De-Clutter Check in-Week of 2/1/09

J

jonahnah

Cathlete
Happy February Everyone!

Just getting us started. Please check here to post your progress or weekly goal, look for ideas (Ellie's mom already posted some good ones in the OD thread on this topic) and share what you're doing already to keep clutter at bay in your home.

I'm tackling our family room today looking to get rid of old movies (VHS galore), knick knacks, glassware, vases, candles, cds, books, magazines. Wish me luck! ;)

My goal for the week is 100 items gone from the house (that means it doesn't count until I take to Goodwill, the thrift store, trash can, or wherever.

I'm looking forward to hearing from the rest of you!
 
Let's have a de-clutter day!!! Yipee

Today I am tackling the "things that don't have a place" cabinet. It's kind of a catchall for loose things that don't have a home. Today, they are finding a home!!!! Or the trash. It's been bugging me for a few weeks so today is the day.

Remember, you can't do the whole house at once. It's tooooo overwhelming. Start with a drawer, closet or a room. And make a specific goal.

Check back later and let's hear some progress!!!

ellie
 
Off to a great start! I've got 70 items (vhs movies, dvds, magazines, books, and misc. stuff) in bags to take to goodwill, the library and my kids karate studio for others to enjoy. I still have to do the glassware cabinet and drawers in the family room. :eek:

Whooo-ah! Oh yeah, oh yeah, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh! :D
 
I cleaned out the whole medicine cabinet!!!

Both boys have asthma, one is on cardiac meds, one has eczema and my DH has every cold remedy known to man!!! Not anymore

It felt sooooo good to get rid of old things and put everything where it belongs. I'm off now to do the catch all cabinet. :eek::eek::eek:

This one could take me awhile!!!

ellie
 
My plans havs changed :(
I can't do the decluttering I wanted to do today because my DH starts night's tomorrow
and is sleeping most of the day. That means I have to be very quite which is really hard for me.
My DH has a nick name for me... "Hurricane Mary" lol :p
 
hotdogsaregross said:
My plans havs changed :(
I can't do the decluttering I wanted to do today because my DH starts night's tomorrow
and is sleeping most of the day. That means I have to be very quite which is really hard for me.
My DH has a nick name for me... "Hurricane Mary" lol :p
Click to expand...


Not a problem! (cute nickname though!--lol!) We'll look forward to your progress whenever you get a chance.

Ellie - Great job on the medicine cabinet! BTW, I hope your DS is fully recovered from his scare last week.

DS and I also tackled the craft cabinet and got rid of more stuff. We were able to reduce the craft area from 3 boxes down to 1!
Also, we gave a new life to one of the now empty craft boxes by giving it to DS to use for his bathtub car collection (which currently are strewn about the tub & and bathroom closet floor) It's progress!

DD went through her sock drawer and added to the Goodwill pile.

Final tally for the day -130 items! :eek:

It's ridiculously satisfying to do this, I have to say. Call me what you will, but I'm enjoying this! :D
 
Hey Everyone,

Have not did anything today yet. But yesterday I dealt with everyting on top of the filing cabinet, two laundry baskets, and what was on the stairs taht all needed to be filed, recycled, shredded or put away in the home office.

I did the medicine cabinet a few weeks ago. That one felt great.

Anyway, I am going to go see what I can tackle for today and report back.

Any one have any ideas on children's books? They are on book shelves, but DS & DD can not keep them neat for nothing!:(
 
I am starting to declutter also. I put up 10 fitness videos on amazon to sell and 7 of them have been sent off. They are out of my house. I also cleaned out my workout clothes and put them in a goodwill pile. I got rid of a lot of clothing and I still have quite a bit left. Why did I feel the need to buy all of these workout clothes. I mean really, how many pairs of shorts do I need when I do laundry every week :rolleyes:
 
Thank you for starting this check-in. Last week I cleaned out the refrigerator and pantry, but needed a little "kick in the pants" to keep going. Your post did that for me.

I liked the goal of 100 items because I like challenges! So after going through the medicine cabinet, the cupboards under the bathroom sink, the linen closet and the underwear drawer, I was at 95 items. I had a bag for garbage, a bag for recycling and a box for Goodwill. Every time I put something significant in one of the bags, I made a mark on my notepad. It felt very good.

But it wasn't 100 so I went to DD's closet and packed up the 45 CD cases that were on her shelf. I will send them to her tomorrow (again something I have been meaning to do for the 2 years since she got married). :eek: That means I am officially at 140 items for the week! I don't know if I can continue at this rate, but my bathroom looks better than it has for a while.

I am off to take my box to Goodwill now. Thanks!!
 
Okay, I am back. I decide to finish the walk-in pantry which I had started over a month ago. The only part left was the floor. In cleaning that I found the shelf liner that was suppose to go in under the kitchen sink. So after the pantry I decided no time like the present. I unloaded under the sink, put in the liner and re-organized and de-cluttered. All toll there was probably 16 items that I got rid of.

Oh, and I finally got rid of a queen mattress that has been in my living room, for the past week!:D
 
Oh Ladies, I am loving this!!!! I live sooooo simply because I can not stand clutter. I don't buy lots of things because things never make you happy. I did under my kitchen sink today also. I am procrastinating a bit on the scrapbooking stuff because that will take me hours. When the boys are in school is a better time for me.

If I got rid of 100 things I wouldn't have much left in my house!!!! Well, toys I have a lot of and kids clothes. Tomorrow I will start the catchall cabinet and the scrapbooking.

PLEASE KEEP POSTING!!! It's sooooo motivating!!!

ellie
 
Wow! A very impressive start for everyone!

Linda - Nice job w/ the pantry floor which led to lining and decluttering under the sink. (I can totally relate, one job leads to another.) BTW, I think the queen mattress could count for more than 1 item! :p RE: your kids books, that's a tough one. What if you put half away in a box to keep fewer on the shelf, then rotated them out in a few weeks? I bet Ellie will have some great ideas for this too.

Lori Ann - You must be so happy to get rid of your DD's cds! Great job on the bathroom, linen closet and underwear drawer. Can you believe how much can accumulate in small places??

Karin - I know what you mean about workout clothes. I'm trying to restrain myself but I bought a couple of tops from Old Navy a couple of weeks ago. In my defense, I had a coupon...:rolleyes:

Ellie - how did things go w/ the catch all cabinet?

A big pat on the back to everyone! I'm looking forward to hearing more success stories. Have a good night!
 
I have not done my declutter project for today, but just thought I'd share this. This morning I had to look something up in two different product manuals. My manuals are stored in files by type, so while I locating the manual I wanted I purged the file as well!:p Got rid about 30 assorted manuals & papers I didn't need.

Also I got rid of 5 different bags of snack that no one was eating, out my pantry do they count too.

If so, my total so far is 53.:D:D:D:D:D Pretty good for only being day two!
 
Wow, everyone is doing great. I was inspired this morning before work to go through my underwear drawer and get rid of stuff. I think that I got rid of more than half of the stuff in there. Woohoo! Tonight I am going to work on bagging stuff up for Goodwill and moving the bags to the garage. I will hit the drop off center later in the week or on the weekend.
 
Today I took my bags of unwanteds to Goodwill and the library! They are officially out of my house!

Karin - I need to do my underwear drawer too. I have socks I hate, bras that are stretched out and undies that creep. They need to go! :p

Linda - Another good day for you! Good job!:)
 
Okay, late check-in. I wanted to do both the closet in the kids bathroom and the junk drawer today, but was only able to get to the closet. However, I did manage to get rid of 33 items out of that closet. Including DD baby towels and washcloths. She just turned 4. :p

See ya in the morning!
 
A few hints and tips

Take all those loose phone numbers and email addresses and sit down and put them in your address book. Get rid of those little pieces of paper!!!

Put your child's artwork on the fridge for the month (or corkboard) then take a picture of your child in front of his/her artwork!!! You can't possib;y save every piece so this a nice way to remember them. Then put them in the trash.

Keep a basket by the door for shoes. Put them in as soon as they come off

Hang a few hooks at child's level in the closet. They can hang up their coats and backpacks

I have a tension rod in my closet that hangs low just for my scarves, belts, gloves etc. Makes them easy to find and they stay nicely.

I am off to finish the catchall cabinet- you wouldn't believe what I have found in there so far!!!!!

Happy De-cluttering

ellie
 
Ellie,

Any ideas about what to do with rubber bands? They always seems to end up all over my junk drawer.
 
Linda,

Do you use them often?? Do you have too many??? I have given some to the school and the library. But at home I use a toilet paper roll and wrap them around it, or I put a small reusable gladware container in my junk drawer. I use the gladware stuff (that came with lunchmeat) to put paperclips, thunmtacks, sewing kits etc in them. Keeps little boys hands away from the too!!!

I might have to break down and take some pictures for you guys to see.

Keep up the great work!!!
Remember Less is More

ellie
 
elliemom said:
Linda,

Do you use them often?? Do you have too many??? I have given some to the school and the library. But at home I use a toilet paper roll and wrap them around it, or I put a small reusable gladware container in my junk drawer. I use the gladware stuff (that came with lunchmeat) to put paperclips, thunmtacks, sewing kits etc in them. Keeps little boys hands away from the too!!!

I might have to break down and take some pictures for you guys to see.

Keep up the great work!!!
Remember Less is More

ellie
Click to expand...

No Ellie, I don't have that many and what I do have I do tend to use often. They just seem to escape all of my prior attempts to contain them. LOL! Thanks for the ideas!
 
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