2017 Declutter and Organization Thread

[zibazinski]

Jan 1, 2017 10:48:14 GMT -5 Sharon said:

Jan 1, 2017 10:45:32 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I need someone to knit a new or fix DD's Christmas stocking

Is there a yarn store in your local area.  Not a craft store like Michaels but a yarn only store.  We have a couple in our local area so I imagine there should be some in your area.  They carry the better yarns and usually have a group of regulars.  They should know someone.

I'm not sure but I can look into it. Thank you

[debthaven]

If anyone is interested, Peter Walsh started his annual January "31 Day Challenge" today. You can google him, or look for him on Facebook. He posts a new video every day with a 10-minute daily decluttering task.

ETA: I "follow" him on Facebook, so I get the video in my feed. The videos are less than 60 seconds long.

[whoisjohngalt]

You guys are hard core!  It hasn't even been 12 hrs of 2017 and you already decluttering!

So, this is my THIRD year of attempting to do something.....we shall see.

[megaptera]

This will probably my third year of attempting something as well. The new house should be finished within the next few months. I think we're going to wait until we move before trying to sell the current place, then there will be some serious decluttering/cleaning.

In the meantime, taking Christmas stuff down this weekend.

Happy New Year!

[NastyWoman]

So for 2017 I have two declutter plans: (1) I will remodel my second bathroom this Spring and that will lead to some serious decluttering there and (2) back on the list due to previous years failure is decluttering the outside storage areas. The latter will be done (or not) on Memorial Day weekend when the weather is most often perfect to pull everything out. The last cuople of years were failures due to weather though, so who knows.

I could add decluttering my craft stuff but that is just a pipe dream -> I have started so many times only to find myself days later surrounded by all that cool stuff which I proceed to put back where it came from because I still "need" it, sometime in this lifetime that is...

[startsmart]

Welcome everyone! 

I had a very sedate NYE trying to keep the dogs calm through all the fireworks and booms. I'm working on packing up Christmas decor and love how clean and bare everything looks when I'm done. Still have the wreaths to take down and I'm donating a bag full of stuff I don't need. 

I'm looking over my January goals today to decide what projects I want to get done first. In the meantime the ongoing list: 


Jan 1-7th:
ship box to K
finish book ornaments and pack them up
go through papers in the office (all on one shelf right now)
send client new website 
find space in the garage for plastic xmas tubs
put ornaments away in the closet
take batteries and light bulbs to recycling 
scan 2016 files from office and add to shredding box

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

For this weekend (of which I also have Monday off)
--complete January notes pages skeleton
--menu plan
--lessons are planned for the week, but I do need to finish prepping
--mop the floors
--cleanup the ridiculous ant mess on the window sill behind the couch
--three areas to declutter: desk, gift wrapping, DD#1's bedroom aka guest bedroom
--deposit check
--pay water bill
--email tenant


DH will be straightening up the garage.
DD needs to vacuum her bedroom and finish some Model UN work.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 1, 2017 10:07:03 GMT -5 plugginaway22 said:

Happy New Year!
We had too much fun this morning with DH's new rotating waffle maker!  With fresh blueberries and syrup they were amazing! (He and I debating, keep the box to store it in or find a place in pantry to store it without the box?)
Outside lights come down today, as well as some of the inside decor.  We don't usually have it all put away until next weekend.

We keep our rotating Belgian waffle maker on a shelf under our microwave, next to the pizza oven. It is not in its box. We use ours almost once per week (Waffle Wednesday). If we only used it monthly, I'd probably keep in in the box and in the garage. (We don't have an actual pantry.)

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 1, 2017 11:26:34 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

You guys are hard core!  It hasn't even been 12 hrs of 2017 and you already decluttering!

So, this is my THIRD year of attempting to do something.....we shall see.

do it!!!

[busymom]

Hiya Kids! Happy New Year to all of you!

I bought a new file box on Saturday, & yesterday starting organizing my tax records for 2016 into that box.  It always takes awhile, as I go through each file, & throw out whatever my accountant won't need.  Even so, I still end up with a full box.

Depending on how late DH has to work, we'll most likely take down the Christmas tree either today or tomorrow.  Then, onto new projects (and purging the house, of course).

[whoisjohngalt]

Jan 1, 2017 13:15:09 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Jan 1, 2017 11:26:34 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

You guys are hard core!  It hasn't even been 12 hrs of 2017 and you already decluttering!

So, this is my THIRD year of attempting to do something.....we shall see.

do it!!!

So, it's not my crap that needs decluttering.  It's husband's and kids'.    I have completely stopped buying anything like yarn and scrapbooking stuff and pretty much everything else.

But the crap for the rest of the family keeps accumulating and NOTHING seems to be leaving this house

[wvugurl26]

I'm hoping to be productive while I'm off tomorrow. I did get a stack of recipes in sheet protectors and in the appropriate binders. The new calendar needs to go up and everything transferred to the new planner. I have sticky notes inside it with important passwords, etc.

[ilovedolphins]

I hope this year is the year to get my house decluttered.  I worked on it a lot last year but it looks like you can hardly tell.  I am going to be counting the items that I get out of the house just to let me know my progress.  I have about 20 large boxes of material that I am going to try to make quilts out of to give away or sell next Christmas.  I am going to think seriously about bringing anything else into the house also.

[tcu2003]

Jan 1, 2017 11:26:34 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

You guys are hard core!  It hasn't even been 12 hrs of 2017 and you already decluttering!

So, this is my THIRD year of attempting to do something.....we shall see.

Ditto! Maybe the third time will be the charm for me!

[tcu2003]

If I do nothing else, I usually make it through most of the Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges. I'll post them here as they're released if anyone else wants to join in.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS

From his post: "Let’s get started with any table top in your home! Flat surfaces should be kept uncluttered and clear so first up I want you to choose just one table top to sweep clean."

[Sharon]

Jan 1, 2017 15:26:07 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

If I do nothing else, I usually make it through most of the Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges. I'll post them here as they're released if anyone else wants to join in.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS

From his post: "Let’s get started with any table top in your home! Flat surfaces should be kept uncluttered and clear so first up I want you to choose just one table top to sweep clean."

UGH fail already. This morning I dug out all the quilt stuff for a Christmas quilt that is high on my list to finally finish.  It is scattered all over my kitchen table (patterns, beads, the quilt, notions etc).  The kitchen table is even residing in an odd spot so it is close to a plug in.  When quilting the little sewing table is too little so the kitchen table becomes the sewing table.  Hopefully in a couple of weeks I can post a picture of a done completed project.

[whoisjohngalt]

Jan 1, 2017 15:26:07 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

If I do nothing else, I usually make it through most of the Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges. I'll post them here as they're released if anyone else wants to join in.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS

From his post: "Let’s get started with any table top in your home! Flat surfaces should be kept uncluttered and clear so first up I want you to choose just one table top to sweep clean."

I've had his book for 7 yrs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  and still haven't done anything with it

[plugginaway22]

DH had 2 gifts to return from Christmas and we got that done this afternoon.  I got more of the decorations down than I thought, really feeling the need to get it out of sight.
I am off work tomorrow so hoping to keep the momentum going!

[NastyWoman]

Jan 1, 2017 19:22:33 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Jan 1, 2017 15:26:07 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

If I do nothing else, I usually make it through most of the Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges. I'll post them here as they're released if anyone else wants to join in.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS

From his post: "Let’s get started with any table top in your home! Flat surfaces should be kept uncluttered and clear so first up I want you to choose just one table top to sweep clean."

I've had his book for 7 yrs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  and still haven't done anything with it

Donate it to the library and count it as the first decluttered item of the year  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

For this weekend (of which I also have Monday off)
--complete January notes pages skeleton
--menu plan
--lessons are planned for the week, but I do need to finish prepping
--grade 36 quizzes that I might have forgotten about 
--mop the floors
--cleanup the ridiculous ant mess on the window sill behind the couch
--three areas to declutter: desk, gift wrapping,
                      DD#1's bedroom aka guest bedroom--tabled until later in the week because I forgot she was coming back for three days; 
--deposit check
--pay water bill
--email tenant
--pay DD#2 her weekly allowance

DH will be straightening up the garage.
DD needs to vacuum her bedroom and finish some Model UN work.

[debthaven]

Chloe, I'm curious ... are you redoing DD's bedroom to use it as a guest bedroom, or just using it as a guest bedroom when she's not here?

This week
- find rolling school bag in basement for P (Mon)
- pay bills for rentals (Mon)
- pick up script from J (Tues)
- prepare rental papers (Tues)
- declutter sencha colada tea (Tues)
- set up new work email (w DH, Tues)
- haircut + color (Wed)
- skype lesson (Wed)
- see A (Wed)
- finish book for Book Club (Thurs)
- take down Christmas (Fri)
- plan new course (ongoing)
- rewrite letter for lawyer
- declutter the chai spice tea (Fri?)

[moneysquirrel]

My last day home and I hope to work on a few of these today.  The predicted weather is another stormy day -- our third consecutive one -- so I hope to get a few things done today before I have to return to school tomorrow.  I have been doing some organizing and getting things collected for donation. 

New List:

Home/Personal

Taxes – write check and mail
Continue with progress
Take down Christmas items – weekend
Pack up more craft books and supplies to give away to a friend of a friend. 

School

Duty
Run off 7th test
Have field trip permission slip approved and run off
Place approved copy on web site
Begin new projects for all classes

Crafts – Some will take longer than one week. Ongoing projects

Finish pearl necklace project
Continue crocheting baby gift
Remake for future craft shows:
Toy soldier earrings (6 pairs)
Stone Drops (3)
Witch earrings (3 pairs) 

I am sure that there are many other things that I have forgotten.  Need to get today started.

[lund]

Our decorations will slowly start getting back into boxes and cupboards on the 7th. We usually still have them for "Twelfth Night" (Jan 5th) and Epiphany (Jan 6th), which is aptly called Thirteenth Day here; however, a tree dropping needles galore will be taken down earlier. (The common, native, kind of tree will probably do so before Epiphany, and not unusually already before New Years... They just don't look right when standing there with the branches sagging and half-naked!)
I will try to make sure to have the Easter box in an easy to reach spot, avoiding being behind and under the Christmas boxes.

The window and outside decorations will, according to tradition, be taken down on the 20th day of Christmas known as Twentieth-day Canude/Knut (due to this saint being celebrated on it), or a day close before or after if the weather is bad.
According to old traditions, the very last of the Christmas food should have been eaten on the 20th day of Christmas, and the houses swept in order to sweep the last remains of Christmas out the door.


For the new year, I will try to follow my parent's lead: Wear or use all clothing once! If it is not worn for a reason, try it on and see that it fits. (For instance, if the winter is warm, the clothes for sub-zero F outside temperatures will likely not be used.)
Any clothing in the wrong size should either be kept in a box marked with its actual size, a too small/too big and date, and put away, or donated/given away/sold, or transferred to the "souvenirs".
(I have some clothing souvenirs, among them my mother's wedding dress. I also keep clothing that is one size wrong due to changing weight, but basics like jeans and slacks don't get out of fashion easily.) Any clothing that just is not right, making the wearer unwilling to use it again, should not be kept.

The continuous culling project, where as the appropriate parts of the house are fixed, whatever belongs in there will be sorted through and culled if needed will continue. The household may have little money to live from at present, but not so little that we need to keep every old anything that has come through the door that is neither of use to us, be it at present or probably within the next few years (such as the aforementioned cold winter clothes), nor carries good memories. We want space to enjoy the things we like to own and use, and space to add something, should we happen to get/buy something nice and/or useful.

[tcu2003]

Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS

Day 2 - SET UP A DONATION BIN
Decluttering doesn’t just help you, it helps others less fortunate who benefit from what you don’t need, use or want. Today it’s all about setting up a donation bin in your home!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 2, 2017 3:52:13 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Chloe, I'm curious ... are you redoing DD's bedroom to use it as a guest bedroom, or just using it as a guest bedroom when she's not here?

Hmmm... In DH's mind it's the former; in my mind it's the latter. 
We had her paint it (a task she's good at) because the holes in the walls from all of the thumb tacks left it quite atrocious. She took her bed with her because she's in a quad-apartment that's not affiliated with the college, so it is unfurnished. We put our bed in that room and purchased a new bed for ourselves. She's been home since the third week of December, so her stuff is all over that room right now. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

For this weekend (of which I also have Monday off)
--complete January notes pages skeleton
--menu plan
--lessons are planned for the week, but I do need to finish prepping
--grade 36 quizzes that I might have forgotten about
--mop the floors
--cleanup the ridiculous ant mess on the window sill behind the couch
--three areas to declutter: desk, gift wrapping,
DD#1's bedroom aka guest bedroom--tabled until later in the week because I forgot she was coming back for three days;
--deposit check
--pay water bill
--email tenant
--pay DD#2 her weekly allowance

--clean laundry room
--dust house
--balance one checking account. 

DH will be straightening up the garage.
DD needs to vacuum her bedroom and finish some Model UN work.

[debthaven]

Lund I love your attitude about the decluttering. 

[startsmart]

I finally found a box big enough to ship K's present to her! I'll get that to the post office this week because it's been hanging out for 3 months now. 

I'm about halfway done with the new ornaments and they're looking so good. Luckily the modge podge dries quickly so I can do a few layers in one night while watching videos on Youtube  

Still working on tackling all the papers in my office (my nemesis!) and then I'll go through memorabilia. 

[chiver78]

Jan 2, 2017 10:54:53 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS

Day 2 - SET UP A DONATION BIN
Decluttering doesn’t just help you, it helps others less fortunate who benefit from what you don’t need, use or want. Today it’s all about setting up a donation bin in your home!

I'll just start with quoting this. I'm determined to declutter this year, both physically and mentally. I took three trips to Savers last week, and dropped off the last of the stuff in my car at the overloaded Red Cross/SA/(third bin) at the VFW on my way home earlier today. 

Day 1 - table tops in my house are all clear, and have been since before NYE. other than lamps, the sole exception is a box containing a new TV wall mount that has to go up. I got the call that my new sectional is in, so that wall mount will be getting installed any day now. it's not a permanent fixture on that table by any means! 

Day 2 - I have donation bins in both the spare bedroom and basement, both of which are the primary focuses of my efforts at this point. I'm basically sorting things into NWT (yard sale sites), EUC (Savers), and everything else. 

[debthaven]

I'm still working on my tea-cupboard decluttering mission.

I drink coffee, not tea. DH drinks a LOT of tea, but only one kind (cheap black tea from the UK supermarket). In Nov I counted 17 different kinds of "fancy" tea in the cupboard, 15 of which nobody ever touches. I threw one out, took one to work, gave some to a friend + DS3 for college, and I've been working on the rest. Of course DH got more tea for Christmas (he won't drink that either). And DDIL asked us if we had any camomile when they were here for Christmas. We didn't, so I ran out and got some. 

I never thought it would happen but I'm developing a taste for (green) tea!

ETA: Edited to correct the number. Today we still have 12 sorts, besides DH's regular tea.