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

AliNouveau

What happens when you decide to deep clean your bathroom? You find some paint peeling and remember you always disliked the colour so run to the local paint store and buy paint to put a fresh coat up on the bathroom walls. Not the thing to do with a bad shoulder but I'm so happy with the outcome and wow I worked up a sweat. I had to go to meet the teacher night though a sweety mess and covered in paint

AliNouveau

Today I was headed to physio and realized halfway there my appt is next week so I was excited to get home and start on the bedroom. I'm proud to say it's now done. All that's left is hubs office and the boys room and I might make them do their own spaces but probably not.

The bedroom has never looked so tidy and clean and organized and it's no wonder hubs was always coughing and feeling allergic we must have had the world's supply of dust bunnies.

Our housekeeper comes tomorrow. She's been looking after my husband for probably 20 years so she will always be our housekeeper my son calls her auntie. She won't have anything to do tomorrow. Maybe I'll have her make ho the basement for my brother's visit for my surgery.

snoo61

Well I made it to NY! I got so busy getting ready, I think I forgot to sign into MFP on Monday! I was at 797 days in a row! I guess I'll probably have to start over. Hope all of you are doing ok!

Madwife2009

snoo61 wrote: »

Well I made it to NY! I got so busy getting ready, I think I forgot to sign into MFP on Monday! I was at 797 days in a row! I guess I'll probably have to start over. Hope all of you are doing ok!

There is a link somewhere that allows you to reset it to where you should be. I'll try and find it.

My kitchen is now decluttered, my table is where is should be, washing up is a thing of the past .... bliss.

Currently having a "discussion" about a long CB aerial that DH has had for at least the last 31 years - all of the time that I've known him - as in all that time he has never used it.

He has hidden it from me

Madwife2009

@snoo61 - here's the link to request a reset of your logging streak:

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/login_counter_reset_request

snoo61

Madwife2009 wrote: »

@snoo61 - here's the link to request a reset of your logging streak:

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/login_counter_reset_request

@Madwife, Thank you so much!

snoo61

So, the grandkids are great! (And exhausting lol) if I had this much push at home, every house in the neighborhood would be shining! Let's hope I can stay motivated when I get home.
Hope you all are doing well!

RubyRed427

snoo61 wrote: »

Well I made it to NY! I got so busy getting ready, I think I forgot to sign into MFP on Monday! I was at 797 days in a row! I guess I'll probably have to start over. Hope all of you are doing ok!

You don't have to start over. Just go to yesterday's food log and enter your food items.

RubyRed427

Hi Friends, I went through my closet (five shelves) and took everything out. This is the hall closet with my toiletries, lotions, sun screen, etc. I then took many of those shoebox clear containers I happen to have. Re-organized and labeled them and filled them with items in a way that makes sense. I keep walking by the closet and looking in now. Makes me feel good.

p.s. I had about 7 clear shoebox containers that are Brand new just waiting for a need. I found them last school year in the garbage can; someone must have been in a cleaning frenzy so I took them. Not that I'm a dumpster diver but brand new good stuff thrown away is a shame. Now they are serving me well.

Gisel2015

@RubyRed427
Great job and double kudos for organizing and recycling !!

Madwife2009

Just cleared out my linen cupboard. I now have less than half from when I started. Three bags of towels, sheets and other linen for the kerbside recycling collectors on Wednesday.

Gotta decluttering.

Still overly excited about my dishwasher...

snoo61

Hi all, I'm home! Probably starting work next week, so I'm getting ready for that. Today's declutter is craft supplies. I have to rearrange yarn drawers so I can have a drawer for leftover yarn, for dog rugs.

Gisel2015

Good job and plans @snoo61 !!!
I am good in the declutting department, but I need to do some reorganization and drawers clean up too.
This week is garden week; I am getting the pots ready with the fall and winter flowers (I live in the S. California desert and we take care of our gardens all year long). I don't have big plans for the Holidays so I can take my time organizing the rest of the house or rooms as I wish.

@Madwife2009
You did good too!

snoo61

Gisel2015 wrote: »

Good job and plans @snoo61 !!!
I am good in the declutting department, but I need to do some reorganization and drawers clean up too.
This week is garden week; I am getting the pots ready with the fall and winter flowers (I live in the S. California desert and we take care of our gardens all year long). I don't have big plans for the Holidays so I can take my time organizing the rest of the house or rooms as I wish.

@Madwife2009
You did good too!

Fall and winter flowers are so beautiful! My white camillia bushes have started blooming, red ones will start in a couple months. I love having flowers all year!

RetiredAndLovingIt

And they say we may have snow this week in Iowa!

Madwife2009

RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »

And they say we may have snow this week in Iowa!

Snow?? Wow! Keep warm and safe if it does snow.

Back on topic - have just decluttered the best part of twenty years' worth of paperwork. Some has to go in the loft as it's tax stuff and my dear Mum, who used to work for HM Inland Revenue, always told me to a) not mess with the tax man and b) always keep anything that s/he might be interested in.

But it will be out of the way and not cluttering my living space.

(and I'm still thrilled with my dishwasher)

neenaexp

I really love this thread! Is anyone available to be a decluttering accountability buddy to check in with everyday? If so, please add me as a friend.
Thank you!

laurenq1991

I've started another round of getting rid of stuff again. My main problem isn't deciding to let go of stuff...it's actually bringing it to where it needs to go. I don't drive so I can't just go over to Goodwill to drop it off, because the Goodwill is a 20 minute drive away. And I feel bad asking my husband to do it during his limited free time. And putting things on Craigslist or Freecycle is annoying because of how flaky people are, so I put off doing it. So there is a whole closet full of stuff that I still have to actually get rid of.

Last week I did bring a bag of stuff to a nearby clothing donation bin. This upcoming week I plan to start listing things on the Craigslist free section again for pickup. I also compiled another bag's worth of nonperishables to donate to the town food pantry (I brought over one bag a couple of weeks ago) so I have to bring that over there sometime this week.

We also have some large items that we have to get rid of. I have a bike that I stupidly bought and then never used because it turns out the roads are too dangerous around here to bike on. So I have to sell that. We also have a large and heavy couch that I inherited from a relative and we want to get rid of it and replace it with something smaller and lighter, so that we don't have to hire movers the next time we move. It's over 15 years old and I'm not sure if we can sell it or give it away, or if we should just recycle it...we'll have to figure it out. Earlier in the year we gave away a few pieces of secondhand furniture that were too heavy for us to move on our own...a solid wood desk (which neither of us were using anyway), and two solid wood dressers that I inherited (we downsized to just hanging things in the closet and putting non-hangable things like socks in plastic drawer units). That has been very beneficial to us in terms of how uncluttered our apartment feels, and future moving plans.

Our apartment is mostly decluttered and minimalist by now, but I feel like I'm always finding new stuff to get rid of. Honestly our apartment is way bigger than we need, especially because it's a two-bedroom (we used to have one of my husband's relatives living with us due to their health problems, but they recovered and moved out. BTW they're a hoarder too, which was extremely stressful for me to live with...I think I may have mentioned it on this thread months ago). But we're stuck here until next April because it would cost $4000 to get out of the lease. Once our lease is up, I'm hoping to find a small place...600 square feet or even less would be ideal...that is hopefully more time and cost effective as well. Our current apartment is 950 square feet and probably half of it is just empty unused space. It's such a waste of time to clean...it takes me 40 minutes just to vacuum...so there's no point to it.

brenn24179

seems like it has been easier to maintain my weight since distancing myself from toxic family. Had to get out of denial which was difficult, yes decluttering people helps also!

Gisel2015

@laurenq1991

Many donations places offer free pick-up, specially if you have furniture, appliances, or heavy boxes to give away. Just give them a call, ask them if they offer the service, and then schedule a pick up time that is convenient for you so you don't have to bother your husband.

You can put a bunch of items in several boxes so they only make one trip. Win-win situation since it will be convenient for the company and for you, and you don't risk having people from Craig list stopping by your house. I heard that it could be risky.

Good job cleaning things up, but I got a chuckle reading about how you think that a 950 sq.feet place is too big for you and your husband. My house is 3000 sq.feet in a fairly large corner lot. It requires a lot of steps to go from one area to the other, but I consider it a way to increase my daily NEAT. I would get very claustrophobic in a small place and my husband is worse than me. I suggested to him a couple of years ago moving to something smaller, but he said that I will have to wait until he is 6 feet under... We do have company and the kids with their families dropping by once in awhile, so the extra room is needed in those occasions.

Hope that you find an expedient way to give away what you don't need anymore. Good luck!