The Purge thread......ALL are welcome!

[Brittany1116]

6 pairs kid shoes out today. 

[DawnM]

Yesterday:

I boxed up 4 boxes of toys, outgrown clothing, and toddler books A has outgrown and took them to a friend who has 8 grandchildren who could use them.

I sent 2 boxes and two old suitcases to the thrift store (DS took them for me)

We cut up old foam toppers that were in bad shape and put them in the trash

 

Today:

DS's futon is leaving the house

DH's desk needs to go somewhere, we can't fit it in the door!   It is still in the storage unit so we need to go collect it and take it somewhere

I am listing our headboard on FB marketplace today, it doesn't work in this house 

I am also listing a lovely set of parson's chairs and a small bistro table.   They are so cute but do not fit in our new house.   I can't have a lot of "just to look good" furniture pieces, we need things we actually use/need/etc....here.   

I will list our navy sofa.   We no longer have a 2nd living room to put it in.   (well, we do, but DH took it over as an office for now)

Adding this too:   I have 2 rather large boxes at the bottom of my stairs that no one has gone through.   It is all bathroom stuff, like shampoo, soaps, etc....from my kids' bathrooms in our old house.   I need to ask them what they want and toss the rest.   That should be fairly easy to do, I just keep forgetting to ask them.

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by DawnM

[sweet2ndchance]

Didn't get anything yesterday like I wanted too. Just too tired from our trip. Plus overwhelm from the shear amount of work I have ahead of me.

Today though I've already loaded the stuff and empty boxes that were in the mudroom in the back of dh's truck ready to go to the garbage bin and the burn pile.

Gotta get some more clutter out of our master bath and laundry room to load up. 

Unpack and do laundry and then do some clothes decluttering since we got some new clothes while we were vacation shopping.

And we will see where we go from there. lol

UPDATE:

Clutter gone from master bath and laundry room.

Got suitcases unpacked and put away and laundry going.

Got some major decluttering done in the master bedroom, just need to get it loaded up in the truck. 🙂 

Edited December 30, 2023 by sweet2ndchance

[Hyacinth]

I emptied my makeup drawer, which made me realize I need new makeup brushes, which led me down a YouTube rabbit hole for middle-aged makeup tips. So, yeah…a slow start to the Great Purge of 2024. 🤪 

Back at it this afternoon…

[BusyMom5]

I'll join!  I've already started ;)  Got one closet cleaned out this morning- the college kid.  She left at 8:30 and I jumped right in by pulling out the stuff she went through the last few days- think half-full boxes, things shoved here and there.  I consolidated her clothes into 2 boxes, moved other junk and just rearranged the stuff in there to make 2 shelves clear for DD12- she puts her PJs and undies in there because she uses that shower.  I also have space for coats!  I re-folded and organized the extra bedding in there- this closet us a hodge-podge of miscellaneous stuff!  Dorm stuff, boxes we will need when we move them back, etc.

Moved on to DD12s closet- Lord Help Me!!!!!  Threw out one bag of too little stuff, 2 sets of sheets that don't fit any bed and are crazy old.  One bag started for Goodwill.   Put up the summer clothes (in my defense it's been a warmer fall).  Overall I think this closet is about finished.  I may need to come back next week to weed out a bit more.

And next is my school closet 😬  Right now I've got 2 piles of books- donate/pitch and try to sell.  I pulled everything out and now I'm tired and hungry, so taking a break. 

[Melissa in Australia]

1 shirt into opshop bag. But was very unwell and spent the rest of the day in bed..too ill to even think.

Hopefully a better day today 

[*****]

You guys are doing great!  Just before Christmas, I donated a TRUNK full of items I bought through the years as small gifts to have on hand as well as like new items for a Santa Shop for victims of local fires. Who knew it would all add up to a trunk full!  A bed and bedspread was donated as well.  

Was also up in the middle of the night, so I worked on purging photos off my computer. Also working to organize them. 

Downsizing Christmas boxes and wrappings today. 

[BusyMom5]

I'm back already!  Had DD go through all the clothes again and we culled several more items that are too little or just don't fit well (different shapes than older sisters).  If she won't wear it, donate or toss!  

Then back to the homeschool closet- all school supplies and paper are organized.  I put the give away and sell piles neatly in the bottom of the closet and hope to get pics taken tomorrow so I can list them!  

My youngest says its her turn now- maybe another day!  I'm worn out and need to start dinner.  

Overall I got rid of 2+ bags of stuff plus several old textbooks no one will ever want.  I also reorganized my stuff- looks much better!  

[Melissa in Australia]

Went through 2 baskets of educational games.  1 thing for opshop bag

Sorted odd sock pile. 6 socks for the rubbish

Went through strappy scrap fabric basket. Sewed 12 strappy scrap blocks.

[sweet2ndchance]

Today's plan:

Get the truck unloaded from yesterday.

Get the rest of the clutter that wouldn't fit in the truck yesterday, loaded and then taken to the trash.

Then I think today I will tackle to porch which is piled with stuff that needs to go to the shed.

I might do some more decluttering in the master bedroom if I feel up to it. I stirred up too much dust yesterday in the master bedroom and gave myself an asthma attack. 😞 But at least the dust is gone now!

UPDATE:

Ugh! It's noon already here and I'm just not getting as much done as I had hoped.

Edited December 31, 2023 by sweet2ndchance

[DawnM]

On 12/28/2023 at 8:46 AM, Scarlett said:

Oh I would definitely let that go.  

🤠

On 12/28/2023 at 9:54 AM, Longtime Lurker said:

How does A feel about it? Would he rather have the bed or the space? However, if you are sure you should get rid of it, it may be better to present it to him as a done deal ("Look! This new bed will give you more space for your toys!).

He doesn't seem to care

On 12/28/2023 at 10:29 AM, PrairieSong said:

I'd get rid of the bed. Long ago (our kids are all adults) a woodworking friend surprised us with a handmade cradle for baby #5. It was gorgeous. However, we had a small house. I put it in the corner of our bedroom but couldn't rock it because it would bang the wall. The baby did sleep in it but when he outgrew it I gave it to a friend. We moved to a bigger house and had two more babies. We had a crib and portacrib and our babies slept in our bed most of the time anyway. 

I did gush over his handiwork when they gave it to us, and even said, "I can pass this on down to our kids when they grow up and have babies." In reality, the cradle was beautiful but impractical and none of our kids would have wanted it. Those friends moved away many years ago and we are not in contact with them. 

I think you can appreciate someone giving you something (whether it is specially intended for you, or just a hand-me-down) and not keep it forever.  You can keep the memory of the person giving it to you and be grateful. My thinking is colored by the fact that my parents kept every single gift (and card!) anyone ever gave them, and when they were gone it was an enormous clearing out job. YMMV

 

Thanks.   We had a dear friend in CA who made a gorgeous wood cradle.   He used it for his 3 girls but then it got passed around the Sunday School group and last they calculated, it was 20 babies who slept in it.   But I didn't have to keep it!

On 12/28/2023 at 11:26 AM, Toocrazy!! said:

If your son doesn’t want the bed. I’d get rid of it too. 

😝

On 12/28/2023 at 7:55 PM, katilac said:

I'd get rid of it and it would be an executive decision, lol. 

The space is needed. 

 

On 12/28/2023 at 9:12 PM, Longtime Lurker said:

Quoting myself to add: If moving and switching beds is too much for A at once, then wait. But don't keep the bed out of any sense of obligation to the friend who gave it to you. You can pass it on the same way she did.

He doesn't seem to care.   We will talk more soon, it isn't on my "do today" list, but it got me thinking.

[Carrie12345]

The past couple of days have been sort of purging, mostly organizing. I finally broke down all of the cardboard that was accumulated through the holidays and straightened up some of the garage, including tossing a few random things. Also straightened up some of the basement, as I’ve spent the last few months letting the kids put things “away” down there. 😣Found more cardboard to break down and uses for the few empty bins that were waiting for jobs.

We were supposed to entertain this evening, but that got cancelled. Now I can nosh and putter all day! Maybe my craft supplies will get whittled down and properly stored!

[DawnM]

Today:

1. Go through 10 boxes.   10 seems to be my limit before I get too overwhelmed. (got through 7)

2. Get the "donate" pile OUT of my house!   (not sure they are open today though, but they will at least go to the car).....in the car but not taken yet.

3. Get DH to take the Christmas stuff up to the attic since I have already gone through that.  DONE (all but the tree)

Edited January 2 by DawnM

[sweet2ndchance]

I'm not sure where to start today. I didn't get to the porch yesterday so I could do that but it's colder outside today than it was yesterday. 🙄

I don't want to work on my bedroom until dh's up. I don't want to wake ds by decluttering in the craft room which is right next to his room.

So I guess until everyone's up and it warms up a little outside I'll just look up decluttering and organizing stuff on Youtube and Pinterest. 🤣

 

[BusyMom5]

Got the storage area cleaned out- 2 bags of trash and a bunch if stuff for Goodwill packed in my car already.  One item I plan to sell.  

I need to do one more closet today if I can, we are starting school back.

[mommyoffive]

4 bags out to donation

[sweet2ndchance]

Stuff from the porch loaded in the truck to take to the shed after I take a break. It's still chilly out there but not downright cold like it was this morning! 👍

[DawnM]

My garage is packed now, the trash is full (and they dont' come until Friday!), and I am running out of places to put things.

[Melissa in Australia]

Had to go to closest large town for appointments and was hoping to go op shopping for all the goodies hopefully others had purged. But the op shops are all closed for a couple of weeks

[BusyMom5]

Did one more closet yesterday- got rid if 2 boxes if stuff, everything is loaded to take to Goodwill and some will go to a friend  today- i send her all my little girl clothes and I loveseeing pics of her DD in them.  Makes it so much easier to part with the adorable clothes!

[sweet2ndchance]

Slow start today. I have an appointment this afternoon so I'm not sure I'll get much done today.

I think I'll go unload the truck so maybe I can get more loaded in there before my appointment.

[Toocrazy!!]

Reading for inspiration! DH did a cabinet and gave away about 20 of his land management books. Have played ping pong on the cleaned off table several times:) 

[mum]

I threw away ALL of the take-out condiment packets in the fridge. I'm sure some were 3 years old. We only get Costco pizza (Parmesan cheese packets) or In n Out (ketchup packets) but they took up a whole section in the door of the fridge. Dh will not be happy but he'll get over it. 

 

It felt SO good. A fresh start. 

I took 3 boxes to craft thrift store. I sold an item on FB marketplace and listed several more. I gave away 25 items on Buy Nothing. 

[mommyoffive]

8 bags of trash out yesterday. 

[Melissa in Australia]

1 huge garbage bag of rubbish from twin 1 room. But I really can't count it as purging.  I help him do this just about every week. He is a horder of cardboard. And once he has it in his room he cuts it up and makes huge piles with it. 

 

3 things into opshop bag

[Annie G]

I’m feeling pretty discouraged. I’ve been decluttering and purging for days and have invited dh to contribute…so far not a single item has he deemed unnecessary. 
It feels good to pare my things down, but I do wish he’d join in and get rid of something…anything. I know that from his perspective it’s also annoying…why do I want to get rid of things?  I’m trying really hard to not leave our kids a ton of useless crap.

[Melissa in Australia]

2 minutes ago, Annie G said:

I’m feeling pretty discouraged. I’ve been decluttering and purging for days and have invited dh to contribute…so far not a single item has he deemed unnecessary. 
It feels good to pare my things down, but I do wish he’d join in and get rid of something…anything. I know that from his perspective it’s also annoying…why do I want to get rid of things?  I’m trying really hard to not leave our kids a ton of useless crap.

I hae leaned over the years that I can only be responsible for sorting my belongings, not DH things. If he wants his shed to look like an episode of hoarders could be filmed in it than that isn't my problem.  And he has learner that I like a clean house. If he dropped a "almost clean" shirt on the floor. Well it gets put on the laundry by me. .. no argument on almost clean things not needing washing are necessary.  Basically we have found a sort of harmony 

[Annie G]

1 hour ago, Melissa in Australia said:

I hae leaned over the years that I can only be responsible for sorting my belongings, not DH things. If he wants his shed to look like an episode of hoarders could be filmed in it than that isn't my problem.  And he has learner that I like a clean house. If he dropped a "almost clean" shirt on the floor. Well it gets put on the laundry by me. .. no argument on almost clean things not needing washing are necessary.  Basically we have found a sort of harmony 

Completely agree, and this is also our method. But I can also be frustrated that his ‘stuff’ is creeping into space that I would like to use. 

[DawnM]

This past week I got rid of a futon that DS didn't want anymore.   

Yesterday I got 4 large boxes ready for donation and 4 large boxes ready to toss.   I am trying not to bring things into the house that I am 100% positive I don't want/need/have room for.   That may mean the garage is fuller longer, but it just makes the most sense to me.

Today I will go through some more boxes and hopefully list the furniture I plan to get rid of and list it in the Buy Nothing group.   Someone may be coming for the car bed today, we will see.

[Ottakee]

I have a huge pile at the end of the hallway to donate.  Several boxes and bags and still some in piles.

Just waiting to see if my favorite place to donate (a ministry to hurting women) is going to be open today.  We have had winter storms the past 3 days and schools are all closed again today.

[mommyoffive]

Got rid of a ton of toys and clothes this weekend.

[Melissa in Australia]

I have 2 paper shopping bags ready to be dropped off to the op shop

[Hyacinth]

Purge 2024 is well underway here. I’ve cleaned out the drawers and cabinets in our bathroom, the linen closet, and a couple shelves and the catch-all corner  in the garage. Took several items to the consignment shop, dropped off a bunch of blankets/sheets to a local rescue group, and posted a few things for free on our neighborhood FB page, all of which were picked up off my porch within a couple hours. WooHoo!

 

[TexasProud]

On 12/27/2023 at 1:48 PM, DawnM said:

Yesterday I found a wall hanging cross stitch that a dear friend had made for us for our wedding.   It said the date we got married and then was cross stitched in mauves and light blues......mid 90s.   I have absolutely no use for it as the style is outdated, etc....

Toss?  Take the cross stitch out of the frame and toss the frame?   Take a picture of it and toss the entire thing?

First of all, I love this thread!  I will participate when I can when I am home.

I have something similar.  I think I am going to take it out of the frame and put it in my cedar chest.  I will add to the document I made for the cedar chest that explains what the item is and why it means something to me.  I cleaned out my cedar chest and took out the old baby/toddle clothes and made a box for each of the kids of their outfits, so that I had room for some stuff I got when I cleaned out mom's house like the navy uniform my grandfather wore in WWII.  I realized that they would have no idea what half the stuff in my box was, so I created the document so they would know when I was gone. It has some of my mom's jewelry in it as well.

[TexasProud]

Hey, I am curious.  I have various sets of silver and yes, I believe most of it is real silver, though some is silver-plated from my grandmother and great grandmother and maybe farther back.  It is various mismatched items and some is in a case, others are just in a ziplock bag. I have tons of my dad's what do you call them, they held the cuffs of the sleaves together, and tie pins and various rings and such. 

They have been sitting in my attic for years because I have no clue what to do with them.

[DawnM]

5 hours ago, TexasProud said:

Hey, I am curious.  I have various sets of silver and yes, I believe most of it is real silver, though some is silver-plated from my grandmother and great grandmother and maybe farther back.  It is various mismatched items and some is in a case, others are just in a ziplock bag. I have tons of my dad's what do you call them, they held the cuffs of the sleaves together, and tie pins and various rings and such. 

They have been sitting in my attic for years because I have no clue what to do with them.

Cuff links is what they are called.   I found some of my dad's too.   It is really up to you.   My mom had TONS of costume jewelry and wore it all the time, so after she passed away, I made two framed pictures with her jewelry.   I looked at Pinterest for ideas.

My dad, in his later years, wore bolo ties.   They had retired in Arizona and that is all he wore for years.   I haven't decided what to do with those yet, but when I was going through his things, that is the one thing I couldn't put in the donate pile.