Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons. ~Jim Bishop

Happy Autumn to Declutterers Everywhere!

These next 12 weeks include Thanksgiving in Canada and the US, and we end on the doorstep of Christmas and the New Year.

A pretty significant chunk of time.

What would you like to accomplish during this season?
Let's hear all about it.

Hi Everyone.

The heat was turned on by the landlord today. It is definitely The Fall. Even though this is one of my busier times of year I remain focused on chipping away at my clutter, my boxes, and my general lack of space. Once more I have a box mountain with new things from my deceased brother in the mix. His wife wanted me to take more things and I was going to go back for things and instead I will be sending her a note than I won't be coming back for more. I just don't have room. I have all I want and need of my brothers and much of it will end up tossed.

My sister has been having success getting her kitchen cleaned up by following the steps in this blog: http://www.thekitchn.com/collection/...-cure-2015-743
She says you start with the fridge and I know my fridge is long neglected. I will commit to these steps and continue with the Magic of Tidying Up book as well as my own method of dealing with each box one box at a time. I have defered many decisions about stuff/papers because I have had to clean out pack sacks and boxes and instead of dealing with the contents I've shoved them into plastic bags for "later".

Later is almost here now.

End Goals for Winter Solstice/End of this Decluttering Session:
1. clean fridge
2. clean freezer
3. clean stove
4. box mountain III dismantled and dealt with
5. re-arrange kitchen and dining room to be useful rooms with appropriate furniture

I think that's more than enough. Could be too ambitious but I'll aim for it anyway.

OnebyOne,

I like that you are gathering insights from 2 different sources. My goals for this season are the following:

Get the ceiling fixed from a leak.
Purge 2 books shelves in my office.
Label black boxes in storage shelf.
Clean out my son's closet to get ready to make the room into a nursery.
That is enough for now……

OnebyOne Clearing space for better use sounds so good.

I've read lots about de-cluttering but one of the best was to separate out "My Treasures" first.

Books, family photos and hand made pottery are certainly treasures. However with DD#2 having her Painting Studio in the living room, I'm learning to re-adjust the places I put things. My work room is a disaster as it holds washer/dryer/laundry hampers, books, sewing machine, Ironing board & iron, Gardening stuff (that can't go in shed), Vacuum cleaner and supplies, my desk and file cabinets and shredder.

Walking room only. Closet is used by DH to hold his clothes and out of season blankets. This leaves my desk as the worst place for clutter.

Goals:

* Shred documents not needed but can't go in trash.
* File important papers.
* Trash what I can.
* Magazines to nursing home
* Take books to Library for their book sale after I remove my name and book marks.

My work room is the most important place to declutter and regain sanity.

Helping Rachael Is the new nursery for your new child or your's son's? Either way, may all be accomplished in time.

May each of us be successful. Sandy

Pulled out ALL of my cloth napkins (quite a lot) and cleared out all that were stained, fraying, also donated some and set some aside to bring in to work for when I'm eating at my desk, but organized all the rest and have them at the ready in my dining room. I have/use a LOT of cloth placemats and napkins and having them so close in the dining room will ensure that they're all used more evenly, instead of just the closer ones.

Next project is to go through the kitchen cupboards and acknowledge that even if a pan is "cute" - small and handy, but I don't use it, someone else could and that will clear out valuable space in a smallish kitchen. Did some of that yesterday, moving small appliances together. Trying to figure out how to store DH's coffee pot that seems to be rarely used so I can get that off the counter. Deadline on this: by Sunday Nov. 8 so I can take the items to Goodwill.

Hi Everyone:

I am finally back and settled in again unless something comes up that's unexpected. I am back here in particular because the Diabetes people called to say there is a pickup of used clothing and household goods in my area on Nov 11. I said yes, I'll have something. I purged my clothes last time. This time will be my linens. And I hope to empty a few of the boxes from Box Mountain III.

In order to accomplish this I will have to take a bit of time from here and there. I am in the serious midst of catching up on my work after time away plus outside deadlines of how long I can work on my ceramics before we are not allowed to fire kilns anymore due to the upcoming sales. All happening within the next two weeks.

Time to get really organized again.

This week I can finally spend time at home and since I've completely neglected all things in my apartment everything has piled up once again.

So for this next week I am back to basics -7 things for 7 days.

1. clear the sink of dishes every night (great to wake to clean sink)
2. clear the floor in the living room (cat will appreciate the uncluttered space)
3. clear the floor in the kitchen (cat will appreciate cleaned up eating area)
4. clear the counter tops (I will appreciate space to prep meals in)
5. clear the kitchen table (would love to use it again/have it available to use)
6. clear the coffee table (would be great to use the whole thing again)
7. move items that can be stored into storage shed for the winter (need space in my studio for other projects now)[/LIST]
That's ambitious enough for now.

Anyone else doing anything out there decluttering-wise??

Another Goodwill run on the weekend, this time with wall art that I'd had for years, and while still pieces I loved (national park art, well-framed items), I grudgingly admitted I could move some on. Then later that night I told DH I was going to go back there this week and buy it back. SERIOUSLY, he asked? No... But it was part of my view every day and I miss it. I have some pieces from Italy that need to be reframed and will tackle that in the next few months.

Culling out some shoes - ultra high heels that I could wear a few years ago, that won't be worn now. I feel like my "sexy" has left. I guess it's not the shoes, but ...

I'm working hard to clear the dining room table every night, leaving just our two place settings and centerpiece with candle and to do all dishes every night as well. Those creep up on me. I do NOT want to leave any baking to be cleaned up the next morning - goal for the holidays.

Setting some concrete goals for tonight.

1. Clear dining room table top - done
2. Clear both sides of sink-wash/dry/put away dishes - done
3. Do one more sinkful of dishes. - done

1. three more sinkloads of dishes
2. move everything out from under and around the dining room table
3. clear off the chaise in the living room
4.(optional) clear off top of coffee table

Didn't get to any of this. I was out most of the day and my evening was spoken for. Tomorrow I'll see how far I can get.

So glad to have found this group. Goals for this first week in December. Get living room decorated for Christmas. Boxes are out of the garage and tree is on the stand but not decorated yet. Release to Goodwill any Christmas decorations that are excess and do not have sentimental value. Spent last weekend with a buddy going through fabric and released lots for her to create gifts from. Been working on hand towels with initials sewed on them for each grandchild for this Christmas. Finish that project and start on the wrapping as soon as the decorations are up. Hope to have decorations completed by Sunday the 6th.

My craft room is a mess as it is storage for all Christmas presents, projects and music collections. Have decided the entertainment center we inherited from my son when he moved away doesn't fit the space and storage of the stuff we need so want to eliminate it but that means removing all items before we can get rid of it so there is room to replace it with something that fits/works better.

Lots of goals hope I can move on them. Looking forward to checking in here with my progress and seeing how others are progressing.

Winter Solstice arrives on Dec 21st officially ending this Autumn 2015 challenge. I have 8 days to focus on my decluttering to-do list which I am going to re-make this evening.

Back later to add it here.

Winter Solstice is a goal to get some tasks taken care of. Thanks for idea.

Changed insurance companies and shredding lots of past info. Also some old receipts that are no longer needed for anything. Found a new shelf with the decluttering so I can shelve the 3 months of special supplements we take.

Next is the tops of the cabinets in the Laundry room. Can't even reach it, but our daughter can.

Goodwill will be getting some donations Wednesday.

National Parker, When you told of donating a painting then wanting it back, I reconsidered one of the paintings in hall by someone other than our family.

DO this stuff first:

LIVING ROOM
clear chaise
clear chinese chair
clear floor in that area
clear coffee table
clear under the table
clear in front of tv

KITCHEN
wash dry sort put away dishes
clear kitchen table top and underneath

BEDROOM


12/16 completed items:
clear in front of dresser DONE
put clothes away DONE
put linens away DONE
clear off dresser top DONE
get tv in bedroom accessible and workingDONE
12/19 completed items:

12/16 UPDATE: so this list is way too ambitious for one day. I will continue it until it gets done. Solstice is my deadline though.