Sallie Mae Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 9 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said: I put my favorite recipes into the app Paprika and then donated the books. I have the app on my computer and on my phone so I can buy ingredients while out running errands and not have to plan ahead to check the recipe. I also have a print version I keep as a backup because I am paranoid... Anyway, using an app allowed me to get rid of 30-40 cookbooks in the Grand Purge of 2014. Wow! You should be proud of that. I'm down to about 8 and I'm wanting to get rid of more. This may be a dumb question, but could you print off the recipe from the app? I really like to have a paper copy of the recipe in front of me if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Yes, you can print off from the app. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I don't want to be restricted to when I have phone service or internet to be able to get to recipes. I'm not always where I can count on those, and anyway, nothing is forever. I do have some friends who took all their favorite recipes and typed them into a Word doc or PDF. When someone asks them for a recipe they just print out that one page that it's on. I will never do that, but I kind of admire it. I do occasionally take cell phone pics of a short recipe that I want to have with me on vacation, and that has come in handy more than once. I can imagine copy/scanning my faves someday into a personal cookbook document. But I like the ancillary material in cookbooks as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 (edited) Shh - I threw out a couple old shelf-hogging things from my hoarder kid's room. One of them has been there for years. So far she has not noticed .... I have a lot more to do, but when I am too busy to tackle a room / area, I just look around for one or two things in each room to purge. Better than nothing .... Edited January 22, 2020 by SKL 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I'm proud of dh, who likes to save things "just in case". Yesterday we did a big purge in the garage and we still have more to go. He got rid of a bunch of things like screws, nuts, bolts. etc. That sounds like small stuff but he had sooo many! He also let go high school stuff - papers and things. The man is 65 years old and I finally got him to get rid of his college trig notes! He also finally let a parka go that I have never seen him wear in the 28 years I've known him. A parka. Fur edged hood and all. In Florida. 🙄 I'm not totally innocent myself. I kept a lot of my mom's stuff - she died in 2008 - with the intent to sell it on eBay. Some of it could bring in extra money that would certainly be helpful. However, there are still things I needed to list but never got around to researching prices as well as the best way to pack them for shipping. I let them go. If we weren't trying to move (and downsizing our living space with a smaller house) I would have held on to them. I gave them to one of our local thrift shops that has a vintage/antique room and the money they bring in helps local families. @DawnM some of those items were vintage cameras. Obviously cameras don't take up a lot of room but I'm trying to be brutal and realistic when it comes to what I should keep. I found a trophy my mother got in 1958 as a top salesperson for a home sales company that no longer exists. Ds asked why I was getting rid of it and I told him I don't need a rusty old trophy to remember my mom. I never did state my actual goal - -Give away or toss items we don't use and don't need. Be realistic and think minimalist (to a point). -Pack things we want to keep but can live without for a few months. -Finish no later than Jan. 31st 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 The ebay thing reminded me. I am thinking of having my kids use part of their summer to sell things on ebay. I will probably post a separate thread seeking info on that topic when I'm ready to plan ... which is not today, LOL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 How is everyone doing on their de-cluttering? I hit a wall and haven't felt like moving forward. Hopefully tomorrow I can get it rolling again because I have made a big mess in two rooms. It is too cold to work in the garage lately, but will get back to that when it warms up. It is hard getting rid of stuff that was his, that I have no use for and the kids don't want. We are not going to discuss yard sales, nope. @Arctic Mama I found a box of little girl church dresses too, different sizes. I thought I had gotten rid of it more than 10 years ago but that must have been the OTHER box of cute little dresses. I like it that the dresses don't lose their classic look. Still haven't gone to the animal shelter, but that is on the list for tomorrow. What do you do with fabric? i have a good bit of lycra spandex in various prints but I now have no intention of making any swimsuits or swim shorts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebcoola Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 The storage room is looming. It's unorganized and has a lot of stuff in it. Some are boxes from when we moved in and I'm just going to toss those. But for the last 3 years everything that had no home, seasonal, outgrown, etc has been tossed haphazardly in this room. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 Very little actual purging here, but I did just do a big stock up of consumable items, so I went through my storage areas to organize and wound up getting rid of a few of those little odds and ends that one tends to uncover when doing stuff like that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 I have fallen down on the job the last couple of weeks. This weekend I WILL throw out some things that are broken, damaged, etc.....and I WILL take a full Sequoia load to the thrift store. It is ready, I just need to do it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I did some purging this week in the basement and my kids' rooms. Threw out some things that I didn't know what else to do with (that was hard). Also accomplished some email clean-up. Still lots more to do! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlktwins Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I'm not really able to start my big purge, but I managed to get 1 bag of stuff packed and will drop off this weekend. I am getting ready to go through at least 5 boxes (copy paper boxes) full of my mom's (she died in 2001) and dad's (he is still alive) paperwork to try and find all the receipts and documentation on home improvements. We sold his house in June and I have to find all this stuff ASAP to get his capital gains tax down and ready for taxes to be done soon. I don't wanna do it!!!! I was planning to start during Christmas break, but I ended up sick on Christmas day, then got better and my boys got sick, and then I got the flu. Now I'm already a month behind where I want to be. This is also emotional because I know mom's work stuff is in these boxes (job evaluations, etc) and documentation from when stuff in her name was transferred to dad's name after she died. So this will be emotionally draining for me. I know I can shred a lot of stuff, but I still have to go through it. And...I'm trying to find the document trail for IRA's, etc. for when my sister and I inherit them. From what I've researched about that, I want to keep them to be safe. Then I will have my 4 sets of taxes to do for me and DH. I am having someone do my dad's this year because of his capital gain. After that, I will get to my stuff! I am ready to get it out of my house. I don't need it sold anymore and I'm not going to worry about whether it is going to the right place. I just need it out! I have picked back up one of my crafting hobbies and I want to spend time on that -- not worrying about clutter. And...my boys graduate in less than 4 years and I will be busy with all the college visits, applications, etc. I just want my house cleared out. No mercy. For those of you making progress, keep at it. You're doing great!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 i'm still plugging along but after the frantic pace of everything last fall/winter to be ready for contractors, I'm enjoying not having to clean/purge every waking moment. Discovered a few more pieces of furniture that I thought had survived the sump pump, did in fact suck up some water. One I've decided to keep anyways because I simply have no desire to deal with finding a replacement right now. The other will go out on my next trip to the dump (which is conveniently located about a half mile from my house). We also ended up getting rid of a huge storage cabinet that held all our arts/craft/ science/school type supplies. We desperately needed to create a new workstation because DD has been hiding out with her laptop playing games rather than homework. Now she has to leave the laptop at the desk in the kitchen - she's actually getting her homework down now. So I'm trying to find new homes for everything that was in the cabinet. I want to buy a smaller one that will fit elsewhere in the kitchen but it's a nonstandard size for cabinets. I suspect I will have to get something custom made from the Amish but they are an hour away and I'm not in any hurry to drive that far on back country roads during the winter. I also have about half a load ready to go to Goodwill. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I need to konmari and organize our crafts supplies and tools but it's stressing me out so I keep starting and stopping! It's a strangely big job in a "if you give a mouse a cookie sort of way" because I'm moving other things to make craft storage 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I'm not sure I'm really making any progress lately. DS1 and his wife are preparing for their first child and brought a bunch of stuff to my house. Some of it I can use and it's consumable, but they also gave dd a pile of craft supplies. She LOVES crafts, but we already have a huge supply and she's going to want to keep all the new stuff. During my decluttering, I did find that I still had some baby and young child things (hooded towels, blankets, cloth wipes) and I let them go "shopping" for anything they wanted to take. I probably ended up with the same amount of stuff going out as coming in, so I'm at least maintaining as opposed to increasing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 31, 2020 Share Posted January 31, 2020 I went through the boys’ room yesterday. They aren’t ready to let go of any more stuff, but everything can be sorted neatly into their IKEA Trofast bins, so I am not pushing them to. I will do a super deep cleaning in their room this summer. Maintenance cycling reminds me of a lot of little projects that I have been putting off. I am making a written list so I can come back to the important but not urgent stuff. I hope to do another Goodwill dropoff today....and then go into the store to look for tops for my older daughter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 I did the Goodwill dropoff, struck out thrift shopping, and ended up at the outlet mall. I bought dd what she needed to get through winter....we bought a size larger in tops so hopefully it will work for next winter also. I can now pull out her too-small clothing and stash it away as hand me downs. No one told me that I would spend this much of my adulting life feeding and clothing teens. Everyone warns you about the endless nursing and changing diapers with babies but this teen stuff is crazy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 ArcticMama—What red lipsticks do you love? My skin tone is pretty close to yours..maybe a bit paler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 I am pretty neutral. Depending on which brand of foundation I am buying, I am either cool or warm toned. I wear warm toned in IT cosmetics but cool tones in Bare Minerals. If anything, I look great in clothing with muted tones, not brights, and slightly better in cool toned/berries & mauves when it comes to lipsticks. In certain lights I may be one of those fair olive skinned people—I pick up some green undertones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 (edited) Starting back up! This past weekend I sold 2 things, it has gotten me re-vamped up. This weekend: List a few items for sale: Coffee maker, juicer, soy milk maker, old iPhone 6 (DONE) Give away several things: box of stuff in garage to thrift store, box of shoes in my closet to thrift store (DONE) Toss: 2 broken lamps, broken speaker, ripped up material (DONE!) Edited February 26, 2020 by DawnM 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 I have sorted through the preschool toys - my youngest is five. I just don't need the toddler things anymore. I have also purged shoes and outerwear. Next will be the little girls' room. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 I've been doing well with most stuff, but the paper is winning this round. Any tips on paper reduction? It seems like a completely different set of skills must be needed to do this successfully. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leahtalbot96 Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Count me in too! We need to sell our flat by the summer so I'll start by purging things tomorrow morning. I have lived in this flat ever since December 2014. But since my son is a full time wheelchair user I need to buy another property that is wheelchair accessible. Neither of them are babies anymore, it is kind of sad. I have six or seven cardboard boxes for our possessions and a shredder for confidential documents like paperwork etc. I have to begin somewhere, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 We're slowing purging various rooms in the house in anticipation of our move this summer. It's really motivating when there is visible success! Next room is the walk-in closet of the master bedroom. It's been my homeschool books storage spot, though there is most likely other stuff packed in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 In the past few weeks we have done all the paper piles, including cleaning out the filing cabinet. Also, my girls cleaned out a large trash bag of shoes, my son cleaned out some clothes that were too small and we cleaned out some books. Those things were donated. My girls also sorted through clothes and gave a couple of bags to younger cousins. Still tons of work to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 I was going to say that my purging has come to a halt, but I did get some things out of the house. DS moved to another state and we had some other reasons to drive there. We were able to get rid of a large bin and a few smaller things that belonged to him as well as deliver some small furniture pieces we were storing for him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 @mom2scouts It is slow and not steady, but I still have been eliminating items, garbage bags even if they are not full, boxes of stuff that I couldn't stand to see any longer, etc. Going through craft supplies, I realized that I have had some of this stuff far too long!!! Fortunately able to use a lot of it up at a craft night for girls at church. Yay. I like mentally saying this, "GIrl, you don't NEEEEEEED that thing!" And that helps. Salvation Army is not near me. Goodwill throws away stuff that people might buy, kind of surprises me. I haven't seen much in the way of other second-hand stores in my area. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 And I have been blessed with a SNOW DAY (well, ice day) today, so I plan to spend a couple of hours on the house. 1. Toss 5 broken items (2 lamps, 1 speaker, 1 guitar amp, 1 ripped up sheet) 2. Take a load to Goodwill (some framed pictures that don't go in our new house, clothing, shoes) 3. List 3 things to sell (old iPhone, maybe a few kitchen items, need to run it by DH) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 I’ve been getting sidetracked by life lately. Not in any major, tragic way, but it doesn’t take all that much to sidetrack me!!! I did get rid of some cleaning and organizing books, lol. I got what I needed from them, and now they can move on, lol. Oh, I also dealt with a stack of boxes that had been sitting around for I don’t know how many months. I was convinced that I had nowhere to put away the contents. I finally took ten minutes and put my mind to it, and “found” space! Of course, it made my cat insane for 24 hours. He hates change even more than I do, particularly when boxes are moving around. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 I'm currently basking in that feeling of having cleared out a bunch of stuff. Some to the garbage, some to the aspca, some to my nieces. Yay! I have lots more to do, but it is nice to get a chunk done. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Yesterday I threw out more than 5 items, some of them rather large. I loaded the car with about 4 things/bags, but I didn't get anything listed for sale yet other than the phone I listed a few days ago (it isn't selling, may lower the price or just keep it as a back up phone.) Today: 1. Go through 3 full boxes in the attic. Decide what to do with them. (Turns out I am a hoarder of water bottles, plastic Tupperware type items, and tote bags.). I am keeping the expensive items that I like (hydro flask mostly) and donating the cheaper ones we no longer need/want. I think since all 3 boys were in scouts and DH was an assistant scout master for over 10 years, we just accumulated water bottles (by the truckload apparently!) So, time to purge those! Same for the plastic containers. The meal prep matching size I will keep, the Rubbermaid with red lids (set) I will keep, all the rest can go for the most part. 2. Go through cords. I think I have 2 large boxes of cords. One box probably came from CA with us and hasn't been touched in 10 years. ACK! 3. List 2 items for sale. I have decided to just sell my extra espresso machine. It is pretty and I love it, but I don't need two and I would rather sell and then buy something else when my current super automatic espresso machine dies. I will also list a couple of prints for the wall that don't match/go with our new house. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 I think it is also time to list my camping gear. I admit it makes me VERY sad. My boys camped and hiked and scouting was a huge part of our lives for over 10 years. But now that they aren't scouts, they don't have any interest in camping or hiking at all. I have some nice stuff (oldest and DH went to Philmont) and I have kept it because it was such a part of our lives. But it takes up a lot of room. And no one has touched any of it for over 2 years. I may keep one backpack and the 2 man tent. But I have shelves full of sleeping bags (good ones, military 3 part sleeping bags), backpacks (daypacks and hiking backpacks) and duffles and cooking gear, etc...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholastica Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 24 minutes ago, DawnM said: I think it is also time to list my camping gear. I admit it makes me VERY sad. My boys camped and hiked and scouting was a huge part of our lives for over 10 years. But now that they aren't scouts, they don't have any interest in camping or hiking at all. I have some nice stuff (oldest and DH went to Philmont) and I have kept it because it was such a part of our lives. But it takes up a lot of room. And no one has touched any of it for over 2 years. I may keep one backpack and the 2 man tent. But I have shelves full of sleeping bags (good ones, military 3 part sleeping bags), backpacks (daypacks and hiking backpacks) and duffles and cooking gear, etc...... Once they are out of college, they may want to start again. You might hold off on that. That stuff gets expensive! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 1 hour ago, scholastica said: Once they are out of college, they may want to start again. You might hold off on that. That stuff gets expensive! I may keep certain items, but some have got to go. The backpacks that aren't that great, the duffles, the items we have duplicates of. I may keep the one nicest backpack and the hiking tent and one set of cooking gear and one camp chair. Or maybe I just need to say, "Whatever fits in 2 boxes can stay" and go with that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 My neighborhood just posted to ask who might want to have a yard sale this Spring......hmmmm.......that isn't a bad idea, but I am not sure I am that organized to get it all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 New level of frustration, lol. I can’t sleep, and now I’m thinking about at least 4 things that are hanging in my closet that I never wear. It’s making me want to do a whole formal purge, but dh is sleeping! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 We had a guy over this past weekend to stretch carpets in 4 rooms, including my kids' bedrooms. This meant taking most of their stuff out of their rooms so the furniture could be moved. Since my kids are borderline hoarders, this was a huge job, but now my hallway is full of stuff to donate or throw out. We still have some piles and bins to go through. I would say my youngest is only about half done if that, while my eldest's room is maybe two thirds done. I am hoping to be through all of it by the end of next weekend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 26, 2020 Author Share Posted February 26, 2020 THIS WEEK: 1. Go through at least THREE boxes in the attic and put where it needs to go (trash, donate, or in the house) plus the empty boxes that need to go. 2. List 3 more things for sale (area rugs need to go! gravel bags (may toss), and the cord box) 3. Start to cut up foam mattress to toss (it got mold on it due to a child spilling a drink and not telling me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 On 2/24/2020 at 5:37 AM, SKL said: We had a guy over this past weekend to stretch carpets in 4 rooms, including my kids' bedrooms. This meant taking most of their stuff out of their rooms so the furniture could be moved. Since my kids are borderline hoarders, this was a huge job, but now my hallway is full of stuff to donate or throw out. We still have some piles and bins to go through. I would say my youngest is only about half done if that, while my eldest's room is maybe two thirds done. I am hoping to be through all of it by the end of next weekend. This is us, these last two weeks. We're getting new carpet, and I'm boxing the rooms up (and purging big time!) This may be the thing that gets my oldest DD to finally organize her room. I've donated a trash bag of paperbacks, 2 bags of board games, 1 of clothes, and a giant plastic drawer/organizer. Whew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 My DH and DS started cleaning out their clothes this week. Two trash bags full went to Goodwill today. Another is ready to be passed down to cousins. I’ve gone through some books and have a small pile that’s ready to leave the house. Still A LOT more books to go through. I hope I can get a good sized box together to donate. I have such a hard time getting rid of books. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Just wanted to say thank you for this thread! I’ve done some serious purging in the past year or two, but recent reminders to tackle more bits and pieces have been SO beneficial. We just got word Monday about our relatives being put in foster care, and have been working on trying to get them to us. That means MAJOR house rearranging as quickly as possible. It’s been a lot of hard work, but not nearly as hard as it would have been if I hand’t been decluttering regularly! The girls’ room was the most stuffed all this time, but it looks like I’ve rubbed off on them, because they’re making really good decisions as we haul everything out to get new furniture in there. The boys’ room only needs minor attention because I’ve been working with them for a long time now. I can’t imagine doing this with the way my house used to be!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 28, 2020 Author Share Posted February 28, 2020 This week: sold the dehydrator sold my old iphone went through one large box in the attic listed 3 more things for sale This weekend: go through 3 boxes in the attic take the load in my car to donate refill car for donation put away a few things in the garage toss 8 things list 3 more things 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 My girls’ room is nearly finished!!! Only 1 donate bag, but lots and lots of garbage bags and a few bins to store elsewhere. There are still towers of books to sort through, which will be painful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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