PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 My youngest are now 13 and 17. I've kept SO MANY books--curricula, novels, you name it--thinking "maybe I'll use this with the younger kids someday." Now I'm looking around me wondering how I amassed so much stuff! I'm keeping the very favorite picture books, hard to find out-of-print treasures, stuff like that, but much of it is leaving my house. I have one small box to give to a younger homeschooling mom with little kids, three boxes to donate (so far), and a big pile to sell. I'm also purging craft supplies, toys, games...if we don't need it, use it, or love it, it's outta here! Anyone want to join me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I'm in. Started yesterday and have already made $25 off of selling stuff on our town's facebook for sale page. I need the space and we need the money!! I'm working through the house room by room and then tackling the basement!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 It must be in the air :). I (without planning to) starting doing this last Thursday or so. Playroom, kid rooms, kitchen, basement, closets, garage (so far) ~ I've made $50 off CL, $80 used book store buyback & $75 credit same used bookstore. I've also made donations to our area rescue ministry group & have a small box started for pass-downs to the cousins. We still have an enormous pile of stuff that we guess we're going to garage sale & donate the rest. It's rejuvenating to clear out & exhausting at the same time. I imagine I'll peter out before I complete every space in the house, but something is better than nothing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 I'm in. Started yesterday and have already made $25 off of selling stuff on our town's facebook for sale page. I need the space and we need the money!! I'm working through the house room by room and then tackling the basement!! Wow, good for you! I'm only focusing on the basement for now. We have a large L-shaped family room. The smaller part of the L, about 13' X 16', is our school room area. We don't use it for school now that the kids are older, but still have several tall bookcases in there, and shelves for board games and stuff. My sewing machine is also there. Just WAY too much stuff. I started in earnest yesterday and have made a good dent, but it will take me all of today and probably part of tomorrow to finish. Then on to another room! Fun fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 It must be in the air :). I (without planning to) starting doing this last Thursday or so. Playroom, kid rooms, kitchen, basement, closets, garage (so far) ~ I've made $50 off CL, $80 used book store buyback & $75 credit same used bookstore. I've also made donations to our area rescue ministry group & have a small box started for pass-downs to the cousins. We still have an enormous pile of stuff that we guess we're going to garage sale & donate the rest. It's rejuvenating to clear out & exhausting at the same time. I imagine I'll peter out before I complete every space in the house, but something is better than nothing! That is for sure! Progress, not perfection, is my motto. Perfectionism can cause me to come to a grinding halt and that's no good. Congrats on all your hard work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I am in!!!! Purged about 100 books today-gave them to a friend, and will be doing toys too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 That is for sure! Progress, not perfection, is my motto. Perfectionism can cause me to come to a grinding halt and that's no good. Congrats on all your hard work! Love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4ofus Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Wanna do "what crazy junk have you found stuffed in the closet?" How about : approx 15 decks of cards an unopened kitchen box from our last move (8 years ago) containing 5 divided tupperware lunch plates ?!?! I dread cleaning out my dresser. I have an elderly loved one who gives me half-dozen pairs of brand new panties every time I see her. *sigh* Bless her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 I am in!!!! Purged about 100 books today-gave them to a friend, and will be doing toys too! WOOT! Good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 Wanna do "what crazy junk have you found stuffed in the closet?" How about : approx 15 decks of cards an unopened kitchen box from our last move (8 years ago) containing 5 divided tupperware lunch plates ?!?! I dread cleaning out my dresser. I have an elderly loved one who gives me half-dozen pairs of brand new panties every time I see her. *sigh* Bless her. I see your cards, kitchen box, and tupperware lunch plates and raise you a large rubbermaid container of thrifted, felted sweaters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 I dread cleaning out my dresser. I have an elderly loved one who gives me half-dozen pairs of brand new panties every time I see her. *sigh* Bless her. I responded so fast I missed this part! Could you leave them in their new package and donate to a women's shelter or something like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 We just sold a push mower we weren't using and I made a trip to the consignment store and made $20. Yesterday I also sold some homeschooling stuff we aren't using Anymore. And Goodwill got a trunk full of goods. Extra mugs, double boiler, wrong sized clothes, books. I am starting collecting again already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I am the queen of purging right now. We're in the middle of a move and have had movers all over our house for the last 2 days. I've thrown out so much it's not funny and we STILL have tons of boxes of stuff. I've also made $600! Woohoo! I tried to convince James Bond that we should just pick a few boxes at random and throw them out without knowing what's in them. I figure if we don't know, we won't miss it. He did not go for it. :/ Looking at all the boxes really makes me want to just get rid of everything and start over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I need to join in before our new books arrive on Friday. Today I'm going through (have to inventory them with ISBN#s) last years and getting a box ready to mail out. It seems like I'm getting a little bit done, and trying very hard not to make a huge mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I'm in! We're moving in a few weeks. From a 4 bedroom w/ 2 car garage, to 2 bedroom w/ 1 car garage. My plan is to purge most, only take the bare necessities to the apartment, and put the rest in storage - short term, as an illustration to DH and kids what we need vs. what they think we "need". Whatever is not requested/retrieved from storage by December 1st, is being donated. :) Hopefully it won't be much, as most of it should be gone, gone, gone before we even leave this house! I already have the list made of what we need at the apartment. It's very short compared to what we have here. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 I need to join in before our new books arrive on Friday. Today I'm going through (have to inventory them with ISBN#s) last years and getting a box ready to mail out. It seems like I'm getting a little bit done, and trying very hard not to make a huge mess. Well I am making a BIG MESS but it will start getting better soon. I am ready to load some of the boxes into the car. I had to stop to make tacos for tonight, but I will be back at it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobeknofret Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Ugh! I need to do this! We still have stuff from when ds was a baby-- 9 years ago! We need desperately to declutter, but dh is a packrat and I'm not sure how to get him on board with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Ugh! I need to do this! We still have stuff from when ds was a baby-- 9 years ago! We need desperately to declutter, but dh is a packrat and I'm not sure how to get him on board with this. Same here, except that ds13 and I are the pack rats, and my dh would pitch just about anything without a second thought. I often wish I was more like me dh in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 Ugh! I need to do this! We still have stuff from when ds was a baby-- 9 years ago! We need desperately to declutter, but dh is a packrat and I'm not sure how to get him on board with this. My dh tends to be more of a pack rat, too. If you can figure out your husband's reasons for being a packrat, maybe that would help you to address it. Two of my dh's reasons are "we might need it someday" and "we paid good money for that." I try to reasonably and calmly point out to him all the stuff we have that we haven't used for months or years, and also, that the money we spent on something is gone and will not magically return to us because we keep the item. Yes, sometimes you can make some $ by selling stuff, but it will be a fraction of its original price in most cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 Same here, except that ds13 and I are the pack rats, and my dh would pitch just about anything without a second thought. I often wish I was more like me dh in that regard. You can change if you want to! Maybe you won't do a 180 overnight, but if you really want to declutter, you can! It depends on what your goals are and how much you want to achieve them. I get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff, so I have to narrow my focus to going through one box or shelf, cleaning out one corner of a room, etc. I also have to keep the big picture in mind. "Is all this stuff adding to the quality of our family life? Will I really miss it? Do I want an uncluttered home that is calmer and easier to care for, more than I want this stuff?" For me the answer to that last question is YES. Come on in, the water's fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 I have been working on it. The boys and I have devoted a min. of 30 min. per day to this for over a week now. So far we have our metal shelves back in our storage/pantry basement area. We are now being careful to put things in ORDER back on the shelves and purging quite a bit. We are also tackling the kitchen cabinets SLOWLY. So far we have all the Tupperware/plasticware out on the dining table and I am having a hard time getting rid of it, but I need to, it is just too much. I also put a huge box in the laundry area and have it half full of clothing that fits no one anymore. Slow and steady, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeschoolMamaOfTwo Posted July 16, 2013 Share Posted July 16, 2013 Yes! Me! I've been doing this since Jan 1 when someone posted the getting rid of 2013 things in 2013 post. I got to my 2013 things (way easier than one might think - our house did not appear messy before, no piles of stuff everywhere, etc. just a normal house, a lot of it came from the attic) and I'm still going! I'm going back through things the 2nd and 3rd time and still finding things we don't need! I didn't think our house was bad before but now it is just SO.MUCH.BETTER! Way easier to clean and put things away. I know exactly where everything is and can find it quickly. I am loving it, and I think that is my motivation to keep getting rid of more. I'm somewhat addicted to it at this point. Today I sold 12 items. This last weekend we sold 9 items and dropped a huge box of donations off. It amazes me that there is still stuff here to get rid of. :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 :hurray:Your day sounds very productive... I love getting the things where they need to go. And I excell in Big Messes! Well I am making a BIG MESS but it will start getting better soon. I am ready to load some of the boxes into the car.I had to stop to make tacos for tonight, but I will be back at it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 My next goal is to clear off the non-computer desk in our school/craft room without disrupting the order I've imposed on the cubbies, bookshelves, and craft table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 I have been working on it. The boys and I have devoted a min. of 30 min. per day to this for over a week now. So far we have our metal shelves back in our storage/pantry basement area. We are now being careful to put things in ORDER back on the shelves and purging quite a bit. We are also tackling the kitchen cabinets SLOWLY. So far we have all the Tupperware/plasticware out on the dining table and I am having a hard time getting rid of it, but I need to, it is just too much. I also put a huge box in the laundry area and have it half full of clothing that fits no one anymore. Slow and steady, right? Yes! Slow and steady is great if that is what is working for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 Yes! Me! I've been doing this since Jan 1 when someone posted the getting rid of 2013 things in 2013 post. I got to my 2013 things (way easier than one might think - our house did not appear messy before, no piles of stuff everywhere, etc. just a normal house, a lot of it came from the attic) and I'm still going! I'm going back through things the 2nd and 3rd time and still finding things we don't need! I didn't think our house was bad before but now it is just SO.MUCH.BETTER! Way easier to clean and put things away. I know exactly where everything is and can find it quickly. I am loving it, and I think that is my motivation to keep getting rid of more. I'm somewhat addicted to it at this point. Today I sold 12 items. This last weekend we sold 9 items and dropped a huge box of donations off. It amazes me that there is still stuff here to get rid of. :-/ HomeschoolMamaofTwo, Thank you so much for sharing this!!! I love hearing others' success stories. I am happy for you that you have accomplished so much, and it motivates me to keep plugging away, too. Way to go! :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kakids Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I have been needing to do this, but have lacked motivation. You are all inspiring and I am in the kitchen tonight. Cupboards and shelves will be purged! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeschoolMamaOfTwo Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 HomeschoolMamaofTwo, Thank you so much for sharing this!!! I love hearing others' success stories. I am happy for you that you have accomplished so much, and it motivates me to keep plugging away, too. Way to go! :hurray: So glad it could help motivate someone! :) I also forgot to mention, it has changed my buying habits tremendously. I think about my purchases much more now and our bills are lower, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 I have been needing to do this, but have lacked motivation. You are all inspiring and I am in the kitchen tonight. Cupboards and shelves will be purged! I know exactly what you mean. I need an extra push sometimes, which is why I started this thread! Keep up the good work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I SO need to do this! I have a couple of piles of stuff I've already culled, but the piles never left. I just need a good quiet week without a ton of crazy appointments. I probably won't get that until August. ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I've been tossing stuff here and there since school let out but started purging in a major way on Sunday. I worked 12 hours and made donations to library and Goodwill. Kitchen and dining room are done. Today I am working on my closet and have filled bags with clothes and sorted out used curriculum in boxes. I don't have the patience to sell right now. I want it all gone yesterday! The best part is that I pieced together curriculum for dd 10 and only need to fill in language arts and bible. It's amazing when you discover stuff you forgot you had. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentlemommy Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Me! I'm doing a massive book, clothing, and toy purge. Today I separated 393 books to sell/give away. Woot!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 I SO need to do this! I have a couple of piles of stuff I've already culled, but the piles never left. I just need a good quiet week without a ton of crazy appointments. I probably won't get that until August. ugh Could you work on a little at a time? Sometimes I do that when my schedule is crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 17, 2013 Author Share Posted July 17, 2013 Me! I'm doing a massive book, clothing, and toy purge. Today I separated 393 books to sell/give away. Woot!!! That is awesome! I didn't count my books but I have four boxes in the car to donate, plus a big box for our church library and a pile to sell. I have had a slow morning---meaning I am slow like a tortoise--but now I'm ready to get moving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kakids Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I got the pantries completely cleaned out last night! I've been on the go all day today, but will be looking for some more good progress tonight. This is so much easier to do with company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlessedMom Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Thank you for starting this thread! it is a gentle reminder & a great motivator for me to get back to the process I began a few weeks ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentlemommy Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Up to 748 books, three bins of school supplies, two huge bins of cloth diapers, and lots of bags of stuff. Next to go will be the slide, swing, mini tramp, power wheels jeep, high chair, baby swing, video baby monitor, and art easel. Those are goi to consignment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I've been doing this over the last several weeks (thanks to Jean's "tackle" posts). I've lost track of how many books I've sorted through but it's been hundreds. I packed up some that we will be using later and stored those, the rest I have donated to the thrift store, the Friends of the Library, and my 4-H group. I did list a few things on amazon and sold them, and I also listed a bunch on paperbackswap, and will be listing more each month. I dumped out a lot of old school papers, too. It's amazing how many books we accumulated. Anyway, it feels really good to be moving stuff out. My bedroom feels really spacious now, and everything is much more organized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I've already cleared out lots of books (well over 100). Today I cleared off a rubermaid shelf. It was just full of junk, and stuff that could be elsewhere. We need to get rid of all extra stuff. Our only storage room is being turned into a bedroom for my oldest son. I have to figure out what to do with everything that was in there. We are getting there. The only thing I have no where to put is the christmas tree. It may have to go in his new room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I am so sick of the chaos here, my goal is another HUGE purge in the next few weeks. (rough clean up day here for dd's has been inspirational :lol: ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Trying but get so overwhelmed. :scared: Y'all are doing great :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arstephia Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I have spent my week doing this too. I went through the kids' school boxes and kept the samples and things I wanted to keep and tossed the rest. That is such a good feeling. I sold 15 books/sets on ebay, shipped two boxes of curriculum to Book Samaritan, gave some things away, and have a van load of stuff heading to goodwill tomorrow. I also deep cleaned my teen son's room, which he loves me to do from time to time so that got a bag of clothes and 2 bags of garbage/junk out of the house. My dh fusses at having so many cans of trash out (we have to buy tags for each can over the one 'free' one that is picked up weekly) but I told him it was worth every dollar to get rid of stuff. As he is seeing shelves with room to spare, tidy rooms, and cleared off end tables, etc., he is becoming a believer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Well I am making a BIG MESS but it will start getting better soon. I am ready to load some of the boxes into the car. I had to stop to make tacos for tonight, but I will be back at it soon. That's the part I don't like. In the middle, the house looks worse than before. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I started reading this book. I'm learning a lot about our clutter habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I'm in. I just emptied out several file boxes full of old papers, flyers and other unneeded junk from my home office. I also went through all my jewellery and got rid of stuff I haven't worn in forever or was damaged (it's all inexpensive costume jewellery). I also got rid of about a dozen belts that are too big. I want to tackle old school materials, but I'm feeling so nostalgic for the 'little kid' days that I can't yet part with them. My ds is starting homeschool high school in fall and I just can't believe how fast the time has flown. Wasn't he just a new homeschool kindergartener? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I'm making progress, too. I've purged at least a hundred books so far, both curriculum and random sets of young kid books. I still have a lot to go, but I am making more headway this year than in years' past. I'm letting go of more curriculum that I've been holding on to without using. I still have plenty more to go through, but I am making noticable progress. Over $500 in sales, too, which is nice!! I'm took a breather this week while I was getting my teens started on summer assignments for the upcoming AP classes, and then I am going at it again this coming week! I like the "progress, not perfection" motto. I am going to remind myself of that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I've been too tired to get much done during the week, but last night I cleaned out the small organizer dreawers on my desk. All pencils are sharp, only working pens remain, and bits of this and that I know I'm never going to get around to using have been tossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeschoolMamaOfTwo Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Wow you guys are doing great! I cleared out about 25 items in the kitchen. Some smaller gadgets that we never use, a second set of measuring cups, colanders, pots, etc. Some small, some large, but a good amount of stuff! I am feeling better already. Still going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 The girls, ages 5 and 7, thanked us for clearing out their toy kitchen and leaving only a handful of dishes/play food instead of the multitudes that we had in there. The toys are going to be minimalized yet!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 The girls, ages 5 and 7, thanked us for clearing out their toy kitchen and leaving only a handful of dishes/play food instead of the multitudes that we had in there. The toys are going to be minimalized yet!!!!! :hurray: When our kids had too many toys, it just made more mess and added nothing to their play time. It was just more stuff to pick up later. Good job!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.