August 2011 Declutter Club

[KimD]

Hoping today I can get alot done it is my last day off until next Tuesday or Wens I don't remember. I do know that with cheer all week next week and Makayla has a triple header for Softball on Tuesday starting at 9 am I am not going to get anything done, if thats my day off.

I really need to figure out storage for some things in the kitchen it just isn't working out right now. But I do know that I have some shelves in the garage and a leaf to the table that is in my kitchen now that is going so I think I have an idea that involves those and of course my favorite thing spray paint.

 

[ChristmasRose]

Hooray! I got rid of a lot of old quilting magazines yesterday. My cleaning lady's mother is in a nursing home for rehab. Mama's a quilter, so she took her mother a ton of magazines, and when she finishes with them, she'll leave them there for other residents to look at. Makes me feel like I'm getting my money's worth from those magazines. I'll have another stack for her next week. And in my favor, I only tore out a FEW patterns, which will go into a quilting notebook.

 

[AnnieClaus]

I decided to take next Friday- August 12th off from work.

It will be delicious to have a blog of time to work on getting rid of some stuff and organizing!

If I could have Friday, Saturday, Sunday- Heaven!

Annie

 

[SparkleNana]

Hi Everybody! KimD.... your ideas for turning "garage storage areas into kitchen storage".... sound great! Please tell us more!
ChristmasRose.... you're right! The BEST uses for magazines.... is to donate them to a place where a lot of people can enjoy them!
AnnieClaus... Absolutely! Having Friday, Saturday AND Sunday for decluttering and organizing..... IS heaven!
And.... that is what I am aiming for.... this weekend! I have taken over the dining room table.... for our files.... for the huge "reorganizing/decluttering the files" project. I hoped to do it today.... but it looks like it will take..... At Least...... the whole weekend!

The paperwork is so important! Getting it organized helps our "mental clutter"!!!!!

 

[luludou]

Annie I will do that too but will wait for September, I want it to be cooler.

 

[dreamto]

I generally start the HGP in August. (Because by then I NEED to start preparing for Christmas) Then I convert over to the CC when it begins.

 

[SparkleNana]

August 6th - Saturday. The dining room table is now Eye Of The Hurricane.... for the office reorganization effort. (I really wish that the National Guard.... was coming in to help me with this!). BABY STEPS! I need to focus on that!!!!!

Dreamto... I'm with you! I start the HGP in August... and run out of steam on that.... and then switch to the Christmas Countdown (the all-Christmas -- no-Housework Short PLAN)!

LULUDOU.... DO YOU PROMISE THAT IT WILL BE COOLER IN SEPTEMBER? of course... you are right! It just seems to be taking forever to get to "cooler"!

 

[luludou]

SN - I promise, I promise!! if it's not cooler during the day it will at least be during the night which will help

I need to get rid of stuff downstairs... I've identified a few things that I have to get rid of when dh isn't here

 

[SparkleNana]

Sunday August 7th!!! Yesterday was a GOOD day! In the morning.... and then.... in the late afternoon.... continuing well into the evening.... lots and lots of paperwork got dealt with!!!! You know that I like to watch/listen to television while I do boring work! Yesterday, for the first time ever, I started watching the "Millionaires Dating Club"... or whatever it is called!!! Fascinating!!! It really went into the "personality" of each millionaire... and why they were not able to find a truly loving relationship. (By the way.... they help both men AND women millionaires!) Watching the program.... you QUICKLY realize that Millionaires can be as neurotic and difficult as anybody else!!!

In the early afternoon.... I really needed a break. So.... I went to my FAVORITE thrift shop.... to spend some time looking through "colorful clothing" rather than through "black and white papers"! I limited myself to looking for "ULTRA light weight tops".... to wear in this 100 degree heat! I am SICK of the light-weight ones I have been wearing since the beginning of the summer!!! (Which feels like it began in January! It has been SO long!!!!) So.... I got two 100% cotton... practically "feather weight" summery blouses! Colorful and pretty. $4 each.... and very excellent quality, if I do say so!! Plus... the money goes to charity. A very satisfying break!

Now.... it is Sunday morning. The second Sunday in August. I am devoting the entire month of August to getting our home and office paperwork systems reorganized and streamlined. (Keeping a watchful eye on "Real Life".... since Real Life can change our plans in a flash!!!!!!)

SO... I do plan to work on paperwork again today. And... I notice that the rest of the house is starting to look NOT SO GOOD! So... a Home Blessing would be a good thing, too!

ACTUALLY.... the Holiday Grand Plan begins on August 28th. The last Sunday in August. So... we have today.... and Sundays on the 14th and the 21st....... and then the NEXT Sunday is the beginning of the Holiday Grand Plan! (Also the beginning of the HHP.... what is it? The Houseworks Holiday Plan? I don't know.)

So... we have about 21 days.... until the HGP begins.

 

[Merry]

AnnieClaus, 3 day weekends are definitely the way to go. I do that and have a clean/organizing marathon on Friday and Saturday and then I have Sunday to put the house back together again before going to work! Over the years, I try switching up the month or the week so payroll doesn't see a pattern!! SparkleNana, good luck with organizing your papers. I did that one summer and it worked! Now I have very little to go through each year. I can remember my house being a mess while going through the process, but it was well worth it. luludou, I thought I was the only one who got rid of things when DH isn't home. I'm glad I'm not alone! lol

 

[SparkleNana]

August 8. Monday Morning. The month-long project is showing definite results! Tons more to do.... but progress is very visible!!!! It IS rewarding when you actually see some progress!

Yesterday, our weather=man said that we are on track to make this "Our hottest summer on record". He said "LAST YEAR was our hottest summer on record.. to that point." He ALSO reminded us that the heat lasted through September. He pointed out that it was 99 degrees.... on September 21st!

Well.... we will have our Christmas Grand Plan... to help us through September!!!!! And all the "Decluttering Babysteps" that we do now.... will just make Christmas 2011.... more peaceful and joyful!

 

[CraftyLady]

Since it's been so hot and humid (though not as bad as some places lately) I haven't done anything in the garage yet. I was inspired by SparkleNana last week so I jumped into paperwork. I cleaned out both file cabinet drawers and then I went through the 2 old paper bins in the basement and I shredded for 2 days. I filled 2 huge paper bags with shredded stuff and 2 regular sized paper bags. The best part is that last week was recycle pick up so I got it all out of the house too. I like the Houseworks Holiday Plan, I think it starts at the same time as the HGP. I find the order of rooms and most of the tasks are better suited to me. I think the first room is the home office area so I got a head start on the paperwork and all I have to do is clean the room top to bottom. Happy decluttering everyone!

 

[luludou]

My visit just left (my cousin from Abitibi - 8 hour ride from here)... I passed along 2 stuffed toys to the girls she had with her and a full bag of bras dd had cleared out of her drawer - nice stuff.

 

[SparkleNana]

In spite of Real Life.... our Decluttering Club DOES help us make progress! Paperwork continues.

 

[ChristmasPir8]

Havn't done much in a while I am not feeling too motivated but I am ready to get back on board. I did clean out my pantry and tossed some opened stale stuff and took some food to work (unopened) that I had but no one ended up liking so that got rid of it. I have a box of stuff just sitting in my room that needs to be sorted and delt with so that might be tomorrow's job. We are getting ready to paint the kitchen so I am dealing w/ some of my stuff here that I was using for decoration and need to decide what I am ready to part with.

 

[KimD]

Lately I haven't had much energy to get anything done. But I really need to change that. I started the kitchen about 2 weeks ago and then haven't touched it since even though I make plans todo so. But I really need to do something today because something in my pantry is smelling. I kind of think that some how a potato or onion got left in there. So I think that is the plan for today

 

[Lana]

Sunday I did clean off the desk and got about 1/2 trash bag full of paper to go. Stuff from wedding planning was on the bottom. It looks nice.

 

[missjane]

Today is working in our bedroom. I'll let you know later how it goes. Got 2 1/2 bags of clothes out or mine and DD14's closet yesterday.

 

[Lana]

Jane, you are really cleaning.

 

[SparkleNana]

August 10th!!!! I was not able to do any decluttering yesterday. I do hope to get a lot done today! Eighteen days until the Holiday Organizing Plans begin!!!

Craftylady.... congratulations on the big chunk of paperwork you shredded and recycled! You know.... the Houseworks Holiday Plan is intriguing! I'm going to check it out today. It really would be good to start with the home office!

Luludou --- good job... giving things to people that enjoy receiving them!

Piratemama.... your work on the kitchen will really pay off during the crazy busy holidays!

PamD.... I'm cheering you on! The kitchen is really a challenge!

Lana and missjane.... I'm cheering you on, too! Getting ANYTHING accomplished in this August heat.... is incredible!!!!