2024 Organize & Declutter

[debthaven]

Thank you seriousthistime ! It really does feel like they're new!    

[Iggy aka IG]

Good job, debthaven!

It's been another busy week.

Yesterday:
~Got water for the office and made a bank deposit.

Today:
~Lunch with a friend, cashed in a $3 birthday scratcher-woo hoo!, and tonight I want to make a mini cheesecake for DH using ingredients on hand.  I'm thinking about crushed Girl Scout cookies for the crust, the half cream cheese block, a few chocolate chips, and leftover whipped cream from NYE....

[soupandstew]

Thanks in good part to this thread, I just finished purging the file cabinet    I have large box and big sack going to shred, and another garbage bag for the trash can.  

Naming this as a project goal here, helped me feel some accountability to get it done.

Next goal - purge my closets.  I'll have no excuse not too as I'll be stuck at home watching contractors for much of the coming weeks.  Look out Goodwill - here I come!

[wvugurl26]

Well I have a bigger shred pile now and a few things to file. I knew I got some tax documents for my grandma's return before I went to Florida. I went looking for them to enter while listening to training. Couldn't find them.

Finally realized it was the PDF versions I was able to obtain not a paper copy.

[jerseygirl]

Just bought 4 plastic bins for cans in pantry. Put soups in them, one kind to a bin
Ordered another 4 on Amazon
Next I’ll see if some are good for packages like pancake and cake mixes. Then pasta
Pleased at getting more order in pantry. Looks better and probably easier to access and put away grocery orders

[startsmart]

I worked at the food bank today and after 3 hrs on my feet, they are sore. Trying to keep up with a hyper puppy now and make dinner myself.

On the plus side, the weather has been really nice here and I’ve finally emptied out and moved my pool for winter. Only 5 months late there but in my defence, every time I got most the water bailed out it would rain or snow.

[Sharon]

Life right now is still hard.  There have been some other bad things that have happened but you need just keep moving forward.  I did get a new kitty on Tuesday.  That was not in the plans at all but after 40+ years with a cat in the house I wasn't ready to not have a furry companion.

Yesterday I went through and did my periodic toy reorganization.  The kids are pretty good about putting the toys away but every once in a while I go through and get them straightened around and move the furniture and retrieve blocks and lego's that are hiding underneath them.  DGS1 has also discovered K'nex and there were several little pieces on the desk where he was building his masterpieces.  I left the latest masterpiece but put all the little pieces back into the box where they belonged.

[finnime]

Good for you, Sharon, getting the kitten. Plus going through the toys.

[debthaven]

I’m glad you and the kitty found each other Sharon . I hope things get easier soon.

I went to Ikea for cheap scented candles. Some of the scents are fine, others not so much.

My boss wants our "wish list" for next school year.  Like last year, she said if you're not sure, ask for one class. If you change your mind, I'll replace you. So I requested one class for fall, but none for spring. I'm leaning towards no but I have more time to decide.

Kids coming back tomorrow and staying till Sunday. 

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Submitted my last FSA receipt for 2023!

Opened a new HSA and initiated transfer from old one.

Been meaning to do this for a long time!!!

[Iggy aka IG]

soupandstew good job!

jerseygirl I have clear plastic bins in the fridge for eggs, canned beverages, and 16-ounce water bottles.  The latter two items lay on their sides (inside the bins which have an open front) for easy access.  In the pantry, a medium size Rubbermaid tote holds baking ingredients (a mouse made his way through the house few years ago, so things went into that tote, lidded jars, etc.).

startsmart thank you for volunteering.  

Sharon congratulations on adopting a new furry friend.  And as usual on this thread, I learned something new:  K'nex. 

debthaven have a blast with the family!

Good job getting that off of your to-do list, Rukh O'Rorke !

Birthday season continues here with dinner and a show tonight, and another dinner tomorrow night.  Last night the neighbor kiddos came over for a snack and funny videos and when DH got home, watched me open new computer speakers and a keyboard from DH.  Sunday I'm going to make food to bring to a friend going through a medical situation and perhaps finally start applying for a passport.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends.  

[debthaven]

Enjoy the continuing birthday season Iggy aka IG !

Well done Rukh O'Rorke !

[wvugurl26]

I have set up the new air purifier, finally recycled the old medications and listed two more items for sale on ebay. My goal next week is to finally close the probate and declutter that responsibility from my life.

[debthaven]

You will be so relieved when the probate is done wvugurl26 . I hope the air purifier helps. 

[wvugurl26]

The old one did help when we had very bad air from the Canadian wildfires. I found some filters I had stashed and set it up then. I can't get the filters anymore so I had to buy a new one. This one seems to be higher quality.

[startsmart]

I’m making good progress on the kitchen cabinet doors and spent time today organizing the insides. I have 4 more to clean but I was able to throw out some stale food and put things into jars for storage. I’ve made some additional space just by rearranging things.

Lincoln is currently napping on my lap and did really well earlier when I did 9 miles on the bike.

I am going to work on another set of charm packs in March, my goal is to do 300 miles and 1,000 hexagons in 31 days so I’m prepping now. It always feels like a lot but I can do about 14 mph and it’s 32 hexagons a day which is very doable.

[snapdragon]

I have finally ordered a lawn mower and it will be arriving towards the end of the month. I am excited for when it arrives. It was under $300 and the ones at my local hardware stores were starting at $500. 

[saveinla]

My bday was on Monday and I had a bad gift - my right eye has the same problem as my left now - corneal erosion and I had to cancel my work trip.

I am not sure if I can fly next week, so my plans are in flux.

I am going back to the doctor next tuesday and will know more.

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Feb 16, 2024 23:12:48 GMT -5 saveinla said:

My bday was on Monday and I had a bad gift - my right eye has the same problem as my left now - corneal erosion and I had to cancel my work trip.

I am not sure if I can fly next week, so my plans are in flux.

I am going back to the doctor next tuesday and will know more.

Wishing you the best for healing!

[finnime]

Sorry, saveinla. That stinks.

I've made progress culling my wardrobe. I now have 2 large bags stuffed with items to donate or discard. They'll go to the recycling center which takes all clothing no matter what condition to be sorted and either forwarded to a charity or made into rags. I still have the bureau to sort through.

[debthaven]

I'm so sorry saveinla . It must be hard to wait till you can see the doctor. Thinking of you and wishing you the best. 

Great job on the wardrobe finnime !

I just reorganized the products under the kitchen sink, and the vacuum cleaner closet. We have SO many reusable shopping bags!!! 

[seriousthistime]

Even though I'm not at home, and will not be home for another 2 months or so, I am thinking about which areas of my house to declutter.  I've decided on a few bureau drawers in my bedroom, to start.  I chose the house in part because there is so much storage space, but that doesn't mean I need to fill all that space with stuff I don't use.  I'm a Costco shopper, however, so I tend to stockpile paper products and other household items.  One wire shelf of that stuff should do. 

I heard from my contractor back home that the kitchen cabinets are installed and they have measured for countertops and will install the sink when the countertops are installed, and then we are DONE!  I can't wait to see it.  I wandered into an open house a few weeks ago and found the same cabinets and countertops I chose, and the same color cabinet handles in a slightly different style. I loved it and am so excited to see it in my own space.  I'm looking forward to organizing my new kitchen.  I suspect that most things will stay in the same general area as they were.  I didn't change the layout much expect to move the fridge from one end of a wall to the other end, closer to the range, microwave, sink, and dishwasher.  So where I kept pots and pans, cutlery, everyday dishes, etc. will probably pretty much stay the same. 

When I packed up the old kitchen, I noted a few small appliances that I hadn't really used in some time.  A blender is one.  I recently got an immersion blender, and am wondering if I can use that as an adequate substitute instead.  Any advice on that?  I would probably be blending sauces and soups, mostly. 

Sharon, I'm so sorry to hear about your recent losses.  The old saying is that things come in three's.  I hope this is the end of this period of loss.  I count your mother's worsening dementia as a loss.  Such a sad time for you.  

[saveinla]

Feb 17, 2024 1:32:31 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

Feb 16, 2024 23:12:48 GMT -5 saveinla said:

My bday was on Monday and I had a bad gift - my right eye has the same problem as my left now - corneal erosion and I had to cancel my work trip.

I am not sure if I can fly next week, so my plans are in flux.

I am going back to the doctor next tuesday and will know more.

Wishing you the best for healing!

Thank you Rukh O'Rorke

[saveinla]

Feb 17, 2024 4:43:33 GMT -5 finnime said:

Sorry, saveinla . That stinks.

I've made progress culling my wardrobe. I now have 2 large bags stuffed with items to donate or discard. They'll go to the recycling center which takes all clothing no matter what condition to be sorted and either forwarded to a charity or made into rags. I still have the bureau to sort through.

Thank you. I feel its the stress causing these issues to flare up again and I need to start thinking about how to reduce it.

[saveinla]

Feb 17, 2024 6:56:08 GMT -5 debthaven said:

I'm so sorry saveinla . It must be hard to wait till you can see the doctor. Thinking of you and wishing you the best. 

Great job on the wardrobe finnime !

I just reorganized the products under the kitchen sink, and the vacuum cleaner closet. We have SO many reusable shopping bags!!! 

Thanks debthaven. Waiting is the hardest part.

[NastyWoman]

I have been working on and off (a LOT of off in there LOL) on my guestroom. Except for the relative little that needed to be tossed all other items are still in my house though I have close to 300 items that will be donated. I just need to sort them and put them in separate bags since you now need to pre-sort when you drop of donations.
A few things will go on the FB buy nothing group as well. Since none of this is ready my progress is meh. But, however weird this may sound, I am proud of how little needed to be thrown out. At !east I have not been saving trash.

This just goes to proof how little it takes to make me feel good about what I am doing 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I threw out five socks who partners left them at least a year ago. 🥳

I straightened up the medicine cabinet today, descaled the Keurig, and cleaned the dishwasher filter.

I’ve changed the sheets and done three other loads of laundry. (NFL season is over, so it’s my turn for laundry until mid-August.)

[finnime]

Pulled a third bag of unused clothes from the bureau. Now to do the closets. I find my tastes have changed distinctly in the past few years to a preference for unbusy clothes that are above all comfortable. I like dressmaker details such as great buttons or a really nice drape or neckline and dislike features like puffy sleeves and ruffles and busy patterns. I'm short, so big patterns overwhelm me. I still had a number of pieces that are left from my working in corporate office days, including slips and pantyhose. The ones that are unopened I put away, and discarded the rest. Weird to think, but I am unlikely to wear hose again. Tights are the replacement.

[startsmart]

I’ve been mopping the floors today (thanks to puppy potty training) and then I gave the pup a bath in the sink. Blankets are in the washer and I have done another layer of paint on the doors.  I am slowly putting the hinges back on (frames first) and will have 3 or 4 done today to put back on. 

the new drawer unit I bought is frustrating me because it won’t push all the way back flush to the wall. I may need to suck it up until I replace the countertops but it is vexing me. 

[startsmart]

Feb 18, 2024 14:48:17 GMT -5 startsmart said:

I’ve been mopping the floors today (thanks to puppy potty training) and then I gave the pup a bath in the sink. Blankets are in the washer and I have done another layer of paint on the doors.  I am slowly putting the hinges back on (frames first) and will have 3 or 4 done today to put back on. 

the new drawer unit I bought is frustrating me because it won’t push all the way back flush to the wall. I may need to suck it up until I replace the countertops but it is vexing me. 

ETA: I got the drawer unit to sit flush! It was the right size but the units on either side were not perfectly vertical. It took a crowbar and mallet but I got it in. I did take out the laminate under that section and now the rest of it needs to come out. New floor tiles will happen sooner than expected.