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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 10, 2024 2:43:45 GMT
This weekend we are supposed to get some snow/ice that has changed my plans. DD has a dance convention and while I wasn't going to stay at the hotel the convention is at (because it is stupid expensive) I was worried that I would be a mile away but still not able to travel to the convention. So, I am now staying at the more expensive hotel BUT the advantage is that it is one of those weird rooms that doesn't have a bed. They are calling it a parlor room and it has a pullout bed but it also has a little kitchenette and dining room table. So, we are packing our food so we don't have to spend money eating out AND while my daughter in in class for 6 hours on Saturday and Sunday, I can take my huge photo project with me. I have all the photos from my parent's, and I need to sort, get ready of duplicates, and put them in some sort of order. So, while it isn't exactly what I wanted my weekend to look like, I will have a chance to actually get some things done! Sometimes things have a way of working out for the better! Glad that they still had a room available for you during the convention. Not having to drive your DD back and forth you should be able to treat this as a mini scrapbook crop for yourself! Safe travels as you deal with the weather. I really need to do a big purge but am having a hard time mentally thinking about getting rid of some of the things, even though they are old. For example, we have a lot of tea. But hardly every drink tea. And some other items that I bought when I did Trim Healthy Mama but haven't used since before Covid. Why is it hard to get rid of these things even though we haven't eaten/used them in so long and we have precious little kitchen space? Is it because it can't be donated and will just get thrown away? If these are food items dating to before Covid, they need to go. I would not even think about passing them along or donating them. Put what you can down the disposal (if you have one), compost what you can if that's something you do and throw away the rest. No matter how hard we try to reuse, recycle, donate, sometimes things just need to be tossed in the trash. The world won't end and nothing bad will happen as a result!  . |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 10, 2024 3:15:18 GMT
iamkristinl16 Also, the money is already spent, not throwing it away wonāt take that back. And I agree that the pre-COVID food needs to just go. Perhaps if you get all of it out of the pantry and onto some counter space it will motivate you to get rid of it faster? Plus youāll get an immediate win of all that extra shelf space! I read an analogy once that decluttering is like using a muscle you forgot you had. The more you do it, the easier it gets. In a few months I bet these decisions are a lot easier to make. Especially when you see all of the space youāre creating for your family, enjoy the peace it brings to your home, and feel the weight lift from your shoulders!
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kokomo37
Full Member
Posts: 168
Apr 17, 2022 21:03:36 GMT
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Post by kokomo37 on Jan 10, 2024 3:20:46 GMT
Dewryce, which of Peter Walshās books spoke to you the most? Thanks in advance!
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Post by dewryce on Jan 10, 2024 3:37:52 GMT
Dewryce, which of Peter Walshās books spoke to you the most? Thanks in advance! Iām sure your name has nothing to do with it, but every time I see it the song goes through my head and puts the biggest smile on my face! Itās All Too Much is my declutter Bible, Iāve read it so many times! Something that really helped was underlining, highlighting and notating my way through it. Letās just say, there are next to no blank pages and tons of them the margins are completely filled in. Any time something I read made me think of something I owned, I wrote it down along with my thoughts. It really helped me work through the issues that kept me holding on to some things with an iron fist. Sometimes I was on the fence, sometimes it made immediate sense and I got up right then and put it in a donate box or in our drawer of things we give to family & friends. DH read it too and we compared notes as he did. He had a lot of surprising insight and went from someone who had collections of plastic cups from sporting events and plastic keychains for his childhood (but never took them out to enjoy them) to someone that encourages me (my loved ones proclaimed Organization & Declutter Queen) to get rid of some things Iām holding on to, and who automatically puts things in donation as he comes across them and realizes he doesnāt need and/or love them anymore. And, especially for the first several times as I was learning to let go of more and more and really taking his lessons to heart, I found lots of new stuff each time I read the book. When I grabbed the link for you I saw an order for this summer and was so confused because I think I bought mine 10 years agoā¦I sent a copy to my mom, and have done the same for many loved ones! There is also a companion workbook that does a great job of not just helping you declutter, but work through your thoughts on how you want your home to feel and function. Let it Go is his book on downsizing, I snapped that puppy up on hardback as a pre-release! I wasnāt downsizing myself or anyone else, but I bought it because I got so much out of Itās All Too Much, and am so glad I did. He helps with a lot of aspects of downsizing, not just what to keep and what to get rid of. And it addresses downsizing in all stages of life, not just moving smaller as you get older. It helped me let go of a lot of items I was holding on to from a life long dream that never came to fruition. Great advice on helping your parents as well. If youāre just getting one, I recommend starting with Itās All Too Much, itās a wonderful primer on decluttering in general. I listed the second because so many of us are dealing with our parentsā belongings and even downsizing our own homes. Hope that helps! |
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Jan 10, 2024 5:20:46 GMT
We put some boxes we were keeping for wrapping gifts into the blue recycling bin today. After reading here about going through e-mails we unsubscribed from some store etc e-mails. Took parcels of time to start deleting e-mails and emptying the trash folder.
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Post by dewryce on Jan 10, 2024 12:40:21 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar:
Clean out under your bed.
Make sure you havenāt just put things there and forgotten about them. How long has it really been since you wore those shoes/that sweater, or used those holiday decorations?
If you donāt store anything below your bed use the time to finish decluttering your nightstand, maybe start the other. Or is there a hot spot in your room where clothes always pile up? Set the timer and tackle it. Any progress is progress!
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Jan 10, 2024 16:06:10 GMT
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Post by dewryce on Jan 10, 2024 16:59:52 GMT
Thanks for the link **GypsyGirl**, off to read in a moment. You may already realize this, Iām making an assumption because you were doing it later. But you can just copy the links from the original post by editing it, selecting the BBCode tab at the bottom and then selecting all. HTH! |
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Post by cecilia on Jan 10, 2024 17:21:54 GMT
We just fixed up Baby's (aka outside/rescue dog) house and area for the high winds and extreme cold weather (at least for us).
ETA: used old/stained bedding for top of his house and put a tarp on top of it. Also tarped the balcony his house is under. I am still going to worry like crazy.
Now to work on my room
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jan 10, 2024 19:17:31 GMT
This weekend we are supposed to get some snow/ice that has changed my plans. DD has a dance convention and while I wasn't going to stay at the hotel the convention is at (because it is stupid expensive) I was worried that I would be a mile away but still not able to travel to the convention. So, I am now staying at the more expensive hotel BUT the advantage is that it is one of those weird rooms that doesn't have a bed. They are calling it a parlor room and it has a pullout bed but it also has a little kitchenette and dining room table. So, we are packing our food so we don't have to spend money eating out AND while my daughter in in class for 6 hours on Saturday and Sunday, I can take my huge photo project with me. I have all the photos from my parent's, and I need to sort, get ready of duplicates, and put them in some sort of order. So, while it isn't exactly what I wanted my weekend to look like, I will have a chance to actually get some things done! Sometimes things have a way of working out for the better! Glad that they still had a room available for you during the convention. Not having to drive your DD back and forth you should be able to treat this as a mini scrapbook crop for yourself! Safe travels as you deal with the weather. I really need to do a big purge but am having a hard time mentally thinking about getting rid of some of the things, even though they are old. For example, we have a lot of tea. But hardly every drink tea. And some other items that I bought when I did Trim Healthy Mama but haven't used since before Covid. Why is it hard to get rid of these things even though we haven't eaten/used them in so long and we have precious little kitchen space? Is it because it can't be donated and will just get thrown away? If these are food items dating to before Covid, they need to go. I would not even think about passing them along or donating them. Put what you can down the disposal (if you have one), compost what you can if that's something you do and throw away the rest. No matter how hard we try to reuse, recycle, donate, sometimes things just need to be tossed in the trash. The world won't end and nothing bad will happen as a result! . To be clear, the things that I was thinking about donating are not expired.  |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 10, 2024 21:25:42 GMT
I finally read that article about concentrating on a different area of the home every month, some good info there! I have a similar but extremely detailed list. Itās in a project box for my home binder. Somedayā¦Anyway, I love the concept and that they assign the rooms based on whatās going on that time of year like doing the kidsā bedrooms in December because it is likely to get an influx of new items, and the mud room in September just before fall so you can immediately enjoy the fruits of your labor.
One of the things they donāt touch on much is repairs and any specialty treatments your wood furniture needs like staining scratches and waxing or oiling the wood, so Iād make sure and add those. Lots of links to other helpful articles dealing with more specific aspects of this process.
The thing I recommend most is sitting down in the room and really thinking about how itās used. Is it for the purpose intended? If not, how can you address that? Does it make you feel like you want it to? Such as a relaxing bedroom, or creative craft room? If not, whatās the hold up? Does it function well? Write down the things that bother you about it be they repairs or just something that doesnāt function as well as you want it to. You might not get to the entire list that month, but you can prioritize and make big improvements. Getting a sense for what you want out of the room and the current impediments will help you declutter because you can decide if keeping an item, or more than a certain amount of them will add to that vision you have, or take away. In a craft room shelves full of supplies you can see might make you feel more creative whereas in an office full shelves might be overwhelming.
When we did this it started off with a bang, but then slowly fizzled out. My scope was too broad and I wanted to do all.the.things. so I didnāt prioritize and do what I could within the time allotted. I also included a bit of decorating, not just painting touch-ups, but changing the paint color, or making curtains. Between DHās work and training for triathlons and my limitations, it was too much to be able to expect to complete well for most rooms. But we got a lot out of the few we did.
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Post by Linda on Jan 10, 2024 21:41:17 GMT
I finally read that article about concentrating on a different area of the home every month, some good info there! I have a similar but extremely detailed list. Itās in a project box for my home binder. Somedayā¦Anyway, I love the concept and that they assign the rooms based on whatās going on that time of year like doing the kidsā bedrooms in December because it is likely to get an influx of new items, and the mud room in September just before fall so you can immediately enjoy the fruits of your labor. One of the things they donāt touch on much is repairs and any specialty treatments your wood furniture needs like staining scratches and waxing or oiling the wood, so Iād make sure and add those. Lots of links to other helpful articles dealing with more specific aspects of this process. The thing I recommend most is sitting down in the room and really thinking about how itās used. Is it for the purpose intended? If not, how can you address that? Does it make you feel like you want it to? Such as a relaxing bedroom, or creative craft room? If not, whatās the hold up? Does it function well? Write down the things that bother you about it be they repairs or just something that doesnāt function as well as you want it to. You might not get to the entire list that month, but you can prioritize and make big improvements. Getting a sense for what you want out of the room and the current impediments will help you declutter because you can decide if keeping an item, or more than a certain amount of them will add to that vision you have, or take away. In a craft room shelves full of supplies you can see might make you feel more creative whereas in an office full shelves might be overwhelming. When we did this it started off with a bang, but then slowly fizzled out. My scope was too broad and I wanted to do all.the.things. so I didnāt prioritize and do what I could within the time allotted. I also included a bit of decorating, not just painting touch-ups, but changing the paint color, or making curtains. Between DHās work and training for triathlons and my limitations, it was too much to be able to expect to complete well for most rooms. But we got a lot out of the few we did. The Grand Plan and Holiday Grand Plan that I sorta kinda try to do every year - that's their focus also - one room at a time - they do weekly because the plans run 3x during the year (2 cleaning, 1 holiday). But the idea is to go through room by room and clean, organise, declutter, make those repair/need to purchase decisions/lists and so on. I find that I focus a little differently each time I go through it -some rooms I focus more on the deep cleaning because they're already pretty organised and decluttered. Other rooms need a decluttering or re-organising focus. But a bit more gets accomplished each time I cycle through a room. |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 10, 2024 22:50:27 GMT
linda I had forgotten about those! Truth be told at least one of the older version is probably printed, sitting in that house binder project box I mentioned  I know I tried to follow one or both of them before, but maybe not at the time everyone else was. Great resources, thanks for reminding us. I donāt even remember, do you go through it as a group? Is there a message board or way to interact with each other via social media? What you said about focus makes perfect sense, and probably a good thing to intentionally decide ahead of time so that I am not overwhelmed. Perhaps complete all of the tasks that fall under the area of focus, and make lists of the others as I go along. Then I can tackle the priority task from those lists with any extra time. Thanks! I canāt find The Grand Plan, I thought it was by the same people who do The Holiday Grand Plan? Does anyone have a link? The Holiday Grand Plan starts at the end of August. Can those of you that usually participate please remind us when this is coming up when you start getting whatever notices you receive?
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Post by Linda on Jan 10, 2024 23:42:11 GMT
dewryce - the website that used to host it - the webmaster retired -but there's a FB group - they are starting the next Grand Plan on January 21st. It's not a super active group but the moderater posts the weekly focus tasks and people do share their progress - and there's stuff in the files. There will be a second Grand Plan starting May 19th and then the Holiday Grand Plan will start on Sep 1st this year. www.facebook.com/groups/HolidayGrandPlanners?sorting_setting=CHRONOLOGICAL
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Post by dewryce on Jan 10, 2024 23:48:25 GMT
dewryce - the website that used to host it - the webmaster retired -but there's a FB group - they are starting the next Grand Plan on January 21st. It's not a super active group but the moderater posts the weekly focus tasks and people do share their progress - and there's stuff in the files. There will be a second Grand Plan starting May 19th and then the Holiday Grand Plan will start on Sep 1st this year. www.facebook.com/groups/HolidayGrandPlanners?sorting_setting=CHRONOLOGICAL Thanks for the info, no wonder I couldnāt find it. Unfortunately for this, Iām not on Facebook anymore. I used DHās for the Declutter Class through My Simpler Life, Iāll have to think about that for this. Is there a fee? |
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Post by mommaho on Jan 10, 2024 23:50:14 GMT
crazy4scraps Give this light a try. SO bright! We havenāt upgrading the lighting in our garage like we meant to so I finally caved and bought this. Itās amazing. Now, Iāll fully admit to being paranoid (for no knowledgeable reason at all) about it starting a fire simply because itās not the lighting original to the electric plan, is so bright, and we didnāt have an electrician install it. You just screw it in to your light socket. So we make sure and turn it off every time. Again, based on no actual knowledge whatsoever. Iāve never noticed it getting hot. Thank you for that suggestion, I bet something like that would be perfect for that area and even possibly the garage.  We have these in our garage and DH loves them! |
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Post by mommaho on Jan 10, 2024 23:54:31 GMT
Finally got the two bags of clothes to Good Will this afternoon after work. I'm glad to have a three day weekend to start on my craft room.
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,752 
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Post by mich5481 on Jan 11, 2024 0:16:24 GMT
Well, the road is a little risky to get out on today. Here's hoping I have better luck tomorrow (especially since my dental cleaning is tomorrow)!
I've applied to some jobs this week and found out today that I have a request for a 2nd interview for a job with a different division of my most recent company. I should find out tomorrow when they'd like to meet with me, but I suspect it will most likely be sometime next week. If I pass that interview, I'll most likely have a 3rd interview with a group of potential peers. š¤ that it goes well!
I didn't do much decluttering today, but I am going to spend a few minutes tonight going through some mail and other items and getting a big pile of stuff to shred.
Question: I bought my house in April 2015, and then sold it December 2020. There's no reason why I need to keep the paper copies of the inspection reports from 2015 or other items, especially since I have them electronically, right?
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Post by dewryce on Jan 11, 2024 0:22:38 GMT
mich5481 Good luck with your follow up interviews! If you have them electronically, assuming itās backed up, then Iād say a definite yes to getting rid of them. I imagine you could get rid of them anyway, but having never sold a house I donāt know the legalities involved. But Iād be surprised if you need them.
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Post by Linda on Jan 11, 2024 0:57:41 GMT
Thanks for the info, no wonder I couldnāt find it. Unfortunately for this, Iām not on Facebook anymore. I used DHās for the Declutter Class through My Simpler Life, Iāll have to think about that for this. Is there a fee? No fee - it's not like a class. It's only private so that people feel free to share without all their FB friends potentially seeing. |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 11, 2024 2:04:04 GMT
Thanks for the info, no wonder I couldnāt find it. Unfortunately for this, Iām not on Facebook anymore. I used DHās for the Declutter Class through My Simpler Life, Iāll have to think about that for this. Is there a fee? No fee - it's not like a class. It's only private so that people feel free to share without all their FB friends potentially seeing. Sounds good, and tempting. I donāt think Iāll be able to go hard core with it, but I can certainly take out my old paperwork and do the planning aspect, updating to make it more current and include things Iāve gotten. Then include something from the list a few times a week. |
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Post by Linda on Jan 11, 2024 3:06:42 GMT
dewryce - I don't go hardocre either - I find it's helpful to consider what needs to be looked at in a specific room and then decide what to prioritise this time around - some weeks I have more time and energy and I get further through the list. Some weeks I'm lucky to read to the list. Most weeks are somewhere in between.
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Post by dewryce on Jan 11, 2024 13:51:30 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar:
Clear off one bedroom shelf.
Bonus: Remove everything, clean off the shelf, and make sure that what youāre putting back actually belongs on the shelf. If not, once everything else is back on the shelf where it belongs, take those items to their home.
If you donāt have a shelf, tackle a bedroom hot spot like the jewelry and clean clothes sitting on top of the dresser or the clothes draped over a chair and take some time to figure out why they ended up there instead of where they belong. Do they have a permanent home? Is there enough space for them? Is it easy to use? Is it in a good location? If your jewelry always ends up on your dresser can you move your jewelry storage there?
No shelves in our bedroom, so Iām going to continue to work on our nightstands. Theyāre actually 3-drawer chests so lots of drawers to go through and Iām only halfway done. DHās main drawer is next *shudders*
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Post by alsomsknit on Jan 11, 2024 17:17:31 GMT
Another dog bed destroyed. š
Our last Lab-mix disemboweled 2 couches. So, dog beds are minor.
I am flying through the Mucinex and tissues. 2nd day of having called off work.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jan 11, 2024 21:39:13 GMT
I decluttered the little table next to my chair in the family room. I left the books stacked up on the fireplace hearth adjacent because if I was going to read them it would be in that chair. All thatās on the table now are the case for my Switch, my dogās bowl (she eats from a little Tupperware bowl on the ottoman so I can āguardā her from the other dog stealing her food) and one book that I wanted to read again before I put it down in my office with my other reference books. Recycled a whole pile of papers (including some from 2019 when I had my gallbladder out!) and Costco Connection magazines, put away a few loose recipes, tossed some trash, wiped the table down. Iām also charging my old iPad so I can wipe it and recycle it.
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Post by dewryce on Jan 12, 2024 1:52:15 GMT
flanz posted this video today by Dana White, a well know declutterer, in her thread about organizing a quilting room. I watched it and found it helpful (thanks flanz) so I wanted to share here. Itās a video that helps you declutter (and organize a little bit) without making a mess of the surrounding areas. Dana White no mess decluttering method demonstration. I love that when she finds things that go elsewhere in the house she takes them right then, thatās super helpful for this concept. However, if like me you have mobility and/or pain issues thatās not realistic or is likely to end your decluttering session sooner. What I do it put them in my small laundry basket, or basket with a handle depending on the size of the items. Then at the end of my session itās not done until I got around the house and put things away. Or, you could be someone that gets sidetracked easily and when you take the tape to the tape drawer you realize what a mess it is and start organizing it. That can be a whole trip down a rabbit hole where you end up, you donāt know how, organizing the attic. So if this is usually your declutter downfall then Iād consider making one trip at the end of your declutter session. flanz I wanted to invite you to join the thread as you work on your quilting room; itās a great place for motivation, sharing ideas, and to brag about all of your decluttering wins!
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Post by dewryce on Jan 12, 2024 2:04:07 GMT
I finished both nightstands! Going through the linens (thanks again @mich5461 for the prompt) gave me room and motivation to rearrange DHās drawers in a way that has more breathing room and I think heāll find helpful. Even found another pillow case to get rid of and when moving things to create the emergency drawer noticed the battery operated lantern wasnāt in his nightstand like itās supposed to be. Thereās a possibility of outages next week so great timing to make sure it got back to where it belongs.
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Post by flanz on Jan 12, 2024 5:19:44 GMT
flanz posted this video today by Dana White, a well know declutterer, in her thread about organizing a quilting room. I watched it and found it helpful (thanks flanz) so I wanted to share here. Itās a video that helps you declutter (and organize a little bit) without making a mess of the surrounding areas. Dana White no mess decluttering method demonstration. I love that when she finds things that go elsewhere in the house she takes them right then, thatās super helpful for this concept. However, if like me you have mobility and/or pain issues thatās not realistic or is likely to end your decluttering session sooner. What I do it put them in my small laundry basket, or basket with a handle depending on the size of the items. Then at the end of my session itās not done until I got around the house and put things away. Or, you could be someone that gets sidetracked easily and when you take the tape to the tape drawer you realize what a mess it is and start organizing it. That can be a whole trip down a rabbit hole where you end up, you donāt know how, organizing the attic. So if this is usually your declutter downfall then Iād consider making one trip at the end of your declutter session. flanz I wanted to invite you to join the thread as you work on your quilting room; itās a great place for motivation, sharing ideas, and to brag about all of your decluttering wins! Thanks, but I can't take the credit. Both linda and crazy4scraps brought Dana White to my attention, which led me to watch that video as well. <3 I spent an hour in my sewing space and somewhat used her method. (I did shuffle things around in some cases, not to their final spots.) Oh, thanks for the invite dewryce! |
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Post by dewryce on Jan 12, 2024 6:22:37 GMT
Daily declutter task from My Simpler Life Declutter Calendar:
Throw out the junk in your junk drawer.
Be ruthless!!! Check the pens and markers to make sure they work. Do you need 20 in there? Do you have regular pencils in here without a sharpener? Do you really need a dozen rubber bands? (You might, no judgement!) Bonus: Make the drawer work for you. What do you always need in that area of the house but can never find? Go grab it while youāre thinking of it and put it in its new home.
What do you keep in your junk drawer that might sound odd but you find yourself reaching for time and time again?
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Jan 12, 2024 6:55:49 GMT
I went through our junk drawer today. Threw a couple of pens out. Had a couple new pens from a Home Show we didnāt like. Took the dry ink out of a couple of our favourite pens and put the ones from the Home Show in them. Will send some excess rubber bands to dsās place. Threw out some old erasers.
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