June 100 Items or General Decluttering Thread

[Rosemary]

After our big trip in May I tackled many organizational projects that did not get done during my usual cleaning time, which is winter, because I was buried in course work for the classes I was taking. A charity came to pick up a large pile of stuff a few days ago. Among other things, I boxed up and gave away the lead crystal of my aunt's that I was given... because I will never, ever use it and even having it sitting unused in a container in the crawlspace felt like a weight to me. I'm not a crystal type of person. It's too fussy. I'm continuing to clean out clothing as we go through the season. Throughout the house, my goal is to get everything uncluttered in a serious way - that is, having less stuff everywhere than we have space for. I've sold and given away a lot of books; recycled a lot of paper items; cleaned out closets and linens and baby toys etc etc etc. Still on the agenda is crafting items. Now that I am spending a significant amount of time during the winter on classes, and my summer is as always occupied by landscaping and garden work, I would like to get rid of crafting things that we are unlikely to use. DD and I still do this together, but we have less time for it and don't need to have as much as we do in our small home.

[Lainey]

Interesting, Rosemary. I have a larger amount of craft items that I'm unlikely to use, and I just found out last weekend that a friend of a friend, who is going into her 2nd year of teaching kindegarten in a poor area, is looking for art materials. That's motivated me to search for things I have which may be suitable for that age.

I agree it's better to give these things a new home and enjoy our cleaner space.

[Float On]

All these months of sending out 100 items and I've finally decided to try an antique/flea market store booth. I'm just doing a small booth to give it a try. Glad that it's a month by month and I don't have to commit to a year but between my house and my mother's....we've got lots of good things.

[rosarugosa]

I'm cleaning out the shed today - so much stuff in such a little space, that we cannot see what is there or get to anything. Those plastic pots must procreate when we're not looking! I'm also much more conscientious about buying fertilizer than actually applying it, which doesn't do the plants much good.

Float On: Please let us know how you make out with your flea market booth!

[JaneV2.0]

I took several boxes, bags and large items to charity last week. Now I'm starting a new pile, with particular concentration on books. I have two bags ready to go and will probably end up with at least two more; I've thinned my quilt books considerably. I'm also winnowing quilt fabric and consolidating what's left into big clear bins so it's contained but visible.

[rosarugosa]

I completed the cleaning of the shed, so that feels like a good accomplishment for the day.

[Rosemary]

I've started another box for donations and it's mostly full already. Started decluttering craft stuff. Giving away stuff that we've tried but don't especially enjoy more than most of our other pursuits. Have realized that just because I *can* use a material to make something, doesn't mean I have to do that and/or keep the object for future use. There is just too much of everything.

I've taken several bags of books to the used book store over the past 6 weeks or so. Instead of accumulating large quantities, I'm taking them a bag at a time - it gets them out of the house sooner and I think I get more cash from the store for them (even though it's still a pittance).

[mschrisgo2]

I've been sorting,shreding, filing, papers. Last week I had to find documentation from 1984!!!! for having passed a test (I'm a teacher). That involved me ripping through 6 cartons of, well, you know, just too damned much paper!! I have now carefully completed 5.5 cartons; these are bankers boxes and were each from a different era of my life and stuffed full. I have just a little bit to go and will finish it before I go to bed tonight - I have promised myself that I won't get up to this again tomorrow. Amazingly enough, I have only saved about 6 inches altogether, and even that needs to be thinned again. It really feels good Not to have all those boxes of paper. Most of it came out of a 5-drawer filing cabinet that nobody wanted to carry up the stairs when I moved 4.5 years ago...guess what? It's now mostly been moved out to the recycling bin. YAY!!!

[frugal-one]

I've been sorting,shreding, filing, papers. Last week I had to find documentation from 1984!!!! for having passed a test (I'm a teacher). That involved me ripping through 6 cartons of, well, you know, just too damned much paper!! I have now carefully completed 5.5 cartons; these are bankers boxes and were each from a different era of my life and stuffed full. I have just a little bit to go and will finish it before I go to bed tonight - I have promised myself that I won't get up to this again tomorrow. Amazingly enough, I have only saved about 6 inches altogether, and even that needs to be thinned again. It really feels good Not to have all those boxes of paper. Most of it came out of a 5-drawer filing cabinet that nobody wanted to carry up the stairs when I moved 4.5 years ago...guess what? It's now mostly been moved out to the recycling bin. YAY!!!

Very inspiring!!! I retired 3 years ago and still am having difficulty getting into my office and going through all the paperwork. I am working in the bedroom now... cleaning out corners where I have stuffed things. I used to be so organized. Time to get back to just the basics!!!

[Float On]

I got my antique/flea market booth set up this afternoon and made $55 between when I set up and when they closed an hour later. The owner called me to say "hey, you had a good first day" and I said "first day? how about first hour?" Lots of pottery, and other art in my booth. We just did so much trading over the years with other artists and I have too much, especially if I want to downsize next year.

3 items gone and my booth fee for the month paid. It's a small space 2x8 endcap with side walls.