I slept 12 hours last night, which for an insomniac is great. I wanted to share because I've been noticing that as I keep moving forward I'm being able to sleep better and longer. 3am was always my wake up and worry time.

Mountain Mamma, it's such a great moment when you have to run out the door and can access everything you need!

onebyone, yay for finishing the craft drawers and for continuing onward with your plan. Kudos, especially for finding items you are willing to throw away. The easiest way to make space is to let go of "things" via either trash or thrift. I noticed on the daily that you chose to stay home today instead of transporting to your studio. I think that's a great decision and since morning is my best time, too, it's much more productive to make progress at home during that time.

Today is the first day that I can remember that I have the opportunity to stay home all day. I am going to take advantage of it. I was thinking about asking DH to help me do some cleaning. After thinking it through I decided I'd rather do it myself and have some peace. He is a grumbler at times.

So, with my 3 phase program...OLD CURRENT CLEAN....

1. OLD
~go through the rest of the books I mentioned yesterday
~drag recycle boxes out of basement and into car
~metal and mirror pieces from under outside tree to car
~make a sweep through EVERY room of the house and choose items to part with
~make a run to the landfill, recycle and thrift to get rid of everything not welcome here anymore

2. CURRENT
~I will declutter all current items from every room today and will take a picture of my office for all of you

3. CLEAN
~I will do my carpet on the staircase the way I want it done
~I will wash my hardwood floor to get all DH's coffee spills off it
~I will stop at Starbucks and see if I can find a spiffy no spill coffee mug for DH

OK, I guess I can call this A PLAN. Today I will do my least favorite job first, which I think is the declutter of old stuff. I'll let go now and clean later.

WOW! Love your plan and intention spelled out. I connect with your empowerment to get the job done and honor that part. I am calling that my "inner succeeder" that wants certain things done. I let that part of me know that I love and honor the work that I am putting forth to make things happen--realizing that if it is to get done, then I better do it. It is better than sitting on my hindend and being lazy.

I sent you an email a few weeks back regarding Judith Beck's CBT formulation sheet. Did you get it? I couldn't send it thru this group. Anyhow, it breaks down relevant childhood data, core assumptions, "rules formed" - conditional assumptions, coping strategies, automatic thoughts, behaviors and actions. Whew.....I wanted to share this with you as this sheet ties directly into the schemas and maladaptive coping mechanisms that are formed around clutter, not just food. It is nice to attend to what automatically comes up and challenge the thoughts that go with it. Laying down the foundation of new neuropathways to do something different. That is why I like reading your posts and plans. Making a new groove in you daily plan and way of being. Thanks for sharing.......Off to plan menu for Christmas dinner here and prepare food for my trip to Illinois. My focus is on giving of myself these next few days to bless my family. Hugs to all Decluttering Becksters!

Tami(helping rachel), safe travels and kudos for taking time off with your family. Yes, I did get the email...when I was traveling and I just went through my emails the other night to "find it" again. lol Once I found it I tried to do a little online research to figure out how to apply it. Perhaps after the holidays we can connect again by email and I can ask you some questions and you can explain it to me more thoroughly. Thx.

Thanks also for the feedback regarding "inner succeeder". I came back here to check in because I was needing a little boost to keep going and your words did just that for me. It's only 930 am and I have already accomplished several things;
~I went through all my downstairs rooms and took things out of every room to take to thrift. Emotionally, I was ready to let go of 15 more cookbooks...ones that no longer serve our lifestyle. Let someone else enjoy them. credit. I also let go of 15-20 items from my drawers in the kitchen, some which were my grandmothers, but not valuable and not sentimental. I took everything out of the drawer and cleaned it while I was at it.
NOTE: This was all done while my DH made smoothies...
Pic attached...that stuff is all in the car and I'm driving it away as soon as I finish here.
~I went through the books and have 16 to go away plus the ones from yesterday. credit

I'm going to do the two cleaning items AS SOON AS I GET HOME. I know I won't want to do that later.

I'm going to check back in today. I have this day to make giant progress which wont happen if I distract/detach by:
~watching tv
~sleeping
~eating
~going to town with mom
~hanging out on the internet

ETA-Added the picture, titled "Out of The House". The boxes are bigger than they look. When I step back and take a moment to see what is leaving I have the opportunity to envision the space I am creating.

Looking for the link to join the 2013 weight loss challenge. Saw it once and have never found it again....it talked about being on the red team or the blue team. Can you point me in the right direction??? New here.

Dogpaws4ever, I think gardenerjoy had posted a link....perhaps she will see this and repost

I finished what I said I would. I am going to get on the recumbent bike and ride while I watch a tv show. Here is a pic of the new wallpaper.

Declutterers:

Welcome to Winter.

So far today I have moved all14 boxes out from the bedroom and I am now working on the hall, but I think I have to wait for DH to get home cause my dollie/handtruck is in the car with him and some of those hall boxes are hea-vy. Nevertheless, I have moved 10 from the alcove in the hallway and am about halfway there.

I now see the giant box with my bandsaw in it. I can probably unbox it and carry it to the car for transport to the studio. That's a lot easier to do than to move the box which is big and awkward.

So far the dining room isn't even half full of boxes, which is great. I am within a box of the ceiling in only one space and that's cause the boxes are on top of the china cabinet.

I just tossed everything that wasn't a box on the floor, on the bed, in the hall so I am of to gather/sort this stuff now.

My goal for the end of today is
1) to empty the hallway alcove,
2) move my dresser to where the desk is in the bedroom and vice versa done
3) do some laundry
4) sort the stuff I wash
5) start a donation bag done/started
6) sweep the floors where I took the boxes away from

Ok off to deal with the bedroom.

extra stuff done: wrapped DH's xmas gifts/hid them & hung dress clothes up in the closet instead of having them hang off the bedroom door

Dogpaws4ever I think this is the link you are looking for. The deadline for sign up is TOMORROW so I hope you see this!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/bigg...formation.html

onebyone, cheering you on! It sounds like you are feeling good about your progress and you've gotten a lot done already. Best wishes as you work on the rest of your list!

OnebyOne: great job on making progress getting your living room and space ready for new things.

Lexxiss: I look forward to sharing about Judith's process. I have some great insight on that. I would be happy to share what I have learned and what has been shared about this in the consulting practice that I work in. I have identified some stuck issues that have gained freedom and release. Interesting stuff and it really is all about self-therapy and focus,intention,compassion and committed action/values. I will plan on this sometime in the New Year as Jan.-Feb.-March can be slow.....

I love your office color and new border. It would make me happy to be in that space. I also loved your picture of the outgoing boxes. I am so surprised about how much I have let go in December a time when we usually are put in a trance to acquire, acquire, acquire. I am coming out of a fog and being so intentional. I am up in weight but not worried about that as much. Clothes fit and I feel good. Will have that back on the top of my list in 2013. I am just happy that I have clean drawers ----an organized utility room and new craft room. I am already thinking of new projects for 2013.

Hello!

Thought I'd check in...I'm off to work soon. This morning I accomplished my 3 fold dance...
1. old clutter-pulled out chokecherry juice from freezer so I can make jelly for my mom tomorrow. It's been sitting in there for quite awhile.
2. current clutter-picked up everything I left out yesterday.
3. clean-vacuumed upstairs, cleaned the coffee making area and washed out my dryer vent thingie and added water again...oh, and washed the blanket and two towels from the couch that keep the pets from ruining it.

Have a productive day!

I like that 3 step dance you are doing. I am going to do that myself. Not throwing anything out until after the holiday as the trash is full already....
Off to our cabin on the Platte River for our Family Christmas. I love that I have learned to keep that place in tip top shape so I have to just go thru the door. Prepared all my food and have gifts ready to go.

Merry Christmas Beck Declutters, Wishing you a peaceful and spacious Holiday full of joy in your heart and home.

Declutterers!

And we have a new bed! I bought a new steel frame that will accommodate a either a queen or a king size mattress. For now, we took the free and in *excellent*condition Queen size mattress from our neighbour. I decided I would let myself have the queen bed even tough Id ream of a king bed because a) we an have it now and b) it's still bigger than our old one and many of my sheets are queen size now anyway and c) I deserve to have something to show for my efforts. I can enjoy this bed until and if we do get that king sized one. And to this end, we went out and bought a new mattress cover and mattress pad for it. We are donating the old one + other linens/clothes to the diabetes pickup in the morning. I have not had a chance to get through any boxes but I did pull stuff from my dresser drawers to make sure we had something for the pickup. My neighbour says he has a few bags too so that makes me happy. I think I let go about 8 or 9 items from my dresser. These were not planned so *redits here for sure.

Checked and double checked about the town rules for putting our old mattress at the curb. Looks like that's ok. Still wondering about keeping/placing the futon in the apt somewhere. DH seems interested but I am ready to let it go. We do have an air mattress if we ever had a guest here. And we'll have a big couch now. The neighbour has made arrangements to get the rest of the furniture in here around 6pm next Friday. He's got three guys and a case of beer so it'll be done. I am well on my way to being ready for it all. That's even more time than I had execpted to have.

And *extra credit* I moved all the crafting drawers to the studio today. We made them fit into the car cause we thought we might need the space they were hanging around in for the old mattress and boxspring. Once in the car I just drove straight to the studio and plunked it inside. Done! yay!

And we moved my dresser and laced the funky 50's desk under the window where the cat liked to sit and so I was out this morning and icked up another cat shelf to extend the window ledge for our kitty and Caesar was aleady up there enjoying it. Seems my oasis extends to my furry friends--and of course it does!
*credit for just getting things done. DH was uncommitted all week and even today and then, once the mattress was coming int the apt, he got excited and was happy to go out to get the mattress cover and pad. I think he is as pleased to see me doing this kind of work and paying attention to the house. If I take care of myself I also end up taking care of him. It's nice when it works like that.
credit credit credit.

I did get some vinyl wall stickers at the dollar store and I think I am going to place them on the wall in lieu of a headboard. DH doesn't want a headboard and I think it would be fun to have these green plants right there. Anyway, that's really getting into the details, but it's fun to think about.

I am off to enjoy the new bed.

onebyone, as I read, "the first fruit" this morning I was very excited to read your post! I had a big grin on my face and and did a happy dance for you. Kudos for finding several items to send to thrift, since it's such an important part of the process. I can say from experience I'm glad I finally let go of my futon because it was mainly a vehicle for stacking stuff and my reality was that I rarely have houseguests. I know your inner organizer will make the right decision for now.

I,too, am experiencing the fruits of my labor. I planned to make chokecherry jelly for my mom for Christmas....got downstairs found everything I needed right away AND didn't have to pick up or clean up the kitchen before I could start. I did open a few more boxes in the process that could use a sort and did find several things I had been looking for. Opened the kitchen drawer that I decluttered several days ago and was pleasantly surprised.

Off to work...

Hello All

I was making complicated cookies today (still not done. my sister assured me these were easy NOT) and I was just looking for wire cooling racks. I used to have 2 large size racks. Now I can only find tiny ones. I'm going to give all those small ones up and get the ones that I like. Which brings me to plain old decluttering the drawer in the bottom of the oven. I find this drawer icky and I avoid it and try to get in and out of it super fast.

Tomorrow's plan is simly: do the dishes. I have more boxes to move from the hallway as well, but I need to focus on my painting that's due Friday.

Thursday it's about completing the living room and making sure all is clear for Friday night.

Bye for now.

onebyone, yay for decided to let go of the wire racks you don't like. Funny story...I did exactly the same thing awhile back. I donated the small ones and decided not to run out and buy big ones because I was sure I had some...I did eventually come across the big ones that I really liked. (I'm still running across things I haven't seen for years!)

I completed my jelly project and made it a point to clean up everything...putting everything back in place. credit.


I took the afternoon off to relax (reading my Beck book and taking an extended nap).

Unfortunately, I woke up in the middle of the night...AND....WOW...

A long procrastinated project is finished.

I pulled out the last defunct laptop and went through every picture and file to make sure I could disassemble and send it to electronics recycle.
CREDIT

In the process, I took new photos from the large computer...integrated them into the master photo file on the working laptop...transfered them all to a joy stick and got them onto one of those electronic picture frame thingies. Kirk will see it when he comes down in the morning.

History: Several years ago I started taking boxes of photos over to walmart, scanning them, putting them on CDS then back to the laptop where they got sorted. Really nice, but DH has complained on more than one occasion that he loves his photos but NOW that I put them on the computer he has no way to access them.
Well now he does.
It kinda closes one door for me yet opens another...a good project for the New Year...I stll have all the slides to go and 4 or 5 specific photo albums (our wedding for one).

BTW-This seemed to be my starting point for all this decluttering activity. I'm glad I started somewhere and will be happy in the morning when DH sees the ongoing slideshow for the first time.

Work today...it will be very busy. Take care.