2016 Declutter and Get Organized Thread

[Martivir]

I'm trying to remind myself that Rome was not built in a day. And that Dumpster's are more expensive that I would like. Because of the sheer amount of kid junk downstairs it migrated far beyond the kid's play area. I have lost room that I need to work. The clutter is impeding my ability to create income. It has migrated into my sewing area, taken over part of the space I use for bigger projects and I can't access my cutting table without taking five minutes to move junk. I want to cry, hire a dumpster or maybe just crawl back into bed and pretend none of this is happening. 

[Deleted]

I got two pair of pants hemmed yesterday. I'm counting that as an extra extra!

Martivir slow and steady will get it fixed up faster than you think. The trick is not to crawl back into bed.

[dogmom]

Yesterday, we received a new set top box for cable. It provided a good reason to reconfigure our "entertainment" center.  Good: Everything off of the shelves and cleaned. The Bad: Our provider sent mis matched equipment that won't work. So, THEY will have to fix it on Tuesday. (No charge to us, but will be asking for a discount going forward for their error).  The center holds stereo equipment, TV, . and recorder.  Nothing to declutter there, just clean.  There is a set of shelves that hold misc CD's, DVD's, etc that is on the radar.

Today my focus was mud room and kitchen.  I DID take all items out of the mud room (couldn't clean the patio doors though, too cold), washed walls and floor.    Don't know what the thought process was, but got rid of 18 items that should have gone in recycling.  They are safely (hopefully) in the bin.  Floor washed and waxed.  Changed filters in the vents.

Kitchen, I washed appliances and cleaned out the refrigerator.  Everything out, shelves washed... YEA!  Got rid of a few items.  Washed  and waxed the floor.  Oven is self cleaning, I'll probably let that run tonite.

Keep going everyone!  Love your posts. 

[debthaven]

Today I spent most of the day decluttering my broken computer. DS2 had three MacBooks and lent / gave me one long-term. I am NOT a techie but I managed to update the system, back up my computer, migrate my data, AND install Office! :-)

However, I may have screwed up my school account while installing Office.  I sent an email to the school IT guy so hopefully it will be OK. 

I also went to visit my friend and bring her the soup. 

[busymom]

I've got a contractor!!   Little did Mom know that the advice she gave me years ago would come in handy when getting HER house ready to sell:  when you have trouble finding a contractor, check with the local hardware store for referrals. 

He's got 2 projects to finish before he can work on Mom's bathroom, but it's all good.  At least we're moving along.

There's no school here tomorrow, and the temps are way below zero, so DS & I will stick close to home.  I need to do more cleaning, & keep working on paperwork.  Party on!

[Saving4Norway]

Ugg, I feel like the Seahawks are playing. The good news is that I don't want to waste time watching the game. The bad news is I don't have the energy to do much cleaning/organizing.

[debthaven]

Saving you did a LOT yesterday, take the day off. 

[Ombud]

Jan 17, 2016 14:03:27 GMT -5 Saving4Norway said:

Ugg, I feel like the Seahawks are playing. The good news is that I don't want to waste time watching the game. The bad news is I don't have the energy to do much cleaning/organizing.

0-31 Are they really playing? This is not like them

[Ombud]

Jan 17, 2016 14:46:25 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Jan 17, 2016 14:03:27 GMT -5 Saving4Norway said:

Ugg, I feel like the Seahawks are playing. The good news is that I don't want to waste time watching the game. The bad news is I don't have the energy to do much cleaning/organizing.

0-31 Are they really playing? This is not like them

better 3rd qtr. 14-31

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 17, 2016 15:14:31 GMT -5 Ombud said:

Jan 17, 2016 14:46:25 GMT -5 Ombud said:

0-31 Are they really playing? This is not like them

better 3rd qtr. 14-31

We'll have to agree to disagree there. 
~Chloe of the 49er Faithful

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 17, 2016 12:32:48 GMT -5 Martivir said:

I'm trying to remind myself that Rome was not built in a day. And that Dumpster's are more expensive that I would like. Because of the sheer amount of kid junk downstairs it migrated far beyond the kid's play area. I have lost room that I need to work. The clutter is impeding my ability to create income. It has migrated into my sewing area, taken over part of the space I use for bigger projects and I can't access my cutting table without taking five minutes to move junk. I want to cry, hire a dumpster or maybe just crawl back into bed and pretend none of this is happening. 

I really find setting a timer to work on decluttering or routine tasks is helpful to me. If I set it for five minutes, then I go as fast as I can for that five minutes. Then, either I'm excited about what I've accomplished and want to continue, or I congratulate myself for the 5 minutes and go read a book. 

Is a Good will or Salvation Army on your way to grocery shopping or kids' activities? If you were to just take a bag by there each time you drove by, that would give you a good start at purging. 

Knowing there's a solution to the problem is the first step in fixing the problem. Hugs! 

[startsmart]

Car is still at the shop (brakes + alignment) so I'm hoping to pick it up tomorrow. I put away 3 baskets full of clothes and have the last load cleaning now. I bagged up the stuff I'm taking to donation and next up is tackling my bathroom while watching Hoarders.

ETA: 30 items out from the bathroom and it was already pretty clean! Just getting rid of more from stuff I don't use up fast enough. 

[debthaven]

I spent 15 min Shitepiling tonight and got the pile lower. Four or five years ago it used to take me DAYS! Now I generally spend 15 min a week on it, and 30-60 min once a month.

This week besides work I have only one evening rehearsal, so I'll spend one evening with A. I plan to spend an evening per week with her. My marking will start up again in early Feb and I will be less available then. Thankfully I don't have two evening rehearsals again until March.

I'm so happy that the days are finally getting longer again.

Martivir, you were doing so well just recently! You and your mom had rearranged your basement. Can you identify when / how things got out of control? I'm guessing it was at least partly because of the holidays.   I'm sure you can get it under control again. :-)

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 17, 2016 17:47:15 GMT -5 debthaven said:

 

I'm so happy that the days are finally getting longer again.

Me, too! I do not function well from Nov - March because of the reduced length of sunlight.  I know it's all mental, but I can't seem to break the drudgery cycle. 

[midjd]

I'm off tomorrow for MLK Day and DH is taking DD to daycare in the morning so I should have a lot of time to work on my list.

- I agreed to help my sports league file for incorporation, which is a pretty easy process but still time-consuming. I need to get it done ASAP so they can open a bank account.

- I am also planning a 2.5 hour CLE on Wednesday (and presenting for about 40 min of it). I will be SO relieved when that is over. I still have a few big projects at work that go into March, but hosting CLEs is always the most stressful for me, especially the combination of logistics/agenda planning and presenting. I don't know how you teachers do it all the time! 

In addition to those, I hope to:

- Go through upstairs filing cabinets and throw away any paperwork that isn't tax-related or otherwise important. (My mom calling every few days and updating me on her progress cleaning out my grandpa's house, which included pretty much every utility bill he paid for the last 20 years, has been great motivation). 
- Clean out junk drawers and junk cabinet in kitchen 
- Go to Target and get new plates and coffee mugs so I can finish donating our old ones
- Drop off boxes at Goodwill
- Sweep and mop basement stairs 
- If I have extra time and/or motivation -- plan and prep a few meals for the week.

[moneysquirrel]

Goals for this week:

• Input grades
• Lesson plans
• Grade any (late) assignments that are submitted this week 
• Begin thinking about presentation -- general terms now -- specifics later
• Maintain cleared areas
• Keeping up with daily routine -- laundry, dishes, etc
• Focus at least 15 minutes on paper pile -- file, shred, etc
• Focus on LR this week
• Change flag
• One new stringing project 
• Four rows on scrap afghan
• One new beading project
• Dentist
• Appointment with T
• Deliver items to J
• Sent application for craft show

Some of you are so productive that I feel like a slug compared to you.  I usually come home and crash most days after school.  At least I have tomorrow off and hope to get a few things done off this list. May have to help move a relative later this week as well.  If so, some of this may be postponed.

[Deleted]

I finally made the pj top to go with the pj pants I made in the fall! Neither one is perfect but they are comfy pj's. And I'm learning that the materials I like and don't like and I really do need a pattern

Some of you are so productive that I feel like a slug compared to you.

I think that too! But I think a lot of it is that I don't list the things I consider part of the routine. If I listed all that my lists would be as long as theirs. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 17, 2016 21:42:39 GMT -5 midjd said:

I'm off tomorrow for MLK Day and DH is taking DD to daycare in the morning so I should have a lot of time to work on my list.

- I agreed to help my sports league file for incorporation, which is a pretty easy process but still time-consuming. I need to get it done ASAP so they can open a bank account.

- I am also planning a 2.5 hour CLE on Wednesday (and presenting for about 40 min of it). I will be SO relieved when that is over. I still have a few big projects at work that go into March, but hosting CLEs is always the most stressful for me, especially the combination of logistics/agenda planning and presenting. I don't know how you teachers do it all the time! 

In addition to those, I hope to:

- Go through upstairs filing cabinets and throw away any paperwork that isn't tax-related or otherwise important. (My mom calling every few days and updating me on her progress cleaning out my grandpa's house, which included pretty much every utility bill he paid for the last 20 years, has been great motivation). 
- Clean out junk drawers and junk cabinet in kitchen 
- Go to Target and get new plates and coffee mugs so I can finish donating our old ones
- Drop off boxes at Goodwill
- Sweep and mop basement stairs 
- If I have extra time and/or motivation -- plan and prep a few meals for the week.

What does CLE stand for? That's not part of my alphabet soup vernacular. 

[plugginaway22]

I had a pretty productive weekend around the house.  DH got the new bath cabinet hung and I love it.  Started to put some things in it, but more there to organize.
The laundry pile definitely got lower.  We did a big stock up grocery trip. Worked on our bedroom closet, and have another bag to donate.  Each time I go through things there is more that I determine should be OUT! Made a pile of clothing for DH to try on or decide about keeping but he wouldn't do it.  Said 'I'll get to it" which means that pile will be sitting there next weekend.

[spartan7886]

We made pretty good progress this weekend. Got the office/guest room all arranged and DH is fully moved in. All my hangers are switched out, and the rebalancing got done. Only task unfinished is the registry, and we did start it. Off my previous list, I also got two cavities filled and picked out my outfit and accessories for Friday's black tie dinner.

Goals for this week:
1. Finish registry at least enough for first baby shower in 3 weeks.
2. Move my computer and accessories to my new desk.
3. Break down boxes from new furniture.

[tcu2003]

Peter Walsh's #31Days2GetOrganized Challenge:

1. Set up a donation center (bin, basket, garbage bag, etc.) in your home and add 5 things to it
2. Look in your closet for the pair(s) of shoes that is most covered in dust, and add it to your donation pile. (He also mentioned the 80/20 rule where you wear 20% of your shoes 80% of the time.)
3. Pick any single room in your house and tackle the floor. Get every single thing that doesn't belong on the floor of that room off the floor, whether it is toys, books, clutter, etc.
4. Unmentionables - go through your unmentionables drawer, and get rid of at least 5 items that you don't need/love/wear because they're stretched out, don't like them, etc.
5. Bathroom - choose 1 drawer, cupboard, or shelf, and go through all of the lotions, makeup, medicines, etc. Throw away anything that is out-of-date, and items you do not use.
6. Kitchen plates and bowls - go through the drawers, cupboards, etc. that have plates and bowls in your kitchen, and get rid of any orphan plates and bowls that don't match, no one knows where they came from, you don't use, etc.
7. Emotional clutter - think of someone you have fallen out of touch with that you would like to reconnect with; initiate contact with them, whether that is by phone, email, or in-person.
8. Books - spend 5 minutes and gather books from wherever you have them all over your house and put them into one please. Apply the rule of 5 - if you're not going to read those books, or you're past loving them, pull 5 out that you can let go of, then another 5, then another 5, and so on, until you're happy with what you have left, and they can fit on a bookshelf somewhere.
9. Take down and put away all of your holiday decorations, but before you put them back in storage, go through them all and get rid of anything you don't use, need, or want.
10. Kitchen small appliances - if you have duplicates of appliances in your kitchen, get rid of one and add to your donation. Also, if you have any appliances that you don't need, don't use, or don't have space for, get rid of that and add to your donation pile.
11. Outdated Media - choose of 3 areas (VHS tapes, record albums, cassette tapes); VHS tapes - get rid of ones you can let go of, and ones to be digitized, put in the car and take them someplace today; record albums - if you're not listening to them, get rid of them, or download the digital album first if that helps; cassette tapes - again, let them go, and download digital files if you need or want to
12. Office - pick any 2 shelves in your office and go through them; get rid of anything you don't need or want
13. Secret Cupboard - choose one cupboard that you don't want anyone to see into, jump in and clear it out; get rid of stuff that doesn't belong
14. Phone books - go through your home and find any phone book (and catalogs, while you're at it), and get rid of them; it's the digital age, so phone books and catalogs need to go
15. It's the halfway point - look around and see if there is anything you need to catch up on. If you've fallen off the wagon, today is the day to catch back up and get re-enthused about it, and finally, invite 2 friends to join the last 2 week of the 31 days to get organized challenge.
16. Car - chances are you lead a busy life, and because of that, stuff accumulates in your car. Grab a trash bag, and throw away anything in your car that is garbage. Take anything that is in your car and doesn't belong there, and put in its proper place.
17. Freezer - go to freezer, and pull out any items that have been in there so long you have no idea what they are (aka Unidentified Frozen Objects - UFOs) and thrown them out. Also, make a list of what is in there so you can go through and use up those things over the next few weeks/months.
18. Laundry - go through a laundry cupboard, and get rid of anything in there you longer need or use, and recycle/dispose of in a proper way.

[tcu2003]

Jan 18, 2016 11:44:09 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Peter Walsh's #31Days2GetOrganized Challenge:

1. Set up a donation center (bin, basket, garbage bag, etc.) in your home and add 5 things to it
2. Look in your closet for the pair(s) of shoes that is most covered in dust, and add it to your donation pile. (He also mentioned the 80/20 rule where you wear 20% of your shoes 80% of the time.)
3. Pick any single room in your house and tackle the floor. Get every single thing that doesn't belong on the floor of that room off the floor, whether it is toys, books, clutter, etc.
4. Unmentionables - go through your unmentionables drawer, and get rid of at least 5 items that you don't need/love/wear because they're stretched out, don't like them, etc.
5. Bathroom - choose 1 drawer, cupboard, or shelf, and go through all of the lotions, makeup, medicines, etc. Throw away anything that is out-of-date, and items you do not use.
6. Kitchen plates and bowls - go through the drawers, cupboards, etc. that have plates and bowls in your kitchen, and get rid of any orphan plates and bowls that don't match, no one knows where they came from, you don't use, etc.
7. Emotional clutter - think of someone you have fallen out of touch with that you would like to reconnect with; initiate contact with them, whether that is by phone, email, or in-person.
8. Books - spend 5 minutes and gather books from wherever you have them all over your house and put them into one please. Apply the rule of 5 - if you're not going to read those books, or you're past loving them, pull 5 out that you can let go of, then another 5, then another 5, and so on, until you're happy with what you have left, and they can fit on a bookshelf somewhere.
9. Take down and put away all of your holiday decorations, but before you put them back in storage, go through them all and get rid of anything you don't use, need, or want.
10. Kitchen small appliances - if you have duplicates of appliances in your kitchen, get rid of one and add to your donation. Also, if you have any appliances that you don't need, don't use, or don't have space for, get rid of that and add to your donation pile.
11. Outdated Media - choose of 3 areas (VHS tapes, record albums, cassette tapes); VHS tapes - get rid of ones you can let go of, and ones to be digitized, put in the car and take them someplace today; record albums - if you're not listening to them, get rid of them, or download the digital album first if that helps; cassette tapes - again, let them go, and download digital files if you need or want to
12. Office - pick any 2 shelves in your office and go through them; get rid of anything you don't need or want
13. Secret Cupboard - choose one cupboard that you don't want anyone to see into, jump in and clear it out; get rid of stuff that doesn't belong
14. Phone books - go through your home and find any phone book (and catalogs, while you're at it), and get rid of them; it's the digital age, so phone books and catalogs need to go
15. It's the halfway point - look around and see if there is anything you need to catch up on. If you've fallen off the wagon, today is the day to catch back up and get re-enthused about it, and finally, invite 2 friends to join the last 2 week of the 31 days to get organized challenge.
16. Car - chances are you lead a busy life, and because of that, stuff accumulates in your car. Grab a trash bag, and throw away anything in your car that is garbage. Take anything that is in your car and doesn't belong there, and put in its proper place.
17. Freezer - go to freezer, and pull out any items that have been in there so long you have no idea what they are (aka Unidentified Frozen Objects - UFOs) and thrown them out. Also, make a list of what is in there so you can go through and use up those things over the next few weeks/months.
18. Laundry - go through a laundry cupboard, and get rid of anything in there you longer need or use, and recycle/dispose of in a proper way.

Previously done: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11
Completed since my last update: 14, 15

To do: 3, 8, 12, 13 (halfway done with this one - need to finish it), 16, 17, 18

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Always remember what Teddy Roosevelt said:
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”


There is no competition in this thread. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Nope but I need encouragement. I'm back to striping that f $\&*&/##&*(*:7!:* wallpaper in the big bathroom. I thought I was making great progress only to realize I wasnt getting down enough.

There is progress, just not as much as I wanted. Kids are home with me and mostly behaving.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 18, 2016 14:11:31 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Nope but I need encouragement. I'm back to striping that f $\&*&/##&*(*:7!:* wallpaper in the big bathroom. I thought I was making great progress only to realize I wasnt getting down enough.

There is progress, just not as much as I wanted. Kids are home with me and mostly behaving.

[debthaven]

Came home, wrote some work emails, did a load of laundry, ran and emptied the dishwasher. Nothing very exciting or ambitious. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Ok, I hit the wall, no pun intended. I'm getting stiff and sore.

Most of the actual wallpaper is off, I think. There's a bit around the light fixture and the mirror. The mirror is one of those massively heavy oval ones that don't really belong in a bathroom, in my opinion.

I got a lot of the glue off too, I think. So I'm thinking this weekend dh can help me remove the mirror and I can go over everything, the scrub the walls really well because they desperately need it. Maybe I can even get Killz primer on too. That's probably too ambitious but we'll see.

[debthaven]

Whoo hoo Beth! Get rid of the mirror if you don't like it (there). 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Maybe. But first things first.

[Ombud]

Wisconsin Beth, you have my admiration! Did a very small area once so I know how much work it entails

Trying to change an old child's rocker into this: www.mackenzie-childs.com/Furniture/Furniture-for-Kids-Baby/Wee-Rocking-Chair.axd but with more black & music notes