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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 21, 2024 18:07:25 GMT
Week One -Cleaning Grand Plan Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar: I wanted to thank you both for bringing these decluttering plans to the thread! Based on the number of views there are many people reading this thread who don't post, but may very well benefit from one of these systems. It is a good thing to offer varied information and options to getting organized because you just never know what is going to resonate with someone. I’m a ladybug. I thought the same when faking the quiz but I do agree with the results. I like things to be hidden and quick, easy storage works better for me more than detailed organization. Hello fellow ladybugs! I'm going to guess that you both have very nicely organized 'junk' drawers! The biggest problem I have with being a ladybug with hidden storage is that I am so good at it that I can easily fit 2-3 times of stuff into a closet/drawer compared to what most people can. On almost every single move we have made with professional movers they have run out of boxes and had to send for more - even though I warn them ahead of time!   LOL, we’ve lived in this house for 11 years, and just two days ago DH discovered for the first time that the top front of the sink base cabinet has a tip out where I keep all the scrub brushes, etc. I couldn’t believe he didn’t know!  That is too funny!  |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 21, 2024 18:11:28 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar:
Dance in your living room.
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Post by Linda on Jan 21, 2024 18:13:03 GMT
I'm going to guess that you both have very nicely organized 'junk' drawers! The biggest problem I have with being a ladybug with hidden storage is that I am so good at it that I can easily fit 2-3 times of stuff into a closet/drawer compared to what most people can. I don't actually have a junk drawer - our last house only had two small drawers in the kitchen so there wasn't space for a junk drawer and while this house has 2 small, 2 medium and 4 larger drawers in the kitchen, I wasn't in the junk drawer habit so never set one up. I do have to be careful about not tidying too much into a hidden space so try and make sure to go through the drawers and cabinets and closets at least once or twice a year. |
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jan 21, 2024 18:46:06 GMT
I’ve had a pretty lazy weekend. However, this morning I did quickly go through some of my clothes and have a pile to donate.
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Post by dewryce on Jan 21, 2024 19:29:39 GMT
I went through our fridge and pantry not just looking for expires items, which I have been much more lax at than I realized, but things that we bought and tried and thought we’d try again but just never did. There was a lot to get rid of! Will be doing a huge clean of fridge before we pick up groceries tonight. Normally I’ll wipe it down before we get groceries and if a drawer or shelf is not in great shape I will take it out and clean it. But tonight I’ll be cleaning all of them like that. As y’all have probably read in this thread I consider us in a decluttering maintenance phase, having gone through everything we own countless times it felt like there wasn’t going to be much left to declutter. We’re really good at getting rid of things as we come across them and realize we don’t want or need them anymore, and I thought between that and using a declutter calendar to lightly spot check throughout the year we’d be in good shape. Yeah, not so much. Last week as I was going through our expired meds and old skincare products from the daily declutter calendar I realized that when I did my spot checks previously I wasn’t very thorough and that coincided with a video/podcast I watched about clutter blindness with CAS (Clutterbug) & Dawn (Minimal Mom). Apparently I have some categories that are so organized and have worked for me in the past I never took the time to really consider each item again like I would have when decluttering pre-maintenance phase. I wasn’t asking questions about each individual item or paying enough attention to each expiration date. So, while I suppose we are still in the maintenance phase, with a new motivation from watching all of these videos, and a new mindset to ensure I don’t have clutter blindness while doing daily tasks I am expecting to get rid of a lot more than I previously thought I would. And I’m excited about that! I highly recommend watching the video/listening to the podcast! Do any of you have clutter blindness? |
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760 
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Post by mich5481 on Jan 21, 2024 19:43:15 GMT
that coincided with a video/podcast I watched about clutter blindness with CAS (Clutterbug) & Dawn (Minimal Mom). Apparently I have some categories that are so organized and have worked for me in the past I never took the time to really consider each item again like I would have when decluttering pre-maintenance phase. I wasn’t asking questions about each individual item or paying enough attention to each expiration date. I highly recommend watching the video/listening to the podcast! Do any of you have clutter blindness? I am definitely more in the clutter blindness phase over the declutter blindness phase. I'm listening to the podcast now, but one phrase that caught my attention is "stop the story." As a sentimental person with a great memory, it is hard for me to get rid of items when I remember the person or circumstances of how I acquired something. I think Marie Kondo was definitely onto something with decluttering nonsentimental items first. |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 21, 2024 19:58:39 GMT
that coincided with a video/podcast I watched about clutter blindness with CAS (Clutterbug) & Dawn (Minimal Mom). Apparently I have some categories that are so organized and have worked for me in the past I never took the time to really consider each item again like I would have when decluttering pre-maintenance phase. I wasn’t asking questions about each individual item or paying enough attention to each expiration date. I highly recommend watching the video/listening to the podcast! Do any of you have clutter blindness? I am definitely more in the clutter blindness phase over the declutter blindness phase. I'm listening to the podcast now, but one phrase that caught my attention is "stop the story." As a sentimental person with a great memory, it is hard for me to get rid of items when I remember the person or circumstances of how I acquired something. I think Marie Kondo was definitely onto something with decluttering nonsentimental items first. Did I word that incorrectly? Probably Should just be “clutter blindness.” Yes, I thought that was a really powerful phrase! And I know It’s something that will come in handy with my brother when I (kindly) need to ask him to stop explaining each item to us or we’ll never get anywhere. He collects t-shirts and hats and every.single.one. has a story. |
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Jan 21, 2024 22:26:42 GMT
I went through a cabinet in our bathroom last nite. Today, I will go through the small medicine cabinet in the room.
Update, family is out for a couple of hours. I went through the medicine cabinet and wiped it down.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 21, 2024 22:30:19 GMT
Linda - Would you post a link to the cleaning plan you are using? I am adding some links to the OP, trying to gather as many links there as I can. Thanks!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 21, 2024 23:02:55 GMT
Just finished updating the OP with all the links to products, website and YouTube videos posted so far. This keeps you from having to scroll through the entire thread looking for something!
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Post by Linda on Jan 22, 2024 1:28:24 GMT
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Post by bunnyhug on Jan 22, 2024 3:04:50 GMT
Considering it was -52'C here last week, and we've got about a foot of snow at the moment, I think I may have to wait a bit before doing the front porch week  |
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Post by allison1954 on Jan 22, 2024 3:20:44 GMT
Considering it was -52'C here last week, and we've got about a foot of snow at the moment, I think I may have to wait a bit before doing the front porch week It does seem a strange time of year for this task |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 22, 2024 3:24:05 GMT
Just finished updating the OP with all the links to products, website and YouTube videos posted so far. This keeps you from having to scroll through the entire thread looking for something! Thank you for doing that!  It really helps to have all of those resources in one place. ❤️ |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 22, 2024 3:32:58 GMT
One more small win, we sold DD’s giant kid sized castle building block set for $75! One more BIG box of plastic stuff out the door and now she has more spending money for her band trip in the spring! Gotta love that. Now if the big dollhouse would sell, I could almost justify donating the rest. I think it makes her more accountable and think a bit if she has to spend her own money on the stuff she wants now. If she’s willing to let go of her old stuff and we can sell it, she should get the cash from that to add to her bank account.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Jan 22, 2024 4:00:25 GMT
Considering it was -52'C here last week, and we've got about a foot of snow at the moment, I think I may have to wait a bit before doing the front porch week It does seem a strange time of year for this task It repeats many times throughout the year and that’s just the normal week one list. Obviously with those temps snd snow you wouldn’t be doing these tasks. It’s a good group though. |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 22, 2024 13:50:31 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar:
Go through one storage shelf.
This will be the same for 3 days, then we move on to Storage Piles for a couple of days. If you have the time, start with your hardest shelf and get a huge sense of accomplishment. But if it’s motivation you need, go for the faster win. Either way, there will be improvement in your home. Let us know how it goes!
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Post by Linda on Jan 22, 2024 19:18:56 GMT
It does seem a strange time of year for this task It repeats many times throughout the year and that’s just the normal week one list. Obviously with those temps snd snow you wouldn’t be doing these tasks. It’s a good group though. exactly - there's a second round starting in May and then the holiday round starts in September. I think in the past I've seen a note about postponing this week's tasks to an open week later in the plan (where there's a room you don't have or the catch-up week) if your weather doesn't work. I'll do my porch THIS week but come September when it'll still be near 100F, I'll put it off until cooler weather. |
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Post by Linda on Jan 22, 2024 19:21:49 GMT
Baking DH's birthday cake and when I opened the baking pans cabinet there was an avalanche. In part due to the dishes putter-away-er just shoving stuff in but in part because it was over due a rehaul. So I pulled everything out - added three pans to the donation box and put a few more on notice to get used or donated on the next round (individual pizza pans -looking at you).
Also finished a book last night that is not a keeper and that went into the donation box as well
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Post by rymeswithpurple on Jan 22, 2024 19:53:27 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar: Get rid of expired medications.Don’t just automatically toss your Rx in the garbage or in the sink. I know Walgreen’s has a box, similar to a mailbox, that you can put them in. And many peas say their cities do something similar, but some are only on certain dates throughout the year. Don’t forget to check first aid kits, inside purses, center consoles and glove compartments. Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medications. For those who may not have a Walgreens or something similar through a local pharmacy, I know that the police station in my area does collections every so often where you can dispose of unwanted medications. Edited to say "For those," not "For shoe." |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 23, 2024 20:35:57 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar:
Go through one storage shelf.
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Post by Linda on Jan 23, 2024 20:53:58 GMT
Went through a big (2gal) ziploc bag of misc papers and photographs from my MIL.
Put the photos in a box with other photos - I need to have DH help me identify some of them
Sorted the papers into 3 piles - stuff I'm keeping for family history purposes, stuff that is definitely trash, and stuff that's probably trash but I'm going to have DH look through first to be sure.
Made sure the family history papers are scanned (they were) and that the scans were properly labelled (they weren't but are now) and entered into the genealogy program. Then put in labelled page protectors in a labelled box
(by box I mean an iris type box not cardboard)
I'm 100% sure there are more of these floating around but this one is dealt with.
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Post by dewryce on Jan 24, 2024 1:01:40 GMT
The weather is too yucky to work on our front porch, not cold just rainy. So that will have to wait another few days. But I finished going through almost all of the food and spices in the pantry, just have to do the shelf I can’t reach. Didn’t get rid of as many spices as I expected, but we do have quite a bit more room on our spice rack. Ours is this over the door unit from The Container Store with a lot of smaller shelves up top for spices, and then some taller and larger shelves/drawers on the bottom for all of our acids, oils, sweetness, and cooking alcohol. Love it! Our pantry is tiny and most of our upper cabinets have glass fronts so we didn’t really have room for this stuff. We also went through all of our games and have a bag full of some for DH to take to the skilled nursing facility where he works. We have 2 we haven’t yet played so took them out to play in the next week or so and decide if we are going to keep them. We went through our DVDs & Blu-rays and took a lot out that, while we really enjoy them, if we got in the mood to watch and we couldn’t find to stream we wouldn’t be completely bummed. DH said this has all really motivated him so he went through his hats & caps and picked out some to trash and some to donate! He has 3 more he’s on the fence about so they’re sitting out and he’ll decide soon. I also went through the rest of our medical supplies when I finished going through the medication and we have more breathing room in that cabinet now. DH has had some potentially big health issues come up the last week so our storage shelves have taken a back seat, just tackling little stuff to keep our mind off things. Today we got potentially good news, which will hopefully be confirmed in 3 months. Not great, but a lot better than the alternative, so please keep him in your thoughts! Anyway, after celebrating at Luby’s (yes, his choice, what a dork  ) we came home and he got a few boxes down. Have a decent pile from those 2 and hopefully will continue use on for the rest of the week. We are both feeling really motivated. |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 24, 2024 11:58:13 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar:
Go through one storage shelf.
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Post by Linda on Jan 24, 2024 14:49:52 GMT
(((Hugs))) and prayers dewryce - sounds like you've still been very productive |
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 24, 2024 15:18:49 GMT
DH has had some potentially big health issues come up the last week so our storage shelves have taken a back seat, just tackling little stuff to keep our mind off things. Today we got potentially good news, which will hopefully be confirmed in 3 months. Not great, but a lot better than the alternative, so please keep him in your thoughts! Anyway, after celebrating at Luby’s (yes, his choice, what a dork ) we came home and he got a few boxes down. Have a decent pile from those 2 and hopefully will continue use on for the rest of the week. We are both feeling really motivated. I'm so sorry to hear that ya'll are having to worry about health issues. Will be keeping you both in my prayers in the coming days.  Not much happening on the decluttering/organizing front other than the routine habit of tossing as I run across things in daily use. And that habit is one I recommend everyone develop, especially those just starting out on decluttering. Seems like a single item here or there won't matter, but it truly does add up over time! It also helps you develop the ability to just let go of things quickly. No front porch cleaning for me either due to the rain. But also, it's not a big porch (no furniture/decor) and the yard crew blows it off weekly so it stays neat. |
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,760
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Post by mich5481 on Jan 24, 2024 16:55:31 GMT
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Post by dewryce on Jan 24, 2024 23:40:38 GMT
Thanks for the prompt! I started this when we discussed digital decluttering a week or so ago but never finished. Done, I removed most of my follows in Pinterest because we no longer have the same interests. But it was fun seeing lots of old peas! Instagram is still new so I didn’t have any to clean up there. Now I need to remember to follow people from my current interests so my recommendations are better. Thank you linda and **GypsyGirl**, I appreciate the warm thoughts! I have pretty severe health anxiety so staying busy during times like this is the only way for me to stay sane. He was particularly worried which is unlike him unless it’s me who is sick so keeping busy by decluttering helped him too! |
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Post by cecilia on Jan 24, 2024 23:55:30 GMT
Accomplishments so far this week:
Took recyclables off
Took things to Goodwill and a shelter thrift store
Full trash can for pickup tomorrow
Still to do:
Take things to dump
Haul to new auction house
Steps backwards:
Bidding on large lots at said auction house
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Post by rymeswithpurple on Jan 25, 2024 2:12:22 GMT
We may be moving soon, so this thread is full of inspiration!
I emailed the director of youth services at our library this morning because they have a weekly knit night for kids/teens. I have a huge bag of yarn I won't be using, so I dropped it off this afternoon for them to use. She was so thrilled. I told her I may have more in my desk at work and will drop it off if I do. I also have a bag of clothes I need to drop off. DH doesn't want me getting rid of some of the stuff, but I can't remember the last time I wore them. I wear sweats around the house and alternate between pairs of jeans when we do go out. So out they will go.
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It really helps to have all of those resources in one place. ❤️
