2021 Declutter Stuff & Organize Your Life

[startsmart]

Busy day of errands and work today. I went to a fabric sale and my nearest Trader Joe’s for groceries. I got a few things from Home Depot for the laundry room floor and back home.

Tomorrow is a long day of client calls and work and then I need to finish a project and send it out Monday so I’ll probably work over the weekend too. It’s been too cold to work outside and the electric bill this month reflects me running 3 heaters basically 24/7.

Thankfully the new car is running beautifully and I am also going to the chiropractor tomorrow for an overdue adjustment!

Debthaven - fingers crossed for the studio sale!

[debthaven]

This weekend
- send Zoom links/Fri
- dentist/Fri
- see A/Sat
- Shitepile
- fireplace paperwork
- mark 27 essays

Thanks everyone.

The dentist was able to glue my crown on. 

It must be so exciting to have a car again startsmart !

[nikiz628]

We are chugging right along with our kitchen facelift. All the cabinets are painted and half the doors are done. To save money, I repainted the existing hardware. The handles are finished, just have to finish cleaning and painting the hinges. I’ve already filled 3 trash bags full of crap to toss. And I have a giant Rubbermaid tote of stuff to donate/list on our buy nothing group. 3 more cabinets to go through and they will all be decluttered and organized. I even bought pretty shelf liner and lined them all. It makes a huge difference and wasn’t very difficult at all.

[debthaven]

That was so quick nikiz628 ! I would love to see pictures when you're done. 

This weekend
- send Zoom links/Fri
- dentist/Fri
- see A/Sat
- bank/Sat
- Shitepile
- fireplace paperwork
- mark 27 essays

Errands done, so hopefully I can get ahead on the paperwork now. Kids coming for lunch tomorrow. 

 

[Malarky]

The home improvement project is chugging along.  DH is primarily responsible for all the work.    

One room is painted and the subfloor is installed.  The built in drawers/shelves still need to be painted and trimmed.  The small room/closet is painted and isn't getting a new floor at this point-future project for when it becomes a walkin closet and a bathroom. Our new bedroom has the subfloor down and we will be priming today with an eye to finishing the rest of the painting tomorrow.  In two weeks we should be able to put the floors down in those two rooms.  We have (skilled) friends to help with that part.  We've intentionally been leaving them out of the grunt work because we need them when the wall comes down and the ceiling goes up in the last room. Considering we pay in beer and good food we don't want to take too much advantage.

I'm having moderate success in keeping up with the day to day chores.  Work, cold weather and the weariness of every day being just like every other have sapped most of my ambition to accomplish anything significant.  My circle has become incredibly small since we can't congregate outside and it's getting to me.  Nothing motivates me more than powering my way through the tasks I need to do if I can then reward myself by socializing.  

I've been driving around with two boxes of donations for at least a month. I keep putting off dropping off partly because the road to get there is a minefield of potholes.  I'm trying to get through this winter without having to get a front end alignment.  Again.
As I've done for the past 5 years.

Before I start painting I need to clean the bathroom, vacuum the living room, spiff up the kitchen, go to the bank and the pharmacy.  Instead I decided to catch up here.  Wonder why I'm not accomplishing much...

(Chanting to self:  "I will not turn on Netflix" "I will not turn on Netflix" "I will not turn on Netflix""I will not turn on Netflix"...)

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 25, 2021 17:01:06 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Jan 23, 2021 10:29:51 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

Um, yes, that is fantastic organization! 

Well, now I'm worried about mine. I wipe my down almost every month.

Why

Because 3 in one week doesn't pay the bills. 

Ah, see, for me, a “personal day” is paid. “Leave Without Pay” is different. So, I agree, paying bills would be a priority. 😉

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

[startsmart]

I have been cutting the subfloor for the laundry room and it needs lots of adjustments because nothing is square. I am also working to replace more outlets and they are vexing me today! I’m about to turn off the power again and work on the kitchen and entryway before it gets too dark. It’s been raining all day and I am looking forward to good weather days soon.

[startsmart]

Okay I have to complain for a hot minute 😐

The previous owners of this house did a lot of the remodeling on the first floor themselves which, in itself, is fine. Except they were TERRIBLE at it. Like the plugs and wall switches sit in a gang box which is roughly flush with the drywall. Their gang boxes are a) missing 2) pushed so far back you can’t screw into them and c) have stripped screws. It takes a 5 minute job and makes it a 30 minute job and I am not amused.

Not to mention they were also TERRIBLE at drywall. There’s a 1” gap at the top of my kitchen wall. The joints are not smooth. I know I got this house cheaply but they should have thrown in cash at closing for anger management because hot damn they screwed up so so much!

[chiver78]

I'm excited, I got the quote for my sideboard. it is going to be a custom piece that is a blend of the industrial hardware that was already here, plus the black wood furniture I brought with me. AND, it is coming in cheaper than a mass-produced thing of the same dimensions that isn't going to be exactly what I'm looking for. YAY! 🥳

[countrygirl2]

We went to buy items for hubs to finish the bathroom at the post office. He put a light stone colored metal on 3 walls. I'm painting the one wall a sunlight yellow, hope it's light as it looks. I need to wash it first with TSP and let it dry, then we will use kilz on it, to surface it as its some kind of papered paneling I think. Then paint it. He should finish it in a couple of days, has the sink, toilet and new W/H in.  There is a cabinet in there and he is putting a new top on it. Also a new light fixture, will be an all new clean room. Likely hasn't been remodeled in 30 years or more.

They found a paper in it the other day, its an old bank building with the vault still in it. So in the vault a paper showing all the postmasters since 1816. I have old bank checks for it. 

[empress of self-improvement]

I think I remember talk about Replacements.com here but I'm not sure. I was checking it out last night and discovered that my mother's Wedgewood pattern is commanding decent prices and they are in need of more. I have a teapot, which is going for $200!, teacups, saucers and 2 oval dishes. I have to look for the plates, I know they're around somewhere. Has anyone ever sold anything to them and how much of a pain is it? I'd keep the stuff but I am trying to pare down to my favorite Winnie the Poohs only.

[Malarky]

So after posting about procrastinating I got busy.  
Cleaned the bathroom, reorganized the cupboard in there.  
Picked up and vacuumed the living room and dining room.  
Folded the laundry in the dryer.  
Cleaned the kitchen.
Purged a bunch of stuff from the paper shitepile.
DH had $ so I didn't go to the bank.
The pharmacy can wait, it's damn cold out there.
Called the electrician and had the lights reconnected in the two rooms upstairs.
Went upstairs with a bucket of water and TSP, looked around and decided it was time to take a break.

[nidena]

Jan 30, 2021 14:57:35 GMT -5 startsmart said:

Okay I have to complain for a hot minute 😐

The previous owners of this house did a lot of the remodeling on the first floor themselves which, in itself, is fine. Except they were TERRIBLE at it. Like the plugs and wall switches sit in a gang box which is roughly flush with the drywall. Their gang boxes are a) missing 2) pushed so far back you can’t screw into them and c) have stripped screws. It takes a 5 minute job and makes it a 30 minute job and I am not amused.

Not to mention they were also TERRIBLE at drywall. There’s a 1” gap at the top of my kitchen wall. The joints are not smooth. I know I got this house cheaply but they should have thrown in cash at closing for anger management because hot damn they screwed up so so much!

That's how my Delaware house was.  The property manager had a lot of "friends" who did work for him.  My current house has never been updated.  The phone jacks still look like this. and none of the electrical sockets are grounded (except one in the kitchen). 

[debthaven]

empress of self-improvement I think @bamafan1954 has used Replacements.

That must be infuriating startsmart . I admire your determination! Would it be worth getting an electrician in to do the more difficult ones?  

Great progress Malarky ! 

I fell asleep for 3h and then watched Netflix. So much for progress.

This weekend (updated)
- mark 27 essays  
- Shitepile
- fireplace paperwork

Clearly I won't finish tomorrow. I'm giving myself till the end of the week. It's not like me to procrastinate but I am just EXHAUSTED by the end of the week.

[Deleted]

empress of self-improvement , take the $200 and divide by four.  Replacements generally will give you 25% of their price if it is in perfect condition according to their standards.  You pay shipping.  If they reject it upon arrival, you pay shipping back.

For a $200 item ($50 - probably $10+ shipping), it might be worth it.  But you might want to try Ebay instead.  Check their completed status (left navigational bar down far) and see what it sells for on there.  It is no more trouble to wrap and ship it to a buyer on Ebay for more money than it is to wrap and ship it to Replacements for a fraction of the money.

Do you live close enough to drive to Replacements?  If so, you save shipping, and you might luck out. 

[empress of self-improvement]

Jan 30, 2021 17:39:20 GMT -5 @bamafan1954 said:

empress of self-improvement , take the $200 and divide by four.  Replacements generally will give you 25% of their price if it is in perfect condition according to their standards.  You pay shipping.  If they reject it upon arrival, you pay shipping back.

For a $200 item ($50 - probably $10+ shipping), it might be worth it.  But you might want to try Ebay instead.  Check their completed status (left navigational bar down far) and see what it sells for on there.  It is no more trouble to wrap and ship it to a buyer on Ebay for more money than it is to wrap and ship it to Replacements for a fraction of the money.

Do you live close enough to drive to Replacements?  If so, you save shipping, and you might luck out. 

I have no idea where they are located but probably not. I'll check the eBay thing. Thank you!

[finnime]

Jan 30, 2021 16:16:13 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

I think I remember talk about Replacements.com here but I'm not sure. I was checking it out last night and discovered that my mother's Wedgewood pattern is commanding decent prices and they are in need of more. I have a teapot, which is going for $200!, teacups, saucers and 2 oval dishes. I have to look for the plates, I know they're around somewhere. Has anyone ever sold anything to them and how much of a pain is it? I'd keep the stuff but I am trying to pare down to my favorite Winnie the Poohs only.

I've done fairly well with selling items to Replacements in years past. They'll send a quote before you send the item(s) and once they receive them will pay if in good condition. They advise buying insurance before you ship. If the item breaks in transit then you get the $ from the insurance, which they also help with. I think I've gotten about half of their retail for pricing. 

[NoNamePerson]

Jan 30, 2021 23:08:36 GMT -5 finnime said:

Jan 30, 2021 16:16:13 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

I think I remember talk about Replacements.com here but I'm not sure. I was checking it out last night and discovered that my mother's Wedgewood pattern is commanding decent prices and they are in need of more. I have a teapot, which is going for $200!, teacups, saucers and 2 oval dishes. I have to look for the plates, I know they're around somewhere. Has anyone ever sold anything to them and how much of a pain is it? I'd keep the stuff but I am trying to pare down to my favorite Winnie the Poohs only.

I've done fairly well with selling items to Replacements in years past. They'll send a quote before you send the item(s) and once they receive them will pay if in good condition. They advise buying insurance before you ship. If the item breaks in transit then you get the $ from the insurance, which they also help with. I think I've gotten about half of their retail for pricing. 

Same here. But didn't want to post since it's been years ago that I dealt with them. I got a quote from them on china and sent it on it's way. When I received my check it was for MORE than the quote. A letter came with check stating that I had identified one of the small bowls incorrectly and they paid me the corrected price. I sent china (had lots of serving pieces and such plus the normal stuff) crystal, sterling silver, crystal and even some Christmas dishes I had. My DIL and her sister had no interest so I just got tired of hauling it around. I was lucky that my boss man said I could put UPS charges on company account. Now remember this was back in the day before ebay and all that jazz. But I knew the reputation of Replacements from friends who had dealt with them so it was worth it to me.

I did make a copy of the list of stuff that was going into the boxes - one in box and one for me but I had 4 different transactions with them over the period of two years and not one glitch with any.

[debthaven]

I finally managed to get some most of my list done, but I didn't finish. It's not like me to procrastinate on marking. 

This weekend (updated)
- mark 21 essays/Sun
- Shitepile/Sun
- mark 6 essays
- fireplace paperwork (DH?)

DH cooked lunch. I ran/emptied the dishwasher and did laundry.

[moneysquirrel]

Things seem to be going well with you my friends.  Progress even slight is still progress.  

startsmart -- Glad that you have new reliable wheels.  And that you continue to make progress on your home.
debthaven -- Fingers crossed that all goes well with the sale of the rental.  It will be one less thing to stress about.
nikiz628 -- Isn't it amazing how much plastic containers we manage to accumulate in the kitchen?
chiver78 -- Having a custom piece made is wonderful.  It will be well worth the cost. And more sturdier than some that you can purchase elsewhere.
Knee Deep in Water Chloe -- Your lists always amaze me.
countrygirl2 -- Is there any way that you could copy that paper, frame it and hang it in the post office as an item of interest.

If I forgot anyone, I am sorry.

I have been continuing to get things done around the house.  Also working on a small order for a friend -- about halfway done.  Most of what I have been getting done is decluttering items as I work my way through various parts of the house.  I am sure that I still have too many items but am consistently finding things that can be added to the donation bag or tossed.  Got some shredding done as well.  My classes have started and that has given me a little more structure for my time.  

Currently working on laundry.  Two loads going.  Need to run dishwasher today as well.

 Goals for February 1 - February 6:

• Flood Insurance
• Grocery run
• Class -- Tuesday
• Classes -- Thursday
• Vaccine -- 2nd dose -- Friday
• Call @ home improvement -- deposit made need to check on possible start dates
• Maintain progress
• Organize at least 3 areas
• Update notes for the class I teach 

 

[chiver78]

debthaven - sometimes a lazy day is needed. don't sweat it too much.

moneysquirrel - exactly. when I thought I was keeping the area as a small LR and he was going to build me a bench seat with storage, he said almost exactly the same, that his would be able to support way more weight (my two XL dogs, for instance) than what I was looking at from Pottery Barn.

today's project is my bedroom. I need to clear off my dresser find a home for some of the things that would go in bathroom vanity drawers that I don't have here. a permanent home for my hair dryer and flat iron would be nice, too.

ETA: are socks a thing that get donated? I've got a ton that are gently worn, that I used to wear with heeled loafers back when those were in style. I haven't seen any in years, sadly. would love to find a good home for them.

[debthaven]

chiver78 is there room for a vanity or some sort of bathroom storage?

I donate socks in good condition because the charity I donate to recycles fabric.

[chiver78]

not really, no. this bathroom is tiny, which is fine other than the lack of storage. if the vanity had drawers, that would be helpful. this cabinet just stores cleaning material and tall bottles of extra toiletries. I think I'm ultimately going to need another piece like a sideboard, to put in the bedroom for all this stuff. I figured that when I first got here, but it is definitely becoming apparent now.

excellent point on the fabric recycling. I know the schools in my old town do that. will set stuff aside for that, thanks!

[laterbloomer]

I got an odd assortment of chores done this weekend over and above regular chores, pooper scoopering my back yard while it's sunny and relatively mild but everything is still frozen. cleaning the plastic shower curtain, fixing the drawer in my closet armoire. I'm going to see if I can get just one of my pieces of office furniture together.

[laterbloomer]

Jan 31, 2021 14:03:27 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

not really, no. this bathroom is tiny, which is fine other than the lack of storage. if the vanity had drawers, that would be helpful. this cabinet just stores cleaning material and tall bottles of extra toiletries. I think I'm ultimately going to need another piece like a sideboard, to put in the bedroom for all this stuff. I figured that when I first got here, but it is definitely becoming apparent now.

excellent point on the fabric recycling. I know the schools in my old town do that. will set stuff aside for that, thanks!

Cute bathroom!

[debthaven]

Yes really cute!

chiver78 our bathroom is small too, and our vanity is similar in size. There is one shelf inside, but no drawers. I bought 4 decorative baskets for the inside, all the same size, and put two on each shelf, on either side of the pipe. For example, I have my epilator and my hairdryer in one basket. That could work. I'm sure you could find another place for the extra toiletries. (We keep ours in the basement pantry.) 

We also have a bit of storage behind the vanity mirror, but it's not as nice as yours! 

[chiver78]

aw, thanks ladies! there's a lot of cool features in this house that almost make up for the plumbing problems. lol... 

are your baskets like a caddy or something? I wonder if I could find something stackable or on a rack, that would fit in the cabinet space. those drawers I have the humidifier on do come in smaller sizes, too. thanks for the ideas! I took a break to cook for the pups since I need protein for their dinner. it's now cooling and I'm about to head back to my bedroom. I've got a bag started with socks for the donation pile, with more to add. 

[debthaven]

No chiver78 they're like this, but they're all the same size. Mine are probably the small one or slightly bigger, but everything in Europe is smaller.

www.thebasketcompany.com/storage-c119/storage-baskets-c16/white-wicker-shallow-storage-basket-lined-p992

ETA: I bought them years ago, they were very inexpensive.  

[chiver78]

those are cute. I've got a ton similar from Christmas Tree Shop already that need to go. I don't think that would work well in that vanity, though.

I'm picturing something like this, but smaller. sorry for the huge URL.
www.target.com/p/mdesign-vertical-standing-bathroom-shelving-unit-tower-with-3-baskets-black/-/A-81617353?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012577535&CPNG=PLA_Patio%2BGarden%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Patio%2BGarden_Lawn%26Garden&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9002048&targetid=aud-985052325085:pla-1142583646780&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=Cj0KCQiAx9mABhD0ARIsAEfpavSvls_XASWBvBwQ3Hv92WDSMTheV1itPCe1yMlkoJQRVt84rb3rI88aAoszEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds