Jumpstart January 2019

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Gingerbug

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This year for JumpStart January I am going to focus on one major project in January. That will be sorting, decluttering and organizing my Christmas stuff. I started this a couple years ago and got about 1/4 finished. Then the next couple of years things got totally out of hand. There is Christmas all over my basement. There are random boxes, stacks of stuff and even things stuck on random shelves. Ho Hum....not very easy to find my Christmas pretties.

I actually stopped adding to my Christmas decor because I have so much stuff that I don't even have spots for it all.
So this year I'd like to for once and all get it organized, perhaps purge a few things that are no longer favorites, and maybe create "decorating boxes" that have items that go well together stored in them so I can simply pull a box and have a variety of items that coordinated or make a cute display.

It's not your typical JumpStart January but its very much needed in this household. IF anyone cares to join me in the project please feel free to list your holiday organizing goals. OR list what you will do to Jump Start Your January. In the past, I have found it very helpful to post and track my progress here on the boards as it forced me to actually DO something so I could post!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Gingerbug, I am going to be doing the same. I will set aside 2 days early January to really sort through and pack Christmas properly. I have a lot of stuff and I would really like only to keep the stuff I truly love. I think it will be a great start to the new year.
 
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Miss JoDee

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I am jumping on board too! I have way to much and must decided what to keep. DH and I may downsize next year and I can not take it all will me. I have been very good the last few years trying not to buy i new items. I did buy a few floral picks to put into the Christmas tree this year I would like a few more like them but can't imagine that Joann's has any left.
 
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Myron's Mom

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My Christmas stuff is pretty well organized by room in labeled totes. Sunroom, living room and entry way. Annalees are stored separate organized by type ( elves, reindeer, etc). But I like the idea of the "decorating boxes" for the picks, ribbon and all the odd stuff I keep stored in the sewing room. It's all tossed together in a mess and not coordinated at all.
I ve done a lot of purging the past couple years. I send photos to my son of anything I want to get rid of and let him know the history of the items. He takes some, the rest I send to good will. I'm trying not to buy too but did splurge on a few things at dollar tree this year.
 
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luludou

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I too will take a couple of days to do that. It was pretty well organized last year, but too many things yet and with ds having his new house and his girlfriend being a Christmas nut… I might pass on some items.

Then I will concentrate on the basement. with ds out of the house I will redecorate his bedroom and buy a new bed, and make space in the closet!! by then the bathroom remodel should be finished (end of February) so will finish up that space too. Since I did not do a big spring cleaning this year with all going on in the house I'm starting to be excited about decluttering and clearing out stuff in 2019 :)
 
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Holiday_Mom

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Gingerbug, you sound like you have a good plan for January. I decluttered the Christmas items a few years ago. Since then, I have stopped buying Christmas decor unless it's replacing something that broke or is needed.

My January goal is to go through the basement and ask the children what they would still like to hold onto as far as games, toys and art supplies. From there, I will toss broken or missing pieces and box up things worth passing on.

I've been saving all the gift delivery boxes since Black Friday for the decluttered thrift store donations. After dropping a car load of stuff off today, I am so ready to get rid of more stuff. :D
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Lucie, sounds like an exciting start to the new year.
Mary, I am still storing DD things here which is fine as we have the space. I would love though to clear her treadmill out of the garage. It has not been used in 2 years and takes up a lot of space.
 
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Ahorsesoul

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I always thought this was a good idea to do with broken or not used toys. I need to find DS a lamp that he could do this for his son.4420e724ff39dedbae70dab74f8cc6df.jpg
 
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sweetpumkinpye

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Diedra, I have never seen a clear lamp base. How cool is that.
 
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AuntJamelle

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I most DESPERATELY need to organize my Christmas things as I put them away this year. :oops:

I did it a few summer's ago as part of CIJ activities and nothing has been organized since. Of course last year when I got sick the whole month of Dec that did kind of ratchet up the crazy just throw it in a box and be done with it factor - lol
 
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Holiday_Mom

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I always thought this was a good idea to do with broken or not used toys. I need to find DS a lamp that he could do this for his son.View attachment 399

Oh my gosh, I didn't know they made such things. I could have filled up a lamp with the things I found in the laundry before I made my kids do their own laundry! LOL!
 
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Lana

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Jaymee had a lamp like that. She put superballs in it that her and her ex would get at the mall out of this HUGE HUGE glass machine. The balls were different looking and cool. Not sure where it is.
 
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Gingerbug

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I've started even though it's not quite January. I'm going to need to add a few totes as I decided to switch to clear ones and a bit smaller so they are not so hard to lift. I bought a ton of the smaller ones a few years back and they are working fine...but they do need to be sorted and relabeled. Now I want some of the middle sized ones.

I've packed away about half of my Santas. They are in the small tote and labeled. The other half I need to get a mid-sized tote for as they are larger. The tree is down and that is one tote that I have labeled clearly and it contains only the living room tree ornaments. I was thinking as I was packing them though that it might be nice to declutter that tote and use some smaller boxes inside it to better protect and organize. That might be a Christmas in July project.

Happy New Years Eve....January awaits!
 

sweetpumkinpye

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My first job for the year is Christmas prep.
I am mending things before they go away. I need a few Santa sacks so I have started on those.
I have ordered our ornaments for this year.
I will cull all of Christmas, I have 4 large totes that it all goes into. I am getting more each year so need to cull so that it all fits in those totes.
I am fine with it taking a few days more as I would rather do it now than later on in the year.
I have sorted cards, tags, ribbon and gifts bags. Don’t need any thing for this year.
My plan is to be well organised this year.
 

Minta

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I think I will spend January in our bedroom going thorugh my dresser, night stand and closet. I dont have much to purge through the christmas stuff as we will usually toss broken items and either yard sale/donate decorations we no longer use.
 
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AuntJamelle

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Christmas decor has been purged and everything neatly put away - boxes labeled, etc.

I even dropped off the things I decided to donate at Goodwill on 12/31 - one last tax receipt for the year! :cool:

Got the last of the little bits and pieces of things put away last night. I did keep out one stocking to be mended and an ornament that needs to be glued back together.

Things are pretty under control house wise - not sure what I want to tackle next. Will have to give that some thought...
 

MrsSoup

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I'm going to tackle "hotspots" this month. There are several around the house that need addressed and I need to come up with some way to prevent them from continuing to be "hotspots". The kitchen island is one that drives me crazy. Every time I clean it off, stuff accumulates. The dining table is another. I would like to find a runner long enough and then a centerpiece to help prevent this from accumulating items. I think it would help.

The built-in desk area is the biggest "hotspot". I dump paperwork there (filing cabinet is underneath) and miscellaneous items until I have time to find homes for them. I need to repurpose this area and make it into something functional, but what? This will take some thought. We already have a real desk so don't need it to function as that. Any thoughts?

There is also a closet that needs cleaned out because it has become a catch-all and stuff has just been throw inside. Shouldn't take long once I get to it.
 
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Minta

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The built-in desk area is the biggest "hotspot". I dump paperwork there (filing cabinet is underneath) and miscellaneous items until I have time to find homes for them. I need to repurpose this area and make it into something functional, but what? This will take some thought. We already have a real desk so don't need it to function as that. Any thoughts?
.

How about a charging station for electronics. Basket for extra earphones, mice, cords etc.
 

MrsSoup

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How about a charging station for electronics. Basket for extra earphones, mice, cords etc.

Definitely a possibility. The printer is located here, as well as the router. The router can't be moved but the printer could if need be. Forgot to mention those things.
 

AuntJamelle

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Cleaned off DH's dresser last night and put a ton of clutter away! Dusted - which was TOTALLY needed! Got out a new weekly pill box and loaded it - put bottles in a special little labeled box in the pill cupboard so we can reload again each week. That dresser looks MUCH better!
 
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