September's Dynamic Declutter

[Nancy]

Found a home for a large dresser I've been using in the craft room
so I'll be getting stuff out of it decluttering and gifting some things.
I have another smaller dresser on wheels to use instead.
So that's my goal this week!

Re: magazines:
I just remembered that Our thrift shop takes mags. so these
are going with this load too!

[Harriet]

The magazines answers are a hoot!

I knew Indiana would have very few magazines, but 6? I think of magazines as therapy, treats, the things I curl up with, so if I didn't know Indiana so well I would think she was starving without them! LOL!

Lynlee, that is an excellent use of unwanted papers - cage bedding, smart.

You all have few mags compared to me, since I collect them. Don't collect many books. My favorite quilt magazines, plus individual issues of other home/farm magazines that were either commemorative or held a particular interest are on a shelf in my quiltmaking studio (sewing room ). Some have post-it note flags sticking out to mark a pattern or sewing technique.

I store them in upright magazine holders, organized by date and title. I limit myself to one quilt mag subscription a year, a gift from dd30.

There is always a good selection of magazines out on our LR side table for guests to consider picking up. I seldom spend money on this. The free subscription to Good Housekeeping (came with a purchase from Build-A-Bear) is a candidate there, as are my ddad's Reader's Digest and Reminisce, which he always gives us when he finishes with them. I am scrupulous to find homes/toss any kind of paper at my ddad's (but dmom's antique 1950s mag collection still awaits my time!).

I've just finished thinning out our floor magazine holder for master bath to keep it current. But there's a stack on the second shelf of the other LR table that is overdue for decision-making. I'll work on it TODAY, just because of that questionaire! Thanks, Indiana!

[Harriet]

I saw part of that Hoarding:Buried Alive, too. I think the woman caught her situation just in time. Her home was still light and airy looking, but another year and she would have been having sanitation issues. She said she liked shopping because everyone was so happy - I don't believe she ever ran into me while shopping, LOL. Anyway, she really rescued her home - what a beautiful bedroom she discovered again under that clutter. Her friends were so supportive. They saved her.

In the other family, you could almost SEE the (intelligent) man's confused thinking switching from "I have to stay out of jail" to "Why won't my family let me collect more things". When they showed the view the organizer had, looking into that large dining room from a hallway door, you knew she couldn't step forward and everything was up to her eye level. She was standing in the hall, pulling things out from a sheer wall of clutter that didn't move, knowing it stretched like that to the far walls. And she's handing it back to him in that tight hallway, and he wants to keep everything! Poor man.

(But every hoarder on the show is saner than the women on the commercials for the show they advertise during it, who agree to be with married men. Sorry, soapbox stuff! Nevermind!)

[sherinjoy]

Hi - just wanted to share a couple of articles I found - Unclutterer.com has a great article titled "Why do people struggle with clutter?", it's about the 4th article down from today. I can relate to all the reasons, some more at different times in my life, but all in the mix as to why I have a full garage of stuff.
The second article was in my local paper -a man who was on Hoarding:Buried Alive show, shown last Sunday, he lives in Santa Rosa, a local town. The link is: www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100916/ ... /100919615 It's titled Hoarding: One Man's story from Sept. 16 paper.
I don't watch those shows because I am too visual and wouldn't be able to get it out of my mind, but I certainly see the value in showcasing it to help others understand the disease.

I love Peter Walsh and used to watch his show all the time, so motivating to me to deal with sentimental stuff. I haven't taken the quiz you all have, but liked reading your different answers. Magazines - I have over a hundred - they are collections stored in magazine holders, labeled and stored in a closet. I also have current mags, which I sort through every few months and donate to the library for resale. Like Harriet, I love mags, and so does my DH and DS, so it is a comfort thing for us.

Thanks for sharing all your decluttering journeys - inspiring for me.

[blessedw2]

I just love the questions and a lot of the answers (dharriet.. a book is in your future)

[blessedw2]

I loved peter walsh too as he helps people understand that the stuff is just stuff.

today: dd15 gave away 3 barbies from her past (trust me that's a big thing for her)
very happy for her.
dh and I are still going through keepsakes and I have been going through files to really pare down.
so another bag of recycling out the door

[blessedw2]

recycled all old checks kept the monthly forms for a couple years back. still have 2010
so a whole paper bag of recycling gone this morning
went through dh's stuff again and put it in a smaller container. he likes keeping all his cards but I kept the onces signed by his dmom and his now passed ddad and his grandparents and one from each of his brothers and sisters for their signature, special ones from grad and communion.
Me: tossed my keepsakes that at 20 seemed so important... my ribbon from 8th grade etc. as now my dkids things mean more to me and I have a great life I don't need to live in the past plus I don't want dkids to have to take our 8th grade keepsakes as their own.

dh tossed all his old report cards and papers except the one that he drew and a couple others that were life events.

proud moment: dh said to me that vietnam vets were coming on the 30th and we need to collect for them. he is getting in the spirit.

[Nancy]

I've made excellent de-cluttering progress in this morning’s session!
I’m devoting thrity min. each day to this now that fall is nearing I can devote more time to inside things.

We got busy in the basement after I sorted and decided what goes; hubby helped taking it up the stairs and hauling it out to the car. I found two boxes of dishes from the china hutch and only kept one or two that went well! Yea!

Dgd helped me to sort shells and played with the new additions of blankets & pillows that I’ve added to the kiddie tent. {They will be parked there for a week or so.}
The rest of the older decorative pillows have been sorted out of the rec. room also after I realized I'd made new ones did not need the others wa-hoo for progress! And that light bulb moment for me.

I was able to get to the glassware in the upper Cabinets of the kitchen also.
The car trunk is pretty full now so it’s time to get to the thrift shop to unload it.

I got shoes sorted some tossed in the trash today on trash day,
and now we can think about the next round.
See what happens tomorrow.

I found one item that still had the sticker when I'd had it out to be in the yard sale and it found the way back inside oops!

The highlight of the day was when I said I was trying to prevent being like those hoarder shows and he said I was a long way from that!

[Harriet]

Don't you love days when you can give a little more time, Nancy - 30 minutes can make a real change. Nice compliment.

I had already decluttered a half-dozen magazines and today added as many catalogs. Into the recycle with them. I only am saving one of every catalog that I actually purchase from. Even the Coldwater Creek are gone because although they are the prettiest things, I haven't ordered from them in ages. (first the smaller waistline, then the orders from companies like that!) I was very glad to notice I have not tossed a particular garden organic products catalog, and will save it for spring since I doubt those folks will send another and I want to order. But that is rare. I could toss most catalogs confident another will be headed my way! Also paper recycling out. Oh, remembering I can let last year's telephone books go; the new ones arrived.

-sherinjoy, thanks for the link - I remember that man because of his amazing skateboarding ability at my age! Did you notice Indiana's post about Walsh's new plans in today's PWYC?

[blessedw2]

I went through most keep sake boxes (boy I have a lot) but tossed a large black garbage bag of stuff from there away. why I kept it in the first place I do not know.
great job on catalogs dharriet. I do like cold water creek too. great job on recycling!
wonderful decluttering dnancy, and great job on donating the second dishes set! great light bulb moment! lots of work done!
thanks for the article dsherinjoy, I am a visual person as well... I wonder how many of us are. dd15 is also
hi indiana and everyone