Start with a Plan January, 2011

[Indiana]

Harmony I'll pack and have a company move me.

[blessedw2]

since all my holiday cooking is done and the spice, baking area cabinets etc. got messy I so far:
-emptied my spice bin (washed it and tossed stuff that was extras even if good), marked the top of each spice to know what it is and put 2011 on top so I know to toss for next year. I love to cook especially out of cooks country and american test kitchen, some martha stewart and her food magazine.
-i went through my recipies again andtossed like crazy.

what needs to be done: clean the cabinet with baking goods.

[Nancy]

I sorted through some of my spices and gave chocolate sprinkles to dgds
they said they could use them for putting on cupcakes and were excited to get them!

[Harmony]

Indiana, I'm thinking about how much work packing up a whole housefull of stuff is. Course, when I did it last I had to move our house and our office. DH and his helpers did his shop. That alone took almost a week. I'm sure yours will be more organized than mine was. I remember working all day and packing boxes every evening.

Today 3 more phone books and 8 trade magazines went to recycling bin.

[Indiana]

Harmony when we moved here we worked all day and in the evening packed boxes and moved them here and put away what we could.

I have much more time to pack. As I come across books for the library where I'm going I put them in one box. They haven't decided if they will accept donated books. I have other things boxed. I'm starting boxing things now because my unit is much smaller than the house. Plus no garage, mudroom, pantry, attic or basement. This way I knowwhat I can take and what goes.

This house has three bedroom closets and 4 hall closets plus the pantry. My unit will have 2 bedroom closets and 1 entry closet.

[blessedw2]

my goal this year is to get rid of the "one day" projects and things still in my house.
after watching so many shows on clutter and hoarding I noticed a recuring theme... one day projects (having so many projects you get nothing done). my born organized sil's and dmom do one project at a time... my goodness - what a concept

[Harriet]

Did I not ever mention my plan? I had intended to. Hmmm ...

The present, decluttering-me is going to get out ahead of the Focus Cleaning schedule and work on organization/declutter before the future, cleaning-me gets to the same space the next week. She and I are in different space-time continuums. Often she has said she wished an area could have been organized BEFORE she got to it with the vacuum or duster. Since she can't time-travel back to fix that, I'll try to give her a hand in advance.

So bedroom this week.

Here, the master bedroom had been cluttered through the season with some things moved out of the way for decorating the living areas. So now that is back to rights. i sidetracked to deal with some shelves in the master closet in preparation for putting all the decor boxes back away there. After I had cleaned there, HRH decided to paint a corner, so that is drying now. By evening, all the decor will be stored.

blessed, cards sound like a possible answer. Either one card per project, no matter how large, or breaking projects up into parts with one part per card.

Speaking of shows on hoarding, I seem to have finished with my interest in them for now. I won't be able to start the new one on the OWN channel after all because it would cost me to get more channels and there isn't enough incentive for that, especially since I also have to give my time, which is just as dear.

I have noticed that some quiltmaking links took me to You Tube organizational flicks (some homemade, but the honesty is what is helpful) that are quick to watch. I may recommend some here. The problem is that, for good or for ill, watching a flick on You Tube automatically brings up others that are similar and it can be hard to find a stopping place.

[Harmony]

Decluttering in the garage today:

Threw away couple whole stacks of empty black plastic flower pots. Decided I wasn't going to ever use them. Threw away old garden gloves with holes. Got about half a shelf cleared. Also throwing away a stack of old throw rugs.

Harriet, I like your plan. I'm finding the hoarding shows a little depressive. Did you see the one where she had chickens everywhere and was it the same woman or another who had all the rabbits running around eating holes in the walls, etc. I find the ones with animals too sad.

[Harriet]

Hmmm ... ... gardening things. I have always had a hard time throwing those away, because they represent thriftiness and wholesomeness I think. Even now, thinking about it, I'm wistfully considering planting marigolds indoors from seed in Feb again.. ... no new projects! No new projects! OH, I think this also comes from viewing a commercial that shows a big truck with its tires backing over a beautiful bed of yellow marigolds. Wouldn't that image break your heart!

Today I wish I'd timed how long I spent on declutter. I started earlyish and did not finish up until 10, so I wouldn't be surprised if there were 4 or 5 "fifteens". This was organization of wrappings, gift "closet" shelf, decor storage. Also shoes and some clothing. I organized seldom-worn shoes in boxes and need to label.

Embarrassing find - twin flat sheet I didn't know I owned. I've been making the grandboys' bed with two bottom sheets for a year now.

Also about boxes - I was impressed with Post-It commercial recently. All these new products that have the stick-um on the full back of the paper. They were shown by labeling boxes and then easily removing and replacing over and over. I was at Office Max today and looked through many post-it items there but did not see these. They did have large displays of Peter Walsh line of office storage items. Most seemed forgettable but I was impressed with his sturdy freestanding file holders (about 4 inches wide uprights). Also he had a group of various colored post-its that seemed helpful because they were mounted on a clear plastic 3-hole punched insert for a 3-ring binder. That would be good for school needs.

[Harmony]

This evening DH went through a big stack of catalogs, binders, etc. that I'd set aside for him. These came out of his work van when he gave the van away. There was no space in his pickup truck for extra paperwork, and on top of that he's changed how he does things. He no longer grabs a form at a customer's house and has them sign things, etc., that is all done in the office now. So the folders of now-outdated forms I used to keep stocked for him are not needed. Those are all thrown away and 1 whole paper shopping bag full of catalogs, etc. are in recycling. 2 big 3-ring binders from a supplier we no longer use has been seperated into reusable index tabs, etc., and the rest discarded. 1 of the binders pretty worn has been tossed. 1/2 of one of those steel shelf unit shelves now empty for other use.