March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Share your decluttering activities and ideas.
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Harriet
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March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby Harriet » Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:45 am

Get credit for what you organize - finish by labeling clearly. :idea:

Here are some good tips:

Let no box go unmarked!
Use masking tape, a label maker, or permanent-ink pens. I like to tape an index card to the outside of a container. Or, take snapshots of what's inside. - Heloise


My all-time favorite label technique for a plastic surface is to apply clear Scotch tape in the space I'd like a label, write on the tape with Sharpie marker, and when I change my mind, just pull it off.

What are you labeling this month? Let us know!

Please join in and tell us your own declutter strategies!

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Harriet
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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby Harriet » Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:31 am

Handy-Dandy Reference :D for decluttering AHEAD of Focus Cleaning :idea:

This is for those who want to go along with the Focus Cleaning schedule in the Organization and Simplification Forum and would like to do their decluttering in each area first. Here's the declutter schedule.

this week living room
3/7/2011 dining room
3/14/2011 porch/entry
3/21/2011 bedrooms
3/28/2011 bathrooms

Tweak as desired to fit your lovely home!

Looking for Indiana's Focus Cleaning threads instead? HERE'S YOUR SLIDE! (calendar thread is at top of forum, look for 2012)

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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby BookSaver » Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:18 pm

Our newspaper subscription ran out this week and I decided not to renew it. We'll see how long I can stand having to read it online or at the library. In the meantime, I'll have to find other things to fill the recycle bin!

Did not quite declutter our huge old microwave oven because DH insisted he wanted to use it downstairs in his den. I bought a new microwave for the kitchen, much smaller than the old one. I found that I was mostly using the big one for reheating leftovers for my lunch, or warming a cup of coffee. It just didn't make sense any more to give up so much counter space. Eventually I would like one that attaches under a cupboard, but in the meantime the apartment-size one is working fine.

I finally have a block of empty time for several days, starting tomorrow. I hope that ...
a) my energy level will stay up and ...
b) no family emergencies will come up ...
until I've been able to clear out a bunch of stuff from storage.

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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby BookSaver » Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:24 pm

Erased over 14 hours of unwatched shows off of my recorder last night.

Most of it was a new series that sounded good and is getting good reviews. I decided, though, that since I hadn't started watching any of it yet, it wouldn't hurt to dump it.

Thus I have both gained space on the recorder AND saved the time that would have been spent watching. Even fast-forwarding through commercials and boring bits, that still saves several hours.

*****

This morning I cleared out 2 kitchen cupboards and a section of counter. Moved some things to better locations, tossed some into the trash. I'm thinking about a couple of items overnight, leaning toward putting them in the donate box since I rarely use them.

I'll be starting on a big closet this afternoon.

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Nancy
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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby Nancy » Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:15 pm

Saw a bit on Hoarding Buried Alive one guy had a house full of books did you happen to catch that segment? Pretty significant progress for him on that one show! Makes me wonder how long it took.

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Harriet
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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby Harriet » Wed Mar 07, 2012 3:54 pm

I have a difficult time erasing shows. For one thing, I guess I don't feel confident with it, but mostly I worry that we'll wish we had it back! Thankfully, HRH is ruthless. It takes a lot to get me to actually start watching a new tv show these days. Usually I go with recommendations from friends. Dd32 really believes I would like "Community" (all her coworkers watch it, because it is about college life and they work at a college) but so far I have avoided even her high recommendation.

Yes, I did see the first part of that episode, Nancy, but then dd13 asked me to stop watching it because it was so depressing, so I did. (She might not have liked the fact that I immediately zeroed in on whether her homework was done. :D ) But I had to admit it was pretty adult/sobering material to cover, with frightening tight passageways between hardbound books to the ceiling, sometimes falling down. Also the husband seemed to feel a lot of hostility. I really like watching both the dr Suzanne and the organizer Dorothy they had working on that house, though; I think they are very good - they've been with the show a long time. And I'm glad to hear you say they got somewhere with it.

I also happened to catch a part of the December 2011 BBC show Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder, which I believe may be a one-time documentary about a nice man in a village in England who eventually gets help from all his neighbors to clear away the hoard from outside and inside his home. It was heartwarming to see all the neighbors come to help - some were genuinely afraid but got over it. It was undoubtedly the worst house I've ever seen filmed. The camera had to be placed, filming in miniature spaces near ceilings only. Firemen who tried to go from one room to another along the ceiling were in frightening conditions, with only the man's word he could get them in and out again by sliding/swimming along - they really shouldn't have tried it because I think if they had gone vertical somehow by mistake they could have sunk to the floor and all the papers would have closed in again.

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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby Harmony » Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:08 pm

Some of those places are really really dangerous. Probably most of them. I did see the book show. And the one Harriet mentioned in England (?) that surprised me because the judge ruled in his favor that he could keep anything he wanted on his property. Also, there seemed to be no zoning restrictions, code violations for him either. It was heartwarming to see him on his way to recovery with neighbors helping.

While I was watching that one, I got up and cleaned my kitchen to spotless. Then I thought, oh, it's because I was watching that show. I guess it triggered something in my brain that I also had a mess to deal with at the time.

I think I have a similar house in our neighborhood. I have twice seen a big open dumpster in their driveway for a few weeks at a time and it went away full. Could have just been a remodel going on, but I never saw any service trucks around....they are neat on the outside anyway.

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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby Nancy » Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:16 pm

Decluttering progress for this week includes but is not limited to :arrow:
bagging up leaves so glad to have that round done yea! 8-)
Plus I've cleaned out some e-mails in my inbox.

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Harriet
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Re: March, 2012 Declutter Strategists

Postby Harriet » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:36 pm

I've tried to figure out why the hoarding shows have those effects, Harmony. I know that at first as I begin to watch I have no feelings for the people and am looking at them as a sort of science show, really. But as I watch them try to dig themselves out I begin to root for them and feel empathy for their plight in the same way I would for a person in a man-against-the-elements show or a weight-loss show.

I think thoughts like, "Oh, honey, if you could just hire somebody to help you clean the first room, you'd have some hope." :) I start coming up with scenarios in which they will make their way out of their problem and be all right. I end up having sympathetic feelings for them as though I am "on their team". That's why I will sometimes find myself cleaning some after the show, I think. There's a common battle I want to fight. The same things that are their enemy are around me, too, and by the time the show is over, I'm pretty mad at them!!!!

I made both the trash collection and the recyclable collection with time to spare this morning.


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