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Decluttering challenge week 1


MomtoCandJ
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This week is trash and thrift shop donations (we never donate enough to write off, so I didn't worry about getting stuff gone before the end of 2014). I'm collecting stuff around the house and putting it in the car. I expect there will be more than one trip, but if boxes/bags are in the car I can stop by anytime I'm out for other errands.

 

Trash is stuff not good enough to donate. I'll sort as I collect unwanted items, and trash will go right in the outdoor trash can. 

 

My plan is to get unwanted stuff out of the house, then start organizing what stays.

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I did the master closet and medicine cabinet, boys' bathroom, and DS1's room over break. I've been working on DS8&5's room this week. I've already removed a bag of trash (plus I have another one half full), a bag full of toys to get rid of, a tote filled to store, and removed an air hockey table.

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What a wonderful challenge!!! I can't join in until next week though because our plumbing is getting redone starting tomorrow so I'll be out of the house for a few days while they work on that.  But come next week, I'm taking this challenge. Perfect timing since I'm in nesting mode as I eagerly await this baby's birth.

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I started big, in the basement(which includes unfinished, workshop, and play room and art room), but after reading this thread I am going to focus on the laundry room.  A much more reasonable goal.  But I will assign the kids tasks in the basement so that project can inch forward.

 

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DS and I are painting his room.  When we are done, he and I are sorting everything before it goes back in, and that includes furniture.  If he can use it immediately, whatever it is, and he truly needs it, it goes in right away. Everything else will be looked at with a suspicious eye.  

 

DS wants to be ruthless.  DS tends to be very sentimental, though, so he knows he tends to accumulate rapidly and has a hard time letting go of anything.  He even salvaged all of his older sister's stuff when she cleaned out her room because he felt a lot of nostalgia and sentimentality.  His room is piled high with her old junk on top of his stuff.  He is hoping we can stay on task, though.  He really wants a very simple, clean, uncluttered room.  Wish us luck!

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Putting away Christmas stuff, and NOT packing up certain things.  The boxes of decorations are getting lighter and easier to deal with!

 

I did that one year. The following year it was wonderful not to have to dig through things we didn't use, just to decorate with the stuff we like.

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Over the weekend, I sent 6 large trash bags full of clothes, shoes, blankets, and tablecloths and placemats to the local charity. Also had several cardboard boxes that had a set of dishes, coffee mugs, books, a spice rack with the jars for it, plastic pitchers, and 2 sets of hot rollers. Why did i have 2 sets?! I didn't realize how much stuff we still had that we didn't need even after a similar purge back in September!!

 

This week, I am sending 2 dressers and a nightstand to the charity. (They are really awesome, actually. Its a giant 2 story thrift store but everything is free!! There are volunteers that sort incoming donations and keep things tidy but that's it. So cool.)I hate them, I can't stand that the tops attract clutter and they take up too much space. So, bye-bye! I am loving that all sentiment and thoughts of "what if I need this someday?" have seemed to vanish from within me.

 

I also set up baskets in the garage for donations and recycling. From now on, one laundry basket worth of clutter and it has to go. Hopefully, this strategy works.

 

Tonight, after the kids are in bed, I am tackling the desk. Need to streamline paperwork. Its not totally out of control so it should only take a couple hours.

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Well come on over to my house! I have enough junk to keep us both busy til summer :)

LOL! I think I was happy to start school again today because now I can "rest". I think the only room that did not get reorganized and purged was the bathroom. I have sticky notes inside my kitchen cabinets reminding everyone to keep eveything in its place.

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I've gotten through 1/4 of my kitchen cupboards and half the counter space. Sent a couple boxes to a thrift store and a box was doled out to different family that wanted things and then a BUNCH of junk has been thrown out. I'm rather appalled at the amount of garbage that has accumulated in the back of my shelves. Feels good to be slowly reclaiming my kitchen space though.

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I'm loosely following the Declutter 365/52 week organized home challenge. Since Jan 1 I have done 21 of the daily "missions" for January and February. The kitchen decluttering activities are always easy for me since I keep the kitchen and associated areas very organized anyway.

 

Today I threw out three items and packed away two for college kids who will need to stock kitchens :)

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Yay, I was hoping someone was doing a thread for this! Is there a new one for this week? We have a few straggling Christmas decorations waiting to be packed up sitting on our counters, but otherwise our sink and counters are done. I dumped a ton of stuff and sent a few things out to the shed. I've been slowly cajoling my husband into giving away the ancient "gifts" from his parents that we never use and take up all my cupboard space, so I finally have homes for my pots and pans! 

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