March Appointments for Declutter and Organization, 2013

[ellyphant]

Took my stuff to Goodwill this time. It's easier to get a receipt there than at the other thrift store. Dropped off a bamboo shade and curtains from 2 rooms (left by previous homeowner, nice but not my style), a book, 3 doodads, a picture frame and a decorative blue bottle...and plastic Easter eggs. I just have no tolerance for clutter lately!

[Ivy]

My 3 spots that have files, etc. and crochet, in the great/dining room area are down to 2 spots. DH LAUGHED at me when one spot was totally cleared at the recliner-end-of-sofa arm, said I'd merely moved my stuff to the other 2 spots! Why do men point out things we already know? I don't "get" it sometimes. Is it the man in them? Or what! And then, if a wife points out something to the DH, she is a nag. I don't "get" that part either. Does this happen to everyone, or am I alone! He's delightful though, has a sense of humor, and helps out, too. But my files are my clutter, he doesn't go near them, but I'm slowly seeing some progress.

[Ivy]

I'm down to 1 stack of papers, folders, etc.. on the dining room table with 2 files set aside for story ideas I run across, too. The end table has a tidy stack, too. It's so nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

After Easter, I'll tackle the walk-in closet, walk-in pantry, the bunny room, the main office, and linen cupboard. I won't need to worry about the storage cupboard in the hall, because last summer, while grandsons were visiting, DH got stuff out, from the olden days, like war coupons, etc... from his parents, to show the boys. So DH did the decluttering then! It was so nice for him to do that for me/us!

Now, only if I could get him to do the garage.....

[Ivy]

I ended up running a little fever between 99* - 99.4* today, so the decluttering job got decreased. I put my writing files, off the dining room table, put them in my small office on my desk, where they should be anyway, as I slowly read through them. I still have the end table stack of items to sort through, but wanted to take it easier today, write letters, and I've filed some things back into the office basket on my shelf. I'm thoroughly enjoying some computer print-outs on FlyLady things, some gardening print-outs, and get this! I wrote notes on some tips on organizing the garden, I put the date, and it was dated 2011! THAT'S how side-tracked I am! DH does container gardening, but wants to do something different in front of the house. He doesn't tell me, just says he has some ideas. I guess I'll be surprised. And then I'll be jazzed once he does it, to make him feel so good!

So, I had printed up a butterfly dishcloth pattern, but it takes 1" ca-bone rings behind the antennae and I knew I had them in a metal tin box with hinges on it, but where did I put it? When I (sometimes) declutter, I accidentally forget where I've put things. Maybe it's the "fibro fog" in me. I had my kitty cat trotting right alongside me, to "help", as kitties do. I found the box in the bunny room drawer, where I'd PUT it, the rings ARE 1", the size needed, and I'm just so happy about this! I actually found something I'd put in a good place, during a declutter session!

I'm starting to "wonder" if it'd be smart to list items in drawers, on index cards, to keep in a file, to remind me of what is where? A sort of "go to" file. It might work!

[Ivy]

I decluttered our walk-in closet. DH did his things, when his pole came unsnapped the other day. He fixed the pole end with wooden hardware this time, rather than plastic. I rearranged all my clothes, decluttered clothes for donation to ARC, so the box is filling up. I'm getting rid of items, which are unattractive, too sheer, or too large or too small. It still leaves quite a few clothes, probably enough to get through the slow weight loss over the summer into fall. I swept the floor, too. It looks so much better! It's been on my "to do" list for about 2 weeks now, to the point it's embarrassing how I put things off.

I put some writing in a flat oval basket to the left of my great room chair, to reach down, to pick up to write by hand, while DH watches baseball, documentaries and old movies.

[Ivy]

When you declutter...... do you do it in baby steps of 15-minute increments or do you go ALL out and then crash and burn from exhaustion? I seem to keep overdoing it. I need to use a timer! I need to be better about that.

Also, do you set aside the same exact time every day to declutter? Or do you just do it when you have the time, whether it's morning, noon, or night?

Just curious as to what others do, because I'm either under-doing it, so it's not getting done, or I do too much and get way too exhausted.

[Nancy]

Today de-cluttering an attitude that needs to go!

[Ivy]

Today I de-cluttered some sad feelings about Dsis moving to Utah, in 6 months to 1 year, when they sell their home. I got to thinking of how this is an opportunity for them.

Also, de-cluttered some pen pals. I don't have the time nor energy to take care of my own health needs, the house, writing stories, trying to keep up on my reading, having time to crochet to enjoy myself, if I'm writing very short-short letter pals, who have gone their separate way from me. I'm down to 11 ladies, which is doable.

I de-cluttered those feelings of trying to "do it all", when I cannot. So I guess I had an attitude adjustment and decided to take more time for me to be more relaxed and just "be".