March 2022, Decluttering by Design

[Harriet]

I keep thinking if we all put the stuff we tossed and donated into one big pile - What would it look like?!!!

That was blessed's eye-opening musing last month! Makes ya think, doesn't it?

But getting that "visual" reminds that we DO have a visual to keep in mind that is not quite so ... .. um ... .. large? impressive? shocking?

The "visual" of our lovely homes, following ☙⊰ Our Own Designs ⊱❧ rather than the disappointing whims of clutter!

Come in and share your decluttering victories and struggles.

[Nancy]

Today I dropped a half kitchen bag of donations by the donation center when I was out doing errands.

[blessedw2]

thank you d Harriet!

the "disappointing whims of clutter" hit me -so true!!!- I know that when I have too much visual clutter and clutter that needs to leave that I feel a weight on my brain.
it's such a blessing to let it go.

yay d Nancy on getting donations done and errands done!

my new decluttering - is decluttering the old rugs and wood floors that are awful - It is so awful and I know when these things are taken care of that I can have company again.

[Harmony]

blessed, you did know that if yours are real solid wood floors, they can be re-sanded and stained and re-sealed again and look like new? I see them do that on TV all the time. Well, whatever you do, good job tackling something that big.

All the work I just did in my kitchen...my china closet is pretty full, but in all that stuff there was only 1 glass to throw out. It was etched in something that caused it to look dirty even though it wasn't. All the rest of the stuff is very special to me. I pulled out a mug which was a design that someone I know collects, so I'm going to give it to her. In these 3 places in my kitchen I had nothing else to get rid of.

[blessedw2]

I had someone do that years and years ago but I am worried that this may not happen on these floors. I gave dd older a list of names in our area and she has a person who knows about the companies etc. where the general public would not have the information. it's just that she has to do it. She will do that this week.

thank you d harmony!!!!

good for you enjoying the things you love and also donating what you let go of!

[blessedw2]

yesterday: donated 1 lace purse from dd Youngers communion
1 skirt of mine
1 dog seat belt that my dogs grew out of fast

still trying to see repairs as a decluttering project.

[Harriet]

That's interesting, blessed ... .. did we "declutter" our old roof here as much as we installed the new? Another way to think of it. One thing for sure, it makes a decluttering of the "to-do" list or "needs" list, and a decluttering of getting things off our minds.

I went through another drawer here in the office today.

Dd23 walked the house with me when she was here, and warned me against taking not-bedroom things into the bedroom even though there is more room. She really thinks I can streamline the creative and office things enough to avoid that. My dmother kept her sewing machine with its drawered cabinet in the bedroom and I know that as I learned to sew the two of us must have made my ddad slightly crazy that we were taking over the space with projects. I will try to keep things in dedicated spaces, so MY design comes out instead of feeling pressed into clutter's decisions.

[Nancy]

After working on the creativity room desk yesterday I had a tall kitchen trash can of papers full.
I took them out to the trash this morning that felt great and I love seeing all the space on the tables now!
Yea for progress on my 15 min. of zone work was that.

I had picked up a tote on wheels for h. at a thrift shop it is not being used so thinking I can re-donate it.
Put it in the kitchen it is a toe stubber so got it out to the rig.
Hoping I am ready to let go of this item.
Was an emt bag in a previous life had med. symbols on it.

You gals are so inspiring! Thanks so much.

[Harriet]

Trying to quantify decluttering today - tossed are:
approximately one heaping laundry basket-full of clothing/linens that are past keeping any longer and filing items that can go. Also got rid of the laundry basket It was the worst-looking of a matching set of four and we don't need that many now, with just 2 people.

But the quality was more impressive:
The sequence of events was that, while cleaning, I worked on the largest hall closet, consolidating/decluttering the hanging things until finally I had a space from floor to rod, and about 2 feet wide.

Showed that to HRH and asked if the tall black filing cabinet that is so in the way and depressing in my sewing/office could be moved there. This would be such a boon to sewing, but even more to my mental health and functioning in the room. Well, wouldn't you know it, the old-style handles of it would make it 1/2-inch too deep to fit.

So HRH started measuring and figuring on the problem and moved items from the other hall closet, which is deeper, to that new space. Then we took out everything from the two heaviest drawers of the filing cabinet. Then, on an old cloth bathmat, we slid the filing cabinet to that closet.

Voila! turn-around space for me! No big black metal thing in my creative space anymore.

Then the not-so-fun part of 1) somewhat sorting through (on bed surface) what had been in those two drawers,
2) realizing that there was simply no time for more work today if the bed was going to be slept in tonight, and
3) putting most things back in, to wait for another work day.

A couple file folders did get tossed, one forgotten photo was found and scanned, one old genealogy record was recovered. Two newspaper clippings were photocopied, so that even though they may not be in the perfect place yet, they are archived on paper that's going to last, with more than one copy.

[Harmony]

Harriet, I know what you mean about visual stuff that bothers us. I am surrounded by file cabinets (3 in this room) and 1 tall bookcase filled with catalogues. Blek! And in the bedroom, the place that people-who-know tell us we should keep a peaceful place with no distractions...is an elliptical machine and one of those tilt tables. Right. Next. To. The. Bed. Yep.

I am way past my limit of visual clutter here too. In the kitchen especially.

And now knowing that the drawers of a triple dresser are filled, I must have a big decluttering session soon. I am less in love with the clothes in the too-small-to-wear bin. I am hearing taps when I spy that thing out the corner of my eye.

In the car for drop off tomorrow are the 4 big upholstered pillows that arrived with the new couch a couple years ago. Didn't expect them to be part of the couch. Remember moving them to a chair so we could sit on the couch in the store...how does one use a couch when the pillows take up 85% of the space? I never understood that...and when we got them I suggested donating them and DH was not happy... but with all this going on around here I said "enough" and they are in the back of the car...along with a few clothes I have decided not to spend time altering... so on the way home tomorrow they will be gone gone gone.