July Declutter Strategy, 2020

[Harriet]

Dare I say it? It's the halfway point of the year!

If you're like me, it's been more difficult to get up to a running start on declutter projects lately.

Personal changes happen, but also we're having a shared experience this year that keeps normalcy away!

So, even more helpful to share with each other what's going well and what successes we're experiencing.

Hoping that even if we have to say, "In spite of... .." we'll be able to tell about some progress.

[Harmony]

Ak! Put my post in the wrong thread. Ok, using my thread for something else here, now nobody needs to delete!

Hot Mess House shows were on yesterday. They are on HGTV, not TLC like I'd thought. What it is: a lady organizer online with client with messy house, talks them through what needs and how to declutter. Some attention to what kind of people they are: do they like things tucked away neatly or organized visually. Ideas how to do that. One lady was getting stressed about the gathered pile of her clothes she had to pare down, but generally these were people who truly wanted to get more organized and make more room.

Organizer sent things to these people, file systems, craft center with cubbies and shelves and desk that all folded back up into a cabinet, a desk that was the bottom part of a murphy type bed, etc. No cleaning, but some painting to lighter more peaceful colors. Interesting ideas, but not astounding ideas. Don't think this would help a true hoarder with psychological problems; she didn't get into any of that.

[Nancy]

Last month I was in the room down stairs that h. kept his stuff.
I sorted things moved boxes of his things.
Cleared off three shelves and a desk.
Boxes of paperwork got moved.
I sorted papers cleaned and dusted off shelves.

Cleaned under the basement staircase closet.
Purged files shredded papers.
Kept telling myself I will do one book July next mo.
do some fun crafting and kept at it.

Today sort of hit a wall but I did some on the desk upstairs.
It is so good to actually see at least part of the desk.
I cleared a path in the small shop.
Took stuff out of the big shop to be declutterd.

So most of the stuff I sorted and set out to be decluttered yea!
Dson took a load.
Dgson took an old box frame for a bonfire.
I took a few things to drop off at the thrift shop.
Gave some things to the neighbors nephew that was working on their yard.

Today I decluttered the top shelf in the small shop last one in this zone. Yea!

Success decluttered half a case of grease for truck upkeep on 18 wheeler gave it to the guy up the street that is an owner oper.

[Nancy]

This week I had two piles of things to go to the donation center one in the kitchen lz,
and one in the dining room in a spot that works well for that also.
What made this a breeze was that I had already made the decision on these items made it easier to let em go.

Gave a double bladed axe to dson dropped it off on my way.
I have de-cluttered aluminun wheels from the shop, alum is right I googled it and looked it up!
A car polisher barely used.

Christmas books and devo. note books , other books legal pad covers and some other odds & ends
I had set on the shelf of things to de-clutter when I did the last round in the creativity room
the donation places were not open. Photo frames etc. went as well.

I really wanted to go in and shop but no time today, had the dog with me and
dgd carpool duty picked her up from gymnastics.
The good news is I did not bring any junk home with me!

This was also my anti P day task today and for the week!
Yea for progress!!!
It was great to get out of here!

[Nancy]

More things from the small shop have left Dd took some things to the farm she works at and stays part of the time.
I had two hot dog cookers for holding over the flame gave her one for the bbq fire pit they do each night as the ex.
of one of the folks there got the bbq stuff, she is checking to see if they will take the big burrell size bricket bbq
keeping my fingers crossed that they will!

She took the weed killer from the farm h's family sold, and some trailer polish stuff for trucks they can use
that at this other farm and some diamond plate metal scraps h. was going to make mud flaps out of from one of his
work places. So glad they are finding good homes. Also old lawn mower oil in a plastic jug is going to be used to seal
the bed of a trailer or something.

Also some pallet wood parts that were in the to burn for campfire pile she got. I am always happy to see things leaving!

So happy to have another area with less stuff here! Yippie. Dd said she can use the camping stuff on the family camp out,
I remembered I have a blow up mattress. Glad I kept that so will show it to her she could have it but has no place to keep it
that I know of any way. I think I need to round it up and get it together that would help. At least she has a truck.

Seeds from the tree are cleaned up in containers and half of a 30 gallon trash can of em will go out in the trash next week.
Bit by bit it is looking better around here yea!!!

[Nancy]

I gave the two mirrors for towing to dson this week's decluttering success.
Also got the wheel burrows emptied and seeds are out of here now yea!!!
Tossed a few things on the kit. Counters counter.
Sorted mail shredded the to toss items.
I purged a couple more planners.
I think I am a wood hoarder! Lol!

[Harriet]

Have meant to post that with dd40's help and impetus, I cleaned out my purse, and she gave me a new zippered wallet and a new checkbook wallet. There was a LOT of stuff to toss. Came home with two little baggies of things that go somewhere else rather than a purse, such as business cards, or that belong to dd21 really.

The old purse organizer thingie that I fit into the purse has become even more flimsy over time. I'm not so sure it is really what it's cracked up to be. BUT dd40 stiffened it in the two sides (which are zippered compartments) and it does at least stand up as it's supposed to now. So far, it's been better for its purposes, such as pockets on the side for chap stick, little measuring tape, etc.

Nancy, you are getting so much done! It's good your family is finding some things that will be helpful, also neighbor.

Harmony, I'd love to see a middle-ground program about people who are not psychologically unwell, but still have substantial questions and a lot of room for improvement. But that one sounds good. Aggie McKenzie of "How Clean is Your House" fame has a new-to-me program called "Storage Hoarders" about going with people into their storage units after it's been years, and helping them deal with what's been out of sight to them for a long time. It may be from Lynlee's neck of the woods but I can find it on YouTube. Not exactly what I'm looking for either, but another that takes a stab at showing some success stories.

[Nancy]

Thanks Harriet!

Dson was complaining bc some stuff he took was in ice creams bucket and on his workspace now.
It was the car wash stuff he should not have took it if he did not want it, I do not think how much of it
that h. had squirreled away in the basement! LOL! He said his shop is full now.

I need to box up pics from the photo dresser, or put them in a tote. I have photo albums.

I purged a planner realized it had pull out rings and can be uses as a journal cover, or TN style with the right size incerts!
Love that. It had farm info. in it addresses etc. so I will need to go thorough it again.

Working on getting the table cleared off. made some progress.Yea!

[Harmony]

Funny, after that evening I watched a couple of those new shows I have seen no other ones. Was that all they made? Oh, they did make a new Hoarders one on A&E which I watched this week. They aren't picking any more mentally stable people, that's for sure.

I continue to toss little things here and there. I guess it all adds up to a bunch in the long run. I did go through 2 ring binders today, throwing away things that were too old to be useful. License application papers I'd copied after submitting just in case they were lost in transition... but I kept the licenses once they came and don't need those any more. I'd have much less paper around here if I was able to trust everybody to do their jobs correctly.

[Harriet]

Worked in the dining room yesterday and the kitchen. There's never a stopping place. Dd21 tried to come up with a better method of dealing with recyclables over the 2 weeks between pickups, and I appreciate that. But it's basically a bin that takes up too much floor space and I think I'm going to have to say no to that. HRH seems to think it's now legit to just throw uncrushed things in there, or things not yet broken down, and call it good! That leave just as much work; it only hides the work!

Harmony, thank you for keeping an eye out for these programs because they have been so encouraging to me at times. Yes, there's been a change in general, to choosing people with worse and worse mental stability rather than people who could be examples of an encouraging outcome. Plus, I think there's been a change to worse and worse structural stability for the various houses. A greater percentage eventually just have to be condemned as dangerous. Or, by the end of the show, the recommendation is to tear them down anyway. It makes you wonder why no one can address whether a house is going to end up habitable in the first place, before all the backbreaking work that is done and the filming of all that anger. Don't they think about calling a structural person to come out and pass on these places? It's as if they consider it, but say, "well no, that wouldn't be miserable enough."