Decluttering . Spring Cleaning Edition, 2015.
 

Hello!

So it seems we have some people starting to make space in their spaces at home, in the office or car, the garage, or even just that drawer that has a lot of stuff. Let's use this space here for streamlining our plans and getting things done.

Question: what would you like to accomplish by the first day of Summer?

All are welcome to join in.

I'm living in an apt that has 3 small overgrown gardens in the backyard. The landlord told me ,last fall, when I moved in I could use them. So, this year I will take advantage of that and plant some veggies I think.

My first goal is to take this Tuesday off and do the best declutter I can and donate to the parish rummage sale. We may find ourselves faced with a move this summer and I want to start whittling down in preparation for that. No idea how much I'll get accomplished, but I've got the whole day to myself.

Managed a trunkload for the rummage sale and two-three bags of trash/recycle. Not a bad start.

Taking time.
 

Declutterers!

Hi. I started the thread but have held off posting. I finally realized what I need to do for the Summer Solstice dealine. I have a project that has become a priority for me and something that is a priority for DH that I have to attend to.

Me first! :lol:

Priority#1 - Kitchen Table Rescue DEADLINE: Monday May 4th.

When some boxes, the last of them, came to my apartment in November
I moved the kitchen table, which I felt was "temporarily" in my kitchen into the dining room area where "it should be".
I *need* it in the kitchen and may need another table for the dining room area. That may be the solution. I still have the boxes, and a dresser and who knows what else, in the dining room. Boxes on under and around the table. A kitchen floor with stuff ALWAYS on the floor cause we have such a big wasted space kitchen that the floor is empty and so it gets full of stuff. It was waaayyyy better when the table was in there and so I am going to simply move the table into the kitchen. This weekend. I'll get to the boxes but for now, simply, move the table and the two chairs.

Priority#2 - Empty Out Storage Locker We Pay For DEADLINE: Whenever our next payment is due. NOTE: find out.

This will be a few steps. I have some storage space in my art studio, but it is poorly set-up. I need some battery powered lighting so I can see what I am doing and then I need shelving and then I need to organize and make space for stuff coming from the storage locker to the studio storage. What I really need is a sale or a spring cleaning give away or something. I have some stuff in a shed beside my MIL's house as well and will need to access it soon so that will need a home too for the summer art show season. I think I will be tossing stuff, selling stuff, and storing stuff with this project, oh and simply moving stuff.

Other Goals:

- re-organize the pantry

-figure out where to put the garbage pail and the recycle bins. I HATE where they are now. HATE HATE HATE it. ugh.

-re-organize food cupboards. get rid of old stuff.

-clean the fridge out. Totally. clean it out. throw things away and wash it out.

-clean the oven. clean out the drawer under the stove.

Wow. Lots bugging me. Time to get at it. Dr. Beck says to deal with your environment. I know I am avoiding my kitchen big time cause it so bugs me. ignoring something doesn't make it go away. Time to get to work.

Workroom: Strip, clean and replace books in book case, including cleaning the top near ceiling.

Computer Room: Huge white desk cleared, cleaned, and area of shelves above cleaned and resorted.

1 Filing cabinet, cullled of unnecessary papers, scan what I must keep, and make room for stuff now sitting on top.

Deal with my environment? These three things would help a lot.

Hello :D I think I visit twice a year, in spring and in fall. Not a follower of Beck but definitely live in a state of wanting to get rid of clutter and re-claiming space that has been engulfed :eek:

I had today free and uninterrupted to tackle my husband's side of the room. I know it is not fair that he doesn't keep it tidy but life isn't fair, right :devil:and if I want it done, I do it.

It took me 4 1/2 hours, but I did it.
*Pulled out storage bins from under the bed; vacuumed under bed; vacuumed/wiped storage bins from under bed, consolidated stuff and fit them back neatly;
*took everything off the love chest that was piled on it;
*folded and hung his pants in the wardrobe; looked through wardrobe and pulled out t shirts that have not been worn in years;
*found collection of Penthouse mags and boxed them up (not a prude but come on, they were just THERE for years not being ogled or anything :devil:)
*found dvds of Girls Gone Wild that I definitely didn't mind getting rid of :devil:)
*found box of 2 dozen XXX VCR tapes that came from my dad's house (ugh) and I don't know why we kept them :devil:
*collected 2 large garbage bags, one was wearable clothing, other was destined for textile use
*box of books collectd
*box of just 'stuff' that can go to someone else.
*about 3 bags of garbage.
Took it all to the Resource Center and only paid $3 to get rid of it all. Good feelings on recycling (the skin mags got recycled along with the VCR tapes!) and clothing gets used, and the textiles get re-used.

onebyone - good luck on the kitchen table rescue! that deadline is coming up. I hope getting a table in there helps! also good luck on getting rid of the dreaded Storage Unit..HATED that we had one and paid $100 a month and when we got down to it, there really wasn't anything worth it! and good luck with the other items on your list.

love2garden - best wishes on your items too! do you need to 'cull' books? i find that so hard but had to.

spanky - yay for your accomplishment today!!

I finally have all of my static clutter migrating to one room. This leaves my other rooms much freer and clearer for the process of daily living (which for me means clutter, but unlike static clutter it is constantly changing depending on what I am doing. I am ok with that)

DH and I dug out summer clothes, have each neatly free of wrinkles and hanging in our closet. I'd forgotten a few really pretty items that are so different from winter wear. First year he has helped. He also put some shirts into Goodwill bag.

Flannel sheets clean and put away with some of the blankets we use during cold weather. Top of closet full, but at least the beds are all dressed for summer.

Electro Static clutter is a new way of looking at clutter. I bet that is what I'm facing to the right of my printer.

Yes I culled the books, and later pulled back some of them. Grrrrr

I'm continuing to have success in keeping my home(s) decluttered. I still find my best success is in taking time every single day. Those small time blocks have added up and I'm grateful. I continue to stay away from spontaneous buying...not bringing new stuff in has really helped. I had a few moments of reflection this morning....of the massive amounts of stuff I hauled out there is not anything that I miss this morning. I am much happier with a home that continues to be guest ready.

My Spring goal has been to keep up inside so I could do lots outside in the yard. I traveled this week (Wednesday) and picked up/did laundry so I could have all day Saturday in the yard. I'm headed out now.

this weekend this is my primary focus.
 

Hi everyone.

Well, I don't know what happened to May, but the month has whizzed by and this weekend is my best chance for getting serious decluttering done. I still have the same major goals: move table into kitchen, bookcase out of kitchen, go through box mountain #3. I'll post progress as the day goes by. I am highly resistant to doing this today. I know it's because I am afraid I can't do it even if I try, which is not true. This is mountain THREE. Two, larger versions, were already dealt with.

You know, I keep thinking, we're gonna move somewhere else, somewhere bigger, and this stuff won't be a big deal. It's been 4 years. Whatever we're doing financially isn't working enough for us to move so we can't go anywhere. Who knows when that will happen. AND I'll just remake a cluttered mess in the new place cause, for now, I still do that, so on a couple of levels I need to get a handle on this in my small space. Bloom where you're planted as they say...

Back later.

Decluttering Weekend: 1 of 2 days
 

Strategy for today:

1) moving stuff out from where it's been sitting for months when it got moved in here
2) moving stuff to where I want it to be
3)taking a good look at stuff and doing a first, quick, cull of it
4)re-organizing/moving stuff I need/want/am thrilled to find again into a new space
5) possibly creating those spaces
6)re-thinking the use some of the spaces I do have.
Prime example: a pantry in the dining room. Never use it. It's storing some rarely used appliances, which will stay, but somehow the whole 4 shelves are spoken for? I need to re-organize. I also need more room for canned food and spices and stuff.
Tall bureau from a bedroom with a mirror attached on top. This is a sentimental piece of furniture for me and so I want to keep it but there is no room in either bedroom to house it. Where does it go? Actually I could put it where I have a desk in my bedroom I love or I could move the dresser in the bedroom to where the desk is and maybe the bureau will fit alongside the desk on another wall. Not sure. BUT... the bureau has deep drawers good for linens towels blankets winter clothes... I have no room for these things and I have culled them several times. I have very little storage space here.
Need room for linens. May store linens here.

update
 

So, reporting in after 4+ hours of declutttering/shifting stuff around here's where I am at re: this morning's list

1) moving stuff out from where it's been sitting for months when it got moved in here
EVERYTHING has been moved somewhere else. Some is on the couch, some on my bed, some in the hall, but everything has been touched. Some has been put away and some I can see will be tossed. Much will be consolidated. *credit for big progress*

2) moving stuff to where I want it to be

YES!!! Table and chairs are in the kitchen where they serve as psuedo counter space/workspace which the kitchen totally lacks. Unexpected good changes/moves include: having a place for my printer, and my lamp beside the loveseat by moving a small bookcase there. I can't get at the books, but I can pull the loveseat out if I need to do that. I wasn't looking at the books where I had the piles of stuff in and around the bookcase over the last 6 months either so, obviously, this is not a huge issue right now. Also, the bureau with the mirror is in the livingroom/diningroom in an unexpected space and two smaller pieces of furniture have moved into more useful niches. The only awkward thing is a yellow table I adore that really doesn't fit but it continues the surface of the kitchen table for now and it could be useful for me from the dining room side of it too. As it is, it is the best thing I can come up with for now and it will hold my juicer which has been hiding beneath clutter. I miss using it but it needs to be visible and at hand for me to use it. *credit for these changes*

AND I went out and bought picture hanging hardware and a hammer and I have put up some artwork. the landlord did not want us to put anything on the walls but after 4 years of not really doing that I just did it. I have so many things, as you can imagine and I have unearthed some ancient family photos of great grandparents and grandparents and I want them up partly because they will end up ruined/lost if they aren't up. So, they are going up. Feels good to do this. AND I used a hanger in the kitchen for my strainer. OMG that thing has never had a home and it drives me nuts not to have it at hand. What I need now near the sink is an LED worklight cause there is no plug nearby for any other kind of light. I used to have an under the counter light which was great for late at night when I get up to feed Caesar or when I just want to clean a dish or two. For now happy to get the strainer up on the wall. *creditcreditcredit!!!*

3)taking a good look at stuff and doing a first, quick, cull of it

Have not done much of this except for the two suitcases taken from my mom's place. We have so many suitcases. Don't need more.

4)re-organizing/moving stuff I need/want/am thrilled to find again into a new space

I have yet to take a good look at that pantry. I think that will be the last official thing I do with this decluttering project today.

5) possibly creating those spaces

Yes, this goes with the pantry examination as well. AND the bureau in the living room with 4 usable drawers. I have placed a couple of extra blankets into the bottom drawer which is already great news for me. We'll see what the best use for it will be. Maybe a drawer for art supplies. That still leaves 2.

6)re-thinking the use some of the spaces I do have.

Yes. I have a small porch out back. I just put a small mosaic table my brother made out there and my reward for all this work will the purchase of a flowers for the table. I may pot them up or buy them ready made but I want a space there to sit out and enjoy a coffee without the upstairs neighbour watching and asking to join me. If I sit in the regular patio spot that happens a lot and I really want my privacy sometimes but I will never turn her away so hopefully this will solve that.

So still ahead today: 1) taking a look at the pantry-maybe I'll clean it out and start fresh? it's not that big.

and 2) moving all the boxes/clutter from the living room space into the dining room/kitchen for tomorrow. ie. trying to end today with the living room roughly in a clutter-free state so DH and I can enjoy watching our tv shows or movies tonight.

Great progress, onebyone! It's amazing how much progress forward we can make in 4 1/2 hours when we put our mind to it!

I worked just about that long out in my yard today. I checked the weather and it was supposed to rain again at 11 so I set my goal to start mowing at 10. I pulled weeds until then and got right to the mowing. I got the two big parts of the yard done and then hauled the mower down to the front sidewalk. I started there and then the mower ran out of gas. It was starting to sprinkle so I dragged the mower back up and put it away and went down and accomplished the strip with the Weedwhacker. By then it was really starting to rain so I raked up the piles of grass that needed to get put in the trash and put away all my tools from the digging. At that point it was starting to hail so I called it a day. I filled three big barrels which I will haul down for pick up on Tuesday.

I had a little bit of frustration but then said oh well. The difference between inside clutter and outside clutter is that the inside stuff I can get rid of and it's gone. These weeds just keep growing and growing.

I got my little cocker spaniel bathed after I came in and took a shower myself. By then it was 2 o'clock and I decided to go to Denver for a meeting. That entailed offloading the car of the garden supplies and a great big pot I had purchased yesterday. My deciding to get up and go accomplished getting the car cleaned out so credit for that as well.
I'm committed to cleaning out my refrigerator, freezer and pantry's for food for a while. I need to be frugal with my finances right now while we are spending a lot of money in Alaska on renovations. My dinner is cooking and I'm going to call it a day. Tomorrow I had back to work for three days. I can do some stuff in the house before work but won't get much done in the yard again until Wednesday.

Excellent job today Lexxiss! Credit! When you mentioned it turned to hail I was sad it's cold enough to hail where you are still! Warm weather hurry up already!

I moved a lot of boxes and bags and bins of stuff back to where it was when I began this morning. I'm not saying I'm down about that but I do feel like I have the same amount of work ahead of me tomorrow as I did today and I suspect the next day too. Is it discouraging? Not sure. Guess it's a lot like the quest to lose weight. You keep doing the next right thing, keep your head down and keep moving forward as best you know how to do. At some point you'll find you've arrived.

Bye for now.

further
 

Hi.

So I did consolidate the boxes and etc. back into the dining room. I cleared and sorted through the stuff on my chaise. It's now usable. I also sorted the stuff from the top of and below the kitchen table. It's a completely clear and usable space now. I also moved some extra stuff into the pantry I mentioned. What I want to do, but not yet, is relocate things from the small cupboard above the microwave and coffee pot. I'd like to keep my mugs there since that's a where I actually use them. I started to designate the bureau drawers for stuff and imagined I could actually have a place for everything. This time round it may happen. I have continued to put artwork up and a real treasure of a print is now on my wall and it makes me really happy to see it. Credits for work done so far.

current checklist
 

new decluttering goal
 

Hello

So after a busy week with my sister who was here visiting I decided to take the day completely off to rest, relax, and leisurely reset my goals.

I just wandered into the bedroom and I really wanted to lie on the bed and watch a movie in there. We have a nice tv hooked up to a device that takes a memory stick (no cable) and that's how I can. It works really well when I can get to the tv and the box.

:mad:

You guessed it. I can't get to them without moving Idon'tevenknowwhatitis that's making up the big pile in front of the dresser the tv is sitting on. But I don't want to just do that. I want to do the pile on the desk to the right of the dresser and the pile on the floor by the left of the dresser. I also want to straighten up my night table and the books I have out. I need to put away the ones I am not reading.

So this will be my new focus this week. I'll still work a bit on my original living room/dining room stuff but I want to be able to watch tv/movies in there.

I'll be back with a detailed to-do list, the only method that works for me + posting here, when I get started. I'd like to be done everything in a week.

I recently purchased yet another book on decluttering and organizing. It is "the life-changing magic of tidying up - the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing". I'm enjoying reading it and although I don't have much decluttering to do, what I have are photos and some sentimental trinkets that I haven't been able to get rid of, but are hid away in a closet. Since the time I will be home this summer will be quiet it is a good time to keep up with this. My plan is to finish the book and then set a plan in motion. Dh will be gone for 8 days mid month and that might be a good time to go thru some of the things. I'll let you know how it goes.

karenrn a few decluttering threads back Lexxiss digitized all of her photos and set them up on a digital picture frame thing that scrolled through the images slowly. She spent weeks going through box after box. it was inspiring so I know you will come up with a perfect-for-you solution for the difficult sentimental objects that you have. I am nowhere near that stage. Still trying to deal with the big overall items.

Thanks for some good ideas.

I'm working to sort thru years of Journals. Because I sue spiral notebooks with section dividers for most of them, I summarize the month on the first page of each section. Now I'm copying just the summary page and putting these in a notebook.

This will enable me to sort back from the monthly sheets to find which Journal has the information I desire. Fun to surprise a friend I've been away from for ages and be able to remember some important events of her or his lives.

T

Oh! Just saw this!

I have two big projects I'm still working on. Finished one (getting the gardens in order), half done with one, and yet to start on another. Allllll of them involve decluttering!!!! I have stuff I just don't need or use - including furniture! So, as I do each project, that includes removing all the unneccessary items too!


So - Deadline THIS WEEK - getting the craft room together! 6/7/15

This was a spare bedroom/craft room. I inherited from a retired teacher/crafter a buttload of crafting materials nowhere to put them. And now with my full-time job working with kids and sometimes doing crafts, I've allowed myself a FULL craftroom!

Ripping up the carpet and pads in the basement - June 15th!!!

Cats have destroyed the carpets downstairs, so I need to get rid of them and then ban the cats from the basement.

Put down acoustic panels in the basement - July 31st!!

This is a husband and wife project - it's a lot of square feet!

Put down cork floor in the basement - August 31st!!!

Again, an husband and wife project and it's a LOT of square feet!

I had this huge filing project that has made an appearance in several of these decluttering threads over the years. I finished it tonight. WOOHOO!

That has to feel great! Way to go!!!!

I worked about three hours on organizing the craft room tonight. Three garbage bags full of stuff out the door for garbage and three garbage bags full for charity pick up tomorrow.

need to move on with this tomorrow
 

Hello Declutterers

gardenerjoy a big :bravo: for completing the filing project. Excellent.

love2garden That's a great idea for the journals. I have never been successful at writing day after day in journals. I'm happy you do though and happier that you can access them when you need them. I'll bet your friends are amazed at times!

berryblondeboys Wow! You have a summer full of projects and good changes happening. Post here as you go along. For me it's the only way I can keep focused and on track.

And speaking of this... back to it tomorrow. DH is cranky and it will help if I continue making changes in our environment. Tonight I thought of simly throwing things away. Just really paring it all down to the items I always use and getting rid of the rest. Wonder if I could do that? Seems impossible. Oh well. I will do what I can and wil check back in here tomorrow with my specific list for tomorrow.

Heading to the closet in a minute to try on pants. If they are too big or too out of style they will go in a bag. I'm going to look for a women's shelter to donate them to. Usually I just head over to Goodwill because it's nearby and easy for me, but many of them would work great for someone.

I also sent an email to my niece to ask if she wanted a few of the mementos. I have some cottages and mini Hummel's that my Dad collected of all things. They are in a box in the closet. They don't take up much room, but aren't worth much any more. If she doesn't want them I'll think further. Since I am driving to Washington in August, I figure if anybody up there wants these small items I will haul them up there. I would hate to get rid of them and find a family member would have liked them.

Okay, on to the closet.

Karenrn: how did the clothes culling go? I hope to be onto that big time this coming week.

I'm busy this weekend and we are away overnight on Sunday, but tomorrow before we go I'd lime to clean the kitchen=do the dishes and clean the countertops.

Next week I want to free the space in the bedroom up and get the TV working in there.

How's everyone else doing??

Behind on the craftroom, on time with ripping up carpet - week was a bit more hectic than planned, but I got SOMETHING done!

Hello Summer
 

Well we're at the end of another decluttering thread.

I did not meet my goals and it looks as though I need to keep on this. If you're in the same boat feel free to post in our 2015 Autumnal Equinox thread.

Thanks for reading and posting.