Grover Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Kitchen cupboard sorted: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Today I... Cleaned out the laundry room Cleaned out the kitchen Cleaned out my school bags Filled 5 boxes for Goodwill Filled 10 boxes of trash I'm exhausted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-2-7 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Kitchen cupboard sorted: Nice! Today I... Cleaned out the laundry room Cleaned out the kitchen Cleaned out my school bags Filled 5 boxes for Goodwill Filled 10 boxes of trash I'm exhausted! I'm impressed! That's a lot of work. Today I..... Did nothing :001_smile: Actually, I took the kids swimming instead. I'm at a point where I need dh to help me sort through the 2 very large boxes of "important papers". He's not very motivated. :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I'm impressed! That's a lot of work. Today I..... Did nothing :001_smile: Actually, I took the kids swimming instead. I'd rather do that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Today I... Cleaned out the laundry room Cleaned out the kitchen Cleaned out my school bags Filled 5 boxes for Goodwill Filled 10 boxes of trash I'm exhausted! Wow, I don't blame you! That's some great work right there, way to go! I didn't get rid of as much I wanted to this past week, but I'm pleased with the progress I did make: Two big bags picked up by the VVA this morning More stuff Freecycled, and two more boxes going out today Two big bags of clothes ready to go to my SIL One HUGE bag of garbage and many small bags of garbage thrown out One bin of things hidden away for awhile to see if DD6 asks for them And the best news of all--the kids are participating in the storage/playroom cleanup! I told them they can each have one pass to rescue one thing from the bin, and they've been great sports about making hard choices (for example, DD9 chose to save some empty baby food jars :001_huh:, but she let them go easily in favor of something better later on). We also came across some very-much-wanted toys I'd bought on clearance awhile back, and those are awaiting the girls at the end of the purge process. I thought we were going to have some trouble when the Groovy Girls came out, but DD6 played with them a bit, packed them back up, and gave them back to me :svengo: So we are moving right along here, and my mom is taking them tomorrow night so I can keep making more progress. I'm so proud of ALL of us! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I sorted through my youngest son's clothes and tossed the ones I can't in good conscience pass on and filled two bags with clothes to give away. I also have a big bag of my daughter's outgrown clothes from our sorting last Saturday. I should really get those out of the house today. My two older sons purged their own clothes today, although most of what was purged is going into the attic until the next child grows into it. I sorted through the stack of school work that came home with youngest son at the end of the school year and got rid of a bunch. The two middle kids did their own sorting and tossing. Now I'm working on the desk--although there's only a week or two of accumulation there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofsbandeg Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Kitchen cupboard sorted: It looks great now!!:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 How many twin top sheets do you need for ONE twin bed in active use? I had NINE! I now have 5. I know it's because over the years with 2 twins beds once in use that the bottom always gets holes in it and then I buy another matching set - ugh! I'm parting with about 1/2 of what WAS in that closet. I now can find what I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I feel like I have so many areas 1/2 way done. I got started on the craft room. Got most stuff put away. I'll need to finish up in there. I pulled out the 2 baskets of random stuff from the girls, so that and the bin of outgrown clothes are now in the livingroom. Now I need to list a few things on craigslist, and have piles going for Goodwill, the kids resale shop, and some friends. It is all sitting down by the fireplace for now. Tomorrow SIL will be here so she can play with the girls, help me, or both. I am thinking of finishing the craftroom and then moving to the desk area. I want to get my new printer set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykdsmomy Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Kitchen cupboard sorted: Way to go!!!!! It looks great :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 I wish I had a before photo for you, but the garage is tidied. I have to wait for the renovations to be finished before I can get more stuff out of there, but at least I can get from one side to the other now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 My master bath is 100% decluttered, painted, beautified with new storage, and perfect. Now our bath and bed are perfect and I am hoping it will be contagious to the rest of the house. It is so wonderful to have a clean, pretty and peaceful space for dh and I. I will admit that all that nice space does make folks feel like having a nice cup of Tea. ;) I also decluttered 90% of the kids' bathroom closet, too, and organized a great storage cAbinet for science supplies in the lab area in the basement. Next up: painting the hall and stairwell and an IKEA run for kitchen shelving. I will conquer this mess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I got rid of three boxes of books, tapes and DVDs plus several bags of clothes today. My hubby is lugging off a freecycle desk tomorrow. I was on a great decluttering binge until a couple family members decided to have major medical problems at the same time requiring me to be in hospitals in two different states. I am leaving for GA again tomorrow for my dd's surgery on Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 You ladies are inspiring me! I have been dying to join this thread and start on my messes, but we were in the midst of county fair, dog grooming, and county dog show. Now the 4H displays are put away and I can actually think about the clutter and organization (or lack of). I hope to have some of my own before and after photos to share soon.....now where do I start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 [QQUOTE=shanvan;4146960]You ladies are inspiring me! I have been dying to join this thread and start on my messes, but we were in the midst of county fair, dog grooming, and county dog show. Now the 4H displays are put away and I can actually think about the clutter and organization (or lack of). I hope to have some of my own before and after photos to share soon.....now where do I start? I suggest starting in a place that would make you most happy to clean up. I really enjoyed getting MY spaces clean because I can control them and keep them that way more easily than the communal spaces and kid spaces. Now every time I walk into MY spaces, I am reinspired to keep at it with the rest of the house. I had to take a 48 hour break from my house while I went to my mom's to help her with some things. Today, i helped her purge old financial records going back to 1976! We had two file boxes full of tx returns, etc shredded at office depot and also trashed quite a bit more. Decluttering is contagious! Now I am heading off to start on my stairwell and hall painting project. No clutter in that area, but much mental peace to be achieved via beautification! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 I am still SLOWLY working on it. I was able to go through quite a bit of my school room. I hate tossing curricula, but I don't know what else to do with it. It is bits and pieces and selling it will cost more in shipping and gas to the post office than it is worth. Sigh. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 I got rid of half my books in prep for the logic stage. Of course, I brought back in about a third of that half (so far) and these books are more expensive than those for a 6 year old. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZipMommy Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Thanks for the inspiration, everyone! I've been slowly decluttering and moving things around while we get ready to start home-schooling. After reading all these posts, I went upstairs and got a bunch more done. I even rearranged Zip's room and he already started playing in the cleared space. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 When I get home tonight, I am going to go through the school and craft supplies and throw away everything unsuable and more compactly organize the rest, including packing anything we have no plans or projects in progress that require them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Well, I've been working slower this past week due to running around with dd1 at day camp and dd2 and I visiting some friends/going to dr. appointments. But I've made some small progress. I got a bunch of paperwork filed in the correct binders, started shredding some outdated documents and started emptying the homeschool/desk area and started the sorting process with those items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolally Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I've been trying to spend less time on the board over the summer, but this has me hooked again! :001_smile: Hope you guys will continue to post pictures...that is super inspiring to me, and I love seeing pics of 'real' homeschooling homes. The picture-perfect magazine ad looking homes just discourage me. When you have a thousand books it's hard to use the typical model home look as inspiration. If I can get a project underway I will post too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 So far today I have decluttered the kids bathroom and cleaned it. Washed the shower curtain and window curtain. I re-caulked the tub and replaced the tile that "just fell off mom, I swear. No mom, we have no idea how that chuck of tile is missing out of it." Now to the living room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I've gone through my craft drawers, which were still relatively well organized--a testament to the reality that the stuff hasn't gotten much use. Now I'm working on a languishing file folder and the school shelf--using the former to organize the latter. There is some stuff in the garbage and goodwill box that wasn't before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I've got just one more day's painting (tomorrow - 2nd coat on trim work and walls) and my upstairs hall and stairwell will be painted and DONE! It looks fabulous already! 6 doorways in there! Yoikes, that was a lot of cutting in and trim work! I've given myself "tennis elbow" aka "painter's elbow" with all this painting. Once the hall/stairs are done, I am heading in to the kitchen & doing an IKEA run Monday for loads of shelving to better organize in there . . . Big news: My bedroom and bathroom are STILL beautiful and free of any objects that don't belong there! I am SO determined to KEEP it nice! Here's a pic of my new storage system in the bathroom (replaced one of those hideous generic full height white cupboards -- which went to the basement for science storage) Bonus: all those items were already in my house cluttering up the basement. Now they look pretty and are in use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I start Day 3 of dejunking my dining room today. It looked like something out of Hoarders. It still does, quite frankly. My husband spent the past 2 days on the "playroom" (dumping goes on there, not playing), has made 2 trips to the dump (because our four curb cans were filled up and he didn't want to stop & wait for trash pickup on Tuesday), and 4 trips with recycling. He's at work today, so I'm hoping to get the dining room finished before he gets home in the morning. Good grief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 My hall and stairwell painting are done as of yesterday . . . So, today, I did an IKEA run for my new kitchen storage! I bought six 48 inch stainless steel shelves and 4 "rails" that you hang stuff of of and a bunch of baskets, etc. (They'll go on a big pair of walls that had no upper cabinets but just two ugly white shelves -- only about 7 linear feet alogether, and now I'll have 24 linear feet, plus about 10 feet of the rail system to hang skillets and misc off of!) I realize that buying stuff is the opposite of getting rid of stuff, but, really, truly, my kitchen has such limited storage as it was that I had no way of organizing what I actually need and use properly. Now it will be beautiful and much better organized, and very much less cluttered. I also bought a new bed for dh and I to finish off our bedroom. (When I told him I wanted a bed, he said, "We have a bed!" I said, no, this is a mattress set with a free-with-purchase steel frame. It is not a bed! A bed is wood!! You know, the thing that goes behind the pillows!" When I saw a bed I liked for $158, I impulse bought it. FUN! I also dedicated one of the several vacuum cleaners in my "vacuum cleaner graveyard" aka basement to the dumpster. I also got rid of a hideous old office chair. And trashed all kinds of old hooks/curtain rails/miniblinds from the kitchen that shall not be replaced. When I put my things on my new shelves, I'll be sorting through, cleaning, and reorganizing. Should be a great chance to trash all kinds of junk. OK, I'm heading back in to the painting preparation . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Balaban Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Two boxes of stuff went out to Freecycle today. I have another item going out tomorrow, and working on a couple more boxes! This week I am going through the kids clothing and organizing them and parsing down the wardrobe. It's part of my effort to do less laundry. (We don't have a washer/dryer) but my kids have TOO MANY clothes! I am doing the same with my clothes next. I will admit that clothes that are in good condition but are too small, I will try to sell for a couple months before I go to a consignment shop (to get in-store credit), and then donate whatever the consignment shop doesn't take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I built a organizer for DD closet. Now I am cleaning and painting her room. Two bags of trash/broken toys out and 1 bag for donation. Next up the kitchen of DOOM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Yesterday I was working on cleaning up the desk area. It has taken quite a while. I have done lots of reorganizing in places that you can't see. Going through binders, organizing our school stuff, etc. So I am putzing along, but making progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 I've been trying to spend less time on the board over the summer, but this has me hooked again! :001_smile: Hope you guys will continue to post pictures...that is super inspiring to me, and I love seeing pics of 'real' homeschooling homes. The picture-perfect magazine ad looking homes just discourage me. When you have a thousand books it's hard to use the typical model home look as inspiration. If I can get a project underway I will post too! What?? You mean your house does NOT look like the cover of one of those magazines? :lol: I never could understand the picture perfect family all gathered around the table in a spotless kitchen, smiling at a globe. Where's the screaming baby? The dog tracking in mud? The sweaty boys? The Legos underfoot? I have a free day with no kids today...they all went to grandma's house till tomorrow! So here I am on the computer. :001_huh: Time to get busy! I've been so scattered lately with kids' appointments and other errands that I haven't been as focused on the decluttering. Be back later. Keep on keeping on, everyone! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Kitchen painting is done. First 2 rails and 2 shelves installed. . . 4 more shelves and 2 more rails to go. Should be done today, then I can finish cleaning out my cupboards and put all this stuff away. Today is the day it'll be done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 took a day off to visit the Art Museum. Gonna keep plugging away at the living room/desk areas tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Kitchen project complete! I was able to declutter (to some degree) nearly all of my kitchen cuboards, pantry, and even my dining room cupboard b/c I moved some things out of all those places and onto the new shelves. No longer having over-stuffed cupboards is going to make my life much smoother in the kitchen! I attached a pic of (most of) the new shelves. They replaced two ugly white shelves - just one on each wall. (There's actually a third wall that wraps around off the right of the pic that has "rails" hanging my skillets!) As part of my clean up from the construction project, I went ahead and decluttered the "catch all" dresser top in our family room, and all the other surfaces in there, and then I steam cleaned the (nasty) carpet in there too. Then I cleaned the guest bath. Of the three kids, today we conquered TWO of their bedrooms! #3, dd9, is well in progress and should be complete tomorrow (under pain of death if it's not done, lol). (I'll probably have to spend some time in there with her, but I am trying hard to get her to do it alone this time.) DD15 and DS13 both now have 100% decluttered rooms! D15 managed hers nearly all by herself, but I spent about an hour with DS13 finishing it off, but he did 80% on his own, and dd15 did 99% on her own, so I feel like they are learning how to do this on their own FINALLY, as this is the first time DD15 did hers w/o major help from me. Tomorrow, we put together DS13's new desk & chair -- last kid's new school desk! Room by room, I am taking control! Next up -- two rooms that just need minor help: 1) The Dining Room (The linens need to be sorted, ironed, and restacked. Plus it just needs a good cleaning and a small bit of junk-putting-away.) 2) School Room. (School starts for us on MONDAY!) Will I ever make it to the basement or garage? Proabably not, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Kitchen project complete! I was able to declutter (to some degree) nearly all of my kitchen cuboards, pantry, and even my dining room cupboard b/c I moved some things out of all those places and onto the new shelves. No longer having over-stuffed cupboards is going to make my life much smoother in the kitchen! I attached a pic of (most of) the new shelves. They replaced two ugly white shelves - just one on each wall. (There's actually a third wall that wraps around off the right of the pic that has "rails" hanging my skillets!) As part of my clean up from the construction project, I went ahead and decluttered the "catch all" dresser top in our family room, and all the other surfaces in there, and then I steam cleaned the (nasty) carpet in there too. Then I cleaned the guest bath. Of the three kids, today we conquered TWO of their bedrooms! #3, dd9, is well in progress and should be complete tomorrow (under pain of death if it's not done, lol). (I'll probably have to spend some time in there with her, but I am trying hard to get her to do it alone this time.) DD15 and DS13 both now have 100% decluttered rooms! D15 managed hers nearly all by herself, but I spent about an hour with DS13 finishing it off, but he did 80% on his own, and dd15 did 99% on her own, so I feel like they are learning how to do this on their own FINALLY, as this is the first time DD15 did hers w/o major help from me. Tomorrow, we put together DS13's new desk & chair -- last kid's new school desk! Room by room, I am taking control! Next up -- two rooms that just need minor help: 1) The Dining Room (The linens need to be sorted, ironed, and restacked. Plus it just needs a good cleaning and a small bit of junk-putting-away.) 2) School Room. (School starts for us on MONDAY!) Will I ever make it to the basement or garage? Proabably not, lol. It looks great, Stephanie. I'd love to see pics of your bedroom if you have time. I'm in awe that you're doing all these projects by yourself. Anytime I do any project in the house on my own, I turn around and the kids have destroyed the house right behind me. (OK, that's not fair--DD6 destroys the house right behind me!) It just feels so self-defeating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 OK, I've been working here and there all week, but having 3 birthday parties in a week's time has put me a little behind. :) This is the only project that I have completed, but there are several more in progress (the living room is almost done). I have a tiny kitchen, and one side only holds this wooden hutch. As you can see, it was so cluttered I couldn't find anything in it. I actually removed some things before taking the pic because I was embarrassed. :tongue_smilie: The second picture is exciting for me, because I actually emptied a bookshelf that sat alongside my refrigerator and removed it from the kitchen, and purged 50% of my cookbooks. The remaining ones found a new place inside the wooden shelf. So, progress in my tiny kitchen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 I got a HUGE chunk of the desk/homeschool supplies in order today. I have 2 bins of stuff to put away downstairs. And a few more things to go through, but am happy with my progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 I never could understand the picture perfect family all gathered around the table in a spotless kitchen, smiling at a globe. Where's the screaming baby? The dog tracking in mud? The sweaty boys? The Legos underfoot? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 All 3 kids bedrooms are now decluttered and cleaned! WOOHOO! We start school Monday, and I am frantically entering things into HST+ and doing some OAMC cooking so that I can actually focus on doing a good job schooling these munchkins come Monday. I am done with my version of purgefest, but I am inspired to keep at it a little every day to prevent a recurrence! :) I did print the kids a new chore chart with a THIRD TASK for each of them, lol. They were not impressed. ;) Having them help out with easy jobs (dishes, vacuuming, trash, etc) will help me have more time for the trickier tasks of keeping the clutter from encroaching again! Thanks everyone for your encouragement!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear23 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Been doing this all summer and I am still decluttering. We have a small house and I just put stuff in bins into the one large closet we have. All I got to say is wow on how much stuff we have bought or somehow gotten and never used. I have a really large tote and have filled it almost a dozen times of stuff to toss or donate. After almost two months our house is finally starting to look nice and almost decluttered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaAkins Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 I've been gradually purging throughout the summer, but yesterday I tackled the kids' rooms. While my kids actually keep their rooms somewhat neat (no laundry on the floor, toys generally put away), their closets and bookshelves were horrendous. I got rid of 1 large black trash bag (30+ gallon) of TRASH....I mean, really...does my son really need to save the envelope from a birthday party invitation? UGH! I also purged through some of their clothes and toys. The biggest accomplishment was the bookshelves. I've never been able to convince myself that it's okay to purge books (I love them all too much). But this time, I decided that I could get rid of some the little easy reader-type/cheap chapter books that we can easily get at the library. I also removed some books that my kids have outgrown (nice, hardback picture books) and have them boxed up to go in our attic to save. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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