March Declutter Strategy, 2024

[Harriet]

Oh, the joy of opening a well-ordered drawer! Everything in its place, no need to rummage or curse - just go straight to what you're looking for! Doesn't that sound like heaven? And it's so easy to do! It only takes a minute to keep things well ordered, so start today, don't put it off until tomorrow, start now. Do it, dear! Try to do a drawer every month: that way you'll keep on top of clutter rather than saving it up.
- Kim Woodburn and Aggie McKenzie in their book, "How Clean Is Your House?"

Do you have spaces in your house that make you say, "Oh the joy!" because of clutter that has given way to space and order? Give yourself the gift of revealing some joyous space, and do tell your friends here about it. Let us know about your February or this-year-so-far successes, and tell us about your commitments to declutter appointments for March.

[Harriet]

It's been an "oh, the joy" thing for me to have proper order in the sewing room lately. The big project just has temporary containers, but they are easy to understand. I have a box in which I have put layers of work, with current on the top and then the next items needed below that and so on and so on down to the bottom. I have a tray that actually can fit into the box when it needs to, in which I have the next cut pieces of fabrics to use, most pinned with safety pins that have tags with shorthand explanations on them. Parts that are finished and waiting still have room vertically, flat on the design board, so they are taking up no space, just looking pretty. That won't last, of course, and soon I'll have to decide what to do with parts that just won't fit on there anymore.

Plans are firming up for dd25 to begin taking items stored here to the couple's future house. They know the closing date now for sure, I think. She will have plenty of room to store things there beginning shortly after that. Boxes of stored items can go, freeing us up a little bit here. I don't know the young man's plans about when he will actually move in. I'm sure it worries him to put too much there before he starts sleeping there. Maybe an investment in curtains, even temporary, should be suggested. We'll see. And, even though we are sad on the one hand, we will actually have a freed-up small room sometime in June.

[Harriet]

HRH had a bright idea of changing the way we save recyclables that will take up less floor space. We'll have a more vertical box for them. So far, I can't see any downside.

I redid a lot of our gift wrapping so that it's more organized and takes up less space.

[Nancy]

Counting this as progress, I checked on how to do a donation today I needed the protocol with an agency
in my county. They did not know at the office but will be getting contacted later from some one in the know later on.

[blessedw2]

d Harriet thank you for keeping these threads going. I have so much appreciation for you!
I love the quote d harriet!

yay for you d harriet and you d Nancy!

Our garage had gotten bad over the winter - I mean bad.
The closet upstairs has not been working at all
dd Youngers closet is my and her closet now as dh has the big walk in (not beautiful) closet
dd older has given me a focus list to help me break things down and it is working very well. It got me started; which most times is the most difficult part of decluttering or acting for me.

today's
I tossed a pot that was supposed to be non stick - The coating has left and I have never found most of those pots as workable for me.
I did buy cast iron but I am not sure if it is worth the work. I know it is a staple for many people. recycled some lids that I no longer have pots for.
recycled a bunch of plastic containers with lids. I save them but they seem to have babies! (reminds me of the old cool whip containers being used for left overs etc).
went through socks yesterday and minimized them.
went through dd Youngers closet and mad it workable and let go of things that I don't need.

Things I am trying to figure out: I have food safe containers for extra baking etc, pasta and rice storage, (3 really heavy ones), that I bought when we had mice issues in fall and grain moths as well. Not a problem (knock on wood) for a while. They are in the laundry room pantry and I don't think it's working for us but I don't want things on the shelf. Basement ? I am not sure I want food items (even in containers) in the basement or the garage.

[blessedw2]

I was proud of my decluttering yesterday -

[Nancy]

Bw2 I have seen folks put things like rice in plastic 5 gal. buckets.

I tossed 2 pr of slippers and one pr. of shoes. They were done!!!
Got that can out to the curb this week with branches in it too it was full!

[blessedw2]

yay on having the slippers and shoes gone d Nancy!