2015 Declutter and Get Organized Thread

[Ombud]

Well I'm working again, got in 7.5 hrs yesterday before heading into SF for concert.

Today cleaned house, 2 loads laundry, interviewed 2 contractors for repairs once DD moves out, 3 hr seminar.

Getting a lot more done if I work off a list.


It's been exactly 1 week since I told DD that she needed to financially contribute to household again (let her off hook from August on bc of buying a place) & guess who's loan docs came in? I'm not suspicious

[debthaven]

Ombud, is she really moving out? Or is she just buying time? I can't tell whether this is really going to happen or not. 

[Ombud]

LOL ... me too!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Hi guys!


Ombud, goodness, your daughter moving out is taking awhile!!! Good for you for telling her she needed to financially contribute if she's going to stay there. 


debthaven, yay for your daughter's job! I'm sorry that DH's procrastination is causing you grief. 


busymom, I hope it is getting better for your relative. 

Tomorrow is Friday!!! Woo hoo!!!

There's a high school football game we'll need to go to tomorrow. I have a dermatology appointment Saturday morning. Other than that I'm hoping for a quiet weekend. 

[debthaven]

I did no marking yesterday, I saw my friend (who is doing much better!) and then just chilled (and fell asleep on the couch). 

This morning I got up early to start marking before my private lesson, but the student never showed up. I did not text her until it was too late, so I got half the marking done. 

Fri:
- call lady about the rental
Sat:
- mark 8 reports 
- proofread exam
- call store about light fitting
- Shitepile

ETA: DH fixed two curtain rods that were coming loose. 

[dogmom]

Now that the seasons are changing, DH and I started the annual clothes swap. In the process, we came up with 12 pairs of shoes to donate to Shoes for Souls.


Neighbor was collecting old clothing for a drive.  We got rid of (OMG 30 T-shirts, 8 pairs of jeans)


I do have some misc that we will be donating to whatever charity calls first for pickup.  (thinking two bags of misc and some books)

I've been concentrating more on upkeep and deep cleaning.  10 hour days at work kind of take the energy out of you.   

A long way to go, but, we'll get there. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We've had a very quiet day. DD#1 took the SAT (again) and is now off to a HS leadership conference, and DD#2 went to a robotics thing (what! something other than dance). 
I went to my dermatologist, did some window shopping, took my wedding set in for service, did a bit of grocery shopping, and took a 90!!!  minute nap!

It's 5:15 here now. I'll get some grading done and make banana bread. DH is making dinner, so I'll clean that up. 

Of course, this means a bit of a chore list for tomorrow...

[startsmart]

Hey ladies! It's been ages since I updated here and life has been hectic. In Sept, I went to Mexico for the Retreat and some time off and had a great time. I had the chance to snorkel, parasail, and ride camels but also worked a ton so it was kinda exhausting. I added a ton of pictures on my blog: myfriendkelly.wordpress.com if you're interested. 

Since coming home in October I've been working full on for a business launch for the company that I manage and thankfully it's nearly wrapped up (another 72 hours!). As a result things at home have been slow and I've barely kept up on cleaning and laundry 

Today was pretty productive (since I swore off work and talking to people for a day) and I got the bougainvillea cut back since I get new gutters installed Monday and they were growing into the house and have super sharp thorns. I really need to build a trellis but am dreading getting into that flower bed with so many thorns! 

I recently moved around some furniture in the living room and dining room so I am trying to find space for everything that got disrupted. One thing that has worked really well was keeping a box in the garage on the hood of my car for stray items. Everything that needs to be put away outside goes in the box and then I've been emptying it on Saturday when I can pull the car out of the garage. 

I also sanded the old kitchen table today and am about 90% done. I was getting overwhelmed with dust so I'll finish up the detail work tomorrow (my mom wants the table and will be here next weekend). Once that's out of here I can work on building my new workbench. I've decided to re-use the closet doors that I took out of the bedrooms because they're a good size and are just taking up room right now. If I can get the design figured out then I'll just need to pick up some wood so it should be budget friendly. 

The side yard is mostly ready for the gutter install but I'd really like to get to taking out the tree and extending my fence. Hopefully soon! There are still a lot of bigger projects on my list (roof, new walkway in the front, replacing windows, new stove...) but I'm really trying to finish up the necessary stuff. That means door frames, baseboards and quarter round molding, floor transitions and window frames. If I can find the budget then I'll also start replacing the windows but that's about $3,000 away. 

Short term, if I can get the living room and dining room clean enough tonight then my goal tomorrow is to photograph both spaces for the blog as I slowly update the house tour pages. Here's my short checklist for that: 
1) put away clean laundry
2) move all the papers and work files back to the office 
3) move window shades to the garage
4) put all of the gutter install supplies in a box for Monday
5) find a box for the china 
6) package all of the gifts for the Post Office on Monday
7) clean and put away the table fan
8) dust the bookshelves and kitchen table
9) straighten up the couch
10) trim loose threads on the rug

[busymom]

I've been running like a fool the last couple of days, but I HAVE gotten a lot done. My relative needed clothes at the rehabilitation center, so I've been to his apartment twice. Because the last time he was in the hospital we found his apartment left unlocked by the staff, he also asked me to move the few valuables he has to my place (t.v. set, etc.) So, my livingroom looks worse than ever, but once he is placed I will return his stuff to wherever he is living. I also did make it to Mom's place, & I cut off all of the volunteer trees that were trying to grow out of her flower bed. I also lopped off some that were trying to grow along her fence line. I'm tired & sore tonight, but these last 2 days have been very productive (I hate wasting time, especially when there is a lot to get done).

My paperwork is out of control again, but of course I've hardly been home.  That'll be my main project the next couple of days.  Although, I did get a call when I was gone from the rehabilitation center.  It sounds like I'll have to pop in on Monday to sign off on some of their paperwork. (Yes, I'm POA for my relative...) 

[debthaven]

Good to see you Start! 

Busy I hope your relative gets settled in soon and you can stop running around so much. 

Chloe is your DD1 a junior or senior? Are you dealing with college apps too? DS3 got an invitation to attend Open Day at the university that gave him the offer. We signed up for late Feb when both DS3 and I are off. DH is flexible. 

I will have 60 tests to mark this week and 60 more next week, so I need to stay on top of it. Wed is a holiday here.

Sun
- update spreadsheets
- Shitepile

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Debt, she's a senior. She's struggling with concept of altering her spoiled life to that of a college student. She doesn't want to be far from home (more than a two-hour drive would constitute that); she doesn't want to be in a big city (>100K). So, that limits the choices immensely, which makes the process a bit easier.  She's received a full tuition, fees, & books offer to a community college if she runs for the cross country team. She's leaning heavily   toward that choice. The plan would then be she'd transfer to the state university for engineering. We've done at least eight college tours within our state. We've also taken her to UC  Berkeley; that's when she decided she couldn't handle a real city.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Lots of little things to do today.

• grading
• cardio
• mopping
• toilets
• change sheets
• clean entry way
• clean front porch
• clean dining room
• dinner meals plan for the week
• contact friend about changing next weekend's plans
•  reconcile one checking account
• I'm sure there's more. 

 

[busymom]

I was stiff & sore when I woke up this morning. After glancing in the mirror, & seeing what my eyes looked like, I decided I'd better not go to church. Was worried the folks there would think I'd been up late partying, when all I've been doing is taking care of a lot of assorted stuff. DS & I watched t.v. church on the internet.

I attacked some of my paper pile. Bad Boy Puppy is doing a lot of shedding (it IS Fall here), so it takes longer than usual to vacuum the house now. Plus, I have to look for clumps of fur in unusual places.

Knee Deep in Water Chloe, I remember my own DD being a high school senior.  There are a lot of choices to make in a short amount of time.  (It's SO stressful for them.)  Mine is a college senior now, & looking at a new batch of choices, like what city would she like to work in, what job(s) should she apply for, etc.

[debthaven]

Chloe that sounds like a good solution for your DD, and it would save a lot of money too. 

Busy good luck to your DD in her job search! It's great to have choices but I agree, these transition periods are really stressful on them (and on us too ...)

I forgot to do our laundry this weekend.  I will do a load tomorrow after work. 

This week's marking
Wed: 40 grammar tests
Fri: 19 grammar tests

[startsmart]

Thanks debthaven I've missed you ladies! 

Dropped off 35 items at Goodwill today which is a start (but then totally bought 4 dog sweaters because: Christmas cards!) 

[Jaguar]

YES !!!! I just threw out two box fulls plus 5 bags of stuff I have been saving in my storage unit.

[debthaven]

Way to go Sugi! :-)

[Deleted]

I'm pretty certain I'm the SLOWEST declutterer on the planet.  But, I've started to get a handle on the clothes...at least I know what needs to be done and work on it periodically.   I've also been chipping away at the big problem in the barn/pole shed.  It has collected "stuff" for 20 years now.  Including "stuff" that both ex-husbands have left.  I think 12 years is long enough for Ex 1.0 and I've warned him many times that I'm going to start dumping and now I'm getting serious.  Problem is, a lot of it is too big for the garbage...so I've been improvising.  Yesterday I took a sledge hammer to a dog crate to break it up enough to get in there.  I've cut up carpets, taken apart file cabinets...I've vowed to fill that 55 gallon garbage container every week.

I have a couple decluttering things that have me stumped though.  Books and my wedding dress.  I still have pretty much every book I've ever bought my entire life, minus a bunch of college ones that I resold.  They're currently either in or around the small bookshelf in my room and on the sunporch or in a multitude of boxes all over the basement.  Not organized, many half open because I was rummaging through for one.  I'm not sure I'm ready to just get rid of them, but I don't know if I should just better organize my boxing system or get a big bookcase and display them all.

The wedding dress has been taking up a quarter of my closet for 6 years.  It was never cleaned or boxed, just hanging in it's bag.

[debthaven]

MPL, I'd get a bigger bookshelf and then try to get rid of SOME of the books. 

I'd donate the wedding dress, or if that's too hard, get it out of the closet / house. 

Sometimes it's easier to get rid of something once it's been in an attic / barn / storage for a while. But I think you should probably get it out of the house to see how that feels. 

Well done on the clothes! Nothing wrong with continuing with that and the ex's stuff, since you're making progress there. 

ETA: Could you do a run with your truck and some of the bigger stuff from the exes?

[debthaven]

DS1 had a doc appt near the house so he was here when I got home from work. It was great to see him! He went grocery shopping with me and stayed for dinner, he just left. DS2 was supposed to come too but he's working late. :-(

I came home, emptied the dishwasher and did a load. 

Coming home with 60 exams tomorrow, and 20 more on Thurs.

Wed is a holiday here!  I'll be marking, but in PJs! 

[Deleted]

In an ideal world I'd put a couple big oak bookshelves in my family room.  They would look great in there and great place to display books...but...my family room is in the lower level and I've had lots of flooding issues in the past.  It will be bone dry for years, then I'll end up with several inches of water down there one day due to a crazy thaw or something else.  It sucks a lot because I have 3 bedrooms a bath and family room down there and have to think about everything in terms of how it will deal with water. 

My Mother wants to have me committed and she actually gets MAD about this, but I want to get rid of my dresser and chest of drawers in my bedroom.  I don't need them and don't remember the last time I opened either one.  One is totally empty and the other is storing clothes I don't (or can't) wear anymore.  I thought just get rid of them entirely or put them in the spare bedroom in the basement.  I could put in a couple book cases instead.  Would that be weird? 

[Jaguar]

I just unloaded three bagfulls of old books and magazines from the 90's, that's another bunch of crap gone out the door.

[Jaguar]

Nov 9, 2015 16:59:12 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

In an ideal world I'd put a couple big oak bookshelves in my family room.  They would look great in there and great place to display books...but...my family room is in the lower level and I've had lots of flooding issues in the past.  It will be bone dry for years, then I'll end up with several inches of water down there one day due to a crazy thaw or something else.  It sucks a lot because I have 3 bedrooms a bath and family room down there and have to think about everything in terms of how it will deal with water. 

My Mother wants to have me committed and she actually gets MAD about this, but I want to get rid of my dresser and chest of drawers in my bedroom.  I don't need them and don't remember the last time I opened either one.  One is totally empty and the other is storing clothes I don't (or can't) wear anymore.  I thought just get rid of them entirely or put them in the spare bedroom in the basement.  I could put in a couple book cases instead.  Would that be weird? 

No it wouldn't be weird at all.

[debthaven]

Books collect a LOT of dust so I don't like having bookshelves in the bedroom, I prefer to keep them in other rooms instead. But that's just me. 

[busymom]

I've always admired those lawyer bookcases, with glass on the front. I wonder how well those keep out the dust?

I've spent too much time on the telephone today dealing with everyone about my relative. His assisted-living complex wants to know if he's moving back, I'm getting doctors who want to set appointments, and I'm also getting multiple calls from the place he's getting therapy at. He had to go back to the hospital very early this morning, but he should be back at the therapy center by now.

minnesotapaintlady, my Mom & Dad would probably be less than happy seeing everything I've gotten rid of our of their house, but sadly, most of it was suited only for a dumpster.  I greatly admire how frugal they were, but no one would pay a cent for what I've pitched.  And, even the items you'd consider to be antiques were nothing of great value.  Even antique dealers have rejected about half of the stuff I thought might be worth something.

[lund]

I had books in my dresser as a kid....
The dresser was sturdy, and I put the books with the spine up, creating the impressing on a bookcase laying down.
It worked very well, and no dust problem either.

Then the family had bookcases in the corridor/passage outside the bedrooms. Also worked well.

I always wished for built-ins, with doors with glass in the upper half and wood in the lower half, and a key lock. One day, some day...



As for the wedding dress, if it gives you good vibrations, keep it, but consider storing it somewhere else.

[Deleted]

Whoa.  Books in the dresser and chest of drawers I already have....that are empty (or need to be emptied).  That is brilliant!  I'll have to see how strong the drawers are, but I have a lot of room in them.

The dress...ugh...at the very least I should have it cleaned and boxed.  Does anyone know how much that costs? 

[Chocolate Lover]

Nov 9, 2015 16:59:12 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

In an ideal world I'd put a couple big oak bookshelves in my family room.  They would look great in there and great place to display books...but...my family room is in the lower level and I've had lots of flooding issues in the past.  It will be bone dry for years, then I'll end up with several inches of water down there one day due to a crazy thaw or something else.  It sucks a lot because I have 3 bedrooms a bath and family room down there and have to think about everything in terms of how it will deal with water. 

My Mother wants to have me committed and she actually gets MAD about this, but I want to get rid of my dresser and chest of drawers in my bedroom.  I don't need them and don't remember the last time I opened either one.  One is totally empty and the other is storing clothes I don't (or can't) wear anymore.  I thought just get rid of them entirely or put them in the spare bedroom in the basement.  I could put in a couple book cases instead.  Would that be weird? 

Generally speaking, it's your stuff and your house and you can do what you want with any and all of it. If she gave you the furniture ask her when she'd like you to bring it back to her.

I've discovered that my dresser is good for stacking crap on and keeping socks and underwear in. I tend to stack jeans and stuff on the bathroom counter or on top of the dresser. I just need shelves.

[Deleted]

Nov 10, 2015 10:44:25 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Generally speaking, it's your stuff and your house and you can do what you want with any and all of it. If she gave you the furniture ask her when she'd like you to bring it back to her.

I've discovered that my dresser is good for stacking crap on and keeping socks and underwear in. I tend to stack jeans and stuff on the bathroom counter or on top of the dresser. I just need shelves.

She did give me the bedroom set.  THIRTY YEARS AGO!  Seriously, it's showing it's age with broken handles and scratches, plus if I were to buy a bedroom set it would not be this style. 

She always is lamenting about how I'm her only child and when she dies I'll be throwing away all the family pictures. 

[Chocolate Lover]

Nov 10, 2015 10:51:10 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Nov 10, 2015 10:44:25 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

Generally speaking, it's your stuff and your house and you can do what you want with any and all of it. If she gave you the furniture ask her when she'd like you to bring it back to her.

I've discovered that my dresser is good for stacking crap on and keeping socks and underwear in. I tend to stack jeans and stuff on the bathroom counter or on top of the dresser. I just need shelves.

She did give me the bedroom set.  THIRTY YEARS AGO!  Seriously, it's showing it's age with broken handles and scratches, plus if I were to buy a bedroom set it would not be this style. 

She always is lamenting about how I'm her only child and when she dies I'll be throwing away all the family pictures. 

My mom is the kind that if she gives you furniture it's more of a loan than a gift. If you decide to get rid of it you better ask her first if she wants it back. Never mind that her house, garage and 2 storage buildings are stuffed to the gills, you'd better ask!

I just love the guilt trips, don't you?