Not quite a horder - decluttering
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You have Cowboy boots Bunkie? That is so cool!
Ginger
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Gingerbrew - Yes I lived in Southern California for 22 years and used to travel to NM, NV, Texas and AZ all the time. I started to collect boots and ended up with 35 pairs. When I left Ca for Mi I donated and sold about 25 pairs and still have 10. All colors including turquoise. Really miss the west.
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I've been sick for two weeks now and today I feel like I'm turning for the better. On Friday DS3 came by for dinner and we loaded his car with more of his stuff. I found the HO train he had won as a 2-year old at a costume contest. Well I made the costume and he just looked adorable in it. So I have been keeping the train for safe keeping and finally thought it was time to surrender it. Maybe had it out of the box once. Also got some of his larger canvases gone. Now, as far as I know we have one large box and a set of car tires and wheels of his and his stuff will be out of here.
DH jumped on the band wagon and started de cluttering the yard on the side of the house, thus found the tires. He worked outdoors this weekend and I joined him Saturday afternoon to clean up around my greenhouse. It feels so goo to get rid of stuff!
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I've been inspired by this thread to begin decluttering and cleaning out my old, over-stuffed house. Stopping by occassionally to read what everyone has been doing has really motivated me and kept me moving ahead. Thank you, ladies, for posting!
I began with the junk drawer in the kitchen one day and have gone on from there as my energy allows.
My biggest problem is making decisions about the the wide variety of stuff we have stashed everywhere over the years. My basement is impassible in some areas which I know is a fire hazzard. I've been throwing out a lot, donating what I can to a favorite thrift shop and putting bulky things out by the street for others to take - like the large Rubbermaid storage bins I have emptied - which so far they have. I am a big believer in free-cycling. If someone else can use something I no longer want, then, good for them!
I decided to paint the bathroom walls after sorting through everything stashed in the bathroom cabinets and tossing a ton of things we didn't need. A few weeks ago I painted our small kitchen's walls and got my husband to finally hang the utensil racks I'd bought at IKEA - a year ago. I put a coat of white paint on the upper cabinets yesterday. They look so fresh and clean! This past week I emptied and painted my daughter's closet. It took three coats to get it looking decent. I replaced everything and it looks so nice now!
Today, I plan to clean her room. And, my son's. Both are in their 20's and live elsewhere now, but come back to visit. They have been thrilled with the progress I have been making. My husband is quite astonished, but he likes the changes. I cleaned out and organized our paint supply closet in the basement and hung all the brushes in order on the pegboard side wall with new hooks. It looks great and now we can each find the supplies we need. Will wonders never cease?
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Ladies - you've been busy!!! Hope all who have been sick are feeling better!!!
BUNKIE - I know what you mean about those toxic smells! But I wonder if the longer you keep the door closed, will the smell work its way into the boots and purses stored in there?
Maybe you could put on a good air filter mask before you go in there, and perhaps set up an air purifier machine for a while to clean the air?
I've also heard that you can use bowls of white vinegar, or freshly ground coffee, or baking soda, or charcoal, and set them around to absorb odors. Haven't tried any of those, so can't vouch for how effective they are.
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Does anyone else have a "Community Pickup" day in their area? Twice a year, we can throw just about anything out at the curb, and giant trucks will come by and scrape it up and haul it off.
That is, whatever is left after the scavengers leave. Sometimes there are literally traffic jams on streets where neighbors have started to put stuff out, and people in pickup trucks are trawling the streets for treasures.
I don't mind, but what I hate is those people who sort through all the stuff and leave piles of junk strewn all over the street.
We've found that's a good way to get rid of old, unrecyclable, bulky trash without having to haul it to the dump.
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Blessings - That is something I did not think about. I as going to get a can of coffee and put it in there. There is no window but the door opens to the flatroof so I am going to put a screen in there as soon as winter is gone. It has a new door but no screen. I do have a purifier down stairs I coulod spare for a couple days. Good idea.
If we get a fresh batch of snow tomorrow I can open the window in the room and the closet door while closing the main door. I have been doing that for several weeks. I am going to order some non toxic caulk for any projects that come up this spring.
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Hortense - You are doing very well. Keep up the good work. When you are done you will feel so much better.
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Good to see everyone is getting back on track.
I feel as if I am 90% now. I have a fairly normal voice and am gaining strength back.
I decluttered in the back yard and greenhouse yesterday. When it coming to living plants, they keep cluttering even if we don't spend the winter months out there.
This weekend I cleaned every one of my kitchen drawers and several cabinets. Unfortunately I only chose one item to discard! Since I have been out of work I have done a lot of cleaning up and organizing. The biggest challenge has been in the garage. I have been going through boxes out there and bringing things inside. Then I need to put things where they belong inside. I get more done when I work for several hours out in the garage, but that means the stacks of stuff to put indoors grows a lot! I am sooooo trying to make sure everything gets put where it should go this time.
I was proud of myself when DH came in Saturday and asked if I knew where a specific tool was and I went straight the othe box it was in. I think he was proud of me as well.
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Good going Meece!
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Good show Meece!
Bunkie, have you considered putting a coat of paint over the stinky patch? That is what wer are told to do with underlayment that has dog or cat urine smells. Maybe this would solve your problem, of course you will needair circulation to get rid of the current smell.
One time I bought a table cloth from Ebay and the seller had sprayed a ton of fabric freshener onto it. I aired it, I washed it numerous times and finally the smell is gone, about 2 years later. Lingering odors are a real pain I hope this sorts out for you soon.
So I fell and gave myself a concussion. I had a cat scan yesterday. They tell me I have Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, this is seen from enlarged ventricles. I am now beginning the path to figuring out where I stand at this time with this codition. Some of the symptoms that indicate problems are incontenance (Not total but going very frequently too,) I do this and use poise pads daily. Gait, mine is all messed up but maybe it is from the periferral neuropathy I have. Dementia, which I had lots of speech deficits during and after chem but still have problems with sentence construction in conversation and train of thought. So Which is which and when does it matter. When it matters a shunt is the solution but not everyone is a good candidate. I have so much to learn and don't want to but dementia has always been one of my fears. The idea of being trapped inside my brain and unable to communicate horifies me. My mom was so confused in the years leading up to her death, I would like ot avoid most of that.
Dumping a bit here, perhaps we can call it decluttering my brain.
Love GInger
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GINGER!!! How scary...hope you find answers and resources, and are improving every day!!! Big hugs....
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{{{{Ginger}}}} That has to be in the back of your mind. So sorry!
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Gingerbrew - It sounds like you have "chemo brain" to me, not dementia. I have it also, although it is slowly getting better. I still often search for words when talking which can be frustrating. I feel as though I am not firing on all cylinders. I am definitely not thinking as quickly as I used to pre-chemo, but I do see an improvement.
Anything to do with numbers was a labor four months ago, even fairly simple things like writing out checks. That seems to have gone away, thankfully, but typing is still problematic. I make far too many typo's and have to go back to correct half the words and spacings in each sentence so that even a short post on here takes far longer than it should. I am learning to go slower and check more often, but it still annoying.
Neuropathy in one or both of your feet can definitely affect your gait. My brother, who is a big strong guy otherwise, has it in his left lower leg and foot and I can see how it affects his way of walking.
Hope you are feeling better.
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Ginger,
Take care. (((((Hugs)))))))
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Was Teka chasing the bunnies out?
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Teka - Gotta wear that mask!!!
UGH! The dust and dirt that arises when you clean out your garden sheds!!!
DH and I managed to do that last weekend... we have several small sheds in the back yard that were filled to the brim with junk. I mean, "open-the-door-see-a-wall-of-crap" filled.
So I hauled EVERYTHING out, put "like with like" items together, threw out old, almost empty, or expired stuff. DH vacuumed the insides with the shop vac, then I wiped every thing down with Clorox wipes before putting things back.
All I have yet to do is put labels on a few shelves, so we know where things go.
Took a few days, but we were so happy afterwards! Now my back patio doesn't look like a junkyard.
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Blessings I wish we had a LIKE buttons so I could use it for you! That is great work and I am happy for you that you are able to do it.
Ginger
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Ditto! Blessings, congratulations on getting your DH on board. Like items with like items is the key to the road to organization.
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Thanks, Ginger and Meece!
I have to admit, it felt really good to be able to haul boxes of stuff again. I let DH haul the really heavy stuff, but I pulled my share of the workload.
(I also had to admit that it wasn't my high energy or highly developed sense of organization that forced me to do this... it was because we will be hosting a gathering at our house next month, and I would be mortified if anyone saw how "Hoarders-ish" the back patio had become!!!
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Our son went on vacation two and half years ago and decided to stay. We never touched his room convinced that he would return any day. Finally said enough is enough and have been cleaning and packing up all of his belongings. At least we now have a guest room again but the other bedroom is now one large storage room.
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I need some ideas on how to store papers.
I have TONS of boxes labeled "SORT" because I never got around to filing anything. I do have a four-drawer filing cabinet (cheap, Walmart) that is full of DH's stuff, but I have my own stuff to file.
I also have several bankers boxes with folders of stuff in separate categories, but it seems like I am buried under mounds of papers! And more comes in every day...
I've thought about getting one of those receipt scanners, but then how many places want the ORIGINAL receipt if you have to return something?
Any ideas on how to sort and organize and store papers?
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As far as receipts go, set up a convenient place to put them as you walk in the door from shopping. On a regular basis, at least once a month, go through that relatively small pile, and dump any receipts that you don't need anymore. For the most part by then it will have shown up on your credit card or bank statement if you used a card and you can verify the accuracy of the transaction, you will have used up the item (like food) or it will no longer be in condition to return it, so the receipt is no longer needed. Attach the receipts for more durable goods to the warranty for the item. Those are the ones you might need in a few months or years to prove that the item is still within the time period covered by the warranty and they need to be together. Everything else is confetti.
It is hard to throw them away at first, but it does get easier over time.
Now I have to work on purging the warranties for things I no longer own... It never ends.
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LOL I thought I was the only one with boxes labeled "To Sort".
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The basement. How many boxes of stuff does one person need. Still purging.
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Boxes of paper, not many at all. We moved across country and the prospect of having to PAY to keep papers inspired me to dump tons of papers that I previously thought I needed. Even of those that I did bring along, I haven't looked at ANY of them since then.
I have baby books from each of my kids and a manilla expansion folder each for their papers, momentoes, class photos and such. For my paper momentoes I have a couple boxes. I have about 10 photo albums and I thiunk 12 photo boxes full of semi sorted photos. I have tons of photos on DVD and hard drives.
I doubt that helped but please let us know how you proceed.
Hugs Ginger
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I have thought of getting one of those scanners, but they are price prohibitive. I have many boxes of "papers to sort". I have a box for each year and at least sort through them and put them in the same year. As I sort, I toss the receipts I no longer need. I had a business for 18 years prior to my divorce, and that paperwork was dumped in my garage by my ex as well as the personal stuff. Other than my tax stuff, I keep the business paperwork for a ten year span. since I dismantled my business in 2004 I only have a few boxes left of that stuff.
DH and I chose to use our regular scanner to scan all of 2012's paperwork. Once I get it all scanned and in 'folders' I will burn it to a CD. As I scan it and save it on my computer, I shred the originals.
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Meece you are wonderfully organized, my hero.
Ginger
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DH is the bill payer in the house. He found a giant storage box I was saving for Christmas things oh about 2 years ago. Guess where he dumps EVERYTHING after paying the bills. I could probably fill a good sized recycle bin with just the envelopes/inserts from those things. YUCK - on the to do list one of these days.
Blessings - LOL. Mine don't even have a label.
On the kitchen clutter end I have been sorting through outdated boxes/cans and sadly throwing them away. But also using up some things that have been overlooked. Wish I had a proper pantry (came out panty the 1st time I typed it LOL) and would drool over a walk in pantry.
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For years I had a real walk in pantry. One you could walk into and actually pace in. maybe 4 x 8, but it was soooo nice. When we built this home the floor plans could not be altered so it has a walk in pantry in the corner, but all you could do is walk in and stand there. If you are lucky you might be able to turn around.
If I ever designed a house it would have the biggest kitchen and a great pantry.
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A big pantry! How I would love to have one. I am about to start on plans to expand and update our house and am hoping to work one in. Thanks for the extra inspiration Meece!
I worked so hard decluttering and fixing things up for a few weeks that I ran myself down to empty and needed about five days to recharge. I am almost there, so plan to dive back in. I did accomplish an amazing amount though. I managed to throw out a ton of useless junk and papers, dithered over far too much and gave several carloads of decent things to my favorite thrift shop. I have to work on the dithering.
I realized that if anything happens to DH and/or me at this point, not that I really think it will, our poor kids will have the most horrendous job clearing this place out. That thought is motivating me to do the job myself. I asked my daughter to be ruthless, if anything does happen, and not to do what I did after my parents passed away, which was to sort through everything in detail and keep too much. I told her that, after she and her brother decide what they want to keep, she should call in an auctioneer to take the good stuff and get one of those yard and house sales people to handle everything else and not to feel guilty about it.
In the meantime, I ran across a large rubbermaid container in the basement chock full of old bank statements. How long are we supposed to hold things like that? Ten years? What a bore. We have more spilling off a shelf down there. I need to do something about all of them. Then, I have to attack my two four drawer file cabinets.
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