2018 Get Organized & Declutter Your Stuff

[dogmom]

Do you ever have one of those cleaning days?  The one where you start with a list, and do everything else except what is on the list?  That was my yesterday.  I wanted to take the Christmas lights off the front window.  So, I did.  Tree has been down for a while. Although it's been sub zero temp wise, I did wash down the windows and the sills.  But thought, should put heavier curtains up because it's so cold.  Put up two different sets of curtains (which I hated the way they looked) packed them up and am giving them to a co worker.  Put up the curtains I had on the windows before, after cleaning them.  I had on the list, clean out from under the kitchen sink.  Instead of that, I changed slipcovers, cleaned out most of the linen closet, a few loads of laundry, washed the bathroom floor...sorted and got rid of some dishes that I wasn't using, cleaned off the kitchen table and changed the tablecloth.  Sorted junk mail...  Maybe I'll get to under the sink today.    Please keep warm and well everyone.

[Lizard Queen]

That's most of my days, but as long as you're doing something, you're doing good in my book! (My ignoring my list usually involves doing nothing productive.)

[ilovedolphins]

Yesterday I started going through boxes in my closet and then I got worn out so my bedroom is a disaster.  I hope to go through some more and at least get them back in my closet.

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 6, 2018 22:11:29 GMT -5 oped said:

Do people keep a second email just for crap? Anyway, I did do some of that toady. 

I do.  It keeps the crap email out of my primary email.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 7, 2018 1:13:04 GMT -5 bean29 said:

Well, my DS decided he is moving out. Took the mattress from the garage, frame, comforter etc, the hedgehog, and miscl. Clothes. We want him to stay, but his mind is made up. DH came home with a puppy so, every item DS moved out was replaced by puppy toys, food, treats etc.

I’m sorry. Will he be far away?

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 7, 2018 9:05:03 GMT -5 dogmom said:

Do you ever have one of those cleaning days?  The one where you start with a list, and do everything else except what is on the list?  That was my yesterday.  I wanted to take the Christmas lights off the front window.  So, I did.  Tree has been down for a while. Although it's been sub zero temp wise, I did wash down the windows and the sills.  But thought, should put heavier curtains up because it's so cold.  Put up two different sets of curtains (which I hated the way they looked) packed them up and am giving them to a co worker.  Put up the curtains I had on the windows before, after cleaning them.  I had on the list, clean out from under the kitchen sink.  Instead of that, I changed slipcovers, cleaned out most of the linen closet, a few loads of laundry, washed the bathroom floor...sorted and got rid of some dishes that I wasn't using, cleaned off the kitchen table and changed the tablecloth.  Sorted junk mail...  Maybe I'll get to under the sink today.    Please keep warm and well everyone.

So many days...so many. It’s why I have morning, afternoon, evening, and weekly routines. Having those reduces the likelihood of me getting distracted or completely unproductive.

[hopetoberich]

Feels like keeping a home is hard work. Always something to do.

[Sharon]

Jan 7, 2018 9:05:03 GMT -5 dogmom said:

Do you ever have one of those cleaning days?  The one where you start with a list, and do everything else except what is on the list?  That was my yesterday.  I wanted to take the Christmas lights off the front window.  So, I did.  Tree has been down for a while. Although it's been sub zero temp wise, I did wash down the windows and the sills.  But thought, should put heavier curtains up because it's so cold.  Put up two different sets of curtains (which I hated the way they looked) packed them up and am giving them to a co worker.  Put up the curtains I had on the windows before, after cleaning them.  I had on the list, clean out from under the kitchen sink.  Instead of that, I changed slipcovers, cleaned out most of the linen closet, a few loads of laundry, washed the bathroom floor...sorted and got rid of some dishes that I wasn't using, cleaned off the kitchen table and changed the tablecloth.  Sorted junk mail...  Maybe I'll get to under the sink today.    Please keep warm and well everyone.

All the time.  I call those my ADHD cleaning days.  Stuff gets done but I just wander from one task to another depending on what catches my attention at the time.

Yesterday was not very productive.  I did get the linens changed on the bed and 3 loads of laundry done and ran/emptied the dishwasher.  Ended up getting sidetracked looking at ranges and dealing with a crooked door on the fridge.  The fridge issue still isn't resolved and I am not happy.

Part of problem yesterday was I know I need to be learning some new software for work and I am resisting.  I was going to work on that once I got my house chores done.  Therefore if the house chores aren't done then I don't have to work on the work stuff.  Childish I know but that was kinda the mode I was in yesterday. 

I rarely watch TV, pretty much bull riding on Sat and Sun evening with Mom is about it.  Yesterday afternoon I was sitting watching this show about Colorado law enforcement.   Who knows what was up with that.  It did feel good to just sit and do nothing for a couple of hours.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 7, 2018 11:26:53 GMT -5 hopetoberich said:

Feels like keeping a home is hard work. Always something to do.

It is. I struggled withit for the first decade of my adulthood because I was never taught how to "keep house". After learning how, much through flylady.net, over several years, I definitely believe that keeping a house clean is much easier than cleaning up the house. It's still a lot of work, but the work seems far more efficient and our house seems far more relaxing. 
As a side note, my husband is incredibly, anti-clutter, so that helps immensely since I have to fight against the hoarding tendencies my mother imparted on me. 

[dee27]

Jan 7, 2018 1:27:28 GMT -5 bean29 said:

I use baskets in the bathroom too, but you can get plastic shelf liner from home depot to cover the shelves. I have it in pantry, I dont think I have it in the bathrooms. You might have to online order it. Closet Maid is brand name I think

I do use the liners in the kitchen pantry. Thanks for the reminder about the linen closet.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Peter Walsh

#31Days2Organized

Day 7

Sharp Objects in the Kitchen

Spread all of your sharp objects out on the counter. 

This includes knives, peelers, scissors, graters, etc. 

Remove duplicates to donate elsewhere. 

Arrange your drawers and shelves to hold these items in a safe way. 

Don't mix them back in with non-sharp tools. 

[ilovedolphins]

I have worked cleaning in my bedroom for the past couple of hours.  I can see much more of the floor than I have since I bought the place 17 years ago.  I can also see most of the top of my dresser again.  Granted a lot of it got shoved into my closet that I had partially cleaned out but I am going to Florida for 4 days in a couple of weeks so I don't want to start listing anything on Ebay until I get back.  Plus it will be a bit cleaner for when the dog sitter comes over to take care of my dog while I am gone.

This afternoon I would like to try out my bread machine that my daughter bought me for Christmas and work cleaning in my kitchen some.

[tcu2003]

DH got all of the Christmas stuff put away yesterday except the small tree in DS’s room, and that should get put away today.

I cleaned off my nightstand yesterday. I need to figure out where / how to recycle our two old Kindles that no longer work, and then those will be gone.

Today I’ve cleaned off the top of my dryer and the Cabinet top next to the washing machine in our laundry room.

I decluttered a nursing item I no longer need (well, really never needed as I tried it once and decided it wasn’t for me) to a new Mom. I also have What to Expect Baby’s First Year Book by my workbag to take in tomorrow for a coworker pregnant with her first.

Now to keep on keeping on slowly but surely with baby and kid items we no longer need.

[Sam_2.0]

Donations keep pouring in, and the donation center is full. Good problem to have, and I can store the stuff for awhile. **ETA** organized my mat area in the basement and put the donations there. Out of the way and easy to get to when I need to in a bit.

Got the nb-9m clothes boxed away. SIL took a pass, so I will take it all to the consignment store soon.

Posted the entertainment center on the neighborhood page, someone is interested. Kids no longer use it as a kitchen and it i collecting crap. Had to clean it off to post it. Purged a bag of trash, and put DHs shit in a couple boxes in the basement.

I may break my no more storage purchase rule to upgrade our family room. I really want two matching cubby shelves on either side of the fireplace, and then get rid of our current mis-matched arrangement. That will also let me take the other bookshelf upstairs for the kids books there. I want to keep them in the hallway instead of in their rooms.

[nidena]

Jan 7, 2018 11:26:53 GMT -5 hopetoberich said:

Feels like keeping a home is hard work. Always something to do.

I've owned, as a single person, since I was 23 (I'm not 23 any more lol) and I decided that I'll never own again...unless I have seven boyfriends that are all skilled in different vocations: plumbing, construction, etc.  My next place, I will happily rent...so long as it has all the amenities that I would like.  

[dee27]

Jan 7, 2018 14:34:42 GMT -5 nidena said:

Jan 7, 2018 11:26:53 GMT -5 hopetoberich said:

Feels like keeping a home is hard work. Always something to do.

I've owned, as a single person, since I was 23 (I'm not 23 any more lol) and I decided that I'll never own again...unless I have seven boyfriends that are all skilled in different vocations: plumbing, construction, etc.  My next place, I will happily rent...so long as it has all the amenities that I would like.  

DH jokes that he will hire a houseboy for me before he dies. I will be lost when he goes because he is very handy and I am fairly limited in certain tasks because of arthritis.

[plugginaway22]

I got all of the Christmas decor packed up and put away...EXCEPT for outside lights/wreath that are frozen into bushes, etc...will wait for a thaw to take that stuff down.
Working on third load of laundry, contemplating what to make for dinner with whatever is here, we have stayed home as much as possible during this deep freeze.
This coming week will be my first full 5 day work week in awhile and I'm not excited about it so trying to prep for that.

[nidena]

Jan 7, 2018 13:47:10 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

I cleaned off my nightstand yesterday. I need to figure out where / how to recycle our two old Kindles that no longer work, and then those will be gone.

Are they models that Amazon will take back?  I know they do an exchange program, of sorts.

[dee27]

Locally, we have a computer society group that takes electronic devices. The group teaches kids how to upgrade and fix them.

[nikiz628]

I managed to get most of our master bedroom decluttered this weekend. My side of the closet is now beautiful! H will go through his own clothing this week- he even said he knows he needs to scale it back. How many plain colored tshirts does one person need- especially when he wears a work tshirt 5 days a week!  I got my 3 drawer nightstand cleaned out and re-organized. I can actually see drawer bottoms now! I also did under our bed, which is where I store our luggage and box of scrapbooking supplies/printed photos (this box is on my list to organize this week). I also did my drawers in our dresser. 

Items purged to date: 127/2,018

[moneysquirrel]

Have been busy working through a bunch of things.  All of Christmas is picked up and stored away.  Decided to change the way I store my ornaments and think that I was able to eliminate at least one large storage container.  I also am not going to add to the containers I have at home.  I know that I have at least five empty underbed containers and hope that I can clear out a few more of them. 

Thanks for giving the declutter challenge.  I have completed almost all of them.  I do have problems with the magazine one as the only ones that I keep are my beading ones and those I use for reference.  I have started going through a few and tore out the ads where possible.  In fact I recently completed a necklace for myself from a 2006 issue.  I didn't have the skills then but over time and classes have improved a lot. I frequently go through them for inspiration and technical help.

Like a lot of you I start with the intention of doing one project and then find that it is the one I didn't complete.  I figure that as long as I accomplished something then it was a success.  I do find that if I write down my goals similar to Knee Deep in Water Chloe method then I stay a little more focused.  My list is much shorter and often is a little vague.  For example I sometimes write -- organize one area.  Sometimes I get more done than the things on my list.  Anything that doesn't get done for the day gets moved to the next day. 

[moneysquirrel]

Figured that I better post the other one before I lose it.  Sometimes I do hit the wrong key and lose a long post.  

January Goals and Other Things: (in no particular order)

*Bedroom closet
*Maintain progress
*Continue to declutter items
*Take items to school 
*Home Insurance
*Meeting (1/16)
*Doctor (1/15)
*Dentist (1/23)
*Meeting and lunch with friends (1/8)
*Volunteer work (once this month)
*Exercise (aiming for at least twice a week -- hoping for more)

[seriousthistime]

Jan 6, 2018 17:38:13 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Jan 6, 2018 12:11:49 GMT -5 nidena said:

And this is why I'm kind of glad that I don't have a garage.  Yeah, it sucks that I have to park my vehicle outside but, when you think about it, how many folks park outside BECAUSE their garage is full?  Too many that I know. 

I had an aunt who had a storage unit for 10 years.  She had no job so she couldn't afford to get her own place and was living at my grandma's.  She paid $100/mo/10 years.  For that amount, she could have sold everything in the unit, saved that $100/mo, and bought newer stuff if she ever did find a place to live.  I mean, if it's been so long since you've been to the storage site, that you can't remember what's there, YOU DON'T NEED IT.

I have never understood people who keep so much stuff in their garage that a car won't fit in it.

That is something I have never done and don't think I ever will.  I was taught well by my parents.  

And I see a lot of that here, because there are no basements.  It is so irritating when people have three cars and use up three unassigned parking places because they have so much stuff in the garage!  Then there's no parking for guests.  

I applaud all of you who realize that storing things is not about finding the right size totes.  A friend of mine is convinced she doesn't have too much stuff; she just hasn't organized it properly, so the solution is to buy more totes (that she hasn't used yet). But because there's still stuff not organized yet, the solution must be MORE totes.  She, too, has not parked in her garage because, you know, too much stuff in the garage (and basement, and attic). 

[Sharon]

Today has been far more productive than yesterday.

Knocked down the cobwebs with the ceiling brush
Dusted the whole house
Vacuumed all carpeted areas
YNAB is up to date
    Bills have been paid
Fridge has been cleaned out
Waste baskets have been emptied
Recycling out to the bin
Coupons sorted, filed, and expired ones tossed
Lunch has been made for tomorrow
Tomorrows dinner is thawing
Voted- we are having a special election

The only major task left to do is clean the bathrooms and then run a load of laundry with the towels.  I will do that shortly.

As far as storing things in the garage I too don't have a basement or a utility room.  My washer, dryer and freezer all reside in the garage.  The shed I had when I moved in here was in poor shape and not practical for storing yard equipment.  I would have had to take a lawn mower up and down 3 steps every time I used it.   Plus the shed didn't have a good door or a locking mechanism.  I tore it down and put in a garden.  Therefore the lawn mower, edger, wheel barrow etc all reside in the garage.  I can still put my car in one half of the garage but it we were a two car family one would have to be outside.  I do store some boxes of decorations on a bookshelf that the previous owners left behind.  The major Christmas decorations reside in the attic.  It is very tiring for me to get up and down out of the attic so I only store things up there that are rarely used or not really used but I am just not ready to part with yet.

ETA:  Dinner tonight is pizza.  DD and DGD will be in town so I am going to pick up a pizza and we are all going to go over to my Mom's and have dinner together.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 7, 2018 15:12:19 GMT -5 nikiz628 said:

I managed to get most of our master bedroom decluttered this weekend. My side of the closet is now beautiful! H will go through his own clothing this week- he even said he knows he needs to scale it back. How many plain colored tshirts does one person need- especially when he wears a work tshirt 5 days a week!  I got my 3 drawer nightstand cleaned out and re-organized. I can actually see drawer bottoms now! I also did under our bed, which is where I store our luggage and box of scrapbooking supplies/printed photos (this box is on my list to organize this week). I also did my drawers in our dresser. 

Items purged to date: 127/2,018

Any chance you want to show us your beautiful closet

My DH has WAAAAAAY too many t-shirts. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 7, 2018 16:48:43 GMT -5 Sharon said:

Today has been far more productive than yesterday.

Knocked down the cobwebs with the ceiling brush
Dusted the whole house
Vacuumed all carpeted areas
YNAB is up to date
    Bills have been paid
Fridge has been cleaned out
Waste baskets have been emptied
Recycling out to the bin
Coupons sorted, filed, and expired ones tossed
Lunch has been made for tomorrow
Tomorrows dinner is thawing
Voted- we are having a special election

The only major task left to do is clean the bathrooms and then run a load of laundry with the towels.  I will do that shortly.

As far as storing things in the garage I too don't have a basement or a utility room.  My washer, dryer and freezer all reside in the garage.  The shed I had when I moved in here was in poor shape and not practical for storing yard equipment.  I would have had to take a lawn mower up and down 3 steps every time I used it.   Plus the shed didn't have a good door or a locking mechanism.  I tore it down and put in a garden.  Therefore the lawn mower, edger, wheel barrow etc all reside in the garage.  I can still put my car in one half of the garage but it we were a two car family one would have to be outside.  I do store some boxes of decorations on a bookshelf that the previous owners left behind.  The major Christmas decorations reside in the attic.  It is very tiring for me to get up and down out of the attic so I only store things up there that are rarely used or not really used but I am just not ready to part with yet.

ETA:  Dinner tonight is pizza.  DD and DGD will be in town so I am going to pick up a pizza and we are all going to go over to my Mom's and have dinner together.

Yup, our ballots came Friday. Need to take care of that! Thanks for the reminder!

[nidena]

I just deleted five years worth of Sent emails as well as a few hundred (thousand?) more that were in the various subfolders of my hotmail account.  If I haven't added anything to it since 2016 and I can't remember the last time I *looked* in the folder, why am I hoarding (virtually)?

[Sharon]

The bathrooms are clean and the last load of laundry is in the washer.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Okay...lesson plans are done and sent. That's a ridiculous amount of work that I create for myself. I write the full version for myself and for my boss. I write a version for the parents and students, and I post it on my website. Then, I take that second version and add directions to it for the aides who come in my room to work with the kids who have IEPS. 

I've walked the dog and done the laundry. 

I did pull three shirts out of DD's room that she doesn't wear. I was looking for hangers, and saw the shirts. She says her sister left them here. Well, they're in the donation basket now. 

DH is making dinner. 

DD did two chores that were on the deep cleaning list. 

I still need to prep for teaching Monday, prep for the week regarding non-work schedules, meals, and deep cleaning plans. 

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 7, 2018 14:34:42 GMT -5 nidena said:

Jan 7, 2018 11:26:53 GMT -5 hopetoberich said:

Feels like keeping a home is hard work. Always something to do.

I've owned, as a single person, since I was 23 (I'm not 23 any more lol) and I decided that I'll never own again...unless I have seven boyfriends that are all skilled in different vocations: plumbing, construction, etc.  My next place, I will happily rent...so long as it has all the amenities that I would like.  

One of my goals with decluttering is to get this house to a point where it can be sold.  I'm tired of being a homeowner.  When I was 30 and owned a house, I mowed my own lawn and shoveled my own snow.  I can't do those things any more (maybe I don't want to).  It would definitely simplify my life if I was renting an apartment.

I will not rent anything that requires me to do lawn mowing or snow removal.  

Lived in places with amenities and found I didn't use them.  My requirement is a garage.