December Decluttering or 100 Items

[fidgiegirl]

Had a wonderful Christmas and received mostly items that can be put to good use. Returned one shirt that does not fit, will exchange a pair of PJs, will exchange a kitchen item from mom for a different one. Overall happy with the amount of "stuff" that came in at Xmas.

Sorted all my clothes that will fit me for the foreseeable future and will be packing away my other clothes. It was stressing me out to look at all of them. I also culled some that I will not be keeping at all for various reasons, but not counting them yet because they are still in the house. I was figuring I would need to get a storage box for these clothes but then remembered there was one in the attic with items I was ready to part with so I prepared those for donation and we dropped them off at Bridging already.

+3 frames
+3 mugs
+20 pc tea set

= 57!

Might make 100 after all!

[ejchase]

35 magazines


I don't usually count these, but today, I actually drove around and found a thrift store that would take them. Even then, they told me that they might end up in the recycling bin anyway, but since I made an effort to see if they could be reused, I'm including them in this count.


Next time, I'll just put them in our recycling bin and not count them.

44+35= 79 for month

[mschrisgo2]

Ejchase, around here, all of the hospitals welcome magazines for the waiting rooms.

[ejchase]

Ejchase, around here, all of the hospitals welcome magazines for the waiting rooms.

Very good to know! Maybe I'll try that next time.

[fidgiegirl]

Big success here today! Tomorrow is the drop off, so I will wait to post until those items are out of of our possession, but we have packaged up many items, including a large screen tent that my DFiL bought on our behalf at a garage sale. Lesson learned - do NOT allow DFiL to decide if something is a good deal or be talked into it by his phone description. That sucker was huge, we didn't even know if all the parts are there or how to set it up, and more importantly - he doesn't have to be the one to store it!! An example of it being worth it to spend more money - we would still like a screen tent, but I want a modern one with shock corded poles that packs down compactly for storage and transportation, and is lightweight.

I will count the one book that already left to the Little Free Library, and the seven items that I placed in my husband's work bag for him to use at school.

Much recycling set out and also many boxes condensed in the attic as well.

+8 = 65

[Tiam]

Scarves, some fabric, some greeting cards, decorative items and some unused plastic drawers. Now I'm looking at books.

[mschrisgo2]

Previous sub-total:42

6 rolls of Christmas wrap used up, rollers into recycling can
3 plants killed in frost, to compost
4 plastic outdoor pots, to recycling can

New total:55
more work to do this weekend!

[fidgiegirl]

Keep going, everyone!!

Big haul out to report today!

2 books sold to bookstore
2 bottles of glucosamine supplements rehomed to my parents
37 items dropped at the thrift store in my hometown

TOTAL = 106

YIPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! Made the 100 mark!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't think it could be done in December but we dug deep and did it. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!

[SteveinMN]

Great job, Kelli!

I stalled on this project again. I think I thought I'd have more time during the holidays. Nope. Ah, well. As you say, some is better than none...

[ejchase]

Congratulations, All, and fidgiegirl, I think you get the crown this month for being first to reach one hundred!

I finally recycled a printer that has been sitting, broken and unusable, on a shelf in my bedroom for three years. I also found out how to properly dispose of 7 containers of old medication I had, and got rid of those, It involved buying special envelopes at the pharmacy and mailing them off someplace - expensive and a pain in the neck, but done.

Both the above experiences reminded me sometimes I don't get rid of stuff because I get paralyzed trying to figure out HOW to get rid of it the right way. But now I'm learning. Figured out the medication thing and also found a place only 3 miles away that recycles old electronics, so I will probably return there tomorrow with two old laptops. Also, over the last several days, found a thrift store that takes donations, which is closer than the one I normally go to.

I'm doing a major decluttering here which so far has mostly involved getting rid of paper, which I don't include in this count, but today I tackled my daughter's toys. Ugh. It was SO much harder than going through my own stuff because I didn't know what she'd miss (she's two) and what she wouldn't and there were all these little pieces of things which I couldn't figure out a) what they were or b) what toy/doll/game/puzzle they belonged to. Yuk. But I finally told myself to just not be much of a perfectionist about it and just do what I could. So I made a "pass" through and packed up about 20 items (which I'll add to the count when I actually drop them off). The sad part is when I look at the toy area, it looks like I did NOTHING. Sigh. I just have to tell myself any step forward counts.

So for the printer, the 7 containers of medication, and one pencil sharpener I threw out because it has stopped working: 9 + 79 previous total = I'm up to 88!

My yearly total is at 673, and, though, I'd been hoping to reach 1,000 for the year, I realized yesterday that though I probably won't reach 1,000, that last year, I got rid of 365 things so between this year and last year, I've hit 1,000, which I feel really good about. Because my clutter is so bad (and because so much of my clutter is paper, which I haven't been dealing with as much), the effect of getting rid of all this stuff doesn't really show in my house yet, but I have faith one day it will!