2021 Declutter Stuff & Organize Your Life

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

My work days are long and followed by college classes in the evenings.

I'm so excited for everyone here! There is so much done! I did get a few deep cleaning chores done today.

That included tossing 15 items. My count for January is 27. 

[chiver78]

ISO recommendations. I don't want these drawers out in my bedroom. the problem is that the humidifier is a warm mist one, and it peeled the finish on my dresser last winter. it also saved my sinuses last winter and this. so it isn't optional. help? please and thank you ❤

[countrygirl2]

I did some more in my office, the other drawer decluttered.  I just have the shelves and more file folders to make. But before I do I'm going through the file cabinet again. I moved stuff from the old metal to the wood one and did some cleaning when I got it new a few months back. But now I can get rid of old outdated insurance stuff, also transfer downstairs, DD and MIL files from there. I want to unload as much as I can from that room. We will have to move all that furniture and I want to remove as much weight as I can.

I would clean and get rid of stuff but would always finding myself thinking I need to keep this and keep that and did. I don't know what happened last year and this but its like I suddenly gave myself permission to just get rid of it. It is hard to clean with so much stuff around. You can't keep everything, all it does is make you not be able to find it to use it. Hubs is doing the same in his garages. Going to take us a long time, but no stopping this time.

Have a sweet kitty draped over my leg, but about ready to go to bed, I'm tired. Hubs went to bed at 9:30, not sure why, he didn't do anything today.

[debthaven]

chiver78 I'd use a nice dresser in the bedroom.

Then I'd put the humidifier on its own sitting on something else that won't get damaged: a small stool or table in plastic/unfinished wood/metal.

ETA: Some suggestions:

www.ikea.com/us/en/p/marius-stool-white-90184047/
This Ikea stool is metal. It's cheap and comes in black and white. 

www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kyrre-stool-black-70434976/
This one comes in a bunch of colors. But it's wood, so it probably won't hold up as well over time. On the other hand, it's small, so it probably won't get damaged like your bigger dresser did. 

I'd probably go for the metal one. 

[debthaven]

DH bought gold writing paint at the art/framing store last week. This weekend he painted/repainted the names on the kids' Christmas stockings. They look great!

My seamstress friend A will embroider the last two (DH can't paint those because they're fuzzy.) That means paying A to embroider two stockings instead of 7. ;-)

[Iggy aka IG]

Jan 8, 2021 15:37:39 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

A cold war is happening at my house, that's all I'm going to say. 

Yesterday I removed the lights from the faux tree, put it and the stand away, packed one of the storage bins down the stairs (two more to go plus the tree), dusted and swept the living room, and put back to their original locations the exercise bike and year-round knickknacks.

This weekend I'll vacuum the storage closet downstairs before putting the bins back inside, and then vacuum the entire basement.  I need to vacuum the main floor, and launder the shower curtain.  We'll see how far I get as I have a birthday party to attend (small, outdoor) and then basketball on TV.

Have a fantastic weekend, friends.

Yeah..... this didn't happen, LOL.  Too much, um, "celebrating" at the friend's.  I did do 3 loads of laundry including sheets, dishes, dusted and put back the kitchen window sill knick knacks, scrubbed a toilet, hung back up 2 weeks worth of work outfits, meal planned for this week, boiled eggs, and got in a bit of walking and reading.

[countrygirl2]

Another waste basket and a half out of my cabinet in my office. Lots of boxes and things that could be combined.

I haven't cleaned in it since 2019. I found enough pencils, tablets, staples, paper clips, hanging file folders, and envelopes in there probably for the rest of our lives if they don't dry up. Also lots of mailing envelopes, working my way through it. Gave hubs piles of cords for electronics, he wants those and that's fine with me.  I'm going to move all the writing instruments to a box, along with pencil sharpener and items like that. Under it are 2 drawers to go through. Not sure I have since we moved in. I thought I was neater then this.  

Next those 2 drawers and the file cabinet.

[debthaven]

Good progress countrygirl2 !

Iggy aka IG have you given up on finding a cleaner? Even once a month would be a big help. 

I've been prepping the new class ... Academic Writing. I am DREADING those papers.   I managed to escape it the previous two years, but not this year.   

I'm still hoping for a miracle (last-minute extra hours from Job 2) so I can give it up. Normally I would never give up a class this late, but given how Job 1 has been treating us lately, I wouldn't hesitate.   

Watch Job 2 offer me more hours AFTER I've started LOL. (Once I start I can't give it up.)

[chiver78]

Jan 11, 2021 3:51:37 GMT -5 debthaven said:

chiver78 I'd use a nice dresser in the bedroom.

Then I'd put the humidifier on its own sitting on something else that won't get damaged: a small stool or table in plastic/unfinished wood/metal.

ETA: Some suggestions:

www.ikea.com/us/en/p/marius-stool-white-90184047/
This Ikea stool is metal. It's cheap and comes in black and white. 

www.ikea.com/us/en/p/kyrre-stool-black-70434976/
This one comes in a bunch of colors. But it's wood, so it probably won't hold up as well over time. On the other hand, it's small, so it probably won't get damaged like your bigger dresser did. 

I'd probably go for the metal one. 

I'm not sure the contents of these drawers actually need to be in the bedroom, either. but I wanted the plastic surface for the humidifier. the first table is cute and the price is nice, I wonder how sturdy it would be to hold its own once the dogs start roughhousing.     definitely going on the list, though. thanks!

[Iggy aka IG]

debthaven, yep.  Due to a 2020 slow down in sales because of Covid, it is no longer in the budget at this time. 

[laterbloomer]

So my office furniture got delivered today. Tonight's project is to get it down into the office. I need to do some touch up painting in that room. Then I will have to put all the pieces together. Ya, it's going to be awhile before I get that all done.

[debthaven]

I hope things turn around this year Iggy aka IG. 

Yay laterbloomer ! Have you finished all the purging, even GW2's room? Maybe setting up your office could be the "reward" for finishing to purge everything? 

Also, I don't want to pry, but could your ISO help you with the painting, since you helped him with the decluttering? (I know you work FT but maybe he does too.)

[moneysquirrel]

chiver78 -- A question and a suggestion.  1.) How often do you need to go into those drawers? 2.) if the answer is not often then I would suggestion maybe covering them up with a pretty cloth and then putting the items on top.  You may be able to get a glass cut the correct size to put on the top as well if you want.

Iggy aka IG -- House work can wait when there is time to be with friends to celebrate.

countrygirl2 -- Is there a school close by that can use those extra pencils and school supplies?  At this time of the year the beginning of the school supplies are running out and frequently teachers have to pay for any needed out of their limited resources.

laterbloomer -- Great progress.  You should be able to finish up shortly at this rate.

I have been continuing with slow progress.  Have reorganized several storage areas in the kitchen.  Several items hit the trash while others made it to the new donation bag. 

[laterbloomer]

Jan 11, 2021 17:33:40 GMT -5 debthaven said:

I hope things turn around this year Iggy aka IG. 

Yay laterbloomer ! Have you finished all the purging, even GW2's room? Maybe setting up your office could be the "reward" for finishing to purge everything? 

Also, I don't want to pry, but could your ISO help you with the painting, since you helped him with the decluttering? (I know you work FT but maybe he does too.)

GW2's room is more cleaning than purging and no, I haven't done it yet. I'm going to finish my office first so I can start using it.
ISO has an autoimmune disease that screws up his legs. He is barely able to walk with a walker. Much to his frustration he can no longer paint and he can't help with moving the heavy boxes. A good friend is coming over soon to help me take it downstairs. And the painting is just touching up spots that got marked up. I don't need to do the whole room thank goodness.

[Iggy aka IG]

Just reviewed, processed and purged 239 unread email from as early as early Dec.    Feels so good!  Next up:  Address the 14 voice mail that have been waiting for me since last week....

[nikiz628]

Jan 11, 2021 18:32:24 GMT -5 moneysquirrel said:

chiver78 -- A question and a suggestion.  1.) How often do you need to go into those drawers? 2.) if the answer is not often then I would suggestion maybe covering them up with a pretty cloth and then putting the items on top.  You may be able to get a glass cut the correct size to put on the top as well if you want.

Iggy aka IG -- House work can wait when there is time to be with friends to celebrate.

countrygirl2 -- Is there a school close by that can use those extra pencils and school supplies?  At this time of the year the beginning of the school supplies are running out and frequently teachers have to pay for any needed out of their limited resources.

laterbloomer -- Great progress.  You should be able to finish up shortly at this rate.

I have been continuing with slow progress.  Have reorganized several storage areas in the kitchen.  Several items hit the trash while others made it to the new donation bag. 

My son’s elementary teacher actually just sent an email out last week telling us that they could use donations of supplies. With covid, they aren’t allowed to share any school supplies this year and many kids are running low. It would definitely the worth looking in to.

[countrygirl2]

I ended up with 2 bags of trash from my office and half a bag of donations. Next is the file cabinet. I freed up a lot of space. A lot just by organizing things. Gave hubs a ton of electric cords from electronics we have bought over the years.

It feels good to organize items together so I can actually find them. A big issue for me. I just put stuff away and not together. Behind the doors and drawers it was terribly disorganized.

[debthaven]

We went to look at the DR chairs we were thinking of getting. We liked them, they were very reasonably priced, and they were 25% off. So we got them. 

The 4 old chairs are in the basement with the old table waiting for a child to want them one day.

[vetswife]

Have a lot of unneeded things waiting for the Salvation Army to pick up today; frees up a lot of space in the garage.

[chiver78]

pardon the disarray, I've got some furniture to move around here still. but, I got the table top upstairs with an assist from my dad. my parents came down (masked) to use my laptop for some online stuff, so I put him to work. 😜

I think I like this table in that spot. this might actually work out after all!

[debthaven]

chiver78 I love it there! I think it looks absolutely perfect! 

[chiver78]

thanks, I'm looking forward to finally getting this space set up. but you can see why this definitely wasn't going to work in the space where I tucked that cafe table, eh? this top is 60" long, with a 24" leaf. vs a space that was comfortable with a 40" drop leaf round table. 


oh, and I forgot to mention earlier - I decluttered a pair of small fry pans I hadn't used in a long time. my parents are currently at an Extended Stay hotel with a kitchenette, while they wait for a particular apartment to have renovations completed. my mom threw out 95% of her kitchen stuff as she packed and they had been going out for all meals since they moved to the hotel.     I sent them home with almost all of a huge tray of pasta I was going to freeze in servings, and those pans. they wouldn't take the crockpot on loan, but I think maybe theirs is easily accessible in the storage unit they got for the interim. the apartment is supposedly going to be done in 10 days.

[nidena]

My boss is getting his office decorated--poor guy has a good 50-75 framed pictures that need to be put on the walls--and is getting rid of the high top table currently in his office.  It comes with four chairs and is rather snazzy.  Easily worth $1000.  So I'll be acquiring that soon.  I hadn't planned on it but it's really nice and it's free.  Free is good.  And it's more comfortable than the folding table I currently have.

[laterbloomer]

Jan 12, 2021 19:04:10 GMT -5 nidena said:

My boss is getting his office decorated--poor guy has a good 50-75 framed pictures that need to be put on the walls--and is getting rid of the high top table currently in his office.  It comes with four chairs and is rather snazzy.  Easily worth $1000.  So I'll be acquiring that soon.  I hadn't planned on it but it's really nice and it's free.  Free is good.  And it's more comfortable than the folding table I currently have.

What is a high top table?

[nidena]

Jan 12, 2021 19:10:29 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Jan 12, 2021 19:04:10 GMT -5 nidena said:

My boss is getting his office decorated--poor guy has a good 50-75 framed pictures that need to be put on the walls--and is getting rid of the high top table currently in his office.  It comes with four chairs and is rather snazzy.  Easily worth $1000.  So I'll be acquiring that soon.  I hadn't planned on it but it's really nice and it's free.  Free is good.  And it's more comfortable than the folding table I currently have.

What is a high top table?

It's like those tall tables they have in the bar part of Applebees.  The actual table top is roughly 4 ft off the ground.

[NoNamePerson]

Jan 12, 2021 19:10:29 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

Jan 12, 2021 19:04:10 GMT -5 nidena said:

My boss is getting his office decorated--poor guy has a good 50-75 framed pictures that need to be put on the walls--and is getting rid of the high top table currently in his office.  It comes with four chairs and is rather snazzy.  Easily worth $1000.  So I'll be acquiring that soon.  I hadn't planned on it but it's really nice and it's free.  Free is good.  And it's more comfortable than the folding table I currently have.

What is a high top table?

I did a google image search! Term I was unfamiliar with too. Check them out. Can’t see using in office but may be something different from what google search showed.

[NoNamePerson]

Jan 12, 2021 19:40:54 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Jan 12, 2021 19:10:29 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

What is a high top table?

I did a google image search! Term I was unfamiliar with too. Check them out. Can’t see using in office but may be something different from what google search showed.

Never mind! She answered while I was typing. 

[nidena]

I'd say it's most like this (chairs, too): www.furniturecart.com/rockdale-round-glass-top-counter-height-table-6630-36-homelegance.html

[laterbloomer]

Okay, my current table started out as one of those. I love the table but I found the height awkward. I got it cut down to regular size. Chairs too. It is perfect now.

[nidena]

I rarely eat at my dining room table.  I'll use it mostly for jigsaw puzzles and I like to switch between sitting and standing for those.