2013 Declutter & Organize Thread[{locked}]

[startsmart]

Hi all and welcome to the fresh new thread for WIR interested in decluttering their homes and offices, simplifying and organizing!

You can view the old thread here - it's full of great tips and strategies!

notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=wir&action=display&thread=2186&page=91

There are no real rules, just post and share your own lists and goals and give karma to other posters as they do the same.

[startsmart]

Yay it's 2013! Time to start up a new list, carrying over some of my older tasks.

January:
Clean off the guest room bed (put away projects) due Jan 3
Wash the comforter and fluff pillows
Scan calendar
Finish sanding and spray painting bench
Trade in books
Caulk the hallway baseboards
Go through the box of clothes in guest room
Put away tubs of pictures
Put DVDs on Amazon for trade in
Wrap up gift for brother and his GF
Set up trash cans in garage for recycling
Organize and put away Christmas Decorations due Jan 7
* Guest room decorations
* Office decorations
* Master bedroom decorations
* Bathroom decorations
* Hallway decorations
* Living room decorations
* Kitchen decorations
Hem Christmas fabric before storing it
Fit everything into tubs and move tubs to garage

Ironing:
* cloth napkins from Grandma
* Clothes for consignment
* everyday cloth napkins
* sheets
* Christmas fabric for runner

I'm really reluctant to put away decorations probably because I haven't actually celebrated Christmas at all or received any presents. So it doesn't yet feel like January! Mom is coming to town on Thursday so I'll need to have the guest room ready and I'd like to get the decorations put away so we can sort and price consignment items.

SO glad that I've finished cleaning the kitchen cabinets and drawers. Everything is much cleaner and nicer now. I do still have a few containers to buy (baskets and such) but the hardest part is done. To reward myself I'm ordering a set of 5 reusable water bottles for the fridge so I can toss the plastic ones for good!

[grits]

I was wondering if Saving4Norway would recycle the candles. My friend who was quite wealthy would melt the candle stubs, add fragrance, and make her own. She was frugal so that she could give even more money away. She owned many nice things but she took care of them, and they lasted forever.

[Saving4Norway]

Grits, these candles were out all night so they burnt down to nothing but in the past I've make my own floating candles for our pond because they're so darn expensive.

[grits]

I have a tip that some would find gross but it works. Because of health issues, I can no longer do the regular mop routine. I used one of the Swiffer wet cloths that go on your sweeper. I threw it in the bathroom trash. It was an amazing air freshener. It kept the bathroom smelling wonderful for a long time.

[Apple]

Put DVDs on Amazon for trade in

What all is involved in doing this? I have a whole lot of DVDs I wouldn't mind doing a trade with, even if I could just get one DVD for every 3 or so, it would be a good deal for me.

[startsmart]

selling DVDs on Amazon can happen one of two ways:
1. You list each DVD individually and when it sells you print the packing slip, ship and get paid
2. You open a TRADE-IN account and give them as many DVDs you want to sell at once. They quote how much they'll pay, if you approve you ship it in. Not quite sure all the details yet but this is the way I want to go. Ship once. Get paid up front, Amazon sells and fulfills for me.

[Apple]

Jan 1, 2013 17:00:41 GMT -5 startsmart said:

selling DVDs on Amazon can happen one of two ways:
1. You list each DVD individually and when it sells you print the packing slip, ship and get paid
2. You open a TRADE-IN account and give them as many DVDs you want to sell at once. They quote how much they'll pay, if you approve you ship it in. Not quite sure all the details yet but this is the way I want to go. Ship once. Get paid up front, Amazon sells and fulfills for me.

Thank you! I'd rather do it in a "lot" as well.

[sbcalimom]

I'm in! I have to take control of this once and for all!

January Goals:
Finish with DVDs
Decide what books need to go - mine and the girls
Continue decluttering bedroom
Finish organizing kitchen cupboards
Keep kitchen neat and organized - got rid of all the extra stuff and organized, but now need to keep it that way
Start on the toys

[sbcalimom]

I've done the Amazon trade-in several times for books and dvds. You typically don't get as much but it is definitely simpler. You just find the particular dvd/book and then enter the condition. If you accept the price, you send it in and they pay shipping. Like smartstart said, you can do it in lots so you can get rid of a bunch at one time if you like their offer. I think one time I got about $100 for 20 dvds but a lot of those were tv shows. Another time I got around $20-30 for maybe 10ish regular dvds. I have a fairly large stack that I am going to price check, even if I only get a small amount it will be better than nothing and I really just need to start letting go of stuff so any monetary benefit is a plus.

[acemom]

Hi there. I'd like to join this thread... I currently live in my moms basement and am constantly trying to figure out a way to organize and sort things to give myself and my son some more room. I am only living here temporarily - hoping to move out in April - and when I do move, I will need to sort and organize a new place. I have 1 1/2 storage units full of stuff... I have gotten much better at letting things go, but still need some work at it! Hoping to get some much needed ideas and motivation from here

Happy New Year!!!

[startsmart]

Finally got started on the christmas decor - for someone who doesn't celebrate I have 7 huge tubs full lol. I do need a rounded container for the new wreath I got this year.

I'm going to set up the tubs in the garage with doors across them for a few projects.

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2013 18:07:16 GMT -5 sbcalimom said:

I've done the Amazon trade-in several times for books and dvds. You typically don't get as much but it is definitely simpler. You just find the particular dvd/book and then enter the condition. If you accept the price, you send it in and they pay shipping. Like smartstart said, you can do it in lots so you can get rid of a bunch at one time if you like their offer. I think one time I got about $100 for 20 dvds but a lot of those were tv shows. Another time I got around $20-30 for maybe 10ish regular dvds. I have a fairly large stack that I am going to price check, even if I only get a small amount it will be better than nothing and I really just need to start letting go of stuff so any monetary benefit is a plus.

I've done this too, generally they take the latest editions of books, but check, because one of my husbands old textbooks brought me 32$... Score!

Less, but so much be out of the house fast...

[Ombud]

Wow .... not sure where to begin:.

• go thru Mom's stuff
• donate clothes
• determine best way to sell salvagable items ~ gotta figure out what that really is first
• then do my house

Id be delighted if I could get Mom's done before DB haul it off to ~~ but he's. a procrastinator too LOL

[Ombud]

Startsmart ::: there's a lot of books, most old. Any ideas?

[Deleted]

You can always donate ... Most libraries around here collect for their annual sale... Or see if a nursing home might like them?

[startsmart]

Ombud - I first take my books to a consignment store here in Sacramento - use the money for store credit to refeed my addiction Otherwise yeah, donate to the Library so they can loan or sell to raise money or Goodwill.

I had 2 duplicate Nancy Drew books that one of the WIR helped me turn into two purses! They're adorable. I have been using the pages to make crafts, bookmarks, modge podge, etc. Some books I save to reuse like that - I'm thinking of a really old National Geographic book that I might frame parts of someday. It's in my craft cart (where I must contain all my crafty stuff so it doesn't spillover.

I keep finding these little things that I "need" to buy. Like I have 3 plaques from college which are on top of my bookshelves that need stands. Thinking I should make an on-going "when I find a good deal" buy list because it would be nice to check some of these things off my list little by little.

Tomorrow though I have jury duty so I'll be taking my stack of papers, client binders and a fresh notebook for article ideas as well as my ipod. I'm more annoyed to miss the secret santa gift exchange than work but I also can't be on a jury anytime soon.

[Apple]

I've seen instructions for some of those book purses, and being a book lover I know I'll make one eventually, just need to find the right book (without feeling guilty of "ruining" a good one).

[Saving4Norway]

This Week's Goals:

I have a folding table we set up for the holidays that is covered with junk I need to deal with. We have a section of counter top that we refer to as "the mail table" and needless to say it's the counter top equivalent of a junk drawer. When I make attempts to clean it I always get down to the last 10 or so items that are sort of important but I don't know what to do with them so they just sit there and begin the next round of piling up the crap. This time I'd actually like to make sure it ALL finds a place to go. I real place to go, not just back to the stack of crap. I just counted, I have about 30 pieces of random stuff. I'd be thrilled if I got it all taken care of in a week. What's 30 items divided by 7 days? About 4 or 5? So, that's my goal for this week, to put away 4-5 items a day so that the table is empty by next week.

[Saving4Norway]

Jan 1, 2013 15:29:05 GMT -5 startsmart said:

I'm really reluctant to put away decorations probably because I haven't actually celebrated Christmas at all or received any presents.

To: Startsmart



From: Saving4Norway ;D

[startsmart]

Lol Norway, thanks! Today was incredibly productive, I even moved the sofa out and steam cleaned the carpet in that corner of the room. I'm pretty annoyed that I have to spend up to 4 hours tomorrow at jury duty, more annoyed I have to leave the house before 8am. I've become spoiled working from home these last few years!

The kitchen counters are clean, dishes done, decorations are put away and guest room is getting cleaner!

Good start to the new year

[grits]

startsmart, I hope jury duty lets you off the hook.

[Deleted]

"I don't think it's fair, that I should be on a jury, because I can read people's minds...'

Get out your princess Leah costume

[whoisjohngalt]

Oh I so so need this. I've been putting off organizing/decluttering for many years. Mostly bc I considered our living situation somewhat in limbo. First it was bc we knew we were going to move to a different state, than bc we knew we were going to buy a house.

Well, we are where we want to be, in our forever (or at least as long as we are able to handle it) house, so I really should start.

I am going to start super slow and my ONLY goal for Jan is to save on my computer all the bank/cc/utility bills statements so I can finally shred all the paper copies.

Lena

[Wisconsin Beth]

We got a new DVD/bluray for Christmas. DH wired it in and needed me to help track wires. So the back of the entertainment center got dusted. Boy was that bad. The "gate" in front of the TV is gone. We've decided to see how our 3 year old handles it. He likes to push buttons so this could be bad. I sorted all the mail that had accumulated on it; shredded all the stuff that needed shredding and in found 3 toy animals underneath it. The whole thing still needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth but the living room looks HUGE without the gate there. We'd taken one of those big play area gate things, made a rectangle and fitted it over the entertainment center so the kids couldn't get at the TV and the assorted components.

I've started dealing with the flood of Christmas toys the kids got. DD got 15 Princess Barbies and 2 Ken dolls. I've got them and the inherited Barbies (another 10-15) in a large gift bag. Eventually I will get them into a clear bin, along with the clothes. We got a large trash bag of assorted stuff from DH's niece. I went though it last night. We're keeping about 1/3-1/2 of it. The rest I tossed.

[ohmomto2boys]

Awesome thread!
I started de-cluttering while I was off the last 10 days. Went through the boys books and have a bunch to give to their younger cousin. Same with the plastic food. They don't play with it any more. Went through a bin and threw away some toys (little stuff not worth selling) also put some toys in the basement to sell at a later date.
DS#1 has a lot of Lego sets. I got a 3 ring binder and plastic sleeves and put all the instruction books in the sleeves. So nice!
Things to do:
-clean my closet
-continue to go through kids clothes as I wash them and put items in re-sale bin that don't fit them
-organize desk area in kitchen. this is a catch all area - always cluttered.

[sheilaincali]

I was off for the most part from end of business 12/21 until today. Lots of crap going on most of those days but we did still get a good bit of our projects started/done. More to do but every year it seems we have to get rid of less and less stuff so we must be making progress.

So far we have:
cleaned out my closet
cleaned out DH's closet
cleaned out DS' closet

Just those three closets resulted in a 9 garbage bag haul of clothes to the Salvation Army To be fair- DS is 14 and most of the clothes were one's he has outgrown over the past year. Growing 8 inches over the course of 9 months will do that to you I guess.

We cleaned out the closet under the stairs- one full trip to the Salvation Army plus a few things that were given away to people (twin sized down comforter to my niece, etc).

We emptied out the DVD portion of our built in entertainment center- Have a stack of tv show dvd sets to get rid of.

Organized the desk- found $20 in the clutter ;D

Laundry room coat closet was last night- I swear we found like a dozen hats and sets of mittens/gloves

Today DH has promised to work on the mechanical room/storage. We have a shelving unit that's been taking up room in the garage (un-assembled) that will work perfect in there.

Still need to:
Go through the kitchen cupboards
Clean out the fridge/freezer (most of the door shelves have broken off so the new replacement ones should be in on Friday)- saving this project until the new shelves get here.
Organize the pantry- pretty decent shape there but still could use a 15 minute update
Library- pull out any duplicates or unwanted books and donate them.
Garage- have to wait for a warm-ish winter day for this

Fortunately- DH is laid off for the next few weeks so he will be able to tackle these projects and a few painting and house maintenance projects as well. He has been averaging over 70 hours a week since April including many Saturdays and a few Sundays. So when the opportunity came up for a 6 to 8 week voluntary lay off he jumped at the chance. Works for me, his to do list is two full note book pages (single spaced) long.

[WholeLottaNothin]

Count me in on this...our apartment is in desperate need of decluttering. I'm am starting with our bedroom. It would be nice to have more than just a path to walk through to get to my side of the bed. I have some things sorted already but they haven't made it to the salvation army or rescue mission yet. I have baby stuff I don't know what to do with (swing, playpen, etc.) We don't have a lot of places to store stuff but as I would like another baby in the next year and I don't want to have to pay for it all again, I have to figure out what to do with it all. I need to declutter the kitchen. Roggie (my son) has "helped" me get started with this as he has decided to empty all the lower cupboards so he can play in them and "hide". He uncovered things I've forgotten I owned . I have a lot of work to do but am motivated to get started. Clutter drives me nuts.

[grits]

I still have a lot more to do. I think I"ll put on a dust mask today, and declutter some more.

[startsmart]

Yay! I love seeing regulars and new peeps posting! It really helps me to have a detailed list because then "clean kitchen" isn't so daunting.

Another strategy that a lot of people use is 15 minutes on the timer. Whether you jump around and do a little in a lot of areas or focus on one spot it's nice to have a set amount of time and 15 min a day adds up quickly.

What changed for me in 2012 was having "landing baskets" in each room so I can put things away to a room and then, when I have more focused time, put away things from the basket. The office stays cleaner without having office supplies and papers in little piles and the bedrooms no longer have crap on the bed when I'm ready for bed.

PEEP I love this acronym for "a Place for Everything and Everything in its Place" so when I need to make a lot of progress quickly I try to return everything to the right room (in those baskets) and the from the baskets into place. Even the laundry basket. One for towels and linens, the other for clothes to hang, fold, match up socks.... For some reason it's more game like and keeps me from being bored.

Update: last night I steam cleaned part of two rooms, when I get out of jury duty I need to clean the machine and finish the guest room for my moms visit. It's her steam cleaner lol. Also need to move the couch back and steam clean the middle of the room and do the rug. It's always something