January Clutter Control, 2015

[BookSaver]

Today's declutter:
Found a couple large opened bags of bird seed in the garage that are several years old, so they went into the trash bin. (I convinced DH some time ago that as much as we love watching the birds, it isn't fair to feed them and draw them to a yard where several good feline hunters live outdoors.)
Took a big stack of newspapers out.
Combined = more than 2 crates.

[blessedw2]

2 crates gone... awesome d Book !!! I do love your system for getting rid of things right away

d friend yay on all your work as well!!!

[blessedw2]

I am struggling with paperwork clutter - I need to break it down into workable parts.
what I am struggling with at noon... I found a bunch of old checking account folders etc.. that need attention
3:31 like things put together.. I keep thinking of the quote d Harriet gave me

Every minute invested in planning will save you ten minutes down the road. I can personally attest that not only does a little planning ahead help with time management, but it also saves money and reduces stress. Don’t we all want more help in those areas?

- Shayla Finch of DesignFinch Graphic Design

what has been done:
birthday things together in one box I need to buy birthday candles because I am out of them
dog/cat files together and old rabies etc. info tossed
some like things together that need a spot
lined paper/graph paper and 5 x 7 yellow pads of lined paper are now in see through container on shelf marked as such.
found 3 x 5 white/colored blank cards and put them in one container for easy access tossed some
post its and tabs in one see through small box that is now marked and on shelf
tabs and index sticky tabs now in one small container that is marked on shelf I no longer use the tabs that are plastic
Christmas cards for next year put together with thanksgiving things. (marked in card file) tossed extras from this and last year
went through extra greeting cards... tossed etc...
one misc. box marked: markers, pencils, pens, mech pencils, erasers of different types, extra staples and glue (see through with top is now on shelf )
one see through closed box and marked and now on shelf: extra file folders and reg. folders

checking account/charge account/medical and my books for Jan through September are together and the rest (for me to work on tonight)

1/2 a big black trash bag filled.

I need to buy:
1 PLASTIC BOX FOR THANKSGIVING THAT IS IN A PAPER BOX (MICE COME EVERY SO OFTEN... GROSS)
1 PLASTIC BOX FOR XMAS
2 SMALL PLASTIC BOXES FOR OFFICE SUPPLIES
LID IS GONE ON SEWING BOX... WHERE ... NOT HERE ... SO I HAVE TO GET A SMALLISH BOX FOR THAT. ALL SEE THROUGH

[FelineFriend]

I've read that clear bins, small, or whatever size you need/want, are excellent for storing things, because you can actually see them. I do that with fabric remnants, scraps and stamped fabrics, some yarn, but I do have 3 larger bins, from Costco, with yarns in them, which you cannot see through. I wish I could.

I hung up clothes of mine, which were cluttering up my bedroom chair and put away LOL and helped DH empty the DW. I also dumped trash, from all over the house, meaning the waste baskets and NOT that we HAVE trash ALL OVER THE HOUSE!

DH took the garage can/recycle bin up to the curb, for pick-up in the morning.

I sent off 3 letters, which were decluttered, along with 1 bill, in the mails today.

[blessedw2]

I love that we all de-clutter together.
great job again d friend.

[blessedw2]

truth be told - yesterday was a very hard day for me with so many things to touch and so many decisions having to be made about those things. But it was good because I needed to get a hold of the clutter

I have to stop negative talk... "why didn't you just handle it once..get rid of the envelopes... put it in a proper place... etc"
or "you could have kept track" or " you should have said no" (to my wanting to please everyone by making things a 10 or more experience) otherwise I won't move forward.

re: my paperwork
I don't have a place for things coming in
I don't have my desk set up (it's better but needs help.. I might look at those organizers on you tube)
I no longer have a desk day in my BWP
I don't have a BWP right now
I haven't been doing a budget monthly or weekly

I have to be positive and can learn from this.
today: setting up a place for dh to put my mail and a place by my desk for action
get a bigger garbage pail
give dh things to shred right away
set up a time/routine to go through receipts daily again.

[FelineFriend]

I did not like a whole bunch of b-day cards standing up cluttering my dining room table. I put them in a long rectangle narrow metal red tin, to match Valentine's decor. I put them on a mat, which is squares of bamboo hooked together. I put my Valentine's lady, my glass with red/pink hearts on it, with "LOVE" written all over it, with a little cupid bending over, peeking out from under his chest, almost as though he's taking a peek back at me before he turns a somersault.

I had a lined basket, I put books, spiral notebooks, off my end table, into the lined basket. I put a 2-women-talking-to-each-other-in-long-white-dresses sitting down, in front of the basket, for decoration. It's so beautiful. DD gave it to me, I love it, and she did not like it, so it was re-gifted to me. ♥ So the dining room table, my end tables, and the eating bar are done.

In the main office, I've sorted/purged/put away 3" high of papers in the cardboard box, sitting in the recliner. I'll plug-plug-plug away at it until I get that bugger emptied!

Happy Clutter Control January, Everybody!

[ellyphant]

Have donated a stack of dishes that weren't being used. Also let go of a large platter and 2 gravy boats...and a big plastic cake-taker. Decided that it is very unlikely that I will be taking a large cake anywhere! Love the extra room in my cabinets. Was able to rearrange things a bit.

[blessedw2]

oh d Elly - great job!!! It must feel so freeing! awesome
great job d Friend 3" of paper gone - Awesome

[Harriet]

elly, I can no longer imagine taking a big cake to anyone, either. We just know too much these days to believe it's good for anybody. Maybe to a pot-luck where no one would eat more than a slice. But then, I would be expected to take remainder home! Not a good idea!

FFriend, that's the ticket - plug, plug, plug!

blessed, your brainstorming about paper reminds me that we could start another paper taming thread as well. It's about time as I have already seen ads and news about income taxes, for instance. Please rest assured that my desk is worse than yours. There is just no doubt. The holidays do this to my desk every year. There is probably no area of my home in greater need following our maintenance time during the holidays than "Office". But I am just DETERMINED to stay "on calendar" this year, so I am putting up with it until the week before Office focus, when I'll start declutter there - let's see - that's January 19, so only 10 more days.

I am coming up for air in the master bedroom. Have my oldest green TIMER there (looks like this - old faithful non-tech, lol), on top of my unfinished wood CRATE , which I have sitting sideways in the middle of the room like a little table. So far, it has been more of a reminder to me to toss, rather than a carrier. My insistence on 15s is probably keeping me from accumulating as much to carry each time timer rings.

Each time I get back to my TRACKER (today after two 15s) I find myself saying, "Yay, me!" when I get to bubble-in the time.

So far I have started at hallway door toward the right, worked around one full wall and to the bed on the next wall, then decided to go back to doorway and start working the other way to the left. I think this will be more helpful to me, freeing from the doorway on. I have found a 3-pack of panties I forgot about buying, so that is a bonus. Several times have come across a book and since I'm not making those decisions right now have just placed on bookshelf without sidetracking.