Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2 (Read 1453461 times)

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #300 on:** March 07, 2018, 11:29:35 PM »

Quote from: oneday on March 07, 2018, 12:29:06 PM

What would it cost to simply store your large possessions for a year? Are you willing to pay that amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

What would it cost to store only some of these items for a year, maybe only the mattress, dining table & chairs? That would make a bare-minimum functional home while you worked on acquiring the rest of the items you need/want second hand. Are you willing to pay *that* amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

What would it cost to purchase the bare-minimum items new while you worked on acquiring the rest of the items you need/want second hand. Are you willing to pay *that* amount as insurance against the probability that travel is disappointing?

Maybe there are other scenarios you could consider?

I am pretty certain I would enjoy the travelling, as we intend to do things I enjoy. We are not going into a new type of travelling.

I will check prices of a storage shed. My colleague who has used it said it was surpricingly cheap, even in a HCOL area. And we could use a LCOL area to store. I will look at which of the large things (that don't fit into the cabin) I want to keep and what that would cost to store.
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Now I have checked some prices. I found out that there is such a thing as "city store", which is only need cities in HCOL areas. This is for people who often want to visit their stuff. This is pricy. I don't need this type of easily accessible storage, so we could find something cheaper.

Yes, the math says that this is an option. Thank you for reminding me.

And we could very well live on a minimum amount of stuff for a period. We are used to camping in a tent.

What I am not looking very much forward to mentally is moving our stuff around to different places several times. But maybe we shouldn't do this. Just sell most of the big stuff, like the sofa's and the dining table. Maybe keep 2 foldable chairs and a camping table, as well as basic kitchen stuff. We can sleep on camping mattresses until we buy a new mattress. I guess it is doable. And I guess it would feel better to sell more and rebuy second hand, then having to store too much in a container.

I think I will start making some lists for myself of we could keep and sell.

middo · « **Reply #301 on:** March 07, 2018, 11:44:20 PM »

Quote from: Roadrunner53 on March 07, 2018, 12:40:54 PM

Just threw out half a giant Rubbermaid full of paperwork and 3 ring binders. Have another pile of books for donation. So much stuff but it seems like very little new space has emerged. Very happy on my purging so far. But much more to go!

Do you think it is wise to stay in one room and purge it to the bones or go from room to room to get the massive clutter purged?

Personally, I would feel much more achievement at finishing a room, knowing it can be done, than doing a little bit in each room. We recently culled the study, and it was great. Next is one of the adult kids rooms. They are never here, and don't look at their stuff when they are here. We will post pics of their stuff on messenger, and if they don't tell us explicitly they want it, out it goes!

firelight · « **Reply #302 on:** March 08, 2018, 01:59:43 AM »

Quote from: Goldielocks on March 07, 2018, 10:31:35 PM

I bit the bullet and am now advertising a Freecycle event I am organizing next month... the first in our area. A community group is donating their hall for 3 days so we can hold it. BUT... I am having trouble getting volunteers...(to help receive goods and direct people on the day of). Any suggestions?

Maybe let the volunteers have first dibs on going through the stuff? Some might be interested if they can pick through what's available first.

LaineyAZ · « **Reply #303 on:** March 08, 2018, 07:43:14 AM »

Quote from: Goldielocks on March 07, 2018, 10:31:35 PM

I bit the bullet and am now advertising a Freecycle event I am organizing next month... the first in our area. A community group is donating their hall for 3 days so we can hold it. BUT... I am having trouble getting volunteers...(to help receive goods and direct people on the day of). Any suggestions?

Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts? or check with larger employers who usually have an Employees Club that includes employees who like doing these one-time projects.

Happy Little Chipmunk · « **Reply #304 on:** March 08, 2018, 12:10:07 PM »

Our community has a two day "back to school" Freecycle event and they do a good job pulling in volunteers using many of the tips people here have suggested.

If you volunteer or donate, you don't pay the nominal $2 (?) entrance fee and they encourage people to bring only items in good repair; if it needs fixing, this isn't the place for it. Volunteers get early access to some of the stuff and they pull in middle schoolers & high schoolers for those all-important volunteer hours. The second day at noon they don't charge an entrance fee and they schedule in advance for a non-profit to come and glean what they want. Everything else gets taken to the dump at the end of the day (that's part of what the $2 goes towards.)

It's a fun event & I always find something I can use!

Over the past 3 days I've shreded more checks - loved the discussion about the silliness of returning checks! Yep, I still write at least a couple every month. Someday we will come out of the dark ages. Had some nice memories in there...so that's when we built the retaining wall...oh yeah, I remember when DD took violin lessons!

Also donated playground equipment and art supplies to our local school, dropped off 3 bags at Goodwill & tidied up the basement because we had the HVAC people here to clean the duct work.

There's much less cat dander in the air, my skin is not nearly as itchy and I am tantalized by the possibility of being pain-free. Baby steps.....

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #305 on:** March 09, 2018, 11:46:52 AM »

My husband is decluttering a bit too much... he has somehow lost 2 books he is halfway in reading. I have been looking in the house and cannot find them. I hope they are at our cabin so that they are not completely gone.

Poundwise · « **Reply #306 on:** March 10, 2018, 06:33:16 AM »

Quote from: Linda_Norway on March 09, 2018, 11:46:52 AM

My husband is decluttering a bit too much... he has somehow lost 2 books he is halfway in reading. I have been looking in the house and cannot find them. I hope they are at our cabin so that they are not completely gone.

Linda, that made me smile! In my house, too much decluttering is not the reason we lose things!

I had a double win... was mailing a package to my brother in law... remembered how he was saying that because of the plastic bags ban in his community, he was having trouble finding pooper scooper bags for his dog. So I bundled up big quantities of grocery bags that I have saved and used them as packing material! I do use reusable bags when I can remember, but every grocery shopping trip is 15-20 bags so they accumulate fast.

I recently bought a new parka but have not been wearing it because it is so new and beautiful that I didn't want to get it dirty. But yesterday I bit the bullet and donated the shabby old coat. My kids were sad because they kind of think of the coat as part of me as I have been wearing it since before they were born!

I'm a red panda · « **Reply #307 on:** March 10, 2018, 06:38:22 AM »

Got rid of all the baby tights (she never wore a pair) and all the tiny socks. Weeded out clothes below size 9 months, kept 25% of them for hypothetical future baby. We have way too much.

oneday · « **Reply #308 on:** March 10, 2018, 09:54:27 PM »

Last push to pack up the house today. Another 2 big boxes to donate, various items in the trash and another box for the haz mat place. Done packing for the time being. Next phase is minor home improvements to make the condo show its best, so the only decluttering will be tossing any trash generated by that, which is just normal life. So I'll be lurking until we can sell. I miss being able to post here when I don't have anything to get rid of.

Step37 · « **Reply #309 on:** March 10, 2018, 10:18:14 PM »

Got news from the consignment place that they sold one of my dresses... so that’s never coming back, and I’ll get $50.

better late · « **Reply #310 on:** March 10, 2018, 10:26:18 PM »

Filed or shredded about 2 inches of paper today. Geeze.

Goldielocks · « **Reply #311 on:** March 12, 2018, 12:38:09 AM »

I went to check on my aunt's vacation place while she is gone for the winter.. ( a 400 sqft one bedroom condo downtown). In the small kitchen, I counted 24 dinner plates. I dd not even bother to count the bowls, salad plates, or assorted individual serving pieces. AHH...there is no way 12 people would fit inside her place, let alone 24! I should probably ask if she wants help to go through it when she is in town (she doesn't have a car, which may be part of the challenge for her, at least I hope that is the issue).

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #312 on:** March 12, 2018, 01:50:11 AM »

Quote from: Goldielocks on March 12, 2018, 12:38:09 AM

I went to check on my aunt's vacation place while she is gone for the winter.. ( a 400 sqft one bedroom condo downtown). In the small kitchen, I counted 24 dinner plates. I dd not even bother to count the bowls, salad plates, or assorted individual serving pieces. AHH...there is no way 12 people would fit inside her place, let alone 24! I should probably ask if she wants help to go through it when she is in town (she doesn't have a car, which may be part of the challenge for her, at least I hope that is the issue).

Even if you have just a few guests, they can behave in a way that you need many dishes. In our cabin we have 4 plates, and both at the cabin and at home we have only 6 sets of cutlery. When we are having guests and having breakfast, I usually ask them to leave the plates and cutlery on the table, so we can reuse those at lunch. But before I know it, FIL has already piled up the dishes and cutlery and put it in the kitchen (he has done so many times). This means we have to wash dishes before we can have lunch... In that case it would have been useful to have more dishes and cutlery. Same with glasses, if guests don't have a habit of keeping their own glass and reusing it, there can be a lot of glasses used during a day.

I do agree that 24 dinner plates is a bit much and half the amount would probably do the job just as well.

NoraLenderbee · « **Reply #313 on:** March 12, 2018, 10:56:48 AM »

Put a bag and a box of donations in my car. It'll be easy to drop them off at Goodwill this week.
Husband shredded bags and bags of papers.

Goldielocks · « **Reply #314 on:** March 13, 2018, 02:09:37 AM »

Linda, I see what you are getting at.... The challenge is the small apartment only has 4 chairs / seating of any sort. It would be hard to get more than 4 people together in there at one time.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #315 on:** March 13, 2018, 05:37:06 AM »

I used to own a timeshare that slept 6 people. In the kitchen there were 6 of everything including cutlery. If you ran out of forks, too bad, wash them. It worked out fine because we ate out a lot anyway and there was a dishwasher so we loaded it up at night and let it do it's thing. In the meantime, if we were cooking and happened to run out of silverware, we had to wash it. No biggie!

MrsDinero · « **Reply #316 on:** March 13, 2018, 07:23:18 AM »

Just sold my Ergo 360!

I'm working on the spare room/my office/Etsy photography studio now. My goal is to fill 2 bags with either trash or donate items.

Mongoose · « **Reply #317 on:** March 13, 2018, 07:54:02 AM »

One kid room approaching minimalism and kid loves it. Favorite toys are easy to find. Imagination is soaring. Second kid room is much better. Kid 1 has some anxiety and wants to keep everything. We got some nice boxes so the things were still around but contained. They will probably rarely if ever emerge from the closet but that's ok. Room is cleaner and anxiety minimalized.

I think cleaning out the cars, especially the glove boxes, should be our next big excavation.

Nancy · « **Reply #318 on:** March 13, 2018, 11:41:37 AM »

Just went on vacation, and I realized while I was away how completely fine I'd be without most of my stuff.

Also, why do I have so many pens? Are they reproducing in the drawer?

formerlydivorcedmom · « **Reply #319 on:** March 13, 2018, 12:46:20 PM »

I emailed the children's librarian at the local public library to see if they could use Lego sets. I thought they could let people check them out as full sets. She said they have Lego free play once a week, and they are running low, so I can just dump them all in a box and bring them in. As soon as the kids get back from their spring break trip, the vast majority of the Legos are leaving the house!!!

Last night I also got rid of half of the hangers in my closet (they must be breeding) and, for the second time this year, attempted to sort my desk. I'm getting better at dumping paper in the shred box. Once I finish the third pass of the desk, I'll probably be able to see the top of it.

FIRE-ing in the UK · « **Reply #320 on:** March 13, 2018, 02:03:56 PM »

In an attempt to make the house less of an embarrassment for when we were having company round, I "tided". I now have a box and 6 bags worth of ~~crap~~ stuff which is hidden in various places around the house.

And I seem to have a massive problem with paperwork. No matter how much I think I am on top of it there are always piles of it waiting to be filed/shredded. I think the paper fairy comes in whilst we're at work and lovingly scatters paper around the house.

RetiredAt63 · « **Reply #321 on:** March 13, 2018, 06:14:35 PM »

The paper menace is reduced at my house. I cancelled the paper, I can read it with my online subscription so they still get funding. And, I called the phone number on the bag all the advertising comes in. They sent me a sticker for my mail box, and since then I have had 1 piece of advertising (coupons for a fast-food place). My recycling box used to be full every week . Now I am going 2-3 weeks. It's wonderful!

Nederstash · « **Reply #322 on:** March 14, 2018, 04:19:32 AM »

After reading all these updates I'm just raring to go declutter again! My last stint was around New Year's so I wonder if I'll have much more to get rid of... update soon.

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #323 on:** March 14, 2018, 05:56:13 AM »

Quote from: Nancy on March 13, 2018, 11:41:37 AM

<...>

Also, why do I have so many pens? Are they reproducing in the drawer?

Ah, are you that person who always takes my pen when they stop to talk at my desk? ;-)

Nancy · « **Reply #324 on:** March 14, 2018, 06:34:23 AM »

Who me? Look! What's that over there? (snatches pen.. runs away!)

middo · « **Reply #325 on:** March 14, 2018, 08:32:40 PM »

More clutter from the shed went into the bin today. (We have no recycling at all). Including a steel box that had been damaged by my son and was repairable. He had made me a new one, but the old one was just taking up space.

I also decluttered my wardrobe a bit last weekend. Some old shirts became rags. One got donated to my son. Most were too thin to be donated, so rags they are. They will get used fairly quickly on our hobby farm.

Bee21 · « **Reply #326 on:** March 15, 2018, 03:35:38 AM »

Well, i had a full blown nervous breakdown with tears and yelling and binned about 5 bags full of crap from my youngest kid's room. It was horrible. I tossed rubbish, toys, clothes, books, gkw. Tomorrow i will attack the other kid's room. I didn't even bother with a donation or recycling part, i just wanted them out of my life.

Sometimes I feel that we would be better off if i just removed banknotes from my purse and put it straight in the bin. I would save myself the cleaning and decluttering part.

Astatine · « **Reply #327 on:** March 15, 2018, 03:52:25 AM »

Bee21, that sounds pretty rough. :/ Hope your decluttering journey goes more smoothly in th the future.

I organised a clothes/homewares swap with one of my social circles for the end of April. So far only one person has said yes to attending but hopefully I'll get a few to show up. Anything unclaimed will go to a charity or recycle place whose ethics align with mine (they're few and far between these days).

Before then, though, DH and I will do a run out to the recycle shed and book/DVD/CD charity donation place to get rid of things I know none of my friends/acquaintances will want to take. Things like a spice rack I bought second hand, obscure DVDs and CDs, that kind of thing.

chicwhitesox1 · « **Reply #328 on:** March 15, 2018, 03:57:43 AM »

getting rid of your personal stuff is very hard to do specially if it's part of your childhood

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #329 on:** March 15, 2018, 04:28:49 AM »

I bought this little hand scanner to scan photographs from old photo albums. UGH, UGH, UGH, it got old fast and I don't want to do anymore. I found this place that will send you a box and you bundle like size pictures together and they will scan them and put them on a DVD or if you pay a little more a thumb drive. They will also send you a link to the pictures. I am seriously thinking about using this service. However, getting all the albums together and bundling the pictures will be a CHORE too. You get all the pictures back once they are done. Then it is like...you have to store them if you don't have the heart to toss them. Have any of you used this service?

This is the issue for me. I am an only child and my Mom and Dad have passed away. Nobody will want the pictures or the thumb drive, so...what is the point except the control the clutter? Any words of wisdom?

http://www.scanmyphotos.com/photo-scanning/prepaid-photo-scanning-box.html

aoedae · « **Reply #330 on:** March 15, 2018, 06:17:52 AM »

Jumping back on this thread after a failed attempt last year...

I've been doing some aggressive eBaying to reduce my clothing stock. Have sold perhaps 50 items in the last 2 months, for around £600 profit.

My goals is to have everything sold by 7th June when I move room.

On Thursday 15th March:

114 items left to list
134 items total to sell
Assume £3.40 postage cost each, and 12% selling fees, and failed sale of 10% stock, I assume a minimum profit of £5.4 x 124 = £669.60 (does not include original purchase price which varied from free to cheap to moderately pricey)

Taking a bag of old odds and ends to the charity shop today too...

AmandaPanda · « **Reply #331 on:** March 15, 2018, 07:04:20 AM »

We have decided to move! I thought I'd done a pretty decent job decluttering last year, buuuuut now of course I see loads of stuff that I kept and didn't necessarily need to. My goal is to get rid of 2 full car loads to a donation center.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #332 on:** March 15, 2018, 08:05:21 AM »

Quote from: Roadrunner53 on March 15, 2018, 04:28:49 AM

I bought this little hand scanner to scan photographs from old photo albums. UGH, UGH, UGH, it got old fast and I don't want to do anymore. I found this place that will send you a box and you bundle like size pictures together and they will scan them and put them on a DVD or if you pay a little more a thumb drive. They will also send you a link to the pictures. I am seriously thinking about using this service. However, getting all the albums together and bundling the pictures will be a CHORE too. You get all the pictures back once they are done. Then it is like...you have to store them if you don't have the heart to toss them. Have any of you used this service?

This is the issue for me. I am an only child and my Mom and Dad have passed away. Nobody will want the pictures or the thumb drive, so...what is the point except the control the clutter? Any words of wisdom?

http://www.scanmyphotos.com/photo-scanning/prepaid-photo-scanning-box.html

Roadrunner, I used a similar scanning service last year. On the one hand, I'm frustrated that the service de-organized all my documents for their scanning, leaving me with a random assortment of unlabelled, uncategorized docs -which I need to go through one at a time to find which ones didn't get scanned. Ugh.

On the other, even though that's the case, I'm so happy I got it done! I love having everything backed up digitally and am slowly shredding many of the papers.

The photos I kept the hard copies of, because I prefer hard copies. But in my case those are one small bundle (fits in my two hands). I love having them digitally and physically.

formerlydivorcedmom · « **Reply #333 on:** March 15, 2018, 10:37:56 AM »

Quote from: Roadrunner53 on March 15, 2018, 04:28:49 AM

I bought this little hand scanner to scan photographs from old photo albums. UGH, UGH, UGH, it got old fast and I don't want to do anymore. I found this place that will send you a box and you bundle like size pictures together and they will scan them and put them on a DVD or if you pay a little more a thumb drive. They will also send you a link to the pictures. I am seriously thinking about using this service. However, getting all the albums together and bundling the pictures will be a CHORE too. You get all the pictures back once they are done. Then it is like...you have to store them if you don't have the heart to toss them. Have any of you used this service?

This is the issue for me. I am an only child and my Mom and Dad have passed away. Nobody will want the pictures or the thumb drive, so...what is the point except the control the clutter? Any words of wisdom?

http://www.scanmyphotos.com/photo-scanning/prepaid-photo-scanning-box.html

If any of the pictures go back to past generations (your grandparents and further), you might want to see if any of your cousins want them. I'm the family genealogist, and I'm always trying to track down pictures that ended up with other branches of the family.

formerlydivorcedmom · « **Reply #334 on:** March 15, 2018, 10:43:07 AM »

Quote from: Bee21 on March 15, 2018, 03:35:38 AM

Well, i had a full blown nervous breakdown with tears and yelling and binned about 5 bags full of crap from my youngest kid's room. It was horrible. I tossed rubbish, toys, clothes, books, gkw. Tomorrow i will attack the other kid's room. I didn't even bother with a donation or recycling part, i just wanted them out of my life.

Sometimes I feel that we would be better off if i just removed banknotes from my purse and put it straight in the bin. I would save myself the cleaning and decluttering part.

@Bee21 , how old are your kids? Are they old enough to help you with the decluttering?

I have had many similar breakdowns over the quantity of crap. That started me decluttering the whole house last fall. My kids are 8, 10, and 12, and when we got to their rooms I was blown away by how much they participated. We used the Marie Kondo method - pick up every single item and see whether it brings you joy. I could tell on their faces. The youngest told me a story about each toy that didn't spark that reaction, and then we put it in the giveaway box. It's been months, and not a single kid has complained about missing any of the stuff or not having enough stuff. They actually play with the toys that are left more now.

Since we started decluttering, our spending habits have changed enormously. I'm not going to buy it if it isn't going to be used up completely (soon) or be played with for a very long time.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #335 on:** March 15, 2018, 11:38:41 AM »

I have no kids or grandkids so I am not one that should have an opinion but I am a casual observer. It makes me cringe when Christmas rolls around and friends are killing themselves to find the newest and latest toys. Some are expensive and hard to come by. My friend who can't really afford these things makes sure the grandkids get a bunch of goodies. I asked her recently if they were still playing with the Hatchible toy thingie that was popular two Christmas's ago and she pretty much said no. UGH, she killed herself getting these stupid toys and within no time they are at the bottom of the toy box to never be seen again. I don't know what the answer is but these toys are just mostly stupid junk and a waste of money. Does anyone have a solution to Christmas gifts for kids? The toys bring them joy for a very short time and then they are bored with them.

formerlydivorcedmom · « **Reply #336 on:** March 16, 2018, 09:16:25 AM »

@Roadrunner53 , we told our kids (8, 10, 12) last year that we weren't buying them a singe toy for Christmas. Instead, they each got the following:
1) a gift card to their favorite restaurant, to treat the family on a day of their choosing
2) A gift certificate for an experience they had been asking for (roller skating, a trampoline park, and pottery lessons)
3) A $10 gift card to the used bookstore

They were THRILLED. Youngest positively beamed as he paid for our meal a few weeks later.

Grandparents went overboard on toys and stuff, most of which will be decluttered this summer.
The highlights for my kids were books and useful stuff (ipad chargers in different colors so they won't fight over them).

The oldest's favorite present was a book her uncle gave her with profiles of scientist women through history. (I would NEVER have chosen this for her - I don't know what possessed him to pick it out, but it was an inspired purchase.) She now wants to be an astrophysicist.

In the past, the kids have also been happy with a day with grandparents (to pick out a new outfit or new shoes), a day at the zoo, etc. They like spending time with people doing stuff.

Roadrunner53 · « **Reply #337 on:** March 16, 2018, 09:24:51 AM »

FDM, very good ideas! Christmas has got to be overwhelming for everyone including the kids. My friend's grandkids also get presents from the parents, and the other set of grandparents. Plus, my friend is divorced so her ex and his new wife bring more gifts. OMG, I would be horrified with all this junk in the house.

Experiences are a nice way to spend time with the kids and not much clutter to deal with.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #338 on:** March 16, 2018, 09:37:33 AM »

My approach to Christmas stuff is three-pronged.

1. Have him clear space before Christmas. "The more you release, the more you receive." "Let's make space for Christmas presents." Etc. He lets loads of stuff go.

2. I focus on lower cost, more practical items he's been wishing for over the course of the year, including art supplies and cans of soup etc (our house is mostly homemade food, and he loves those tins). He receives gifts from two households -me, and grandma/auntie. I ask Other Household to consider things from that list, and I buy a couple of them as well. Grandma then also provides heaps of trinkets and interests from the local thrift shop, all of which he's very excited about and that we can give away again as soon as his interest wanes.

3. A few times each year we go through his stuff and give away anything he no longer needs/uses.

Fresh Bread · « **Reply #339 on:** March 16, 2018, 02:30:15 PM »

A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

aoedae · « **Reply #340 on:** March 16, 2018, 04:05:04 PM »

Quote from: aoedae on March 15, 2018, 06:17:52 AM

Taking a bag of old odds and ends to the charity shop today too...

I did this, have a second batch of charity shop items to take in on Monday, have sold a couple more eBay items (3, to be precise), and cleared out 2 of my old boxes.

Sadly I found some moths had eaten their way through my merino woollens when they were in my ex-partner's storage (boo!), but I found a bonus fleece (yay!) and waterproof trousers, and cleared out an entire plastic box and stored the components in their categories/drawers.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #341 on:** March 16, 2018, 04:54:34 PM »

Quote from: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2018, 02:30:15 PM

A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

Up to age 3, I wouldn't bother with any version of a gift. Just do special fun things, like make crafts and visit a Christmas train or something.

If they're aware of xmas excess by 3 or so, I would get them a couple of special little things -a can of sparkling juice and a bag of favourite munchies- and maybe make a booklet of images representing a fun thing you'll do together once a month (restaurant, movie out, walk in the snow). They can enjoy the booklet, you guys can talk about each thing in it, she can look forward to each one...

Fresh Bread · « **Reply #342 on:** March 16, 2018, 05:12:30 PM »

Quote from: jooniFLORisploo on March 16, 2018, 04:54:34 PM

Quote from: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2018, 02:30:15 PM
A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

Up to age 3, I wouldn't bother with any version of a gift. Just do special fun things, like make crafts and visit a Christmas train or something.

If they're aware of xmas excess by 3 or so, I would get them a couple of special little things -a can of sparkling juice and a bag of favourite munchies- and maybe make a booklet of images representing a fun thing you'll do together once a month (restaurant, movie out, walk in the snow). They can enjoy the booklet, you guys can talk about each thing in it, she can look forward to each one...

Cool thanks, although maybe not a walk in the snow because that would mean a 6hr road trip ;)

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #343 on:** March 16, 2018, 05:37:07 PM »

Quote from: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2018, 05:12:30 PM

Cool thanks, although maybe not a walk in the snow because that would mean a 6hr road trip ;)

All the more special, unique, and exciting an experience then! ;) Though maybe not so nice for Mr and Mrs Claus to listen that long to "are we theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere yet???"

oneday · « **Reply #344 on:** March 16, 2018, 08:06:35 PM »

Quote from: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2018, 02:30:15 PM

A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

For Christmas gifts one year, took Niece to a cat cafe (she adores cats), Nephew 1 to a kid-friendly, interactive science museum (he is all into science & also dinosaurs) and Nephew 2 to the zoo. I think only Nephew 2 was under 5 at the time, though

oneday · « **Reply #345 on:** March 16, 2018, 08:10:51 PM »

Quote from: jooniFLORisploo on March 16, 2018, 04:54:34 PM

Quote from: Fresh Bread on March 16, 2018, 02:30:15 PM
A little off topic, but what are good ideas for experience gifts for very young kids eg 5 years and under? I almost feel sick when I see the volume of gifts my friends' kids get and the amount of plastic is especially gross. I would like to get them something though.

Up to age 3, I wouldn't bother with any version of a gift. Just do special fun things, like make crafts and visit a Christmas train or something.

If they're aware of xmas excess by 3 or so, I would get them a couple of special little things -a can of sparkling juice and a bag of favourite munchies- and maybe make a booklet of images representing a fun thing you'll do together once a month (restaurant, movie out, walk in the snow). They can enjoy the booklet, you guys can talk about each thing in it, she can look forward to each one...

Oooo, good call. Nephew 1 loved trains when he was very young, pre-school age. This would be a good experience gift. Add on some hot chocolate or apple cider to make it really special!

Linea_Norway · « **Reply #346 on:** March 17, 2018, 04:17:01 AM »

We bought some new lamps. I cleaed away the boxes and other package material. I registered for a local facebook group to give away the old lamp. It was a very cheap Ikea lamp, but still working.

mspym · « **Reply #347 on:** March 18, 2018, 02:45:39 PM »

I've been thinking about getting rid of a lot of my manga for about 2 years now, slowly working my way through donating or giving it away to friends. It's hard because I want it to go to someone who will enjoy and appreciate it. [I am never going to sell it, I have made peace with that]

Anyway my brother and his family were here this weekend and his teen daughter spotted my collection and her eyes lit up. So she got the complete run of Ouran High Host Club & 3 omnibus volumes of Kitchen Princess and I get more shelf space and the knowledge that I made my niece really happy. Wins all round.

MaybeBabyMustache · « **Reply #348 on:** March 18, 2018, 03:01:14 PM »

I found a couple of staples when I was shopping last week (they were on my "replace" list) & as soon as I got home, I took out the old items being replaced, and hung the new items. I'm pretty jazzed, and have been looking for a lined blazer for years. I have broad shoulders, so it was hard to find a good fit without it looking sloppy throughout the rest of the jacket. Just in time for meetings next week.

I also culled the house of a random array of school papers & projects the kids brought home last week. And, finally trashed/recycled/shredded all of the mail that's built up over the past few weeks during my crazy schedule.

joonifloofeefloo · « **Reply #349 on:** March 18, 2018, 03:33:50 PM »

After a recent move, reminded everywhere to continue using only my permanent mailing address. There's one exception to this, so I do need to check the local box, which was already full of two other people's important mail + flyers. Cleared all that out, and put a note inside the box to postal carrier to say what can and can't go in there now.

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Author Topic: Continued: Getting rid of stuff / Clearing out clutter! PART 2 (Read 1453461 times)

Nancy

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