February's Dynamic Declutter

[Harriet]

Let's make sure we LOVE our homes in February! Doesn't your home truly deserve to be loved? When we love someONE, we make tough decisions for their benefit, even if it would be easier not to bother. We can do the same for our homes. I thought this was an interesting thought about blessing our homes with some decision-making time:

90% of clutter is the result of delayed decisions. You can't decide about that old sweater so you keep it. You don't know if it's worth it to keep that broken chair because some day you might be able to fix it, etc. Make some decisions, move forward in your home and get the energy moving in there again.

-from Apartment Therapy, September, 2009

Here is the entire article, called
"20 ways to Love your Home". Lots of good ideas.

Welcome to our thread, where we chat about making the tough decisions! Let us know how your declutter battles are going, and how your organization force is occupying!

[Harmony]

Huge bin of cardboard that DH stacked up for me is out for tomorrow's recycle. I went through big rack of magazines and those are out to the curb also, I didn't count them but my arms were full! I did pull a few recipes out first.

That's a neat website, Harriet. I liked the shelving ideas for small spaces.

[Nancy]

Glad I got so much decluttering done last summer b/c had
to push the pause button on it with the holidays and flu season
and spring out door stuff is looming ahead for us so the focus will
be hauling off leaves soon as we are up to it and the temps. warm back
up there is snow in the mtns. today around us and we've had so much rain
it's not such a good week for it here now.

[Harriet]

I looked around my own house (mostly bedroom areas, not front rooms) and realized that now my parents' house is actually more visibly decluttered than mine. They still have more clutter, but mine is less "collected" into boxes, etc., because it is more current. Uh boy. I got some 'splainin' to do. Mine has been steadily getting away from me while I wasn't looking.

I continue decluttering over there during meal time. But things are slowing down and not as much is large clear-outs. For instance, today I decluttered a box only about 1 square foot. Yesterday I filled the second underbed storage box with antique linens and labeled it. It is getting down to much harder, nit-picky work there now.

[Nancy]

I'm working on plastic containers trying to get the excess ones out of here.
And some books have been making some head way on these this month.

[Harriet]

One more TKGbag from my parents' house to trash.

Nancy, books are one of my biggest question marks at my parents'.

HRH and I are brainstorming to figure out better use of space here. Dsecondmil went upstairs here today and things were neat so I was pleased.

[Nancy]

Harriet they will only take books from the last two years at used books stores in our area. Thrift shops take some and the library has a book sale a couple of times a year.

For me with the internet I'm going through a few more each year
I'm not using some cook books so they are leaving.

Did some more sorting in the book shelf tonight.

[HBFB]

For me, it is baby stuff. My younger child is 18 months-old and we thought we were going to have three. About 5 months ago, we decided that two is enough, but I guess I was hanging on to the infant stuff until we were sure. Pretty sure at this point. Now it is just taking up space and really needs to go, but I have to make decisions about how to get rid of it. Sell, donate, or give to friends...

What I need to make decisions on:
-Infant car seat and 2 bases
-Single stroller (we use a sit 'n' stand or an umbrella)
-Exersaucer (this thing is huge even when folded down)
-extra baby gate not currently in use
-Bouncer
-Bumbo (baby seat)
-Sling
-Baby Bjorn (baby carrier)
-18 gallon tub of infant toys
-mobile
-a million little odds and ends that are useful for an infant

It's hard because the family that I'd give this stuff to won't have children for another couple of years, which would have been perfect if we'd had a third. Guess I should tell them to take it now or never. This stuff takes up almost an entire closet.

[Harriet]

HBFB, yep, that is a hard decision, but your family needs that closet space and will be needing it more and more from now on. I guess you just need to chat with the other couple honestly and let them go over the pros and cons of taking the items now. Or make a compromise and offer to keep storing a few things while they take most. Maybe they have more storage space than you think they do, or maybe they can let you know in advance about a few things they really don't want. If there's some large item they don't want you could go ahead and put it on Craigslist or donate for a tax receipt to get it off your mind.

Nancy, I'm thinking a lot of these books won't have value to others, simply because they are not new, or they are educational so that they have become outdated. I need to separate the few that are perhaps collectors items, and I have done some of that. Books are so heavy! I have to think where I'm stacking them for fear a bookcase, etc., can't take the weight. That's just not worth it. I know my dmom saved a lot of these thinking her grandchildren would benefit, but I doubt it.

[Nancy]

My problems is that I do not read books again or rarely do but think I need e'm!

Think old paper work is my biggest de-cluttering challenge around here
I just tend to ignore it and that's not a good thing.