December 2022, Decluttering by Design

[Harriet]

It's the time of year in which, perhaps (colds, bugs, pestilences and flus notwithstanding), we can enjoy inviting others into our lovely homes and be gratified because of the Decluttering by Design we've done over the year!

Are you in :
"maintenance" mode for a calm season,
decorating mode for a hospitable season, or maybe
"elbow-room mode" for a creative season with space to make things of beauty (like cookies)?

No matter what your reasons for getting and staying decluttered, we love to hear from you about your decluttering battles and how they work for you.

[Harmony]

Today I brought out the box with different yarns in it. Was surprised how much I had. It's been ages since I've used my crochet hook or my knitting needles. I put the yarn all in a nice plastic zippered bag. Into the donation bin. Don't have any ideas of using it for anything or starting any of those projects. Thinking about what I'd do if I was ever told there was a grandchild on the way. I'm not convinced they'd appreciate anything like that. Anyway, glad to be rid of it.

I have too many clothes, though not everyday ones. I love everything I have hanging in the closet. Hard to pare down in a case like this. Gonna think some more.

[Nancy]

I took the too small cups off the counter and out to the shed.
Where I put things I do not want to take to the thrift shop in cold wintery days.
Got some Christmas sweater ad holiday shirts boxed up that no longer fit ready to donate.

[Harmony]

Up to the thrift shop today. I've donated some plates and mugs I got specifically to stage the house we sold. Looking at the bottoms of those pieces, it says made in china, microwavable but might get hot there. So because of that, they're gone. And a few other things I just didn't really love. A few more everyday things that I had way too many of for just the 2 of us. Of course, the golf clubs, glad to have those gone. And some purse things, a wallet in good shape, stuff like that from the closet. Gotta keep at it.

I was going to write a few Christmas cards today.....but decided to get the donations gone instead. Great decision!

Adding to my thread going here. Yesterday up at the GW, I was behind and waiting for a lady to empty her car with her husband bringing out piles of stuff too from the back seat. The worker was piling it all up on a rolling cart. When it was finally my turn I asked him if they were getting so much more now that the GW closer to me was closed with damage. He said he was getting slammed with stuff and much of it was wet and moldy and people were not wanting to pay the landfill and just taking it to them. I don't know why they don't just leave it out for the pickup. Suppose they just want it gone because the pickups are so slow to happen. But that really isn't fair to the thrift because they have to pay to dispose of all that unusable stuff. I don't know why they don't just refuse to take this kind of stuff.

Anyway, I donated the last of the Christmas stuff I'm no longer using. On a whim I grabbed a bag full of books from the bookcase, stuff I had but not really interested in any more. I could easily put everything into 1 bookcase now rather than 2 and bring the other to the office and get rid of the one back there, but don't think DH would agree. Well, anyway, progress is progress!

[Harriet]

I'm in "elbow-room mode" with a little bit of "decorating mode".

Emptied a box today and either tossed or found correct places for all it was toting. I'd say 2 or 3 cubic feet are freed up, box tossed. Along the way, discovered an unopened pair of gift socks for a child (character socks) that can be given to a grandchild in the next few days and used all winter, so that's a win.

HRH stepped in ahead of me and ordered and sent a baby gift in one online swoop. I had assumed I would be gathering mint green little clothes, wrapping, gathering packaging and then going to P.O., but it's done. That's a form of declutter - efficient gifting with nothing in your own house in the first place. It's his friend's baby - so I trust that the two men thought of a good gift idea between them.

Harmony, bookcases look so good with open space between groupings of books, anyway. They look calming that way!

[Nancy]

I have books stacked up ready to go, and some boxes but will wait till a warmer day.

[Nancy]

CI ~Got the dresser decluttered in the basement in the zone I am working on the rec. room currently.

Boxing day for me has always been clear out the stuff from packages wrappings ect. that were under the tree.
This year not so much but amz. boxes are coming in hand for Items to donate like books I've read and am not keeping.
Crafts I am done with like the wax stuff for furniture repainting I am not longer doing lord knows why I kept empty one of those!
They got tossed.

Plus the last bag of leaves I had done up before the snow in the fall left.
I put the half can of leaves in the carport in to go out this next week.

Now that that snow is done I can bag up some more to go in the coming weeks. That is the plan oh I need to put that in my workbook!
My finger is taped and I keep making misspelled words sorry.

I rounded up some of the decor items Cmas sweater, gift bags etc. and they are down stairs on the table ready to go in the holiday tote red and green ones. Glad I have sorted out the holiday mugs and let go of too small ones they are in the shop now.

Declutter the top of a desk. Yea!
Tossed maps no one is using and there is google now, they were not old maps.
Most of the stuff I should toss / keep / ? this stuff. Not much but got tired and did not get back to it. Was from the office upstairs.
So I bagged up some tossed it and have 3 boxes of paperwork tba where I will put that with other papers I suppose but need to better label it
"farm paperwork" for example. Put the boxes in the room with old paperwork. shredded 4 boxes of checks from a closed account for lh & sibs family stuff. Yea for that progress it is a weight off my mind I must say yea!

[Harriet]

A quick update on the "declutter" of my gifting by HRH. The friend who became a Daddy for the first time after they'd tried so hard for so long - he called and said he and his wife had teared up at the gift "we" sent! (photo-on-canvas of an especially sweet picture they'd sent of their baby's face in hospital cap. Sent straight to their home. I knew nothing about it beforehand.)

Well, obviously, that wouldn't have happened if I'd gone to all the trouble I planned, and 1) shopped for baby clothes, 2) cluttered up a table with "baby" wrap/tissue, plus 3) packaged it in the midst of Christmas wrapping-paper progress, then 4) figured out how to drive out and ship the package. I'm sure they've seen baby clothes a lot lately and aren't tearing up over them.

With all the other gift-choosing HRH does for Christmas, he's just about to get this job as a regular, permanent thing! A very good example of delegating. We don't have to do everything. Other family members may be very capable.

[Nancy]

Today counting some paper taming and tossed perfume bottles I do not use.
Small table is out of the house need to put a free sign on it and put it at the curb.
I put out some other things in the can forgot what paint jars etc. can is full.