom and 2 smaller ones for me. We have a couple more large bins to sort through, but I'm not sure we'll do them today. Just a FYI, some places will only take Christmas stuff when itâs in season because they donât have the space to store it and it doesnât sell at other times of the year. Iâd call the place Iâm planning on donating it to to see if itâs something they can take now so it doesnât end up being thrown away. |
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,761
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Post by mich5481 on May 15, 2023 10:28:35 GMT
My mom and I sorted through 9 fabric bins of Christmas ornaments. They are all different sizes. We've got 3 kitchen trash bags full of ornaments, 4 empty bins, and a table wreath ready to donate. We have two smaller empty bins, and then the keepers in 3 bins - 1 large one for my mom and 2 smaller ones for me. We have a couple more large bins to sort through, but I'm not sure we'll do them today. Just a FYI, some places will only take Christmas stuff when itâs in season because they donât have the space to store it and it doesnât sell at other times of the year. Iâd call the place Iâm planning on donating it to to see if itâs something they can take now so it doesnât end up being thrown away. Thanks, that's my plan. If I still lived in Pensacola, I know exactly where I would take it all, but I need to find a place here. |
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Post by Jamie on May 16, 2023 13:39:49 GMT
Somehow it always comes back to bite me when I get rid of stuff. Husband had glass bowls that he would collect just because he liked it over the last 12+ years. They always just ended up back in a drawer and never looked at again. 2 years ago he was gone for the weekend and I was purging and got rid of this stuff. Come along 2 weeks ago and now all of a sudden he's asking if I know where it is.
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Post by Linda on May 16, 2023 14:35:45 GMT
Jamie - tbh that's why I only get rid of MY stuff. If it's something household that DH might have ANY interest in, I'll double check with him first but I don't get rid of stuff that he would consider his. I have blanket permission to toss socks and underwear that have holes but otherwise - if it's not mine, I don't donate/toss it.
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,761
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Post by mich5481 on May 16, 2023 21:04:16 GMT
Update on the Christmas decorations- I found a small local nonprofit that will take Christmas decorations, even though it is May!! â€ïž
I need to get back out to the storage unit, but think I'll do that next Friday. We have a 4 day weekend for Memorial Day, so I'll try to be somewhat productive that day. :-)
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AND when I was looking at their website to see what else they take, I discovered they will also take stuffed animals, which most places donât accept. I have two laundry baskets full of very nice, like new, clean, not played with stuffed animals that DD doesnât want and I really hate the idea of just throwing them away because until now I couldnât find a place that would take them.
