Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2  (Read 1249481 times)

oneday

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1550 on: November 04, 2018, 10:50:29 AM »
@joonifloofeefloo , love your lists as always!  Thanks for sharing.

@Nancy I just read that one too!  I liked her methods, I know a couple people it could help if they wanted it/were ready for that.  However, the one sticking point I found for myself, and this could be hard for certain people who hold on to things for emotional reasons, is that the 2 questions will determine the permanant future of an object.  Sometimes I'm just not ready to make that decision and that's why I still have an item.   But if (or when) I/one were ready to clean up, those are excellent questions.  I never thought about it that way, so that was cool and eye-opening to get her take on the subject.

@Bracken_Joy: ABD.  Always Be Decluttering :)  Decluttering while moving/packing helped in my case too.  And I think you'll find when you get into your new space that certain things will & won't work there, so more decluttering is probably in your future.

@Sugaree such a great result to your ebay listing!  Happy for you!

@mspym it's definitely the right time for culling hoisery that you won't use! :)

@Nederstash excellent redirect!


This morning I decided to rearrange my bedroom a bit.  Doing so showed me that I can put the dry erase pens and thumb tacks in my nightstand (now that it's on the same side of the room as the white board & cork board), and I'm almost ready to admit that I have an extra book case.  The only thing on it is my printer, which could go elsewhere (easily found 2 places).  For now, I'll settle into this new arrangement, enjoying the lack of office supplies on bedroom surfaces.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1551 on: November 04, 2018, 04:35:41 PM »
@oneday Nice work rearranging your space! I see what you mean about the book's decluttering questions. I think the questions are designed to force a decision, especially if you have to get rid of something else to house the item. I could definitely see that being a roadblock.

Today, I got rid of a no-longer waterproof raincoat, a shirt with a ratty collar, and two pairs of pants that don't fit. I couldn't believe I still had those. I also went through all of our gardening stuff and donated/composted it all (minus one growing lamp that I think I'll try and sell). I also found a location to donate one of my bikes.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1552 on: November 04, 2018, 05:55:03 PM »
@Frankies Girl Share away, the easy and difficult. This is a space for that.

Today, I sorted throughout my vitamin/drug stash and got rid of a few bottles.

FreelanceToFreedom

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1553 on: November 05, 2018, 11:42:58 AM »
I'm in the process of getting rid of 95% of my possessions. It's stressful at times but mostly feels good every time I get rid of something. We're preparing to travel full time for the next year or two, so pretty much selling/donating everything that we don't want to lug around the world, save for a box or two of sentimental stuff.

Also, I learned recently that nobody uses Craigslist any more, at least not in my area. I was trying to sell stuff for weeks on CL with little response. Turns out, everyone uses Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, etc. I've sold maybe 10 items in the 2 weeks using these platforms, and so far people are a lot less flaky that Craigslisters ever were!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1554 on: November 05, 2018, 02:42:04 PM »
Dropped off a few things at a Thanksgiving donation drive that I wasn't going to use.

I also recently finished reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life, and while my clutter issue isn't in remotely the same class as what she describes, I did find some things in her approach helpful.  Particularly the advice to always start from the most visible spaces, and that it's ok to grieve when 'decluttering dreams,' as she put it.  It does hurt to give up the image of ourselves doing something we've always thought we would do, and it's ok and necessary to allow space for that grieving process.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1555 on: November 06, 2018, 05:25:52 AM »
@FreelanceToFreedom Nice work! I hadn't heard of OfferUp. Thanks for the tip. We're also getting rid of our stuff so we can travel for a year or two. Good luck!

Today: Dropped off items to donate. I started a new bag and have put in a few items (2 pashmina scarves), but now I'm getting to the point where all the easy stuff is gone. I know I have to get rid of more stuff because I don't want to end up storing it.  On the bright side, my apartment is looking great!
« Last Edit: November 06, 2018, 11:46:46 AM by Nancy »

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1556 on: November 06, 2018, 06:35:04 AM »
Everyone is doing such an AWESOME JOB! Inspiring!

I recently deleted my Facebook account (OMG what a weight lifted off my shoulders, such a depressing place) so I don't have the option of FB Marketplace, but I certainly do need to check out OfferUP for resale. 
I have had good luck with Ebay and might try PoshMark soon too.  I kind of hate the name 'PoshMark' which is the dumbest reason to have not tried it before... but it's like nails on a chalkboard.  Posh... :::Shudder:::
LOL.  Will try.

-----------------------------------------------

My personal Declutter Update:

I found the coffee grinder I had been hunting for to give away and I ended up filling up the rest of a box in order to donate more items.  Yay!
I have a brand new box of large well made casters that I was "saving" to upcycle a piece of furniture in the future... but that's a SERIOUSLY VAGUE plan, so they probably need to go. 
I also tossed in a planter I had bought because it was cheap yet I never really liked it, some kitchen stuff, and a few hats and scarves for the incoming cold weather.

I worked on my 'List of Everything That I Own' and it's going well so far.

I found a rectangular Tupperware container (like one of the ones that would hold a meal prep, not the big casserole ones...) of old family photos and got a little frozen. 
I didn't get rid of any, but organized them a little bit neater. 
I also found the old coins that my grandmother would gift to me every year as a child - at some point my dad meticulously labeled them each (she'd just give them to me in a paper envelope for my birthday) and mailed them to me as an adult. 

Someday I'll look up the value of each, sell them, and keep one that I particularly like... or use that cash to buy a memorial type piece of jewelry to remember my grandma (she's still alive) but today was not that day.

I found a little mini photo album of my first childhood dog that my mom had made for me when he passed away (when I was around 13). 
I've kept it all these years and I don't think I plan on getting rid of it.  I might scale it down to my favorite 5 photos or something and then use the rest of the album to move the old family photos (some) into. 
Not there yet though, I still had THE FEELS (light cry) when I looked through it.  He was such a good dog.

My sentimental items take up about one office binder's worth of space, but it still stresses me a little that I have so many. 
The old family photos I may start mailing out to my relatives randomly. 
My dad has 6 sisters, so I have approx. 7,900,000 cousins that I don't even really know. 
A lot of them are sort of deadbeat-ish, but I also don't know them much and shouldn't judge... I'd just hate to mail them a 100 year old photo and have them just throw it away.

I'm big on rituals when getting rid of something sentimental. 

Ideas?

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1557 on: November 06, 2018, 06:44:53 AM »

My sentimental items take up about one office binder's worth of space, but it still stresses me a little that I have so many. 
The old family photos I may start mailing out to my relatives randomly. 
My dad has 6 sisters, so I have approx. 7,900,000 cousins that I don't even really know. 
A lot of them are sort of deadbeat-ish, but I also don't know them much and shouldn't judge... I'd just hate to mail them a 100 year old photo and have them just throw it away.

I'm big on rituals when getting rid of something sentimental. 

Ideas?

My mom is the keeper of all things old for her family of 8 siblings, so she has a TON of the old photos, starting from the mid/late 1800s.  She's scanned the majority of them and actually uploaded a lot of them to Ancestry tagged to her family tree.  Yes, she pays for it, but now other people who are related to her who are also interested in family history have access to the pictures as well.  She hasn't actually gotten rid of any of the physical pictures yet, but it might help you feel like you can get rid of some of the more recent ones, or at least store them somewhere secure that you don't need to have easy physical access to.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1558 on: November 07, 2018, 12:28:39 PM »

I worked on my 'List of Everything That I Own' and it's going well so far.


ooh----I have wanted to do this!
So cool that you are working on it. I had an idea to do micro-illustrations to go with the list but of course..this is a huge time-commitment. Maybe in the new year once we have finished our year of No-Shopping and truly have less belongings :)

We just took another box to the thrift store

-some athletic shoes my SO was given that he didn't like
-a button-up shirt and t-shirt that I gave him that he didn't love
-more books
-a weird wood & metal thing that my father gave us at Christmas..we didn't even know what it was for, maybe a BBQ?

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1559 on: November 07, 2018, 02:51:51 PM »
Found another box of random junk in the basement.   The pile in the garage is getting bigger.  The basement closet fits all the patio furniture cushions. Yessssss.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1560 on: November 07, 2018, 03:23:59 PM »
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1561 on: November 07, 2018, 03:52:14 PM »
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.

Lol! I should have given all my career change books to old work! Including "if it wasn't for the money I wouldn't be doing this" about how to get by when you hate your job.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1562 on: November 07, 2018, 07:04:20 PM »
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.

Lol! I should have given all my career change books to old work! Including "if it wasn't for the money I wouldn't be doing this" about how to get by when you hate your job.

I looked that up- gosh it's hard to source! ONE COPY on Abebooks!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1563 on: November 07, 2018, 07:18:36 PM »
Added The Communist Manifesto, Life and Work: Rethinking Economic Man and I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was to the workplace lending library.

Lol! I should have given all my career change books to old work! Including "if it wasn't for the money I wouldn't be doing this" about how to get by when you hate your job.

I looked that up- gosh it's hard to source! ONE COPY on Abebooks!

I got it from a second hand shop... Had no idea it was so rare, it's not a bad book. It had tips for toxic colleagues and how to make people like you (bring food).

Yasha

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1564 on: November 08, 2018, 03:49:23 AM »
Took two enviro bags of donations that have been accumulating over the last three months to the drop-off. Donated a veggie steamer thing for a pot we no longer have. Was going to donate a big terranium jar that I haven’t planted yet but second guessed myself at the last moment and put it aside to think about for a while. Everyone is going greatguns!

Roadrunner53

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1565 on: November 08, 2018, 04:05:41 AM »
Have around 11 giant garbage bags going to Vietnam Vets Tomorrow. They will come to the house to pick the stuff up. I told my friend about another boat load of stuff leaving my house and she said "wow, your house must be almost empty by now". Hahahahaha, not even close! Two people, no kids and a house ready to explode! Where did all this crap come from? I keep bagging up the stuff and getting rid of it but there is still more and more and more!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1566 on: November 08, 2018, 12:59:24 PM »
-Donated a suit jacket to Dress for Success over the weekend
-Repurposed an old poster board for a kid school project, vs buying new
-In my continuing attempts to try on something I haven't worn in a long time every day, & either wear it or donate, found another shirt to add to the donation pile. Apparently, I optimistically thought that, some day, I'd wear patterns. Nope.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1567 on: November 08, 2018, 01:41:34 PM »
I appreciate the support. The whole "desperately wanted kids/of course can't have them through any possible means - and yes, we tried everything, multiple times, including what you're about to helpfully suggest" thing has changed the entire fabric of my existence. When there is no one to save things for, it changes your whole outlook on the intrinsic value/need of your stuff.

I spent a few days sorting and then shredding old photos I took from middle and high school - just dumb kid stuff. I also have a huge amount of family photos of parents/sibling/family stuff that I guess need to be mailed back to my sibling, since I'm a dead branch so they'll just get pitched out eventually if I don't give them to the "fertile" branch of our family. It was another sobering, sobbing thing realizing that no one is going to care about keeping stupid old photos of me as a kid, no one will care or remember me after I'm gone anyway, so why save any of them? My sibling barely acknowledges me anyway and sibling's kid literally doesn't know me - I'd be surprised if kid even knows my last name. Husband is an only child. We're not close to any family at all... so everything is going to be left to strangers (charity) and our personal junk is likely going to be trashed if they can't sell it.

Husband is contacting his old high school to find out about donating his yearbooks. He doesn't really want them, so I suggested asking if they wanted them before tossing them into a recycle or donating.

We're supposed to go tomorrow to dump a huge amount of old toys/comics/books. Actually should be getting a bit of $ for it as there are things like Star Wars toys in decent condition, some collectable stuff that is actually worth money, just needed to wait til after the shop in question finished a big sale so they were willing to buy what we had to replenish their stock.

We're going to be sitting on a pretty large amount of Halloween decorations until next summer, unless I get antsy to dump more of it before then. But likely that would mean they'll be thrown away and I haven't reached the point of being comfortable with "perfectly good stuff" being trashed and we do have the space to store the items so we'll be hanging in there for a bit longer.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1568 on: November 08, 2018, 02:34:17 PM »
Frankie, I had NO idea you were in the same boat as me. We're not at the end of the line, yet, but there's not a whole lot between us and it. Once you get through an IVF round and everything is genetically abnormal, your chances aren't looking good anymore =\ I'm giving it one more try though. But I just wanted to say... I just so, so deeply and sadly and bone achingly get it. And I wish no one else was going through this shit, but since there are, I'm glad I can connect with a kickass human like yourself.


-Listed bedframe and mattress on FB marketplace for a low price and had takers (had none through buy nothing, ironically). So that'll be going tomorrow.
-Sold our gorilla shelves that won't fit well/we don't need to our new building's maintenance guy for $20 for the two of them. Made a little, didn't need to transport them, cultivated some good will. Wins all around.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1569 on: November 08, 2018, 04:44:22 PM »
Tomorrow 11 giant garbage bags out the door. Vietnam Vets will do a pick up between 8 am and 5 pm. We are due to get rain in the afternoon so I hope they come early. So much good stuff leaving my house. Kind of feel sad to give it up but none of it has been used in years...I hope it makes someone happy! We have probably given 50 bags to Vietnam Vets so far not to mention dumpsters, donating to Goodwill and selling stuff on ebay. OMG, where does this stuff come from? Still have tons of crap to get rid of! Just two people with no kids!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1570 on: November 08, 2018, 05:04:14 PM »
Way to go, Roadrunner53!!!!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1571 on: November 08, 2018, 07:24:47 PM »
I've been away from this thread for too long, and now moving day is in sight so I've got to get going on clearing out the clutter.  I've dropped off a big car load of donation items, and have a lot more to go including some furniture, speakers, old TV, tons of boxes of left over garage sale stuff and clothing to clear out.  It's going to be an interesting ride.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1572 on: November 08, 2018, 07:43:13 PM »

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1573 on: November 08, 2018, 10:27:25 PM »
This thread is so motivating! I went through my stationary drawer and got rid of random paper, some pens that no longer work and corroded paper clips.

I also donated dropped of a small bag of clothing at a thrift store. I posted a few free items online and should have them gone by the weekend.


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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1574 on: November 09, 2018, 02:05:32 AM »
Yesterday donated a box of surplus office supplies to the village school.  Today taking a box of bits and pieces from my mother's house (she died nearly 4 years ago) to my brother - a nice chance to get together for a country pub lunch.

Apart from too much old paperwork and the disaster which is the spare bedroom the house is looking and feeling pretty good.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1575 on: November 09, 2018, 09:37:51 AM »
I finally got rid of my old torn up gardening sneakers. (Thank you for your service; you were brilliant.) Also donated school supplies and some just in case sewing supplies, among other things. Some posts ago, I listed jobs to tackle, and I'm happy to say I've done them all. Today, I'm walking my bikes over to the donation place where teens learn how to fix bikes and work their way toward owning one of the donated bikes. I'm stoked!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1576 on: November 09, 2018, 09:47:21 AM »
Giant bag going to goodwill.
This has gotten harder for me to do now that we aren't itemizing our taxes. I feel like I should save it all for a year that we do (we think we will every 3 years now due to our DAF.)

I tried to sell a few of the things in it, but it is barely worth the time. :(

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1577 on: November 09, 2018, 11:49:53 AM »
Love this thread!

Six items to the donation bin today:
-1 shirt that I never wear
-3 maxi dresses (too small)
-1 race shirt (too small)
-1 gaming item I received at a conference & never used

Now that I have a bit of momentum, I may open the doors to the boys room. It's always so frightening to see what lurks in the rooms of an 11 & 12 year old!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1578 on: November 09, 2018, 12:03:03 PM »
Did a walk-through of my house and then my charity drop off this morning. Only had a small box, along with some boxes and some unsalvagable furniture to the dump. Apart from books and clothes I think I'm pretty much done decluttering! Organized some stuff and cleaned. Every drawer and cupboard gives me a peaceful feeling. I love it.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1579 on: November 09, 2018, 12:11:52 PM »
We just got an energy audit done on our house and the biggest energy saving thing we can do is insulate the basement walls.  That will entail pulling everything away from the walls of the basement.  Which is 75% devoted to storage.  This will be a massive opportunity to declutter.  I will have to be ruthless about not putting stuff back after.  I think we will tackle that project next summer.  Trying to decide if I should try to de-clutter first so that there is way less stuff to take off the shelves and out of the closets or just let it stay there for now and shame myself with the craziness of the amount when we go to put it back?

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1580 on: November 09, 2018, 12:41:21 PM »
Did a walk-through of my house and then my charity drop off this morning. Only had a small box, along with some boxes and some unsalvagable furniture to the dump. Apart from books and clothes I think I'm pretty much done decluttering! Organized some stuff and cleaned. Every drawer and cupboard gives me a peaceful feeling. I love it.

What a superb feeling--congrats!!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1581 on: November 09, 2018, 12:42:15 PM »
We just got an energy audit done on our house and the biggest energy saving thing we can do is insulate the basement walls.  That will entail pulling everything away from the walls of the basement.  Which is 75% devoted to storage.  This will be a massive opportunity to declutter.  I will have to be ruthless about not putting stuff back after.  I think we will tackle that project next summer.  Trying to decide if I should try to de-clutter first so that there is way less stuff to take off the shelves and out of the closets or just let it stay there for now and shame myself with the craziness of the amount when we go to put it back?

I'd definitely start decluttering, so there's less stuff to put on the shelves. Sounds like a great opportunity to declutter!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1582 on: November 09, 2018, 01:47:27 PM »
Started a new donation bag. Decluttered a camping bathroom bag thing with a hook to hang up in the shower... I’d been putting off decluttering it for ages because it would mean I would have to empty it out and in my mind that was an impossible task. Opened it up and the entire contents were 4 individually wrapped tampons and a necklace I wore once and am never going to wear again. Donated the necklace, set aside the tampons until I make contact with the women’s shelter and find out if they take half-open boxes. I remember watching an interview with homeless women once and over and over they requested tampons not pads... it really stuck with me, and now I no longer need them it seems so wrong to throw them away.

Other than that found a weird card holder thing that is meant to stick to the back of your phone and donated that. The donation bag itself is a backpack I don’t want and I saw something on Hubbys desk that I think I can donate I just need to check with him first.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1583 on: November 09, 2018, 05:06:15 PM »
Did a walk-through of my house and then my charity drop off this morning. Only had a small box, along with some boxes and some unsalvagable furniture to the dump. Apart from books and clothes I think I'm pretty much done decluttering! Organized some stuff and cleaned. Every drawer and cupboard gives me a peaceful feeling. I love it.

Nice. I'm not very far off that if I don't open Hubby's drawers ;)

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1584 on: November 09, 2018, 11:03:57 PM »
Combining the Gazingus Pin and Clutter threads, I went through my stash today and put all the material I am never ever going to make into clothes into the donation pile, along with any patterns that I am never ever going to make. I live in Sydney, I don't need woolen skirts and once I live in a country that might need them, I'm not going to need work suitable clothes anymore. Similarly, the peppermint striped material that I thought would make a sundress? Is 100% artificial fibers and will be disgusting in the heat! The iridescent olive green taffeta with a dark olive plaid? Even if I made it up, I would never ever wear it. All these fantasy outfits provided a GREAT DEAL of enjoyment to me when I was picturing making them, and now someone else gets to have them.

I also went through the repair pile and mended my perfect linen dress and my favourite shirt, so they are back in the closet and accepted that I am never turning my $12 wedding dress [white linen Laura Ashley!] from the Vinnies into a shirt or work out how to make one shirtdress less inexplicably frumpy. Into the donation pile they go!

I officially abandoned all of my WIP that I have made no progress on in 1 calendar year, and now I can fit all my fabric into the one storage box. It feels great. And now I have cut out a new pattern {kwik sew 3232} and wil be making it up in sea blue linen from the duvet set we bought at Ikea that we didn't like sleeping on.

Lastly, I turned one of my old teeshirts into a plaid rope chew toy for Honey and she loves playing tug of war with it.




RetiredAt63

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1585 on: November 10, 2018, 08:17:03 AM »
We just got an energy audit done on our house and the biggest energy saving thing we can do is insulate the basement walls.  That will entail pulling everything away from the walls of the basement.  Which is 75% devoted to storage.  This will be a massive opportunity to declutter.  I will have to be ruthless about not putting stuff back after.  I think we will tackle that project next summer.  Trying to decide if I should try to de-clutter first so that there is way less stuff to take off the shelves and out of the closets or just let it stay there for now and shame myself with the craziness of the amount when we go to put it back?

Declutter now.  It will be easier to move everything away from the walls.  When you put back what is left you will find more to declutter.  I've done serious decluttering before every move, and still moved stuff that then got donated.  It's like peeling an onion, there is another layer once the first layer is gone.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1586 on: November 10, 2018, 09:32:00 AM »
Two votes for continuing to de-clutter and none for taking a break.  I think I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the task but you folks buck me up in just the right way.  Resolve renewed. 


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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1587 on: November 10, 2018, 10:08:32 AM »
@mspym I'm impressed! Not only did you declutter your stash, you also got some projects done. Good on ya!

I donated fabric to a cool second-hand art supply store in my neighborhood. I can't believe that fabric survived three moves. I had already used what I needed from it years ago. Silly.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2018, 03:40:42 PM by Nancy »

Linea_Norway

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1588 on: November 10, 2018, 11:35:34 AM »
A small ting. I threw away a photo album containing 5 photos or so. It was supposed to document Norwegian buildings in past times. But we never added more than the few first photos. Also, the album had been in a box when the cellar flooded and was water damaged. It has been laying on the floor of the garage for the last year or two.

horsepoor

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1589 on: November 10, 2018, 03:30:38 PM »
I finally took a big box of clothes and randomness to the thrift store.  Bonus that I got DH to get rid of a stack of dress shirts and ties he hasn't worn in years.

Yesterday I gave a bunch of jars to a friend who's been getting into canning.  I also passed on a basket from our old fridge that I could never find a good place for (delivered some of the jars to her in the basket).

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1590 on: November 10, 2018, 04:34:35 PM »
Dusting some stuff in the house today and found 3 things to donate. One was a vase someone gave me that I never put any flowers into. One is a personalized cookie jar for a dog that we had that is deceased for many years and then some decorative candle thing someone gave me that I never used. All of it was collecting dust. Just got rid of 10 bags to Vietnam Vets on Friday. Now it begins again! More STUFF to get rid of! Stuff is like mushrooms in my house!

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1591 on: November 10, 2018, 05:39:35 PM »
Brought another truck load from the house to the apartment. This is a tough one. Lots to go through. Lots of emotional processing, too. I finally had Husband load the high chair and stroller in to be donated. That was a blow, but there's no attic to hide them in anymore. Haven't talked myself into getting rid of the clothes and cloth diapers yet, so we'll see there.

Influx was mainly decor items though. First pass I unloaded all the "easy" items, put all the things that were clear give aways into the donation box, and currently have 3 "hard" boxes to get back to. Now we're hanging art, and anything that doesn't make it up we'll get rid of.

Hardest part of all this is my mom had given me a lot of family items. We had a house, they downsized and moved far away, it made sense to 'pass the torch' in a way. But, life had other plans. So a lot of items have to be stored a couple months until we drive the nearly 1500 miles for Christmas and return it all.

A lot of this is harder than expected. Glad I bought some whiskey. Lol.

Even having to declutter a bottle of wine I had been saving for a long time with sentimental value. It got far too cold, so it should be consumed now =( Probably for the best. Clean start for everything. Husband and I will open it together tonight and try to savor it. Hopefully it's not vinegar now ;)

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1592 on: November 10, 2018, 06:07:30 PM »
I love my personal home shredder for the tiny bits I like to do daily. 3-5 documents, maybe 30 on an exciting day. Backlog -the build up from years, or from a massive project- I like to get to a shredding company, out, done.

I'm way behind on this thread - I get discouraged because I have to get approval to get rid of almost anything.

Anyway: Shredding!

I'm pleased with the personal shredder we got from Costco some years ago. Occasionally oil the blades, occasionally remove stuck bits from the teeth. Works great for the everyday mail sorting type shredding.

For bigger shred sessions (old files) - I usually take a pile into work and use the industrial shredder.

Edit: I have decluttered my desk :)- shredded/filed/tossed a fair stack of documents, verified gift cards were zeroed and disposed, consolidated the "to do" list.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2018, 07:29:05 PM by TomTX »

Yasha

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1593 on: November 10, 2018, 08:14:42 PM »
A ‘dress up’ shirt, the cozy bolaro I wore over my wedding dress a year ago, my formal dress from year 12 (8 years ago) plus the matching bow tie, all into the donation bag. I feel like we have too many big plates, so put all the chipped ones into a bag under the bed while I decide if that means we have too few. If we don’t miss them by after Christmas they will go too. Trying to drink down some of my tea stash - finished a sample pack yesterday, moving onto another sample pack today.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1594 on: November 10, 2018, 09:39:03 PM »
Doing a huge wardrobe clearout, plus a heap of baby things. One big surprise is EIGHT great quality bras in a size I haven't been for years - probably the only time in my life I've owned eight bras in one size?! Such luxury. Luckily a friend thinks they'll fit her so they're going to a good home.

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1595 on: November 10, 2018, 10:11:46 PM »
So.

I'm thinking in the next week of donating something I used to think I'd have til I died... my grandparents had this wacky GIANT round mirror in their house and when they died, I ended up with it. All I know about it is that it was once a barbershop mirror back in the 40s or 50s and my granddad somehow ended up with it (he was not a barber - no idea). It is like 4 foot round, small bevel, nothing to really look at other than the sheer size of it. It has 4 basic clips that are screwed into a heavy wooden frame and the whole thing likely weighs something like 30 pounds and there are a few tiny chips in the edge and it's got some very very minor silvering specks happening. And the clips themselves always look like it's about to slip the frame and fall - I can see the edge of the wood frame back at the top. I got so paranoid for about 6 months it wasn't even on a wall as I wanted to get it looked at and then just said screw it and put it back up, but it give me butterflies still seeing it hanging up and thinking about what a godawful mess it would make and all the cat blood that would result from it crashing down as the only room it can go in is the "cat/craft room" where we keep the litterboxes (we have 5 cats. I am a sucker for a sob story stray).

So no one is going to know if I donate it. It's not like it's an heirloom that someone will rise up from their grave and there's no secret compartment or anything. I think someone that is into modern/clean lines and mirrors would really love it, but I just don't really want to deal with it any more. I keep thinking about the bother and expense of getting it remounted and for all of that, I could go BUY a beautiful, well framed and even antique mirror if I really, really had to have one again.

So can I get rid of it?


HappierAtHome

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1596 on: November 10, 2018, 10:16:28 PM »
You had me at "cat blood".

There is someone out there who will LOVE it and cherish it and make it the centrepiece of their favourite room.

TomTX

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1597 on: November 11, 2018, 04:48:55 AM »
My battle at the moment is not letting Ofpym derail my progress- he keeps saying "oh I'll read that" when I create a book pile. MY DUDE YOU WON'T BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.

My hubby does the exact same thing. He has read about 4 books in the last five years and all except one of those were biography type books related to his hobby in the last few yrs. He doesn't even read articles he's saved. Maybe in retirement... :/

If my Dad is any indication.... it won't happen. He has unopened boxes of books, articles, etc in the basement that I know were  still boxed from moves back at least as far as 1991. Last year I was finally able to get him to let me dispose of some magazines that I know were sitting in a box back in the 1980s.

HappierAtHome

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1598 on: November 11, 2018, 04:59:11 AM »
Small win - gave away an unopened bottle of bath wash and it occurred to me that the person who wanted it might want an open bottle of similar gunk. She does! Getting rid of two products we won't use instead of one :-)

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Re: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2
« Reply #1599 on: November 11, 2018, 05:08:16 AM »
So.

I'm thinking in the next week of donating something I used to think I'd have til I died... my grandparents had this wacky GIANT round mirror in their house and when they died, I ended up with it. All I know about it is that it was once a barbershop mirror back in the 40s or 50s and my granddad somehow ended up with it (he was not a barber - no idea). It is like 4 foot round, small bevel, nothing to really look at other than the sheer size of it. It has 4 basic clips that are screwed into a heavy wooden frame and the whole thing likely weighs something like 30 pounds and there are a few tiny chips in the edge and it's got some very very minor silvering specks happening. And the clips themselves always look like it's about to slip the frame and fall - I can see the edge of the wood frame back at the top. I got so paranoid for about 6 months it wasn't even on a wall as I wanted to get it looked at and then just said screw it and put it back up, but it give me butterflies still seeing it hanging up and thinking about what a godawful mess it would make and all the cat blood that would result from it crashing down as the only room it can go in is the "cat/craft room" where we keep the litterboxes (we have 5 cats. I am a sucker for a sob story stray).

So no one is going to know if I donate it. It's not like it's an heirloom that someone will rise up from their grave and there's no secret compartment or anything. I think someone that is into modern/clean lines and mirrors would really love it, but I just don't really want to deal with it any more. I keep thinking about the bother and expense of getting it remounted and for all of that, I could go BUY a beautiful, well framed and even antique mirror if I really, really had to have one again.

So can I get rid of it?

If you truly don't feel the love for the mirror, let it go. One man's trash is another mans treasure. However, before you get rid of it give it one more thought. Have you considered spray painting the frame an updated color. Spray paint is amazing and can turn something ugly into something beautiful. Plus, if you updated it and now liked it better it would mean a bit more to you that it was something your granddad liked. Remove the frame and put an decorative edging on it (see video). Some people make mirrors into chalkboards so you can write on it like what's for dinner to night or appointments. Some people apply mirrors to table tops. Here is a video for some ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrW68JQfzS4    You might be able to find an art student to help apply pieces of ceramic tiles in a decorative pattern on the edges of the mirror. Some people apply fake flowers or beads or shells. I am not a fan of that because it will become a dust magnet and I have no idea how you would clean it.