Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jan 15, 2011 13:30:55 GMT -5
I, too, love Flylady!
I purged papers right after the new year. I live by the school schedule though, so I have a routine of purging papers and clothes Winter Break, Spring Break, and mid-Summer Vacation.
Doing stuff for 15 minutes is a huge motivator for me. In fact, I should probably get up right now, since I've been on here for over half an hour!
I hope you're all having a great weekend.
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gardenergirl
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Post by gardenergirl on Jan 15, 2011 18:08:27 GMT -5
stormy - That's a great idea about having a fire and burning some papers. Congrats on going from XL to L!!! That's so great. Glad the diet is still going so well. I hope to get motivated enough one of these days to start working out again on my lunch hour.
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Post by luckyme on Jan 16, 2011 1:46:10 GMT -5
Hi Keriamon, so good to see you again! You make the FS thread fun!
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cheerleadingmama7
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I cheer for savings!!
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Post by cheerleadingmama7 on Jan 16, 2011 12:49:13 GMT -5
Hello everyone! It is finally Christmas Tree Down Day!!! Woo Hoo! We opted to cheer on the Steelers yesterday and make a yummy meal, and today is the day we take down the tree and clean the kitchen - and well the whole house.... hopefulinsocal – I think pulling weeds is definitely decluttering. I HATE that part of spring/summer….I need to get this decluttering inside done before spring so that I can be motivated to get the outside done…Good Job on that!! gardenergirl – you hit on another area that I will need to address here sooner rather than later. The kitchen cabinets and the pantries. I want to go through everything and take out what we don’t use. I don’t think that we really have anything that is expired, it is more what we don’t use to donate to the food banks. Maybe I will tackle that next week. That would be a good project for out whole family. Thanks for the idea! keriamon – I am glad you are back….loving this thread!! sheilaincali – I am on board with the trying not to buy new things this year unless necessary – using what we have and taking hand me downs for the kids. So much better than wasting money on what you don’t need and adding it to the already large piles of clutter we are all trying to keep under control! stormynight – Congrats on the continued body decluttering – Congrats on the downsizing !!
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Post by kjto on Jan 16, 2011 20:44:31 GMT -5
I follow this thread off and on. I love reading about decluttering, at times it is really inspirational to me. Last fall I tried posting my goals for the week, and I got sick for a few weeks. I swear I jinx myself when I do that! So, I don't vocalize my goals to anyone anymore! Maybe I can try posting my accomplishments after the fact, and see if that works.
Keriamon - I am glad to see you are back! I always enjoyed your posts.
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Post by keriamon on Jan 17, 2011 10:25:08 GMT -5
**you hit on another area that I will need to address here sooner rather than later. The kitchen cabinets and the pantries. I want to go through everything and take out what we don’t use. I don’t think that we really have anything that is expired, it is more what we don’t use to donate to the food banks. Maybe I will tackle that next week. That would be a good project for out whole family. Thanks for the idea!**
Jews spring clean their kitchens right before Passover (since you're not supposed to have any leavened bread in the house), and I've heard other people adopting this, using it as a time to do a yearly inventory of their kitchens. They may throw away spices that have lost their potency, anything expired, cans of food that they know they'll never eat (donate this to a food bank), check flour to see if it's still good (no weevils), throw out orphaned Tupperware pieces (bowls without lids, lids without bowls), replace melted plastic spatulas and stained dishtowels, and generally rearrange and organize the kitchen. It's also a good time to clean the silverware holder in the drawer, the plastic mat under your sink strainer, and give a degreasing scrubdown to the toaster, coffee pot and stove hood.
Some good dates to do this are: The weekend before Passover, the week or weekend before Easter, or, if you feel really overwhelmed, the entire 40 days of Lent!
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gardenergirl
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Post by gardenergirl on Jan 17, 2011 11:50:32 GMT -5
So THAT'S where the term Spring Cleaning came from! Interesting.
cheerleadingmama - that is a really good idea to get the inside done before springtime comes so we can start on the outside. I know as soon as the snow melts around here (this is THE longest it has ever lasted in our area) and it gets just a little bit warm the weeds are going to start to sprout!
I was motivated this weekend to go through junk drawers and clear off flat surfaces. I taped an episode of Oprah the last week, things you should do in 2011, one of them was to Declutter!! They had on an employee from the Container Store and he went into this persons home and got them all organized and the one thing he said that really hit home to me was all the flat surfaces in your home should stay decluttered. That inclues the floor, the dining room table, the kitchen counter, etc. The moment anything is put on these surfaces that does not belong there - instant clutter!
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 17, 2011 14:50:35 GMT -5
kariamon: I have been reading a couple of blogs associated with the ideals of the "Compact" I am totally on board with that. DH may take a little more convincing. We did buy some paint for a room we have been planning on painting for a couple of months this weekend. BUT when he told me he need a new gym duffel bag and lock for his locker I told him I was positive we had something at home and that we weren't buying anything new. He pouted for a few minutes and now is all back on the band wagon.
I am working on losing weight and as I shrink out of fitting into my clothes I will have to replace somethings but plan on doing that through the thrift store. When I hit my goal weight I may be a few new from the store pieces but that will be a long time from now.
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gardenergirl
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Post by gardenergirl on Jan 18, 2011 8:54:59 GMT -5
I cleaned out 2 drawers in the kitchen last night. I don't know how we managed to collect that many pens/markers/pencils! I tested all the markers/pens out and threw the ones away that were dried out, which was a bunch. DH had also collected about 10 screwdrivers and some other small hand tools in one of the drawers. Wiped both drawers out. I'm trying to get everything sorted and organized in one place, like not have 5 drawers with batteries in them, but find one home for all of them.
I also went through my file cabinet last night! Yah!! It's only a 2-drawer so it didn't take me too long. I really need to upgrade to a 4-drawer once, but the 2-drawer was free so I really can't complain. I sorted the paper that I could just recycle and the other papers that had confidential info on it that I will burn.
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dianartemis
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God made me and started laughing
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Post by dianartemis on Jan 18, 2011 13:22:34 GMT -5
gg: I found one my 2 drawer filing cabinets dumpster diving. Ok it wasn't in the dumpster, it was outside of it and is in great shape. One filing cabinet holds my shredder, the other my printer.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 19, 2011 9:41:16 GMT -5
Progress DH just texted me to tell me he is going to list his stupid weight machine on craigslist and get it out of our garage. That damn thing has moved from MN to CA and back to MN. I think in the past 6 years DH has used it maybe 20 times. Now if only I can convince him to get rid of the ugly Victorian sofa that we inherited.....
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gardenergirl
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Post by gardenergirl on Jan 19, 2011 14:50:08 GMT -5
sheila - that's great!!! I consider it a huge accomplishment when I can get DH to get rid of stuff. That actually reminds me of something. The other day DH got mad at all the tupperware containers I have in the kitchen (even though I neatly stack them according to size) and told me to get rid of some of them. Then he said, you should get rid of whatever you don't need. So, I decided to turn that one around on him! I said, Then I can get rid of all those old magazines you have in the basement?? He thought for a second and actually said Yes! They've been sitting in our basement for 6 years untouched, he would never let me throw them away. But now I can!
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 19, 2011 16:24:42 GMT -5
gardenergirl: Congrats to you I'd take every victory you can get. My DH is getting better but between the two of us he is the more sentimental pack rat.
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Post by boosmom on Jan 22, 2011 1:04:23 GMT -5
keriamon - glad you've popped back over here! gardener - hooray! stormy - keep it up! I haven't accomplished too much either this week.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 22, 2011 17:24:48 GMT -5
woo hoo! Weight machine is being delivered to it's new owner on Monday Finally have that thing out of the garage. Plus DH and DS have decided to part with the bulk of the Lego's. Sorting through them to sell them on ebay. Right now they are averaging about $10 to $15 a pound for the bricks. We have 6 large tubs full of them and each tube weighs approx. 45 lbs. Since he bought some of them with his own money and received some for presents we have a we get 70% he gets 30% deal with the 12 year old son.
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jenna30
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Post by jenna30 on Jan 22, 2011 18:10:00 GMT -5
Just cleared up a bit of clutter from unwanted Christmas gifts. Got lucky at Walmart, and returned $50 worth of stuff. Some didn't have gift receipts.
I also checked out a few books from the library re: clutter and feng shui. Just need to find the time to read them.
I'm also going through the books that are piled up in the room that will become our library. We still need to get shelves put up, so the books are in boxes. My step son likes to keep EVERYTHING (skymall catalogues, Costco Connection magazines, comic pages from the paper, etc) so I'm gonna toss/recycle a few things while he's in school. He won't remember what he used to have... I just set stuff aside, and if he forgets about it -- I toss/recycle the stuff.
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gardenergirl
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Post by gardenergirl on Jan 22, 2011 21:50:20 GMT -5
sheila - yeah on clearing up more space in your garage! Bet that will feel great to get rid of that. jenna - I find that's one of the best things to do, just get rid of stuff, especially if it's been sitting around for a while, and don't tell them about it! They won't notice like you said. And if they ever do, just play dumb!!
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cheerleadingmama7
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I cheer for savings!!
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Post by cheerleadingmama7 on Jan 23, 2011 23:13:16 GMT -5
At this point I have been just working on cleaning and laundry...need to get back to the official decluttering soon though. I am working with my husband on the guest room in the basement...the upside of that is that once it is done, some of the extra furniture and bedding I am storing will be put to good use!
Keriamom ¡V I love the ¡§entire 40 days of lent¡¨ ¡V LOL! Sometimes when these tasks are in front of us it feels like it will take that long to complete them¡K.but it feels SO good when we do get it done. I am trying to get mine done ASAP ¡V DS is having a food bank drive at school and the class that donates the most wins a pizza party ƒº So I am going to try and finish it this week ¡V the going through the food that is. I wanted to really take everything out and clean off all the shelves, clean out the silverware holder etc too ¡V that may take the 40 days!
Gardenergirl ¡V I can absolutely relate to the flat surface idea. We have a formal dining room right inside the front entry. As soon as I put one item on it, it seems to be a magnet for other items and then before I know it I have an entire table to clear off¡K.plus it is right inside the door when someone drops by unexpectedly ƒ¼
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jenna30
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Post by jenna30 on Jan 24, 2011 3:09:38 GMT -5
My step son is a little pack rat. I went through and took out stuff he won't miss. Now, I need to get him to go through and cull the books that he has out grown.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 24, 2011 10:04:02 GMT -5
jenna- not sure how old your step son is. But we paperback swapped DS' "teen/young adult books" and they went like gang busters on paperback swap. As in within minutes of listing them we had requests for them. Didn't try selling them on amazon or eBay but if it's the right genre they may go pretty fast there too.
Made it through 4 of the tubs this weekend. Have a paper grocery sack full of just the mini figures. DH is going to start sorting them out to the groups and sets- the Star Wars Lego mini figures, Indiana Jones, etc.
Went through all of our DVDs last night and have a stack to get rid off. Going to separate out the ones that are popular enough to sell and sell those. Going to donate or give away the rest. Next hurdle to tackle will be the books. We have been trading and selling those for a couple of months but DH still has a ton to go through and make decisions on.
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Martivir
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Post by Martivir on Jan 24, 2011 12:43:49 GMT -5
I just put some books up on Paperback Swap myself. My parents are doing a major decluttering of their house and are giving me a box of books every couple of weeks to list. My mom found another box of my stuff in their basement. Doesn't surprise me but I should be running out of stuff over there. Over half the box went into the donate pile. As much as I love frogs, I don't want them overtaking my house.
Can anyone recommend a good resource for organizing tips? I have plenty of storage but it doesn't do me any good when I still can't find anything because I stink at organizing.
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GirlGreen
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Post by GirlGreen on Jan 24, 2011 15:03:36 GMT -5
For selling CDs or DVDs in bulk, try wherehouse.com or secondspin.com. I think they're the same company. I just typed in all my UPCs and sold them anything that they offered me at least $1 for. It's worth it just to get rid of a chunk at once. You do have to ship them, but I haven't had any problems.
... and you can ship them via Media Mail to save some money.
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Post by keriamon on Jan 24, 2011 16:44:05 GMT -5
Valentine's Day is coming up. Why not use this as an opportunity to declutter your unmentionables? Throw out hose with runs, socks with holes, panties and bras that don't fit or that you have never liked, and anything that's worn out. Take inventory and make a list of things you need. Ask your hubby for a gift card to your favorite underwear store and get what you need. He will be happy to not have to think too hard about a gift and you may want to get a "little" something that he'll appreciate too!
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gardenergirl
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Post by gardenergirl on Jan 25, 2011 10:55:18 GMT -5
Great idea of matching up special dates to uncluttering! I like it. I actually went through all my bras after I was done bfeeding DD so I have very few bras left. Not a bad idea to have DH get me a gift card so I can get some new ones!
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Wisconsin Beth
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No, we don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run.
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Jan 25, 2011 12:47:07 GMT -5
Keriamon! I was hoping you'd make it over. I know we didn't "chat" much the last couple of years but it's good to know you're here.
I think I need to join this thread and work on decluttering. My house is a mess. My problem is that I have no time/energy. We have 2 toddlers (2.75 and 15 months) and DH and I both work full time. My evenings seem to be pick up kids, go home, make and eat dinner (with 235876 interruptions), do dishes, toss a load of laundry in, put kids to bed and pass out. I count it a good week if I keep up on the laundry...
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mom2-4monkeys
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Post by mom2-4monkeys on Jan 25, 2011 14:20:08 GMT -5
Wisconsin- I am with you. I have so much to do, but with 4 kids (2- 3yrs and 2-1yr) a full time job and little help from DH, there is not much time to declutter. how do you others with kids find the time?
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Post by zbear on Jan 25, 2011 15:15:47 GMT -5
Unfortunately I have no advice since I have no real kids yet (one on the way though), only fur kids.
Like others mentioned, I also like flylady's concept of 15 minutes a day is better than nothing. My biggest problem is I tend to accumulate lots of clutter on flat surfaces so the other day I spent literally about 8 minutes cleaning off a space with lots of paper and boxes and misc items on it. It took a few minutes to clear it off and then I put everything where it belonged. I think that will be my goal for the rest of the week, clear off 1 space/day with lots of junk on it. The worst part is usually this junk is stuff I'd been looking for!
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gardenergirl
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Post by gardenergirl on Jan 26, 2011 14:52:26 GMT -5
Well I only have one child, but I find time to do my cleaning and de-cluttering usually after she is in bed for the night. She goes to bed really early, usually asleep by 7:00 so I can get a lot done at night (on the nights that I actually have energy). I sometimes am able to get stuff done on weekends when she is napping. She still takes about two naps a day, usually about an hour, sometimes longer.
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Post by boosmom on Jan 26, 2011 16:37:35 GMT -5
beth and mom2-4: LOL, you guys deserve medals as is! I've only got two, M24, so I can't imagine how your days must be with all of that on your plate! And beth, my kids are spaced further apart! I think you may need to realize that you are doing a lot as is! Just manage as best you can for now and then make some big progress when the kids are a little older.
#2 is 2.5 yrs now and is really starting to help with trying to put away the toys and things. Not just the obligatory 1 or 2 before zipping off or getting distracted. So, I've actually got a playroom floor that is not strewn with toys 24/7 (or during their waking hours). It was very unmotivating when a cleared floor was undone 5 minutes later. And really, you have things you could do for your own emotional enjoyment rather than cleaning. Baby steps are great! If/when you can get rid of the big baby items (bouncers, swings, toys, etc.) that makes a huge difference in terms of decluttering!
But this thread does help with my motivation levels. I think I will try working on the dining room again this weekend. The dining table is piled with papers again and I will try getting some things put away to clear up space in the room. And I will try to get DH to take that box of items to donate.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Jan 27, 2011 9:45:35 GMT -5
First Items are listed on Ebay and another load is being prepared for a thrift store run. Plus DH hauled some junk from the garage down to my work dumpster. He has been focusing his attention on the garage this week. Putting up some new shelves (which we had 90% of the stuff for- just needed new wall strips)
Went through the kitchen and hit a few cabinets. Sorted through some old cookbooks- the lot of them are currently listed on ebay too.
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