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May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Fri May 01, 2020 10:19 am
by Harriet
Last month was spent sheltering for our safety and the well-being of others, and that's how we begin this month, too, though things may change. If you are finding an impact on the cluttered-ness or clarity around your home because there is more time for you there, let us know.
Here on our boards, we've sometimes commented on more progress around the house, sometimes less because of other responsibilities or different reasons. Hmmm... .. 
We're interested!
This is a good time to ponder 
the motivation to declutter and the obstacles to it:
Is the absence of any others arriving at our homes changing priorities?
What about the lack of deadlines or outside responsibility? Does it make a difference?
Does the unavailability of storage items or cleaning supplies keep us from projects?
Does creativity call to us more during a time like this, taking the place of decluttering?
Have you had an epiphany or attitude adjustment that would interest us?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 5:07 pm
by Harmony
I found myself
wishing I had a big decluttering project to do. I had the time and a bit of motivation (due to boredom I guess) but no big project loomed in my brain. I do have something to do out in the garage, so will tell about that in a couple days.
5/11 Monday: I dragged tall ladder in and looked to see what was on very high shallow shelf in the long closet in the hall. That shelf is almost impossible to get to and take anything up and down, so only stuff we wouldn't normally need is put up there.
2 boxes to recycle, contents consolidated into smaller box. Probably will never use that stuff, but it was a new kit DH will probably miss since he put it up there. Little coffeemaker I kept when DH gave us this new one in donation bin. Mending item I'm probably never going to do, in rubbish bin. Big plastic kit of tourist maps for each state in donate bin. I gave up that dream.
Sat. I went through my closet and 1 drawer, donated luggage tags (still have a couple), wallet new but I'll probably never use, a clear sugar bowl with lid I'd been using for body powder. I threw away a few ointment tubes and 1 box not clean.
Usually this makes me feel better... but I'm down to the stuff DH wants to keep for no good reason...and I have to leave all those things alone.
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Mon May 11, 2020 5:48 pm
by Harriet
Well, my post congratulating Harmony is not here. Hmmm... ..
Oh well Harmony, I had thought this was a great report and thought I said so 
, even the parts that are listings of wishing there were better answers. You are being AWARE. I think sometimes I am overwhelmed with lots of thoughts all over the place, and then visually I stop seeing clutter. You mentioned early in the month that you had watched some Hoarders programs. They always light a fire under me. Where are you finding them, on some service like prime or netflix? and are they new or old? (I would probably glance at old ones, too.)
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Mon May 11, 2020 7:43 pm
by Harmony
Harriet, we still have satellite TV and find Hoarders on A&E on Sunday mornings. Also once in a while from noon to 2 the other Hoarder show is on TLC. They're all repeats. I think it's been a long while since they've made any. Are they on u-tube? I find them motivating. DH finds them annoying.
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Sat May 16, 2020 5:31 pm
by BookSaver
I will document a teeny tiny declutter victory. I'm starting to gather things to take up for DSis's annual garage sale. I will try to fill my car trunk over the next month, or however long it will be until we are able to have the sale.
So far I have taken out 6 Christmas decorations. They were gifts and they are pretty, but they aren't my favorites so they can go.
I know I have a box with some dishes that I planned to donate. I just need to remember where I stashed that box.
(Normally I donate rather than try to sell, but nobody is taking donations right now and I'll be going up to DSis's garage sale anyway to help sell DMom's household stuff she doesn't need any more now that she's living with DSis.)
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Tue May 19, 2020 12:55 pm
by Harmony
Today we took apart the old battery backup and got the battery out for recycling. The case has been thrown away. Helped to tidy up the office without that sitting there.
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Tue May 19, 2020 10:17 pm
by Harriet
an extra hour of recycle-sorting here tonight because in checking the weather, tomorrow has no break in the rain at all. Drove to the roadside in the drizzle and dark at 10:00 p.m., the only time the forecast drifted down to only 50 percent rain, and so I've gotten to something of a finish line on most.
I really can't miss a recycling day during this time, no matter how busy the Tuesday before it. (And today was a doozy) More cardboard is coming in than ever and we don't seem able to help it. But we still wait two weeks between pickups. I hope the process is actually helpful to society. Wish my back door entry wasn't the same thing as my tiny laundry space, but this is a 40-year reality for me.
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 12:35 am
by Harriet
BookSaver, I haven't tried to access a donation place lately but I doubt ours around here have their usual hours - or any hours - either. Something to call about.
Harmony, it's nice to know someone else has surprising things that should be taken out of their office area.
HRH surprised me by wanting to continue watching the 2019 Hoarders, so we may do that a bit at a time. We're surprised as well that dd likes it specifically because it does have more of the psychologist's work in it. So, not a loss. But I'm still on the lookout for that more practical type of clearing show, sometime.
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 8:33 am
by Twins' Mom
Our closest Goodwill has opened back up for donations so I should gather things up in the garage and get there. While in quarantine, I gave up on decluttering because I had no where to take anything and there's a stack already out there.
I'm pulling things out of the DR hutch for washing and perusal. I have a few small knicknacks that dmom had bought over the years that I'm checking out online. I'm offering to dkids before I donate but to me, they don't have sentimental value because they are recent - not dating to my childhood. But I was overwhelmed when cleaning out her house so brought home things I "might" want for later.
Assuming that we follow through with plans to set me up a desk and bookcases in the bonus room for genealogy, I believe I should also work on decluttering up there. I brought home from dmom's all the photos I found. Some unidentifiable, some from the days when all photos were "valuable" even the out-of-focus ones.
Re: May Declutter Strategy, 2020
Posted: Fri May 22, 2020 7:29 pm
by BookSaver
Found the box of dishes I set aside to donate and those are now out in my trunk to take to DSis's garage sale.
She wants to have the sale June 4-6 so now I have a deadline.
I always work better with a deadline.
