2018 Get Organized & Declutter Your Stuff

[dee27]

Waffle, I am so sorry for the loss of your mom.

[snapdragon]

((( HUGS ))) Waffle.

I understand completely.
And your Aunt gave you a great gift on cleaning. She was partially working off grief and stress. But that was a wonderful and thoughtful thing for her to have done.

[finnime]

I am so sorry for your loss, Waffle. Losing your mother is grievous. It takes a long time to absorb the pain.

[taz157]

Jan 3, 2018 11:03:21 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

So sorry about your mother, Waffle.  It was so nice of your aunt to help you.

Yeah that. ((((Hugs)))) Waffle

[wvugurl26]

So sorry waffle. It's never easy. Take care of yourself.

[moneysquirrel]

Waffle -- I am so sorry to hear about your mom.  

All who wanted it.  Here is the link that was posted for the 2018 items out of the house in 2018 chart:


convertkit.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/documents/2521/938426/2018_in_2018.pdf

[zibazinski]

Jan 3, 2018 10:51:22 GMT -5 Waffle said:

Hello all, I'm back (again). My last decluttering was horribly derailed by my mother's sudden illness. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer in early November with an average prognosis of 1 year.  She developed multiple other issues - lung blood clot, internal bleeding, heart attack and more and came home to hospice care with a 3 to 6 month prognosis.  She was dead 2 days later (slightly less than 1 month after the original diagnosis). One aunt (only 5 years older than me) was with me the next day and stayed almost a week - through the funeral. While she was here in addition to helping with the funeral arrangements, she did a lot of cleaning. Practically it was a help because more family was coming - some stayed overnight - some just visited the day of the funeral. But anyhow she gave what was mom's bathroom (and is now the first floor guest bath) a thorough cleaning.  She vacuumed and mopped the downstairs floors.  She cleaned my refrigerator and organized my pantry.   (She's a very early riser, some stuff was done before I even got out of bed in the mornings.)  Together we cleaned out the freezers and a couple of kitchen cabinets.  I cleaned out the hall closet.

After everyone left,  I started working on mom's closet and took a big load of mostly clothes to Goodwill. 

I just got one of those tracking sheets from the NourishingMinimalism website.  Thanks to busymom for posting the website.  I'm going to try to get 2018 things gone in 2018.

I'm sorry, Waffle. 

[hopetoberich]

Sorry to hear Waffle.

[nidena]

Jan 3, 2018 9:53:18 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Peter Walsh #31Days2Organized

Day 3

Magazines!

Go get them. All of them. Put them in one place. 

You may only keep two back issues of each magazine. Toss the rest.

You're not going to read  the rest of them. Really, you're never going to. 

If there are some of the current or back two issues that you know you're not going to read, then toss them also. 

I take mine to the gym, the bookstore (that doesn't sell magazines), and any other place that has a waiting room area.

[Blonde Granny]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss of your Mom. I know how difficult it is to lose someone so close to us.

[dee27]

My GP was told to remove all of the magazines in the waiting room of her practice because of germs spread by sick people and people who do not wash their hands after sneezing or using the lavatory. It was a policy issued by the hospital that owns the practice since my doctor is not an alarmist.

[mmhmm]

Jan 3, 2018 11:03:22 GMT -5 Waffle said:

Thanks, debthaven .  I wasn't ready - maybe you're never ready for your mother to die, but she was ready.  She was at peace.  And she was suffering, so I'm glad at least that the suffering wasn't prolonged.

Oh, I'm so very sorry, Waffle, for your loss. I know that feeling well. 

[Jaguar]

My sincere condolences to you Waffle . <<< BIG HUGS >>>

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 3, 2018 11:03:22 GMT -5 Waffle said:

Thanks, debthaven .  I wasn't ready - maybe you're never ready for your mother to die, but she was ready.  She was at peace.  And she was suffering, so I'm glad at least that the suffering wasn't prolonged.

I found out you are never ready for your mother to die.  My sister and I talked about this a couple of weeks ago when a cousin died when her daughters were talking the same way.  

My mom was 90, but I wasn't ready.  She was suffering, but I wasn't ready.

Hugs to you.  

[TheOtherMe]

One thing I do not have in my house is magazines.  I quit subscribing to magazines years ago.

I do get the daily paper, but it goes to the recycling bin when I finish reading it.

[Deleted]

Jan 3, 2018 9:53:18 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Peter Walsh #31Days2Organized

Day 3

Magazines!

Go get them. All of them. Put them in one place. 

You may only keep two back issues of each magazine. Toss the rest.

You're not going to read  the rest of them. Really, you're never going to. 

If there are some of the current or back two issues that you know you're not going to read, then toss them also. 

Ok. Missed this but I WILL do it tomorrow. Good idea. 

[Deleted]

My closet and bedroom drawers/cupboards are pretty much done. Husband built me an extra shelf. As I went through some of the 'junk' bins/drawers, etc. I was able to make even more room. I threw some stuff out. I mean, really, I have new socks... why am I keeping ones with holes in the heels? Etc. I still have one small empty bin, and he's going to add some cross pieces of wood at one space so I can put tennis racket, etc. 


He also got extra shelves in the hall ... was supposed to be my pantry? Its kind of a catch all room at the moment. I'm going to organize that tomorrow. He actually put one extra high shelf in (We have high ceilings) and so I MIGHT put some appliances, etc up there since I have the extra space, with the rule that, if they do not come down to be used at least once in the next 6 months... they leave. Put off some decisions. Otherwise I have to organize and clean and I have more bins, etc. to put in there. 


Then i'll go upstairs and start pulling down boxes since i'll have a place to put things!  eta... actually I might do kitchen cabinets next? We'll see where it leads. 

[dee27]

Jan 3, 2018 19:14:40 GMT -5 oped said:

My closet and bedroom draws/cupboards are pretty much done. Husband built me an extra shelf. As I went through some of the 'junk' bins/drawers, etc. I was able to make even more room. I threw some stuff out. I mean, really, I have new socks... why am I keeping ones with holes in the heels? Etc. I still have one small empty bin, and he's going to add some cross pieces of wood at one space so I can put tennis racket, etc. 


He also got extra shelves in the hall ... was supposed to be my pantry? Its kind of a catch all room at the moment. I'm going to organize that tomorrow. He actually put one extra high shelf in (We have high ceilings) and so I MIGHT put some appliances, etc up there since I have the extra space, with the rule that, if they do not come down to be used at least once in the next 6 months... they leave. Put off some decisions. Otherwise I have to organize and clean and I have more bins, etc. to put in there. 


Then i'll go upstairs and start pulling down boxes since i'll have a place to put things!  eta... actually I might do kitchen cabinets next? We'll see where it leads. 

Please don't put heavy appliances on the top shelf. DH was out doing errands when I accidently hit my head taking down the KA mixer from the top shelf of the storage room. I had a huge lump on my forehead when he came home.

[Deleted]

I will remember this. I'm thinking whatever is in the cupboards in that room I haven't gotten out since I unloaded them a year ago... the vacuum sealer, the ravioli maker, etc. I was thinking the bread machine but honestly i'd rather just unload that completely anyway. I'm NOT going to use it! 

[dee27]

Jan 3, 2018 20:08:41 GMT -5 oped said:

I will remember this. I'm thinking whatever is in the cupboards in that room I haven't gotten out since I unloaded them a year ago... the vacuum sealer, the ravioli maker, etc. I was thinking the bread machine but honestly i'd rather just unload that completely anyway. I'm NOT going to use it! 

I should donate my bread machine or give it to YDS. I used it once since we moved ten years ago. The KA can knead or I do it by hand, but I prefer to bake bread the conventional way in the oven.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 3, 2018 19:14:40 GMT -5 oped said:

He also got extra shelves in the hall ... was supposed to be my pantry? Its kind of a catch all room at the moment. I'm going to organize that tomorrow. He actually put one extra high shelf in (We have high ceilings) and so I MIGHT put some appliances, etc up there since I have the extra space, with the rule that, if they do not come down to be used at least once in the next 6 months... they leave. Put off some decisions. Otherwise I have to organize and clean and I have more bins, etc. to put in there. 

You might put a sticky note on each appliance. Then when you use it, put that date on it. You might decide that making raviolis three times per year is enough to keep the ravioli maker. I feel that way about my pasta maker, but I don't currently feel that way about the pizza oven that is only used a few times per year. 

[dee27]

Good idea, Chloe.

[nidena]

Jan 3, 2018 20:20:01 GMT -5 dee27 said:

Jan 3, 2018 20:08:41 GMT -5 oped said:

I will remember this. I'm thinking whatever is in the cupboards in that room I haven't gotten out since I unloaded them a year ago... the vacuum sealer, the ravioli maker, etc. I was thinking the bread machine but honestly i'd rather just unload that completely anyway. I'm NOT going to use it! 

I should donate my bread machine or give it to YDS. I used it once since we moved ten years ago. The KA can knead or I do it by hand, but I prefer to bake bread the conventional way in the oven.

I made that kind of decision about a mixer I had.  You know those ones that come in all kinds of colors and cost about $300?  I had one for four years before I realized that I had used it only once.  Did the same with a convection oven that my parents gave me when I moved to Delaware.  Used it fewer than a dozen times in as many years.  Sold it on a yard sale page on fb.

I also did the utensil box--put all my utensils in a box then, as I used and washed them, I put them in a drawer.  After 30 days, I got rid of everything left in the box.  I made an exception for a few things but most of it is gone.

In many cases, I realized that I had bought/acquired things for the life that I planned to have but, ten years later, never came to fruition.  I mean, if I never have company and always eat in the living room, why do I need a dining room table?  I donated mine to Habitat for Humanity Restore and got a nice tax deduction for it.  Haven't missed it and it's been gone for two or three years now.

So, when it comes to decluttering, folks might ask themselves: Is this part of my life THAT I HAVE or one THAT I WANT?  If you don't have the life that requires X item, get rid of it.  

[Deleted]

I am so emptying all the ‘utensil’ drawers into a box tomorrow! 

[dee27]

Yes, I gave away lots of utensils, dishes, and other kitchen items to the kids of friends and our kids when they moved into their first place or donated the extras. I told them to "shop" at my house first before buying something they will need, and the process helped all of us.

[countrygirl2]

We sent with son and DIL an extra kitchen table and 4 chairs, 2 extra I had that were

from our first Christmas as was the table (49 years old), gave them the 2 extras. A neighbor gave

them a nice china hutch. We loaded a recliner, chest of drawers for baby, mattress

and box springs for him, night stand, white noise machine. They got rid of his old stuff in Korea

said it wasn't very good.  Gave them extra dinnerware just extra stuff on it to use till they get

theirs. I bought them some new, nice pots and pans for Christmas, some towels, gave them

some kitchen towels of mine and some cornflower blue corning ware from MIL. She likes

that stuff. Also the Dyson sweeper I bought for MIL.  To bad we didn't know they were

coming home in time or they could have had FIL's tempurpedic bed.  Hubs gave them MIL's

mower and we gave them our old truck we bought, so we got rid of a LOT.  Still to much stuff here.

We just keep things and keep things and I have been getting rid of lots of stuff this year.

[countrygirl2]

Later in better weather we are taking up an old rocking chair of mom's, an antique

table from my aunts MIL, very old. Some pictures, some unique chairs I had bought years

ago, both reproductions but very pretty. Gave them an area rug. I'm just really

tired of this stuff and to her its something new and different. I may get some different

things or just enjoy having less stuff, time will tell.

Hubs and son kept DIL moving the last 2 days and it came together pretty good finally,

trailer is buttoned up.  But I'm going to have a load in my truck too.

But we all survived without killing each other and son said they will be back to visit

often.  We  love little guy to pieces and will really miss him.

[CCL]

Jan 3, 2018 23:28:13 GMT -5 countrygirl2 said:

Later in better weather we are taking up an old rocking chair of mom's, an antique

table from my aunts MIL, very old. Some pictures, some unique chairs I had bought years

ago, both reproductions but very pretty. Gave them an area rug. I'm just really

tired of this stuff and to her its something new and different. I may get some different

things or just enjoy having less stuff, time will tell.

Hubs and son kept DIL moving the last 2 days and it came together pretty good finally,

trailer is buttoned up.  But I'm going to have a load in my truck too.

But we all survived without killing each other and son said they will be back to visit

often.  We  love little guy to pieces and will really miss him.

Things are looking up!

[Waffle]

Jan 3, 2018 18:11:16 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Jan 3, 2018 11:03:22 GMT -5 Waffle said:

Thanks, debthaven .  I wasn't ready - maybe you're never ready for your mother to die, but she was ready.  She was at peace.  And she was suffering, so I'm glad at least that the suffering wasn't prolonged.

I found out you are never ready for your mother to die.  My sister and I talked about this a couple of weeks ago when a cousin died when her daughters were talking the same way.  

My mom was 90, but I wasn't ready.  She was suffering, but I wasn't ready.

Hugs to you.  

I can't like this post enough.   Thank you.

And thanks to everyone who expressed condolences. 

Now apologies for derailing the thread - back to decluttering and organizing.

[debthaven]

You don't need to apologize Waffle . Are you planning to continue the antiques? I seem to remember you and your mom did them together.

This week
- class P/Wed
- pick up deliveries as they arrive: baby mattress, DS2's gift/Wed
- see A/Thurs
- office supply store/Thurs
- bottle bank/Thurs
- haircut/Thurs
- pharmacy/Fri

This afternoon I spent several hours clearing out my Job 2 binder and teaching shelf. I burned a bunch of papers from last semester and prepared that binder for next semester (Job 2 starts next week).