prairiewindmomma Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 I am maintenance cycling through stuff. Last week I did all of my cosmetics, toiletries, and vitamins. I replace my mascara quarterly but everything else in January if it has been opened but not used up (the 12 month open guideline for toiletries). I am immunocompromised so this is something I am more careful about than most people. This week I am doing the girls’ room—a lot of winter clothing is being worn out or is stained at this point and I need to see if I need to refresh anything and make a list of what new sizes I will need for fall. I also need to do a thorough cleaning and measure for blackout curtains. Our neighbor installed motion detector lights ....that a roaming cat loves to set off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 I poured through duplicate/questionable medical bills this morning. It didn’t purge a huge amount of paper, but enough pages and mental clutter to justify the exhaustion of speaking with (and being on hold for) what felt like 72 different people and 5,000 hours. So there’s that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Ugh. I'm in the excavating portion of the girls' room. Had to take another breather. All of the books have been pulled out of the beds. Laundry is all in baskets, and ready to be washed. Shoes are mostly put away. I need to dig under their beds and scoop out the floor of the closet. I've picked up like 43 hair bands. I'll give everything a good vacuuming and dusting and start to work on their dressers. It normally doesn't get this bad, ever, but we all had the flu for weeks over Christmas so their room hasn't been cleaned since December 20th. Normally I tidy with them, but today I needed them to be out of the house (at school) so I can get in and be efficient. Does anyone have a good source for quality but inexpensive white roller blinds, cut to a custom width? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 2 hours ago, DawnM said: And, my big goal is to have everything in plastic bins, with lids ( I have a lot of them so may not need anymore), with labels, on shelves, or in closets, where I can not only easily find them, but if I had to move again, I could just load up the boxes. This is my dream. A limited number of items to be stored, sorted and organized into neatly stackable, labeled plastic bins. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 6 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said: Ugh. I'm in the excavating portion of the girls' room. Had to take another breather. All of the books have been pulled out of the beds. Laundry is all in baskets, and ready to be washed. Shoes are mostly put away. I need to dig under their beds and scoop out the floor of the closet. I've picked up like 43 hair bands. I'll give everything a good vacuuming and dusting and start to work on their dressers. It normally doesn't get this bad, ever, but we all had the flu for weeks over Christmas so their room hasn't been cleaned since December 20th. Normally I tidy with them, but today I needed them to be out of the house (at school) so I can get in and be efficient. Does anyone have a good source for quality but inexpensive white roller blinds, cut to a custom width? I’m dreading getting to my girls’ room. My three girls are teenagers and share a good sized room (It used to be the Master bedroom of the house.) Their closet used to be a small bedroom so it’s quite large. They have a lot of space. I can rarely see the floor. There are constantly clothes, blankets, craft supplies, stuffed animals, books, and papers EVERYWHERE. The youngest girl is 12 but there’s still a bunch of toys in their room too even though they’ve long since given up toys. We moved in a year and a half ago but I didn’t help them set up and get organized when we moved in or since. So it’s...bad... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 4 hours ago, DawnM said: Oh so much! I think it is finally time to get rid of the majority of our camping equipment. The boys just aren't interested anymore. A lot of the decor from our last house just doesn't work in this house, or doesn't fit, so I will be purging that. Some furniture my kids don't want anymore, even though they thought they did. And then I have boxes of things like plastic-ware/rubbermaid that is old or I can't find lids to. And I am a tote bag hoarder! I need to purge through that. And I have some throws that are from the 90's in pink, burgandy, and forest green, that just don't go with anything........ I also have quite a few old cameras I have no idea what to do with. I am sure they aren't worth anything, but they still work. And boxes of old cords and remotes that I dont' think go to anything! Stuff like that. That's really good to know about new decor. I never thought of that. One just assumes colours and stuff will be similar. I guess not! 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Excavation is done. I have their laundry rolling. Youngest hates picking out clothes to wear and has some sensory issues. I try to pick clothes for her in a few set colors so things can mix and match if she chooses her outfits. She has been asking me to choose lately so I am pre-bundling outfits in her drawers. I am (latex-free) rubber banding leggings, t-shirts, and socks together. I am also filling a sack to donate with the stuff she inherited from her sister that she never wears. This kinda makes me sad, but I have to clothe the kid in front of me, not an “ideal” iykwim. Any ideas other than Hanna Andersson and Target of where to get soft seamed knit clothing? I am totally missing Gymboree. Has anyone tried Primary? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 47 minutes ago, wintermom said: That's really good to know about new decor. I never thought of that. One just assumes colours and stuff will be similar. I guess not! 😂 Our last house was more lodgy......oak trim, oak flooring, tans and brown hues. New house is mostly white trim, light sage and off white walls, and columns in-between rooms. The darker framed wine bottle look doesn't work in a more beachy white kitchen. We are going with softer tones. Same for the living room and office. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, 2ndGenHomeschooler said: This is my dream. A limited number of items to be stored, sorted and organized into neatly stackable, labeled plastic bins. My dream too, I just don't want to have to work for it! And I dont' want to pay for it......sooo......😆 But my goal is little by little......even if it takes me a couple of years to do it. Edited January 13, 2020 by DawnM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 (edited) I love the idea. I do purge periodically, but keeping ahead of it (as people accumulate ever more crap) feels ... not impossible, but more of a dream than anything else. To get a good start, for me, learning to prioritize better might be needed. Or just making a list and starting with the small stuff while I try to figure out the bigger stuff. Recently I was digging in my room for a book I used to have. I had not realized how much crap and dust I have in my storage areas. I used to pride myself on my organization. Need to get back to that. It makes a big difference to my mental state / ability to manage day to day. Some projects that immediately come to mind: The patio. We had an outbuilding torn down as we're getting a new enclosure built soon, so all the crap that was in the outbuilding is sitting in the rain/snow. Most of it is not garbage. Coat closet - the shoe part. The never-ending job of purging outgrown shoes and storing ones that may or may not ever be worn again. I never understand how frequently this is needed. Kitchen cabinets under the counters. I want to re-purpose these for kid things, but they are full of decades of stuff ... old telephone wires, half of an unassembled appliance, etc etc. Garage - self-explanatory. Shelves where the sports and pet supplies live - since we lot our guinea pig, we should donate the piggie stuff to someone who has one. My kids are too shy to ask the next-door neighbor??? This should be an easy one. To-do lists that are largely dreams - including books I keep wanting to use with my kids. Ugh! Very hard to let go. Emails - inbox, "to file" folder, sent items, archives. This will need to be broken down into many parts. Certain computer files. Like photographs that I have unintentionally copied multiple times, taking up too much space; and client files that got copied multiple times in computer switch-overs. Personal paper files. I am running out of room. Can I dump the nonprofit stuff for the ones I haven't touched in over a decade?? I don't want to take the time to make electronic copies. The kids' closets & other storage spaces. Lord have mercy. Definitely at least a month there if it ever gets started. My closet - broken down into areas. I have stuff in there going back at least 3 decades. It is hard for me to purge this - probably a remnant of a poor childhood. And the still living dream of getting back to my ideal weight someday. 😛 And then - what if my kids could use the stuff .... My bookshelves (in my room). Could at least move stuff to the basement. Under my bed - similar to previous bullet. I have a bunch of old cassette tapes I thought I would use for education someday. Maybe it's time to say goodbye. My bookshelves in the basement. These get purged every couple of years, but are in need of purging again. Various other basement stuff, though most of it isn't mine to dump. Things that we could sell. I am thinking maybe my kids should start an ebay business or something. We have merchandise from old wholesale/retail businesses. It should either be sold or donated to a worthy cause. Some of it needs to be thrown out at this point. My mom's tack shop that has been essentially inactive since she got sick like 15 years ago. See previous bullet point. Our shed, which is full of stuff that was moved during previous construction projects. I would like to re-purpose it for kid projects. Lots of areas of my folks' house - better not even think about that right now, LOL. Probably lots of others. So today ... maybe I will start with one kid bin and one type of email and one corner of my room - in prep for some other organizing that can build on that. Edited January 13, 2020 by SKL 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said: Excavation is done. I have their laundry rolling. Youngest hates picking out clothes to wear and has some sensory issues. I try to pick clothes for her in a few set colors so things can mix and match if she chooses her outfits. She has been asking me to choose lately so I am pre-bundling outfits in her drawers. I am (latex-free) rubber banding leggings, t-shirts, and socks together. I am also filling a sack to donate with the stuff she inherited from her sister that she never wears. This kinda makes me sad, but I have to clothe the kid in front of me, not an “ideal” iykwim. Any ideas other than Hanna Andersson and Target of where to get soft seamed knit clothing? I am totally missing Gymboree. Has anyone tried Primary? I’ve been finding next online a good substitute for Gymboree. I’m not sure how available/expensive it is for you there. They keep rumouring that it’s coming back. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Supposedly they are only bringing Gymboree back to size 8. Youngest is about to move into size 10. She is only 7, but she is super tall. It makes it hard to find age appropriate clothing. 😞 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 5 hours ago, DawnM said: And, my big goal is to have everything in plastic bins, with lids ( I have a lot of them so may not need anymore), with labels, on shelves, or in closets, where I can not only easily find them, but if I had to move again, I could just load up the boxes. We did this several years ago. FWIW, rubbermaid bins move well. The clear plastic bins with colored lids do not. The lids crush when stacked. We've made three moves with the plastic bins. Our rubbermaids are all still with us. We are down to our last 3-4 clear plastic bins. By all means, use what you have, but if you need to buy more, I wanted to share our experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 The last load of the girls' laundry is in the dryer. Their room looks so much better! They've somehow lost a few hoodies. I'm going to have them check lost and found at school. I also need to order some more exercise clothes for my older daughter. She truly doesn't have enough that fits to wear to basketball! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebcoola Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 Bathrooms and bonus the pantry are done. I still need to Purge the storage room it's mostly full of oldest dd's old clothes that I held on to. It is clear mdd will not ever fit or like. I'm sure not keeping them for ydd. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Getting rid of the adorable little clothing is hard for me, WHY? My kids aren't interested in holding on to it for any reason. Are there any moms here who are almost empty nesters? I've thought about putting together one box, or Rubbermaid storage tote, per child with childhood/teen STUFF they might have a fond memory of. (George Carlin is hilarious, thanks for that video). Do you personally wish you had something like that from your life? I guess it doesn't serve any purpose... My sisters decided I would be the "family heirloom keeper" but they are the ones that got the nice stuff that if sold could bring some fast good cash, while I got more of the record keeping kind of stuff, paper stuff, photos. Old stuff that can't even be used for anything. Might have to reconsider the use or needing extra storage space. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Well, I listed 3 things I thought I'd do yesterday, but I didn't do any of them. However, I did spend time working on my clutter of computer files etc, and I am so thrilled with how much faster my computer works now. It's like having running water after having to go outside to an outhouse, LOL. This will help me get a lot more done both on and off the computer. So today maybe I will do the things I intended to do yesterday .... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 I'll join in since I'm 4 weeks away from this babies arrival and in full nesting mode. Basically, every room in this house needs to be decluttered and has things to purge. Today I'm focusing on my bedroom so I can set up an area for the baby. While I'm doing my room the kids will be working in the boy's room. They'll put stuff away and throw what they're done with away, so I can come in and organize what needs it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 I’m still avoiding my major paper purge, lol. But I did tackle all of my desk paper this morning, including the few “quick use” files I keep there. Tons of outdated and duplicate medical/insurance stuff got purged, along with a thick stack of other useless stuff. Yay for insomnia! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 So today we did some purging putting away that had nothing to do with my original goals. LOL This was precipitated by our priest coming tomorrow for a house blessing. So some purging and a lot of putting away and hanging most of my paintings. I had kept them off the walls since we moved here because of our plan to re-do the kitchen (and lose a wall) and repaint several rooms. They've been leaning up against the bookcases in my bedroom and hallway for 2 yrs!!! I purged Christmas stuff I didn't use or don't really like anymore. Plus just general going through stuff and throwing out. Our Master Bedroom had become a dumping ground and it needed a major purge. My give-away pile is bigger today! The kids have both cleaned their rooms too. Our trash was sky high when they came to take it this morning. dh is vacuuming as we speak. Whoot! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historically accurate Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 I've got to work on the laundry room. I promised my dd who loves to quilt some space in the cabinets in there so she can stop stashing her fabric and other sewing stuff in various spots throughout the house. I do not need a pile of fabric sitting on this bookshelf, that table, and under those chairs. I did clean out my area in the master closet where I teach for VIPKid this morning. The cats had a cat fight in there the other day and toppled my stacks of stuff. It looks much better now. Tomorrow, I sit down with 2 of my dc and discuss what second semester. Maybe I can streamline 2nd semester and ditch some stuff that's sitting out on the school counter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 I am purging my cookbooks, which I have collected but not culled for a very long time, and my garden books, which are purely aspirational and as such are taking up way too much valuable space. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) We had multiple major house issues arise last year (bathroom cabinet drawer fronts came off leaving jagged staples, black mold on a bedroom wall, leaking patio door that damaged the kitchen floor, ceiling and wall of the room below it, sump died and flooded the entire finished basement and then a crack in the foundation). Every finished room but 2 bedrooms has been emptied and rearranged to accommodate the various repairs. Or course, when you empty a room, you might as well repaint it. I'm still trying to put things back together but then discovered the unfinished storage room also had water issues from the sump pump that we hadn't discovered till now so that got emptied, scrubbed with bleach and almost put back together. But in the process we have dumped van loads full of things. The worst part is the more I look around, the more I find that should be parted with but after months and months of this, I'm lacking the stamina to just finish it. My modest goal for today is to simply go through 3 boxes of tissue paper/gift bags and return them to the storage room. I really need to find my kitchen table (it's been buried for well over a month now) but I suspect that will be next weeks project. Edited January 18, 2020 by cjzimmer1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I've been going through things, but I'm back to my old dilemma. Should I just drop if off at the thrift store or make an effort to sell some of the nicer stuff? We have debt and I always feel like I should make the effort to sell stuff and pay down debt. OTOH, taking pictures, listing things, going back and forth with potential buyers, and meeting people while the stuff sits here doesn't help get the stuff out of the house quickly and can add more stress to the process. Even if I put a deadline for selling, there's still a lot of clutter just hanging around in the way. I did make some progress by filling two boxes with stuff that's still useful but not valuable enough to bother to sell online. I'll need to go back and read some of the posts I missed. They're likely to inspire me to go do some more purging! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 9 minutes ago, mom2scouts said: I've been going through things, but I'm back to my old dilemma. Should I just drop if off at the thrift store or make an effort to sell some of the nicer stuff? We have debt and I always feel like I should make the effort to sell stuff and pay down debt. OTOH, taking pictures, listing things, going back and forth with potential buyers, and meeting people while the stuff sits here doesn't help get the stuff out of the house quickly and can add more stress to the process. Even if I put a deadline for selling, there's still a lot of clutter just hanging around in the way. I did make some progress by filling two boxes with stuff that's still useful but not valuable enough to bother to sell online. I'll need to go back and read some of the posts I missed. They're likely to inspire me to go do some more purging! If it can’t generate more than $30/item/lot, I don’t bother with selling online. I give it a week, and then it’s gone. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 We paper purged through a filing cabinet last week, going through end of year stuff and cleaning up odds and ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I am going to work on my closet today. I need to get rid of shoes that are inappropriate for my feet (biomechanics) and just acknowledge that life has changed and move on. I also need to dump some frump from my closet. I have been putting it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 13 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said: I am going to work on my closet today. I need to get rid of shoes that are inappropriate for my feet (biomechanics) and just acknowledge that life has changed and move on. I also need to dump some frump from my closet. I have been putting it off. OK, weird cautionary story. I got back PF more than once, crippling level of pain, lasting over a year each time, to the extent that I figured it was for life. Had to have arch support and usually cushy shoes with at least a low heel to manage. Almost threw away all my non arch support shoes. Got better in a fluky way. DEVELOPED AN EXTRUSION IN THE BOTTOM OF ONE ARCH. Could not bear arch support. Had to go back to my old shoes without it and seek others. Got cured by a chiro after a month. Started wearing arch support again. STARTED TO DEVELOP BUNIONS FROM THE ARCH SUPPORT TIPPING MY FEET TO ONE SIDE. Started wearing the most natural shoes I could find, and consciously changed gait to forefoot strike after reading up on options. So now I wear cushy shoes without arch support most of the time, but also wear arch support if my heels feel twinges. And if I had not kept my old shoes just in case, I would have needed to purchase 3-4 distinct shoe wardrobes, at great expense and very fast. Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 34 minutes ago, mom2scouts said: I've been going through things, but I'm back to my old dilemma. Should I just drop if off at the thrift store or make an effort to sell some of the nicer stuff? We have debt and I always feel like I should make the effort to sell stuff and pay down debt. OTOH, taking pictures, listing things, going back and forth with potential buyers, and meeting people while the stuff sits here doesn't help get the stuff out of the house quickly and can add more stress to the process. Even if I put a deadline for selling, there's still a lot of clutter just hanging around in the way. I did make some progress by filling two boxes with stuff that's still useful but not valuable enough to bother to sell online. I'll need to go back and read some of the posts I missed. They're likely to inspire me to go do some more purging! I’m in a Buy Nothing facebook group in my area. I offer stuff to give away, and also ask for other people’s offered things. I find it easier to give away things when I know I’m placing them with someone who is delighted to get them, and also I like the fact that I get exactly what I need this way, for free. I. *think* that people over time are more likely to pick requesters who are known to be generous, although that is not a requirement; so although I’m not ‘giving to get’ I do think that the fact that I’m giving is helping me be picked to get stuff. It might be worth looking for one of these in your area. Recent things I have received—a Tumi laptop backpack that I would NEVER have paid retail for but craved, and a fireplace tool set that is wrought iron and really exactly perfect for my big wood burning fireplace. A lot of the stuff is low budget but there are some really nice things put out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) My progress is going to be slow, because decluttering activates anxiety for me. I think it is because I have moved so many times, so when I start sorting through things, those stressful feelings just immediately flood back. So I avoid it or take baby steps. Baby steps is better than avoiding. DH also helps me some, because it's easier when I don't feel the whole burden is on me, but he also has other things he needs to spend his non-work time on. We're working on the front coat closet. I washed several too-small coats, and they are hanging to dry. Sometime this week, I will bag them up and get them out of here. A couple of them could go to the resale shop. I usually don't bother to try to sell things, but coats are probably worth it. I also have a collection of my mother's long wool winter dress coats. She loved them and had them in many colors. I don't wear them, but they were too expensive for us to donate them to GoodWill when we got rid of her other clothes years ago. I've been hanging onto them, in case my teen girls decide they want them, but I think that won't happen, and it's time to get rid of them. I want to take one of them to a consignment store and see whether it sells and how much I get back, and then I will decide whether to also do that with the rest of them. There are probably five or six coats of hers in my closet. Getting rid of them will create a bunch of room. DH sorted through the giant hat and mitten box, but it was just a quick job to match the things that match and create a basket of unmatched things. Still more to do with that job. I think we can get rid of a lot of it. The unmatched box I may hold onto for a bit, in case the missing gloves are hiding out somewhere, and then I will get rid of them. If I can make some progress on that this week, it will be a win. We started last week, and I didn't finish, because I was a little under the weather. Today, I will have the kids look at the snow pants to see if they still fit and have them look in their rooms for any other coats and jackets that are too small or that they don't wear. I have another load of outerwear to wash and dry. Edited January 20, 2020 by Storygirl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 DD14's IEP meeting is tomorrow. I have not been good at keeping all of the paperwork organized. I have a binder, but some of the stuff is just hanging out loose in there. Today and tomorrow, I will get rid of the old papers we don't need and will properly file her new IEP when I have a printed copy, so that her things will be in order for the next year. DS15 also has an IEP but has a pile of additional related documents that make his paperwork much more complicated than DD14's. I'm dreading going through his, so doing DD14's will be the practice run. I'm hoping that doing hers will seem like not a big deal after all, which will give me some gumption (hopefully) for tackling DS's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I'm in. I want to clear my basement and my office. They are both unbelievably overgrown. It's a big job that I want to chip away at, hoping to be done by June at the latest, ideally earlier. An intermediary goal is to have noticeable change by the time my grown-up kids come home for spring break. Before I do that, I have a bedroom that needs clearing as it is set up for a former foster child. This is already half done. I anticipate taking only a day or two to complete. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 I am going through sheets, blankets, and towels right now. I am struggling through it because I keep thinking, "We may be able to cut these towels up for cleaning" even though they are ripped up. Or, "I could use this blanket if we have 100 guests at once and need it." Sigh, you see my problem? 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 2 minutes ago, DawnM said: I am going through sheets, blankets, and towels right now. I am struggling through it because I keep thinking, "We may be able to cut these towels up for cleaning" even though they are ripped up. Or, "I could use this blanket if we have 100 guests at once and need it." Sigh, you see my problem? I like having one extra set of sheets for each size of bed in the house. That way when something nutsy happens we don’t have to resort to sleeping bags or wrapping up in a blanket or other less attractive options. Beyond that, no way—I do not keep them. Blankets are different. I have a light blanket, and a heavier comforter, for each bed. That gives me three combos for varying temperatures. I tend to donate old blankets to the homeless, just like sheets, but have a hard time giving up old comforters—I am not sure why. Re the towels, I dunno. They sure are handy at times. I would have a hard time releasing them, too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storygirl Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 When we moved last year, I still had 20 year old towels that we got for our wedding, that we no longer used but had kept "just in case." I finally got rid of the whole lot of them. I was buying some new towels for staging our house for the move anyway, so I had a new stash of older towels to replace the ones I got rid of. It's hard to know how many to keep around, but we have had a few instances when someone has had to grab extra towels to mop up a bunch of water. I would say to imagine how many towels you might use for a water emergency in your house. Save that many and get rid of the rest. I put the stack of old towels together on a designated shelf, so we know where to go to grab them, if needed. Get rid of the old sheets, unless you would use them on the beds that you have, as a spare set. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said: OK, weird cautionary story. I got back PF more than once, crippling level of pain, lasting over a year each time, to the extent that I figured it was for life. Had to have arch support and usually cushy shoes with at least a low heel to manage. Almost threw away all my non arch support shoes. Got better in a fluky way. DEVELOPED AN EXTRUSION IN THE BOTTOM OF ONE ARCH. Could not bear arch support. Had to go back to my old shoes without it and seek others. Got cured by a chiro after a month. Started wearing arch support again. STARTED TO DEVELOP BUNIONS FROM THE ARCH SUPPORT TIPPING MY FEET TO ONE SIDE. Started wearing the most natural shoes I could find, and consciously changed gait to forefoot strike after reading up on options. So now I wear cushy shoes without arch support most of the time, but also wear arch support if my heels feel twinges. And if I had not kept my old shoes just in case, I would have needed to purchase 3-4 distinct shoe wardrobes, at great expense and very fast. Just saying. Thanks, I do appreciate this. I've actually got erosive bone damage from rheumatoid arthritis in addition to PF, etc. There really isn't a "going back" for me on the issues that are demanding a wide toe box. I have held onto my cute heels, etc. for a couple of years as I've mourned the changes RA has brought me, but it's time to acknowledge reality and move on. I'm likely headed towards custom orthotics and some kick a$$ hiking boots to hide them for daily wear....which is a huge shift from my corporate suit days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Storygirl said: DD14's IEP meeting is tomorrow. I have not been good at keeping all of the paperwork organized. I have a binder, but some of the stuff is just hanging out loose in there. Today and tomorrow, I will get rid of the old papers we don't need and will properly file her new IEP when I have a printed copy, so that her things will be in order for the next year. DS15 also has an IEP but has a pile of additional related documents that make his paperwork much more complicated than DD14's. I'm dreading going through his, so doing DD14's will be the practice run. I'm hoping that doing hers will seem like not a big deal after all, which will give me some gumption (hopefully) for tackling DS's. This is a huge deal. Cheering you on! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 2 hours ago, DawnM said: I am going through sheets, blankets, and towels right now. I am struggling through it because I keep thinking, "We may be able to cut these towels up for cleaning" even though they are ripped up. Or, "I could use this blanket if we have 100 guests at once and need it." Sigh, you see my problem? This is a fear thing, at least it was for me. It was fear of not having enough when crisis came...and was rooted in growing up with very little. I keep 3 towels for cleaning up yucky wet messes (building a dam) until I can get the wet-vac going. I am always generating new worn-out towels, so it's not a big deal if I have to throw stuff away. Our local animal shelter is always looking for towels and blankets, fwiw. So is our local domestic violence shelter. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I did recently cut up an old ratty towel to make little rags.. It's been nice because some of them are one use and throw away (oily messes). Others are easy to throw in the laundry for re-use. I like that I'm getting more uses out of old towels. I still have too many towels though. I had new jersey type sheet set I bought but I never use the pillow cases (king sized) I cut them up and they make nice soft make up remover cloths. I've reused them for several months and now they look pretty awful (waterproof mascara doesn't seem to come off in the washing machine 😄). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 23 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said: Thanks, I do appreciate this. I've actually got erosive bone damage from rheumatoid arthritis in addition to PF, etc. There really isn't a "going back" for me on the issues that are demanding a wide toe box. I have held onto my cute heels, etc. for a couple of years as I've mourned the changes RA has brought me, but it's time to acknowledge reality and move on. I'm likely headed towards custom orthotics and some kick a$$ hiking boots to hide them for daily wear....which is a huge shift from my corporate suit days. Re. The wide toe box—have you looked at Altra running shoes? They have wide toe boxes in the manner of duck feet shapes, and are unbelievably cushy. Zero drop also. I absolutely adore my Altra Torins for packed dirt running AND for around town wear. They are awful in rocky areas though—no rock plate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyoffive Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I am down. Sent dh with donation things this morning. Going through 2 kid rooms and then bathroom storage. Getting rid of all the baby stuff. No more babies. I am also one that struggles with getting rid of things that I know still have value and I should sell. I always think have a garage sale. But you go through all that work and you don't make much. So I am just focusing on being generous. I hope people benefit from it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 We accomplished the shelf I mentioned upthread *and* our tea cabinet! Woot! Next dh is purging the junk on the floor of our room. He stashes stuff for later and it suddenly is everywhere. Animal shelters usually take old towels if they don't have holes. Thanks for this thread. I'm cheering all of you on...you can do it!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Woot, I got rid of a bunch of cookbooks AND I found my missing cookbook with the piroshki recipe AND I found my grandmother’s recipe for Swedish pancakes that I thought was lost forever AND I found the magazine with the fantastic recipe for ribeye steak with pink peppercorn sauce. Am still considering whether I really need some multiples of cookbooks in the same categories, but at least now they are organized together so I can pull out one category at a time to consider. (I really do have a LOT of cookbooks.) I think the gardening books will wait for another day. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
math teacher Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Question for those who shred a lot of stuff-do you find your shredder lasts longer if you break up the shredding over several days. Like shred a certain number of pieces per day? I would love to join you all, but it will have to wait til summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndGenHomeschooler Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Some work was done in our sunroom/office today. Most of the work was done by DH. I only helped a little. Scary really but he didn’t go crazy. I’ll have to get back in there and go through things again but some things were cleared out. The horticulture science experiments that my DD has left to die were cleared out, only things with a hint of promise were kept. Some papers were tossed but I’ll need to go through the whole filing cabinet and thin things out. The coat closet was cleaned out and some coats pulled out to toss or donate. It looks much better. I still haven’t made it back into the kitchen, which was my original goal. I’m happy that some purging is getting done though. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) About shredding documents, etc: some cities or police departments offer it once a year, check your local government's web pages. Some libraries have shredders for public use. "Old" towels, baby blankets, etc. as mentioned above, can be donated to animal shelters. Call them to see if they accept donations. I get frustrated with this house because when I get a set of sheets or blanket out to use, it smells kind of funky and I end up washing it before using it, even with storing some open bars of soap or dryer sheets in the closets, tucked between stacks of items. Started on my closet, pulled boxes out and found there are some things I do not need or want any longer. if you have gone through a life changing event (and I don't mean menopause-- but you can start there if you like, haha)-- things change and I feel like things that used to mean something to me no longer do. My biggest boo: the projects I had every intention of making and got most of the supplies together but haven't taken the time to work on or complete. A friend taught me a new saying: Prove it. If I really mean it, if I really want to get it done, put aside the time to work on it. Some of my clutter is from purchased projects/supplies, etc. that I will not give up on. I will allow myself to keep some of that. Sometimes when you are in the depth of cleaning a room and it is an absolute mess and you can't go on, it's okay. We know this, and some of us might need to feel it or read it, get the encouragement. Some of us might need to get a kick in the butt to get back to it. It's just stuff. A friend was getting rid of clutter from her parents' estate and said someone from a TV show bought an item she was trying to sell online because it fit the time frame decor (1970s) HAHA Edited January 23, 2020 by gaillardia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 4 hours ago, Math teacher said: Question for those who shred a lot of stuff-do you find your shredder lasts longer if you break up the shredding over several days. Like shred a certain number of pieces per day? I would love to join you all, but it will have to wait til summer. No, it doesn’t last longer *but* with our previous shredder it would overheat and have to cool down for 30 min. I try to shred no more than a bucket’s worth (12” stack of papers) a day, but if I am short on time, I totally will. I have shredded an entire cabinet’s worth of papers in a day. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I’ve made some progress on one of my high priority areas, which is planner stickers/supplies, but now I’m kind of at a stand still with reselling. People tend to gobble up $1.00 sticker sheets, but only when they are listed individually, and I do not have the time/patience for that! Fortunately, I know at least a half dozen Happy Planner freaks like me who are already in the same place every week, and I’m just going to give a bunch of stuff away. I’m bummed about the money lost, but that’s a learning lesson that I get out of decluttering. I want to quit buying crap that I’m clearly going to get less than full use out of! My kitchen is currently all purged except for 1 cabinet. It’s less impressive when I point out that I have a grand total of 7 cabinets (and 4 drawers), and most of them are tiny. Towels are a little bit of a hard thing for me because old, ratty ones come in handy for the dog. I am trying to keep an eye on how many we have for that purpose.But blankets are my weakness. I love all the blankets. On shredding - a cool down period is definitely necessary. I don’t know what it is about me, but I ALWAYS insist on pushing my shredder to its limit. I can’t seem to help myself.I may need help. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Musing: It is really interesting how many aspirational vegetarian diets / vegetarian focussed cookbooks I have, since I am not and will never be vegetarian. I have two raw food ones, several vegan/superfood ones, no less than 4 smoothie ones (in fairness, I do love smoothies, but I don't really follow recipes for them), and some general vegetarian ones. I'm not counting the single fruit ones for peaches, apricots, and strawberries--those are just sensible, given that I have fruit trees in the backyard and great farmers' markets in the immediate vicinity; nor am I counting the seasonal harvest ones, ditto. I picked these odd ones up over a period of time, and it was pretty wasteful really. I didn't truly realize how many I had until I put them all together. Anyway, I'm not going to let sunk cost stop me from getting rid of about 8 of them. Sigh. Also, I have a bunch of low fat ones that are fully sensible given that I had horrendous gall bladdar and subsequent fat intolerances for years, but have happily discarded that lifestyle once I could handle fat in my diet again. So those are mostly going, but at least I don't feel like their purchase was a waste. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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