Declutterfest 2019!
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I looked up how to declutter digitally because I agree it's a cringeworthy thought! There are lots of websites that address this. One is www.becomingminimalist.com and has 25 digital areas to declutter. Today while I was waiting at the DMV I deleted about 50 old texts I no longer need. It's amazing how fast they accumulate, and they add to my space shortage since my phone doesn't have enough memory.PackerFanInGB wrote: »@texasgardnr That makes me want to get at it when I get home! Thanks for sharing! I'm still cringing at the thought of the digital declutterfest.
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@nebslp, thanks for the website share. That will be a big help!
I also decluttered some texts the other day.... oh my 😲.
"25 digital areas to declutter"??? Really 😳😵😬😱 Not just 25 texts or 25 pictures 🤣 but whole separate areas 😂.
@PackerFanInGB, and @nebslp, the words cringing and cringeworthy are truly two words to describe digital clutter the more that I am attempting to face that nearly invisible, but still very weighty clutter. Thanks for the word pictures 🤦♀️😅🤷♀️
💖 :flowerforyou:
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@nebslp, just wanted to let you know that I had sent you a message, but you haven't seen it yet. I use the desktop so I don't know if you are using an app and it isn't easy to find messages?
🌼texasgardnr
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@texasgardnr I don’t see a message alert. I even checked my messages and there wasn’t one from you😕. I use my iPad and I’ve gotten messages before. Hopefully I’m not missing too many! Please try again!0
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Day 6: fail! No voice memos. Seems to be my general pattern. I start out strong and then LET life activities get in my way. 🤨. I’m still very mindful in my decisions though, just not following my plan. I woke up at 4 thinking about a trip I’m going on with my daughter so I got up and sewed for a couple hours. I found 2 podcasts on intuitive eating to listen to. I’ve been gone all day (shopping, baseball game, checking out campsites) and will spend the night at my daughter’s house. They have a long lane with a pretty steep incline at the end so I will go walk it when the kids go to bed.2
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Today I spent about 45 minutes decluttering some of the shelves in my bedroom closet, as well as a pile of stuff that has been getting taller and taller with each passing day on our cedar chest. I'm watching Marie Kondo again and now I think I'm going to have to do a complete declutter of my clothes and then fold them how she teaches. I have gained weight and do not fit into 75% of my clothes. But I don't throw them out because "i'm going to lose the weight and be able to wear them again." Well, it's been a few years now and it hasn't happened. Time to bite the bullet and toss what doesn't fit or bring me joy. I'll have hardly anything left, but it's okay. I need to start somewhere and it will ultimately end with me feeling more comfortable in what I DO wear.
I think next weekend will be clothing declutter day for me. This weekend is already booked with other stuff.
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Decluttering has not specifically been on my list. Not a huge problem for me as, for a long time, I tend to go through the house a couple of times a year an get rid of things. BUT, everyone has been such an inspiration that as I do normal cleaning now I have become more observant and am ridding my house of things on an ongoing basis. Has anyone else noticed thathaving a 'decluttered' living environment just feels relaxing. And, for me, feeling relaxed always makes it easier to stay on plan re diet and exercise.2
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Absolutely! In fact, I listened to a series of podcasts by Chalene Johnson about decluttering and studies show that having less clutter reduces anxiety. My sister and her husband are moving from a good sized house to an apartment and OMG!!! It is an overwhelming task to go through everything you own when you have so much stuff! Moving is stressful enough...... Has anyone else noticed thathaving a 'decluttered' living environment just feels relaxing. And, for me, feeling relaxed always makes it easier to stay on plan re diet and exercise.
@PackerFaninGB Marie’s folding methods are awesome! I rolled my eyes at the idea of putting clothes in drawers vertically but I tried it anyway and love it! It’s so easy to see what you have and where it is without digging through everything and ending up with a mess. I even have shirts, pants, and socks sorted by color, something I never thought I’d do. It really does simplify life and totally easy to maintain.
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@nebslp, @jan110144, and @PackerFanInGB, I loved reading your posts!
I've followed FlyLady's housekeeping routines and decluttering ideas for years. So thankfully I'm much better off from when I started years ago.
Also our situation has changed so much over and over again throughout those years. But I'm always on the lookout, and open to different ideas and methods, to discover the golden nuggets within them that work well for me in the present, and keep me inspired, or recharge the process again, especially after life events or mishaps. I love that we now have Podcasts, Netflix series, audio or eBooks, YouTube and other sources of ideas and inspiration.
I'm now in what some call the Legacy or Downsizing (mine is without moving) phase, among other names. Our four children are all in their 30s, and all four have been on their own for years. So probably 98%, or perhaps more by this time, of their stuff is actually gone now, as well household things I offered to them take, if they wanted, when each left home.
The grandchildren configurations keep changing as to how many, and who lives where, and where they spend their time. So that is also why I'm again decluttering and re-evaluating.
Besides that, there are of course areas of my personal things, as well as certain household areas, that have not been dwelt with very much. And some stuff that have sentimental or other emotions attached... and their time has come as well.
And of course there is stuff that is just difficult for me to even start, like clothing... I'm at least thinking about beginning.
And paper... which I've forced myself to begin purging.
And Digital... which was forced on me to take care of it. Being forced is definitely the worse scenario.
🌹 :flowerforyou:
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Wow @texasgardnr ! That’s some impressive decluttering! My daughters have all got the decluttering bug!1
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After seeing how much stuff my sister has to deal with during her move, I decided to work on different areas when I can and get rid of anything I don’t need and use regularly. I’m doing my pantry today but it’s slow going. There is one corner where I keep a few important papers and receipts that took over an hour to purge and it wasn’t even very messy! I find I start looking for food when I get stuck on making a decision. I’m almost done with the long counter in there. Next I will move on to the cupboards. I just want this done...like yesterday😜2
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After seeing how much stuff my sister has to deal with during her move, I decided to work on different areas when I can and get rid of anything I don’t need and use regularly. I’m doing my pantry today but it’s slow going. There is one corner where I keep a few important papers and receipts that took over an hour to purge and it wasn’t even very messy! I find I start looking for food when I get stuck on making a decision. I’m almost done with the long counter in there. Next I will move on to the cupboards. I just want this done...like yesterday😜
@nebslp
I do think paper takes the most time, but has the largest benefit.
When I got frustrated by how long it was taking, hubby would remind me that we didn’t gather the things in a short period of time. That help me make reasonable expectations!
Do you eat at set mealtimes? I never had, but began doing that (within an hour range or so), which I had read trains your body to eat at those times & not get hungry at other times. Also spread my calories out, which eliminated hunger pangs.
And when that doesn’t work: tea, coffee, veg, my test is cottage cheese - don’t really like it - but I’ll eat it if truly hungry lol
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@MadisonMolly2017 thank you for the encouragement. I have one more folder to go through and decided to do that while watching a Netflix show so I don't feel like I'm wasting a lot of time on either thing.
I generally eat breakfast around 8-9 and then lunch between 12-1 unless I get caught up in a project and lose track of time, usually when I'm sewing or working outside. I've been monitoring my hunger which isn't always a physical hunger but often an avoidance strategy. I don't always make healthy choices so I don't feel satisfied. I like hearing about the structure you have in your plans and I know that better planning would help me meet my goals as well. Thanks for sharing with us.3 -
I just wanted to share with you guys that last weekend I was talking to my husband about how I Marie Kondo'd my clothes and even folded her way and filed my clothes in dresser. I told him that his t'shirt shelves were totally out of control and that this coming weekend (tomorrow) I was going to Marie Kondo his dresser. Well, guess who went through his t-shirts and threw away a huge pile of shirts that he has held onto for over 20 years! They were stained and torn and seriously in bad shape, but he would not let go of them before. Last night he told me he did it while I was at work. I haven't peaked yet but Holy Moly! That's huge!
Marie rocks! 3 -
@PackerFanInGB It sounds like you're setting new standards in your house and they're having a positive impact on your husband as well. Old T-shirts are hard to declutter because they're so comfy, but even more because they hold so many great memories. Congrats to the two of you for making your life simpler. I think the fact that he went through his shirts when you were at work and surprised you when you got home is really sweet❣2
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I am still decluttering books. I just finished "the dance of anger" and it filled in the piece that I've been missing at understanding myself better. As women, wives, mothers, career persons, we often "deself" ourselves because we're so busy taking care of everybody else and trying to realize society's expectations of us in our roles. It's hard to break out of that especially for women of a certain age😬 and personality like me! Getting old(er) does have its perks🙂.
Now I'm reading "1984" by George Orwell. I think I'll like it even more this time around. The first time was at least 40 years ago.3 -
Thank you @77tes. Decluttering has been an ongoing process for me. Now it is more enjoyable since the majority of the areas have been visited several times before, over the years. And so it has become much easier to pass on things that seemed important to keep before, but are no longer useful in my current time of life.
@nebslp, awesome progress in the pantry and with your important papers, and then on to the cupboards when their time rolls around! Good for you for continuing to read/ declutter the books on your shelf. I didn't recall reading "1984" before and so I read the book summary on SparkNotes. What an interesting book you are reading!
@PackerFanInGB, that is so cool that you "Marie Kondo'd" your clothes in your dresser!
What a lovely story about how your husband decluttered his t-shirts while you were at work! Thank you for sharing!!
Enjoy your weekend 😎!
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@PackerFanInGB , getting your husband to go through his drawers on his own is magnificent!!
@nebslp , I need to reread 1984. - Great book.2 -
I am also doing a lot of decluttering and a lot of it is photos among lots of other things. This forum should put me into high gear.4
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Book declutter... finished 1984 and will most likely give it away. It’s an hardback book and in good condition so I’ll think about it. Started Simple Abundance, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy and decided to not read it all. It has a daily message for one year, most on being authentic and living your best life. At first I thought I had progressed past the messages and I was going to give it away, but when I browsed through it today I found so many nuggets of wisdom and encouragement I can’t decide what to do now🤔😲🙄. Another dilemma, my sister is moving and gave me 4 more books to read. So it’s been teeter-totter like progress with decluttering books!2
