October's Dynamic Declutter

Share your decluttering activities and ideas.
blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Fri Oct 08, 2010 6:34 pm

very proud moment for me: every paper is filed, dejunked Including years of checks, each of us has our own binder for medical, and I started the 2009 taxes to be filed in 2010. I now know what I have been charging, and all my charges, cash etc. in their own book has been going well for a couple months. I toss the receipts in the middle part of my car and write it in the book that night or that week of billing, or I also keep a check book register where I write down what cash i spend and charges. amazing how much money is wasted. but everything is filed and dejunked... it took a long time, months :D . :D

also tossed one bag of sidewalk salt 25 lbs. as it must have gotten wet and out it went

another plus from going into keepsakes I know have a container I throw pictures in etc. to go through when it fills up to separate accordingly or toss.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:00 am

went through recipies again and did another tossing.
tossed 2 gallons of primer.. no good
Last edited by blessedw2 on Sat Oct 09, 2010 4:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Nancy
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Nancy » Sat Oct 09, 2010 12:03 pm

WTG! bw2
I sorted stuff in a bowl of junk mostly!
Got to the things on a table in my creativity room ~
still need to bag them up how ever.
De-cluttered my email some drafts in there were fun to read & send.
Couple of recipes in it too.

blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Sun Oct 10, 2010 8:25 am

Isn't amazing how things can be done!!! a little at a time brings great rewards!
great.. getting those things out of the bowl. also great going through the emails too.. it is amazing how those things build up. It is so nice to have such a great decluttering buddy... you help keep me focused!

I have been short stints 2 minutes or going through a room for put away each day. I am finding it is helping keep on top of things.

I have been realizing over the last couple years how much time clutter takes from us and living with what was or overhuge dreams with no action take away from the life we are meant to live with our families. I have been looking in my cabinets again and most are doing great. I actually can count on my hand what is really important to me, other than my family of course, and to me that's amazing because I used to think Everything was important and I wasn't honoring any of it.
Now I do.

I still have to go out to the garage and continue working. dh still has a hard time getting rid of stuff in there. I also was keeping hula hoops that are disgusting as I remember dkids and friends playing them...I can let those go today.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Harriet » Sun Oct 10, 2010 10:15 am

blessed, I was very happy for your "proud moment" above - I can't even dream of saying that. Right now I am so so worried about some misplaced papers! :roll: And I work on this all the time!

Nancy, good for you on organizing creative things. I'm afraid I am letting that slip, too. My brain can hold more projects than my table can.

With dd30's family arriving Friday evening, I am thinking that heavy cleaning day will be Thursday and light cleaning day Friday, so that Mon, Tues, Wed need to have heavy doses of decluttering on each day.

I have a stack of clothing close to ready for another donation bag. Perhaps I can fill that bag this week. The Kidney Foundation called and says they will be in the neighborhood, so I said check at my driveway that day. I have another bag in the trunk of the car and I could just let both go to KF rather than travel this time.

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Debmasterx
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Debmasterx » Mon Oct 11, 2010 3:16 pm

It's inspiring to see you all having so much progress.

Very basic decluttering going on here. Every room is piled high. I will be starting with the very basics: trash, pet mess, dishes. I will be committing to 15 minute minimum every day.

It's good to have company (but not in my house right now!).
Every day is an adventure!

sherinjoy
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby sherinjoy » Mon Oct 11, 2010 4:19 pm

Blessed - So very proud of you and your accomplishments. I admire your commitment and consistency lately to decluttering every day. Glad that you also see that maintenance is important - that's where I fall short after big clean-up. Big cheers for you and family!!!

Hi to Debmaster - Haven't seen you in awhile, good to have more partners in decluttering efforts here.

I'm still doing papers, but the slow pace gets discouraging. I saw a Nate Berkus show that had an organizer and she said "Faith that you will get it done" was an important point to remember in decluttering. I gotta have faith!!

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Harriet
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby Harriet » Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:15 pm

Deb it always makes me smile to see your handle around here. And further smiling that you want our company, just not in the house exactly, lol! IKWYM

I guess faith that it can be done IS pretty important, sherinjoy. I'll tell you one thing that makes me believe, is to get a sorting surface ready! "Give me a fulcrum, and I shall move the world." said Archimedes. Well, if I can just clear a surface big enough I can sort anything. And dust under it, too. :D Getting down to surfaces is not always that easy, though! ;)

Looks like I will have the second bag ready for Kidney Foundation pickup. I worked a little in each room today. Decided on "bras" for the freed up dresser drawer in the bedroom. That's what seemed to make the most sense. The room that needs the most attention tomorrow is the dining area.

blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:07 am

thanks but I really couldn't have continued decluttering (and continue more now) with out the support of everyone here. I too find it really depressing when I have to make so many decisions on decluttering especially papers. dd15 is in school all day and dh has been ill so my time IS at home. when I was in school and just with kids and volunteering I didn't dejunk for over 6 months and my house showed it. I haven't decorated in the past as the junk I had always caused me so much work and now I feel I can do that. i also found that I have to take dindiana and dharriets, and dnancy's advice to take a break on weekends otherwise you burn out.
I found another container of checks this weekend and my heart just sank, but I know now that if I grab one at a time and look and write it down that it will eventually get done. I wish our brains could see the pile of something not as a mountain but rather a bit by bit job that always suprising me how much torture I put my self through and then bit by bit it's done. it makes me laugh. I think it's from years of thinking I was lazy and useless at being a homemaker.
I finally have one container near the files that I put the week's filing in. one area in the front hall for bills I get during the week,stamps, stapler, check register etc. (I no longer keep all the checks but in a binder the statements or anything special.. dh taught me that). and a container now in photo area for collecting pictures and keepsakes... (I find by Sunday most things can be tossed instead of filed in keepsake boxes). for dd15 she has a clear container where she tosses her papers for the school year and near the beginning of the school year she tosses everything) Also using dharriets storage cleaning I every so often go through a keepsake box and papers and pare down again. this took me years of going in there every so often to get to this point and then I would have to hit it days in a row, all day to accomplish it. And yet there is no gaurantee that I won't let it get out of control as that's MY tendency. ;) the one area I still haven't figured out yet is wrapping paper and cards. I know for a fact without out the support and focus here I would be like a puppy dog running after a butterfly.
Last edited by blessedw2 on Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

blessedw2
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Re: October's Dynamic Declutter

Postby blessedw2 » Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:18 am

I like that quote dharriet and Yeah on donations!!! I think you are right... having a clean surface helps to be able to do the work.
hi sherinjoy ... I still think it's cruel that papers keep having babies. 8-) faith yes!!! thank you
hi deb great job on the basics awesome! it is good to have great company and all of you are the best.


I don't know if you know this but when I lived in the country I had a shed where I stored everything, and my basement. I moved it all with me and I was shocked. my dkids had so many toys they didn't know what to play with first and then it would just get tossed on the floor as it was too much for their little brains to work with. I had so much material and crafts it took up one side of my 3 season room and more. It was discouraging and I couldn't make any decision as I had attachment to everything...I had dreams for each item but found I couldn't possible do all that I imagined and it was taking my life with my family away. It took time for me to learn to let go and lots of tears.. it does get easier each item you touch and donate or toss. I also used to have so many dishes and would store them in the stove if company came. I tossed and donated 1/2 my dishes and utensils. I remember one time filling my car as I didn't have a place to put the laundry when I had a party and would put a sheet across a room as it was my dumping ground before I could have company. but now my house is streamline in closets because of the women here and my rooms are finally clear of clutter. and I am telling you it literally took ten years of going back and hitting the same spots over and over, getting so discouraged and dropping work, until donations became part of my brain. now it is so much easier and my brain has learned my limits (most times :lol: ). I used to keep the guilt as well as the stuff.. the more stuff the more guilt but I also have learned that my intensions were good but I did more thinking than doing. My brain would shut down but the ladies here helped me walk away and go back a little at a time. I am okay with my past now, as it has given me so much growth. I no longer live with regrets but it has taken alot of tears, depression at times, and false guilt and bad talking to myself, to where I am today. I started saying one nice thing each day to myself. I used to look at what I didn't accomplish instead of what I did no matter how small. now I see what I have done even small. One time it was just tossing an evelope lol and I remember saying .. great job to my self. . but now it is easier for me to see what I have done.

of all that i have gotton rid of I only missed (one) thing only one but now I see I wouldn't want it any more :D
it is always a joy to be here with you!


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