2022 Declutter & Organize Your Life

[seriousthistime]

Jan 14, 2022 14:36:24 GMT -5 Empire the P.A. said:

Since the last time I posted a couple of days ago:
Walked around my home opening and closing closet doors, cabinet doors, junk drawers. Yep, still cluttered. 

Of course.  It's still mid-January.  You have only had a few weeks to work on it.

Disregarding the obvious conclusions about when it accumulated and prior year efforts.  It's a new year and a new start. 

[TheOtherMe]

It takes years to accumulate the clutter.  It's not going away in a few days.  Every little bit is progress.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 12, 2022 16:38:23 GMT -5 catsareme said:

Does cleaning out the glove box in the car and truck count?  

Well, it's on my deep cleaning list, so it better count!

Jan 12, 2022 16:48:35 GMT -5 anciana said:

Jan 12, 2022 16:38:23 GMT -5 catsareme said:

Does cleaning out the glove box in the car and truck count?  

I say we count that! And then I'll count cleaning out my purse and decluttering some old receipts and stuff last weekend as well; it sounds more and more like I did something 

Uh, purse & work bag clean-out is on my weekly list, so that better count too!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

So, I'd not heard of wordle until debthaven mentioned it, but now I'm seeing it all over the place. I did glance at the Apple app store, but it didn't come up immediately. 

[Empire the P.A.]

Jan 14, 2022 21:24:03 GMT -5 Knee Deep in Water Chloe said:

So, I'd not heard of wordle until debthaven mentioned it, but now I'm seeing it all over the place. I did glance at the Apple app store, but it didn't come up immediately. 

Wordle is a website. You play one word a day. 

www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/

[debthaven]

Wordle is a website. You play one word a day.

www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/

Empire the P.A. is right Knee Deep in Water Chloe ... the creator refuses to do an app, he refuses to monetize his website, and he refuses to do more than one word/day. 

[NoNamePerson]

Jan 15, 2022 2:53:51 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Wordle is a website. You play one word a day.

www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/

Empire the P.A. is right Knee Deep in Water Chloe ... the creator refuses to do an app, he refuses to monetize his website, and he refuses to do more than one word/day. 

And since I heard about it here first I must say that I am glad he decided to do the bolded. That could become an addiction of the highest order. I actually pay close attention to how long before I can play again!! Check it out first thing when I get online even before all my other online addictions.      Off to - never mind. I need to finish checking out this board first. My additions seem to have a pecking order. And I did read somewhere about doing things in some order - brain training/wiring 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

 I'm two days into Wordle now. 

[nidena]

When LinkedIn connections publish a book, I tend to buy one unless it's sold only on amazon.

Well, last month, a connection mentioned his book so I bought it.  It took awhile to open it once it arrived as I was neck deep with EOY stuff at work.  It was $20.  No biggie.  Until I got it open.

1) It was an amazon fulfillment
2) It was only 107 pages (in a size between trade paperback and massmarket size)
3) The header font is twice the size of the text font
4) The text font is a size or two larger than regular books

Why did this irritate me?  Because it made the book twice as long as it should have which was misleading for the price.  I mean, post it pads are thicker than this book.

Lastly, it's a workbook kind of book--where you read the section and then it asks you to ponder a question about the section.  I'm not a workbook kind of person.

In any case, I thought: I have to email the author and ask him how to return it.  So I did.  He refunded my money and I'll be taking the book to Half Price Books.

So, decluttering more books out of the house and decluttering more money into the house.  Win-win!

[Empire the P.A.]

So, I am actually going through my kitchen/junk drawers and I am organizing them. But why do I have a garbage bag of stuff to throw out from the drawers but the drawers still are full?  

[Empire the P.A.]

I’m still working at it but taking breaks. I got the snack station looking pretty decent. Consolidated a lot of it. I have a lot of snacks. 

[nidena]

Jan 15, 2022 14:00:17 GMT -5 Empire the P.A. said:

So, I am actually going through my kitchen/junk drawers and I am organizing them. But why do I have a garbage bag of stuff to throw out from the drawers but the drawers still are full?  

When I had this issue, I emptied the drawers into a box and used the items from the box.

After using them, I'd clean them and put them back in the drawer(s).  Anything left after 30 days, got donated.

The only exceptions being seasonal or special occasion items like basters and cake knives.

[startsmart]

Installed 2 more pieces of plywood in the laundry room and continue to clean up as I go. Lots of sawdust, pieces of old flooring, regular dirt and grime, etc. 

I finally dragged the self-leveling cement into the house to read the directions and YEP it has to be at least 50 degrees if it's going to set properly. So that puts this weekend out since it's been snowing since Friday night. There's a chance it'll be warm enough next week to test a small section but I forgot that I also have to put down a primer first. 

On the good side this weekend I took down Christmas and took the lights off one section of the fake tree because they died and it'll make it easier to add new lights in December. Everything is hanging out by the stairs ready to go back upstairs which I hope to finish by Wednesday.

Made a lentil soup just now and I have enough ingredients to make another batch so I might do that tomorrow. Soup is hitting the spot on this cold day and all I need is some good, crusty bread.

The next thing I need to deal with is a fabric order from December that was shipped to the wrong address, the wrong PO box and someone else took my package. Since we're in such a small town the clerk at the Post Office called the person who got my package in their box by mistake to ask him to return it. While it's really the fault of the company that shipped it to the wrong address, it's annoying that the other person did not return it to the staff so they could get it to the right person. 

[catsareme]

Encouraged by my own decluttering efforts DH went to work on his 2-drawer file cabinet and a basket of paperwork "stuff".  Result:  2 large bags of shred and 2 notebooks full of document protectors.  He ended up with a few (<6) documents, 2 CDs (legal documentation) and a lot of empty space.  I may "take over" the empty drawer for household maintenance paperwork (after it has been sorted of course).

I sorted, shredded and filed the large pile of paperwork that has been taking up space, for far too long, on the futon in the office loft.  Result:  1 large bag of shred, a few recipes (filed) and surprise - our Lifetime National Park Passes and Vehicle Hangtags.  Why I never put them into the vehicles when I received them in the mail is a mystery.  

[wvugurl26]

The shredding is finally done and the pile of junk mail gone from the kitchen table. There's a bag and a half full of shredded paper. I'm trying to take advantage of the long weekend and keep making progress.

[debthaven]

We were supposed to go to DS1's graduation in MA in May 2020. Of course graduation was cancelled because of Covid. We got credit from Air France, and we had till 31 Dec to book new flights.

Graduation is rescheduled for May 2022. We were hesitant, we don't feel comfortable booking international flights now. Then DS1 asked if we could keep the grandchildren so they can go without the kids. Of course we said yes!

DH called Air France (and got a human!) to ask if they could extend our credit. They reimbursed us instead! That worked out very well for us!

We would have LOVED to see DS1 graduate from there, but DS1 + DDIL are thrilled to have 5-6 days just them, and we are thrilled to spend that time with our grandkids. Win-win. 

PS We know it won't be easy LOL. 

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 15, 2022 17:55:53 GMT -5 startsmart said:

The next thing I need to deal with is a fabric order from December that was shipped to the wrong address, the wrong PO box and someone else took my package. Since we're in such a small town the clerk at the Post Office called the person who got my package in their box by mistake to ask him to return it. While it's really the fault of the company that shipped it to the wrong address, it's annoying that the other person did not return it to the staff so they could get it to the right person. 

I have had this issue so much in the last 6 months that the postmaster has told me to call if I receive someone else's package and someone from the PO will come and pick it up.

Mine are addressed to me but get delivered to the wrong address and I receive other people's mail.  

[TheOtherMe]

debthaven  I know it's you and DH which makes it easier than taking care of them alone but you also have two kids, not one like my sister and I took care of.

I have informed DN1 there will be no more sister trips because once we returned home her behavior returned to it's old way of never having anything to do with me.

[debthaven]

That's such a shame TheOtherMe. I'm sorry. I was hoping it would be a "new start".

[finnime]

Today will be a day of major decluttering of the sunroom. I've arranged with the contractor for it to get painted. I'll also be replacing the blinds in it and getting the heating fixed. And yesterday I ordered a new light fixture for the dining room, which will be just perfect, I think. We decided to go ahead with having the main flooring refinished, since there is a large black stain under the rug in the living room from when Antigone the dog was in her last year incontinent.

We contracted with our chosen real estate agent yesterday, too. He included a listing date of March 1. Suddenly it's clear we don't have a lot of time.

We will need to sell some very large and heavy furniture, including the dining room china cabinet and table with chairs, and a rosewood armoire in the master bedroom. Need to get cracking on that, too. It's a bit daunting.

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 16, 2022 5:10:06 GMT -5 debthaven said:

That's such a shame TheOtherMe . I'm sorry. I was hoping it would be a "new start".

So was I.  I thought there was until I actually arrived home.  Now it's back to the same old, same old.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2022 14:25:58 GMT -5 nidena said:

Jan 15, 2022 14:00:17 GMT -5 Empire the P.A. said:

So, I am actually going through my kitchen/junk drawers and I am organizing them. But why do I have a garbage bag of stuff to throw out from the drawers but the drawers still are full?  

When I had this issue, I emptied the drawers into a box and used the items from the box.

After using them, I'd clean them and put them back in the drawer(s).  Anything left after 30 days, got donated.

The only exceptions being seasonal or special occasion items like basters and cake knives.

That sounds like a great tactic

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Jan 15, 2022 14:00:17 GMT -5 Empire the P.A. said:

So, I am actually going through my kitchen/junk drawers and I am organizing them. But why do I have a garbage bag of stuff to throw out from the drawers but the drawers still are full?  

I'm pretty intense about my drawers and shelves. I have a lot of drawer organizers plus I label where everything is supposed to go. The drawers are still full, but they're organized. 

[Deleted]

My vertigo attack sidelined me since last Wednesday but today I cleaned out the utensil drawer and a couple of other cabinets.  I'm still too wobbly to get up to the top shelves so I told DH he's nominated for that tomorrow a.m.  I was stunned at how much stuff I had in some cabinets that I haven't used in YEARS.  Yes, I really wanted that tofu press but we don't eat tofu at home.  

I need to find a medium size box or storage bin for 99% of the accessories of the food processing system I bought.  The only part I use regularly is the immersion blender and the other accessories are filling up a whole shelf.  They can live happily in the bottom of a closet and give me more room for what I do use frequently.  

I think I'll take one box of old files over to the storage locker this week, and a couple of boxes to Goodwill.  

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

We meet with the realtor on Monday at 3:30 PST. 
Hopefully the to do list she gives us isn't too daunting.

[startsmart]

Tackling the dishes that have piled up this morning. I also have to remember that my dog is now allowed food or water tonight because he has a teeth cleaning tomorrow. I am not thrilled about going out to heat up the car at 7am to get to the vet tomorrow but oh well.

[seriousthistime]

One bag of shredding is done and in the recycling container.  

At this point, the shitepile has been separated into two piles: recycling and filing.  The recycling is in the bin.  I know there's more shredding to be done once I start tackling the files.

Tally, bags of shredding: llll

ETA: Final update for Sunday.

[startsmart]

Someone shared that “wordle is the sourdough bread of Omnicron” and they are not wrong…

[Sharon]

Yesterday wasn't as productive as I had hoped but I did do a couple loads of laundry, emptied two more boxes, and cleaned the fridge of outdated food.  I also spent some time downloading tax statements.

Today has been more productive.  I made some room in the big cabinet in the garage to put boxes and totes that need to stay in the garage away.  There are more things that need to go in that big cabinet but I need to get rid of more of the paint that was left behind. 

The sheets were changed and washed, and the dishwasher has been ran.  I will empty it in a bit.

Then I worked in the garden for a couple of hours, just raking up leaves and old apples and pulling up old stuff.  I would have done more but I was getting cold.  It is only 34 degrees today and I wasn't working hard enough or moving fast enough to keep warm.  I figure every little bit helps and eventually I will get it done.

ETA: I also got one of the Christmas trees hauled out to the shop.  It has been sitting in a bag on the living room floor for way too long.  The bag for the other tree is supposed to be delivered today.  Once it arrives I will transfer the tree to the bag from the box it came in and hopefully get it out to the shop also.

[NoNamePerson]

Jan 16, 2022 15:32:43 GMT -5 startsmart said:

Someone shared that “wordle is the sourdough bread of Omnicron” and they are not wrong…

Saw this on a twitter post but don't know how to do the whole share twitter thing so I just c/c/p the text here. I know the feeling when I got word on line 3. I knew it was going to be another addiction - like I need a new one


"Two years ago I pulled my own child out of my body and placed him on my goddamn chest but I’ve never felt as powerful as when I got the Wordle on line 2."