2021 Decluttering Support and Motivation

[PennyK]

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[DCW]

We tackled our shed and got rid of broken old lawnmowers. I think the guy will repair and sell them. He was happy to take them plus some other items. If we knew how to fix them....but we don't.

Glad they will find a new home and lawn. Now to move shed items out of the house into the shed!!!

Happy dance!!!!

[bzar]

gave a co-worker this Body Bar stand made of solid metal. It came with a bunch of Body Bars that I bought from a Craigslist seller. i just store my Body Bars on the floor or leaning in a corner. he gave me several boxes of chocolate macadamia nut candy! fair trade, huh?

cleaned out two utensil drawers in the kitchen.

decluttered some pounds - modest amount. maintained a 5# loss for a little over a month.

had a second job interview today for a different position with the state govt. it was conducted virtually on Microsoft Teams. i had to set up an area in my room. i tried cooling the room 30 min prior to my interview and it was so loud, so i turned it off right before the interview. had some issues getting Teams to launch - i had downloaded the app last week and practiced with DH to make sure it worked. however, when i joined the interview 10 min before the meeting, the app wouldn't launch, so i had to join using the web app instead. argh!

it went OK and we had a few chuckles. some of the questions were long, and i sometimes felt like i was veering off track in my responses!

[Catahoula Cate]

DCW, how great to get rid of old lawnmowers! That reminded me that we have 2 weed eaters that don't get used. Might be a little late for this year in our area to move them but at least one of them sure needs to go to a good home.

Jeanine, Yum! The chocolate macadamia nut candy sounds like an awesome trade.

We finally got a full box to the thrift shop filled with a big mix of things. I've started another. We've had a friend of DH's here for about a week. I did more elbow grease type cleaning in preparation which motivated me to get more things gone in some way. Some things into the current thrift box, lots of boxes that had built up since I don't sell on ebay anymore got broken down and to the recycling center, and then some items that got thrown away. I've got more shelf space and drawer space in a few places as a result. Yay!

Yesterday we got a lot of bags of plastic(our center takes 1's & 2's) and cans to recycling. I sure wish we could reduce our use of plastic. I do look for ways but it's not easy to get away from them.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by bzar

had some issues getting Teams to launch - i had downloaded the app last week and practiced with DH to make sure it worked. however, when i joined the interview 10 min before the meeting, the app wouldn't launch, so i had to join using the web app instead. argh!

it went OK and we had a few chuckles. some of the questions were long, and i sometimes felt like i was veering off track in my responses!

Bzar, they make changes to Teams every week or at least it seems that way. It is very frustrating.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by DCW

We tackled our shed and got rid of broken old lawnmowers. I think the guy will repair and sell them. He was happy to take them plus some other items. If we knew how to fix them....but we don't.

Glad they will find a new home and lawn. Now to move shed items out of the house into the shed!!!

Happy dance!!!!

Great that you could sell these. Finding a home for things often stalls progress. I haven't gone back to read the thread since I posted last ( a long time ago) to see if you mentioned this but I wanted to mention a book I borrowed from the library that is relevant. It is called "Making Space, Clutter Free" by Tracy Mccubbin. She talks about Clutter Blocks such as "My stuff keeps me in the past" "My stuff tells me who I am" "The stuff I am avoiding", "My fantasy stuff for my fantasy life" "I'm not worth my good stuff", "Trapped with other people's stuff" and :The stuff I keep paying for." She explains each "block", clues that it applies to you then an approach to deal with it. Another thing she suggests that relates to your post is that when you are wondering where to start decluttering to look for out of place items in your house. If you have gardening tools on your dining room table then that probably means your garage or tool shed needs cleaning out first.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by fanofladyvols

I have been trying to find a way to corral my cooking utensils. They all fit nicely but do swim around in the drawer.
I had hunted for an organizer of some sort that would fit but I didn't want to spend much either.

So I decided to use some rectangular Tupperware containers that haven't been used in a long while. They were my MILs and have her handwritten name on them so these aren't allowed to be purged anyway. Hoping this system will be something I can live with. Seems functional although not nearly as attractive as the options available at stores.

Like Vantressa, I used to keep utensils on the counter in a jar like container but I decided to move as much as possible off the counters, which is an ongoing struggle. Visual clutter causes me anxiety but there are a bunch of things I use often that I want to keep on the counter (toaster oven, electric kettle etc. ) Like Linda, I too use some type of container like Tupperware or sturdy cardboard boxes to organize desk and some kitchen drawers but I got some really nice utensil organizers from Aldi a few months ago that I am using in the drawer by the cooktop for spatulas, large spoons etc and cutlery. I have extras but I don't know where I am going to use them. They don't fit in the cabinet drawers in my pantry. They are now "clutter" in my basement. If I don't use them in the next few months I will try to return them, give away or donate.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by Vintage VFer

This is probably old news, but I came across this site years ago and attempted the 30 Day Challenge.

http://www.fromoverwhelmedtoorganize...luttering.html

Well, I only made it about six days, but all this time later my sock drawer still looks good. I fold them the Marie Kondo way.

I should try the challenge again. Has anyone done something like this?

No but I should. I bookmarked the site.

[lreidgreen]

Originally Posted by Izzy

It's hard enough to go through stuff when your mind is clear and healthy but I can only imagine if you are fighting Alzheimer's or dementia. He was also an only child so things of his parents is hard for him to let go. She said her biggest regret was not doing this when they moved/retired in 2006 when his mind was healthier.

Yes when my parents moved the last time (2010) my mother was in early-moderate stage of dementia and helping them move was so difficult because of this. Also there was a short time window that we had to organize the move. This was one of the most stressful periods in my life.

[lreidgreen]

Checking in with my progress since it has been quite some time.
Our remodel is pretty much done except that I have been uncertain about the color we painted the family room. Sometimes I like it other times I hate it. I am going to buy some "cooler" light bulbs and see if that solves some of the problem I have with the color before I decide to repaint. So the furniture is still in the middle of the room or in another room. We are also looking for some new furniture. As a result, I have not brought anything to that room that I have been storing in the basement or elsewhere.

In terms of the pantry, I am resisting the impulse to fill all the cabinet and shelf space. I LOVE the clean modern look in there and I somehow find the space relaxing. I only brought up from storage what I am currently using or what I know I will use in the next few months. I left several small appliances, other kitchen items, stuff I use for infrequent entertaining etc. downstairs. If I have not used it by the winter holidays I will seriously consider getting rid of it. If the stuff gets hidden behind things I use regularly, it will be harder to get rid of later. So there is actually EMPTY SPACE in the pantry and also a few of my kitchen cabinets which I cleared out as well.
I am also trying to keep my kitchen counters clear. Storing some stuff in the pantry helps.
P.S. Actual decluttering (as opposed to organizing) update: I donated a bunch of stuff in late July/early August and I have another pickup scheduled next week. Some clothing, household stuff, linens etc. I tried selling some of the items with no luck so out it goes. Getting DH to part with things is still an ongoing issue although he surprises me sometimes.