March Declutter Club

[SparkleNana]

Gingerbug... is it OK to start the thread for March? If not... please delete/move/do whatever to make it right!

This is March 2nd! Our third wonderful month of the Declutter Club! Yesterday was a full day... out-of-the-house. Today, working at home, I have plans to get A FULL BAG out the door!!!!!

I am not counting my chickens before they are hatched.... but the collection of things to go into the attic is almost complete! And... when they go UP..... I am asking for the cushions for the outdoor furniture to be brought DOWN!!!!! SPRING is on the horizon!!!!!!!! Just imagine what it will feel like when it is warm enough to sit comfortably outside!!!! Joy!

 

[MinnieCo]

Okay...I'm going to get up right now at the office for 15minutes and go get rid of something. I'll check back in when I'm done.

 

[MinnieCo]

Okay, I pulled my old ink cartridges to drop off at Office Depot. In case you didn't know, they give you a money credit for each one you drop off and you'll get a gift cardt type thing in the mail every quarter. I just used $50.00 in credits towards my new external hard drive. Gotta love it! I think they accept 20 a month now.

I also boxed our our old magazines and emailed the lady who normall picks them up. I'm always happy when all the girls here are done at the office and I can still forward them again.

I also cleared the recycling box. Some is good, but we don't use that much scratch paper. And that's it for now. I've got to sit down and do time cards!!!

 

[SparkleNana]

MinnieCo... great tip about dropping off old ink cartridges at Office Depot! And fabulous job on recycling those magazines! Other people really got pleasure from them!

Today... I got a nice bag of stuff Out The Door! There is NOTHNG like it, friends!!! True... it is just a drop in the bucket of overall decluttering!!! BUT.... it is STUFF that we will NEVER have to look at again!

You know how we used to do 'retail therapy".... to change the way we feel? Well..... getting rid of bags of stuff feels AS GOOD as bringing IN bags of stuff USED TO FEEL! It feels absolutely wonderful!!!!

SURE.... I still love to buy something wonderful! But I can do the "buying" a whole lot less often! And... I can get that "wonderful feeling" as often as I like! Just by getting a bag of stuff Out The Door!

So... I am taking a nice break. AND...... my aim is to ADD one more trash can to our trash pickup this week!!! I want to get some more bags of stuff OTD..... today and tomorrow!!!!!

It is almost spring.... and light, empty spaces look TERRIFIC in the spring!!!! AND... in the summer!!!!!

 

[Christmaslvr]

I don't have much to do today as far as decluttering, but I think I will pack up the things that I'm sending to my friend for the Chinese Auction and get the box ready for the Post Office. Oh I do think I will go thru the last drawer in the living room...there's not much in there to lok through.

Ken has tons and tons of dvds that are still in boxes from when he moved out here 2 1/2 years ago and I have one box from when I moved out here. We are going to Target this week to pick up a few Sterlite bins so we can get them out of cardboard. This way they'll be ready to go for when we move later this year.

 

[Gingerbug]

Oh thanks for starting....I forgot...I've been too busy deluttering...LOL

 

[luludou]

Does rolling up all my change count? I rolled $296 of MY change! need to go to the bank and deposit the lot in my account. won't have time tomorrow so it'll be next week.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Sounds like Christmas money to me.

 

[MinnieCo]

lucie, of course it counts. Just don't use it to go buy more STUFF!

 

[Christmaslvr]

Does rolling up all my change count? I rolled $296 of MY change! need to go to the bank and deposit the lot in my account. won't have time tomorrow so it'll be next week.

EXCELLENT!! That's a lot of change!!

 

[luludou]

Lol! Minnico I'll try not to buy more stuff

I'm thinking I should put this towards something... (not necessarily Christmas because we pay for it both.. but something just for MEEE!!).

 

[Kim Loves Snow]

Lucie - I think you should use YOUR change on something just for you!

As for March I think I'm going to continue to work in 15 minute increments and see what else I can accomplish. My room plan has gone out the window but I'm still making progress none the less.

 

[SparkleNana]

DITTO TO THAT, Kim! I also vote for luludou doing whatever gives her joy.... with that "found money". AND.... Kim... I am ALSO doing 15-minute-at-a-time decluttering. No "room plan" here... either. I have absolutely no trouble finding decluttering to do!!!

The pile of stuff to go into the attic is growing bigger and bigger! I am aiming to get it all INTO the attic this weekend! AND.. . get the cushions for the outdoor furniture down and ready to use! Hurray for Spring!!!!! (Coming Soon... to a neighborhood near you!)

 

[SparkleNana]

The afternoon of Thursday, March 3rd. Things are movingly slowly today. Working 15 minutes at a time. Still.... a couple more bags have gone into the trash. AND.... MORE stuff is put aside..... to go into the attic this weekend.

This Declutter Club is absolutely showing us that there are A LOT of ways to declutter! Big all-out, exhausting pushes. Little tiny baby steps every day. Whatever works for you.... WILL work!

 

[SparkleNana]

Friday morning, March 4th. There is definitely SPACE in the office/guest room. It is NOT done. But... for the first time in a LONG TIME.... there are areas of open space!

AND.... when it gets to THAT point..... when you do 15 minutes of decluttering..... IT ACTUALLY SHOWS! Maybe it wouldn't be noticeable to anybody else..... but YOU can tell the difference! And YOU are the one doing the decluttering!!!!!

How many times have I done 15 minutes in that room and it did NOT show? It did NOT make a difference... even to me. How many???? It feels like thousands of 15-minute sessions were spent in that room! AND NOW..... FINALLY... it is getting easier and a little bit rewarding! WOO-HOO!!!!

Not done yet! But.... finally enjoying where I am in the process!!!!!!!

 

[Ahorsesoul]

SN, This is the part that is so exciting. When all those tiny spots of decluttered places start to form a whole room! I am so proud of you. Most people give up just before this starts to happen.

 

[AnnieClaus]

All those 15 minute sessions add up!

Good job Sparkle Nana!

Annie

 

[Christmaslvr]

I love this thread....just sayin'

 

[luludou]

I agree Christmaslvr - this is a great thread and it helps us

 

[SparkleNana]

Thank you, Fellow Decluttering People! Progress IS good! Of course, I am anxious to see MORE progress! But.... life presents A LOT of demands/opportunities to us! And there is only so much time/energy that we can devote to decluttering.... without burning out!

It IS comforting that this is a Club for the entire year!!! And... it is comforting that people post about their own "decluttering journey".

I did take the multiple bags of donations to the Thrift Shop today. Unfortunately.... it was a Surprise Half-Price Sale On All Clothes Day today! So.... I looked. 100% silk long-sleeve blouses for $2. I bought a buttery yellow one and a black one. Sweaters were $2. I got a pink angora cardigan for my dgd9 and a 100% cotton nubby-knit plum colored one for me. This is lovely clothing at a very tiny price! It did NOT help with the decluttering. And... it DID take time and effort to search through the racks of clothing. So... I am tired but happy.

Tonight will be routine things. Dinner, dishes. putting things away, going through the day's mail. Perhaps a tiny bit of decluttering.... just to watch those beautiful empty spaces grow!