Declutter Strategy Meeting, May 2017

[blessedw2]

d harriet it is hard to own a business! Actually I would love if she didn't have her own business but she loves it especially now that she has been working with business. You would be surprised that businesses (because of their staff) run into trouble all the time. It's actually pretty interesting - her brain is different than mine lol

I will stop by again and say hi to everyone.

dd's has been a mental and physical challenge for me. I have the painter coming tuesday to give me a guess-ta-mit - I wish I thought like dd older because I see chaos and get overwhelmed. She sees a pattern that can work.

[Harmony]

So today I was at DH's job where he's building a bedroom onto a house, entry from the end of the living room. We had to go inside to do something with the wall and I got to see the inside of her house for the first time.

I gotta say, I just stood there and looked around in amazement. It looked like a new house staged to sell. Countertops and table tops bare. Not one thing out of place. Now this is an older house, actually a modular home and the outside isn't landscaped neatly with flowers and bushes and living there are a grandmother, a middle-age mother and a young adult. Not one spec of dirt or lint anywhere inside. I was just shocked. Shocked I tell ya. Why can't my house be like that?

[blessedw2]

lol d harmony I so understand! Your dh's work sounds remarkable!

[blessedw2]

I think I need to rethink my clutter as well as dd younger's and dh's clutter. I am truly tired of wasting my time on moving and packing stuff - so many decisions.
dd's room is empty - but it is in other parts of the house in corners until I can continue the basement. The front room, the kitchen, the family room (not much), the 3 season room (not much), sock bucket - why do I have a sock bucket: it means I have too many socks.

I think I want to keep track of how much time I devote to clutter moving etc. it's not worth it - a lifetime of keeping and tossing and keeping then moving it is not enjoying time as much being a prisoner to stuff.

I think I will offer dd younger an option... she can rent a place for her stuff -being the saver she is I have a feeling that won't be an option. I will have to figure out how to do it in a kind but productive way - dd older has her stuff but it's minimal. Same with dh - his garage is bulging again. He is more a dreamer than using his stuff.

eventual: go through sewing stuff - I received back my sewing machine from d mil when she passed so I will have to donate one.

other things: see where I am now and what I love

I love being with family - the stuff is not as important as them.
I love being outdoors - boy the stuff has kept me away from the outdoors recently - I love the water
I love learning - I haven't been able to do french for 2 weeks. class is over but I am continuing my education with a tutor.
I love painting, art etc. but at minimal
I love museums
I love to read

so working with that I can see it is moments and doing I love; it's not moving the crud or the crud.



I still love learning - scout stuff is still a hit for me - learning things but I will get rid of my old girl scout books but not my 1950's and the first book from scouts. I will keep the boy scout field book as I use that for learning new outdoor things.

I no longer need architecture stuff of dd's but I have been holding it because of that old voice of "someone could use this" which just buries you!

[blessedw2]

I have had a shocker regarding my craft stuff - I know have 3 sewing machines - d mil gave me my old one back after she passed, d mom gave me one that she didn't care for bc she bought an expensive one, and I had a cheap singer from a couple years ago bc my good one hit the dust. I have to find my foot peddle for that and clean it up to donate.

The real shocker - My craft boxes grew from one to 4 big plastic boxes- how did that happen. I know what I love to do and some of this stuff no longer fits the crafts I want to do. My Christmas stuff had babies as well especially with dd older's work and people getting rid of their christmas stuff.

I want to get rid of my village but I don't think the d kids want me to - but if dd younger is putting up the train set she got from her sweet grandpa then it has to go.

I also have an antique wicker stroller - late 1800's that we pushed dd younger in for her baptism. I have moved it so many times and I want to get rid of it - we used it one day only - dd younger got baptized in December in dh's and my church we got married in so we couldn't use it.

[blessedw2]

dd younger loved her room. She said had no idea that her room was that big.

[blessedw2]

I thought I had 4 boxes of craft stuff - I didn't! Unfortunately I had 3 boxes of Village art supplies for christmas - I have to have a meeting with d kids and dh re this. I need to find a place out of the main area of the basement - I need to have someone go in the crawl space and put the village and its other boxes in there. I think getting these off the shelves in the closet in the basement will give me room for real current stuff.

I did go through my craft box though and threw out all my wool flannel (colourful) I know I will no longer do little craft dolls, purses etc. I tossed it - yes I could donate it but after seeing the scouting cabin years ago I know they have tooooooooo much from other crafters who couldn't let go. Everything was so old and outdated.

dd youngers art stuff has been gone through. her oils, my water color paints and brushes, dd's brushes and drawing pads and books are all in one clear box. Very proud.

I also have 2 coats that are Norwegian coats that wouldn't be popular here in this area's donation but would be up in Door County - so I am going to box them and send them to the donation shop up there. Realized this was dysfunctional and unnecessary thinking - I gave them to dh to donate locally

it's really hard to break things into workable parts when you have too much to look at

I got my cheaper singer newish machine up with all the things that go with it for donation. Dh will take it today.
CHRISTMAS MUST BE PARED DOWN AGAIN - I didn't know which Christmas things dd older wanted to keep from the donations people gave - So I just tossed it into the christmas boxes.

[blessedw2]

Clutter is confusing - geesh it takes so much time. Boy I am tired of it taking up my time.

[blessedw2]

packed all but one of dd youngers pottery barn white wicker baskets - packed her twin bedding and sheets from college and other college stuff. (2 boxes of that).

hung up my curtains from the front room that have been cleaned to hang up eventually

got rid of another bag of garbage and more wire hangers.

tomorrow is garbage day. I am too tired to do more.

I have to simplify my thinking. I think I need to focus in one area - the 3 season room. I need to pack dd older's kitchen stuff that she had gotten from other people that is in the 3 season room. I need to go through my kitchen things to see what is workable in my current kitchen etc.

[blessedw2]

well - today I am depressed by having to go through more clutter. I am sure the weather is part of it plus sinus issues that caused me to go back to sleep until almost noon. If I had my way all the stuff would be gone. Plus each day dh is bring more books in - one a day.

tossed 4 garbage bags out - dd olders collection of things from last garage sale - gone!

I went through the resealable containers and recycled. I now only keep a couple different sizes with lids as I only use a couple at a time. I had to finally admit to myself that I didn't know where the containers and where the lids were - I tossed them in a basket believe it or not. I almost built a holder that would hold all of them.. so silly as I don't need that many.

dd older also had planned on keeping some kitchen supplies from other peoples houses bc she didn't want to spend her own money but I tossed most of it as the items were gross. I am slowly (slowly) getting her a couple things that I will give to her during a couple christmases.

I am going through my 3 season room again - it needs a good washing.