2021 Declutter Stuff & Organize Your Life

[startsmart]

One of the things I continue to love about this thread is that everyone is moving at their own pace and we don’t guilt each other. I set really ambitious goals for myself and then push to get them done but that’s on me.

I went through a big stack of papers from the tub and I’m slowly catching up on dishes. I may run out of clean clothes tomorrow but hey the kitchen looks slightly better!

[TheOtherMe]

Not only our own pace, but the way that suits our personality.

I remember really pushing to get to 2019 items and I've already gotten rid of way more than that this year alone.  

I could not have done it alone.

For me, working with the organizers takes a lot out of me emotionally and I have to recover from making all those decisions.  I can't work with her every month if I could afford it.   My emotions couldn't take it.  

There is an emotional side to getting rid of things.  I think I'm beginning to understand Hoarders more than I did before--now that I have purged so much and it wasn't a biohazard situation.  

I would never do "homework".  I know what I need to have done by Feb 7.

[wvugurl26]

The Marie Kondo thing bugs me. I just don't feel like that philosophy can be applied to everything. There are things I need as an adult with a career and as a homeowner.

Dress pants for work will never bring me joy but they are necessary. Sure I can buy ones that fit well, that I like, etc but it's never going to spark joy.

My DH needs the lawnmower. I'm allergic to grass, it sure as hell doesn't bring me joy.

I feel it only works for certain categories. It works for others though I guess. I'm still working through duplicates and things we just don't use. We keep plugging away and we are considerate of what we bring in.

[nidena]

Dec 7, 2021 20:57:26 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

The Marie Kondo thing bugs me. I just don't feel like that philosophy can be applied to everything. There are things I need as an adult with a career and as a homeowner.

Dress pants for work will never bring me joy but they are necessary. Sure I can buy ones that fit well, that I like, etc but it's never going to spark joy.

My DH needs the lawnmower. I'm allergic to grass, it sure as hell doesn't bring me joy.

I feel it only works for certain categories. It works for others though I guess. I'm still working through duplicates and things we just don't use. We keep plugging away and we are considerate of what we bring in.

I think it works best in the categories in which we tend to collect the most.

In many cases, you can purge using Lean Manufacturing identifiers:

--Value-Add(ing) (keep)

--Non-Value-Add(ing) (purge these items)

--Non-Value-Add(ing) but Necessary (keep as few as possible)

[dannylion]

Once again, reading about everyone's progress is great for motivation!  Hoping to get to work on the chaos in the living room in a few days.  I really overdid the trips to the basement getting ready to have company twice this month and really need to focus on restarting the PT program.  I got lazy and now i'm paying for it.  I'm sure I'll start feeling better if I am diligent.  

It was fun having my friends here for Thanksgiving.  They brought the pies and I got the turkey from Perdue Farms and everything but the mashed potatoes and gravy from a local farm co-op.  The turkey and side dishes were all very good, so that is definitely something I will continue to do whenever I am the TG host.  

It is always a pleasure to entertain the friends who joined me for Thanksgiving.  They're my oldest friends in Maryland, so it's a joy to see them, but beyond that, they always pitch in to help with clearing up afterward.  When they go home, all the dishes, pots, pans, and cooking utensils are washed and put away or at least in the dishwasher.  

My neighbors carried a bunch of bins and large or awkward items to the basement for me this weekend, so that was a big help.  Probably saved me 7 or 8 trips to the basement.  

Wrapped, packed, and shipped the Christmas gifts for my cousins' kids today, so that's a big weight lifted.  I always stress over getting that done for some reason, even though nothing about it is difficult.  

My next big project is decluttering the guest bedroom and master bedroom so I can have a handybeing dismantle the brass bed frame in the master bedroom and move it into the guest bedroom so I can order a new bed for the master bedroom.  I am going to get an adjustable base, which will not fit into the brass bed frame, hence the need to move it.  Not really looking forward to the decluttering project, but I'm very motivated to get it done as I am hoping the new bed will improve my sleep, which has not been good for a long time.  

Best wishes to all for the holidays and for good health and good fortune in the New Year.  

[startsmart]

I’ve now got all the stuff out of the tub and stacked to process at my computer! There’s a big file of memorabilia but otherwise it’s a good mix of business and personal.

I do have some extra paper stuff floating around so that’ll be extra credit this month.

On Tuesday I’m taking the whole day to work on my biz (no client projects) and then I’ve decided my reward will be decorating for Christmas.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Dec 6, 2021 22:41:53 GMT -5 hitenney said:

Well, here I am again.  Officially retired on October 29, and off the payroll as of November 23.  The last month was crazy, trying to train someone for every and all eventualities, writing instructions and cleaning out my other mess (the one at work).  Slowly I am working through items at home, and I do mean slowly.  As one friend said, when you're retired there's always tomorrow.  Unfortunately, I have made that my mantra.  This week has been most frustrating, and there's only me to blame.  My sister in VA has planned a cruise for us in September, and is using money from our Mom she inherited to pay for it (mine all went into the house).  Anybody who is still around from the old couponing group (I think finnime, nidena, wvugirl and maybe bean29 - I could be wrong, it's been a long time!) will understand it makes me a little crazy to listen to expensive options from a travel agent, and not booking things ourselves at a better rate.  I do so love a deal. DSis keeps saying, but she's (the Travel Agent) worked so hard on the plan!  Anyway, now the TA wants my passport for the booking name, which is long expired, so I need a new one, and of course I'm having a terrible time finding the documents because I have so many boxes and piles of unorganized paper!  

I have run across some genealogy documents, and I would love your feedback, TheOtherMe, about Ancestry.  Some my cousin gave me many years ago, but at the time she didn't really want it all shared with them.  She was in the business for many years, and made money researching relatives and history for clients.  I guess I should ask her.  There are several relatives I need to reach out to, now that I have time (tomorrow, I mean!).

Anyway, I am very unhappy with the State government - it used to be so easy to walk into the health dept and buy your birth certificate and marriage certificate, but with COVID, it's all online.  Once again, it's my own fault, but I'm still mad at them. 

I am hoping to start quilting soon, although that has moved further down the list.  I got a new scanner, and am hoping to get that set up and going so I can scan and then shred a lot of documents that I will probably never need anyway.  Cleaning house is also high on the list, plus getting rid of many clothes and cooking implements I never use.  My DH is famous for buying expensive pieces but he has slowed way down with his heart problems, so I think I can sneak out quite a few.  

I'm still contemplating returning to a part-time job (our HR out-source company actually made me an offer a my good-bye celebration!)  plus there's a lot of volunteer work I'd like to do.  But sorting out the house has to come first.  Take care everybody - I love reading about all your progress.  Chloe - you and DH stay well.  Praying that everything works out with all the planned and happening home moves.  I am contemplating that also for the future.  Debt, I've also got the dentist this week. Chipped another filling.  The infrastructure is failing big time!
 

       


and thanks!

[snapdragon]

I got my cards done and the ones that need to go in the mail are set to go out today! 

[moneysquirrel]

Haven't started cards yet.  Still have to decorate tree and finish decorating the rest of the items.  Weather is damp and dreary and I don't wanna.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

[anciana]

I know, Knee Deep in Water Chloe, I have a lot of hang-ups 

[TheOtherMe]

I took Joshua Becker's course twice.  That's how I did the first two rounds of decluttering.  I did find out I had many hang-ups.  I still do. 

Much of what I think is important, no one else would think is important and that is okay.  The other Stuff is going out of my house.

I was amazed at the difference in the weight of the 2 dead printers.  One I moved here from Colorado 12 1/2 years ago thinking I would just get it fixed.  The other one was maybe 3 years old.  The one I moved here weighed about twice as much as the newer one and did far less than the newer one.

I am now at a place where I can actually put together the Christmas card packets in the hopes my cousins will cooperate in giving me information on their children and grandchildren.

[Iggy aka IG]

Thank you for sharing about Mr. Becker, TheOtherMe.  I Googled him.  I wonder aloud:  Is it possible to live in a minimalistic way in a rural setting?  Where I live, we all have acreage, and live 20 minutes away from the nearest store.  And, the farming and ranching way of life encourages one to not throw anything away, etc....  

[nidena]

Dec 7, 2021 21:08:47 GMT -5 nidena said:

Dec 7, 2021 20:57:26 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

The Marie Kondo thing bugs me. I just don't feel like that philosophy can be applied to everything. There are things I need as an adult with a career and as a homeowner.

Dress pants for work will never bring me joy but they are necessary. Sure I can buy ones that fit well, that I like, etc but it's never going to spark joy.

My DH needs the lawnmower. I'm allergic to grass, it sure as hell doesn't bring me joy.

I feel it only works for certain categories. It works for others though I guess. I'm still working through duplicates and things we just don't use. We keep plugging away and we are considerate of what we bring in.

I think it works best in the categories in which we tend to collect the most.

In many cases, you can purge using Lean Manufacturing identifiers:

--Value-Add(ing) (keep)

--Non-Value-Add(ing) (purge these items)

--Non-Value-Add(ing) but Necessary (keep as few as possible)

Iggy aka IG, I think the rural setting would be one area where VA, NVA, NVAbN comes into play.

[TheOtherMe]

Dec 8, 2021 18:38:03 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Thank you for sharing about Mr. Becker, TheOtherMe .  I Googled him.  I wonder aloud:  Is it possible to live in a minimalistic way in a rural setting?  Where I live, we all have acreage, and live 20 minutes away from the nearest store.  And, the farming and ranching way of life encourages one to not throw anything away, etc....  

He showed a video of his home.  No way could I live like he lives.  The most boring house I have ever seen.

I'm not big in to decorating but at least I have some color on the walls instead of everything being bland.

[moneysquirrel]

Lost a reply.  I did get the tree half done yesterday.  No cards done but I don't have a lot to do.  Only 20 or so and to family and friends out of town.  

Busy today.  Exercise class begins in a few minutes, then change, get a snack, leave, teach at noon, pop into my  next class and say hello but can't stay for as I have a medical appointment.  Will be limited as to what I can do once I finish that as my eyes will be dilated and it take a few hours before they are back to normal.  Will see if any beading gets done or not.

Tomorrow will not be as rushed.

[snapdragon]

Last month I bought a mini gingerbread house village kit at Target. I came to the realization that I won't get to it this year so I am returning it tonight and letting someone else have fun. And not going to hedge the extra money back in the bank won't hurt either. I can use it for food before the play on Saturday. 

[Iggy aka IG]

Went to the store this morning and bought some baking ingredients and what I hope to be the last of the stocking stuffers.  It's odd what I am unable to find in store these days:  Peach pie filling and orange extract?

Waiting for a mailing list from corporate so I can complete the rest of the calendar mailing.  Not sure why a spreadsheet takes a week....  

[seriousthistime]

Dec 7, 2021 20:57:26 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

The Marie Kondo thing bugs me. I just don't feel like that philosophy can be applied to everything. There are things I need as an adult with a career and as a homeowner.

Dress pants for work will never bring me joy but they are necessary. Sure I can buy ones that fit well, that I like, etc but it's never going to spark joy.

My DH needs the lawnmower. I'm allergic to grass, it sure as hell doesn't bring me joy.

I feel it only works for certain categories. It works for others though I guess. I'm still working through duplicates and things we just don't use. We keep plugging away and we are considerate of what we bring in.

I agree, Marie Kondo works for some things, but not all. 

During the last four years of working, I moved to a different climate and expectation for work attire. I bought a number of expensive-for-me clothing items (Eileen Fisher, etc.).  They do spark joy for me. I have a hard time getting rid of them, and some of them are barely worn.  I also stopped by a few boutiques near me and bought some expensive casual clothes.  I have not even worn some of them.  On top of that, I lost a little weight and some of the items are 1 or 2 sizes too big. 

These are the sorts of things I get hung up on. I paid a good chunk of money for some of those items.  I hate to think I wasted good money on them.  If I keep them, maybe the right occasion will arise and I can wear them again.  But how many of those occasions will arise in the next, say, 20 years?  Probably not enough to keep them.  

I'm thinking Marie Kondo can help me with this. I can look at the items and thank them, and then maybe post them on Poshmark and try to sell them. 

But there are family items that I hate to part with.  My mother took up painting in her later years. I have 10 or 15 canvases of hers.  One or two are framed. To be honest, most do not go with my decor style. Parting with those sorts of things is hard.  Maybe I can post them on the Facebook BuyNothing group and see if someone wants them. They may end up on someone's wall, or maybe in a garage sale, or maybe in a hoarder's house, or maybe in the dumpster.  It just won't be my wall, garage sale, house, or dumpster. 

[Iggy aka IG]

Dec 9, 2021 14:15:58 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Dec 7, 2021 20:57:26 GMT -5 wvugurl26 said:

The Marie Kondo thing bugs me. I just don't feel like that philosophy can be applied to everything. There are things I need as an adult with a career and as a homeowner.

Dress pants for work will never bring me joy but they are necessary. Sure I can buy ones that fit well, that I like, etc but it's never going to spark joy.

My DH needs the lawnmower. I'm allergic to grass, it sure as hell doesn't bring me joy.

I feel it only works for certain categories. It works for others though I guess. I'm still working through duplicates and things we just don't use. We keep plugging away and we are considerate of what we bring in.

I agree, Marie Kondo works for some things, but not all. 

During the last four years of working, I moved to a different climate and expectation for work attire. I bought a number of expensive-for-me clothing items (Eileen Fisher, etc.).  They do spark joy for me. I have a hard time getting rid of them, and some of them are barely worn.  I also stopped by a few boutiques near me and bought some expensive casual clothes.  I have not even worn some of them.  On top of that, I lost a little weight and some of the items are 1 or 2 sizes too big. 

These are the sorts of things I get hung up on. I paid a good chunk of money for some of those items.  I hate to think I wasted good money on them.  If I keep them, maybe the right occasion will arise and I can wear them again.  But how many of those occasions will arise in the next, say, 20 years?  Probably not enough to keep them.  

I'm thinking Marie Kondo can help me with this. I can look at the items and thank them, and then maybe post them on Poshmark and try to sell them. 

But there are family items that I hate to part with.  My mother took up painting in her later years. I have 10 or 15 canvases of hers.  One or two are framed. To be honest, most do not go with my decor style. Parting with those sorts of things is hard.  Maybe I can post them on the Facebook BuyNothing group and see if someone wants them. They may end up on someone's wall, or maybe in a garage sale, or maybe in a hoarder's house, or maybe in the dumpster.  It just won't be my wall, garage sale, house, or dumpster. 

 seriousthistime, have you considered Dress for Success?  Their website includes both a monetary and clothing donation option.

[seriousthistime]

Dec 9, 2021 14:31:02 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Dec 9, 2021 14:15:58 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

I agree, Marie Kondo works for some things, but not all. 

During the last four years of working, I moved to a different climate and expectation for work attire. 

These are the sorts of things I get hung up on. I paid a good chunk of money for some of those items.  I hate to think I wasted good money on them.  If I keep them, maybe the right occasion will arise and I can wear them again.  But how many of those occasions will arise in the next, say, 20 years?  Probably not enough to keep them.  

 seriousthistime , have you considered Dress for Success?  Their website includes both a monetary and clothing donation option.

I've donated items to them in the past, and there's another one close to me (Working Wardrobes, maybe?). I guess the tax deduction would be useful and would buffer the sting of the spent money somewhat. 

[Iggy aka IG]

Dec 9, 2021 15:29:14 GMT -5 seriousthistime said:

Dec 9, 2021 14:31:02 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

 seriousthistime , have you considered Dress for Success?  Their website includes both a monetary and clothing donation option.

I've donated items to them in the past, and there's another one close to me (Working Wardrobes, maybe?). I guess the tax deduction would be useful and would buffer the sting of the spent money somewhat. 

[toomuchreality]

Dec 9, 2021 13:30:39 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Went to the store this morning and bought some baking ingredients and what I hope to be the last of the stocking stuffers.  It's odd what I am unable to find in store these days:  Peach pie filling and orange extract?

Waiting for a mailing list from corporate so I can complete the rest of the calendar mailing.  Not sure why a spreadsheet takes a week....  

Can you use Grand Marnier, for orange extract? 😁

[Iggy aka IG]

Dec 9, 2021 16:14:00 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Dec 9, 2021 13:30:39 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Went to the store this morning and bought some baking ingredients and what I hope to be the last of the stocking stuffers.  It's odd what I am unable to find in store these days:  Peach pie filling and orange extract?

Waiting for a mailing list from corporate so I can complete the rest of the calendar mailing.  Not sure why a spreadsheet takes a week....  

Can you use Grand Marnier, for orange extract? 😁

Ohhh.... I DO have triple sec on hand.... And THIS is why Iggy   toomuchreality!!!  

[toomuchreality]

Dec 9, 2021 17:17:38 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Dec 9, 2021 16:14:00 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Can you use Grand Marnier, for orange extract? 😁

Ohhh.... I DO have triple sec on hand.... And THIS is why Iggy   toomuchreality!!!  

And you're cooking! Which is just one reason why TMR ❤ Iggy! ❤

[Iggy aka IG]

Dec 9, 2021 17:48:30 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

Dec 9, 2021 17:17:38 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Ohhh.... I DO have triple sec on hand.... And THIS is why Iggy   toomuchreality !!!  

And you're cooking! Which is just one reason why TMR ❤ Iggy! ❤

And I bake, too.  

[toomuchreality]

Dec 9, 2021 19:00:32 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Dec 9, 2021 17:48:30 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

And you're cooking! Which is just one reason why TMR ❤ Iggy! ❤

And I bake, too.  

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I eat! 😉

[finnime]

Still in limbo, with boxes stacked in every room, waiting for the painters to get to the last bedroom and the upstairs bathroom. For the latter, I also need the electrician, to replace the medicine cabinet/lights combination. Hoping these will be done today, or today and tomorrow. Then major purging of everything that can be done, plus a few miscellaneous painter/contractor tasks.

Monday the tub will be getting resurfaced. On the 21st the basement and basement stairs will get new carpeting. The 21st I will be prepping for the 22nd when I have a very large baking order to do, also the 23rd for the 24th. Going to NYC the 25th to celebrate with DS27. And my sister, brothers and a nephew will be coming down from Massachusetts for New Year's, to stay here for the last time before we sell the house.

I'll spend January sitting up and taking nourishment, although I'm also planning an open house-type party for neighbor friends to show off the house and say goodbye.

[TheOtherMe]

I have a class this morning on family artifacts.  It's about keeping vs getting rid of.  I hope it helps me make some decisions about my parents' things.

I will try to figure out how to post photos of the before and after of the organizer in the two rooms.  The change impresses me, but I'm embarrassed about how bad it was before.

[startsmart]

Busy day at home planned today! Aside from working on the papers from the tub, I don’t have a single focus today. In no particular order I need to:

- clean the kitchen and prep for cooking tomorrow
- finish sorting fabric pieces for storage
- get the table cleared off
- finish painting my closet
- finish the last raised garden bed assembly
- vacuum the car
- finish setting up my files
- move boxes upstairs
- cut the backing fabric for my quilts