happy for outside deadlines imposed on me
 

Hello Declutterers

I emptied 5 old moving boxes this morning*credit & see attached jpg*. Very little has gone to the donation pile for tomorrow. I was stumped about where to put the contents of the boxes (all art-related: jewelry, book-making material, painting, pastels, a variety of papers-eek) so I just designated the drawers in the new furniture as their temporary home. I figured emptying boxes vs. filling new drawers. I opted to empty the boxes. It's not perfect and that's ok *credit*. I also opened 2 small boxes (emptied), one cooler (temp storage for ceramics I've made-ok) and one larger box with my in-process aluminum can recycling project. Wow. Since I took the jpg I've broken the boxes down. I had to talk myself into that as my inner saboteur :devil: said:
keep the boxes
you paid for those boxes
they're good sturdy ones
you can use them for craft shows/storage/when you move again
you can find somewhere to store them in here/in your studio
you should give them away/put them online for someone to take them who cant afford to buy them

ARGH. All those thoughts=me keeping boxes that are neither rare nor unusual. I need the space more. I need the act of getting rid/dealing with my stuff from beginning to end more.

I might do a sink of dishes. I might do a load of laundry. I will pick up my charcoal and continue working on my newest painting.

Bye.

OnebyOne: Great decision making on where to store the art supplies for retrieval.:cp::cp::dancer: Thinking about using your empty drawers sounds like a great plan. As far as your boxes, the question I would ask is what are you GAINING by giving them up?

Thanks for sharing your picture, yay! for empty boxes.

Kudos, onebyone, for deciding to break those boxes down. It sounds like a great solution for now to put things in drawers. As you progress you will intuitively know where you want certain things. I trust your process.

BBE, yay for leaving those books on the curb! Resisting the urge to bring home more stuff is such an important part of the process for me. How did my home get so cluttered? Duh, I brought it all in piece by piece.

znaoic, great job attacking what you could see to deal with. Anything picked up/pitched/put away reduces clutter. I just use the old clutter/new clutter concept on a daily basis because it reminds me to keep delving into the old stuff which is where I really reduce quantity of stuff that I have.

Tami(helping rachel), yikes for cold weather! Thought I'd share that the grocery store is becoming less of a trigger than it used to be. Some days are better than others, too, but recognizing those triggers is so helpful.

I hit lots of stores today looking for a certain kind of gloves. credit. I didn't buy any substitutes and will wait until I "find" the ones I really want. I wouldn't be buying any but last week I lost my favorite gloves. I've called everyplace I might have left them to no avail.

Interesting observation....I walked all over many stores and "looked" at lots of stuff while I got some spontaneous exercise. Looking was enjoyable and I absolutely had no urge to buy anything other than what I went in for.
That is a good sign.

Good night. See ya'll soon.

LEXXISS-DEBBIE I was wondering if one of these days or in the next few weeks you would share insights in how you lost 92 lbs and have maintained. I am interested in your mindset. What are some new truths that are alive and well in your neuropathways! A favorite saying of mine is neurons that fire together wire together. Doing and believing the same things over and over. Thanks for considering this.

Good luck in finding just the right gloves and not settling.

another one
 

Hello on a frosty morning:

I woke up gathered up my donation stuff and it's on the porch waiting for the diabetes donation truck. Only 1 bag this time. But, more importantly this might be the third or fourth month I've donated stuff to them so that's good, persistent work. *credit*

1-2-3
cha:carrot:cha:carrot:cha:carrot: .

Today:

declutter more boxes, max. of 3 = old clutter.
doing 1 sinkful of dishes=new clutter
clean & put away the toaster we rarely use; wipe new exposed counter beneath it.=clean

bye for now.

:grouphug::flow2: OnebyOne! Yay, for donating to a great organization. I am glad to be in a "Line Dance" with all of you on this site. Cha-Cha-Cha- is right!:carrot:

Hello,

Not sure what I am going to do today. Woke up to zero degree weather with a cold. Just sipping on my cinnamon roll coffee with almond milk.

I know that I a have a date with my journal sometime this morning. My Father called my older sister yesterday and told her that he was thinking of remarrying. My Mother was a constant anchor in my life. She was diagnosed with cancer at 37 and passed away at 60. She kept the calm in our home and presevered so we would have family connection despite a chaotic environment. She was a phenomenal cook and wrote a cooking column for our local paper.
When she passed away my Father promised that he would be true to me and my siblings, continuing to carry out her legacy. He married 4 months later without contacting any of us and letting us know. His 2nd wife took him to the cleaners and divorced one year later. He broke down crying and asked that we would open up to let him back into our lives. We all did and until around March when he stopped calling or making an attempt to see us for another 6 months. I saw him for the first time at Christmas even though I made several attempts to see him or invite him to see our family-at least his grandkids. He refused to come for Thanksgiving even those we were only 20 minutes away. (We traveled 7 hours) He threw a fit and called a family meeting between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I saw him for the first time all year on Christmas. He asked who I was and I told him "I don't know, you named me." I connected to him and let my love for him flow from a place within me that knew I could love him without forcing him to give back. It was an interesting time. The truth is I love my Dad even though he doesn't show up in my life. I am grateful that I have "other resources that flow to my heart" that help me to know that I am enough.

Wow- guess I won't have to journal later, since I released it here. I am learning to express my grief when it happens instead of lugging it around with me for years to come. My truth is this...I don't have to feed that sad little girl within with junk food or wine. I can care and listen to her sadness that wonders how another new wife will affect my connection with my him. He doesn't know how to connect and love his 4 kids. He says that we won't forgive him for a lifetime of hurtful choices. The truth on my part, is that I have forgiven him, but there is a difference in learning to MAKING AN EFFORT and trusting again.

My whole point for me is to get this up and out. My decisions to take care of myself are not disloyal or wrong. Loving myself and caring for myself is a brave act. I can unblend/defuse from being emotionally neglected. I think I will write a new beck card. "Even if no one else will take care of me, I have permission to care of me by making life giving choices."

That's all folks.

Wow, this is an awesome thread!! So glad I came across it!! I'm moving in a few months and literally need to let go...yes let go...of half my stuff to move successfully. I really am a clutter bug, first rate hoarder.... been here over 3 +1/2 years have so much stuff, no idea what's here. I sort it, still keep a lot just because it "might be useful to me or someone". So, would like to join this thread if I could. Long way to go....already dumped 10-15 bags/boxes of things in December, still looks pretty much the same.

anybody else have this?

Helping Rachel
I am glad you were able to share about your father. I have not experienced having a parent remarry but I think it would be very challenging. We are so connected to our parents, in both good times and bad times.

I made it through the day. I am going through a migraine phase and once again came home from work with a migraine. I ended up on the couch as soon as I got home. Still at the end of the evening, I went into my home office and dealt with some of the paper clutter. I am learning to take credit for these small steps. Thanks so much to this thread. I feel so at home here and it is so motivating to keep going.

onebyoneSo what did you end up doing with the boxes? I have a bad habit of saving stupid boxes too. "this on is a good size for mailing gifts", "this one is sturdy" arrggghh. Why do I spend time and energy on CARDBOARD? I am getting better but still keep a few after I flatten them to take up less space. Kudos on all the unpacking. Putting your things in temporary drawers is better than the boxes, eh?

TamiLoved your story about the beer in the produce section. "belly up to the bar amongst the oranges and bananas" lol So sorry about your dad. My dad passed away in December if I haven't mentioned it here. My grief is compounded by guilt for not making more of an effort to see him and my mom more often. (they live about 750 miles away). One friend reminded me that its a 2 way street. He didn't make much effort to come see me either. Another friend told me when her dad died she had to deal with was that her dad wasn't the kind of guy that people said "boy, we're sure going to miss him, he was always a lot of fun or a great friend" or whatever nice things people say when someone passes. (her dad was an a**). I guess what I am trying to say is that some people aren't good parents but we can love them just because they were our parents even if they disappointed us. I sounds like you were blessed with a wonderful mother. I'm sorry you couldn't have her longer. Big Hug from me. It sounds like he is not able to forgive HIMSELF for his parenting. It might be too much work to make amends or atone. But...what do I know? except that I understand the hurt of having less of a dad than other people do.

Debbie I'm impressed with your resolve to not buy gloves that aren't exactly what you want. And for enjoying window shopping without adding to belongings you have to take care of. I too would love to hear about your weight loss success and what helped along the way.

NightAngel I'm new here but I feel welcomed and I hope you will too. I think we all have some of the same "clutterbug", "keep it cause you might need it SOMEDAY" habits. It's really been helpful for me to read what works for other people and how others do it even if they don't feel like it. Debbie has a wonder system that I am using daily no matter how short a time I spend at it. Each day chips away at the big picture.

znaoic Kudos for your work on a day when you felt miserable physically. Yes, the small steps give you a feeling of accomplishment and moving in the right direction.
Ann I hope you are lurking out there and doing OK.

Goal:
Clean something: delegated the dishes to DD tonight (does that count?)
Current clutter: will sort junk mail from "real" mail, throw away and straighted kitchen countertop
Old Clutter: will complete some paperwork for my job that has been laying around since OCTOBER for crying out loud.
JuliaWhoIsGoingToDoMyChoresSoICanGoReadMyBook

Better late than never!
 

Today's 1-2-3 :dancer: Cha cha cha
old clutter-several more items in my "thrift box", which I will deliver tomorrow.
1. a coat given to me (free) that DH LOVES but I don't. I wore it today and caught myself in the mirror. It is not me why keep wearing it.
2. the two statues I pulled of the mantle weeks ago are back in my office HERE. I kept wishing I could get some $$ for them but they are going away. I am to the point I want them out of my life. They were not mine they are not mine.

current clutter-I made the bed this morning. I picked up in the kitchen during the day. I am going to pick up in my office before bed.

clean-I cleaned toilets (2) and cleaned my pup. He and I were at the do it yourself dogwash at 7am for a two hour redo. He looks handsome.


Tami (helping rachel), I'm grateful, too, that you "have other resources that flow to my heart" that help me to know that I am enough." I appreciate you sharing your grief here especially since it seems that there are others here who experience "less than perfect" family situations. Loving and taking care of ourselves is a brave act. Kudos for processing your experience through your Beck program. A beck card is perfect. I hope that your cold is getting better!

onebyone, Yay for a 1-2-3 Cha Cha Cha today! Great decision to clean and put away the toaster you rarely use. Now it will be clean when you need it!

NightAngel, :welcome2: I am learning not to bring the "might be useful to me or someone" items home in the first place and have progressed to enjoying the process of letting go. Great idea coming up with a goal/plan for decluttering and cleaning.

znaoic, I hope you start feeling better very soon. Credit for dealing with some of the paper clutter in your office anyway!

Julia, delegating dishes to DD :lol: Occasionally I'll pick a cleaning project then delegate it to my DH...it gets done, right?? Wow! A big accomplishment to get rid of some job paperwork that's been procrastinated since October. PS love your little "dailys" at the end of your post.

Re:weightloss/maintenance
I'm humbled that you ask but there is nothing extraordinary to tell. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I "knew" there was not a magic pill it was about getting healthy and staying that way. I changed my eating and started regular exercise. 3FC is my lifeline. I post somewhere here everyday. I've got lots of family issues and I intend to persist until I lose the rest. I started decluttering when I started my weighloss. I wanted to live differently in other ways...not just with weightloss. The decluttering has made such a difference in my life and I'm grateful you're all here!

OK, now to the GLOVES.
I cried today when I found out another water aerobics gal had seen I left my gloves at the pool last week and just left them on the bench. Duh. She could have turned them in (she knew they were mine) or put them in her locker. Anyway, now someone else is enjoying them.
Part of me cried because I "didn't take care of them" and the other part because someone else wasn't very thoughtful. I resumed my glove search and found a pair that were perfect except they were $50. I didn't buy them. They were too expensive.
I went home and ate some junk (and stopped) and took an extended nap.
I got up about 630pm. It was snowing out...I need gloves.
Lightbulb moment:
Why can't I justify buying myself a nice pair of gloves?
I could always justify dragging all kinds of cheap sh*t home from thrift stores. I had no problem wearing other people's clothes. I did it for years.
Do I think I don't deserve a few nice things I really like/want/need but think it's ok to haul home other peoples' discards....
I put on my hat and put the pup in the car. We went down and bought the gloves. They have a special tip on the finger so I can use my new iphone while I'm wearing them. I do deserve something nice, especially when I've lost a pair I have taken care of for years.
Reality:
I can take better care of these gloves. I can draw off my new organizational skills and figure a way to not "lose" these ones.
So here's the picture. I have put a special clip on my keychain to hook my gloves to when I'm at the pool.
Credit.

:grouphug::high::high: Sending hugs out to my cyber buddies recovering from a bad case of the dreaded "clutter bug". I can't chat or reply this morning as my daughter's car battery is dead. Her car is blocking my car and we both need to be at work/school. I will be on later. Have a good day and pray I know positive from negative!

Hi declutterers!

This morning I felt like I might be coming down with something. While I DO recognize the concept of "taking care of oneself" I could also recognize that my 1-2-3 :dancer: was not going to affect my health situation one way or the other. My progress forward continues as I :dancer: every day.

Today's 1-2-3 :dance:

old clutter-addressed an envelope with a check that needs mailing. I "looked" in my office closet and acknowledged that I was willing to put several items in thrift...reorganize another few, recycle several empty boxes.
END RESULT-More space. We are a world filled with cardboard boxes everywhere. If I need one it will be simple to find one. Today I don't need to use precious space to store empty boxes. credit

current clutter-picked up clutter in my office and made the bed.

clean-wiped down my kitchen stove, vent and wall behind.... Not some ultra perfect scrub down but enough to stand back and notice a difference.

Hi Ladies,

You are all so inspiring! I've been following this thread for a few weeks and have started doing some dancing of my own :) I've also been reading the FL site/book - and it has also been super helpful. Lexxiss: earlier in this thread you mentioned you have a system for dealing with paper clutter - this is my nemesis and I love to hear more about your system.

:welcome2: osaunt!

Regarding papers/paperwork....what has come in that isn't going out? Do you have a business or just personal stuff? Give me a quick rundown on your issues/needs and I'll give you a rundown on my system. Do you have years accumulated that you need to purge in a big way?
I've done the big purge and my system is based on getting rid of the "not neededs" right away then finding an easy filing set up for our personal stuff AND my mom's business stuff, which I keep track of.

osaunt....:welcome3: Glad you came out of lurking. We are just a bunch of gals/guys in the process of changing. Good luck with the paper monsters. I will be watching and learning.


Debbie: I so enjoyed your story about the gloves. Yes- You do deserve it! I am jealous of them because of the fingertip Iphone feature. Thanks for giving voice to buying other people's junk. I am guilty as charged as well.


Julia: Thank you for the empathic connection. I especially loved your statement: "I guess what I am trying to say is that some people aren't good parents but we can love them just because they were our parents even if they disappointed us." Great truth for me to embrace. Yes, delegating is awesome and yes, it counts. I have been working with my DD on doing certain tasks weekly. It helps me to know that I don't have to clean up after everyone since I am not the only one who makes these messes.

OnebyOne: I like about what you shared ....."But, more importantly this might be the third or fourth month I've donated stuff to them so that's good persistent work. *credit*" Reminds me to keep my weekly or monthly donation process going.

NightAngel: Welcome and share you journey with us. We are here to cheer you on or listen to your struggle/ process. All experiences are welcome! Now is the time if you don't want those things to have to move with you. Sounds like you have made good progress.

Zanioc: Hope you are feeling better. I am impressed that you took committed action toward your office paperwork. Wow! That is a Beck- Do it anyway card.

Getting ready for Friday Happy Hour---that means out of these work clothes and plopped in front of the fire place to watch TV and chat with my hubby. Who knew so much pleasure could be experienced by wearing fleece!

aargh.
 

Hello

Lost my last post. argh. Of course it was detailed and fantastic but it's gone.

So a recap then:

*was out today with two new friends at a store called Snob http://www.snobstuff.com/
K bought a piece of pottery and I bought 11 porcupine quills. They are used for decorating in the context of the store, but in the context of my life, they will be used for drawing and writing with. Just a hunch but I think they'll be great. I have zero regret buying them as they are rare and unusual. And 5" long....

*could see myself with new furniture/new styles/new environment more and more as we visited a few more furniture/design stores in the area. Was taken with the thought that my home really can be a reflection of my own choices. Imagine. I can choose my life--I need only do the work to bring it into existence --hello weightloss parallel....

osaunt Welcome to the group. Paper clutter is a big bad bugaboo for me too. I need to track my receipts. Do I? 60/40. I used to have a shoebox. Now I shove things into pockets! I am devolving with that. These days I am more focused on my pile of boxes in the dining room Probably I should do a bit of both.

znaoic*credit* for acknowledging the steps you take with dealing with your clutter and BIG CREDITS for deaing with it while not feeling 100%. I am glad this group is helping you feel supported. :hug:

NightAngel26 Welcome as well! I started the decluttering thread here over two years ago because I had to move from a 3 bedroom townhouse to a 2 bedroom apartment with 3 closets and it was all on me to do it. have never been able to "keep house" and I am an artist who works in a variety of mediums and I tolerate chaos and clutter pretty well. In the end I was still shoving things into bags and boxes and overfilling the car at the eleventh hour. My primary clutter today are the boxes I moved here with--still not all unpacked--but I did do 5 o them this week so we keep movng forward. I believe there are several of us here dealing with whole houses of clutter --Lexxiss even had MORE than ONE house to deal with (yikes. She's a STAR!!!!). For me, a list was my best friend. I broke every area into small bits--smaller than I believed I would do--like for babies I thought--and I crossed off each area as I did it. Most of the house was dealt with by moving day--but like I say there was still some panic. Since then, I've been around 2 others moving and both of them had the last minute shoving in bags/panic set in so I suspect that's pretty common. Please stay in touch and vent vent vent and pack pack pack. We're here for you.

helping rachel I can relate to your feelings re: family/father. In the end, we do look after ourselves. I do not know why people make their own choices. I do, however, have to live with the choices I make. I choose not to subject myself to no-win situations too often. These days I don't fight for that stuff much anymore. I try to let them go and be whoever they are. Hard, not ideal, but, sadly, not worth it either. :hug:

Lexxiss :mad: to the woman who saw and did nothing about your beloved gloves. However, happy to read you got new ones, the ones you wanted and deserve to own. *CREDIT* I went through the same process yesterday with a kettle for pete's sake! I wanted tea. I had used a cordless kettle at the guild over xmas. Remembered I liked it. With DH's on-going flu (wk 3) and the cold weather I was wanting some hot tea and I have been using my coffee maker to make the odd pot of tea (clean filter/add water/tea bags into coffee carafe. I know. Not pretty.) So after WW I went to the grocery store beow the meeting and bought food, and socks and wandered to the appliances and saw a $12 kettle-nice and a $27 cordless *illuminated* kettle. ooooo! aaaaahhhhhh! But twice the price of the perfectly good $12 kettle? What about the free process of using the microwave to heat a cup of water? Or the coffee maker? That works. I confess, the illuminated body on that kettle really had me in its grip. I waffled so much and bought the $27 cordless illuminated (blue!) kettle. I've already had two cups of tea with it and feel great about it. I didn't clear the toaster or the foreman grill off the counter yet but will tomorrow. My kettle needs room of its own

I was contemplating my day today and unexpectedly realized that in choosing my food, and choosing to declutter and committing to a life of my own choosing -- it is happening. AND I feel hopeful about it. I don't want a second rate life or a second choice anything if I don't have to have it. I think that when I can go for it, the thing I really want, I usually do and now I can take that and apply it to my body, my health, my appearance and my home. It is incredible where this decision to "lose weight" leads you if you stay with it.

Just popping in to say hi. I had a busy day so I'm going to just curl up with my book and give myself a pass on the clutter/mess.
I'll be back tomorrow.
JuliaWhoIsJustFineWithTheDay

BBL...just heading out the door. I did want to report completing my jig this morning especially since I was resisting a bit.
old clutter-pulled out some cardboard boxes from the shed which I've "been meaning" to recycle for at least two years!

current clutter-did dishes, made bed and did a general pickup.

clean-scooped poop outside and dumped my bathroom trash. Washed out the compost bowl.

OnebyOneThe tea kettle sounds cool. You need to reward yourself sometimes with something you really want.

Today's plan:
Old clutter: Today DH and I are starting on the basement family room. (a room from he!!. It has collected lots of crap for lack of a better word. It's supposed to be a room for peace and relaxation. It's not.
Current clutter: I will clean off the stuff on the kitchen counter that accumulated over the last day. Attend to the kitchen table if time allows.
Clean: I think I'll start the dishwasher :)
JuliaWhoBetterGetMoving

Hi Ladies:

Taking the last of the christmas decorations down. Outside garland and lights, wreaths....you get the picture.

I need to clean off my kitchen table as it has been a catch all.

I will ask DH to help me carry a small hutch to the downstairs area. I plan on painting it when it gets warm it is just taking up space in a high traffic area right now.

My husband came home last night and we went out to dinner. We went to a Italian woodfire grill restaurant. It was cozy, warm and we enjoyed 2 glasses of Italian red wine while nibbling on prosciutto,coppa picante,mortadella (sausage with pistachio, goat cheese, riocotta with olives and gorgonzola cheese. The servings were only 2oz each but such a change from what I have been eating since Jan. 4. We also ordered a gluten free sausage and fresh mozzarella pizza. It was over the top good. I really enjoyed a night out and I am back on track today. I think for awhile my DH was thinking he was watching Sally from the Movie, "When Harry met Sally", as I was groaning at the taste of some of the food.
Made my heart smile and I enjoyed a change of scenery.

I have to watch the slippery slope of enjoying food too much as I can lose my footing rather quickly. I wrote my meal plan for the day and I am following it.

I went to Whole Foods today and bought coconut cocoa tea. It is so good. I about choked when it ran up $10.99. I then realized that it will make 36 cups.

Off to move my body to get this house in better shape. Ciao!

Thank you all for the kind welcome:hug:

I going to post my planned 1-2-3-4 for today. This week it's been a struggle to keep my energy and momentum up and I'm determined to push through the slump I'm in. Oh and I added a #4 to my dance steps to include conscious movement. If I take the time daily to go on a walk, the gym or just dance around the house it really helps to keep the blues and the blahs away!

Old clutter: I put all the random piles of paperwork in the living room together on the table and will purge most and file the rest.

Current clutter: Fold laundry, empty and reload dishwasher, pick up LR and clear off accumulated clutter on kitchen island.

Clean:Stove top and microwave

Movement: dance central(guilty pleasure) & walk the dogs

Lexiss - To answer your question,I have a fair amount of paper clutter - some years old:( I get anxious when I go through it so I frequently put all in a bag to deal with later but of course that day never comes. I really want to get over this because logically it does not make sense. I'd love to hear about what works for you.

osaunt, since it is the beginning of the year it could be a somewhat simple task to set yourself up to keep this year's paperwork in order while you made a plan to deal with prior years stuff. That is how I got started and I have kept several years organized while I went through numerous years of old stuff.

My mail/paperwork area is my upstairs office. I have a large petfood bag for recycle and a large trash can for shreddables. The trash can is under my office table...kind of hidden.
I made a deal with myself that all incoming mail would come upstairs for opening.
Before opening any important mail I sort through and all the junk goes directly to recycle. Then I open the mail sorting all the extraneous stuff to recycle.
What's left is important it is:
1. either ready for filing or
2. needs something else done with it.
I have a box on top of my office table next to the computer. It's 4 main files are labeled:
2013-Statements
2013-Credit Card
2013-Bills Paid
2013-Tax Stuff
~If it's taken care of (I pay lots online) or it's a bank statement it goes right into those files. I'm careful to have the oldest in front and add the newer stuff to the back.
~If it's not taken care of I set it to the left of the computer...deal with it then file it as above. That means no current stuff is floating around with the old stuff. The idea of filing right after I deal with it seems key...otherwise stuff seems to get all mixed up.

For the old stuff...depending on how much you have...ideas
~start with the oldest since you would not have to keep much but would just have to determine what needs to be shredded and what doesn't. You could set aside boxes for stuff that needed to be shredded. What I did was get rid of as much as I could through recycling. Alot of times I would tear items so as to minimize the amount needing to be shredded.
It's helpful in reducing the clutter to come up with a plan for the old stuff. Alot of areas have "free shredding" days. I personally paid to have a bunch of old travel agency stuff shredded. It was pretty inexpensive and enabled me to load 5 or 6 boxes in the car and say "bye" instead of spending days shredding AND then having to get rid of bags of shredded stuff.

So I just pulled out my 2012 files that I mentioned above. I took 20 minutes to sort each file....each credit card and each bank account ...just to make it easier to find something if I had to. I went through my "bills paid" file and got rid of things immediately that I don't need to keep for 7 years....water and gas bills, etc.... I bound up all the 2012 stuff in one file and took it to a basement file. It can sit there for 7 years.
What's left my 2012 Tax file. I put anything I needed for taxes in there....also stuff I'd like to keep longer since I tend to hold on to the tax files....property tax stuff...renovations on the house, etc.

In addition to the yearly files I have started several other files:
~dentist
~dog medical stuff
~our medical stuff (blood tests/etc)

I have one bank bag now that contains all the stuff for the safety deposit box.
~all titles to vehicles
~all property related papers
~jewelry
~passports
~birth certificates
~some valuable coins
These are all the things my DH would want to locate if something happened to me.

Stuff I'm really careful about right now, as I actively declutter...
~magazine subscriptions
~junk mail
I had two magazine subscriptions last year..one healthy for me and one woodworking for DH. I looked at mine...took anything out I wanted (I made a healthy notebook) and the next month I took magazines to the local eye clinic. I decided not to renew this year..(either one) DH never even looked at his mags but won't let go of them.
JUNK MAIL-I used to get so many magazines. I've either called or emailed and have gotten off mailing lists. I don't get any catalogs anymore and it's so wonderful. They used to be everywhere. The reality for me is that it's all on the internet why do I need to have all the wasted paper coming in my home.

Anyway....that's a brief synopsis. I still have several cupboards/drawers with old stuff I just don't know what to do with yet. That's ok at some point I will.

I've enclosed two pictures
~pet food bag is kinda cute and is very strong. I fill it full and it never breaks
~pink mini file cabinet is cute and has a lid to cover it when it's not in use

Perhaps you could find one or two ideas to help you get going!
Best wishes

:bravo::cp: Great post Lexxiss-Debbie! Thanks.

more
 

Hi

Just popping by to report I moved the toaster and the foreman grill under the counter and DH's dehydrator isn't away yet, but is off the counter. My kettle and crockpot, both used regularly, now have their own space.

Have a good evening.

My dear declutter friends,

I have great success to report. DH,DD and I all worked on the basement family/TV room today. It is nearly done with the exception of some dusting and vacuuming. The detailed Old Clutter written out is for my own satisfaction.

Old Clutter: Box ready to donate to the library (They have a fundraiser yearly and sell donated stuff) with old books and some DVD's. Several Bags to donate to good will. Discarded many old manuals, outdated computer disks and obviously old papers that were laying around. Made decision to take some old banana chairs to the dump. The saver part of me wanted to take them to goodwill thinking someone might be able to recover them. They are in such poor condition, it would be an insult to donate them :). Sorted DS's xbox games, PC games, some books, wrote an inventory to e-mail to him so he can tell me what he wants and what we can take in for possible sale/donate/discard. (We have a chain bookstore/video/music store that buys used books/music/DVD's and resells as used). If they won't take them and DS doesn't want them, they will go to the dump or to goodwill. Sorted DVD's to keep and resell/donate. Tomorrow we will make a run to the dump, goodwill and the library donation location. I am really tired now so I'll finish the vacuuming and dusting tomorrow. I'm laughing at some of the stuff that we held on to for ???? reason: a bowl of keys to who knows what, tiny padlocks that are useless, parts of the ping-pong table we gave away 2 years ago, a bag of screws for the pool table we donated 2 years ago and sooo much more.

Current clutter: cleared the stuff that accumulated on the kitchen counter over the last day

Clean something: the TV room obviously.

There is so much more to do but what a good start. The little things are going to add up but it was good to make good use of this winter day to tackle that nasty room. I looked in the closet of that room. It is so stuffed with ???? that the door barely shuts. That is a project for another day.

Lexxiss, thanks for the helpful post to help with paperwork.

OsauntI smiled at your description of putting the stacks of paperwork into a bag for later and later never comes. I do the same only I use a box. It makes me anxious too. Good work today!

JuliaWhoWillSleepWellTonight.

p.s. A funny at the same time annoying thing-DH put some old floppy disks aside to run through the computer to see if it's anything he needs or wants. Big groan-are you kidding? What the heck could be on it that you need, it's been sitting there for YEARS unneeded. I need to be careful as I put aside some things that probably baffle him.

How do you all deal with other peoples junk that you see as useless that they balk at getting rid of?

:carrot::carrot: What should we name this little decluttering mascot? Is there a better one in smiles that we could use. I am inviting you to choose a icon and give it a name for this thread. Bring it ladies, I know you have some good thoughts about this!


OnebyOne: Having a counter cleared to be able to use the things you love--sounds wonderful.

Julia: Make no mistake girl, when you said "The detailed Old Clutter written out is for my own satisfaction." It is for my satisfaction as well. I love to hear your process as well as others. I learn from what you are doing. I haven't touched our cd's/dvd's and I think it is time to go through them or at least get them on the list.
I loved the list of things you have kept that didn't have to do with the "NOW" action in you life. (Past keys, parts to ping-pong table). A while back I took a picture of an old bowling trophy that we had been saving for my son. He neither likes bowling or took pride in that activity. We saved this item that had
no value to any of us. It's nice to "laugh at the items" --makes the process a little more enjoyable. Or maybe I think it deflects my craziness about not making decisions on junky - outdated stuff:dizzy:.

Hope you enjoy your new clean area. You definitely lost "lots of clutter weight" in the basement. Your house must feel lighter. We have a 1/2 price book store that I love to take my books, cd's and dvd's to. Books are my hobby....ok let me get real....addiction. So I have been weeding them out, fired up my library card and only allow one new book a month. Big change in my office area. Love that feeling of having Space-opens up the creative flow for me.

Lexxiss: I am taking notes on what you have shared, in regards to paperwork. I will be implementing parts of your list this week. Thanks again for taking the time and sharing your wisdom in this area.

Osaunt: I do the same thing with paperwork. That is how I ended up with so many boxes in my office. One of the best lessons I have learned from this thread is learning to make a decisions and taking simple baby step actions. Day in and Day out.

Hi to all the other declutters out there, drop in and let us know what you are up to.

Grateful for the rain last night. It is supposed to rain all day. Very happy for the farmers and their efforts to bring us our food supply. I hope it rains for several days. :rain::drool:

Hello declutterers!

:carrot: :carrot: everyone! Yay for basements overhauled...kitchen counters freed....for paperwork piled for purging :lol:

I agree with Tami (helping rachel) the sharing of what each of us accomplishes is very motivating.

I spent alot of time working on a puzzle this morning...something I didn't used to have space for. credit.

Today:
old clutter-almost finished 2012 federal taxes
current clutter-put away the above mentioned until next time
clean-vacuumed bedroom/bathroom and wiped windowsills in both rooms.

Well today's success IS with the taxes. I had everything I needed in my file (which I traveled with), with exception of a W-2 still coming from my employer. It took only a few hours to determine what I'll need to pay(federal) and what I'll get back(state). For years I have filed extensions right down to the bitter end. I can really see how this accomplishment will relate to my having "time for dieting" and provide me with a more calm and stable personal space.

Now I'm running right to the wire...we're going to head to church. BBL

Hello everyone
Many great ideas here.
I cleaned my kitchen, yeah,
One more bag ready to go to diabetes, I still need to remove so much clutter from this house.
Emptied dishwasher
I am just placing one foot in front of the other, it will all fall in place.
Have a great day and thanks for all the great info, sharing, and openness.

Take Care
Ann

Good Day fellow Declutterers!

I hope you all have a :carrot::carrot: day. I'm thinking on a name for the dance.

Tami (rachael) Thanks for sharing in my satisfaction. I remember reading previously about the saved bowling trophy and smiling and thinking "I have soooo done that myself" I threw away a Seattle Mariners batting helmet souvenir of my sons without consulting him. I'm pretty sure Grandma bought it for him on a whim at a baseball game and he hasn't given it a single thought for many years. I am an avid reader as well. I got a Nook a few years ago and it has helped with my book clutter. I struggle sometimes with spending too much on books when I know I can get them at the library and even download electronic versions free from the library. I'm getting better though!

Lexxiss Way to go on almost completing the taxes! I know the feeling of stress when it gets down to the wire. Our taxes don't take too long but we usually put it off until the week before. Procrastination causes me so much stress, you'd think I would learn. I think I read somewhere in the old posts that you do 1-2-3 everyday even though it may be very small 1-2-3's? I think I need to make 1-2-3 a "no choice" part of my day. It reinforces the habit. I'm just thinking...will there always be old clutter?

Everyone have a great day!

JuliaGoingToTheDump (to the dump, to the dump, dump, dump, where's the Lone Ranger Icon?)

Ann, we posted at the same time! Glad to hear you are sticking with it. It's been tough for you I know. I'm so proud of you for working so hard during this time.
J

Ann (NewLifestyle), glad to hear from you! Baby steps will get you there. Take care!

Julia, funny...this morning I was thinking "will I ever not have old clutter?" All I can say is it's along way down the road so I won't worry about it today. :lol:
I am interested to see how this upcoming year feels. One of my exciting new goals is to do my mom's company books every month instead of leaving it all until the end. (Actually this year I tried and had 3 months done until my DH tore his quadracep and needed surgery +6 mos. recovery).

Debbie, It's going to be a loooong time before I find out if "old clutter" comes to an end too! :)

just being accountable...
 

argh! haven't taken any time to do any decluttering really...just picked up my livingroom today and sorted a side table....better than nothing I guess.

Hi declutterers!

Today's 1-2-3
old clutter-I took the written list of phone numbers I've been carrying around for 2 months and put them in my new phone. (10 min) Paper list recycled.

current clutter-picked up in general, specifically put away the cardtable and finished puzzle. Am washing a spice bottle from the counter to put another spice blend in. (10 min)

clean-since the little stepladder was handy I got up and washed off the living room fan...was so easy I washed two sconces on the wall. (10 min)

Julia, you had asked and I didn't reply. Yes, my everyday projects are most often very small. It's the daily routine and noticable progress without much conscious effort that I enjoy. I, too, get into occasional full blown projects, but they tend to be more detailed, such as my photo project, since I've done the initial and major declutter in all of my spaces now.

NightAngel, yay for checking in and for accomplishing what you did!
All accomplished while enjoying morning coffee!

It's a Monday!
 

Hey friends!

Up at 5 am today. Early morning conference call that just finished. I am regrouping on my eating and decluttering. A good day to start my lists;)

I want to share from a book that I have been reading. It's called "50 ways to soothe yourself without food". An oldie but goodie book that I like to read when I want to start to look for a "lover in all the wrong places".

Susan Albers states the following. "Practice is your best life preserver." It is important to practice self-soothing techniques before you need them. You can't expect to put them in practice in the middle of a very strong urge, unless you have done some preliminary practicing. If you wait until you need them, it will be like trying to learn how to swim while you are drowning. You need to learn how to become a strong swimmer to deal with a huge wave of emotion. This might feel uncomfortable at first. But you want to get good at doing them so that by the time you need to use them, they will be like second nature."

I wanted to share this because that is what the Beck cards are doing for me. Practicing the new cognitive thoughts are helping me to come up against these uncomfortable feelings that want to be soothed with food. I am learning that I can be aware of that feeling to automatically hoard, eat or whatever. I am learning to listen to my internal experience without judging it and making a decision that would take me toward whatever my goal is for the day. If I let my feelings and random thoughts rule me, I would never act on my values.

So I made my green tea, had my egg white omelet. Started Laundry, I have to leave for office at noon.

So it is enough.

I decided that I like the name "DOBEE"
for this little guy:carrot: as he helps me see that action counts....every small step I take toward my goals/values (toward self and home)...counts:carrot:. Every Decision and Action.

I also acknowledge my humanity, that mucks it up. Yesterday my husband said he would clean out the storage cabinets and he was making progress. He told me that he was going to throw out a sterno stainless steel serving piece that he got from his stepfather's wife who does not like us. I said "NO!" We might need it for a graduation party or get together. He said We have had 2 graduations and several parties and have never used it. Then he asked me what the heck did I want him to do? Purge and clean or keep the clutter? I took a step back and realized I was thinking from an old mindset. Is that decision/thought going to take me toward my goal.... Regroup......pull the card "It's not about me" and let it go. I get in my own way sometimes. I don't think I am alone in this::)))

Hope you have some of these today:carrot::carrot::carrot:.

two birds with one stone
 

Hello :carrot: Dancers!

Awful day out there today. We had our biggest fluffiest good-for-making-snowballs-snowy snowfall overnight. I was out clearing off the porch and it was raining/freezng rain. Yikes. Really bad for driving so I opted to let DH have the car. I doubt I will make the trek to the writers' group tonight either as the roads will certainly be extra slick as the mercury falls.

I took the time to declutter my purse. I have some receipts to gather up for my guild meeting on Wednesday night. I've been buying tea bags, milk, and jam for the tea room as I am the volunteer manager for it, and I've been doing this for two years and haven't submitted any receipts for reimbursement yet. Why? cause I mash up the receipt and throw it somewhere. So, with taxes coming due and us waaaayyyyy behind I thought stop it.
Just stop it right now.
So I cleaned out the purse. I have one tea room related receipt and several art business related ones which I logged into my online WAVE accounting program which I am sure I don't use "properly" but at least I have kept track of rudimentary expenses and income for all of 2012 (YAY YAY YAY) and now I am up to date for 2013. *phew* Then I had all these receipts-like the actual pieces of paper- and went hunting for a place to store them. I have a filing cabinet but it is no shape to receive the receipts! Perhaps this should float nearer to the top of my to-do list as I could use it. DH has a stack of stuff that needs to be filed (he pays our bills) and I should set that up so he can do that. I have no idea if he wants to use it though.

So for now I have opted not for a shoebox but a see-through plastic bin that I will empty at the end of every month. It has no lid so I can toss stuff into it. It'll be my collection box. I think it will work for me. I have written a W and placed a checkmark on the receipts that I logged online so I know not to do them again. YAY for tackling this. I feel the beginnings of being more financially organized already.
On top of the receipts getting organized, I tossed a giant fistful of paper crap from my purse. It's nice and light again. *CREDIT* DH gets a *credit* too for doing dishes yesterday.

TODAY's 1-2-3-cha:carrot:cha:carrot:cha:carrot::

CLEAN:
1) put clean dishes away YES
2) do two more sinkfuls YES
3) put all dishes away and leave sink clean and clear of dishes YES

OLD CLUTTER: NO
4) empty the two moving boxes sitting directly in the window so more light can come in onto my poor plants

NEW CLUTTER: NO
5) clear off new desk in hallway that's full of ceramic work--either make more TODAY or put it away (stuff needs to be in the kiln room tomorrow night for loading)

BONUS ACTIVITY: NO
gather up all my newspapers into one pile

onebyone, yay for many credits! :dancer:
It was a really freeing moment for me to recognize that I could keep my current paperwork in order "while" I was working on the old. My brain used to think about starting at the bottom of the pile and working up....getting the old stuff perfect first. Your system sounds just right! Enjoy your decluttered purse.

Tami (helping rachel), I'm glad you were able to listen to the "voice of reason" with your DH regarding the sterno serving piece...making that choice to agree that you are moving forward. If you haven't used it by now you can rent it if you ever need one.

So you do remember the song...do be a dobee...:lol:
My yoga teacher once asked about "practice" A classmate said "practice makes perfect". My teacher said, "practice makes practice". Ah, yes, however said when we practice the routine the routine becomes routine....easier...and more reliable when times get tough. Whether with food or with a home/life routine....
Sometimes when I recognize that at 91 yrs. my mom's life (and mine) are going to hit a tougher time...I want to have my life routine (and my food routine) in order. I acknowledge that they go together for me now.

checking in to say hi this morning.
Yesterday
Clean: dishes and kitchen, screwed up DH's birthday cake.
Old clutter:
New clutter
Yes I meant to leave those blank. they were.
Julia