August's Dynamic Declutter

Share your decluttering activities and ideas.
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Harriet
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Re: August's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Harriet » Sun Aug 29, 2010 12:20 pm

blessed, maybe if you start from the other end of the spectrum, having her prioritize the most important keepers and getting them stored or organized safely and well documented. Then ask her, "what are you taking good care of now, even though you'll be letting go someday." And let her start thinking of the future. Then make sure she understands how much space these two groups will take up. Then ask, "what things are not in these groups, and are those things more valuable or is open space more valuable?" Maybe that would narrow down the decisions.

Also, if you haven't already, definitely implement the "one thing in, one thing out" strategy. For every new thing she wants to bring in, something needs to go, just to be living sensibly. At that age, kids are getting the concept that space costs money, and understand construction costs, mortgages, etc. I know my older children were pretty impressed when we shared that (at the time) every square foot a builder created for housing was a minimum of $50 cost (it is $118 average around the country now) and that that was just the beginning of the cost in utilities, insurance and taxation.

Progress here - dd30 and I went through some things and tossed. She took a small bag home with her. She advised me that dsil's niece is growing too fast to keep accepting dd12's hand-me-downs, so that frees me up to just combine dd12's things into Goodwill from now on without separating.

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Nancy
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Re: August's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Nancy » Sun Aug 29, 2010 4:18 pm

Maybe put things from before school age in one bin,
early grades in another like 1-3
and later grades in a different one say 3-6
and middle school / jr hi.age
then high school might help because the simple act of getting it in to smaller batches
is less over whelming.

I was at a yard sale and this gal was trying to sell stained clothing
duh toss it if it has stains on it what what I thought!

[ This post is just my opinion some thing different might work for you and others! ]

Got my table in the creativity room cleared off so I can use it this is a desk top space I like to use, and under it I had winter clothes sorted them out and put a plastic bin of granny squares in the basement :arrow: so my creativity room has been reclaimed yippie! Now I need to get the clothes I"m donating bagged up.

Indiana

Re: August's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Indiana » Mon Aug 30, 2010 4:12 pm

Good idea Nancy on grouping in bins by age.

I have a declutter to report. A major declutter. Two file cabinets and 1 1/2 desk/tables went out the door along with a bag or computer equipment and a bag of books. Now I can use that area to stack boxes as soon as I dust the baseboard and vacuum the area.

blessedw2
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Re: August's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Wed Sep 01, 2010 5:30 am

dd15 is one who can not get rid of anything and it fills a whole closet (outside her room) and more so. I thought if I pressured her she would become a horder. I will try to have her see the value of what she has in a kind gentle way and limit her on the space she can use. She bought jeans the other day and I am using now the one thing in one thing out rule and she is putting the old jeans out in donation. (Thank you God :o)). I am trying to keep her room less cluttered of "stuff" so she gets used to streamline. That's why I gave her a closet outside of her room, so she can start being used to less clutter in her living space.
thank you for all the great ideas. I am starting to implement them. Wish us luck :D
it is always a joy to be here with you!


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