I'm decluttering/purging--wanna join the fun?

[Baseball mom]

Does anyone have a magic wand?  I just want to borrow it for a day. :laugh:   

[Spryte]

Does anyone have a magic wand?  I just want to borrow it for a day. :laugh:   

 

Next in line here.  

 

:lol:

[fraidycat]

Next in line here.

 

:lol:

Then, me! :)

 

I kind of hit a brick wall for the last week or so and didn't accomplish much of anything.

 

DH and the kids had their garage sale and sold some stuff, but there was still SO much left over. I called the donation truck to come do a pick -up and I didn't count but there was at least 20 bags and 5 boxes of stuff that he picked up. We also put a big heavy desk on the driveway with a free sign and it was gone within an hour from the time we put it out, went to the store, then came home.

 

Today, I'm getting back at it. I do have one more bag ready to go to Goodwill, and I think after we move, I really like the idea of the recycle bin as an ongoing donation center receptacle. I usually do have a bag or box of some sort going, but it's hidden in a closet somewhere and gets easily buried, so stuff just gets set aside until I dig to the corner and use it.

 

ETA: Oooooh, lightbulb moment! I actually have an old kitchen trash can that is holding wrapping paper. Hmmmm, maybe I need to re-purpose it and find a new wrapping paper storage system.

[fraidycat]

I found this list of places that need your donations. Thought it might be handy. And has inspired me to go through our DVD binder to donate kid movies to Children's Hospital. Something I never would have thought of on my own, and probably wouldn't have worried about the DVDs at all right now, because...they're contained in a binder. :)

 

http://www.missminimalist.com/2011/04/where-to-donate-your-stuff-101-places-your-clutter-can-do-good/

[Kakids]

My laundry room is clear other than the pile of laundry that needs to be done.  Yay.  Next, more work on kids things.

[StephanieZ]

How about ONE kitchen cupboard every day. I think that is a feasible goal even during a busy period. Or one shelf in the pantry. My pantry is a mess. I think that's my next stage. One shelf or one cupboard at a time. Let's see if I post later about having done it. 

[PrairieSong]

How about ONE kitchen cupboard every day. I think that is a feasible goal even during a busy period. Or one shelf in the pantry. My pantry is a mess. I think that's my next stage. One shelf or one cupboard at a time. Let's see if I post later about having done it.

If we each did one drawer or shelf per day, think about how much decluttering that would be over a few months' time. That may be the way to approach it if you are in a very busy season of life or if you just get overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering the entire house.

 

I know I get discouraged thinking about a very messy room, and so I break it down into small sections. Just do this one corner or clear a nightstand, etc. For me it works, mentally. When I had little kids and did everyone's laundry, putting it all away was a task I dreaded for some reason. So I would tell myself, put away ten things. And then ten more. It might seem silly, but it works for me to keep the overwhelmed feelings at bay.

[jenncslp]

Thank you for all the inspiration ladies!  We've had several weeks of sickness, but I'm finally getting back to the purging.  My goal for the rest of the week is the homeschool/office room.  It is the biggest mess.  I've just agreed to do an informal meeting with some local moms of kiddos who have Down syndrome.  All the moms want to homeschool and I'm going to bring my materials.  I'm thinking that really looking at what we use and like will help me pare things down.  Now off to work!

[Sparkle]

I'm still in. I'm going to do my hall cupboard today. I did it not too long ago, but it's already a huge mess again.

[SKL]

Just got rid of about four bags of clothes from my kids' room today.  Already got rid of about 4 bags of books in the past couple of weeks.  That doesn't count the piles of stuff I threw in the garbage (when my kids weren't looking).  So now all the drawers close and all that, but I still don't have a half inch to spare.  If I could get the aunties to stop buying . . . but I'm sure I've said that before!

[Spryte]

Pantry's done! Yay!

[4ofus]

PSA for Motivation!!

 

Before I petered out I managed to purge/declutter:

 

kitchen, school books/supplies, hall/storage closets x4, kids bath, kids bedrooms/closets, laundry room, playroom/closet, & family room.  My husband even got into the spirit of things & hit the garage pretty hard.

 

We sold a couple of things on CL: ~$20

I sold some school things on VS:  ~$120

Book trade at our local used seller: ~ $100 cash & $75 trade credit

Sent some things to neices & nephews ~  :001_wub:

Truckload of donations to the local missions ~  :wub:

Garage sale this am ~$600

 

This was over the course of about 3 weeks.

 

Plus I'm so happy when I look at my spacious closets & cabinets :).

 

Hopefully one day soon I'll get back in the mood & hit all the cabinets/rooms/closets that I didn't get to this time :).

 

 

 

 

[Stacia]

The elf would be fantastic! Let me know if you find one.

 

Does anyone have a magic wand?  I just want to borrow it for a day. :laugh:   

 

Maybe if we all keep decluttering, we'll find that we have these items stashed away somewhere behind a pile of other stuff?

 

Love reading threads like this. I'm constantly trying to declutter & go through phases w/ it. I've been gone a lot this summer, but am now home & jumping in to do some decluttering & such before school & other activity craziness starts up again.

 

Today, I've been busy cleaning out papers, filing, shredding, etc.... Ugh. I always have SO much of that stuff.

 

Here's a tip, though. I think I read it in Real Simple magazine (or something similar): When emptying your shredder, pour the shreds into a paper bag. Then, just roll the top down & toss the whole thing into your recycle bin. When I'm sorting lots of papers, I do this, along w/ keeping a bag where I toss misc. paper that doesn't need to be shredded but does need to be tossed.

 

At least my desk is looking emptier....

[PrairieSong]

PSA for Motivation!!

 

Before I petered out I managed to purge/declutter:

 

kitchen, school books/supplies, hall/storage closets x4, kids bath, kids bedrooms/closets, laundry room, playroom/closet, & family room. My husband even got into the spirit of things & hit the garage pretty hard.

 

We sold a couple of things on CL: ~$20

I sold some school things on VS: ~$120

Book trade at our local used seller: ~ $100 cash & $75 trade credit

Sent some things to neices & nephews ~ :001_wub:

Truckload of donations to the local missions ~ :wub:

Garage sale this am ~$600

 

This was over the course of about 3 weeks.

 

Plus I'm so happy when I look at my spacious closets & cabinets :).

 

Hopefully one day soon I'll get back in the mood & hit all the cabinets/rooms/closets that I didn't get to this time :).

Petered out? I got tired just reading what you did! Give yourself a rest and start in again later. Great job!

[PrairieSong]

I am surprised and happy that this thread is still going. I'm at a conference this weekend so no time for decluttering, but I plan to get back to it this coming week.

[PrairieSong]

Maybe if we all keep decluttering, we'll find that we have these items stashed away somewhere behind a pile of other stuff?

 

Love reading threads like this. I'm constantly trying to declutter & go through phases w/ it. I've been gone a lot this summer, but am now home & jumping in to do some decluttering & such before school & other activity craziness starts up again.

 

Today, I've been busy cleaning out papers, filing, shredding, etc.... Ugh. I always have SO much of that stuff.

 

Here's a tip, though. I think I read it in Real Simple magazine (or something similar): When emptying your shredder, pour the shreds into a paper bag. Then, just roll the top down & toss the whole thing into your recycle bin. When I'm sorting lots of papers, I do this, along w/ keeping a bag where I toss misc. paper that doesn't need to be shredded but does need to be tossed.

 

At least my desk is looking emptier....

Can you really put shredded paper into the recycling bin? I was under the impression you weren't supposed to do that. Does it really get recycled?

[Stacia]

Can you really put shredded paper into the recycling bin? I was under the impression you weren't supposed to do that. Does it really get recycled?

 

Good question. Our recycling picks up envelopes w/ plastic sleeves, printed flyers/ads, etc.... What I'm shredding is just regular paper. I guess I need to verify for sure.

 

If not, I guess it's good for composting too.

[mommymonster]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: This thread is causing me quite a bit of work! We seem to have finished our "first-level" purge. But... now that we have so much less stuff and the stuff that we do have is so organized, DH and I realized all the little repairs that we need to do to get our house back ship-shape. We have had a tough few years, and most of our "routine maintenance" had been put off . As a result, last weekend we put together a punch list of 60-odd things that need to happen in the house. The list includes simple things like touching up paint to remodeling our DSs' bathroom.Well, today we knocked out five of the projects. I guess I know what our weekends are going to look like for the next year or so... :blink:

[Stacia]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: This thread is causing me quite a bit of work! We seem to have finished our "first-level" purge. But... now that we have so much less stuff and the stuff that we do have is so organized, DH and I realized all the little repairs that we need to do to get our house back ship-shape. We have had a tough few years, and most of our "routine maintenance" had been put off . As a result, last weekend we put together a punch list of 60-odd things that need to happen in the house. The list includes simple things like touching up paint to remodeling our DSs' bathroom.Well, today we knocked out five of the projects. I guess I know what our weekends are going to look like for the next year or so... :blink:

 

Yikes. But also... way to go!!!

 

Yep, we have tons of those little maintenance things too (and some not-so-little ones).

[Hannah]

 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'm finally at this stage as well - and I can't believe what I kept in rounds 1 and 2!  Today I'm gathering a load of books for a reading project that a friend is running, so another box is going out the door.  We now have only a single layer of books per shelf - and the books are more or less organized per subject or reading level.  Makes finding them so much easier.

 

Next on the to-do list is to put together the portfolio of last year's school work.  I keep a sample in a 50-page file folder per year  - since our school year starts in January this is loooong overdue!!  I've become quite good at ignoring 'that' crate under the desk.

[PollyOR]

Thanks to everyone for the motivational stories.  

 

We have always struggled with too much stuff (I'm a bit of a hoarder  :huh: ).  When I returned home after a six week absence this summer, I was pumped up and started de-junking.  Of all people, my DH has given the most resistance.  It took the wind out of my sails!  

 

But, I just can't give up.  Mentally, de-junking room-by-room is too hard for me at the moment.  At this point I keep looking for things that I know without a doubt are trash.  Yesterday I opened the kitchen cupboard and found three jars (honey and Nutella) which people had been too lazy to deal with.  I rinsed them and put them in the recycle.   It seems like a minuscule effort but it makes me feel better.  I'm doing something.

[HomeschoolMamaOfTwo]

Thanks to everyone for the motivational stories.  

 

We have always struggled with too much stuff (I'm a bit of a hoarder  :huh: ).  When I returned home after a six week absence this summer, I was pumped up and started de-junking.  Of all people, my DH has given the most resistance.  It took the wind out of my sails!  

 

But, I just can't give up.  Mentally, de-junking room-by-room is too hard for me at the moment.  At this point I keep looking for things that I know without a doubt are trash.  Yesterday I opened the kitchen cupboard and found three jars (honey and Nutella) which people had been too lazy to deal with.  I rinsed them and put them in the recycle.   It seems like a minuscule effort but it makes me feel better.  I'm doing something.

 

 

Something is better than nothing!  You reminded me of this...

 

“Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still.†– Chinese Proverb

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/slow-guide-to-minimalism/

[PollyOR]

Something is better than nothing!  You reminded me of this...

 

“Be not afraid of going slowly; be only afraid of standing still.†– Chinese Proverb

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/slow-guide-to-minimalism/

 

Thank you!

[Halcyon]

Today I am going to empty out two cupboards in my kitchen--one is full of random stuff, and the other is under the kitchen sink and needs tidying. I cleaned out the hall closet and installed shelves last week, and it's much better. I am also going to clean out my closet nad get rid of clothes I dont wear. 

 

Trying not to plan TOO much, because then I wont get it done and I'll feel badly.

[Spryte]

Another bag of books leaving the house today!  Yippee!

 

Not purging, but I did some major school prep yesterday - just rearranging our work area.  Today I clean out the contents of my desk.  Fun, fun.

 

This thread is such an inspiration.  :)

[PrairieSong]

I'm back and rested from the weekend and ready to tackle my bedroom. Still lots to do in there!

[StephanieZ]

Thanks to everyone for the motivational stories.

 

We have always struggled with too much stuff (I'm a bit of a hoarder :huh: ). When I returned home after a six week absence this summer, I was pumped up and started de-junking. Of all people, my DH has given the most resistance. It took the wind out of my sails!

 

But, I just can't give up. Mentally, de-junking room-by-room is too hard for me at the moment. At this point I keep looking for things that I know without a doubt are trash. Yesterday I opened the kitchen cupboard and found three jars (honey and Nutella) which people had been too lazy to deal with. I rinsed them and put them in the recycle. It seems like a minuscule effort but it makes me feel better. I'm doing something.

For me, the first stage is always grabbing a garbage bag and tossing the obvious garbage. Broken toys. Stained or otherwise damaged clothing or shoes. Cracked Tupperware. Tupperware without lid. Mismatched or ugly kitchenware, etc. I generally have a second bag or box going at the same time for giveaways, especially for outgrown toys and clothes. (This is all assuming I have duplicates that are in good shape or the item is not critical, which is most often the case.) Just getting rid of this obviously crap really lightens the space and allows me to reorganize the remaining items.

[PrairieSong]

Today I am going to empty out two cupboards in my kitchen--one is full of random stuff, and the other is under the kitchen sink and needs tidying. I cleaned out the hall closet and installed shelves last week, and it's much better. I am also going to clean out my closet nad get rid of clothes I dont wear.

 

Trying not to plan TOO much, because then I wont get it done and I'll feel badly.

 

Oh I am the Queen of Making Lofty Plans. Endless lists of to do's that don't all get done. I have to work on being realistic and breaking tasks into manageable chunks.

[linguistmama]

I have $150 in my paypal account from selling books I no longer needed. :)

[MomtoCandJ]

Still on the pre-baby purge. Dd's room is done, living room is done, i'm currently working on the kitchen (got under the sink done so far). I can't do much unless dh is home, I have noticed that I lift or move anything even remotely heavy, I pay for it in pain :(

[PollyOR]

Standing by my bedside table with a trash can on one side and a recycle bag on the other.  Sorting through old post-it notes and receipts.  :mellow:

[HomeschoolMamaOfTwo]

I got rid of a lot of things today.  Kitchen stuff, clothes, furniture, toys, etc.  This made a big difference in a lot of places, but one that I am really happy about right now is that DS's closet is finally down to a manageable, organized level.  I tend to go super overboard on kids clothes so this is a big accomplishment for me.  DD's is a work in progress.  She is still using what we have, but I am slowing WAY down on I bring in, so it will even out.  Anyway.... so much more to go, but I feel good about what I did today!

[HomeschoolMamaOfTwo]

Anyone still going?  I've both donated and sold this week, and still finding more.  It is amazing to me that this just keeps going and going, it is never really "over".

[BlessedMom]

Glad to see this thread is still active! I have just recently begun the process.  Filled three large garbage bags with clothing to donate, several boxes of books, etc...., and several boxes of kitchen items.  Now I need to get it all out of the house to its new locations & continue the process!  I used to be so good at purging everything seasonally, but we have been so busy the last few years that I have gotten really behind with the process.

[4ofus]

Yesterday my son got new-to-him bedroom furniture, so by process, the room got "purged" again.  It was so well-done the first time there wasn't much to pull out, just a few additional clothing items he decided he was done with.

 

Now that that's done, I'll pretty much be done with the deep-purging until the next big school break ~ probably next summer!

 

Happy cleaning y'all!

[Arcadia]

I still have winter stuff to sort through.  We play snow at the ski resorts.  Some toys de-cluttering left to do.  Plenty of e-waste that I need hubby to bring to the e-waste center since there is none within walking distance.

[PrairieSong]

I have been sick for a week with some kind of virus that knocked me on my back. Today I finally have energy again. I am moving a tall bookcase out of our bedroom--where it has been squished since our remodel in the spring--down to our 20yo son's room. He recently moved into an apartment near his university. His bed and dresser are still there and he'll be back on weekends but it's a big room and I am slowly converting it into a sewing/craft room. I'm excited! He doesn't mind, as long as he has a place to sleep when he comes home.

 

So glad to see you are all still going! I love reading about everyone's progress.

[linguistmama]

Yesterday my son got new-to-him bedroom furniture, so by process, the room got "purged" again.  It was so well-done the first time there wasn't much to pull out, just a few additional clothing items he decided he was done with.

 

Now that that's done, I'll pretty much be done with the deep-purging until the next big school break ~ probably next summer!

 

Happy cleaning y'all!

 

I cleaned the garage today and it was so much easier to do since I had already purged it.  Of course, I still managed to find some stuff to chuck. :)  I finished selling/giving away the books we didn't need.  With the money I was able to buy some things we will actually use.  I think I am done with the major purging too.  Now I'll try to maintain and declutter as much as possible on an on an ongoing basis.  But realistically it may mostly have to wait until next summer.

[fraidycat]

We're all moved out of our other place, and now unpacking at the new one. I already have a Goodwill box going and it's half full. :)

[PrairieSong]

We're all moved out of our other place, and now unpacking at the new one. I already have a Goodwill box going and it's half full. :)

Nothing like starting out right in your new home!

[StephanieZ]

I've been steadily making progress selling off old curricula and books. I have $600 in my PayPal account even after having already spent at least $250 in the past couple months from it! Wow!! That's really just the first pass, and I have $100ish worth of stuff currently on ebay.

 

I find selling the stuff on ebay (or here) quite motivating. So far, every single thing has sold! A couple items took a second week (automatic relist), but so far, it's all gone! It's awesome!! 

 

Anyway, I lost steam on the purging part while ramping up for school (started Monday), but I've still been listing items regularly, trying to keep at least a couple items listed at all times, and that is slowly and steadily reducing the piles.

 

In honor of this thread, I am going to go, right now, and so a single kitchen cupboard. Mismatched tupperware . . . watch out! 

[Ameena]

I've been working on purging stuff since we moved at the start of the year, and it's going pretty good. I don't know exactly how much stuff I've sold, but probably at least $3000 worth I think, probably more. Plus I have stuff sorted out for another garage sale - just waiting for the weather to cooperate.

 

Worked on the school room today - sorted out 3 bags of trash, a small stack of books to sell plus all of dd's toys & books to go back to her room. I'll go through it again later to really sort through books harder though. This was just a get it clean mission today.

 

[PrairieSong]

Is anyone still decluttering or are you all busy with the new school year? Last Thursday I thought I was finally better from the virus I caught, but then Friday I felt just horrible! I laid around most of the day. Saturday I felt a bit better and did laundry. Sunday was church and family day, so I finally got back to work yesterday on the bookcase I moved. Now that I have decluttered I may not have enough books to fill it!

 

I also did more work in my bedroom. It's late now and tomorrow is another day, as my grandma always used to say.

[Ameena]

Still trying to declutter here - it's an ongoing process.

 

Sorted out a bunch of stuff for our upcoming yard sale - anything not sold will then be posted on FB sales groups locally.

[StephanieZ]

The mountains of books and curricula are officially gone; my eBay sales are complete for now. I have one file-box-worth of misc to still rehome -- likely donate b/c it is really mismatched, but I've sold at least twice that much for serious cash. :) First book/curricula pass is officially over, now I need to do a second pass, but it may take me a while to gear up. Right now, I am just going to clean up my stuff in my room that was mussed up by all the piles of books between the book purge plus the beginning of the school year stacks. Tomorrow, I will tidy up my personal space. Hopefully that will energize me for the next pass.

[MommaOfalotta]

Ooo! I missed this post originally, but I've been clearing junk out all week. We start school on Monday, and will be moving soon, so I want all useless junk GONE.

 

We live with my mother atm, and she is quite the... ahem... pack rat. Living with her for this long has made me feel claustrophobic in a cluttered room. I am vowing here and now that when we move we are going to live like minimalists!

 

 

 

 

 

(Okay, maybe not minimalists.. but we will NOT have a ton of possessions and those we take with us will have a neat and orderly place!)

[PrairieSong]

We start school on Monday, too, and I am panicky thinking about all the decluttering I still need to do!! But...one step at a time, right? My two youngest are 13 and 17, so it's not like I have to sit right next to them for every subject. I can keep decluttering during the school year.

[MommaOfalotta]

In my effort to keep my 12 month old busy while we school (and clean) I have created a huge eyesore. A massive cardboard fort complete with a tunnel. Its now taking up half of my newly neat, organized and orderly school room. :glare:

 

Two steps forward, one step back. But if it helps entertain this wild child, I guess its worth looking at everyday

[PrairieSong]

In my effort to keep my 12 month old busy while we school (and clean) I have created a huge eyesore. A massive cardboard fort complete with a tunnel. Its now taking up half of my newly neat, organized and orderly school room. :glare:

 

Two steps forward, one step back. But if it helps entertain this wild child, I guess its worth looking at everyday

I think it sounds brilliant. The baby will love it and you will get more done while he (she?) is happily exploring your cardboard fort creation. My kids made happy messes like that all the time. I never minded too much because they were being creative and busy.

[MommaOfalotta]

I think it sounds brilliant. The baby will love it and you will get more done while he (she?) is happily exploring your cardboard fort creation. My kids made happy messes like that all the time. I never minded too much because they were being creative and busy.

 

Thank you! My plan was to only let him in it during school, and not until the first day so that it would be something new and fun. But, I cheated. He's been playing today so that I could try and get some things done. He's already "used to it" and after a solid 10 minutes he made about 50 runs for the stairs.

 

I think I will update my siggy with new nicknames for the kids... his being Tarzan. The other day I turned my back for 2 minutes and he had climbed up on the back of the couch and was standing in the window sill.

 

This boy.... :willy_nilly:  :001_wub: