March Declutter Club

[MinnieCo]

You know, I'm going to go in a different direction. I've stayed out of the thrift store for almost a year now. I've been taking stuff...car loads over the past year. I finally decided to go in the other day to look around. I did really good. I walked out with two high end shirts for my husband a new jacket for my daughter and that fancy bow maker I've been wanting to try for years. Everything was super cheap and really nice! I just can't go on a regular basis, but I figured after all that it was worth a trip!

 

[Lana]

I have to try to do something this month.

 

[SparkleNana]

Great, Lana! ANY thing you do will help! It absolutely does not have to be anything big! Little steps help too! Stuff that is REALLY Out THE DOOR IS GONE FOREVER! YOU NEVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT AGAIN!!!!!

Minnieco..... Hurray! What excellent hunting you did! It is relaxing and comforting to have nice clothing to put on.... especially when it costs pennies on the dollar to buy! And... having a fun fancy bow maker is delightful! We wrap packages.... and this will make them more fun and special!

TODAY..... is the day I have been anticipating for a long time. The day the giant pile of STUFF (from Christmas and from the "invalid equipment" that I got when I got out of the hospital)....... the day that this giant pile is SUPPOSED to go up into the attic!!!!!!!

It is a rainy, cold day. A VERY good Sunday to spend time inside. Perhaps.... some more mini-Rudolph Day Time. If I find something compelling on TV..... I can spend time on paperwork.

How about you?

 

[Gingerbug]

Souinds like everyone has been doing awesome...I must say decluttering gives one a natural high....it feels so good.

My focus this month is still the basement....not to say that I wonlt grab and get rid of clutter in other places as I can....

It's Sunday ....so this afternoon....laundry and back to the basement...

I have a stack of papers, photos, etc...that I placed by my chair in the family room down there to go through...so that will be my first effort.

Then there are like FOUR baskets of magazines etc by DH chair in the family room down there...it will be my second area of attack

My third is to contine with Evan's toys..there is a huge basket/tub in the laundry area that I need to go through becuase I'd like to use the tub for toys....

I hope to get those three items down and then possibly more....will see.

(I already have a box down there filled and ready for Goddwill....so it will get lugged up and put in the car also...if time I'll run it up tonight or tomorrow morning...)

 

[Lana]

Ginger you are really doing good in your basement!

 

[cmerth]

We are starting spring cleaning this month. I am hoping we say good-bye to lots of bags of excess stuff. Hubby has agreed to be the "fix it man" as we move from room to room.

 

[luludou]

3 pants (that don't fit anymore) are out of my armoire this morning.

 

[SparkleNana]

Cmerth.... combining spring cleaning WITH downsizing.... that is a great idea!
Hi luludou! Good-bye to clothes that don't fit!
Gingerbug.... Good Job.... keeping attention on the basement.... while you do bits and pieces in the rest of the house.

I keep going back into the office/guest room. There are lots and lots and LOTS of small things to go through. Lots! I keep going back.... and I am NOT lasting 15 minutes each time. More like 1.5 minutes at a time. Every little tiny bit adds up! THAT is one of the many many lessons that we have ALREADY learned here in our 2011 Decluttering Club!

The office/guest room is ALREADY useable. And THAT is absolutely HUGE. But.... it needs a lot more little bits of work!!!!

 

[ChristmasPir8]

I put 2 shirts in a pile that are too big for me to go out. I have been working on loosing weight and one was a little big to begin with the thet other was big and shapeless and big so out it went. Plus a bra. I bought it b/c I thought it fit right but if it doesn't keep in what it's supposed to, no point in keeping it. Same for a pair of pants. They were a size big to begin with and now the are def. to big. I will not go back into them so out they go. Now I need to get them into the attic. I know it's not out of the house but I am having a yard sale first. If I can find a way to do it this month (not sure if I can) then I can donate what didn't sell to the church yard sale.

Great job each of you on all your hard work.

 

[Dakotasmamaw]

wow... only March whatever and 28 posts on this one... you guys are amazing... I guess I am decluttering.. redoing the guest room has made me get rid of bags of stuff... stuff I thought I really needed.. baskets, and crates and holders for EVERYTHING... and nothing ... I have 14 Glass flower vases.. now you tell me.. what in the heck did i keep all those for.. Im tossing all but 2.. 2 of my favorite shaped ones.. they were fun to get rid of .. they BROKE.. and made lots of nice noise.. tossing them into the trash...
Paper.. I have never seen so much paper attached to 2 people..... lots of it headed to work tomorrow for the shredder.. my shredder here is very little.. I have a garbage bag full right now...

I know I will feel great when it is all out of here.. its just hard to walk over right now...

 

[Christmaslvr]

Remember my post about sending things to my friend for a Chinese Auction? Well today I'm finally going to box up what I have and get it out to her tomorrow! Hey one or two less things in the garage is a good thing!

I love reading how and what everyone is doing!!

 

[Lana]

Becky, after we were in the town sell last year we took basically everything that was left to goodwill and the workers were already claiming the flower vases as we were unloading.
They use them to take flowers to people in besides ordering they use vases then go to Wal-Mart or wherever and get flowers and take them to people.

I can't wait to get out into the shed/garage and sort more stuff. Nice weather hurry up and come. Time changes next week-end so it will at least be lighter out longer.

 

[SparkleNana]

Piratesmamaof3boys.... getting rid of clothes that do not fit because they are too big.... that is JOYFUL!!!! Great job!

Dakotasmamaw..... congratulations! You have been making HUGE accomplishments! Redecorating a room in a brand new style PLUS decluttering/downsizing it.... WOW! AND...... you have ALSO been losing weight! Along with everything else that you have going on. You are accomplishing amazing amounts!

Lots and lots of rain today. I have been watching TV... and doing small decluttering jobs. A very quiet day.

 

[SparkleNana]

Christmaslvr...... everything you get Out The Door is great! AND.... helping a friend is wonderful! Win-win!

Lana... I agree... vases disappear fast from our local Thrift Shop!

 

[MinnieCo]

I kept going last night and spent 3 hours going through scrapbooking stuff to purge. I ended up with 4 2 gallon bags of paper and items to donate. I'm letting my friends go through them first, then the rest will go to Project Valentine to make journals and Childrens hospital for the kids to make cards and scrapbook. Every year I go through my supplies and purge, but this year I did it big. Stickers I've had to have for 13 years. Paper that comes in a pack that I don't particularly care for as much as other papers. Some punches I haven't used in 10 years and anything else you can think of. It makes less to go through when I'm searching for ideas.

Today while I watched a movie, I got my pile of recipes seperated and that meant a half a trash can of receipts from this past year I can now get rid of. I feel productive. It's nice to be home for a change!

 

[SparkleNana]

MinnieCo.... you got a HUGE amount done yesterday! A BIG DAY!!!! Congratulations! I LOVE those..... when they happen!!!!!

Beginning today.... I am scaling back on my decluttering efforts. Oh... NOT because I want to.... I am getting kind of compulsive about this!!! But.... because I REALLY have been ignoring other things.... and using my best energy on decluttering! Ignoring exercise.... bill paying.... lots of really important things!

I am going to try to do a "mental shift". I am going to see if I can switch my attention to KEEPING things clean and organized and tidy. And WORK ON all the things I have been ignoring (OTHER than decluttering). And THEN...... just do SMALL BITS of decluttering.

This is REALLY necessary because (1) ds#1, ddil#1 and dgd9 arrive in less than 2 weeks and spending time/energy with them will be the #1 PRIORITY while they are here (for a week). Then.... sometime in early April.... we will most probably have another "businessey trip". So.... that means for the next month to 6 weeks.... decluttering must take a very far back seat... to the rest of real life!

AND... we haven't even discussed spring.... and the passionate desire to get OUTSIDE when that hits!!!!!!!

Again... I thank Gingerbug for being so wise... and setting this up as a YEAR-LONG Decluttering Club!!!!

 

[luludou]

Cleared up pantry & threw out some 'old' stuff that had been opened but badly repackaged (kids!).

 

[cmerth]

spring clean is into day 2. Things are going great. I am being BRUTAL. So far I have decluttered the hall bathroom cupboard, linen closet and today the game closet. I donated several games that are too "baby" for Kiddo. I also threw away some broken boxes (open on both ends and put the pieces in ziplock bags with the games instructions.

Still need to clean up the shelf above the games.

The house is getting a bit messy with the donation bags and trash bags. Need to get control of that.

I put photo proof of my progress up on my blog. Major accountability.

 

[luludou]

Good job cmerth! DS FINALLY cleared up his desk - 1 trashbag out the door! And I told him his job for the springbreak is his six cubes of stuff in his closet.

 

[MinnieCo]

sparklenana, I totally get it. That's how I always feel come March. The holidays and birthdays take over, so once March 2nd comes I can come back to reality, get organized, declutter and swear I'll never be in that mess again. Bad thing is, it starts all over every year. I haven't come up with the perfect system, but change is good every once in a awhile for sure. Maybe someday I'll have the perfect system down.