2017 Declutter and Organization Thread

[Deleted]

When I just had one kid and stayed home I had all these schedules and would get so much done.  I am HORRIBLE with handling housework in hectic, constantly changing schedules.  Probably because I can't work in small blocks of time.  It's all or none for me it seems. 

This year I'm really going to try though.  What would help if I quit bringing shit IN the house.  This weekend we were visiting at my aunt's and she asked if we wanted her Lego table.  I was like "for free?  Hell yes, we want your Lego table!!".  Then I get it home and I'm like "WTH was I thinking?"

[Deleted]

I haven't done FlyLady for years, but I remember the emails being overwhelming.  I would get mad at her for bugging me about not cleaning my house.  LOL

[Iggy aka IG]

Yes, I become resentful at having to do housework after working all week serving others?  I try to do things while laundry is processing.  I figure I have to be home for that, so I might as well multi-task?  Also, I am selfish when it comes to keeping at least one weekend day to myself.  That seems to help.

Still lazy, though, LOL!

[wvugurl26]

I try to work in small spurts because that's all I have if I'm gone for the weekend. But it feels like nothing is ever done. It was pretty reasonable in early December then Christmas happened.

[Chocolate Lover]

Jan 10, 2017 13:31:53 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I haven't done FlyLady for years, but I remember the emails being overwhelming.  I would get mad at her for bugging me about not cleaning my house.  LOL

She got directed to her own email folder which I periodically just emptied Now I unsubscribed. 

I try to do stuff in chunks. And assignments. Bathroom need cleaning? Ask a kid to clear off the counters and wipe them down. One to clean the mirror or clean the toilet. Sweep it. Something. I broke it down into tiny tasks when they were little so they could feel like they really got a job done. Now I'm all, go do this or that. Please. And they say ok and go do it without toooo much fuss. (Unless the one has already succumbed to the computer monster)

But really if I'm not sticking to the kitchen floor and I can find clothes to wear that are clean when I get up in the morning, I'm good. The rest will happen.

[debthaven]

But I talked to my husband and we both want to make 2017 the year of declutter and organization!

JohnGalt, since your husband is on board, could you share out the PW challenges (even if you don't get all 31 done)?

DH has been home sick again. He just can't seem to shake this. Being a good wife, I keep bringing him (green) tea with honey. 

[startsmart]

Flylady was good for a few habits but I always felt she had way too much time on her hands with that schedule. I'd much rather look at my house to determine what needed help instead of following some rigid schedule. Also, who destroys their bathroom that much to need to wipe the toilet every day? Jeeze people. I know I don't have little kids peeing everywhere but once a week is just fine in this house. All the little phrases drove me crazy after a week or so. 

I am doing a personal challenge to wear shoes every day (fully dressed by a certain time of the morning) but that's just to help with productivity. 

I have mixed feelings about the Kondo book, it has some good suggestions but the woman is again too rigid. You're not going to fail at decluttering if you organize your clothes one category at a time instead of every single item at once. You're not going to fail if you have some books you keep for reference instead of "joy." 

Anyway, storm is back today with the rain coming in sideways and it soaked a package at my front door. Ironically the package was my new shower curtain 

I managed to pin another 22 burp rags last night so I can start sewing those for the charity. There's a bunch of random fabric so I'll need to start getting matching felt to finish up my stash but the end is in sight! 

My assistant is here and taking care of some cleaning and organizing while I finish up a class I'm writing and do some calls. Otherwise my goal for the rest of the day is to not leave the house at all. 

[debthaven]

DH finished the green tea.

We have only six kinds of "fancy tea" left, and we actually drink those. So after 2.5 months, I'm finally done decluttering tea!

Thank you all for humoring me lol.

ETA: DH just let me throw out his old kombucha! (It doesn't count as another tea gone, since it was in the same canister as the newer kombucha.)

[Deleted]

I'm starting to just toss stuff with no conscience as to how much money I wasted.  This weekend it was the upper cabinet in the bathroom.  I tossed Secret Clinical deodorant, some poison ivy preventative that expired in 2010 that I never heard of, some nail polish remover, some eye make-up remover that had dried up, and a few other things I've forgotten.

When my aunt died, I remember my cousin having to sort through this type of junk, all of it dusty and out of date.  

This is the kind of clutter I can't stand.  Expired food, expired Health & Beauty stuff, and so on.  

I told a friend today that I wish I could get rid of all the furniture in my house and start over. 

Unfortunately, I can't afford that.

Big sigh!

[plugginaway22]

The only thing that has stuck with me, from back when Fly Lady was big, was the 'get dressed and in shoes' thing.  Damn does that work for me!  I crank some music, put on sweats, with socks and sneakers, and I am sprinting around this house!

[Iggy aka IG]

Jan 10, 2017 18:35:50 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

I'm starting to just toss stuff with no conscience as to how much money I wasted.  This weekend it was the upper cabinet in the bathroom.  I tossed Secret Clinical deodorant, some poison ivy preventative that expired in 2010 that I never heard of, some nail polish remover, some eye make-up remover that had dried up, and a few other things I've forgotten.

When my aunt died, I remember my cousin having to sort through this type of junk, all of it dusty and out of date.  

This is the kind of clutter I can't stand.  Expired food, expired Health & Beauty stuff, and so on.  

I told a friend today that I wish I could get rid of all the furniture in my house and start over. 

Unfortunately, I can't afford that.

Big sigh!

Good job, @bamafan1954!  Regarding bath and beauty items, it was especially difficult for me when it came to certain beauty accessories rhyming with Mary Jay.    I got caught up in the hoopla before the recession.  I felt disgusted when tossing eye shadow compacts which cost extra in addition to the actual product, especially after I'd owned them for 10+ years without use.  I couldn't even sell them at the yard sale we had years ago.

[debthaven]

I told a friend today that I wish I could get rid of all the furniture in my house and start over.

Susanna, I think few people could afford to do that. But I'm sure that over time you could afford to replace a few items, or redo a room or two. You work hard and if there are items you really dislike, you should try to replace them.

My older niece has done a fabulous job getting barely-used items from Craigslist. I seem to remember you recently bought something there too.

[plugginaway22]

Agreed on the second hand furniture!  So many good deals to be had, my problem is wanting to down-size and liking what I have.  But as I have been going along with DD1, who recently bought her first home, there are some really nice things that people just 'get tired of' or like us, may be downsizing to pare down.  And I am talking about solid wood furniture, not really anything upholstered.

[debthaven]

Pluggin my niece bought a six-month-old leather couch (I think my sister said they paid $3600 at Bloomingdale's, and my niece paid $1200 for it six months later.)

I "get it" about the upholstery ... but at the same time, if you go to somebody's house, you can get a feel for how they are, how they live, etc.

This said, I'd rather buy upholstered furniture new too.

There's always Ikea! And the sales.

[taz157]

Jan 10, 2017 19:09:58 GMT -5 debthaven said:

I told a friend today that I wish I could get rid of all the furniture in my house and start over.

Susanna, I think few people could afford to do that. But I'm sure that over time you could afford to replace a few items, or redo a room or two. You work hard and if there are items you really dislike, you should try to replace them.

My older niece has done a fabulous job getting barely-used items from Craigslist. I seem to remember you recently bought something there too.

I'd also try auctions. Sometimes you can find good furniture and deals there. You can search on auctionzip.com to see if any auctions are in your area and type of things you are looking for. At least here, many auction houses show pictures on the website of upcoming items.

[plugginaway22]

In Philadelphia there are many medical students.  They buy great items from West Elm, CB2, etc....Then 2 or 3 years later they are moving and trying to sell it!  Many deals to be found on Philly Craigslist.

DD2 has rented a truck for the day to pick up some amazing things. 

[Deleted]

debthaven, most of my furniture came from my former MIL's antique shop.  I'm guessing the CL's remembrance is for the end tables we got there to work with the new sofa/sleeper loveseat for the sunroom.

I like what I have ok, and it's quality.  But I've just looked at it for maybe 30 or 40 years.  My bedroom suite is the one my ex and I bought when we first got married.  It cost $1000 new back in 1977 so it's quality stuff.  But it's dark and heavy.  I could paint it, but I hate to paint quality furniture.

The friend I mentioned and I were talking about how no one wants quality furniture any more  They actually prefer the cheap stuff.  They can replace it when they get tired of it.

[debthaven]

I think that the younger generation is much more into "trends" than we were / are. I remember my other (very wealthy) niece buying a super expensive light-wood crib for her DD. Three years later, when her DS was born, light wood was "out of style" so she bought another super expensive crib in dark wood.

I've never liked dark wood (fashionable or not) so we have a lot of oak and pine here. But 30 or 40 years is long enough ... IMO you should replace it (at a reasonable cost, of course).

And you're right, it was the end tables.

I went crazy again on Amazon lol ... I seem to place a $50 order every month. I bought Soft Pik gum brushes for DH and I (not the same size). Last ordered two years ago, I just ran out.

And since DH has been sick for weeks, I ordered vitamins for him. I was amazed at the price on Amazon. I usually pay $22 a month for his vitamins at the local pharmacy (I don't buy them every month). I just ordered a 3-month supply for $26.50!

Next month I'll reorder coffee pods and printer ink.

[Deleted]

debthaven, are coffee "capsules" what we call pods?

[debthaven]

Yes. Thanks, I just edited my post.

[taz157]

DH and I are having a house built and our bedroom is going to be much bigger than we've had. We have a queen size bed. Ownand REALLY want our bed in a king. It would fit us and the room much better. Unfortunately, the bed is not made anymore so DH has been looking on Craigslist and auctions to see if we can find it.

FWIW, our furniture is of the well made variety. We bought it 10 years ago and still love it.

[tcu2003]

We are in a similar boat, taz - a king would fit our bedroom space much better than the queen we have, but I love our bed. We'll probably replace it at some point, but the 12-year old furniture we have in there is fairly good quality and still in really good shape.

[debthaven]

Our bed is also from my former life with my ex (but not the mattress!). It's a queen, and (I just calculated) it's 35 years old! It's pine, and it was hand made to order in the French Alps (with a matching dresser), with hand made carvings of a local Alpine motif. DS3 and DD have matching singles (they'd both love a double bed but their bedrooms are too small.)

When the time comes, they can carry me out in, or with, my bed. Mattresses, sheets, bedding all come and go, but the bed stays.  Seriously, I love it just as much today as I did the day it was delivered 35 years ago.

That's value for money lol. 

[naughtybear]

I am getting rid of my furniture and starting over.

[whoisjohngalt]

Jan 10, 2017 18:35:50 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

I'm starting to just toss stuff with no conscience as to how much money I wasted.  This weekend it was the upper cabinet in the bathroom.  I tossed Secret Clinical deodorant, some poison ivy preventative that expired in 2010 that I never heard of, some nail polish remover, some eye make-up remover that had dried up, and a few other things I've forgotten.

When my aunt died, I remember my cousin having to sort through this type of junk, all of it dusty and out of date.  

This is the kind of clutter I can't stand.  Expired food, expired Health & Beauty stuff, and so on.  

I told a friend today that I wish I could get rid of all the furniture in my house and start over. 

Unfortunately, I can't afford that.

Big sigh!

I've been going through this too.

About a month ago I threw away TONS of make up.  Very expensive make up .  But it was over a decade old.  And I haven't used it in almost a decade.

I just recently went and bought some new stuff, but only a couple of items.

I also went through 3 of my kitchen shelves and again - threw away TONS of stuff - old salad dressings, sauces, spices. 

It hurt and felt great at the same time. 

[whoisjohngalt]

Jan 10, 2017 20:06:39 GMT -5 taz157 said:

DH and I are having a house built and our bedroom is going to be much bigger than we've had. We have a queen size bed. Ownand REALLY want our bed in a king. It would fit us and the room much better. Unfortunately, the bed is not made anymore so DH has been looking on Craigslist and auctions to see if we can find it.

FWIW, our furniture is of the well made variety. We bought it 10 years ago and still love it.

Where did you buy your furniture?

I am starting to think that we need to be thinking about "grown up" furniture.  Right now all we have is "used" stuff, none of it matches.  I am not too worried about the matching part, but I like "lighter" looking furniture vs "bulky" looking one

[taz157]

Jan 11, 2017 9:18:32 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Jan 10, 2017 20:06:39 GMT -5 taz157 said:

DH and I are having a house built and our bedroom is going to be much bigger than we've had. We have a queen size bed. Ownand REALLY want our bed in a king. It would fit us and the room much better. Unfortunately, the bed is not made anymore so DH has been looking on Craigslist and auctions to see if we can find it.

FWIW, our furniture is of the well made variety. We bought it 10 years ago and still love it.

Where did you buy your furniture?

I am starting to think that we need to be thinking about "grown up" furniture.  Right now all we have is "used" stuff, none of it matches.  I am not too worried about the matching part, but I like "lighter" looking furniture vs "bulky" looking one

The bed we want to replace was made by Thomasville and bought at a Thomasville store.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I was raised in a wretchedly messy, cluttered house. When I transitioned to adulthood, I realized I had no idea how to be a "housekeeper"; I didn't even know how to clean, really. It took me probably two or three years to even realize that and another five years to teach myself to be a decent housekeeper.

For me, maintaining a clean house is so much easier than cleaning a house. In other words, once the house is clean, it's easier to keep it that way if I follow the routines I've set up. So, I encourage those of you who are struggling to keep at it. Get rid of stuff. You don't need it. It just makes your physical and mental approach to your home more difficult. Know that once you've gotten rid of the stuff and established how you want to maintain your home, it really will be easier. You will have so much more free time and be so much more relaxed. 

[tcu2003]

Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS
Day 2 - SET UP A DONATION BIN
Day 3 - GIFT BAGS
Day 4 – TACKLE THE FREEZER
Day 5 – UNDER THE SINK
Day 6 – TWO DRAWERS IN YOUR OFFICE (OR ELSEWHERE)
Day 7 – SHOES, SHOES, SHOES
Day 8 – THE CRAZY TANGLE OF CORDS AND CABLES
Day 9 – SOCKS AND UNDIES
Day 10 – SUITCASES AND LUGGAGE

Day 11 – GET BACK IN TOUCH
One of my favorite and challenges! Today it’s all about getting back in touch with someone you really like but have fallen out of touch with. No text or email please. Ten minutes to call and just say hi. Who did you choose?

[whoisjohngalt]

Jan 11, 2017 10:12:46 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Peter Walsh 31 Days to Get Organized challenges.

Day 1 - TABLE TOPS
Day 2 - SET UP A DONATION BIN
Day 3 - GIFT BAGS
Day 4 – TACKLE THE FREEZER
Day 5 – UNDER THE SINK
Day 6 – TWO DRAWERS IN YOUR OFFICE (OR ELSEWHERE)
Day 7 – SHOES, SHOES, SHOES
Day 8 – THE CRAZY TANGLE OF CORDS AND CABLES
Day 9 – SOCKS AND UNDIES
Day 10 – SUITCASES AND LUGGAGE

Day 11 – GET BACK IN TOUCH
One of my favorite and challenges! Today it’s all about getting back in touch with someone you really like but have fallen out of touch with. No text or email please. Ten minutes to call and just say hi. Who did you choose?

the person that I really want to choose - I don't know how to be friends with her

She says that she wants to get together and she says that her kid likes my kids - but there have been so many cancellations and just not getting in touch.  She told me she suffers from depression, so I don't know if it's that or she is just not interested...

But makes me very sad .

I'll have to pick another person