View Full Version : November Purge
My daughter and I tackled her toy shelves this weekend and took 44 items to Goodwill, 5 items to friends with younger kids. We got rid of 4 Lego sets which feels like a rite of passage. :)
Sorted out 8 large boxes (of 12) of recycled wool to give to a neighbor who has ideas of how to use them. May give another box to a friend who does hooked rugs. Husband continues to sell boxes of his toy stash on Ebay. If we keep going, the room will be empty by Christmas.
rosarugosa
11-2-20, 8:44am
Gave away a box of chickpea pasta on FB giving group. DH had gotten it for free at work and we don't like the stuff, but someone with a GF husband was eager to have it. It wasn't a major source of clutter or anything, but there is something satisfying in these little win-win interactions.
Took 5 boxes of books to the dump which had gotten wet on the porch. Sold 2 books at the antique shop. Culled a cheese crock. DH is building a box thing to replace a large, commercial storage rack. We'll donate the rack to a shop we know. There will be more, a LOT more! Two pounds of shredding to Staples, old checks, account statments, etc. (Why do we still have this stuff?)
Sold 3 more books. Sent a box of books to a friend. Gave extra herbs away.
11/12: two boxes of books to ship to bookstore in ME (about 100 volumes). Six books to a customer in CA. Six other pieces to another customer in CA. A bowl got broken, into the dump bin. Thrift shop donations: craft supplies, pillow form, cloth napkins, books. Sold some reference materials. Sent a book to a friend who's giving me one. Have 7 more books to donate to another friend, a bookdealer. Sold 45 magazines.
A gallery is taking the large, commercial storage rack as a donation -- YAY! BIL's present is gift wrapped, but I'm looking for a box or other thing to ship it in.
Old drugs to the bin at the pharmacy. Two bags of donations to the food pantry bin.
Multi-page printout in manila envelope for a customer who'll appreciate it.
11/13 2 more books out, rattan beach mat, end of a bottle of wood polish, repackaged the end of a box of borax, more papers.
11/17: a pair of knitting needles (broke one), 3 books, a mailer, 2 dead pencils, 3 pieces of clothing, 2 pillow cases.
Yesterday, the Bulky Item Pick-Up service came and carried away my daughter's old dollhouse (cheaply made and falling apart), eight chairs, and an old outdoor rug I finally replaced. It felt like such a big deal to get these items out!
New total for month: 59.
mschrisgo2
11-4-20, 9:19pm
I passed on 7 Amazon and 3 Chewy boxes to someone on NextDoor who is moving.
We have a corrugated cardboard recycle bin here in the neighborhood, but it makes more sense to me that the boxes get used at least twice.
iris lilies
11-5-20, 8:38am
I passed on 7 Amazon and 3 Chewy boxes to someone on NextDoor who is moving.
We have a corrugated cardboard recycle bin here in the neighborhood, but it makes more sense to me that the boxes get used at least twice.
One benefit of recycling boxes is that I can go to the recycling bin out in the alley behind my house and get a box whenever I need to mail some thing. Granted, I don’t mail things in boxes very often, but this year I mailed several boxes of Garden bulbs and rhizomes and so that was handy. Also, I prefer to give presents in boxes rather than bags because I like doing fancy wrapping jobs.So couple days ago I found the perfect size small box for a gift I’m giving.
These boxes are supposed to be flattened in the dumpster but many of them are not.
One of my winter projects is to purge an old two drawer file cabinet so that process begins. I just received its replacement - a petite, rolling one drawer file cabinet.
iris lilies
11-5-20, 10:50am
Not exactly purging but organizing:
i’ve determined that most of my family genealogy records will be in paper form. I don’t do any genealogy seriously, I just keep printouts of certain documents that I cannot find on the Internet. Those tend to be clarifying email messages from my cousin, the genealogist. Anyway – I printed out about five of those and filed them away. I created iCloud image files for images I copied from the Internet because I want to keep them handy. So, I purged and organized digital files in this effort which really only took half an hour, but it was a needed job.
In the 23andMe DNA test I hooked up with a cousin on my mom side of the family. I was aware of them vaguely but was very interested because they are German they’re not Scottish. I’m only interested in the Scotsman until recently. Anyway – he has a treasure trove of family photographs because his great grandfather was a photographer and everyone gave family photographs to him.
So my cousin gathered them together in a lovely digital presentation that’s clearly presented with identifying names and lineage charts for the HENNEY - MASON family of Central Iowa. It covers 1860-1960. Cool.
happystuff
11-5-20, 11:36am
You all are doing great! I need to get started again. :(
Not exactly purging but organizing:
i’ve determined that most of my family genealogy records will be in paper form. I don’t do any genealogy seriously, I just keep printouts of certain documents that I cannot find on the Internet. Those tend to be clarifying email messages from my cousin, the genealogist. Anyway – I printed out about five of those and filed them away. I created iCloud image files for images I copied from the Internet because I want to keep them handy. So, I purged and organized digital files in this effort which really only took half an hour, but it was a needed job.
In the 23andMe DNA test I hooked up with a cousin on my mom side of the family. I was aware of them vaguely but was very interested because they are German they’re not Scottish. I’m only interested in the Scotsman until recently. Anyway – he has a treasure trove of family photographs because his great grandfather was a photographer and everyone gave family photographs to him.
So my cousin gathered them together in a lovely digital presentation that’s clearly presented with identifying names and lineage charts for the HENNEY - MASON family of Central Iowa. It covers 1860-1960. Cool.
Wow, IL, that is amazing work. Nicely done.
Decluttering my costume jewelry which is all still perfectly presentable. Putting it in a gallon ziploc bag and will try to sell it that way.
Teacher Terry
11-5-20, 4:46pm
I gave all my costume jewelry to a thrift store a few years ago. It sells well. I have also sold it at garage sales.
Just burned some sheet music that I have been dragging around since college. Also a large framed photograph of my parents' farm because it makes me so sad. Lots of silver sage burned with both.
Am taking my electronic piano to Goodwill now. Someone else can make music with it. This also makes me sad.
I hate working through the "material convoy".
DH is designing a new rack for some bulky hobby equipment. We have a rack that takes a good chunk of the room it’s in. It’s a retail rack, meant to display items for sale. We’ll donate that to a store after he gets the new one made.
I found a place to put small, empty bottles. I use them, but in the pantry they take up to much room. So, a small bookcase I had which was empty got squeezed into a space just the right size... and the bottles are there. It’s accessible, out of the way, and stores things which were a pita to find when I wanted one. Yay!!!
Newgig- Luckily I do have a space out of the way for my obsession with glass jars too lovely to recycle...It's a problem and I KNOW I only need 4 or 5 of each kind...but they are so pretty. congratulations on getting more space in your pantry and getting rid of the shelf.
Tybee- it's great to get rid of the things that make you sad. We think we should keep them, but ..My husband gifted a lovely sterling tie tac of a fish hook his mother had given him. It made him sad every time he looked at it after she died, so he gave it to a cousin who loved his Aunt (husband's mom) dearly and was pleased and touched to have it.
My daughter and I gave away her play fridge, play food, and play dish set to a younger girl in the neighborhood. I'll call it three things. New total for month: 62.
Tybee - it sounds like you decluttered your items with dignity. It is sad, but you may find yourself almost relieved eventually.
iris lilies
11-19-20, 5:56pm
People.
Observe and respect my afternoon’s activity. I will accept allocades now. And later. :)
3489
What you see here is a transfer of 250 volumes from my 3rd floor library to my 2nd floor. Tossed over the spiral staircase they were. Entirely, wantonly, disrespectful to the books.
I employed the same process to toss them from the second floor to the first floor.
Then, I transferred them to the garbage. Now before you get too alarmed understand that I made 4 piles of books to go to specific purposes. But believe me I know my books and the things I’m sending to the landfill need to go to the landfill.
After this I had to sit down and have a scotch or two. OK I’ll confess I had three scotches.
so much alcohol! Because I have been dreading this first step since it was labor-intensive and required much physical work. I managed to get it all in within bout an hour and a half while DH is gone because he would be very very unhappy about this. Oh I am culling only my own books I’m not touching his.p books. But still, this flagrant disrespect of the written word would very much disturb him.
iris lilies
11-19-20, 6:10pm
And now, alcohol fueled thoughts:
So much nostalgia coming to the forefront for these books. I have a nice set of
Virago modern classics, about half of which I’ve not read. But they are really nice. I like the idea of liking them. I probably won’t be able to let go of them after all, they can sit on my bookshelf for a while.
I found my copy of the Queens Gambit by Walter Tevis. Oh my it’s a first edition! There’s not a ton of them on eBay. So I listed mine very cheaply. I love the novel I love the current television production, it is all good.
I have two turn of the century century books that are kind of funny in that they are Victorian era “how to be a good person” books. I think I will tie an antique ribbon around them, write a quick summary of them and why they’re charming, and put them forth as a sale item. I think people might like that. And might buy it.
My copy of “Everyone Poops “had a brown stain on the cover. This is pretty funny because I know it wasn’t poop but it was cat vomit. Back in the days when we had cats and anyone who has cats know that they just vomit all the time. There needs to be a companion volume called “Everyone vomits. “
Ah, the impossible task! A three-Scotch job, for sure!
Looks like my living room...:|(
I have several big bags of recycling I have to move to the garage, the bin, and eventually to the street. It isn't an impossible task, exactly, but I've been putting it off. You may have inspired me..
iris lilies
11-19-20, 6:17pm
Next step is to start work on my illustrated book collection. I have forged a relationship with one of the local booksellers, and she will take my leftovers. They are in nice condition and not worth of the garbage, IMHO.
So, I plan to keep around 10% of the illustrated books, and pass on to her the rest.
iris lilies
11-19-20, 6:32pm
Whoah. The Queen’s Gambit sold within a few minutes.
I sell very little on eBay, so this was exciting!
I am tallying up all of my eBay sales and I will donate that amount to our Park conservancy.
Teacher Terry
11-19-20, 8:45pm
About 10 years ago we had a ton of books (40 boxes) in a garage sale. 4 book sellers came early and bought many. The ones that didn’t sell the thrift store picked up with the rest of the stuff. What a great idea to throw them overboard versus carrying them up and down all those steps. Today I got rid of the clothes that are too big for me since losing weight.
Boot box full of DH's old work CDs going to the dump, 100s of them. Got a neighbor to agree to take the jewel cases. That's one grocery bag, full. DH packed up and then took to the post office the picture and drawing board we're giving our nieces. Cost as much to ship as the original artwork did, 40 years ago!
But it's 2 HUGE boxes of stuff outta herel
More to do... Making soup.
iris lilies
11-28-20, 7:06pm
On eBay I sold a handful of Liddle Kiddle dolls from my childhood. One of them brought $49. A few books are selling, too. The majority of books I’ll be giving to a book seller as I’ve mentioned elsewhere although I may end up setting some out for parents in my neighborhood. I still have many hundreds to get rid of.
I remember the Liddle Kiddles, I had Lola, who had a toy sailboat...
DH got into the flat file this evening. Artwork off to a dealer who might take it on. More of the rack we gave a gallery going there. Some stuff got trashed of course. Also a pile of things to go to the antique booth. Some photos, etc. to get added to the album. It's all good!
Decided to get rid fo my "cracker jars" -- a big one (1 gallon) is almost too heavy now when full. Will take them to the antique shop and buy plastic food-grade jugs instead. Normally, I try and steer away from plastic for "real" stuff, but the glass is just too heavy now, and in 5 years it will be a brick I can't move!
Took the pillow forms, coffee mugs, wreath forms, etc. I had set aside for it to the dump yesterday. Nothing left today. That means either someone else took it or it got put in the dumpster at the end of the day -- who knows?
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