Let it GO! Decluttering (simplifying) your life of (people, places or things) success stories?

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Replies

  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
    Decluttered my walk-in closet. A lot of stuff is out, more stuff is where it belongs (not that closet) and I finally decided to try on the new yoga pants and see how they would fit. (Very well!) So I will be able to go up today and get rid of the old ones that felt about ready to slide off my rump.

    We're at an odd point. Most of my shoes live in boxes anyway, so slapping a label on them was hardly any work at all, but do I take them downstairs and add them to the pile? What if I have an Occasion and need to wear something besides walking shoes? I don't want to dig through the pile to find the dress shoes then. So I'll leave them where they are for now. I suppose I can always take them down later.
  • snoo61
    snoo61 Posts: 549 Member
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 wrote: »
    Decluttered my walk-in closet. A lot of stuff is out, more stuff is where it belongs (not that closet) and I finally decided to try on the new yoga pants and see how they would fit. (Very well!) So I will be able to go up today and get rid of the old ones that felt about ready to slide off my rump.

    We're at an odd point. Most of my shoes live in boxes anyway, so slapping a label on them was hardly any work at all, but do I take them downstairs and add them to the pile? What if I have an Occasion and need to wear something besides walking shoes? I don't want to dig through the pile to find the dress shoes then. So I'll leave them where they are for now. I suppose I can always take them down later.

    Congratulations on your closet, and on your yoga pants!
  • RubyRed427
    RubyRed427 Posts: 4,370 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    Hi my peeps! My SIL might get orders on Wednesday to deploy to New York City. If so, I'll be going to Western New York to babysit. I'm packing for 6 weeks. Hopefully it won't be longer, but it is what it is. Stay safe everyone!

    My friend's husband in in the Reserves and was shipped out to N.Y. on Sunday. Best of luck to you. That is lovely that you can babysit. xo
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,078 Member
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    Hi Friends! I am in a small apartment and will move to a little ranch. I declutter when I downsized from a big house after a divorce. But I can also see how I have accumulated more even in an apartment. I am planning to move soon and will declutter once again. I like a minimalistic atmosphere but over the last year my apartment has become more cluttered but homey, if that makes sense.

    I also have a bed with storage underneath (drawers) and there are things there that I have not even touched or remember what is there, so will surely declutter that.

    Happy to read your posts. Wishing all well!

    OMG, you'll have to report what's under your bed! I've been embarrassed at all the gimmicks I've tried among the years like diets, things that supposedly can help chronic pain like gemstones and magnetic shoe inserts, and lots of exercise videos (even VHS ones I held onto like Leslie Sansone's). I hadn't looked under my bed in years and came across a Body by Jake Ab Rocker, ab roller you attach resistant bands to, tubing, TENS unit, weights and ball weights that go with videos, and Core Secrets exercise ball workout. The Body by Jake is the worst, you rock on a contraption to strengthen your core, I didn't feel anything trying it out the other day!
  • AlexandraFindsHerself1971
    AlexandraFindsHerself1971 Posts: 3,106 Member
    Gotta say, TENS units do work on nerve pain very well. I have one, and both my partners borrow it so often that I've ordered a second one so that everyone has one. (I stopped having back pain when I put a quarter-inch lift in my left shoe.)
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    Hi my peeps! My SIL might get orders on Wednesday to deploy to New York City. If so, I'll be going to Western New York to babysit. I'm packing for 6 weeks. Hopefully it won't be longer, but it is what it is. Stay safe everyone!

    Cheering you on, as ALWAYS Snoo...you're a wonderful blessing to so many--baby sitting for 6 weeks is going to be such a help--wow, you're terrific, period. If you have to go, I'm hoping you will have a really nice time. Love you my friend! o:)<3o:)
  • snoo61
    snoo61 Posts: 549 Member
    NewLIFEstyle4ME wrote: »
    Just a note to say {{{ Love and HUGS }}}} to everyone under house arrest/mandatory lock-down, who may be falling back into clutter and mess and some habits you've previously kicked to the curb, but perhaps are getting back into because of all of this traumatic and scary mess going on all around us and the entire world. Perhaps you are finding yourself no longer being as diligent about decluttering in every area of your life due to...the YUCK of what's happening in/to/around us all on a daily basis. If this is you, please know I LOVE YOU and TOTALLY understand, you are not alone, you are loved and feel free to come in and share how you're doing/feeling/being during these trying times. Once more I love you all so much and am, as always I'm SUPER cheering you/us on!

    These are for YOU (and me too :wink: )
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    Thank you New! I'm quarantined at my daughter's in NY, so not getting anything done. But we do what we have to, besides its time with the babies. :)
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    Good morning friends! Thanks for the flowers; they brightened my day!
    Before I go to bed, I try to straighten up my apartment; get everything tidy so when I go into the kitchen in the morning, it looks neat and fresh. Fold blankets on the couch. Put dishes in dishwasher, never leave anything in the sink.

    I know that several of us spoke about Flylady in the past. I do like her philosophies. I'll have to revisit her site for inspiration.

    I also try to hang up my clothes right away when I take them off; I tend to want to just toss them on a bench in my room. I'm trying to curb that habit.

    I just went through many magazines I have been accumulating over the months. I quickly went through them and tore out some decorating tips or pages that mean something to me. Then, I put them in the recycling bin. So many heavy magazines ! And that is just from the last few months.
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    One more thought.... recently I was telling my online therapist about two of my friends who have become toxic to me. They bring me down, make me feel inadequate, stress me out, take advantage of me.

    When I was telling her about them, I always say "They are good people but......"

    The therapist told me, Ruby, you keep making excuses for them.

    Just admit to yourself that they are toxic. Period. Even if they suited you in the past, you have to realize that now, those relationships are over, They changed. Stop making excuses for them. If they don't give you good vibes, it's time to let them fade away.

    Your posts absolutely have made my day...I'm so thrilled for you, just so GLAD. YAY you for all you are doing to make yourself a stronger person AND yay to/for your therapist for telling you "the truth" and helping you understand/get it. LOVE you Ruby and thank you ever so VERY much for posting!!! <3o:)<3
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    NewLIFEstyle4ME wrote: »
    Just a note to say {{{ Love and HUGS }}}} to everyone under house arrest/mandatory lock-down, who may be falling back into clutter and mess and some habits you've previously kicked to the curb, but perhaps are getting back into because of all of this traumatic and scary mess going on all around us and the entire world. Perhaps you are finding yourself no longer being as diligent about decluttering in every area of your life due to...the YUCK of what's happening in/to/around us all on a daily basis. If this is you, please know I LOVE YOU and TOTALLY understand, you are not alone, you are loved and feel free to come in and share how you're doing/feeling/being during these trying times. Once more I love you all so much and am, as always I'm SUPER cheering you/us on!

    These are for YOU (and me too :wink: )


    Thank you New! I'm quarantined at my daughter's in NY, so not getting anything done. But we do what we have to, besides its time with the babies. :)

    My absolute pleasure and honor my friend! As per ALWAYS, thank you Snoo for being a lovely breath of fresh air and a ray of much wanted and needed SUNSHINE. I'm so thrilled you are getting lots of time with the babies...just so GLAD to hear it. Love you and {{{{{{ <3HUGS and THANKS for checking in boo <3}}}}}}}}}}
  • Madwife2009
    Madwife2009 Posts: 1,369 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    After NY, I'll be home for a month, then go to Florida to help clean out dad's house (my dad died 2 weeks ago). In September I'll be back in NY for the birth of our 4th grandchild! Pray for me, this is a lot. Love you!

    Sorry to hear about your dad 😢 Hope that clearing out his house brings good memories, not sad ones.
  • snoo61
    snoo61 Posts: 549 Member
    Madwife2009 wrote: »
    snoo61 wrote: »
    After NY, I'll be home for a month, then go to Florida to help clean out dad's house (my dad died 2 weeks ago). In September I'll be back in NY for the birth of our 4th grandchild! Pray for me, this is a lot. Love you!

    Sorry to hear about your dad 😢 Hope that clearing out his house brings good memories, not sad ones.

    Thank you. My brother and sister will be there too, so I'm sure many hilarious stories will be told. :)
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    Hi all! I've been in NY a month, and still have 3 weeks to go. Babies are great, teaching is kicking my a**, but we have a routine. I'm really missing home though.

    Hi Snoo!

    Here's a link that will SUPER help you help your darling grands:

    Christian-based free homeschooling curriculum:
    https://allinonehomeschool.com/

    Here's a secular one

    At-home Learning Resources for Kids
    Living room turned into a makeshift classroom? We're here to help with hand-selected lessons and activities for cooped-up kids.
    Jamie Uphold | March 17, 2020

    During these interruptions to learning, the Mensa Foundation is proud to provide you with resources that can offer enrichment and educational opportunities for your child. Mensa for Kids, powered by the Mensa Foundation, is full of lesson plans, activities, TED Connections, and other learning opportunities. Check back with us as we continue to update and add to these resources.


    https://www.mensaforkids.org/read/blog/at-home-learning-resources-for-kids/

    Here's just a peek into somethings available to help...click the link above for active links to all of the activities and a WHOLE LOT more!

    Cross-Curricular Online Platforms

    New: The San Diego Zoo Academy is providing eight weeks of complimentary animal species online learning modules.
    New: MIT’s Full STEAM Ahead project curates exsisting STEAM resources for K-12, higher education, and workforce learners, including a weekly package of relevant materials for K-12 students and teachers.

    Education.com is providing free access to some of its best resources during school closures, including printable workbooks, independent learning worksheets, games, activities, songs, stories and exercises.

    Time for Kids has opened up all of its 2020 content, including teaching materials, its entire digital library, and teaching tools utilizing Time for Kids Magazine.

    Renzulli Learning is opening its remote elearning platform for free for rest of year. Create individualized, highly engaging learning opportunities to help students at higher levels, with adaptations for those who are not.

    The You Can Do the Rubik’s Cube Program offers free, downloadable K-12 lessons written by teachers and tested in the classroom. Available in multiple languages.

    The New York Times Learning Network vertical hosts lessons across subjects and current events using the Times multimedia content.

    Scholastic’s Learn at Home program includes immersive day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing.

    Hand2Mind hosts daily activity and lesson plans for grades K-5.

    The Smithsonian’s children’s website
    Kids Discovery is a cross-curricular learning platform for elementary and middle school children, with access to more than 2,000 visually stunning science and social studies articles.

    IXL hosts personalized curriculum for teaching and self-learning, including a searchable index.
    The National Endowment for the Humanities hosts an impressive collection of lesson plans and teacher’s guides.
    Super Charged School features lesson plans and activities taught by educators covering several subjects.
    Education.com provides open access to resources for students in pre-K through 5th grade, with printable lessons and guided instruction.

    Khan Academy offers helpful daily learning schedules for kids ages 4-18.

    Baltimore City Schools has published learning packets for pre-K through 12th grade, as well as gifted and advanced learning materials.

    The Compton Unified School District also has learning packets for pre-K through 12th grade.

    Kerens Independent School District has published printable learning packets for grades K-5.

    Albert.io features 105 tools for distance learning that are perfect for educating kids in the home.
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    After NY, I'll be home for a month, then go to Florida to help clean out dad's house (my dad died 2 weeks ago). In September I'll be back in NY for the birth of our 4th grandchild! Pray for me, this is a lot. Love you!

    I'm so sorry to hear about your beloved father {{{ Hugs }}}, but as per ALWAYS, your attitude is so admirable and inspirational, I LOVE you Snoo and pls. know you are ever in my heart/thoughts and prayers. This is so a LOT and I am so grateful for the way you think and are.

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  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    snoo61 wrote: »
    Madwife2009 wrote: »
    snoo61 wrote: »
    After NY, I'll be home for a month, then go to Florida to help clean out dad's house (my dad died 2 weeks ago). In September I'll be back in NY for the birth of our 4th grandchild! Pray for me, this is a lot. Love you!

    Sorry to hear about your dad 😢 Hope that clearing out his house brings good memories, not sad ones.

    Thank you. My brother and sister will be there too, so I'm sure many hilarious stories will be told. :)

    I'm so GLAD you will not be alone in this...I LOVE YOU SNOO! <3<3o:)<3<3
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    Madwife2009 wrote: »
    Over the last five weeks, we've been decluttering the garden.

    When I say decluttering, I mean completely stripping. The previous owner(s) had let it go to wrack and ruin. It was overgrown and full of buried rubbish, including but not limited to: food wrappings from raw meat, sweet wrappers, plastic shopping bags, compost bags, balance scales, decking, burned wood, garden tools, writing equipment, a table, a flymo, an extension's worth of bricks, candles, two water butts, a plastic sewer pipe, panes of glass, lots of garden ornaments, oil burners, a composter, fishing tackle including a huge net, curtains, duvets, large pieces of carpet, dozens of watering cans, a slab of granite, a kitchen worktop, a kitchen's worth of tiles, a fire pit and stand, a log burner, sewing equipment, paving slabs, blocks, lumps of concrete, two footstools, a couple of tons of gravel and slate, hundreds of plastic plant pots, thousands of nails, the list is endless but you name it, it was probably there (all buried - we had to dig it all up!). It was overgrown to a point of being more grim than the Mirkwood forest from "The Hobbit" and was just as draining. It was a dark, foreboding, scary place.

    We have removed: three very large skips' worth of rubbish (see above), fencing and hedging. At least another six trailers' worth of rubbish to the local tip before they shut. Two truckloads of scrap metal (including a wheelbarrow with no bottom and a rusty bike or two) taken away. About fifteen dead trees. Plus a number of things given to other people.

    We thought that we had rats as well, based on a neighbour's comments and one sighting. We did not find a nest in our garden but did find the rat run (that actually starts in the neighbour's garden).

    We now have a garden that is light, airy and spacious. We have a vegetable patch (as of yet, unplanted but that's a job for next week). My greenhouse is nearly complete. I will have a hanging basket "tree" plus baskets on my house. We will have a strawberry patch. We have lots of birds now as well, blackbirds, robins, thrushes, starlings, which are a delight to watch as they are busy looking after their babies.

    I am very excited about it. I have also worn out four pairs of gloves in the process and have ingrained dirt on my fingers. But that's a small price to pay :)

    Absolutely THRILLING to hear...super mega YAY YOU!
  • NewLIFEstyle4ME
    NewLIFEstyle4ME Posts: 4,440 Member
    AMR76 wrote: »
    RubyRed427 wrote: »
    I grew up in a spotless house. My mom would stay up late cleaning many nights. I think it set an unrealistic expectation for me as an adult. My brain got wired to think it was the way you live .... with zero clutter.

    My mom, grandmother, aunts... all have beautifully decorated homes. Where they hide their clutter, they've never passed on the secret! I am like your husband.... :( My mom says that even as an infant, before I could roll over, I could destroy a perfectly clean room during my sleep.

    I wish I weren't like this because I know how distracting the clutter is to me and know that it places a deep emotional burden on my mind and can lead to financial and emotional distress which can lead to other things, like excess weight.

    I'm not saying your husband is wrong in how he is, but I am curious - does he ever feel overwhelmed by all the "things" he has? I feel like all of it just gets in my way of enjoying life. I spend more time cleaning up after myself than anything!

    I'll spend an entire day de-cluttering and scrubbing and enjoy a stress free / clean home for 1 day... then the cycle starts again.


    {{{{{ LOVE and HUGS }}}}} You are so not alone, please know that. This decluttering thing is very relatable to weight blastification...it takes TIME, patience and again, like weight blastification, it takes a "throwing down the gautlet" with yourself (mainly your thinking) and adopting a nothing is going to stop me from accomplishing all of my goals, including decluttering. I'm just going to have patience with myself and remember/remind myself OFTEN that slow and steady ALWAYS tends to win the race. I'm in competition with NOONE other than myself. Comparing myself to others is a deal breaker, period. I didn't gain all this weight overnight and I'm purposely NOT going to try to hurry and lose it either--the same with decluttering. That you have the desire to do so is really the "ticket" to change.
    THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH FOR POSTING!!! Your post is going to help inspire and encourage others that they are not alone!

    I'm cheering you ON and here's another {{{ Hug }}} just because! o:)<3o:)

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  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    letting go, lets say decluttering, accepting family is so dysfunctional, letting go of the stress. Stress can kill you and cortisol, make you gain weight. Just did a lot of work to my house and that was stressful but you cannot escape all stress. Realizing this too shall pass. I hate uncomfortable feelings but realizing I can get thru them and tolerate them and not over eat. Biggie for me. Let Go of stress eating, do what I need to do, not what I want to do! and then the next time will be easier. I lost 40 lbs, stress ate 5 back and I am so angry, going to get that off!

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