November Dynamic Declutter

[Harmony]

I've mentioned the BIG box of clothes a dfriend gave me the other day. Finally got around to trying them on. 6 or more things got tossed as not worthy of passing on and didn't fit. I found a few that I'll use. I was ruthless in deciding.

Box was a disappointment. Most were in good condition, clean, etc., but they were so old-fashioned, and some misshapen. My own clothes, though some are worn, were nicer. I could have done without this "gift".

2 bags of donation in suv now. 39 items. I'm looking for some other place than Goodwill to leave them as I don't want her seeing that I got rid of most everything she gave me. She was just trying to be helpful.

I kept a couple things that were nice but I already had like items for someone I know, and a couple nice sweaters (really nice ones) for DD2 to try, as her frame is bigger than mine. I think we should be very careful what we pass on to others, as it could be a problem for them to deal with as it was with me.

[Lynlee]

Harmony...
Some`people`I`know`take`things`to`other`region`donation`stores`to`avoid`seeing`them`again.
Some`people`give`things`away`cos`they`can't`throw`them`out.
It`does`leave`the`charity`with`dump`fees,`unless`they,can`sell`them`as`rags.
Neighbour`who`used`buy`bags`of`rags`from`charity...
His`wife`would`often`find`wearable`things`in`there.

Sry`you`had`such`an`unhelpful`box`given`to`you...Such`is`life.

[Harriet]

Thanks to Indiana for the heads-up about the Rachael Ray show today with Peter Walsh segment on clutter. I was impressed with his concepts about :

1) people sometimes blowing their problem out of proportion and believing (wrongly) that it will be so hard to surmount that they don't try.

2) Also his analogy of the washing machine cycle - think of every project in your home as a cycle as well, which is not complete until you finish by putting away. (You wouldn't just turn off the washer for a week and expect the clothes to be okay, so don't expect the house to be okay when you leave other projects lying about.) A cool thought.

I will say that I wish some different wording had been used about clearing the kitchen. In 30 minutes the room was not "finished" - in 30 minutes boxes of things that didn't belong there were taken to the room beside it, awaiting attention there. That's not the same thing. If it takes X amount of time to get clutter out, it always takes time greater than X to then follow through and get each item filed, stored, given back to owner, etc., especially when important papers or charity donations are discovered.

The mop is interesting, but I'm against washing floor pads in a washing machine with any other item, and running the washer for just the pad alone kinda defeats the purpose of trying to be environmentally sensible. I'll stick with my disposable pads. Tho' one could try something like this and hand wash? Hmmm ... ...dunno about that.

[Indiana]

Harriet I picked up on the same things you did.

The washing machine was a great analogy. That is one of the things that I do is to follow through to the end (putting away). That is the only way I know how to do things. It only takes a minute or two to put away things when you are finished.

I agree with the kitchen.

I wash things like the mop pad with throw rugs. I’m thinking about the mop. It would be cheaper than the swiffer wet pads – maybe.

I thought it was interesting he called his 4-box method FAST. I don’t remember what FAST stands for but I’m sure it is on Rachael’s website.

We will be getting the OWN channel (Oprah Winfrey’s Network) so I’m looking forward to his show.

He packed a lot of information into a very short segment.

[Harriet]

The 4-box or 3-box method is something we're familiar with, of course. P and P had it in their '77 book but they may not have been the first to mention something like it - not sure. If you search for "4 box clutter" or "box clutter method" on the internet, plenty of sites come up now and no one cites a start of the idea.

Walsh chooses "3-box" with one "Trash", and separates the 2 non-trash box categories into "unused-for-a-year" and "belongs-somewhere-else". In this program he didn't go into what his plan is for the "unused-for-a-year" things. Obviously, they're not trashed, because he doesn't send them into the trash box. So there must be some additional sorting for that box later.

Here is Walsh's "FAST" acronym, as given on the Ray site:

Fix a time: set a timer to complete an area of your house in a set amount of time. Then sort your stuff into three categories:
Anything that belongs somewhere else or to someone else;
Stuff you haven't used in 12 months; and
Trash.

Ray said to watch for Walsh's new show on OWN network beginning Jan 3 (it has the 8:00 p.m. slot - ESTime I guess). But the network's site says you can see the first ever show on the air from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. January 1.

[sherinjoy]

Hi all - I'm a long time Peter fan, watched all his Clean Sweep shows and have his DVD (very good recommendation from me, if you're interested). I watched him on RR today and had the same concerns Harriet and others mentioned - what do you do with the stuff in the boxes afterwards? If you don't deal with it, it's just a stash and dash. I know he deals with this in his books and I think it is because of the short time frame on the show that he didn't address the after-work. I think he chose to focus on the fact that it was important to show that it can be done. I definitely relate to his concept Harriet mentioned that we build it up in our minds as impossible and dont' attempt it. That's where I think the timer is so important, time it and really see how long it takes, always less than we estimated. Look how much they did in 30 minutes! I've been reading his Facebook for the last year about all his preparation for his own show on Oprah network next year. It's going to be great, he's been filming for 6 months on site with families. I'm ready and waiting for Jan. 1 when it starts.

[Lynlee]

My`3`boxes`are`bin/trash,`recycle`bin,`donations..At`times`I`have`stash`heaps.. `
that`get`stashed.`Better`for`me`is`to`take`5`things`where`they`need`to`go`as`I`find`them.
lol..I`currently`have`2`touch`lamps`in`hall...I`think`ultimately`they`need`go`to`bin...cos`I`can't`fix
even`though`I`love`the`glass`shades.`I`doubt`a`charity`wants`whatdoesn't`work.

Today`I`got`to`bottom`of`LR`chair.`Got`a`fresh`loose`cover`tucked`around`it.
Binned`broken`plastic`ware`today.`Then`busted`tub`up`some`more`so`theres`more`room`in`the`bin.

btw...looking`at`the`pics`of`Peter`Walshes`helping`families`on`Oprah`site`is`what`got`me`started.
Oh`yes..Still`have`the`keep`to`rehome`stashes`from`my`bedroom`cluttering`other`rooms.
Aiming`to`do`it`armfull`by`armfull.
And`now`starting`in`Entry`/LR`now`to`incorporate`DR`area...
so`stuff`just`has`to`go`cos`stash`possies`are`taken.

[blessedw2]

you all have been so busy here!!! awesome!!!
dlynn you are doing great..! don't worry about the stash heaps, they will get smaller and it will get easier making decisions. it is the little by little each day that helps. pat yourself on the back!

I think maybe he is doing the box thing to just get underway. I think maybe he's thinking get it out of the way if there is so much and deal with it box by box? I don't know.

hi dharriet I like the washing machine idea, I also like my disposable pads as I know me too well, hi dindiana . hi dharmony.. great job on being ruthless. yeah on progress dnancy

sorry I missed the program

yesterday was donation day: only donated 2 dvds, and two peices of clothing

[Twins' Mom]

I'm collecting some stuff in the back of my car that will need to be dropped at Goodwill before we load up to go out of town on Tuesday. I have two sets of king size sheets to go, and several other things. While doing some rearranging in the MBR closet yesterday I pulled out some more for Goodwill too.

[Nancy]

In the next segment he had the family deal with the boxes I believe,
{I was busy w dgkids then.}

After that a segment was them talking about how they did another room in the next part of the show it that took them more time like two hrs. for that room. With four of them working
it took less time! {I'm assuming they donated some of the items.}

Peter's new show will be on the Oprah network, one that is a premium channel that we do not subscribe to.

Peter W. used to have info. on a site on Oprah's website on de-cluttering I think.
It explained in more detail how to deal with it. With e-mails that came I signed up for.
They were a lot like the P & P system. And if you saw his show it told how to do that.



Over the years I've change the P &P plan a bit and we've been putting trash in a bag instead of a box as it held more and then could go directly in to the trash bin we have. Things that go in another room we put in a laundry basket and did not have to go on a hunt for a box when we need to do a room. I don't even use a box for donations these days. I guess we can call it the three-four bag system LOL! Sometimes I just hand them stuff not even in a bag!