September 2011 Declutter club

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housewife2

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i made 4 bags from the attic to go to goodwill. dishes books clothes. feels good to get it out of here
 

KimD

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Oct 13, 2007
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Today after I get the last kid to school I am going to work on the garage some more I really want to get my craft stuff in there so I have somewhere to work on the stuff. I am home today until cheer practice so I am hopeing to make a great dent in there.
 

Christmaslvr

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I don't have anything to toss right now, but I am going to organize my hall closet today(which has been on my list for months now!). Next will be 2 cabinets in the kitchen that I decluttered weeks ago, but still haven't organized what's left.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it! LOL
 

SparkleNana

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9/23 Friday. Yesterday, I took one very full bag of donations to the Thrift Shop. And.... I walked out with a much smaller bag of purchases. One was an incredible fall/winter top.... that I gladly paid full price for! And... a set of Thomas The Train stacking boxes. They are VERY well-loved... and just wonderful! The 2-year-old dgs will like them! There will be some "restaurant meals" while ds#1 & family are here next weekend.... so I should gather a bag of interesting things... to entertain the 2-year-old during time at the table!

AND.... as we all know.... NOTHING inspires you to clean... as much as "people coming to your home: Hopefully... that will inspire me to do lots.... er.... some.... decluttering.... while I clean, today!
 

luludou

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SN you are doing so well!! You're decluttering must be nearing the end! (we all know there is always some to do even if it's just small things)
 

SparkleNana

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thank you for your encouragement, luludou! Well.... I did not really begin to declutter until I retired.... so there were decades worth of clutter stuffed around! PLUS...... I now have "an eye" towards eventual downsizing.

I know that dh will not want to leave this place.... he is very comfortable with letting our younger son do all the maintenace/repairs that dh used to do! (In addition to ds & ddil being the most lovable, wonderful people.... they are also extremely kind and generous to us.) And.... it is sort of dh's heritage" --- dh's mom really wanted to stay in her own home.... luckily, we were able to arrange all kinds of services to help her to stay there.

On the other hand, my mom happily moved to a studio apartment in a high-rise senior living apartment building, as soon as she retired! Dinners were served at night; all repairs were quickly taken care of.... and my mom enrolled in the state university a couple of blocks away! Classes were free to senior citizens... and she happily spent her time enjoying interesting classes, reading... and enjoying college life! Since it was California.... when I visited.... I slept in a sleeping bag on her balcony. (Sshhhh.... I don't think it was really allowed!) That way... I could go to bed early.... and then sneak out early in the morning, for coffee and the newspaper. My mom could watch TV late... and sleep as late as she liked! (I brought her home: fresh coffee, a roll and the newspaper.) She had breakfast in bed.. while I straightened up the balcony, the bathroom and the studio apartment. And then.... we had the day free. No repairs.... no maintenance.... not even cooking (unless we wanted to).

My mom had almost nothing in her studio apartment. It was fresh and unclutered! She had divided up the photo albums and any other sentimental items, among the children. Cleaning out her apartment took no time.... the plants on the balcony went to her friends in the building. So did the furniture... to anyone who needed it. There wasn't anything left for the Salvation Army.

For my mother-in-law... it took us FOREVER to empty her house (and garage!) Dh is an only child. All the sentimental items from a lifetime were there... it was painful and time-consuming to deal with them. AND... there were things like.... hundreds and hundreds of clean mayonnaise jars... lined up on shelves in the garage. Empty... but ready for any future need...... Years and years of magazines... etc. etc.

So... my goal is to keep dh comfortable and happy.... while getting rid of stuff that he agrees is clutter! (I haven't gone into the attic yet!!!!! And it just stuffed!) So.... I am hoping tha Gingerbug will let us create a 2012 Decluttering Club, next year!
 
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luludou

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SN - yes, a lifetime of having stuff makes for a lot of clutter, especially since his mom had stuff there too. I must say your mother's way of living her retired life is quite an inspiration.

2012 declutter club - it is a MUST (well, for some of us at least). :)
 

SparkleNana

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9/24 Saturday. Today... my goal i to organize the house for the visit (beginning Wednesday) from ds & family. It is a very small house.... and I want them to be as comfortable as possible! And.... I have a reward for tomorrow.... IF I am successful today: I will celebrate September Rudy Day ... all day tomorrow..... if I get a reasonable amount accomplished today!

So... off I go......
 

luludou

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1 capri, 1 tee-shirt & 1 lotion given away.. better than nothing! DD decluttered her room yesterday too and threw away alot of stuff - good!
 

SparkleNana

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9/25 Sunday. WELL..... I WILL say..... that: a messy house is still very upsetting (to the person who has to clean it up)..... BUT..... when you have continuously worked to declutter..... when you DO clean up.... it really looks good! So..... cleaningup was still horrible.... but the rewards were good!

SO.... I WILL celebrate Rudolph Day today! AND... it is half-price sale day at the Thrift Shop. (My favorite!) So.... I have put out some sturdy bags.... and I will get them as full as possible.... with "donations" for the thrit shop. I love to get things donated.... before I buy anything else!!!!!!!

Yesterday.... I got two trash bags of "junk and clutter" Out The Door!!!! The Thrift Shop doesn't open until noon on Half Price Day. So... I will do some more work this morning..... WHILE I watch QVC's Christmas Programs! (Rudy Day!!!)
 

aggy

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Oct 11, 2007
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Was putting clean laundry away and ended up getting rid of 4 sweaters, a top, two crop jackets, a corduroy jacket, a suede jacket and 3 brand new bras I bought but found out i could not fit and never took them back (tags are still on them).
 

SparkleNana

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Aggy.... that is pretty darn great decluttering WHILE putting away clean laundry!!!!

I filled a bag to take to the Thrift Shop: some mismatched pillow cases; some gardening books; a NICE outfit... that never fit me (sigh).

AND... I caught dh in exacly the right mood.... to declutter his medicine cabinet... while I stood in the doorway and encouraged him and cheered him on! There was a prescription that was 9 years old.... and A LOT of other stuff... that really needed to be disposed of properly! That... plus some items cleared out off the refrigerator and some more generalized Out The Door stuff!

NOW... I am heading to Half-Price Day!! Woo Hoo!!
 

luludou

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Way to go Aggy & SN!

2 books added in my giveaway bag. Will throw away pruning shears after dinner as I have found my new ones in the basement.
 

aggy

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Oct 11, 2007
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Yah for your DH Sparklenana. I found some old medication in my medicine cabinet. How are you disposing of yours?

I was trying to figure out a way to put away my comforters and remembered I had the bag that one of my comforter sets came in, in my bedroom closet. So in they went and stored away nice and neat in the guest room closet.
 

Ahorsesoul

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Oct 13, 2007
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Yah for your DH Sparklenana. I found some old medication in my medicine cabinet. How are you disposing of yours?

Not SN but our police department has a drop off box for old medications and drugs. I suggest you call your clinic/hospital to ask what to do with them. Your pharmacy should also know but if it's like mine they are clueless.

I do B12 injections so I have needles to get rid of. I've asked the doctor, the clinic staff, the hospital staff and the pharmacist. All are clueless.
 

SparkleNana

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Hi: aout the prescription medicines... our phamacist will accept them for disposal. (I don't know if that is the policy of the whole drug store chain... or of just our particular drug store.)

We go to the drug store often... so it is convenient.

I DID go to the Thrift Shop.... and dropped off the bag of donations... but it was JAMMED!!!! Since I had to go shopping for the birthday party ( and for Rudy Day)... I didn't stay there to shop.

I got some good things for the 13-year old..... TJMax had a "Halloween Cupcake Making Set" that was very pricey.... original price tag.... but with the T.J. Max price tag... and THEN the "clearance price tag"... it was good. The mom had specifically mentioned this kind of special cupcake-making set... with decorative Halloween picks."

OMG... I'm in the DECLUTTER THREAD and I'm talking about shopping!!!!! Well.... these gifts are going Out the Door tonight.... so it's all good..... right, peeps?

ALSO..... on clearance.... I got some sillicon baking cups and a cookbook set.... with recipes of things to bake IN the cupcake cups... like special sandwiches, quiches, s'mores.... she loves to cook.

The mom mentioned makeup as a gift idea. So..... I got a pretty "Vampire Make-Up" set --- a special gift package fo Halloween... vampires are huge now. It does NOT have fangs... it's really pretty with glittery eyeshadow and deep red lipstick. Also some black glittery fingernail polish.

AND... probably the best.... a book of blank faces.... and digrams of different designs of makeup to apply.... eyeshadows, etc.... drawing them ON the faces in the book.... with the artist supplies provided. All these gifts were bout $4 or $5 each total.

I got some small things to wrap up for the 11-year old brother to open, too! That is our custom.

So... off to shower and wrap!!!
 
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aggy

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Oct 11, 2007
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Thanks for the info ladies. I will see if I can take mine to the nearby Walgreens. I do my prescriptions there.

I finally went through the tv cabinet in the livingroom and sorted all that paper that was stacked on the top shelf while watching the Ravens play St. Louis.
 

Pam Spaur

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Took 4 magazines and my Sunday paper to DD today. And I have been sewing and using up fabric in my stash. Can't buy more when there is NO room! Hope all this stuff will sell at the craft fair next Saturday! AND, I am going thru winter and summer clothes as I make the transition so I can donate!
 

Cindylouwho

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Nov 4, 2007
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Had to pop in here to gather up some decluttering energy! You go!! Off to clear out a bunch of stuff in my entryways!! And I'm putting my donation box in the car to get dropped off this week! Yay me! ;-)