March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Share your decluttering activities and ideas.
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Harriet
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March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby Harriet » Fri Mar 01, 2019 6:44 pm

This thread is about encouraging each other to keep at the constant work of clearing the clutter from our homes, organizing.

We have had so many great mentoring-type moments in the village recently regarding clutter.

By bringing some over to the monthly declutter gathering, I thought we could see them again for inspiration.

Here's blessed yesterday in PWYC, talking about her late 2018 and early 2019 efforts. It's not everything she said - go back there and read through (first pg PWYC).

I found that staying with the basics really works if you don't have clutter. Cleaning is easier without too much stuff in a room. I was used to have projects I was working on being out, not putting things away right away - caused a lot of issues, leaving things out for convenience etc. around me caused it to be harder to work. lol i never believed anyone who said do it right away - I have a strong inner rebellious kid in me.

I also found that all those get it done in a day times only burnt me out and I fell off the track more and left my routines behind.

by not handling certain things at 15 minutes a week my photos grew to almost a year long process. one hour a week.

by not facing my stuff - I had guilt, regret of what I hadn't done, dread, depression, fear of facing pain of going through my past of spending too much, time cleaning and moving clutter of all of us, failure feeling, wasted time. - I found myself thinking I was a failure bc I couldn't keep up like other women I know. (I did a lot with my children which I don't regret and loved so much) But once I faced the stuff and past dreams (fantasy of who I wanted to be or who I was and who I am now) (really really a struggle at first) and started working for 15 minutes @ 4 x a day; the process got easier and my joy and self esteem (and forgiveness of my ADHD ways) slowly build. Now I am finding that if I face a horrible thing or task, that I dread on anti-procrastination day, that the first day/week was extremely hard emotionally, but then gets easier and easier. I move forward in the life I want now.

best: keep it simple and you don't have to do it all (don't over-goal)


That speaks to me regarding projects that do have true importance, but need to be cleared away when not immediate. Also consistency. Thanks, blessed.

Definitely are some others.

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Harriet
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Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby Harriet » Fri Mar 01, 2019 6:59 pm

We've had a lot of inspiration posted about decluttering with video "company" and visually seeing success stories.

Harmony said:
I put the Hoarders show on the tv and with it going in the background I didn't feel like I was working alone.


Kathryn said:

I rewatched the Konmari series while working on office supplies for exactly the same reason - I didn't want to feel alone while I worked.

I'm noticing huge differences in the apartment even though only small areas are finished.


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Nancy
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Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby Nancy » Fri Mar 01, 2019 9:03 pm

I have clothing items ready to bag up. Some books to go as well.

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Harmony
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Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby Harmony » Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:24 am

It's not much to report...but I sewed up the back seam of a rather big teddy bear I'm donating. I had kept this thing for a long time (27 years) and at one point had opened the back seam and put hooks and eyes to close...and used it as a safekeeping spot. Well I never used it for that much and since we moved here no longer hang it on the wall up close to the ceiling in a corner.

I'd thought to give it to DGD, but with all the moving around and packing that family is doing, and with having 2 living spaces...thought it might be more trouble than benefit. She's not really a stuffed animal person anyway. So I took the hooks & eyes off and sewed the seam and it's now in the donation bin. It's really cute and in great shape so someone will love it I'm sure.

kittykatt

Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby kittykatt » Sun Mar 03, 2019 12:26 pm

May I join in, please?
I'm having a big decluttering session in our bedroom. I've been given a beautiful new to me dressing table (I've never had a dressing table before) which meant we had to do some reorganising of the bedroom furniture. DH got my chest of drawers, and I advertised his chest of drawers in the free section of the local website, and a very nice young couple picked it up.
This has meant that I've lost some storage space, so Ive had a serious decluttering session and produced 3 bin bags for the charity collection pickup. I'm thrilled with my dressing table - it's fitted in really well, and having less "stuff" makes it so much easier to find things. I've also Konmari'd my t shirts, and it really has freed up more space.
However, DH is now complaining that he has "no room" to store his stuff, so I suggested he might like to declutter (after all, I can't declutter someone else's stuff). So he now has a pile to throw out, but has also moved some stuff into the loft. :roll: I only have one small crate and a small box in the loft, the rest is all his stuff, so I've figured that so long as he ensures there's enough space for air to circulate and for the gas engineer to reach the water tank during his annual inspection, then it's not my problem. He has promised to have some decluttering sessions up there "soon". I've promised to Konmari his t shirts this afternoon, and figure out some better ways of storing things to make his storage more usable.

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Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby blessedw2 » Mon Mar 04, 2019 3:12 pm

oh please join!!! always a joy to work together.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby blessedw2 » Mon Mar 04, 2019 3:19 pm

I have been decluttering every day 4 x a week 1/2 hour at a time for quite a while. I always thought dd younger was the main culprit as she is a hoarder keeper person. she can't seem to let go of things.
i found I still had too much and dh also has too much; but I have been working on me and the house things. How could I have her do her clutter if I couldn't. How could I paint etc., projects etc. while still dealing with too much stuff and projects out the kazoo - y.


my kitchen items - I love to cook but over did everything - so many of these items are now gone. dd older took her cooking things, dd's are in the corner for when she moves out completely.
Today I let go of all the extra cooking liquors and wine. I only use one wine at a time. I no longer make marsala chicken as I can pick that up at Biaggi's restaurant or any italian restaurant. My experimental liquors are gone. I now only buy the little tiny bottles for anything which means I never do. I kept my apple, cassis, orange, and raspberry liquors that i use for cooking. I only kept one bubbling wine from alsace. everything else is gone - yay.

i am struggling with that look dh gives me when I get rid of my own house hold stuff - I.e. the look of you are really getting rid of that even if it hasn't been used in 5 years. I have to be strong in my convictions to let go.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

blessedw2
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Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby blessedw2 » Tue Mar 05, 2019 2:13 pm

spent 2 hours straight on basement. dh did get a bit frustrated with how much of my stuff I brought up to donate. All mine. He enjoys going to the donation place but I think this time was a lot. (stuff from last week and this week from all over the house.

still working with kat weekly and doing the joshua becker program. Seeing so many people like me really helps me continue the process.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

kittykatt

Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby kittykatt » Tue Mar 05, 2019 2:40 pm

Hello, Blessed! You're making great progress! I managed to Konmari DH's t-shirts, and that freed up a whole drawer, so I moved his rugby shirts into that drawer. This left a spare drawer at the bottom of his wardrobe, so his jumpers that he wears a lot but didn't have a home now live there. And, because all the drawers are just "comfortably" full, they are easy to open and close.
I may have said it before, but I love my new to me dressing table! It's Gplan, and we haven't managed to date it yet, but I am guessing it's from the early 1970s, or maybe older? It came complete with a stool, which Trifle (cat) has appropriated! :lol:
The only thing I still need to find space for are my summer skirts. They are all "crinkle" so are stored twisted and knotted. ATM they're in a basket in the bottom of my wardrobe.
I hear you on kitchen decluttering! DH's older brother keeps giving us gadgets that I either never use, or use once and then put in the back of the cupboard ... and eventually declutter them. Most recently was an all in one apple peeler and corer. The principle behind it was great. The problem was that in real life unless the apple was of medium size and perfectly round, it wouldn't work properly, and it's so much quicker to use a sharp knife!

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Re: March Declutter - Mentoring Each Other, 2019

Postby blessedw2 » Tue Mar 05, 2019 5:27 pm

a friend of mine had one of those apple corer and peelers
I agree it's faster to do an apple with a knife.
Yay to you dear kitty for konmarie folding! and on your new dressing table! how nice!!!
it is always a joy to be here with you!


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