2015 Declutter and Get Organized Thread

[Waffle]

@patstab sometimes if you hit Control and Z right after your message disappears, it will come back.

Now, I will go back to lurking.

[snapdragon]

Nov 16, 2015 11:33:24 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Maybe she likes cookies Snap?

She has never liked "people food" so I don't believe that was it. I just think she was bored and "hey your here so I'm going to act like your a scratching post!" was running through her head. 

[debthaven]

Am I glad this week is over!

I bought ready meals for dinner and now I'm doing laundry. 

Marking
Wed: 39 exams
Fri:
- Class 3: 19 exams
- MSc: 4 reports 

The 4 reports may not get done tomorrow. 

DS3 got 2 more university offers this week, but he was rejected from his first choice.  That school would have been incredibly demanding for the Baccalaureate mark though, so in a sense it's also a relief. 

ETA:
To Do (Fri-Sun)
- Shitepile (Thurs)
- marking
- learn lines

I did a quick Shitepile tonight and filed some papers. I have to deal with some others but those can wait.

[Blonde Granny]

You don't know they last time you wore a belt, but you're going to keep them just in case and if not, then toss them out in a year. Sounds to me you're doing more to rearrange and less of the decluttering.  Same with the blankets....don't need them, but washing them then packing away in plastic bags.  Just for a little bit, think of what you're leaving for your DH or son and DIL to get rid of when you're gone.

Get going girl, throw the stuff out.  Call for a dumpster, then make it you're lifes work to fill it to the brim.

[Blonde Granny]

I've been there done that....but it is true freedom when all this stuff (junk) gets out of our lives......so get crackin'

[busymom]

I had a whole bunch of ladies belts that I'd never even used that I tried to garage sale the last time I had one, & not one sold. Women just aren't wearing them these days, except the very young ones. DD doesn't like belts, so I threw out some, & donated the rest.

The care conference today made it official that my relative can no longer stay at assisted-living. So, now I've got to get things coordinated with both places to place him permanently at the nursing home. Tomorrow I have to run over to give the 30-day notice in person, & then DH, DS & I will be back again after school to pack up the rest of his clothes & smaller items. (My back is still aching from earlier this week, so I don't dare do any heavy lifting by myself.)

[debthaven]

Marking
Wed: 39 exams
Fri: 18/19 exams (I accidentally left one at school).
- MSc: 4 reports

I didn't mark the reports but tomorrow is another day, and they're not due until Thurs.

Caught up on dishwasher and laundry.

[WholeLottaNothin]

Nov 19, 2015 20:18:32 GMT -5 @patstab said:

The blankets are good, I'm thinking of donating them and the lap robes to the church guy, but then I could also put them in the

motorhome. I so hate to get rid of good things. Actually I have gotten rid of load after load of stuff. I cringe each time I think of the

money I spent for stuff, shame on me, but hubby has done it too, but not as bad as me as I was home all the time.

 You could give blankets to an animal shelter. They always seem to need that sort of thing.

[busymom]

Well, we accomplished the "to do" list today. I did go down & sign paperwork in the morning giving notice on my relative's apartment, came back home & cancelled his telephone service & cable t.v. (we'll set up new service once he gets a room assignment at the nursing home). Then DH, DS & I went back after school to finish emptying out the apartment (the furniture will be removed another day). Unfortunately, as I was stripping the sheets off the bed, I found what appears to be a small group of bed bugs (YUK!), so I notified the people in charge, & they'll have to treat the room (I'll get more details next week). I'm not sure now when I'll be able to schedule the furniture to be moved.  I personally have never dealt with bed bugs before. (I've only seen pictures of them.)  But, I DO know they're not a good thing...

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

DD#2 has her first pointe shoe performance tomorrow. She's 13 years-old. It's the Waltz of the Flowers The Nutcracker. 
That'll be the majority of Saturday because there are two performances. 
We're pretty excited with a dash of nervousness. 

[busymom]

I am planning to rewash ALL of his clothing, before I bring it to the nursing home when he's moved from rehab. DH moved all of his stuff to the garage temporarily (it's below freezing here, so we're hoping any that tagged along will die).

I've never thought they kept that assisted-living complex as clean as the nursing home.  I know at least once a year at the nursing home every single piece of furniture is removed from each room, & a very thorough cleaning is done. (But, finding even a small group of bugs on a bed is REALLY gross!) 

[debthaven]

Busy if I were you I would NOT wash those items at home, I'd wash them at a laundromat. But if the freezing weather is sure to kill them then I guess there's no risk. 

[Jaguar]

It's extreme heat that kills bed bugs from what I know.

[Jaguar]

I bought 7 new tops in, so I threw 8 old ones out. My old ones were from the 80's & 90's so I got a lot of good wear out of them.

[debthaven]

Nothing, why lol? Just doing some other things lol. 

[debthaven]

Pretty quiet day. I did some errands, tutored for 1.5h this morning, edited DS1's application essays, and then took a nap. This evening we went to see the new James Bond. (It was too long.)

I still have those 4 reports to mark. I may do them tomorrow, or I may just leave them till next week (when I get 4 more).

They are worried about an attack on the drinking water. We have some bottled water but I think I'll buy more tomorrow.

Chloe how did DD's ballet go?

ETA:
Marking
Sun: 4 reports

[Ombud]

I think I went a little overboard in GS1's room? He's coming home after work today until Black Friday shopping & work and I just noticed that his entire room consists of an empty desk / 1 chair / computer / printer / lamp / unmade bed. Have to rummage through donation bag for twin sheets. They're not in the linen closet

[debthaven]

Ombud, did he take them all to school?

[Ombud]

Sadly, no. DD & I gave the ones she didn't take to Goodwill. Hope some are in the last bag to go or I'm borrowing back from her

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We have survived The Nutcracker. DD had a great time and did really well. XH showed up and tried to make it all about him and his GF. Other than that, it was great time. 

Today, 
DD#1 and I are straightening up the garage as we're having 600 poinsettias delivered after Thanksgiving. They shouldn't be at our house for too long as they're for a fundraiser, but we do need room for them. 

DH is doing laundry and raking. 

DD#2 needs to clean her room. 

We all have school work to do. 

I do need to plan meals for the week and plan for our trip. 
We are going to DH's brother's house for Thanksgiving. 

[debthaven]

Ombud I hope you find some in the bag.

Chloe I'm glad DD's ballet went well. Sorry about the ex.

We are going to DH's brother's house for Thanksgiving.
Will his sister be there too?

This is going to be a VERY full week: two nights of rehearsal, Thanksgiving (thankfully not here, but it's in the evening since it's a workday here) and more parent-teacher conferences. The bright side is that after this week I'll be on a somewhat reduced schedule (2-3 days a week instead of 3-4).

[debthaven]

I'm glad you're finding the time to go through things Pat, it sounds like you have accumulated quite a lot, and I'm sure you'll feel great getting rid of the stuff that doesn't have sentimental value. 

Ombud, carrying over from the other thread (hope you don't mind but I don't want to post this there) ... instead of worrying about GS1's loans, why not just buy him new sheets to go with his new bedroom?! You can probably get away with having just one set now, but if not, you can either take a second set from DD or wait for a great deal. Or just buy a second bottom sheet, that's what we do.

We transformed the kids' basement playroom into DS1's bedroom 12 years ago when he went away to college, and we have only one set of sheets for that room, plus an extra bottom sheet. Same for DS2's bedroom (he went away to college 9 years ago) and the guest room. 

We do have 2 complete sets for DD's bedroom, DS3's bedroom and our bedroom (i.e. the bedrooms that get used full time.)  

It's not only about the money (Ikea sheets are not expensive, and I know how to wait for sales if I want something.) It's also about having to store all that Stuff. 

[Ombud]

Good idea but I'm dumping his 16 yo twin bed once the house is painted and carpets cleaned for a full size one. Found a bottom sheet. Does he really need a top one? HE'S A BOY !

I want a full size bed as his room will dbl as the guest room

[busymom]

I did my big Thanksgiving grocery shop last night. I'll pick up my fresh ingredients closer to the holiday.

DH & I moved ALL of my relative's things into the garage. It's gotten quite cold here (in the 20's), so we're hoping in a week or so anything in those bags & boxes will freeze.   The only items of his still in the house are his t.v. & DVD player, because we don't want to damage his electronics.  We'll take his clothes to the Laundromat after a couple weeks of cold, hoping that no creepy-crawlies will make it into our house. 

We're cleaning house tonight, in anticipation of Thanksgiving.  It won't be perfectly clean, because we still have a lot of Mom's stuff here and there, but it looks better than it did a couple of days ago.  I think we'll use the carpet cleaner tonight, too.  That silly dog of ours, even 'tho we make an effort to wipe his feet, still manages to track up our carpet.

[snapdragon]

I drove down on Saturday and surprised my mom with a visit. We visited for a few hours and I bought her a cheeseburger and we had a early meal before I headed back home. She looked good and was in good spirits. Though her hearing is going down. I felt like I was in the middle of a bad concert with the TV so loud. But it was enjoyable and the surprise really seemed to work on her perkiness. 

[startsmart]

My November plan might be completely derailed now... car went into the shop today and I'm guessing it's an electrical issue since it won't turn on at all. Which means I have an empty garage for the first time in nearly a year so I'd like to take care of the floor and finish a few projects. Also, my washer is going out and it's about the same cost to replace it as go through repairs and hope it doesn't need more work in a couple years. The dryer was free from my parents but the timer doesn't work so if I don't stop it then it will run for hours which is both expensive and kinda dangerous. 

I know I can definitely get half the garage floor done at a time and started moving everything to the west side to clean. There are 2 things that won't be able to move when I paint
1) east side - box that hot water heater sits on
2) west side - glass and wood cabinet that sits on the floor

But other than that everything else can be shifted pretty easily. 

IF the car can stay at the shop for at least a week then I can get both sides done. My dad is bringing his power washer up on Thursday so I'm thinking Thursday will be for moving the washer/dryer out, power washing, touching up the wall paint in that corner, finishing the window frame and letting the floor dry. 

Then if I can paint the east side Friday and let it cure 24 hours it would give me a full day to wash the west side, let it dry and then paint the west side and let it cure.

The store can deliver the washer or washer & dryer Monday and hook everything back up (I'm really tempted to get the LG front loaders and stack them to save space) and then it's just getting everything back in order. 

Then the only things left to do are: 
- build a new platform for the water heater to sit on
- build the workbench

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Oh, startsmart, I'm chuckling at the "if the car can stay at the shop for at least a week..." Usually people want their cars back asap! LOL!

Debt, no that sister will not be there. DH and I spend a lot of time with this particular brother and sister-and-law. He and DH are the youngest of the eight and spent the most time together growing up and through college. We have children the same age, and we are of the same lifestyle. 

[debthaven]

Came home ready to empty the dishwasher and DH had already done it this morning! I did a load of laundry.

Long day today, and lots to do tomorrow.

Both angry and scared at all the media debates here over the last 12 days about whether there were other attacks planned. 12 days later the govt is finally admitting that yes there were indeed another two attacks planned ... one not too far from where I work. 

[Jaguar]

<<< BIG HUGS >>> to debthaven

[snapdragon]

Debt --- I am really thankful that other attacks were stopped before they occurred.