View Full Version : April 100 items challenge
early morning
4-3-12, 8:45pm
Ok - I NEED to do this so may as well start the thread. Even if I don't get there - more gone is good!! Starting with 6 things gone (almost) - 2 shirts and 4 sweaters in my car to drop off at GW.
Count me in, too, Early Morning! Today, I'm tackling my two youngest boys bedroom! Lots to go through and organize... As for my count of things and items I come across that are no longer needed/used, i.e, baby things, etc, rather than getting rid of them (the traditional standard with this challenge), I'll simply be re-boxing them again and organizing them into storage downstairs. This has been a long-overdue day of organizing and spring-cleaning!
Will post updates.
Well, a good start to report (so far), and not as difficult of one as I was projecting. Tomorrow is another day... time to start supper.
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=738&d=1333653494
33 double diapers (double folded). (66 diapers)!
10 sets of diaper pins. (20 pins).
21 pairs rubber pants.
1 plastic diaper pail
Bibs, waterproof change pads, soothers, bottles, sleepers, and any other miscellaneous baby stuff (I find) to be pulled out from dresser drawers (tomorrow), boxed, and stored! Depending on the rules as counting things, my count could be a standard of, 65, or itemized it would come to 108. But that would put me over for just a single thread post, so seeing that I want to continue (and contribute more later), I'll count everything as coming in at 65!
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=740&d=1333654202
Been at it since early this morning, finishing up a few more things. Took everything out of the boys room as of last night, so I could work my magic this morning (downstairs) without waking anybody. (It was so nice, I brought my coffee downstairs with me, and the peace and quiet was so soothing and relaxing). Just little old me working away! I need to buy a Rubbermaid Storage Tote this coming up week. All of our old cardboard storage boxes are in such poor condition. The sides are all broken, and taping them only seems to last for so long...
Anyhow, one more box of things to declare as of today. A miscellaneous mishmash of things.
5 vinyl/plastic bibs
4 sleepers
9 pairs training pants
3 cloth bibs
2 waterproof vinyl changing pads
3 glass nursers (bottles)
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=741&d=1333724406
It's amazing how new (and nice) some things stay, when they get lost in the drawer of a child's dresser! The yellow sleeper (next to new), glass nursers (old), 4 pair out of the 9 pair of trainers, 2 of the 5 plastic bibs, cloth bibs, and change pad (shown), I'll be bagging, boxing, and storing, the rest will be donated to the Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store next week.
Total count as of this morning, 91! Finding another 9 things, is going to be an outright challenge... I don't dare think about going through any of the boys play-things (toys, etc), so that's out, and as far as dresser drawer goods go, I've all but purged whatever can be purged, so that area is done.
This challenge (for me) is a chance to clean and organize, something long-overdue and long-awaited! This is exactly what I needed to get the rag out! LOL! Thanks Early Morning, for starting this!
To add, Re: the yellow baby sleeper, it does not wrinkle! Seriously! It's the most awesome material (weave) I have ever come across! So well made...
early morning
4-6-12, 9:18pm
Oh, I love that waffle-weave fabric on the yellow sleeper - my favorite cotton/linen tea-towels are that weave. It really does stand up to almost anything. I haven't made time to purge anything else - maybe next week. Way to go, Mrs. M. Dare I ask why you are saving all the baby stuff? ;)
1. broken lawn mower
2. broken lawn mower
3-10. flower pots I no longer want
11-14. bags of recycling to the recycle center
15-20. 6 cans of trash to the transfer station (12 weeks worth of trash)
21-28. items sold on Etsy
Yesterday was decrapification part two at our house. I have been wanting to learn to sew, so DH has been wanting to convert our extra bedroom into a sewing room for me. Previously, that room was "his"; he had his guitars in there. But he moved them downstairs since he now only plays with the baby.
Anyway, since said baby has been born, that room as has been a MESS. An explosion of outgrown baby clothes and gear, craft supplies, bedding (since we have no linen closet), coats (no coat closet), etc. etc. etc. Not any more!
I didn't make a list, but I am positive we hauled way more than 100 items out of there--a full bedding set, some curtains, coats, baby stuff, board games. I also let go of my scrapbooking stuff--all of it. Paper, embellishments, stamping supplies, fibers, ribbons, adhesives, cutting tools. That alone filled up two huge garbage bags (the usable stuff I donated, though).
In addition to that, we got rid of some more books and knick knacks and toys from other rooms of the house. My husband has expressed a desire to lighten the load again. We did the 100 item challenge for an entire year a few years back, getting rid of 1300+ items. He was like..."we need to to the 100 item thing again." Haha!
\We did the 100 item challenge for an entire year a few years back, getting rid of 1300+ items. He was like..."we need to to the 100 item thing again." Haha!
LOL - Love it!
LOL, Early Morning! NO MORE KIDS! :laff:
I have two tea towels that are very similar to the waffle-knit fabric the sleeper is made of, and like the baby sleeper, the waffle-knit fabric teas don't wrinkle either. (And if you run your hand over the surface of the waffle-knit material, you can actually feel the checkered/square indentation pattern)! My linen teas are the worst for wrinkling if I don't fold them right away after laundering.
Back to storing some of the baby things. I put it down to the scare I had back in 2007, as to how quickly family dynamics can change when unexpected little ones are introduced. It was a mad scramble (to say the least) to settle two babies into a home with already four kids, but had I not had all of the old baby things/stuff to work with, we never would have been able to afford to properly outfit and clothe the boys without help from family. I'm so grateful we didn't have to go that route.
I used a little strategy when I snapped the pictures, hiding all the yucky, stained, and worn-out things "under", but after seeing the condition of so many of the items, I felt they were in too good of condition to just dump-off at the thrift store, so putting them away for a rainy-day may prove to be a blessing (in the future) for some needy mom (or neighbour) in desperate need of a little something to help pull them through.
OK, as I already mentioned, it's going to be a real challenge for me to actually reach 100, but I'm going to dedicate myself towards this challenge and give it my all!
So, last night while I was cleaning-up the kitchen and washing-up the supper dishes, I found an old stack of disposable paper coffee filters in the cupboard, something we haven't used in ages... So I pulled them out and sat them on the counter. Well, as it stands, my dear SIL wants them, so one more "item" problem solved and resolved. Total count as of this morning, 92!
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=742&d=1333817736
Hmm, those coffee filters make a lovely child's art project. Fold in half and in half again and a third time. Then drip food colouring on the filter paper. When you open it up you'll have a beautiful colourful paper (we used to turn them into butterflies...that was a couple of careers ago, when I taught preschool. Anyway, I am sure your SIL will make great coffee with them.
Oh, Leslieann... I wish you would have posted your lovely idea before I committed myself to passing them along to dear SIL. The wonderful (and colourful) snowflakes the kids and I could have made (Christmas time, window decorating)! Lesson learned, wait a day or two to allow members to weigh-in.
It's ok, Mrs. M. Coffee filters are cheap, so if the DKids are dying to be artistic with them, you can grab some more :)
There's my two cents :)
Thanks, Fidgeigirl! But still, sometimes I'm too overly fast to act...
Originally posted by Kat.
Yesterday was decrapification part two at our house.ROTFLMAO! Note to self... add new word to my buzz-word bible!
there are a lot of really cool coffee pot filter wreaths floating around the 'crafty blogging world'
29. broken and mangled weedwacker that hasn't worked in 6 years
30-35. books
Float On and Kat, you guys are doing great! Can I share a secret with everybody here? As of right now, I've fresh run out of items I can purge... That's how tight things are in our home with stuff. Seems everything is spoken for and/or still being used.
I remember Fawn, made me feel better when she said something to me to the effect of, "family is an obstacle for the want-to-be minimalist", but I'm not going down without a fight! :)
36-37. I found two odd hand tools in my gardening supply that I've never used - adding them to thrift shop box in the car.
38. One more item boxed for an Etsy sale.
Hope everyone else has a little more wiggle room than me, because as of this morning I am officially fresh out of "things" to add to my list/challenge... Had I not purged/cleaned out the bathroom counter storage space a while back, I would have had a few more things to add. Bummer... But the fight isn't over, yet. At least not until I admit defeat! :~)
Early Morning, do you feel the pressure growing? :)
I thought I'd do better last month, and so I guess I probably won't do as well this month. But I did sort through some drawers and locate eight clothing items to donate and a lanyard. Where do these things come from?
1-8. Clothing
9. Lanyard
Good show, Leslieann!
Looks like I may be back in the game! DH, is going to go through some of his things, and I've been informed, there's a box of bottles downstairs that can go, so I'll be revisiting this thread again (later in the week) to post another entry!
All eyes on, Early Morning! :D
39-46. T's, Socks with holes, pants (from the boys - the T's and the pants are good enough for the thrift shop, the socks went into the trash - the rag box is full)
47. one more purse
48. fox stole a chicken (and a meal from us, it was one of the meaties)
DH and I discussed some of our art show booth displays (we have enough for two booths but only use one) and supplies that we can list for sell on our guild site or craigslist so hopefully I'll have more to report later (plus some income).
Darn fox!
I put a pile of unused kitchen stuff in a box; will have to make sure it is going out and then count.
What to do with unused food? I have stuff that I have kept for a long time, dried beans in particular, and I have to acknowledge that the day is over for me and beans. I think I have a very frugal friend who might be interested.
Will count and post in a bit...
early morning
4-10-12, 7:20pm
hey, you all are doing great! pressure? me? non - I haven't purged much inside except trash, but I've been purging the garden of grass and weeds, the wild-flower bed of vinca (why that stuff won't grow where I WANT it but loves everywhere else is beyond me!), and the yard of limbs. Maybe I'll get back in gear inside next week. I was gone most of last weekend, and will be out most of this weekend too (the B25's are coming for the 70th reunion of the Doolittle Tokyo raid!) so I really do need to have at it soon!
I will be out of commission as of this weekend, but will post an update at the start of the week! Go, go, everybody!!!
Bastelmutti
4-11-12, 1:39pm
Missed the start of this thread, but I already did a charity pick-up this month in preparation for an inspection. That got rid of about 8 bags/boxes - mostly old toys/stuffed animals my kids helped me clean out of the basement.
Next up - need to schedule another charity pick-up. I'm not good at counting items, but I know I have some stuff that will go: 2 travel coffee mugs, 1 pair shoes, 1 shredder, 1 humidifier, 1 old TV, plus about three small bags/boxes of misc. toys that I forgot to put out for the last one. The appliances might have to be Freecycled or put out in the alley because a lot of charities actually don't take them.
Anyway, April is looking pretty good!!
I finally dropped off the stuff I had gathered but I counted it first. Twenty two items. So...9 + 22 =31 so far.
My DD is visiting and she went through the box and picked out two spatulas that she wanted. But they are OUT of my house and that's what I am counting. Well, as soon as she goes home and she better remember to pack them!
I also emptied my email inbox. I have some sort of fear of missing information that results in my being an information packrat. I had almost 2500 emails just sitting, already read, in my inbox. So they are gone. The only thing in there now are items with pending actions. I am trying to be ruthless with the delete button. I don't think that counts on this thread but I wanted to mention it. Doing that was a lot harder than dropping stuff off at the thrift store.
A bunch of cat toys to give DH's aunt's cat at Christmas, but the cat died last month.
2 pr sox I don't wear
ROTFLMAO! Note to self... add new word to my buzz-word bible!
It's a funny word, isn't it?! I can't take credit for it, though; I've seen it floating around blogland for awhile now. :)
DH and I got rid of a bunch more stuff in the basement this weekend. Some holiday decorations, picture frames, a crock pot, candles, an iron, some old clothes, a board game, a Litter Maid and all the accessories. Two garbage bags and three big boxes full. Feels great! We are only about halfway done, so more decluttering will follow soon! :-)
I also emptied my email inbox. I have some sort of fear of missing information that results in my being an information packrat. I had almost 2500 emails just sitting, already read, in my inbox. So they are gone. The only thing in there now are items with pending actions. I am trying to be ruthless with the delete button. I don't think that counts on this thread but I wanted to mention it. Doing that was a lot harder than dropping stuff off at the thrift store.
leslieann, I just found out today that NAPO (Nat'l Assn Professional Organizers) has a niche category for those who organize electronic/digital files. Apparently this section is really increasing, along with the professional organizer profession as a whole, especially in the last few years. There is a need for more than just people who can organize and clean a garage!
early morning
4-16-12, 11:49pm
I think I started with 6 things - add 7 shirts, a pair of shoes, 2 pair of ratty shorts, and a pair of pant-legs - WTF?? gonegonegone. 17.
Thanks, lainey, for the validation. I still have to purge my personal email inbox. That one ought to be easier but somehow it isn't.
I aspire to have nothing in the inbox but what needs attention. Years ago I learned to manage my postal mail that way; one touch...either handle, file, or recycle. So we don't have piles of mail sitting around (thank goodness). But electronic clutter is easy to keep.
Found a dustbuster to send to the thrift....that makes...32, I think.
I'm on a low simmer, account getting ready for spring, but DH pulled through in regards to finding a few things for me, so in the next few days I'll be posting another update. I won't reach 100, but this thread allowed me to tackle a few things I've been wanting to tackle for a really long time, but seemed to always put off for some reason or another. Thank you everyone. The support has been wonderful (and fun).
early morning
4-20-12, 8:11pm
This doesn't add to my count, but I did actually get a bag of stuff dropped OFF at Goodwill (without going in, woohoo!) so it FEELS like more of a victory, lol.
That's great, Early Morning. Between now and the weekend, I'm hoping to wrap-up this challenge with one last heave-ho.
Trying to eek out a few more for the month! We've been selling a lot of stuff--treadmill, Bowflex, a desk, an Xbox and games, a computer. Downsizing and re-organizing at its best! So far we have interesting in all but the desk.
I'm also going to try and "eek" a couple more out, too. Tomorrow is d-day...
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.