View Full Version : August Declutter
goldensmom
7-31-11, 6:54am
I’m so excited about this that I am starting an ‘August Declutter’ thread a day early. In our rural community, computer/electronic recycle come around about every 2 years. Well, the bi-annual event finally arrived and we recycled 6 boxes of computer paraphernalia. We still have 4 computers to disassemble for recycle but the house looks taller, the sky looks bluer and I think I’ve lost a little weight. I’m so stoked about this that if it weren’t so hot and humid I would start decluttering the barn, that might be a stretch but it describes my euphoria.
I love your description of how letting go of those items changed your home and person! Yay for you!
Great!
And thanks for starting it. I was just about to start one because after a summer break....I'm ready to declutter again.
The kids start back to school on the 11th - seems to get earlier and earlier every year - we need to get their rooms decluttered and cleaned and see what is needed for the new year.
I'm due in about three weeks, so I probably won't get too much decluttered this month. But so far:
1 stretched out hair tie
1 stack of papers from birthing class
1 catalog
1 Mom To Be pin from baby shower
Total: 4
Maybe I can make a little more headway yet today! :-)
Maxamillion
8-1-11, 2:15pm
This is what I've been working on the month of July -- I'm planning a yard sale in September (hopefully, if the temps cool down some). So far I've got about 5 boxes of stuff and a big pile of magazines. I also went through some old papers (need to go through more). I'm going to start going through some of my collectibles, books, and craft supplies also. Books will go on paperbackswap or be traded in at the local used bookstore, except for any I might be able to get more than a couple of dollars for on half.com. Extra craft supplies will probably go on etsy. Collectibles will go on ebay. I'm tired of having sooooo much stuff.
Well, I fell off the wagon. After bragging about decluttering computer stuff I went to a library book sale and got a whole bag of books for $1.00. The good thing is that the library accepts donated books for their annual book sale so the ones I don’t really, really want I can donate back for the library to resell. A win-win situation for the library. It’s like I just rented the books for a year. It’s true, ‘pride goes before a fall’1
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1 “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Prov. 16:18
So happy for you I am Goldensmom! :) Like Leslieann, I love your description of your newer, more fresher home. No decluttering to mention (to date), but I find in our house, decluttering happens in steps and stages. Sometimes bags of stuff suddenly and seemingly appear out of nowhere, then months go by where there's nothing.
I find in our house, decluttering happens in steps and stages. Sometimes bags of stuff suddenly and seemingly appear out of nowhere, then months go by where there's nothing.
Yep!
Spent a little time today in my closet and I've got another bag of clothes and extras sitting by the front door ready to go.
Hi Float On. I always feel a sense of comfort knowing others live by my same. :) Makes me say to myself, "I'm doing things right".
we declutter the closet tomorrow!!!! *yay!*
i have a fair bit that is heading out the door. some toys that go to the kids' church (these 20 yr olds we love and like to spend time with), a structured baby carrier that we no longer use (needs to be cleaned a bit before it goes on ebay), and a lunch box that i bought on ebay that is 10x more huge than i expected! tee hee. it was funny carrying it home.
i also need to just let go of some things. Can't figure out how to manage my peep toe pumps that got moldy. i washed them lightly with a damp cloth with vinegar and water and tea tree oil, only to have the mold return. I was going to donate some clothes to this one rummage sale, but it passed by -- and the clothes aren't that great really. the fabric isn't great for rags, either. so, i think i'm just going to ahve to send them to the fiber recycling center. which costs me money! boo! but i can't just put them into landfill, because that would not be nice.
and of course, DH's lovely paper clutter. he's so good at it. LOL
Dropped off 4 bags at the thrift shop and started a 5th for the month. I did bring in one unneeded item. Found a ski handle and rope hanging in a tree while I was kayaking yesterday morning. Its a good $40 brand so I'll offer it on craigslist for $5 or so. Hopefully it won't be around long, if no one buys it then it'll go in the thrift shop bag.
goldensmom
8-5-11, 12:05pm
Dropped off 4 bags at the thrift shop and started a 5th for the month. I did bring in one unneeded item. Found a ski handle and rope hanging in a tree while I was kayaking yesterday morning. Its a good $40 brand so I'll offer it on craigslist for $5 or so. Hopefully it won't be around long, if no one buys it then it'll go in the thrift shop bag.
I found a neighbor's calf in the road. Tried the 'finders keepers' thing but it didn't fly with the neighbor*. Think of the profit I would have made if I could have kept and sold the calf!!
*What the neighbor really said was if I could catch the calf I could have it. I'm too old for that chase.
got soem stuff out. going to purge more toys after DS goes to bed. There are a few that smell terrible. they just need to go-go, they can't be donated.
We did an office cleanout today to get ready for the upcoming busy season. My filing was a disaster-I hadn't touched it since I started--too overwhelmed at the beginning to set up a system and then too busy to deal with the backlog. I am meticulous about email and electronic files but didn't have a good system for paper. Recycled two bins of papers that had electronic backups and two trashcans of general stuff, returned books to the in-house library, got the rest filed. Have also been dealing with things at home--disassembled some broken furniture so pieces could go in trash, replacing the counter paper towel holder with a wall-mounted one because I have such limited counter space and donating the original, etc. Feels great!
We did an office cleanout today to get ready for the upcoming busy season............ Feels great!
I spoke with a friend about the great satisfaction I get from decluttering and she feels the same way. We decided decluttering is a cheap, legal high.
I'm culling* books today. After bugging, threatening and coercing my husband into de-cluttering the computer stuff I decided it was time to cull my books. Years ago I gave myself a certain amount of space for books. After 2 library book sales ($1.00/bag) recently, I have too many books and too little space. When I said I was going to cull my books today my husband enthusiastically said ‘I’ll get the boxes’. Hmmmmm, payback.
*I know this word is usually used in reference to cattle but we are farmers so we use the word for a lot of things.
My husband wears a tie maybe 3 times a year. So why does he have 46 of them?? I bought a tie rack that will hold 19 ties. We pulled out the 70's paisleys, the 80's power stripes, and the 90's solids; then we arranged them by color so that he has 5 dark , 5 blue, and 5 yellow/gold, and 2 brown, and 2 red patterned ties. The rest go to the Salvation Army.
I finally took my "collection box" from the hall to the Goodwill. I'm really at a point where it's not as easy to get rid of things, there's not a lot just sitting around but there are definitely things that are of no use to me any more but seem to require more "thought" before getting the so long, good-bye.
I think as summer begins to wind down I will have more of a grasp on what I can let go of in the clothes department and I'm looking forward to that.
Today I took a nice hardcover book I was finished with to work, as well as some posters that I had brought along from a previous job. All of them got scooped up by others, and one person sent a really nice thank you email. Love it when things find new homes...
You guys are doing great!
I got rid of a book list. I finished the series and don't need to know the order of the books anymore. DH got rid of a hat, and I found two pictures frames to let go of (both were gifts--very nice, just not my taste).
I think that brings my total to 8 for the month. :laff:
CropCircleDancer
8-14-11, 11:10pm
hey, I am doing the August Declutter and so far, the actual number of items has been low, but I am making great progress tackling some areas that I haven't gotten around to for quite some time. I have given away some things.
I set aside 4 DVDs to return to my mom the next time I see her.
New total: 12
Bastelmutti
8-15-11, 12:59pm
Joining late, but have been collecting 2 cardboard boxes full of misc. stuff - going to thrift shop. Then this weekend we decluttered one garbage bag of clothes and one of shoes - going to thrift shop. Another cardboard box is packed with books to send to a younger member of my profession as she is starting out (love saving a career-starter some serious money!) Have a working scanner sitting here ready to be donated. We also have some stuff set aside for donation in the basement, so we might actually call the charity service to do a pick-up instead of dropping it all off. Full steam ahead!
Decluttered:
Five books (donated),
Several pieces of junk jewelry,
6 magazines (recycled).
This doesn't seem like much, but I am actually having to actively search for things to declutter now. Whoo hoo!
dado potato
8-18-11, 10:54am
We are planning to move to Sawyer County WI within the next few months.
Today I am letting go of 34 boxes of Day-Timers. (I am saving the current and previous year only). In past moves I always brought these boxed journals with me, in case I might ever want to look up what I was doing, and who I was meeting with on a day-by-day basis. LOL! I don't think I ever had the need to.
Those careers, relationships and involvements are over and done with. So why do I need a record any more?
What I tossing out would be a volume 21 feet long, 5 inches high, and 5 inches deep.
Great purge, dado!
Cleaned out my purse and tossed a broken key chain, an old church bulletin, 6 wadded up receipts, and 4 expired coupons. Slow going this month, but a little bit of clutter busting is better than no clutter busting, I guess! :-)
Total: 23
Bastelmutti
8-18-11, 2:47pm
We are planning to move to Sawyer County WI within the next few months.
Back to the Badger handle? :-) You'll be living in "interesting times" in Wisconsin these days! Beautiful state, though.
My decluttering efforts have been derailed by a summer cold. Next step is to clean out kids' school and art stuff (with kids!), my jewelry/book shelf and call for charity pick-up of donation boxes.
dado potato
8-18-11, 5:12pm
God's Country. Give 'er snus!
Got rid of or donated:
One ugly-a** skirt
One pair broken Dollar Store sunglasses
One too-tight, too-low, belly-baring black stretchy t-shirt (even though DH loved it on me, LOL!)
Large quantity of cat food, cat carrier, cat calming spray and other accessories (gulp, my kitty of 14 years died last week, but the recipient of his stuff was very grateful).
goldensmom
8-20-11, 2:03pm
When I started this thread I was thinking specifically of decluttering inside of the house but this morning my husband and I trimmed (pole saw/chainsaw) 4 trees in the yard and this afternoon we are heading to the orchard. I guess that would be tree and orchard decluttering. It looks so much better, I won’t hit my head when mowing, branches won’t sweep the roofs of vehicles using the driveway although I do like the tree canopied drive just not so much. Next project will be to get the chipper out and declutter the limb and leaf clutter we created. Oh, darn, it just started raining, hard, so I guess it will be an inside movie afternoon. Not that disappointed.
I'm a decluttering fool this month, with the goal of getting everything corralled in bins ready to move. I took a big car full of donations to the thrift shop last week, and I've almost got another full load ready to go. I've filled the recycle bin and have a huge box ready to shred. I've boxed and labeled and moved and stacked. I can't really see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, but at least now I can see the tunnel.
Bastelmutti
8-20-11, 9:31pm
Yeah!! My summer cold is getting better, so we finished school shopping today. To make sure we are organized and have room for what we need (we have limited space in our apt. for clothes), I went down in the basement and decluttered some more. I got through about 5 bins of clothes and stuff and came up with one bin to save for younger DD, one bag of "sentimental" t-shirts for a t-shirt quilt, and 5 garbage bags for donation. The pile for donation is growing, but we need to have a final count of bags before we call for a pick-up. Whoo hoo!
fidgiegirl
8-20-11, 9:46pm
Selah, sorry to read about your cat. I'm proud you were able to let go of his stuff while it's still useful, though, especially the food. Well done. Was it hard to do?
Been selling books on Amazon again. I've made about $200 in the past several weeks.
Held a garage/yard sale. Sale didn't do well, but before I could change my mind, I donated Everything that was left to Goodwill - 2 car loads full of stuff. Have a bit more to do in the garage, but soon it will be empty except for the essentials - and lots of room for the car and bikes :)
Still have more to do in the house, but I need to remember how much progress has already been made. Basement is almost done too. Have not yet tackled the boxes of photos, but 10 boxes of previous tax year info is down to just 2 boxes!
This process has taken several months (prompted in part by Step 1 of YMOYL - Taking Inventory!). How do others do it with school-age children that love to hold on to so many 'little things' (crafts, school papers, etc.) that truly have meaning for them at this phase in their lives?
Bastelmutti
8-24-11, 10:15am
This process has taken several months (prompted in part by Step 1 of YMOYL - Taking Inventory!). How do others do it with school-age children that love to hold on to so many 'little things' (crafts, school papers, etc.) that truly have meaning for them at this phase in their lives?
We do keep crafts like ceramics and some paper projects. We have files for schoolwork, which gets weeded out periodically so we're not keeping too much. Plus one bin of "sentimental" clothing in the basement. Still have too many toys and books. I have to say, though, that I recently found some of my schoolwork from elementary school, and it was really cool for my kids to see it!
Bastelmutti
8-25-11, 9:23am
Kids helped yesterday & we cleaned behind/under the couch (yuck!), cleaned out 2 "junk" drawers in the kitchen, plus cleaned out our "launch pad" area of the kitchen/pantry where we keep their school bags and my purse.
EarthSky,
I also trashed some old tax returns back to 1993, plus 2 more boxes of old papers - so nice to free up closet space.
We're planning on a yard sale in mid-Sept., so I'm even decluttering at work by removing old computer cables, containers, etc. that we no longer use at the office but that some garage sale shopper might want.
Next up for review and decluttering decisions: the books. You don't make any money at garage sales with books, but I'm motivated by the vision of more space.
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