2023 Declutter & Organize Your Life

[debthaven]

Everyone needs to relax sometimes Sharon . 

[TheOtherMe]

I posted on here that I was going to empty the box of bathroom stuff.  I got about halfway through and Croz died.  If  you aren't into music I'm sure you don't understand how much that hit me and I've been pretty useless.

Last night I brought the box to the living room so I will finish going through it because I don't want a box of crap in the living room.  

It's also become obvious I don't use the stuff in the box or I would have emptied it long ago.

[Iggy aka IG]

Sorry for your loss, moneysquirrel.

Yes, TheOtherMe, his passing was a rough one.  

I stayed home for what I'm calling a mental health day yesterday.  Over the weekend I'm going to give focused thought on an official once a week WFH day as per our conversation on the prior page.  I know a few fellow agents have done this for over two decades.....

[TheOtherMe]

Add to that the I will give you a Joni Mitchell concert ticket, oh I made up with my boyfriend, so now we'll be using both tickets debacle and I'm pretty burned out.

[startsmart]

I got my truck back on Monday and it goes in again tomorrow for a hopefully quick and cheap fix. He’s looking at the ball bearings and I need all the good juju that they’re in fine shape and will last another 300k miles 😂

I finally got over to Home Depot for the order I placed when the truck died so now I have the trim and new nail gun to finish window trim this weekend.

Also, good work news for once! I had a last minute meeting added today with 2 team members who have been cranky and critical of my work (while refusing to admit they cause a lot of the problems I handle!) so I was wary. Turns out they’re handing over a huge project to me to manage and it doesn’t feel like a set up! So I get to manage the team of 8 which involves website updates, a lot of copy, social media, video production and testing to get this finished in the next 6 weeks.

[debthaven]

startsmart great news!

TheOtherMe I'm sorry about the concert.

I'm rooting for your WFH day Iggy aka IG !

This weekend
- 32 essays/Th-Fri

I have a headache, but I'm done. I also input my marks and ran/emptied the dishwasher.

We're working at the theater tonight.

[finnime]

Got a new power drill yesterday. Now I can finish the repair on the kitchen prep cabinet, to keep the drawer from falling out. And I'm in the process of framing and hanging/rehanging pictures in pleasing arrangements.

I need to find a place(s) to discard the old batteries from my old drill and next week from my laptop.

Handyman spent 1 1/2 days clearing a several-feet long clog from the stack in the basement. It had grease, lint, and who knows what else in it. Plus he had to first force open the iron clean out and then replace its plug. I'm just glad we have him. Older houses can be tricky indeed to work with.

Bought some filing folders to sort out the papers that I've just been grouping and stacking, to do with the house and its purchase, to do with taxes and Franklin the Dog and assorted other responsibilities. I'm not very good with hard copy, so I need files to keep me straight.

[debthaven]

The handyman sounds like a great find finnime !

[bean29]

Hello everyone on the 2023 Declutter & Organize your life thread.

I need to declutter paper files from my house.  This will necessitate me scanning documents and storing them on my computer.  I have some stuff saved to my computer right now ie. - bank statements, utility statements, insurance policies, Tax Returns, etc.  I need to get rid of old paper documents and keep everything stored in my computer organized in such a manner that I can find it if I need it in the future.  Does anyone use a specific Document management system?  It looks like there are some out there, but they are aimed at businesses.  Just looking to see how others are managing this type of project, and if you use software, how much it cost to implement it.

DD's boyfriend got a lateral promotion.  He is moving to Ft. Lauderdale.  DD may go with him - she is actually hoping to get a promotion to Minneapolis.  If she gets that job, the manager told her she could WFH at least a few days a week.  In either case, they are staying together, and plan to end up working in same city again after a year or so.  He said the company will pay for his move, but it takes several months for your furniture ot actually be moved.  So, while he has a March 1st start date, DD or DD and her boyfriend may move home temporarily.  DH already wanted to re-do both the family bath and the basement bath.  I had told him to do the family bath first, but, I may tell him to go ahead and do the basement one first if it can be done in the next few weeks.  We just need to re-do the shower installation- take out old, put in new.  New one will probably be a tile one.

I will have a lot of purging to do- and I messed up my back, so I am moving pretty slow.  DD did not move her stuff into the apartment with her boyfriend.  He was already living there, so her possessions are already in my house.  If she goes to Minneapolis, a lot of my clutter will go with her.  I have been asking her to purge clothing from her closet for a year now.  She said she would come Saturday.  They go to FL on Sunday to look at apartments.

In no particular order, here is my list of projects:

1) Purge clothing from my closet.  I just need to make some room.  Get rid of Shoes that hurt my feet.  I ordered 3 new pair of shoes with low heels, so I need to get rid of at least 3 pair of shoes.
2) File and organize receipts and paperwork/tax files.
3) get rid of excess stuff in my storage area we call the "Green Room".
4) get rid of excess stuff in the closet in my office.
5) get rid of 6 clunky folding chairs that are in my office.  DH never wants to get rid of anything, so I will either have to sneak them off to goodwill or sell them on FB Marketplace.
6) help DH decide what to purge from the garage.  Most of this stuff is his or DD's, but DH has a really hard time getting rid of stuff.  My kids and I often sneak stuff to the or goodwill.  He wants to fit his new truck in the garage, so hopefully he will finally be willing to take stuff to the .  I get in trouble if the stuff is too big, because I cannot move it on my own.

That is it for now

[Iggy aka IG]

Good to see you, bean29.  Sorry to hear about your back.

[debthaven]

Yes bean29 welcome back! Good luck with your projects. 

Our troupe's play is this weekend, so we worked front of house tonight. Tomorrow will be a quiet day because DH needs to rest. He's been spending too much time standing up painting sets.

[TheOtherMe]

My financial life is on my computer.  It goes back to 2007, I think.  I probably could purge some of those files.

I devised my own system.  The overall folder is the year.  Under that are folders for each month,  Permanent File (maybe because I worked in CPA offices).  That gets moved to the new folder every year and things that are no longer permanent or have changed go away.  I also have a file for Tax Documents.  That ends up holding my year end statements.  

I've been doing it the same way for years and it works for me.  I wouldn't pay for one.  I use a lot of Excel Spreadsheets.  I don't receive much by paper any more so I rarely need to scan anything for that folder.

It lives on my C: drive with a shortcut on the desktop.

[Sharon]

The end of the week pretty much ended up being a bust with very little work done around the place.  I'm hoping to change that today, lol.

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 26, 2023 15:52:52 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Add to that the I will give you a Joni Mitchell concert ticket, oh I made up with my boyfriend, so now we'll be using both tickets debacle and I'm pretty burned out.

Well, they made up so she asked last night if I still wanted to go.  I told her I'm not going on a roller coaster about whether or not I'm going to this concert until June.  

She did send an apology overnight.

[saveinla]

Hello Everyone - I have not been doing any decluttering lately. Just been trying to keep up between work, home and friends has been hard. But the house is clean and we always keep up with the paper clutter, so there is that.

We are getting plantations shutters for our windows - moving from blinds, which are almost 15 years old. We had 2 people come and give us a quote and its not too different. We are going with the one who is going to give us vertical blinds for the patio for free, so that will be happening within the next 4 weeks. We have paid half of the cost and hope there are no issues.

We have also asked the contractor to come and give us a quote for the second bathroom work - this will be smaller as we are not removing the tub - just resurfacing the tub, changing the glass doors probably and replacing the vanity and the toilet.

DH's Brother may be coming for a visit with his family in March or April, so DH is hoping to get the work done before then. I am not so sure, but hoping for the best.

Does anyone know how to not get stains off quartz countertops? There are some water stains
on our countertop and I wanted to see if anyone has any ideas.

Hope everyone is doing well.

[Sharon]

Very productive day today, I'm pleased with what I got done

- Bed changed

- 3 loads of wash done and put away

- check book balanced

- random items returned to the shop where they belong

- took down 4 glass shelves that were in the bathroom.  They were there when I moved in.  I didn't like them and they were way up high on the wall so they just collected dust and cobwebs.

- Dusted most of the house

- dishwasher is running

- waste baskets emptied and trash taken out.

- Went through the whole house with the cobweb remover, a fluffy nylon brush on the end of an extendable pole.

- Changed the burned out bulb in the bathroom fixture

[startsmart]

Made really good progress in the kitchen today and revamped my food/Tupperware storage. I also tossed a lot of stale food which had been forgotten so trying have have fewer items in my pantry.

Somehow I ended up with 8 jars of jam - mostly homemade from the farmers market - so now I’ve got to make a point to cook biscuits or something. Maybe I’ll pretend to be British and have an afternoon tea and biscuits?

I also started painting the corner pieces for my window frames, washed off a dog bed, did a bunch of office paperwork, watered plants, recycled a bunch of jars and I’m 25% done with the top for my next quilt.

I need to do another mile on my bike before bed and also cook some meal prep stuff. I’ll either do a chicken vegetable curry or Thai Mac and cheese tonight - I have ingredients for both.

[debthaven]

It's good to see you back here saveinla ! I hope the bathroom project goes well.

startsmart a good homemade jar of jam also makes a very nice hostess/neighbor gift around here.

We went to friends for dinner tonight ... that's three nights out in a row for me, ouch! But I've been home during the day, and Thursday night and tonight were very local. 

Nothing on the agenda for tomorrow besides laundry. DH wants to see the play again, I do not. Happily he can drive again. 

[Rukh O'Rorke]

I haven't thought or done much of anything so far this year!

Still having weekly cleaner coming. That keeps me on track somewhat, and then (usually!) a flurry of activity day before/day of to hit the reset button.

Conflicted feeling due to the high cost and the barely adquate job. I feel like I do most of the work, and could maybe just get another robovac with a mop and then that is nearly 1/2 what the cleaner does....but without the pressure of the cleaner coming, I sometimes drift too long and then things are out of order, so I worry about that.

But it is over 700/month with tip, and that is 'too much' according to me! Would be somewhat different if it was a stellar job, but it is not. So I feel like I can galvanize myself to eliminat the cleaner. But on the other hand, I feel like I need more help, not less! And having a cleaner is suppose to free me up to do *other* household stuff.....but in reality it just prevents me from falling more behind!

[TheOtherMe]

For me, the cleaner coming makes me do things because they are coming.  I see that as an upside.

[debthaven]

Rukh O'Rorke now that the holidays are over I’d try to find another cleaner. That's a lot of money to be unsatisfied. 

[bean29]

Jan 27, 2023 18:34:18 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

My financial life is on my computer.  It goes back to 2007, I think.  I probably could purge some of those files.

I devised my own system.  The overall folder is the year.  Under that are folders for each month,  Permanent File (maybe because I worked in CPA offices).  That gets moved to the new folder every year and things that are no longer permanent or have changed go away.  I also have a file for Tax Documents.  That ends up holding my year end statements.  

I've been doing it the same way for years and it works for me.  I wouldn't pay for one.  I use a lot of Excel Spreadsheets.  I don't receive much by paper any more so I rarely need to scan anything for that folder.

It lives on my C: drive with a shortcut on the desktop.

Yes that is pretty much what I do now, but I think my bank statements are by bank account with multiple years. Energy bills by property/meter/year. I really don’t need except for tax purposes. I try to keep all tax related docs in one file for the year.

Receipt organization is one thing that stumps me. For tax purposes, I group by deduction, but otherwise, by store by date? I want to get in habit of uploading to bank account now that you can do that.

We got rid of the big steel file cabinet. I did want it, but DH did not want to carry it in house. It may have cost $1,000 new. Eta DH got it for free with the desk, we only have sweat equity invested in it). It was in very good condition. Listed for free on FB marketplace. I had a lot of interest. Also a wood cabinet. Same guy took both. I think they were Arab. Possibly Indian. Most Indian people in our area have a kitchen set up in their (attached) garage. I decided I did not care who took it, as long as DH did not have to load in his new truck. They owe him a bed liner, so this was just better for us.

DH told me to list a metal desk in his office. I have a list of people interested in it. Hopefully it goes. Then there is a desk in credenza in the garage he will move to his office. DS was going to help him move it on Saturday, but we got 10” of snow. This worked well, b/c now the other stuff is out of the way.

I also have a mini fridge (DS wanted for his garage) and a TV with built in DVD/CD. Hoping we can transfer some stuff to DVD then get rid of it.

My sister lists stuff for sale of FB marketplace. She told me the other day that Christmas Stuff sells well all year round. She does ship stuff. I have about 5 items set aside I will give her. They would have gone to GW, I don’t care about $$, she can put the $$ in my 18 year old niece’s college fund.

DN came and got DH’s old truck, so that is also something good. DH had it portered (waxed outside and cleaned inside and oil changed). He said after doing that he was barely making more that what dealer would have given him + tax savings on trade. We have 2 more cars in Driveway to sell and possibly the Mustang. DH is waiting for Spring on Mustang. I won’t be surprised if he decides to keep the Mustang. The other 2 have 2 go B/C we need to get them off the insurance policy.

DD’s boyfriend said he found an apartment. I have not talked to DD yet. They come back today. His seat is confirmed, DD may get stuck for a day, she is Standby. She said she can use a priority pass, but if she is stuck, M/T are her regular days off.

Saveinla-congrats on ordering the Plantation shutters. I need to make some decisions on window treatments too. It is pretty far down on my list of priorities though.

Taxpro-sorry about your on again off again concert.

Debt haven-glad your Husband can drive and is healing well. Happy semi-retirement.
I read on reddit yesterday that Buffet accumulated the bulk of his fortune after 60, so there is hope for us yet. Lol.

Rukh-wow $700/month. A cleaner was a retirement goal for me, but if it is that expensive, I can live with the dust. I don’t have a robovac. My house is very open concept, so we don’t think it would work well.
I do have a Bissell crosswave floor cleaner. It vacuums hard floors and mops and is great for my area rugs. Used it yesterday for quick clean up before DN and his wife arrived.

[mollyc]

So far I’ve managed to get at least 2 hours of various backlogs caught up every week. Yesterday didn’t go as well as I’d hoped for a day off with no DH home. Today won’t be as productive as I’d hoped either due to a back strain from chipping ice. Here’s hoping tomorrow’s better because, medical procedure going well, DH will be home tomorrow night

[debthaven]

There are massive strikes again today so we were allowed to teach on Zoom again.  I'm getting spoiled lol. 

My cleaner was away last week. I'm glad she'll be back tomorrow. 

We've decided which window company we're going to use. He'll be here in a little while for some last questions/measurements.

[moneysquirrel]

Just a quick hello.  Working on laundry.  Managing to keep on top of things.  Nothing much is happening.  Have a few hours before my exercise class.  


debthaven --Glad that you can use Zoom instead of having to fight the strikes.  

Welcome to all returning and new to us members.  

[snapdragon]

I broke down and have planned a vacation to a place that my Dad had gone to multiple times but I have never visited. So I will be spending about 5 days enjoying the beach and ocean while attempting not to get burnt. This won't be until the end of April but I am already planning what to pack and ordering things for me to be more comfortable.

This also means that I need to go through my closet and re-sort and pack away things that aren't working at the moment.

I got the trash out yesterday and meal planned for this coming Ladies Weekend that is happening. Really excited to spend time with the BFF's and just enjoy the company and conversation.

I need to bake scones --- I will have to find a recipe that works due to me still not having found my cookbook. I really miss my cookbook that I "put in a safe place" due to the kitchen remodel. 

[debthaven]

I'm glad you planned a break snapdragon. 

Window Man has come and gone. We forgot about one window (in DD's closet lol). He's also going to price solar shutters because that way we won't need an electrician. We should have the final final estimates next week.

This is getting real! 

[TheOtherMe]

I need a getaway, too.  And not one to Toronto.  An only me kind.

Yesterday I was looking at cabins in the Colorado mountains.  I know I have the air fare to get there.  I just can't figure out the timing or what part of Colorado.

[debthaven]

Our super-bright halogen floor lamp that lives in the dining room (where I work) died. We ordered an LED floor lamp on Amazon but it's not bright enough. 

So we ordered another, brighter one. Hopefully that one will work. (We'll put the first one elsewhere.)

[Iggy aka IG]

mollyc , I hope your back heals quickly.

Yay, debthaven , for Zoom meetings and choosing a window company!

snapdragon , both the ladies weekend and your April vacation sound fun.

Like much of the US, it's been cold here.  REALLY cold.  And we had quite the snowstorm yesterday, so I WFH today with a snow shoveling session break.  So much snow, though it is the light, powdery kind.  So, the past four days:

~Only did three loads laundry as DH did two on his day off last week  
~Had a fun sleepover with the neighbor kiddos
~Planned a BD co-party details with a neighbor
~Emptied the dishwasher several times
~Scrubbed two toilets
~Cleared out several hours of DVR programs
~Refilled the Keurig, ice trays, PT, napkin holder and the 5-gallon water dispenser
~Boiled eggs and processed fresh produce for the week
~Picked up my side of the walk-in closet
~Finally went through Christmas cards, kept about half, tossed the other half
~Cleaned the toaster interior and exterior and put it away (if an appliance isn't used daily, I like to keep it off the counter)
~Speaking of, put three of four of the rubber "feet" back onto the air fryer, LOL
~Roasted and cooled gifted tomatillos and put them in the freezer
~Emptied the garbage
~Planned suppers for the next week

DH flushed the interior of a hand-me-down water dispenser.  I gave the interior components a good cleaning and disinfecting and will take it to the office.  Once I confirm it works, I'll cancel the water delivery service.  Baby steps towards retirement.