MariannNOVA Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I am exhausted! I have to leave to get ds at choir practice in an hour and I hope I have enough energy to do that! DH and I have spent the entire weekend getting this house up to snuff! We still don't have a kitchen sink or kitchen counter tops or our new appliances, but, hey,:glare:, that's why there are bathroom sinks, right? DH is finally getting the hang of putting stuff into big, black trash bags, and hauling it to the curb OR putting it into clear plastic bags and taking it to Unique Boutique. We have given away a sofa and a sofabed and tables, and a television and chairs and a desk and benches to a family that our plumber knows who is need of that stuff. We gave our plumber a 10 foot corian countertop and sink, and a really nice refrigerator -- he really needed that stuff, too. We have filled the station wagon and my truck and made numerous trips to UB, and now finally, the only place that has stuff to go through is the storage unit we 'acquired' when the mold guys packed up about 150 boxes with books, toys and stuff before they began remediation here. Our plan is to keep the unit through March and get in there on March 13th and 14th and do THAT purge. Again, UB, Goodwill and ReStore (habitat for humanity) will gain alot of stuff that weekend. So, we now have the house cleared of clutter and extraneous stuff that we don't need or use. There is nothing hidden in closets, attics, garages, basements or anywhere --cannot wait to attack that storage unit and have this job out of the way. As exhausted as I am, I feel as if a weight is being lifted off us. Thanks for listening -- it helps me to write this all down and see what the plan is and where we are in it. The de-cluttering threads here were a great catalyst for me to do this purge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty Social Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Congratulations on all the work you've done! I've been following the whole saga and I'm so glad it is finally almost over. If it were me, I think the "preferred contractor" would have wound up mysteriously missing.:lol: If I may ask, how do you decide what to declutter? I've read (and re-read) the other threads, but I still am stuck. I look at our house....and stuff is everywhere. BUT - we use it all! There might be 3 or 4 board games I could get rid of, and I do have a box of books in the garage that I have to drag out to the thrift store....but everything else?.....we use it. How do I decide what we really use and what can go? Sorry for the derail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 So, we now have the house cleared of clutter and extraneous stuff that we don't need or use That must make you feel wonderful! I know that when I clean out closets and storage areas, I feel like I've conquered...something. Enjoy the peace and get some rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 Congratulations on all the work you've done! I've been following the whole saga and I'm so glad it is finally almost over. If it were me, I think the "preferred contractor" would have wound up mysteriously missing.:lol: If I may ask, how do you decide what to declutter? I've read (and re-read) the other threads, but I still am stuck. I look at our house....and stuff is everywhere. BUT - we use it all! There might be 3 or 4 board games I could get rid of, and I do have a box of books in the garage that I have to drag out to the thrift store....but everything else?.....we use it. How do I decide what we really use and what can go? Sorry for the derail. The items we would get rid rid of b/c 'more' apparent to me (:glare:) b/c of the time we were in the hotel -- which in itself was a kind of decluttering blessing. IF we didn't use it or need it in the 4-5 months that we weren't living here, then when we arrived back here, it was pretty much 'gone' in my mind. We also got rid of a lot of furniture that we had in our great room that we DID use, but with that room slated for total renovation any day now, I convinced DH that the best way to do it was to totally empty the room of everything and start with a clean slate. THAT took some convincing. I also got rid of tons of clothes from my closet and from my bedorom furniture (my clothes) -- if I didn't have it in the htoel with me, it went to Goodwill when I arrived back home. I tried to use as a rule of thumb this: in the hotel, I wanted us all to have a week's worth of clothing.....anything else was extraneous - and I went from there. DD9 has WAY TOO MUCH clothing -- I will NOT be buying anything for her for a very long time! I will also from now on NOT pick up stuff for them to wear just because I think it is cute and they cannot live without it -- they can live without it - this has really become a totally different way of life for me -- I am going to make a concentrated effort to STOP being such a consumer. I have also decided that nothing comes in unless something goes out -- I want new dishes for the kitchen, but I will not get them till I get rid of the old ones that are currently in storage. As far as what you mentioned about using all the stuff you have, maybe you don't have to purge, then, maybe you just have to organize. We've done that too since we've moved back in -- closet kits everywhere -- every closet has a kit that is going in. This will be huge in our media room as that is where books and toys are kept - in a very large closet. so maybe you don't need to toss as much as you need to have efficient storage systems -- in our case, though, although one would not have looked at our house and said 'wow, you guys need to get rid of stuff' - our house was neat, clean and looked quite uncluttered, IT was there, and when I looked at it closely (which was easy to do after not being here for a few months and living in a 300 sq foot hotel suite) I became ruthless about what I could live without. I bought three very large rubbermaid containers - one for each child and put in a few items of clothing from when they were babies that I wanted to save - I let them go through shoes that don't fit anymore and decide what to put in their container -- they were told that they each get ONE container so they have to save stuff prudently b/c if the container gets full, they will have to get rid of something if they want to put something in -- I will say that we have probably 1000+ books - but those are all neatly on shelves and I have given away hundreds already to my daughter for my grand-daughters, but the rest have to stay. As for the insurance company's 'preferred contractor,' :glare:, hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I'm sure he knows to stay away from me. I am SO glad that man is out of our lives! And, I am so glad that this appears to be coming to an end -- it has been a challenge! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty Social Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Thanks, that's very helpful. We're not in too bad of shape, maybe just a little tossing (2 garbage bags) and some organizing. Back to your regularly scheduled thread.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 That must make you feel wonderful! I know that when I clean out closets and storage areas, I feel like I've conquered...something. Enjoy the peace and get some rest. Heavens, yes -- tired but satisfied that we've made progress. The last thing i wanted was to be re-doing a house, but it seems that is where i find myself and well, what can I say? And, de-cluttering is so cathartic -- and after the year I've had, it's is great therapy and very freeing! DH brought the kids to handbells and choir and he fell asleep in the church parking lot -- we are just wiped out! Back to school tomorrow! Have a great evening -- hug the calves for me!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 Thanks, that's very helpful. We're not in too bad of shape, maybe just a little tossing (2 garbage bags) and some organizing. Back to your regularly scheduled thread.... I think that's reasonable and it's amazing what a difference two bags can make -- let me know how it goes. Isn't this what used to be called 'spring cleaning?' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 If we have not worn it, used it, or thought about it in a year.......... it is gone. Except for books, I never ever toss them LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 If we have not worn it, used it, or thought about it in a year.......... it is gone. Except for books, I never ever toss them LOL. Exactly -- I have been telling DH that for years and finally he is onboard! I am a bit more ruthless, though -- excluding Christmas stuff, my limit is SIX MONTHS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 Exactly -- I have been telling DH that for years and finally he is onboard! I am a bit more ruthless, though -- excluding Christmas stuff, my limit is SIX MONTHS! I buy some new Christmas stuff every year, and keep some of the old. But yes I do collect them. Everything else can go though, really. I can't stand the clutter. My dh is a packrat. When we got married, I hauled 4 truck loads out. Example: He had 6 phones, only one of them worked LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 I buy some new Christmas stuff every year, and keep some of the old. But yes I do collect them. Everything else can go though, really. I can't stand the clutter. My dh is a packrat. When we got married, I hauled 4 truck loads out. Example: He had 6 phones, only one of them worked LOL. THAT is my dh to a "T.":lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StartingOver Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 THAT is my dh to a "T.":lol: LOL Was he born in in PA, NJ or AL ??? Is your hubby one of my hubby's lost siblings ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 LOL Was he born in in PA, NJ or AL ??? Is your hubby one of my hubby's lost siblings ? My dh was born in Brooklyn, NY but lived his whole life in NJ except for the time we have been here in Va. :001_huh: Who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Congratulations on decluttering. I am always on a decluttering quest because it feels so good. We have too much stuff. I am married to a pack rat and my kids are pack rats. I just gave 2 giant bags of my dd's outgrown clothes to my SIL and a giant bag of ds's outgrown clothes to my sister. 2 years ago I did out closets and they desperately need to be done again. I keep trying but it seems for every item I get rid of 2 take its place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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