2016 Declutter and Get Organized Thread

[Sharon]

I was a slug this morning but this afternoon I finally did get a few things done.  The garage got swept out, which it really really needed.  I also rearranged a few things to make it more functional.  The last of the lawn furniture got brought in for the winter, AND I finally made a donation run.  41 items out the door and donated.  That also really cleared off the table that sits in the garage next to the washer and dryer.

[busymom]

Hi Kids! We're getting an early frost tonight, so we've covered our tomato plants.

We're SLOWLY putting the kid's rooms back together. We're trying to sort out what they can live without, so there will be less clutter.

[3catslady]

Sharon, I read that as "I saw a slug this morning but this afternoon I finally did get a few things done" and I was wondering how seeing a slug didn't let you get anything done.  Sorry, I've been up since 5:30 and on my feet for 7 hours.  I am just tired or maybe I need glasses changed.

[dogmom]

My to do list (I need to start being accountable, I've left too much to the "I will get to it")

1.  Clean the bathroom
2.  Clean the furnace room.
3.  Return some items to the store that I bought that DH requested, but were not the correct type. 
4.  Plant the bulbs under the Rose of Sharon in the back yard.  (Have all the stuff, just have to do it.)
5.  Start sorting and swapping out summer clothes to fall/winter.
6.  At least start cleaning out the bookshelves and the (what we call) the entertainment center. 

That should be enough for today.

I already have dinner in the crock pot.

Edited for updates.  Bathroom clean.  Sorted dresser for summer/fall/winter cleanup.  I surprised myself.  30 items in the donation bag.  Waiting for charity calls (due any time, the answer is YES).  On my list that was on the kitchen table is to clean the oven.  DH is spending time with a friend, so, I opened the house and started the self clean.  3 hours to go on that. 

Thanks everyone.  I needed some motivation. 

[plugginaway22]

Reading on here and drinking coffee. Have a totally free day at home with DH away.  So many possibilities.  Need to find motivation.

[Sharon]

Very productive day for me today.

1.  Changed the linens on the bed
2.  4 loads of laundry done
3.  Ran the cobweb brush all through out the house, spiders have really been coming inside with fall.
4.  Dusted the entire house.  I hate, hate, hate to dust so this is a biggie.  I may do a room here and there but to do everything in one day it must be Christmas.
5.  Vacuumed all the carpeted rooms.
6.  Made bread for the week.
7.  Made a big pot of spaghetti sauce (some for the freezer and a couple more meals this week)
8.  Cleaned the bathrooms (except for the shower stall- another job I hate)
9.  Changed the litter boxes (that is kinda part of cleaning the bathrooms.  There is a litter box in each bathroom)
10.  Mowed the lawn (Was going to do that tomorrow but they changed the forecast from sun to copious amounts of rain )
11. Ran the dishwasher

[debthaven]

I never got to Shitepile. On Fri afternoon my neck completely froze up. My nurse friend insisted I go to the pharmacy so I have been taking muscle relaxants/anti-inflammatory/pain meds non-stop (it was too late to get a doc appt). I need to go to work tomorrow so I'm trying to get better and hoping I can get an appt with DH's physio/osteo tomorrow afternoon. I'm not sleeping much because of the pain.

DS1 and his DW and DS2 and his GF came for lunch yesterday. DH shopped and cooked. DS1 received all the wedding photos.

DS1 is moving to the UK this week (his DW moved there 2 weeks ago). They are renting out their new apt so they brought some things here to store, but thankfully not much, and it's all in DS1's basement bedroom, so it's fine. I will really miss them.

[dogmom]

Oct 8, 2016 7:21:15 GMT -5 dogmom said:

My to do list (I need to start being accountable, I've left too much to the "I will get to it")

1.  Clean the bathroom
2.  Clean the furnace room.
3.  Return some items to the store that I bought that DH requested, but were not the correct type. 
4.  Plant the bulbs under the Rose of Sharon in the back yard.  (Have all the stuff, just have to do it.)
5.  Start sorting and swapping out summer clothes to fall/winter.
6.  At least start cleaning out the bookshelves and the (what we call) the entertainment center. 

That should be enough for today.

I already have dinner in the crock pot.

Edited for updates.  Bathroom clean.  Sorted dresser for summer/fall/winter cleanup.  I surprised myself.  30 items in the donation bag.  Waiting for charity calls (due any time, the answer is YES).  On my list that was on the kitchen table is to clean the oven.  DH is spending time with a friend, so, I opened the house and started the self clean.  3 hours to go on that. 

Thanks everyone.  I needed some motivation. 

I did not finish my list, but, the oven finished "self" cleaning...I washed the kitchen floor and kitchen appliances.   Somehow I did fit in doing two loads of laundry.  Yes, folded and put away.  Also, since I had to open a bunch of windows for the oven, I cleaned a few sills.  They were kinda nasty.  I really wish I would stay more "on task"...it seems one thing just leads to another.  Today, if the weather stays clear, I'll hopefully get the bulbs planted (in the afternoon), and I'll get grocery shopping and that return done in the morning.  I did get the bulbs planted on Sunday, and the grocery shopping...

[lund]

I hope that you will get better soon, DH!

[debthaven]

Thanks Lund. Thankfully DH's physio can see me tomorrow afternoon.

[dee27]

Debt,


Ouch! Neck pain is the worst. I hope you get relief soon.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Hope you're better debt.

I'm sick so the basics are happening in fits and starts. But C will be 7 in a couple of weeks so we need to clean everything.

[jeep108]

Cleaned the house as good a as I could this weekend.  My shoulder and back are filling with fluid from the cancer seeping, I look like a hunch back.  I start radiation today, so the fluid should start going down.  Now lets hope I don't get any of the nausea or a sore throat with the radiation.   

[debthaven]

Fingers crossed for you Jeep. You're in our thoughts. 

I just came back from the physio / osteo and I feel much better. I was able to mark 22 tests today. I get 22 more tomorrow.

ETA: DS3 received his debit card today! Now he just has to wait 24-48h for the code before he can use it. I can't believe they put cards in the mail!

[dee27]

Jeep,


I hope the radiation treatments go smoothly. Hugs for a successful outcome.

[Iggy aka IG]

jeep108 , thinking good thoughts!

debthaven , so sorry about your neck pain.  Hope it is feeling much better today.

dogmom , you reminded me I need to run the "self-cleaning" oven.  Thank you. 

A relatively productive weekend here:
Did 5 loads of laundry, including putting everything away.
Dusted the entire upstairs (three bedrooms and our walk in closet), though I forgot the hallway.
Removed knickknacks from the dining room and foyer, dusted surfaces, and replaced with Halloween decorations.
Potted two clippings a friend gave me weeks ago.  Hopefully they'll survive.
Clipped and organized two weeks worth of coupons.
Replaced the humidifier filters and wiped it down.
Replaced a master bathroom light bulb that burned out last week.
Watched/cleared out about 10 DVR hours.
Did a boatload of dishes.
Conducted an inventory of Halloween themed paper plates and plastic cups for our upcoming party.
While organizing the liquor cabinet for the above, I noticed one of my relatively old Pier One cosmopolitan glasses was broken so I tossed it.  It was odd-broken all the way around about an inch from the rim (I store them upside down).  Old age failure perhaps?
Filled our outdoor water fountain and plugged it back in.  Just a few weeks until it's stored again due to freezing weather.
Made some awesome low carb pancakes for brunch yesterday, and baked a pork tenderloin for lunches this week.

Added:  The office project continues.  Last Friday I got about 1/3 of the filing done, hung a picture in the back area, and dusted.

[dee27]

Our bank usually mails debit and credit cards. Because of an impending trip, we needed a new debit card to replace a damaged one and found out that our bank can imprint replacement debit cards on site.

[debthaven]

Dee, here you have to either go to the bank to pick it up, or pay to have it sent registered mail. So I was surprised.

[dee27]

Chase sends cards via the mail and mortgage papers via FedEx.

[countrygirl]

I traded a floor lamp and a TV stand for an ice cream table and chairs plus $5 today.

Not sure I decluttered, hope to fix it for the breezeway at the newest rent house.

Plan to paint it and recover the 2 small chairs, it will look cute, I do a little staging,

though folks can have that stuff if they want it. Also moving a bench there that

will go under a little covered area.

[Sharon]

jeep108 best wishes for smooth radiation treatments and a good outcome.

debthaven glad the neck is improving and hopefully it completely loosens up soon.

I got a few more fall projects done outside today.  We are supposed to get a winter type rain storm through at the end of the week. 

Today's accomplishments
1.  Turned off the sprinkler system in the front yard and drained it.
2.  Drained, coiled and put away the hoses from the front and back yard.
3.  Put the little Styrofoam hat on the faucet in the back.
        The front faucet doesn't get its hat until it actually freezes, it is used too much.
4.  Dug the grill cover out of the garage and got the grill covered.
5.  Removed the table cloth from the picnic table.
6.  Dug up the impatiens out of the big barrels in the back yard and the row that was in a flower bed.
7.  Dug up a couple pepper plants and the zucchini out of the garden along with some random weeds.
        The garden needs a lot of work which it may not get until next spring.
8.  Swept the back deck and raked the leaves off the back patio.

[lund]

Jeep, Wish you all the best!


Dh, Glad that you are better!


Iggy, Sharon, and Pat, If you had been in competitions, it would have been time for three doping tests!

[debthaven]

Lund that is so true lol!

Tonight I ran and emptied the dishwasher, and did a load of laundry. I had a long talk with DS3. He got his code and he's looking forward to getting a new phone tomorrow or the day after. Not much mess in the house with 3 kids gone. He misses us but he's adjusting well. Lord knows we miss him too.

As I've mentioned before, DS1 is moving to the UK this week. We found out today that he leaves for yet another humanitarian aid mission 48 hours later. I thought he was through with that (he did too.) He's been looking for a more stable position near his wife but so far no luck, so he's taking this. It was so wonderful not to have to worry about him this past school year.

I had to go into the local mall near school today (I avoid that mall as much as possible because it's a prime terrorist target). I walked in at the same time as 8 Special Forces, each carrying a Kalishnikov. I said, excuse me for asking, but is there any reason I shouldn't go in now? They said, oh no, don't worry, just business as usual! I was in and out in less than 10 min. It shakes me up every time I see them walking around. Today (since I walked in with them) I noticed they each have a patch with their blood type on their left sleeve.

Chloe how are you and your DH doing?




.


 

[Sharon]

debthaven that would definitely unnerve me to special forces entering the mall.

I got a couple more hours yard work done tonight.  Since the forecast calls for rain 8 out of the next 10 days I decided to pull up the rest of the garden.  I also dumped some of my porch planters.  Happened to notice the sprinklers sitting out so got those put away.  Just puttering around enjoying being outside.

[moneysquirrel]

Running late this week:

Home/Personal:

*Maintain progress
*Clear off flat surfaces in BR
*Mop bath and bath, kitchen
*Clean bath
*Re-pot plan

School:

*Finish field trip forms 
*Duty 
*Rubrics for new projects

Crafts:

*Finish CR Necklace 
*Finish pin
*Finish earrings -- 2 more pairs
*One new item for Craft show
*Craft show -- Saturday

[busymom]

Sheesh debthaven, if that happened at my nearest mall, I'd probably be shopping online.  Hope your back/neck feel better soon.  (My low back has been giving me trouble, with the pain migrating to my mid-back, shoulder blades & neck.  The colder weather that's coming in now isn't doing me any favors, either.)

We're still moving slowly as we put items back into the kid's bedrooms.  But, at least I'm reclaiming some space in the livingroom.

[debthaven]

Thanks. Busy I hope you feel better soon. That visit to the physio/osteo really helped me.

I do generally shop online these days, or go to the much smaller mall near my house.

[Chocolate Lover]

All I've decluttered lately is time and books I got from the library

Glad to see you guys going full steam, even though I don't know how you do it sometimes.

[countrygirl]

I still need to get rid of the recliner and a dresser mirror. I don't need that

stuff in the way either.

[Jaguar]

I got rid of three side tables yesterday so that's better here. I'll start organizing everything when I get my glasses back.