Not quite a horder - decluttering
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Illi--I would like to know where he plans to keep them, AND what he plans to keep IN them! Sometimes bulk storage is a good thing?
Wren--one of my winter projects will be going through the kitchen stuff.There's things I have never used tucked away in some places, time to get rid of those thing!
DodgersGirl--Good idea to keep a good supply of food and water on hand like that. As for cast iron pans--I put my collection together from second hand shops and yard sales. I have to admit I have a few cast iron pans in storage--just in case something happens to one of my currently in use ones. Like these EVER break!
Mominator--why would a school stop accepting donations?Could it possibly have everything they need?I just can't see that happening.
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Mominator - I agree - you should ask the individual teachers if they want your books. I can see where schools or other organizations might stop accepting donations. A while back I volunteered with an organization that held an annual used-book sale to raise money for scholarships. Some of the donations were just terrible where people donated unusable books - torn, falling apart, dusty or books that did not have a wide-appeal. Sometimes people use donations as a way to dump stuff rather than carefully sort through and donate the very nice things. So it was a lot of work because so many books just had to be tossed in the dumpster so that we could set up a nice book sale. I'm sure you understand what I am trying to say. So since you do have really nice books that appeal to kids, I would ask individually.
Illimae - hopefully, your husband has a good plan for those containers or can maybe share with the neighbors so everyone is ready for the next disaster!
We have been on the go so much lately that I haven't done a thing. My next goal is to clear out the clutter - the everyday kind - because maybe it will help me relax when I am home. We are empty-nesters (practically) so it should be easy to stay on top of it. My DH is neater than I am so I need to step it up.
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Native Mainer, We had a small cast iron frying pan develop a crack all the way thru the middle. We were astonished. Neither of us had ever heard of cast iron doing that.
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Wren44- had a friend who dropped an empty fry pan and it broke into 2 pieces.
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Wren--WOW--I have never heard of a cast iron pan developing a crack like that!
DodgersGirl--I never heard of that happening, either!
Just goes to show nothing is totally indestructible!
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Bear in mind that some of the older cast iron and cast iron brands are very collectible and people will pay nice prices for them.
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MelissaDallas— that is why I am not sure what is the best way to part with all DH’s cast iron collection. We just want to keep a couple of skillets and a Dutch oven but unload the rest.
None of my family is interested in cast iron
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Look online. I was amazed at some of the prices. The highest price have certain maker's names on them. There were lots of photos. I was looking for a way to get rid of crud built up on the outside of the pan. When we went camping, it would burn off in the campfire.
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Melissa--I handn't thought of cast iron as a collectable! Thanks!
Wren--I've popped the cast iron into the oven on low overnight and most of the built up crud will carbonize and flake or scrape off pretty easily.I've also put the pans on the grill and burned off the crud that way.
Mexico--NOW I know why I have a potato masher!
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So today I removed the 'temporary' table from my den. It was there for about three months. Now four boxes were reduced to one box. The important things got their own set of see-through bins and are in the proper room - a closet. I took the rest of the stuff to the thrift store.
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Good for you, Heather!
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WTG Heather!!!
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I've been lurking on this thread long enough to start to feel guilty about it, so I guess I should out myself. LOL
I know most of you from other threads. I've been on the boards since 2007 so I've been around a while.
My energy levels have been gradually declining for the last few years. I have so much to do and yet less and less energy to do it. I want to leave things organized and streamlined for my family and we just never know when a downturn or a reversal could change things quickly. I had a horrible triple-impact fall (caused by chemo neuropathy) three weeks ago and banged myself up badly from head to toe, mild concussion and everything. It's a miracle I didn't break every last cancerous bone in my skeleton. I do have rib contusions and they say it will take me three months to overcome the radial nerve damage in my shoulder and regain use of my left hand and arm.
My point is that this has really been a wake-up call to me that everything can change in a moment and I should not put off these tidying tasks any longer! So I've been reading this thread while recuperating...
You all keep me gently inspired to keep thinning out the corners even if it's just one little item at a time. Sometimes that's all I have energy to do in a day. I used to be a wonder woman with endless stamina, blasting through big projects like this in one weekend. I did not stop until the job was done. I can barely imagine working like that these days. The hard part of working slowly when you used to accomplish miracles in +/- three hours... is how long it takes to see any fruit from slow labors. That immediate gratification was glorious. Patience, old gal, patience.
Anyway, hi y'all!
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lulubee - glad you're here. Sorry about the fall. I too have CIPN and totally dead feet. I agree - the hardest part with any project now is the lack of energy. I used to work in the garden from 6am to 8pm w/o a break. I used to work in the attic all day with 100 degree temperatures. Now maybe, sometimes, I might be good for a couple of hours. I totally understand how frustrating it is to quit "in the middle". I too am working on patience and trying to keep the momentum when I have to quit well before completion.
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Lulubee— speedy recovery ref your fall. Oh my... ouch.
Add me to the list of women who used to be able to take on huge tasks and complete them in one day. Keyword, “used” to be.
Between arthritis, AIs, hysterectomy, and not a year out yet from treatments, I don’t have the stamina or body strength to plow forward.
DH had heart attack and open heart surgery during my 12 weeks of Taxol. Had he not been in the ER when he had the heart attack, he wouldn’t be here today. Definitely makes you realize we are not promised tomorrow so I am learning to tackle the downsizing like eating an elephant— one bite at a time. I worked my butt off Wednesday and took two car loads of treasures to Salvation Army.... with many more trips to go. Each box is one my family won’t have to deal with.
Getting new doors and windows next week so taking stuff to donation centers will be on pause next week.
Glad you guys are here... keeps me motivated
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I had DH get out the very heavy container in the attic marked "Too big clothes - 14 and up". The title cracks me up. It will probably take me a week to go thru it and decide how to proceed. My friend has lost a lot of weight and will have first dibs. We also dug out a warmer blanket to put on the bed.
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Lulubee--yes, it is MUCH harder to not be seeing big improvements.Take care of yourself and heal up, and keep picking away at those baby steps, they WILL add up!
Wren--at least the container was labelled! That's a big step ahead.
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Teka, it’s always good to declutter before the holidays are in full swing. For several years now I “shop first at home” before I go out and buy any new decorations. I will take apart several decoration and rearrange them into something new, maybe only needing to buy a ribbon or a few pine cones to update. I also look at the decorations I have with a critical eye and decide if they’ve seen better days and toss if necessary. Some sentimental favorites I will always keep and thats okay!0
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While I was wearing the air boot this summer waiting for my broken foot bone to heal, I did hardly any shopping. It was way too cumbersome to hobble along lopsidedly wearing it. So other than getting groceries, I went months away from most other stores and malls. And it really got me out of the shopping mode which I like. I will go to a store for something I need, get it and leave. I don’t do much browsing and even when I do, I pass most stuff up. Not complaining!0
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Hi everyone- doing some seasonal change over as late fall moves in and more purging along the way.
I try to do consumables now for gifts when I do any sort of exchange. Harry and David pears, or a well chosen bottle of wine, some Xmas blend coffee, etc. Most everyone seems to like this as everyone says they have TMS (too much stuff). Things you can use like a gift certificate to a spa or the movies, or something to eat or drink are what I find people want.
I don't do that much for Xmas deocrations anymore, no tree, just a few decorations that are easy to put up and take down. If you have excess Xmas items to donate and have a Habitat Restore around, it is one great place to take items for families who may not otherwise have much of a Xmas at all. I got rid of my small artificial tree and some other decorations there years ago and they were so thrilled to have them.
I am gearing up to do a dig into some cabinets to purge some extra dishes and glassware to my favorite consignment store. I am a consignment junkie!
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Teka, very resourceful of you to shorten your Chritsmas tree rather than buy new!
Jazzy, I like to gift consumables,too, and I’m also happy to receive them! One of my sisters makes thee very best Chex mix, everyone inhales it, and she gifts it in pretty containters. Her son’s girlfirend gifts delicious homemade sugar cookies in a tin. They are the best. Last year I gave small bottles of alcohol. This year I think I’m giving gifts of chai tea along with making holiday bite size treats out of pecans, pretzels,a hershey kisses and m&ms.
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Jazzy & Divine MrsM - I like to get and give those types of gifts also. My daughter told me she would rather I gift her kids an experience rather than more stuff that they don't need. I think its a great idea, but real young kids want a gift to unwrap at Grandmas. I may do that for the older kids, even if its movie tickets and McDonald's coupons.
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My stepson and his wife have given us two beautiful grandchildren who are not quite ten years old. They have more stuff than they know what to do with. I even think SS and wife have mild hoarding tendencies. A gazillion of everything. SS makes very good money, far more than dh who himself has a good job. It’s hard to buy for them at Christmas. They live almost 3hours away, so its hard to gift an experience, to know what might be in their area they’d all like and actually do as a family.
Dh lllloves buying toys for the grandkids. It’s more about him feeling the fun than about what the kids get. I am always pointing out to him that we don’t need to buy their love. And they won’t remember who bought them what, which grandparent or parent or aunt or Santa. Somwhy go overboard on a gift that may get tossed in a corner and forgotten about soon after the tree comes down.
I don’t mind buying fun gifts. Last year I surprised dh, ds and his girlfriend with fitbits and they loved them. Ds picked out a coat that looks great on him. If I really needed something, I’d ask for it. Christmas seems more appealing to me when the excessively overabundant is tailored down to some well thought out gifts.
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Divine- wearable devices are the new in thing in healthcare technology. I work in HIT and the wave of the future is we are all going to be wearing them to monitor things like BP, glucose and other things that may go off kilter before it is ever picked up in blood work or some type of tests. i am doing some work now around device management and learning more about these things that more clinicians will be helping patients to use.
Therefore, getting everyone used to using Fitbits and the like is the wave of the future, not just a current trend. Good job!
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I try to shop all year long for people and this year I did so much traveling - back and forth to California and to Montana to see my son that I have to admit, I did a good job. If I see something I just love for someone, I buy it... and then when the Christmas frenzy rolls around, I am prepared. I like shopping, but not during Christmas time. The crowds and long lines just drive me crazy... I'd rather be home and peaceful and enjoying family and the real meaning of Christmas.
However, I will admit I have a weakness for Christmas decorations (along with my children's babyclothes….) I really just love them. I buy them every year... not a ton, but a few. I have a Santa Claus collection and I think I have about 40. I also have a Santa Claus ornament collection so I always have one tree that is dedicated to Santa Claus's. I also love lights.... I just saw some beautiful star light in the Crate and Barrel catalog and I am thinking about getting them tonight. I am sort of addicted! Help! We also have a new house this year and it's very rustic looking... it looks like it belongs in the mountains, so it will be fun to decorate.
XO
Andi
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Andi, if collecting Santas is something you enjoy, don’t hold back! I love theme Christmas trees and your Santa one sounds perfect for you. It isn’t clutter when you are using things to enhance your surroundings. And who wouldn’t want to decorate a new, rustic looking house! Have fun with it!
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Mrs. M--I like that approach to Christmas giving!
Jazzy--wearable monitoring is the wave of the future.
Andi--if the decorating brings you joy, and storing the decorations between seasons isn't a problem, then I say go for it! Decluttering is about getting rid of things that do not bring joy, not about limiting what does.
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Good morning friends- I had an inspiration after going to a cooking class in Santa Fe this weekend. I am interested to do some more home cooking, mostly to make meals in advance on the weekends to have for the week ahead. My work is busy and sometimes I tend to by prepared meals at places like Whole Foods or Sprouts. Delicious for sure, but wanting to reduce my use of plastics, have more control of ingredients, etc. I need a good mixer and a few other new kitchen items to do what I want to do.
As a result of that, i have a whole cabinet of things that I need to sort through and purge. Bowls, and other serving items that are a combination of mine and things I took from our mom's house awhile back. I have a lot of serving items and well, I just don't entertain that much these days. No big parties, a few people over for patio or dinner parties once a year if that. So I don't think I am going to need some of this stuff anymore. Planning to get through that this weekend and put some things aside for consignment and also donations. My two best places for both are literally down the road from each other. Then as the space frees up for other things, I will have room to get the new mixer and other small kitchen aid items in the new year.
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