October Appointments for Declutter and Organization

[Harriet]

Here we go, diving into October together!

Everybody, go look at your house!

(It's okay, we'll wait.)

Envision a clear, clutter-free home for your holidays. (After all, they are YOUR holidays in your home, right?) It starts way back here on the calendar - with our October declutter appointments!

Mentally work backwards from your vision a little, to see how you will accomplish it.

One is : Divide the clutter into chunks that you think will take about 15 minutes each. ("Pile on corner chair", "stack of magazines", "1/2 of the music/movies organized", "straighten under-stairs space to store those boxes", etc) We can do anything for 15 minutes! Actually write these down using your preferred method: cards, calendaring, etc. Then, get ready to refer to them for a 15-minute declutter appt with friends here each day, or your own time-arrangement of 15s (you might like an hour every few days with the last 15 of the hour posting how brilliantly you did!).

Choose your own path, or, if you'd like to be working in the same rooms with others this month, come find us in these rooms, preceding their Focus cleaning the following week:

For weeks beginning
9/30/2013 - Decluttering outdoors as we Focus Clean storage areas
10/7/2013 - Decluttering the kitchen as we Focus Clean outdoors
10/14/2013 - Decluttering the living room as we Focus Clean the kitchen
10/21/2013 - Decluttering the dining room as we Focus Clean the living room
10/28/2013 - Maintenance Round Begins

[Nancy]

Trash truck has come and gone so we have less here.

[Ivy]

Thanks for the lead-in for October, Harriet.

I set my timer for 15 minutes and decluttered and/or tidied:
1- the eating bar
2- the dining room table
3- the end table
4- the master bathroom
5- the eating bar shelves
______________________

After those 15 min. were up, here came the mail! I sorted through all of it, on the eating bar again, I divided it into letters for me to answer, stuff with our address on it to burn, and recycle. It was a good day! I got 3 letters, DH got a magazine, and one letter had a friendship book in it, too.

Now I owe 6 ladies letters, but when I'm all caught up, they'll be decluttered out of the house to the mailbox.

Also, I'm doing a laundry catch-up, trying to declutter the laundry basket.

[Nancy]

It was so hot in Sept. And camping took up time so
Now I am working on the entrances,
deck, patio & carport
as the weather is SO much
more agreeable for it.

[Ivy]

I decluttered the laundry basket and those places where I'd laid out the clean laundry flat. My kitty cat "inspects" the laundry basket when it's empty or party full of 1 - 2 items! I feel like she's judging me!

[Ivy]

I decluttered some wash cloths, while re-folding towels, hand towels, wash cloths, and cleaning clothes. I also have a wall quote canvas calligraphy plaque with a little tiny dent, which is barely visible. I have 2 similar plaques from Dsis, so will keep those, and donate the rest, which are usable, to ARC. I have 2 boxes labeled for ARC, will continue to go through our cabinets and cupboards for more items to donate, too.

Editing Later: I no sooner wrote the letters "ARC" on 2 boxes this a.m., but ARC phoned this afternoon, to come for a donation the 10th! I told her I'd just labeled 2 boxes this a.m., too. I found some clay muffin pots in their box with the lid, which has muffin directions/recipe on it, a velour suit, which was too cold of material to wear in winter, and a thermal weave pair of pajamas about 4 sizes too small than me. I got out 4 mugs we never use, which match, put washcloths in the handles and around them so they won't chip or break in moving them in the truck. I got a little metal breakfast-in-bed tray out with a cartoon character on it. A child can color on it like it's a desk, while they're in bed or are on the sofa or chair, like recliner or chair with ottoman. I put in some home-sewn by me 4th of July-Rooster placemats, which we never use because they're woven cotton and we like acrylic, woven bamboo, vinyl, etc... The donation's coming together and I'll go through my craft drawers, too. I have a skirt pattern and apron pattern, but never sew because it's too much trouble and then when I sew something for myself, I won't wear it because it looks home-made. I used to be a beautiful seamstress, but with my eyes now, it's such a chore. Anyway, I'm excited about ARC coming and blessing others while I declutter at the same time.

[Nancy]

I donated two books while I was at the library.

[Ivy]

I sorted and filed the recycle mail in the paper bag and the addresses into the burn, read my mail and put it away in the office. I decluttered 2 friendship books, by including them into a letter going out in the mail tomorrow.

[Ivy]

Sorted and decluttered the in-coming mail on the eating bar.
Read an e-book on decluttering, which is listed in "Across the Table" thread under the board of "What are you reading this year?" made by Nancy.
Then I decluttered the bedroom, have fresh sheets on the bed, decluttered the great room end tables, the dining room table and my eating bar spot where I kept 3 x 5's, a bunny, list pad, pencil and pen and Bible Verse desk calendar. I moved the cards into the office, next to my laptop to keep me on track.
I printed updated lists of medications for doctors, put them in a file, and put away yarn totes from under the bay windows in the dining room. Eventually, at Christmas, they'll be decluttered from my home when the 3 afghans go home with the 3 youngest grands.
I'm hot and sweaty, don't know if I'll tackle my office and bunny room next, or will rest, and save the office/bunny room for tomorrow. I feel like I'm on a roll, so might take a break and then go back at it.
It's nice to get things organized, in a lined basket with notebooks, journals, a day runner, devotion booklet, etc.. It leaves the wood on the end table showing, looks so nice, decorative, warm and inviting. I enjoyed how the author said when there is too much clutter, it bars off the light, making it less inviting, but when you declutter, have fewer things, there is more light and the area is more inviting and when people see it, they're happier, too.

[Ivy]

Harriet, When I read your declutter and focus list, I wrote the dates and everything down when they were posted. I did declutter the kitchen, with a bit more to do.

Today, DH swept and cleaned the front covered porch, steps and sidewalk and also blew leaves away on 2 or 3 roads with his Craftsman mower.

I've been working on decluttering the great room lately, but I really need to go to town on the focus kitchen cleaning! My spice rack gets dusty, each and every bottle needs to come out, each bottle dusted, then the spice rack stainless steel and black holder needs to be cleaned. It's a job I detest, it's so "picky" or time-consuming and just hate it. Now I don't mind taking utensils for cooking off hangers or out of pots to clean, clean their resting storage spots, and putting everything back. I think THAT'S fun! Now if I could just get that type of enthusiasm for my spice rack!

When we get to the dining room, I have a lot to do, namely the drawers and behind doors of the china cabinet. When we focus on the great room that week, it'll be so nice to have that room done, where we live because of big-screen TV, the fireplace, slider doors view out onto the back yard, where I nap in the recliner, etc....

Also, Harriet, I LOVE ♥ your idea of dividing clutter into chunks and doing 15 minutes at a time or write down on 3 x 5 cards to report, too. I'm looking forward to being ready by the end of October, to have a nice clean and orderly home, with the ARC donation gone on 10/10 and also, I'll be satisfied and so razzed to be at the "maintenance round" beginning! Thanks so much for putting together such a clever, motivating, simple, list to go by, Harriet! I was so impressed and am glad I'm keeping it in my office where I'll actually READ & SEE it!