September's Dynamic Declutter

[sherinjoy]

Hi - good job everyone, so much decluttering going on around the village, I gotta keep up!
Glad you all enjoyed the articles.
Harriet - Yes, I knew that Peter Walsh is going to have his own show on OWN. I get his monthly newsletter and read his Facebook page for updates on his events. He is so inspirational to me, I like to watch or read his info. on decluttering.
I set my DVR for Jamie Lee Curtis's appearances this week - I'm sure she'll be fun to watch. Did anybody see her on Dancing with the Stars in the audience for her friend Jennifer Grey? She seems to be making the publicity rounds for her new movie coming out Friday, with Betty White, should be very funny.

[Indiana]

sherinjoy I get Peter's newsletter monthly too and my DVR is set for both Jamie Lee Curtis appearances.

I just love DVR I can record and watch or buzz through for only the parts I'm interested in.

[Harriet]

Wow, that's a lot in one day, blessed! It's rare to get that much pure space freed up in one day. Good job.

Today I put 12 items of clothing from my closet into the new donation stack. I even separated a skirt and jacket and let the skirt go because I always wear the jacket with other things. Somebody else might need a skirt - no law that says they have to stay together. Realized a couple things in the closet would also do a different duty than I had thought (separates for church, housedress) so that is good.

Overall, though, my impression is still disbelief that I have so many things in the closet and yet have pared down about as far as I can.

Culprits: 1) being on the verge of smaller size, and 2) not enough drawer space to accept some things that could be folded.

So interesting about DVR possibilities, sherinjoy and Indiana. HRH has a friend who thinks he has some of Kim Woodburn's later (after HCIYH) Canadian show, Kim's Rude Awakenings recorded, and will loan me. This is a You Tube link. There were only 18 Canadian episodes with Mike Chalut, and we never got a station that carried them.

[blessedw2]

I have an hour after dropping dd15 to taking dh to radiation and then the last couple days I have been able to concentrate on this one area as I am not in school and dd15 is at school and dh has not needed to be places during the day. It was really nice just being able to concentrate on one area

today: went through the last 2 boxes of keepsakes tossed a black bag full
(enough room for dd21's keepsakes in keepsake closet (lots of dd15's stuff in there)

yeah harriet on putting that clothing aside oops gotta to go, sorry dh was almost late for chemo
yeah nancy!!!

dh and I brought out large book shelf and small book shelf for curb and a beach chair (small book shelf and beach chair taken
I have room for family pictures on the wall yeah.

we are dejunking queens!!! making a place for our family's not the stuff.

[Nancy]

Unloaded that load at the thrift shop yesterday they had a lot of stuff they had received
when we were there they were sorting outside! Good thing the weather was nice.

[House Fairy]

(`'•.¸(`'•.¸ ¸.•'´) ¸.•'´)
``• wonderful work•``
(¸.•'´(¸.•'´ `'•.¸)`' •.¸)

to all the declutterers here.

[Harmony]

Catching up with everyone here.

The Peter Walsh (Love him!) quiz in brief:
1. Party without cleaning 1st: I said no, but really it would just be a 10 min pickup.
2. Clothes fit in closet: yes with room to spare.
3. Find keys, unpaid bills, ins. pol.: yes a place for each.
4. What's on DR table: tablecloth (clean) and big china bowl.
(no quilt makins or jig saw puzzle at the moment).
5. How many magazines in house: I beat Indiana, I have 5!
6. How many shopping bags: 1 wall holder in laundry room full, others go out into garbage.
7. Find a light bulb: yes a bin in hall closet
8. DVD/CD's in sleeves, yes except for 1 holder that fits only unsleeved ones,
9. Kids toys: all stacked in hall closet or in our toy bin
10. Dirty dishes: I answered yes in the sink, but just now went and put about 6 things into dishwasher.
11. Dirty clothes anywhere but hamper: I use my hamper plus have a tall kitchen trash can right beside, automatic sorting of whites there, easy to grab to wash when it gets full
12. Out of date meds: no
13. All bills pd/ paper filed: yes except for current tickler file of business ones I'm working on...no clutter in my mind.
14. Does every item of clothing in closet fit now: no, select few things too large into suitcase tucked away, and few nice things too small (hoping I can wear soon) hung up together in one spot.

I wasn't fond of this quiz. As I answered, because of his wording, I ended up with a #3, clutter challenged or something like that, which I didn't feel fit my situation.

[Harmony]

Last post got long, so here I am again!

Nancy, I've seen those toilets in yards with flowers in them. YIKES! Also the old tires cut and turned inside out made into planters. Now here's our story: DH remodeled a big house the beginning of this year, she was making everything fancy and DH brought home 2 nice sinks and 2 nice toilets only a couple years old. He has given (installed) one in another customer's house and promised the other to someone. But he doesn't bring home old stuff unusable.

Currently there is a box in my laundry room full of giveaway clothes. I just haven't been down that way lately to give them away, and I always have DH in the car so don't make the extra trip.

I try to keep current with all my decluttering so there is not big huge projects to do. I haven't missed anything I've given away!

I think of a couple things I didn't keep, like the doll furniture my DDad made Sunny and me. She has hers and enjoys seeing it, but my thoughts go more like if I'd kept them I'd have something to give away to new DGD! And I would gladly. When DStepSon had their daughter, I took up hand knitted sweaters and caps and booties I'd kept, and still feel happy someone got them to use.

I feel blessed that my life has been normal enough that I didn't develop any of those hoarder tendencies.

[blessedw2]

peter walshes question:
1. could I have a party: not upstairs right now as I have 2 weeks of laundry separated (I did this yesterday)on my bedroom floor and girls toilet is not working
downstairs If I washed the floors and vacuumed I would be okay and spiff up the powder room, basement I would have to vacuum.
2. cloths that fit in closet: yes. I have finally gotten rid of all cloths that don't fit or I don't like
3. I wouldnt' be embarrassed any more of my closets (couldn't say that 5 years ago)
4. bills/keys I could find them ... in my early 40s no way
5. on dining room table - a few paper work not much (who said that) and a decoration for the table
6. magazines: 3 (reason being is I have had a wonderful family member who I love dearly collect magazines and I realize now that If I don't look at it and pull what I want I won't look at it again)
7. shopping bags: one holder on cabinet
8. find a light bulb.. dh is in control of that so it is always on hand
9. dvds/cds in sleeve.. we don't keep the containers. dd15 started up on using what new cds come in and just put them all in their, it takes up so little space and for us they don't get scratched.
10. kids toys: my kids are no longer little and now we gave dd15 a closet to keep her extras she doesn't want to give away with the rule that it doesn't go into her bedroom and if she can't get anything else in that closet she has to make choices of not getting the new unless something of equal value goes out.
11. dirty cloths - this is where I am horrible at if I fall behind
12. out of date meds no: dharriets/dindianas focus get me back to the bathroom.
13. papers filed yes that has taken years to dejunk and do
14. everything fits (I still have to go through mittens/gloves/hats etc. for winter as we have too much

If you had asked me this in my 20/30s I could have told you my house was packed.

[blessedw2]

remembering that I was the one who would store dishes in the tub and stove. I had way too many dishes and dh and I would use everyone of them. Also dh in our first month of marriage asked me "where are my socks?" and all I could say is "what", I didn't think about doing laundry lol. He still does his own laundry as he likes it a certain way and hung up a certain way.
I had soooo much crafts etc. that it was impossible to do in a life time and would i looking back I wouldn't want to have the knick knacks. no. I am very grateful to pam and peggy and then finding this site and cindy for setting it up.
I can't imagine what my life would be like today. My ddad bought the sidetracked home executive book when I was almost 18 and gave it as a joke to my dmom and they had no idea how that changed my thinking and my life. a blessing.