January 2024 Decluttering

[sweetpumkinpye]

Recipe books are sorted through and decluttered. I have donated 18 cook books to the church and a full folder full of 'pull outs' has gone into the recycling bin. The recipes I wanted to keep I have hand written into my recipe book. I actually have an empty shelf in the kitchen.

I sorted through and donated 12 pairs of duplicate knitting needles.
20 or so wire coat hangers.
The pile of donations for the church is growing.
Might have to reevaluate the goal of getting 100 items out of the house.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Last of the kitchen cupboards sorted. Threw out some take away food containers and a few things from under the sink, jars and old cloths etc. DS will take a divided plate that was his as a baby, and a Tupperware container that he will use.
Donated a large oven dish and a whole heap of gadgets that DH doesn't see a need for. Some drinking glasses have also been donated.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

I took a quick look at my crafting projects that I had lined up to do. Several of the projects were going to use recyclables. Looking at all the other things I have on my list, I knew then that it just wasn't going to happen. So into the recycling bin those items went.

I also finished decluttering the January photos in my cloud storage.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

I went through some crafting shelves and a cabinet in the dining room and either tossed items or put items in a donate pile.

 

[missjane]

I sent 15 bath towels, 6 hand towels, and 12 washcloths home with DN#4.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

DD's friend is moving into a flat so she will be taking the double bed out of DD's old room. I have also offered her a few other pieces of furniture etc so hopefully she will take a bit more.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Tidied the gift closet. Will donate a set of 6 plastic picnic cups, a shaving brush and a set of brand new microfibre cloths. There are a few other things in there that I have bought just in case but I am not ready to donate just yet.
While preparing for bbq found a pair of tongs that can be donated, I don't need 4 pairs

 

[Minta]

Cleaned out 3 kitchen drawers and got rid of anything I haven't used in the past year.

Planning on tacking the hall closet this weekend.

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Old lawnmower being picked up this afternoon.
Just advertised bed head and foot on Facebook, someone is coming to pick that up now.
4 or 5 old DVDs have gone onto the pile along with a decorative cushion and throw.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

Added two more items to the donation pile and trashing some unfinished and not worth saving crafts.

 

[Myron's Mom]

Looking for things to make Easter cards, ended up going through the entire tote of things. Tossed the scrap and a huge pile of paper, stickers, and general “stuff” is going to my cousin, she’s a big scrap book person.
Husband donated a few more dvds.

 

[MinnieCo]

I went through my drawers in my bedroom today, as well as the totes I keep under my bed. My house is on the smaller size and I use the long wrapping paper type flat totes to store all my personal care items...hair coloring, waxing,nails, braces and heat packs..all that kinda stuff. I didn't pull a ton, because again I do this whole purge thing 2x a year, BUT I did let go of some stuff and put it in the donate bin. We're getting our floors done in the next few weeks, so anything that's on the floor of my room or closet I'm going through. It's getting put elsewhere or purged, so I don't have that much stuff to move around last minute when they work on that side of the house.
I've been pondering books lately. I love books. Tangible books, but the truth is I listen to 99.9% of my books now. I have collections like my Debbie Macomber books I would collect every year before digital books were a thing and I just don't know if I should keep them any longer. They are some of the things that make me feel kinda yucky inside when I ponder donating them. Same with my presidential and history books. BUT those I look at differently. I really want to keep history books, because history books change over time and I want to make sure certain things are around and accessible in the future. I started a nice collection for my daughter too, so I may just have a conversation and see what she has to say about things. Oh, and Katrina's post made me think about Christmas cookbooks. I have 2 shelves full of Christmas cookbooks and I haven't opened them in years. Books like Southern Living yearly editons and a ton of Gooseberry patch books I worked hard to collect at the thrift stores. I'm so torn!!! Can you tell decluttering has me thinking again. I just think being sick has me in this weird place mentally with my stuff. So I'm trying not to do anything drastic I'll regret. Okay, I'm done.....

 

[sweetpumkinpye]

Oh, and Katrina's post made me think about Christmas cookbooks. I have 2 shelves full of Christmas cookbooks and I haven't opened them in years. Books like Southern Living yearly editons and a ton of Gooseberry patch books I worked hard to collect at the thrift stores. I'm so torn!!!

This is my thought.
There are 3 types of things.
1) I can toss that without even blinking......it is out of here!
2)I really like/need this item and it needs to stay.
3)That middle ground like Gooseberry Patch books that you worked so hard to collect.

If it is the middle ground and you are torn then it stays! I would rather keep something that I love then toss something that I love and then regret it later. Revisit it in 6 months and then make a decision.

 

[Lana]

I have over 80 Gooseberry Patch cookbooks that have been in a tote for 4 or 5 years now. Can't wait to get them back out eventually. I can look and look at them. Have several I have gotten since too that are in house. I have parted with several cookbooks and have alot more to let go of but not them.

 

[Holiday_Mom]

If it is the middle ground and you are torn then it stays! I would rather keep something that I love then toss something that I love and then regret it later. Revisit it in 6 months and then make a decision.

Michelle, I was going to say the same thing. If those books you collected hold a place in your heart, then hold on to them. A strong positive memory is attached to them for a reason.

I just let go of some Christmas decorations that I've held onto for 12 years because my children's classmates made them and they were given to me. In this case, I wouldn't say it was a strong positive memory attached to the decorations. They didn't come from my own children and they actually never were put out at Christmas. I just forgot about them until I opened the box each year. This year I intended to put them out but I never did. It was time to "release" them. At first I felt guilty but as soon as I did, I felt a weight lifted.

 

[MinnieCo]

Thank you for your input. What you've said makes sense. I'm going to revert back to the "JOY" prompt I've been following for a few years. I've been saying the things I keep really have to bring me joy and some connection, so I'm going to keep reminding myself of that and move on. I think I've just been moving peoples stuff for so long, I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. BUT when I get my new floors and the new furniture in place, I think I'll finally be able to move forward with decorating and using the "new" stuff I've been gathering for so long that seems to live in temporary housing or boxes. I'm almost there!!!

 

[luludou]

• 1 pair of pants
• 1 puzzle (missing 2 pieces)
• 1 paint tube
• Financial papers were shredded
• 1 mini plastic container
• 1 empty pill bottle
• 2 curtain panels

 

[Ahorsesoul]

6 Black dinning rooms chairs went out the door. The lady did said she doubted we would come down on the price since they were a steal already. She loves them and DH helped get them into her cars. DD wants to know who I am making room for since I am decluttering (Maybe because we had three sets of dinning room chairs!) She is very paranoid about imaginary people coming in the house. So any thing can mean we are sneaking people in to sleep here. lol

 

[Lana]

We took 2 huge plastic bags filled with plastic bags to the recycle bin at Krogers.

Have a sack packed for Jaymee's.

More paper went out in garbage sacks.

Tomorrow will take a co-worker some bedding for her guinea pigs and water bottle and set that came with cage that Allen brought and also package of new cupcake liners for her daughters to use. I have several and rarely make cupcakes.

Taking a Valentine decoration to work that I brought but won't use here I decided.

 

[Minta]

Oh, and Katrina's post made me think about Christmas cookbooks. I have 2 shelves full of Christmas cookbooks and I haven't opened them in years. Books like Southern Living yearly editons and a ton of Gooseberry patch books I worked hard to collect at the thrift stores. I'm so torn!!! Can you tell decluttering has me thinking again.

You can always set a goal to try a new recipe or 2 from the Gooseberry Books every month. You might find a new monthly favorite or one to use during the holidays.