April Declutter, Showering Attention, 2018

[Harriet]

We think of showering attention on a dear person. Showering attention on a home is a blessing to ALL the dear persons who come in contact with it - especially the homemaker!

Just a brief April Shower can change the atmosphere so much. If we'll take as little as 15 minutes a day to shower a home with declutter attention, we give it an atmospheric change, too!

Consider setting a timer. Work briskly like a sudden shower ☂ to refresh your surroundings. The timer reminds you that you can do anything for a short time, and with your own chosen end in sight, of 15, 30 or more, decluttering can become a game to see how much you can get done.

[blessedw2]

I love this d harriet!
I can not wait until you write your book

I really enjoyed the thought that I am blessing others and myself who come into contact with my home. I never thought that way!

[blessedw2]

While in the bedroom I got rid of multiple things - especially things that I knew should go but put it off.
I 1/2 made a painted statue - pottery thing of Jesus, Mary and Joseph but it needed 2 more layers on it (It had sat out for 30 years - it was pretty but never finished) and the only reason I kept it was because it was religious - it is finally gone! I have nice one from by grandmother that is beautiful china. (like Danish China)

[Harmony]

So I was just watching the garbage collectors take away our stuff and the extra can rolled into the street. I was out the door to go fetch it when the guy on the back of the truck started running all the way down the street to get it. Hollered out to him that I'd get it but thank you and he nodded. I'm just glad he took the extra because they're not supposed to.

Interesting insight the other day. We worked in the garage of a single lady (widow) no kids there any more. 5 bedroom house. BIG garage. We had to work around a lot of boxes, miscellaneous stuff all piled up. Only a bit of space. Annoying. So many boxes it looked like she was maybe packing up to move. We're old time friends with this lady so I asked her if she was getting ready to move. Ah, no, I keep the house red up (I haven't seen it) but not the garage. Said her problem was her energy level.

It was sorted to the point I could have gotten rid of stuff in a couple hours tops. But she's in her 80's and now having trouble taking care of these things. It made me think how I need to get a handle on my garage NOW while I can.

Don't think, ok I'll do it some day. Some day you might not be able. I have several things in mind and just need to get my car back first.

[Nancy]

Yes I agree need to do this getting rid of stuff now while I can. I have trash day in the morning I need to look for a bag of stuff to go out in the basement. When I am getting the laundry upstairs. In a bit. And round up the rest of the trash. I told dd of the progress I had been making this fall.

[Harriet]

Hmmm... ... sounds like that lady's children may be thinking of their mother's home as storage space... ..

Ddil's parents cleaned out their attic and her father brought all her old things, even from childhood, to her garage. We walked past the boxes and my grandson said, "Pop says that's my Mommy's stuff now!" Ds rolled his eyes. I asked him, do I get to do this, too? And he said, nope, because YOU have permission to throw everything of mine away!

Unfortunately, even that is NOT a complete solution, because he also hasn't taken some things that are inherited from previous generation, and they are not negotiable with me - he WILL someday have them.

[Nancy]

I did some more in the sewing zone, sorted more fabric bits too small for quilt blocks. Got a groc. Store sack of those decluttered and tossed them yea for progress.

I have to get the blocks that were sewn together delt with so they are not out on the table so I know what to do next I guess. sigh.

[Harmony]

I could tell by the stuff there it was not her kids' stuff. A huge quilt rack with old old worn out stuff hanging, an awful lot of just empty boxes, not broken down, just laying around taking up space. A couple worn quilts (I mean just in tatters) I asked if she sewed them herself because she quilts but she said no they were just ones bought. Big 3-car garage and she can't even get her 1 small car inside.

I have stuff gathered to donate but need to get the car back first.

[BookSaver]

Yesterday I decluttered a kitchen cupboard. I bought a set of clear canisters that are rectangular. They will replace a variety of storage containers gathered over time by reusing spice jars and such. The shapes of the new canisters fit in the cupboard better so there is more space, and the lids seal better to keep dry beans longer.

The shelves look a lot more organized. I didn't have any expired food to throw away from that cupboard.

TinyTown is having Spring Clean Up Days from today through Tuesday. They will allow residents to drop off at the water tower location for free: clean metal that is too large for our normal curbside recycle bin, electronics, and small appliances for recycling, and also extra household garbage for which they would normally charge $1 per bag. On Monday residents can put larger appliances on the curb for free pick-up, and Tuesday we can put out furniture.

We don't have a lot of that kind of stuff, but every little thing out of the house will help. Tomorrow I'll take the old crock pot base and microwave to the trailer. Monday we have a broken dehumidifier to set out on the curb. Tuesday I can put out an old office chair. Or I could take the chair tomorrow if it will fit in my car.

[Harmony]

Booksaver, I wish we'd have something like that in our town. I know it would keep people from just finding an empty spot and dumping.

More progress in my garage. I'm working on 4 big shelving units, 22 shelves in total plus a couple other spots and 4 cabinets up on the wall. I still have some reorganizing on the last shelf to do, but so far the rolley garbage can is almost full and a lot in the recycle bin. Most of the shelves are now wiped clean.

DH came in and blew out all the cobwebs and leaves with leaf blower as I moved stuff around for him. He began looking around in his shop. I pointed out that we used to be able to walk right up to his lumber racks and now there is a few feet of stuff piled up in front. He was thoughtful about all that and ok'd for me to throw out several big things. I think I have him talked into a whole shop reorganization! Wow.

I even told him I'd do the whole thing, he could just sit in a chair and tell me what to do and I'd do it. The whole thing would be too much for him I know.

So I am going back out to finish some more.

Ok, I'm back. All those shelves done and the walls behind and some of the ceiling. Swept the floor of all the stuff I brushed off the shelves. Everything is neat. Nothing is piled up on top of each other. There are spaces between things and 5 1/2 shelves are now empty! Wow.

I still have a corner and a small 3-shelf unit on the other side and then it is all done. My garbage can is very heavy and full and the recycle one is halfway full. It's nice to have just about everything up off the floor now.

Ok this is going to be a novel by the time I'm done! Today (Fri) I got another big batch of stuff done out there. The 2 corners and the little shelving unit took longer than all the other stuff I did yesterday. It was more complicated and I did a lot of standing, looking, considering how to make sense of it. I did the best I could with it.

I also went through the 2 big trunks of records and 1 was completely full of old stuff to discard. I have 2 garbage cans full and it is so heavy I can't lift it. I will put some in the regular bin every week until it's all gone. I also have 2 other big heavy things to go but my bin is too heavy already so those will wait also. All that's left is the 3-drawer cabinet which is my "junk drawer". I might do that tomorrow. Sure glad to have this done.

____________ _____________________________ ___________________
Saturday: Finished the last corner. Brought in the cabinet, but it's 4 drawers instead of the 3 I thought. I had about 7-8 gallons (measured by buckets) thrown away and 2 full bags to go into shop bins. The drawers are hardly full and they started out stuffed. I had about a shoebox full of stuff to go in the donate bin. The pile of stuff I didn't know what it was was gone through and DH even threw some stuff away. Whew-ee! Cleaning that thing was hard but I did it between the sink inside and hose outside. I spray painted the top and fronts white again. I cleaned out the casters and lubricated them so they'd roll better.

Whole project completely done. I think it'll be a while till I feel like decluttering anything again.