Not quite a horder - decluttering
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so glad you're ok gals. it completely went past us in so. Fla. but all my gals here have cked in, our family in philly called when their lights came on tonite, so its all good...
I made it clear to the clost in the guest room, so its' real progress... most of it is christmas from past years... twwo big trips to goodwill sat!!!yeah!!!!..............3jays
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Wow, just logged in to see how all of you are doing after Irene.So much flooding damage in NY and VT. So sad to see the 100 year old covered bridges wash away. I'd seen many of them on my trips.So glad you're ok.
3jays - good for you! That christmas stuff sure spreads.
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way to go Teka!!! santa really does spread out at our house. we're keeping only what our 4yr old and almost 2yr old GKids will enjoy... we're gettin too old for this crappolla>>>>>>>3jays
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Yup, a box of books, which i'll go thru. im saving only the good ones.. spiritual, for the most part.. and a few autobiographys i haven't read yet. off to the 2nd hand book store to put them in for credit tommorrow. done.......3jays
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OMG, my kitchen has decided to rebel!!! I had all the clutter off the table and cabinets, came in from work and discovered STUFF all over them... and it's all MINE!!! It must have just jumped out of my brief case and the mailbox and the refrigerator, and I don't even know where some if it came from!ARRGGHHHH!!!
OK, so back to the 10 minute rule - 10 minutes or 10 items....
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i hadn't heard that rule. its' now MINE!!! that i can do every day...10 minutes, or 10 items is doable...thanks.......3jays
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Hello everyone ! Laughing about n3ypb's kitchen. My kitchen does that too. I stopped cooking for a few days to slow down the mess. I've got the kitchen counters cleared off again and my closet looks pretty good. I'm trying to only keep clothing that looks good on me but now I'm here trying to get rid of a pretty floral comforter. Isn't that a silly thing to get hung up on. I've had it for probably 20 years and it is my favorite pattern of any I've ever had. It's only a queen and we have had a king for about 10 years now. It's been in our guest bedroom, but I don't need it. Why can't I just send it to Goodwill and be done with it?
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did you guys see the hoarders episode where the woman was a ventriloquist.. had 28 "dolls". i would've had a hard time with getting rid of those, for sure...later.....3jays
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I went out and bought a couple of new tops for work... newer styles and colors. Now I've got to figure out what to toss out. Trying to keep up with the "three new in/three tossed out" theory. I have some t-shirts that are for mowing grass and they're starting to look nasty with stains etc. so I could get rid of them... but it seems such a shame to trade out for such nice t's.
I painted the kitchen walls and was able to get rid of a couple of items that were "useless" that just took up space on the counters. Still having trouble with the mail.... it just keeps accumulating! Does anyone have a good idea on how to clear off the refrigerator door - the pictures, magnets, etc. I try to keep them only on one side but it still looks messy.
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Samsue, when we moved a few years ago, our new refrigerator is "stainless steel" and will not hold anything magnetic on it! So it was very easy to ditch all the magnet clutter, and it is really NICE to see NOTHING on the refrigerator!! I know that when I grew up, my mom never had anything on the refrigerator, I think that became "the style" as our (my) generation started using it as a bulletin board for our children's artwork.
So, where do I keep those things that used to clutter the refrigerator? A few of my favorite magnets are now on the side of the metal filing cabinet in my office. The rest of the papers/notes/etc. are tucked between salt/pepper shaker on a single tray on my kitchen table, usually confined there (but occasionally creeping out elsewhere). Still not perfect, but better than the refrigerator! Hope you get this one tamed!
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hahahaTeka!my dil does that with the kids papers, and oics, but on the side where it doesn't "mess it up... i confess, with my chemo brain, i keep the imp ones on the fridge, and reports i need for drs. in the glove comp of the car. if i don't have them at an appt; mur can go down, and get them...pet scans, mri reports, blood work...
with no workig memory, i've had to adjust..
for everyday things, i have a file in my open office on the comouter. i even have info on BCO ladies..emails, ph#'s hubs names, etc... i can't remember anything anymore. LIVE by my calendar...
so, somethings just aren't going to look "pretty" i guess.!
we've been decluttering a lot lately, but won't be finished Anytime soon. we have a whole extra house here , to get rid of. we'll have the mother of all yard sales in oct...where tokeep it till then?? halloween, and christmas, plus clothes. even sent a lot of furniture to consignment. the way im feeling, healthwise, less is def better!!!!!
good luck ladies, i think i have a LOT more "digging out" to do than you do!!................3jays
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I'm really excited to find this thread! I'm a bit of a hoarder, but for the most part the piles are confined to flat surfaces other than the floor - and both my coffee table and kitchen table, where I sit with my laptop, actually have quite a lot of open space for once.
I was diagnosed in August and am looking ahead to surgery in early October. My plan before BC was to move into a new apartment (hopefully with DB) when my lease ends at the end of the year. If I'm going to be able to even consider that (mid-chemo.... ick!) I need to pull a lot of it together before surgery. I'll be sure to read earlier posts and see what everyone suggests, and if I come across anything worth posting, I'll be sure to share it.
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I see things and think about all the possibilities that they posses. I see material and think about what I would like to sew. I see knickknacks and think about what room they would go in. I see towels and love the thought of freshening up my bathroom. Then if I do buy the towels then I look at the old ones and think what can I do with them? I had so much stuff, stuff and more stuff that I was going to do something with someday. Well, someday is here and I want my house organized and clean. I've finally bit the bullet and started throwing, garage selling, and giving away the stuff. I keep telling myself "I CAN." In someways its sad like parting with a friend, but then I remind myself that when something goes out it opens up space for a new possibility. I like the rule of three. Three things to sit on my sideboard, three knicknacks on my dining room table. Only keep 3 tablecloths. (Well I kept 5). Anyway you get the idea of 3. In regards to my frig, I only let 3 things go on the side. It use to be covered. When there's more, I throw something away or put it in my junk drawer in the kitchen I put a lot of stuff there. Recently, I just gathered up most of it and put it in a manila envelope and dated it. I'm going to throw it away in a year without looking inside. How bout that!
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Teka, you're right and it's the reason I have a hard time buying anything these days. If I ever manage to thoroughly declutter I will then feel free to buy more stuff. But then I will be careful not to buy "crap" just to buy something.
Ive once again started wearing/washing/bagging clothes to give away and will go through my closets now that the weather is changing and get rid of clothes I haven't worn and won't wear. I'm also going to go through stuff that did not sell at yard sale to take over to Goodwill.
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I'm loving the tips, advice and encouragement I'm finding here. And winter wardrobe shopping sounds like a good way to keep my mind occupied in the next few weeks.
I'm finding it easier to toss things now. I guess many of the business cards or other notes I saved because 'I might need them someday' (a journalist never knows when a contact will come in handy) I am now able to say, it's been 4 or 5 years, I am not going to need them. Plus, I want my apartment cleaner for when I'm stuck here for a few weeks recovering.
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Well, the bottom line is I can't afford to stay in this one, especially not now. Goal is to move in with BF into 2 bedroom. My sister has offered to chip in and help fund a professional mover.
Since my surgery is now late Oct, that complicates the timing. I had figured by the end of December, even with chemo, the major recovery period would be over if I had late Sept surgery. Not quite sure what to do now. I might be able to reach a monthly deal with management, but I hear they jack up your rent another $50 or $60 a month for that privilege.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who's said this before, but everything in my life had finally fallen into place before all this.
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Teka: I use to throw away money on crap. Not anymore ! ! ! I've finally taken control and figured this out. It helps that my kids are older. When I was younger I wish somebody would of explained all this to me and I would have money in the bank instead of stuff in a closet.
Patoo: Keep up the good work on your closets. My personal clothes closet doesn't look to bad right now. Still room for improvement.Too many shoes. I'm going to straighten them out. Keep the bags flowing to Goodwill. I love black plastic bags.
Rachelvk: I hope you find it easier and easier to toss things you once thought " I might need this one day." I too tossed a lot of papers and references. I was in non-profit management. I had a lot of contacts and notes and paperwork to network with. I did call one contact and the phone had been disconnected. It just proved to me the get rid of it.
Went and looked in my clothes closet and I have over 40 pairs of shoes. No wonder I can't fit anything more on the floor. Yegads, how many pairs of shoes should a woman have? How many do you have?
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I probably have 20 pairs but you have me motivated to get rid of the ones I never wear. Sounds like a plan for the weekend!
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i got new types of shoes altogether, recently. went back to bikenstocks, for my balance problem. it made a BIG difference.. im so proud.. my whole closet full of shoes went for donation, except, one heels for a minute, weddings, funerals, and a pair of flat heeled over the knee boots for winter.. ahhh, bottom of closet pretty bare.. the birks are costly, so not too many pairs in there...3jays
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I'm doing little bits here and there. I threw out some old blankets yesterday, some handbags I never use any more, old bath mats and more. I normally turn a blind eye to all the stuff I hang on to but lately it's been bothering me and I feel like I've made a mental breakthrough.
With old paperwork that I'm afraid to throw out, I plan to scan a lot of it and store them on an external hard drive I use for backups. It costs little except the electrecity used to scan, takes up minimal space and relieves me of the worry about throwing the paperwork out.
Well done to all, I read but don't usually post here.
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I am working on getting all the plastic containers out of my kitchen. As you know it has been in the news about the poisons leaching into our food.. buying all new glass containers.
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Stage 1 Hi i haven't posted here in eons, but i'm having a no sleep night, caught up on many pages of reading. I think I've heard about the leaching, but since I felt surprise at your remark may be no ---thanks. That drawer can get decluttered. Does that leaching extend to the containers for microwave tv dinners.???
Decided to consider getting a roommate-------that will lead to serious decluttering, otherwise they wouldn't be able to move in.
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I just found this thread--it's great! I will be catching up, but for now I've only read the first 5 pages. At the risk of mentioning something already mentioned in the pages I haven't read, has anyone seen the Fly Baby site? The site is http://flylady.net sorry I can't make it a link. She is the one who uses the timer method of doing thing--15 minutes of work, 15 minutes of break. I can get a LOT done using that approach, BUT, I still have a lot to get done. So, if I may join you decluttering ladies?
My first job--go back over this thread and jot down the ideas that will be helpful to me!
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SAS, good question. I don't know about the TV dinners and all the freezer section items. I am just assuming that the best thing to do is put your frozen dinner into a plate and microwave it that way. It takes a scientist to figure everything out. However, since BC in my life, I am doing mostly cooking from scratch and baking, avoiding preservatives and soy addatives. I read every label before buying.0
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Yes, welcome NativeMainer. Don't worry about repeating as it serves as a reminder if we've forgotten older tips.
Hey, I've heard that about plastic containers for years and the thought came to me to maybe just line them with parchment paper as nothing transfers to the food from it. Might be good if you carry your lunch to work and don't want the heaviness of glass.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-parchment-paper.htm
Lots of good uses for parchment paper as well.
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Nice link about parchment paper, good idea. 0
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One of my problems is I like to read so I tend to collect books. Bought 5 at the Goodwill store just the other day. So now I'm starting to pile books into baskets and on the table...
Will try and work in the garage tomorrow. It's been so hot it's really hard to even think about it. Our office is kept at 73 so 89 is really hot! I could put some things in the attic and it would definitely help with the declutter.
I did get rid of shoes and purses lately. The shoes was a hard one for me since I like many different kinds of shoes.... just found a black pair just like a brown pair of heals that really feel good to wear, so I bought them and find that I don't wear the others as much... so I could get rid of some of the "forgotten" heals... (just a thought)
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i also, trnd to read a whole lot. when i'm finished, i take them to a 2nd hand bookstore, which is closde to us. i get credit towards the next shopping trip. its' wonderful. i've started NOT to collect the "fiction" stuff, deleted a lot; and am saving only imp ones. spiritual cookbooks, etc. really reduced it. we love books here, so we just have to be pickier... i wasnt a kindle, but i think $$ this is better, for now
i can't remember who said it,, but sacouny is a good brand. i don't wear sneaks at all.. but when i did, it was rebok, or sacouny.....3jays
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It's grey and cloudy here and I don't feel like working in the garage... maybe I'll make some banana bread with the three that have gone soft.
books... I don't want to pay the price for a kindel. I find books at garage sales, thrift stores and GW. I share them when I'm finished and pass them along... one of the girls at work reads a lot too so she and I pass some back and forth. I just read Jane Eyre and have a Mark Twain that I might try too.
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I love my Kindle. Never liked keeping books because I won't read them again and so they just collect dust. Have shelves of them downstairs so I will also put that on my list to go to GW. I do regret that you can't pass on books to others with the Kindle. Before you told someone about a great book and then just gave it to them - voila, gone! There are thousands of free books on Kindle as well as games, free and for sale, and a lot of the books you can do in audio on the Kindle as well (although I haven't tried that feature yet).
Samse, sorry but putting stuff in the attic is not a part of the declutter ritual as you are just moving clutter from one place to another, adding clutter to your attic!
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