View Full Version : February Declutter or 100 items
Gardenarian
2-10-14, 6:13pm
I am getting rid of a whole lot of bedding - I sorted through the linen cupboards and decided what we need for each bed - no more, no less - and everything else goes to the humane society.
I am getting rid of a whole lot of bedding - I sorted through the linen cupboards and decided what we need for each bed - no more, no less - and everything else goes to the humane society.
That's great! I've always wavered between having one set of linens per bed, or two. You really only need one, but then on laundry day, if you get behind, you find yourself having to make the bed late at night, so it's nice to immediately make the bed with the second set after you strip the bed of the first.
What do you think, Gardenarian? Did you keep one set per bed, or two?
We have two sets per bed. It covers "accidents" and it also means we don't have to launder at that very moment or go without bedding. Two sets is not an unreasonable amount of bedding, IOHO.
I've been verrrry slooowwly going through some drawers and tossing stuff that I decided I no longer need.
For e.g., I had a lot of feminine products that I no longer need. I brought them to work and left them in the ladies' room. A week later, they are all gone.
Tossed some old travel-size bottles I never really liked. I had bought a new set of Nalgene a while ago, but for some reason, held on to the old ones I did not like. It is funny how this stuff blends into the landscape.
I am using up those rip-open sample packets of shampoo and hand cream one gets every now and then. And I threw out some body lotion I did not like. Hated the smell of it!
Gardenarian
2-11-14, 8:15pm
I have two sets per bed, and extra pillowcases as I change pillowcases more frequently than the sheets.
I don't want anyone stuck with wet sheets and a bare mattress!
I have two sets per bed, and extra pillowcases as I change pillowcases more frequently than the sheets.
I don't want anyone stuck with wet sheets and a bare mattress!
My DD is a pillowcase-changer! She definitely needs to know that the pillowcases are fresh. I understand, but I generally change pillowcases when I change sheets.
Teacher Terry
2-12-14, 2:11am
I have gotten down to 2 sets of sheets per bed also but lots more pillowcases. I never want to wait around for things to be laundered. I used to have a lot more.
DH warned me today..."you're starting to hoard again, so remember our agreement: for everything that comes in, something has to go out!" I accepted the offer of three things yesterday (a blanket, a sleeping bag, and a box of art supplies), so I need to decide on what to let go of! Hmmm....a dozen books, I think.
Update: Just after posting this, I decluttered nearly four shopping bags' worth of books and miscellaneous paper. The books will be donated and the paper recycled. Woot!
Okay, I'm getting back in the game here:
Took 36 things, mostly my daughter's old clothes and a few of my books - to the thrift store and tossed another 17 (socks with no matches, a stained shirt) in the trash = 53.
Tonight I tossed to the recycling bin 28 baseball programs my husband had keep from the early 2000 and 2 magazines.
SteveinMN
2-19-14, 10:13am
Tonight I tossed to the recycling bin 28 baseball programs my husband had keep from the early 2000 and 2 magazines.
Does DH know about this? :)
Does DH know about this? :)
Ha ha! He does know about it, he actually chose to get rid of them. Honestly they don't mean anything now especially since the team doesn't even exist anymore. I'm so glad DH is not sentimental about all of this, like he understands that memories are in his head and he doesn't need any piece of paper to remind him that he lived that moment / went to these games.
We both agree that if we never cared to look at these papers for years it's not worth keeping them around anymore.
Really I have no mercy with clutter now that we are getting ready to move into a much small condo.
Hooray, today a couple picked up the old washing machine we wanted to donate, and a friend of mine picked up the bicycle that our landlady had stored in our storage room but didn't want anymore! I intend to turn part of our storage room into an art "studio" (cough!) as soon as I can get the stuff we're storing either out of there or stored more efficiently. Getting the bike out of there was a big step, and now that the extra washing machine is out of my "laundry room" (snort!) I can start hanging the wash out to dry on the line again, saving more energy and money. (I also appreciate how quietly laundry dries on the line...no noisy machine!)
fidgiegirl
2-19-14, 9:04pm
Great job, Selah - feels so good to get those big items out. Makes such a huge dent!
Thanks, Fidgiegirl! Ironically, the blanket and sleeping bag that were offered to me, which instigated the barrage of decluttering in the first place, ended up being unsuitable for our needs, so I donated it instead! DH got in the game and started decluttering the storage room even more. It's starting to happen..."A Junkroom of Her Own"!
catherine
2-20-14, 11:03am
Just saw a blog post in the local e-newsletter that the town high school is accepting donations for prom dresses and accessories. In cleaning out my DD28 closet for DS/DDIL moving in, I discovered three prom dresses that DD had worn, so I plan on donating any that DD doesn't want.
Also, I decluttered a contractor bag filled with old scarves and towels that had gotten musty in an old trunk in the basement--leaving room in the trunk to store blankets I actually use.
oops. I've been a failure at the February goal. In fact, I've gone the other way and brought a few new things into the house. New yet vintage kitchen table - smaller (will sell the old one), new vintage dresser for me, found a cool mod long side table that I've painted and moved into the living room. All these pieces meet some long term goals I've had but I haven't gotten rid of a single thing the past few weeks. It does meet the declutter goals though because the smaller kitchen table gives us a little more room to walk around the eating area - I was always frustrated with how much space the other table took. The dresser has cool doors with smaller drawers inside those doors and creates good space for my jewelry collection instead of the jewelry being piled on top of the bookshelf I use to have in that space. The large side table has a 2nd shelf so there is plenty of space for all our current 'reads and magazines' instead of me always finding books and magazines laying around on the floor.
Finished a book last night and it was one of those books you just know you'll never read again. Into the donation bag it goes!
Also, it wasn't exactly decluttering, since I didn't dispose of the things, but I did move some objects that we had on our two bookshelves reserved for display (vases, souvenirs, etc.) off the shelves and into my "sentimental objects" box. Now the shelves are less cluttered and it's easier to appreciate what IS there.
Spring is definitely in the air here in Israel...I really feel like spring cleaning!
Am actually doing a big spring cleaning project at work, helping another dept. We ended up donating 8 boxes of clean, empty 3-ring binders, pendaflex folders and file folders to a new school that's opening up for disabled children. They were glad to get the stuff and we were glad to recycle it!
We'll also be repurposing 4 empty 4-drawer file cabinets to another location who can use it. I think the transition from paper to electronic files happened so fast for some offices that they never took the time to clean out the hard copies.
My SO and I cleaned out the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and got rid of some old food. I didn't keep an exact count, but I'd say 5 containers of different stuff is a good conservative estimate. That puts me at 58 for the month.
I'm packing the car for another trip to donate goods. I have a couple of bags of clothes, a vacuum cleaner, some books. and miscellaneous household items.
catherine
2-23-14, 11:22am
I'm packing the car for another trip to donate goods. I have a couple of bags of clothes, a vacuum cleaner, some books. and miscellaneous household items.
Wow, Jane, ditto! DH and I are going to Goodwill today to drop off two shopping bags full of clothes, a vacuum cleaner, some books and miscellaneous household items! [cue Twilight Zone music]
Geez, I just got back from donating some books to the Goodwill this morning. (also some flannel sheets and misc. office supplies).
Is this NSA mind control?
As I cleaned out my textile studio, I freed up about a dozen baskets that had yarn in them. The yarn & unspun fibre is all now in moth proof containers (I discovered a moth invasion in my fibre four days before my surgery last year. Oy vey!)
Since all these baskets originally came from GW, they will probably go back there. I do get attached to baskets, so parting with them might be slow...
rosarugosa
2-24-14, 6:55am
I went to Mom's yesterday and helped her sort and pack up two boxes for Salvation Army. The boxes are in my car, and I have a box of stuff from our house to add, and DH will drop off at SA today.
I don't typically count items, but I decided I should let go of three clothing items to offset the three items of clothing I bought in Portland. I started a SA clothing bag in the bedroom and was able to put three shirts in there. We won't drop that bag off until it gets a bit fuller. I might try to send a box or bag a month to SA; that would be a good goal. I would like to see DH let go of some of his business clothing. He has a lot of it. None of it fits, and he has no desire to go back to a corporate job. It's all nice Brooks Brothers stuff (he worked there for quite a few years) so that makes it a bit harder to let go. I'm encouraging him to save a few of his favorite items and let go of the rest.
Float On & Redfox: I think organizing things you are keeping in your life for greater functionality is just as valid a decluttering accomplishment as getting rid if things you no longer want/need. Good work!
SteveinMN
2-24-14, 10:03am
I have no good idea of how to count these items, but I've been unsentimentally tossing memorabilia I've kept over the years. Pictures of places we've visited, mementos of events I wanted to remember,... Some of the pictures were from my first cameras and -- well -- pretty poor. Some of the mementos are from events that I no longer care about. And, without much family or kids (just a stepdaughter who did not grow up with me), who's going to care whether I found that particular comic strip funny or who those people were in front of that unidentified building. I've kept pictures of certain people and places and a few mementos. Some items will be offered to others who might be interested. But the rest? Out. Several dozen items at this point; more to come.
Wow, Jane, ditto! DH and I are going to Goodwill today to drop off two shopping bags full of clothes, a vacuum cleaner, some books and miscellaneous household items! [cue Twilight Zone music]
It's that old simple living synchronicity again!
Good job everyone! Yesterday I got rid of 50 items of clothing and some dozen magazines again. That brings my total this month to around 80 items.
mschrisgo2
2-28-14, 2:38am
This month I have gotten rid of -
9 cartons of teaching materials
7 cartons of paper mess
3 large bags of paper mess.
I'm thinking that counts for more than 100 :)
I can now walk into my walk-in closet, and I can access important papers in my files.
(and you'd think I don't have much left after the last few months, but I'm already planning what to tackle next month!)
Time to de-clutter the closet again: this time it'll be the sock drawer. I love socks, and I use them routinely (!), but I'm going to apply the same rule: if I haven't worn a pair in more than a year, out they go to the donation pile or into the rag bag!
Great job everyone! I have a load in the car to drop off today (confessing....most of it is late January/early Feb items). I want to get those things out and gone before more potential ice arrives Saturday night.
I'm looking forward to March! I want another 100 items to MARCH MARCH MARCH on out!
You all inspired me: I cleaned out my sock/undies drawer! A few pairs of socks will be donated, many pairs of old undies going into the rag bag, and other items neatly organized and/or relocated to be more easily reached.
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