Not quite a horder - decluttering

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  • FairyDogMother
    FairyDogMother Posts: 154
    edited November 2015

    You gave me some ideas for things such as consignment shops. I finally went through my cloths last week and took 8 bags to goodwill. This week I'm going through our bathroom stuff and taking it to a homeless shelter or batter women place since I have female products I don't use since the full spay.

    I was going room by room and found it overwhelming so now I'm decluttering by sections. It's amazing how free you feel when you get rid of stuff.

  • mel147
    mel147 Posts: 291
    edited November 2015

    Jazzy - cute boots!!

    Forgot to mention I was finally able to get the Tidy book Glennie mentioned a few pages back. I was on the waiting list at the library and I picked it up on Saturday. I just started it today and am looking forward to reading it. When I was dusting the blinds in my room over the weekend I was looking around at stuff and wondering what I will be able to part with. I have some stuffed animals - a few my godmother gave me many years ago and then a few others I have acquired at various times as an adult. I look at them and on one hand think, "how can I part with Cocoa??" (a build a bear bought many years ago) or what about the one my daughter gave me before I had surgery and the one my husband won in a claw machine just before my surgery? But then I also look at them and think..."I'm 49 and I still have a pile of stuff animals on display in my room???" and that makes me think I should just get rid of them! Guess I will see what the book says about that!

    Happy

  • glennie19
    glennie19 Posts: 4,833
    edited November 2015

    HAH, Mel,, I know the feeling about the stuffed animals! I have my penguin collection! Actually, the book talks about keeping the things that bring you joy. So I culled my collection and kept the ones that bring me joy,, the ones that I was "meh" about,, I donated. So my collection is smaller and looks much nicer now, cuz they are not all crowded on the shelf.

  • glennie19
    glennie19 Posts: 4,833
    edited November 2015

    Decluttering friends: Marie Kondo has a new book coming out Dec 29 2015!

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25614984-spark-joy?ac=1&from_search=1

  • wren44
    wren44 Posts: 7,974
    edited November 2015

    A friend downloaded an Amazon app on her iphone and had the first book downloaded to her phone. I don't know how it would work with illustrations though.

  • divinemrsm
    divinemrsm Posts: 6,621
    edited November 2015

    oooo I didn't know Kondo had another book coming out.....very excited, thanks for the heads up!

  • mel147
    mel147 Posts: 291
    edited November 2015

    Good idea, Glennie...maybe I will part with a few and keep a few! I have to get through the first book before I get the second one! DD2 has a haircut soon...am bringing it with me while I wait!

  • jazzygirl
    jazzygirl Posts: 11,997
    edited December 2015

    Teka- ha ha!

    Took more to consignment today! Except that I got interrupted by a phone call as I was going back and forth putting things into the car and left some things I meant to take with after the distracting phone call. The nice owner told me to just bring them in when I have time, no apt needed for anything 5 or less!

    I came away with a few fun things today with my credit at this other store, including a beautiful never used tooled leather handbag! Whoot whoot!

    Consignment is fun!

  • brooksidevt
    brooksidevt Posts: 1,432
    edited December 2015

    I dropped off a bag of stuff at the thrift store. It had been in my car for about a month. So I get double credit, no? Once for decluttering the house, once for the car.


  • BUNKIE10
    BUNKIE10 Posts: 670
    edited December 2015

    Jazzygirl - Hot boots. Omg I have 9 pair but those are great!!!

  • Dee2010
    Dee2010 Posts: 24
    edited December 2015

    You ladies have inspired me. Today, I'm tackling the myriad of paper stuff that is allover the horizontal spaces in my living/dining room -- on the large footstool, the dining room table, the end tables. Ugh. It will be nice to have all that cleared off and organized!

    We tried dropping off things at the local consignment store a few weeks ago, but they had too many similar things and refused most of it. They suggested we come back in a few weeks, but to me that was just keeping the clutter, so straight to the Salvation Army it went.

  • Dee2010
    Dee2010 Posts: 24
    edited December 2015

    For years, I have been keeping a long hooded down-filled coat that really doesn't fit well since the mastectomy. I finally had my favorite kind of decluttering, giving it to someone it does fit, and just in time for the cold weather!

  • wren44
    wren44 Posts: 7,974
    edited December 2015

    Yay Dee. Way more fun when it's a good deed for someone else.

  • mel147
    mel147 Posts: 291
    edited December 2015

    Teka - love the craft quote! I will have to send that to my sister!

    Am enjoying the tidy book. Was relieved to find out that tidying it all at once translated to taking about 6 months. I was worried about that at first - kept thinking how on earth can I do my WHOLE HOUSE in a day???? Whew! I think I can handle doing it in 6 months, although I'd love it if it took less time.

    Day off tomorrow, so I plan on doing some decluttering!


  • jazzygirl
    jazzygirl Posts: 11,997
    edited December 2015

    Hi ladies, hope everyone's holiday season is going well!

    I have been finishing up some work on my closets this month. I have just completed going through my shoes, some of which needed to be passed along for donation, others which are newer and don't work for my feet anymore. I took a big bag of shoes plus some clothing items to my favorite women's shelter yesterday and hope the ladies there will enjoy some new things for their feet. I also have a few more pair to take to consignment. I went through some of my work out clothing too and have yet another bag started. My closets are looking much better for the first time in a long time!

    I also found a great solution to not having a Xmas tree anymore, but to be able to display ornaments. I think I shared I gave away my little artificial Xmas tree, as I have not put it up in years and find I am just not into it anymore. I am usually not home for Xmas, and don't expect to be this year either. But I love hanging my ornaments, some nice memories there from years gone by. So I found this little 2 foot metal tree for my ornaments and it allows me to display a of fun items, if not all of them. A bit of Xmas cheer without all the work of a tree.

    Will post a pic soon!

  • brooksidevt
    brooksidevt Posts: 1,432
    edited December 2015

    Thanks for the reminder, Jazzygirl. I haven't had a tree in a few years (just me, kids far away and they have little kids who expect Santa to come down their very own chimney). Last year, I gave each of my three kids a bunch of ornaments. And now it's time to go get that organized again, before it snows, then slides in front of the barn door and makes a mountain I cannot climb.

  • Dee2010
    Dee2010 Posts: 24
    edited December 2015

    Another way to hang ornaments when you are without a tree is to make banners to hang over your doors, and hang the ornaments on them. My aunt did that when she downsized to an apartment, and used Xmas table runners as banners. It actually spreads Christmas throughout the apartment!

  • wren44
    wren44 Posts: 7,974
    edited December 2015

    I went into a coffee shop where they had hung 2 white branches about 3 ft long. They had ornaments and tinsel hanging from them. It looked quite festive. How easy can that be?

  • jazzygirl
    jazzygirl Posts: 11,997
    edited December 2015

    Those are all such great ideas ladies!

  • minustwo
    minustwo Posts: 13,459
    edited December 2015

    New windows going in tomorrow. Hooray. So today I've made a concerted effort to get rid of paper that is piled everywhere. What a never ending task.

    I finished wrapping & packing all the Christmas presents Monday night. Not bragging but EVERYONE lives in a different state so I had 9 packages to mail. Tuesday I hauled them to FedEx and USPS for shipping. The best part - 90% of the things that I'd been saving in the "gift drawer" over the years for just the right person or occasion went immediately down the street to a neighbor who always needs Bunko prizes & has young grandchildren. She will get rid of what she can't use. Five gift drawers now down to two - and small ones at that.

  • brooksidevt
    brooksidevt Posts: 1,432
    edited December 2015

    I'm planning to have a grab bag with at leas some of those leftover gifts that never got assigned--have a closet full.

  • Dee2010
    Dee2010 Posts: 24
    edited December 2015

    MinusTwo I'm impressed! My out-of-town gifts usually turn into gift certificates and are sometimes received after Xmas (which is not a problem because the people I send them to are not home for the holidays and prefer receiving after - lucky for me!)

    My DH found out today they have a gift exchange at his work and was going to pick something up, but I suggested he look in our "gift box". I already have something perfect there!

  • minustwo
    minustwo Posts: 13,459
    edited December 2015

    Sure glad I'm not the only one with a gift drawer. My Mother had an entire gift closet. She bought wedding & baby gifts when when were on sale & was always prepared.

  • jazzygirl
    jazzygirl Posts: 11,997
    edited December 2015

    I call mine a "loot bag" and have things in there I pull out for birthdays, Xmas, a hostess gift, etc. I am down to one bag after having a couple and now say before I buy any more gifts, I check the loot bag first! I think it is always good to have a spare gift or two on hand. We all have had those last minute invites to things where you need to bring something.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Posts: 13,459
    edited December 2015

    Re-sorted and set out over 50 cassette tapes for Salvation Army. I just can't bring myself to throw them in the trash. Someone may want them.

  • jazzygirl
    jazzygirl Posts: 11,997
    edited December 2015

    Number 4!

    image

  • divinemrsm
    divinemrsm Posts: 6,621
    edited December 2015

    Last Christmas, I asked for just a few very specific things I knew I'd use all year: lighted makeup mirror, cordless headphones, a ricer. I use them all and often. My husband got me a Yankee candle and it actually irritated me because I've received so many candles for gifts, there's a shelf in the cupboard full of candles. I am not asking for or getting me or dh any clothing, sent too much to Goodwill this year and not gonna replace it. My pet peeve has always been putting away all the new "stuff" under the Christmas tree. I'm again asking this yearfor a few items that I know I will use. No more excess. To me, that's what Christmas joy is: no extra bills to pay and no additional clutter in the house. No longer gonna let the commercialism of the holiday dictate how I celebrate.

  • glennie19
    glennie19 Posts: 4,833
    edited December 2015

    Excellent holiday ideas, everyone!!!

  • jazzygirl
    jazzygirl Posts: 11,997
    edited December 2015

    Divine- you go sister! I too end up with a lot of things people give me that I never will use. Many things end up being regifted, taken to consignment, donated, etc. I am trying more to give gifts that are "consumables" meaning gift certs to restaurants, spas, coffee houses, and the like. Where people can have an experience vs. having stuff.

    Here is my little Xmas tree!

    image

  • Dee2010
    Dee2010 Posts: 24
    edited December 2015

    I read somewhere that we're better off paying for experiences than paying for things, and that's what we try to keep to with gifting. My DH and I are gifting each other with a few days at a B&B with a grand piano and fireplace in our room. I've taken relatives to plays or concerts for their birthdays, and when my son was younger he (we) would bring friends to the movies instead of buying them gifts. It always went over well as it was an outing away from siblings, and parents liked it because it gave them a bit of free time. Bonus - less stuff cluttering the house!

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