October Appointments for Declutter and Organization

[Nancy]

Got 2 loads of stuff hauled off today yea for progress!

[Ivy]

I found patriotic roosters handmade placemat #6, so put it in the ARC donation box for donation truck on the 10th.

Took a stack of hanging files, from off the main office tall art table desk, put them away in a file DD gave me for hanging filed. The file container is heavy-duty hard plastic with a lid, so I can tote it to sort through it, anywhere in the house. I have an idea: I can tote-to-sort anywhere, so why not tote-to-sort everything I have in files, baskets, etc... in 3 rooms where I've accumulated items? It'll be nice to not be stuck in the office. I can put my feet up and listen to music or watch TV.

I am doing snail mail, so will "de-clutter" letters to the mailbox on Monday. DH goes to Costco on Mon., so he can mail on his way. Also, pals who send me comics and things, write notes on them, get those items de-cluttered into paper recycle, but if I get things without writing on them, I pass them on to other pals.

[Ivy]

I threw away a butcher paper apron pattern I once drew for myself. I put a skirt pattern (Kwik Sew) and 2 Fun Fur short scarves, in the ARC donation. I had 2 directions for scrap booking, which were identical, so I put one in recycle. I threw away some garbage, old list pad, and some mail went to the burn bag. Baby steps.

[Ivy]

I dumped the trash from waste baskets all over the house and DH is taking the garbage out and up to the road to declutter garbage for pick-up in the morning.

Also, DH swept his mess of dust bunnies and slippers from under his side of the bed. He found 3 pairs of slippers, which he dusted off, for the ARC donation, to go out tomorrow.

[Ivy]

The ARC truck came this morning and picked up 2 boxes of donation things, which we've decluttered from our home. YEAH!

[Nancy]

I decluttered a drawer of small trial sized things donating some others I was able to make use of.
I have a small bag to go to the thrift shop in the car trunk now.
I dropped off those donations when I was doing errands.

[Ivy]

I threw away somebody's old soduku ( ) puzzle. I dumped trash yesterday. Today I rearranged things in the bunny room where I'll be doing paper crafts at the desk. DH threw away holey slippers the other day and the ARC donation's been gone.

[Ivy]

Last p.m. I don't know what "possessed" me! But I have a 2-drawer fling cabinet made of fake wood because when we moved in here, we couldn't afford the end tables matching our sleigh bed and still cannot. I'm very happy because with what we have now gives us more storage.

I went through the drawers. I found get well cards from surgeries in 2005 AND 2010. I found doctor info, lab results dating back to 2007. I found some S. S. stuff I didn't need to hang onto from 2004, on up, too. I found so many ridiculous things, stuff from credit card offers, and others. I threw away 2 armloads of papers, into the burn. I'm SooooOOOOoooo embarrassed I'd "hung onto" these items when I didn't need to. I should've decluttered much sooner than last night.

My idea now, is to make my drawer be planned out for book-reading, word search puzzles, music to listen to on cassette tapes on my walk man, and relaxing items, to pamper myself with. I have an eye mask in there already. I want to evolve the drawer into a "pamper-drawer" and plan to add hand lotion, too. Anyway, it was a journey to discover what Pack rat "me" hangs onto. Oh, my goodness. What an eye opener. I was delighted to find a weight loss hypnosis cassette tape, a Richard Simmons Walking Cassette Tape, and one on writing confession stories, too. When decluttering, I find things I value to hold on to. It's wonderful and amazing what one comes across. ♥

[Ivy]

I threw away about 5 - 6 items from the bathroom drawers and I threw away 35 birthday and Valentine's Day cards. I kept 2 Valentine's cards: DH's to me, mine to DH, which I hand made. So hanging onto 2 and ditching 35 is doing good.

[Harriet]

Can't believe it's the last week of planned declutter for me, while following the Focus cleaning and the decluttering ahead of time. I'll declutter the Dining Room this week and then it's all about maintenance. Of course, every area of the house can ALWAYS benefit from some organization and decluttering, it's just such a surprise to think we are so late in the year that Focus is going into maintenance.