January Decluttering

[Kat]

I love this time of year! After all the holiday "glitz" and busyness, I really desire to simplify, to clear out and start fresh. Hello, clean and organized house! Unfortunately, I am starting out pretty behind, so I won't achieve that goal as quickly as I'd like. :-)

My goal for every month is always to declutter 100 items. I find that this helps us minimize our possessions despite the influx of new items. DH finished installing our new closet system this morning (and bless his heart--he worked so hard on it!) We decided to purge as we put things back in. Here is what we have gotten rid of so far:

2 pairs of slippers
10 shirts
3 pairs of underwear
1 stick of chapstick
1 cologne sample
9 pairs of socks
1 pair of shoes
1 holy sock with no mate
2 pillowcases
1 pair of pjs

Total: 31

What felt really good was realizing that most of the things we let go were truly worn out. Feels nice to actually use what we have. :-) We still have a long ways to go, and I have to go through my pre-pregnancy stuff. The constant weight fluctuations that come with the childbearing season of life can be frustrating. I am not sure how quickly I will lose the weight after the baby is born and hate having a zillion in between sized clothes. So my plan is to hold on to some of it and let go of the stuff that is worn or unloved or very unlikely to fit again. If I wouldn't buy it in a store today, I don't plan on keeping it. Once I get to my goal weight, I will reward myself with a couple of new things.

[Simplemind]

I actually get the jump on it by sweeping the house between Christmas and the 31st to grab things for Goodwill. I also go through all the food and grab the canned/boxed food we haven't eaten and take that to the food bank. New years day is the day I go through all accumulated paperwork from the previous year and pull out what I will need for taxes, toss what I haven't needed and store what I want to keep. It is always a great day to have a fire in the woodstove.

[Tiam]

Oh, it's built up. I did so well in the summer, but my daughter moving in with hoarding habits and the season has built it back up again! Today was clean the porch which had become a dumping ground, clean the living room and behind the computer desk, air blow the computer out, clean the desk. Then in the overwhelming storage room....a bit of organizing but it will take a giant bite to see a difference. Got the wreath out of here and the recycling out. It's still going to take some doing to even get to an equalized point.

[Kat]

Sounds like you are off to a great start, Simplemind! Wish I had a woodstove. :-)

Tiam--I know what you mean about feeling overwhelmed. I feel that way about the state of my house right now. I used to be so organized and productive. Then the baby came. She was colicky and never slept and wanted to nurse every hour. She is getting a little older now, so I am trying to get back on track before the next baby comes. Some days I feel like the little bit I can accomplish doesn't even matter, but it does! If I can just stay motivated, I can start to see the changes. :-) Sounds like you really got a lot done yesterday--give yourself a big pat on the back! :-)

Today the great clothing purge continues:

1 dress
21 shirts
4 pairs of pants
1 pair of shorts
1 purse
3 holy socks
2 skirts
1 pair of pjs

Total for the month: 65

Feels good and the new closet is looking gorgeous! Will continue doing what I can as I can! :-)

[Tussiemussies]

That is great Kat!

[Float On]

Good start.
We did a major decluttering of our closet on New Year's Eve. Those bags (around 20 of them) are sitting on the front porch. They would of been loaded in the car already but my three guys are all sick and whiny today.

Today I'm undecorating the tree and putting away the christmas stuff, found there was nothing to declutter out of it. I did a big christmas declutter last year and kept only what I loved.

I'm using some of the t-shirts my husband agreed to give up to knit new bath rugs. Have wanted to try that for quite some time.

[fidgiegirl]

I hope any declutterers in the Twin Cities area will remember Bridging. I just had a tour there tonight that I will write up in my journal, but they are always in need of household items like linens, kitchen items like dishes/pots/pans/utensils, and even larger items like furniture, particularly dressers.

Hoping to clear some more items out of here this month, too. We had an influx and then I went to my mom's, which is like Xmas every time we go . . . :S

[danna]

Jan02/2013
I am in for at least 5 a day.....
--coffee pot, Christmas ornament (was my DH favourite Dale Eharnhart), 3 pieces of art supplies to Ds and Ddil (5)
--8 napkins that don't match any tablecloths to---charity

Total to date 13

[Gardenarian]

Took another 3 boxes to Salvation Army, and still have 4 boxes of toys and a box full of blank CDs that they wouldn't take. I'm amazed at how much stuff I've got rid of, and there still seems to be more!!
Too much garage sale shopping in my past!

[fidgiegirl]

Took another 3 boxes to Salvation Army, and still have 4 boxes of toys and a box full of blank CDs that they wouldn't take. I'm amazed at how much stuff I've got rid of, and there still seems to be more!!
Too much garage sale shopping in my past!

You could see if a local school would like the CDs. I know when I stopped teaching 2 years ago I was sending some electronic products home on the kids' own flash drives but still sending some CDs.