October's Dynamic Declutter, 2014

[BookSaver]

I have set a personal goal for the month of October, to use decluttering to create 1 square foot of empty space in the house each day. Potential of 31 square feet of stuff out of the house permanently by Halloween.

What's your decluttering goal for this month?

Edit: I was just looking at my little crate and realized that what I should be saying is 1 CUBIC foot. It will be 1 square foot of horizontal space on the floor/table/shelf, but 1 cubic foot of 3 dimensional emptiness. Good thing I'm not the engineer in the house!

[FelineFriend]

I'm focusing on FlyLady's month of taming paper clutter, so I cleaned my desk after writing and subbing 2 short stories today. Now, the desk is beckoning to me, for tomorrow's continuing writing job. I think it's good to clean up after myself in the office, to keep the mind more peaceful so I can be more creative and actually THINK!

Booksaver, Your idea's a good one!

[Harriet]

BookSaver, that's cool. Will you plan these areas in advance? I'm sure it sounds silly, but my fear would be that I would allow re-clutter without realizing it, and might be decluttering the same area again on the 29th that I did on the 2nd, etc!

I've mentioned this before, but my most successful declutter month was a challenge by a SHE named Diva, who called it "The Great Box Countdown" because she herself had mostly boxes that worried her. She challenged others to go around the house and name (briefly describe) small spaces to declutter and make a card with the names. Something about having written these down made them seem to call to me! I remember being especially determined to check off the one I had named something like: "pile in our rocking chair".

I think I will sort of follow you somewhat, BookSaver. I keep up, but don't have a consistent record of it beyond generally working in the upcoming Focus rooms, so I'm sure efficiency suffers, plus it might be good to try placing the most mind-easing declutters first.

This week's declutter ahead of Focus is "storage", which is so encompassing of many storage areas in the home that it's a good time to go around identifying what's bugging us.

Now, here's a quandary.
Can I bear to tell anybody what I would have to name some of the ones now.

FFriend, office is the most likely spot I re-clutter shortly following declutter! (smile)

[BookSaver]

Harriet ~ I haven't made that organized of a plan yet!

The main points are

1) I am feeling utterly closed in and surrounded by too much stuff, and we haven't even hit the dark gloomy winter days yet;

2) I would like to get the dining room finally cleared of boxes -- but there isn't anywhere else to put those boxes right now; and

3) I tried to estimate how many square feet will be needed if I decide to pull our big Christmas tree and all of the decorations out of storage this holiday season instead of only the small pretties that I've used the past several years.

However, I remember all of my big decluttering plans for the summer went out the door with emergencies and schedule changes. I am accepting that I cannot count on ever having a long uninterrupted block of time unless I become a total hermit.

This is the only realistic solution I can envision. One square foot at a time -- with the physical help/reminder of a plastic crate that size which I have in the kitchen where I cannot ignore it. Reclaim the air space that I will then have the option of either temporarily filling with Christmas decorations, or leaving bare to enjoy the emptiness.

In an effort to make the whole thing even more simple, I'm linking the decluttering goal to a health goal of taking a walk every day, and calling it 1+1. I am cautiously optimistic that if I can manage to keep both goals extremely simple, they will turn into routines that will stick.

Edit: see the edit in my first post about square foot vs. cubic foot

[Harriet]

HRH asked me to share this visual list of decluttering ideas. I think he likes this sort of thing because unless there is a visual, he has a hard time getting organizing concepts. Some are pretty good.

Is it odd that I already mentally transposed "square" to "cubic" when reading BookSaver's original post? I hadn't even thought about it. Believe me, I did not think you meant you would organize floor to ceiling on one square foot of the houseplan each time you began to work. However, that would be an admirable goal!

That's nice to have the goal of being less closed in, and the possible goal of different decor at Christmas. Both are freshening concepts.

[Harriet]

Decluttering in the master bath yesterday made things look nice.

I got 2 tall kitchen garbage bags full of donations out to the street for the Kidney F (foundation or fund I am not sure and a little concerned they are not the same, and I may be giving to a new "fund" entity rather than our long time "foundation" neighbors, but right now cannot research).

[FelineFriend]

I decluttered the pen palling mess I made in the wee a.m. hours on the dining room table, while doing a snail mail catch-up. DH left, for town, I couldn't STAND the mess on the dining room table, so retrieved a basket, put all the supplies into it, which is near the end table on the floor in the great room, where I'm currently writing letters to pals,friends, and family. When I'm finished, I'll put everything in the basket away, back into the office.

I "need" to fold towels/washcloths on DH's side of the MBR bed. I took a much-needed nap this afternoon, so moved the towels over on his side.

I've decluttered my desk in the office, but now have 2 short stories, written by hand, which need logging, so I can submit them. After that job's done, bye-bye handwritten stories off my desk!

I dusted my desk today, while waiting for a download, too.

The kitchen counters got decluttered from new groceries coming in, and they're all put away.

My bunny room sofa, coffee table, and desk are decluttered, look very nice, as does....

The main office flat surfaces.

[FelineFriend]

Oh dear-oh dear-oh dear. I now have the pen palling basket at the foot of an end table, where I write letters, with articles, poems, comics, and recipes on the end tables to put into envelopes. The dining room table is full, on one 2' x 3' spot, with files, index cards, etc... I'm planning on finishing my pen pal duties today, putting the pen pal items away, which are in the basket, to then take items on the dining room table, to contain them into the basket, so they're near my chair, to do my project of organizing titles, plot cards, with papers into files, per months' stories, etc.. for 2015. It'll be quite the chore, but it'll be good in the long-run because I'll be organized, month-to-month, with the writing tasks at hand.

[FelineFriend]

I found the perfect size clear plastic small bin, in our main office closet. I emptied it, took the patterns and leaflets out of it, to sort in the main office. Then, I took it to the dining room, put everything in the bin, in orderly fashion, found more files, more writing-to-do and put my day planners (2014 + 2015) in the bin with my market book, magazines to study, magazines to read for pleasure, and magazines for writers and poets, to read, to learn more from. Everything fit so nicely in the bin, the items stand up, so there is ease in leafing through them, to pull out what I need. It's just wonderful to have the writing mess off the dining room table next to my chair now, in the great room, where I often read/write while DH has his TV shows on or I'll listen to cable TV music.

The Internet said 17 years ago today, John Denver died in his accident. DD gave me his 2 cassettes full of his songs and hits. It's so nice to sit with nice large headphones on, in the chair, to crochet or read, or journal, write letters, etc... while listening to his wonderful voice. He was a talent, a good man, and he's missed. We're so fortunate to have had him with us for awhile. His music and integrity live on.

Have a nice later afternoon and evening, Everybody!

[FelineFriend]

I'm slowly browsing magazines today. I'm using an Exacto knife, a pair of scissors, and stapler, as I go. I'm keeping a written tally of how many magazines I'm purging today. It's a job, which I've been putting off. I needed to get this paper clutter chore under control. It's time-consuming, but very gratifying to find such interesting articles, tips, and patterns. I save coupons and small items, to enclose in envelopes, for pen pals and/or family, too. It makes pen palling rewarding, to "bless others" with my seemingly clutter, which is valuable clutter, as I send things and recipes of interest. Also, the recipient can "pass on" the items. It makes pen palling fun, a treat for those whom receive items, and it goes out of my home, so I'm decluttering my living spaces, too.

I'll BBL, to report which magazines got purged and how many. If I don't finish the job by bedtime, I'll be certain to report to ya'll tomorrow, too.