2021 DECLUTTERFEST
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Finished social security tasks✅
Received all gift card replacements & refunds✅ Except for those escheated to the State.
Go. team Go!2 -
@MadisonMolly2017 Yay! You’re ready to start shopping now! What’s on your list?
Today was such a gorgeous day...first day in the 60’s!I decided to do some deep cleaning in my sewing room before decluttering. So I washed windows, blinds, and valences and vacuumed and straightened out my batting box. Combined 2 boxes into one and used the empty to put my unfinished projects in. Got the west wall done😊 I’ll do the south window and wall tomorrow. I also started raking my flowerbed so I guess that goes in the declutter section, right?!
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@MadisonMolly2017 I vote that we might continue here for another month or two, or perhaps even longer, at least during Spring Time. No more than through May, which is still very much spring in many areas. I definitely like the concentrated focus for a season (maybe literally, at least for the time being) to continue for a while. Then certainly when Summer is here we could slip back into slower pace of the "Ever Onwards with Declutterfest 2021!!" forum. That is my thought about your question. Also, new members or any one can come in who discovers or finds this spring decluttering/cleaning forum, or leave when when they've accomplished what they wanted to at this season of time. That is my thought/ vote 🌺.
Truth be told the last several evenings I've been catching up with reading all the posts. I can't reply to everyone, but I will make a few quick comments tonight...
About the boxes.... count me in also!! And yes, the smaller (and cuter) and sturdier the box, the harder it is to part with it. So I don't, of course. Bigger ones definitely are more easily available thanks to Amazon delivery 😁 as someone noted. So I don't hang on to many of them like I used to. Also medium or larger ones make perfect donation boxes when decluttering.
I really liked the picture of the box and the quote... thank you @77tes!
@MadisonMolly2017 perseverance literally paid off this time...when you received all your gift card replacements & refunds! Well done 👏 .
@nebslp hmmm I never thought about all the cleanup/ raking that goes on in the yard/ gardens, or cleanup on porches or patios as decluttering, but it actually is when I think about it. Over the years I have given away or discarded flower pots, saucers, plants, given away cuttings, pass-along-plants or trashing or composted leaves etc. Got rid of branches, cuttings from cutting/ pruning back bushes or plants both large and small... with thorns and without. Discarded or given away edging, wire or other kind of boarder fencing, hoses and decorative items, lawn furniture and other things... from the outside. Sounds like we certainly do declutter the outside sometimes, and at other times we surely could label what we did as a clean up. Your question made me think about things. Thinking decluttering might also help me when I am wondering if I should let go of something outside for one reason or another. Good question!
Oh, yes! Thank you to all who posted pictures and told vivid stories of your decluttering adventures. I enjoy them immensely 😁.
It has gotten late so I will post what I have done later in February and now in March, tomorrow. Good night 😴 y'all.
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Thanks for your responses!!
Let’s carry through March, maybe even April
@nebslp
1. Doing a TON of research on Cricut Maker vs Silhouette Cameo 4
But then I found the Brother Scan n Cur!!
(So I’m going to make my own comparison chart & then decide!!)
2. a sewing machine for machine embroidery
3. More book board- I think my husband recycled it 🤣🤣🤣
4. Some silk noil, silk organza, cotton organdy, and white cotton
(have to double check the last two are correct)
5. I fell in love with a Liberty of London fabric so I might get a small remnant
Note: List is constantly changing 🤣🤣
How are you all doing?
I finished the new insurance/new pharmacy decision making process & if it all works out (seems to good to be true!) We will be saving a TON on my Meds AND 90 day supplies were approved!!
I can’t tell you how great I feel that I will only need to do this 4 times a year, not monthly!!! Safer in earthquake country. Can take a trip - when safe- and not risk running out (or have to get note from Dr of when we will leave & return)
As for “real” Decluttering..,
Does planning ahead & using older items in freezer count??!!😂
And I’m back to doing some art so I’m slowly getting some areas spiffed up again. (Disrupted by the rough past 2 weeks)
Hugs,
Maddie2 -
@MadisonMolly2017 That's so exciting!! I've heard good things about Brother and Silhouette but I didn't know about them until after I bought my Cricut. Have fun figuring it out! And an embroidery machine?!? Cool!!! I looked up Liberty of London fabrics. They are so pretty. Love all the tiny prints! I think any time we remove something from our house, no matter the method (eating it counts), it can be called decluttering
@texasgardnr Well, I think raking counts as clean-up, but when you give things away or throw them out, it qualifies as a decluttering event IMHO
And it sounds like you've done plenty of that!
Today I spent a lot of time on my south wall and am almost done with the big shelves. I'm spending a lot of time sorting my pattern and info binders and am parting with some things. I am excited that I found a quilt pattern that I want to make for my granddaughter. I was planning on making her something dance related and this isn't even close, but she told me once she likes anything I give her so it will be fine. It's been on my to-do list for a long time and picking out the pattern is a huge step. I have lots of quilt/sewing related books on the shelf and they're just gonna stay there this time around. I did remove 1 so I guess that's progress. 2 -
@MadisonMolly2017 oh that insurance/meds improvement sounds wonderful! I love Liberty of London fabric too! So many gorgeous prints! 🤩
@texasgardnr I guess I decluttered some weeds today. 🤣
However, I tackled my grad school papers. I got a bit sidetracked reading some things, but still made some real progress.
To the recycling
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@MadisonMolly2017 I just had to look for some examples of Liberty of London fabric. The very name sounded intriguing. I spotted samples on the Etsy web site. Very beautiful! Some of the patterns would be very hard to resist. I'd be tempted to buy some 'patchwork scraps' just to look at and touch the cloth, but I'm trying not to purchase things that I don't really need or can use 🤷♀️🤦♀️ .
@nebslp you are truly on an organize/ declutter roll! Good for you. I enjoy reading about your progress!
That was fun to read what you wrote to @77tes that you "went through my papers and workshop/ convention notes. I got rid of everything, filled the cupboard with fabric, and haven’t looked back😊." Good for you!!
@77tes Good job working on your grad school papers. Sometimes it is really an enjoyable thing to smile at some memories that come to visit while we reread some of our papers from school before decluttering them.
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Ok, y'all, I'm finally going to post my actual declutter fest catch up post since the last time that I posted what I had accomplished on the 11th of February:
February 12: I decluttered a book. Then I decluttered one of the Play Doh storage boxes. I still have another one to go through, and then I will consolidate the two since I finally got around to discarding all the old Play Doh and a most of the disposable plastic dishes etc that the little grandkids used when making "food" and "desserts" out of Play Doh when making up 'recipes' when they were young. Perhaps sometime I can have the next young grandchild over to play with them when this pandemic eases. She has a lot at her house so I'm just going to keep these here and hope. I also did paper maintaince
February 13: I decluttered a few things when I rearranged some of the upper kitchen cabinets. Three things donated.
I kept up with the incoming mail and paper maintenance, but I really didn't do any focused decluttering during the week of the big freeze.
February 22: Into the donate box went several miscellaneous little things like, a CD for example, that I spotted when I policed the house for anything to discard or donate.
February 23: was digital declutter day. I worked on email, and maintained incoming paper.
February 24: was more incoming paper or easy to spot paper decluttered or taken care of.
February 25: continued to focus on more paper today, including any incoming paper.
February 26: dealt with incoming paper and decluttering any paper generated by doing my end of the month paper work.
February 27: More digital decluttering and routine maintenance of incoming paper.
During March my focus will now turn to what I will call 'Difficult Paper Tiger,' as well as decluttering physical 'stuff' and any 'digital' decluttering for Spring Declutterfest. I write about this in the first week of March's I Will as I want to get in the habit of forcing myself to work on the 'difficult paper' until it is totally finished and all is filed away or shredded and everything is current and where it belongs.
I am working toward the goal of keeping only that which is truly important. I will be purposely working on any paper(s) that I have had a problem starting or finishing, especially those papers or files that need additional things to be done with them first, and not just filing them away.
So for my first personal challenge I will begin this month with everything in the 'Telephone Book Drawer'.... I especially want to consolidate the 4 old phone books into only one that is completely up to date with all out of date, or no longer relevant information, shredded. This will be tedious and slow as I often put information on pieces of paper into the phone books, especially if it was not meant to be permanent. There are 4 books in all to be made into one keeper phone book only. This will be my first 'Difficult Paper Tiger' 💥🐯💥 project. I will no longer mention routine maintenance of keeping up with any incoming paper or cardboard. This has become routine for me by now. I do not have a paper pile on the dining room table either. It is usually always cleared off at the end of the day now, unless I will be working on something specific the next day and putting it all away would cause me unnecessary difficulty.
March 1st: Began work on the phone books.
March 2: Working on the phone books.
March 3: Working on the phone books. Decluttered 14 more items from all of the upper cabinets in the kitchen.
March 4: Working on the phone books. Decluttered 10 more items from all of the lower cabinets in the kitchen.
March 5: Working on the phone books. More digital decluttering (email).
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March 5 Finished the box of grad school papers. ❤️
Like you said @texasgardnr reading over those old papers was enjoyable, and reading over my poems I wrote for a poetry class inspired me to start writing poetry again. Maybe that will be my April goal - it is poetry month after all.😊1 -
@texasgardnr Many times you mention something you’ve been working on and it triggers a thought that I need to do that, too. Now, along with my phone book drawer that needs a thorough cleaning out, I have added check on play doh box and decide what to do with it. My grands are probably past that stage but I will ask them. Of course they will want to keep it just in case🙄😍 Stay hopeful...the pandemic will end and I believe it won’t be all that long from now🤞🙏 I love following along on your projects. You have the kind of persistence that results in comments like “no longer mentioning the routine maintenance of keeping up with incoming paper or cardboard. This has become routine for me now.” And “I do not have a paper pile on the dining room table.” Awesome work!2
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March 5 Finished the box of grad school papers. ❤️
Like you said @texasgardnr reading over those old papers was enjoyable, and reading over my poems I wrote for a poetry class inspired me to start writing poetry again. Maybe that will be my April goal - it is poetry month after all.😊
@77tes oh what a fun April goal❣️2 -
@texasgardnr Many times you mention something you’ve been working on and it triggers a thought that I need to do that, too. Now, along with my phone book drawer that needs a thorough cleaning out, I have added check on play doh box and decide what to do with it. My grands are probably past that stage but I will ask them. Of course they will want to keep it just in case🙄😍 Stay hopeful...the pandemic will end and I believe it won’t be all that long from now🤞🙏 I love following along on your projects. You have the kind of persistence that results in comments like “no longer mentioning the routine maintenance of keeping up with incoming paper or cardboard. This has become routine for me now.” And “I do not have a paper pile on the dining room table.” Awesome work!
@texasgardnr I just have to add a “me too!”
To this!
March 6 Got the pillows & AND the small blankets standing vertically. Too about 20 seconds!!! Which goes to show sometimes it’s thinking of the idea -not the implementation- that takes the time.
Organized my hanging shirts by type & then color.
Tried to find things I could toss... can’t find anything in bathroom, bedroom, or closet. LOL So I went to my old art room & moved 4 empty storage containers down to the “available boxes” storage which is spreading over that sofa bed as hubby goes through more things!!!!!!
And straightened some things in an article closet.
My wt is up slightly & Ive got a plan I think will work (so far, so good) & part of it will be going through the house & getting busy decluttering/organizing/moving around. The sense of order seems to lend that same sense to my eating/stress level.
Happy Saturday
Maddie1 -
@77tes what a fun goal for April/ poetry month! And all because you were inspired while reading while decluttering your school papers 🌺 !
Thank you @MadisonMolly2017 , @77tes , and @nebslp for the words of encouragement. Decluttering with friends is much better than doing it alone. I loved the inspiring comments 💗 .
@nebslp the grands who used to play with the Play Doh etc are now teens. I decluttered the actual Doh as it was dried out now, and the plastic plates etc can be replaced easily if the next grand(s) wants to do food also. Otherwise the actual Play Doh creative toys will fit into the one larger box now. Today I separated out some of the toys etc and will give the gardening things to my granddaughter here, as spring is around the corner and she is perfect age for them. Some of the toddler/more younger kid things I'm going to mail a surprise box to the grands (sister/brother) out of state. I did that at Christmas also and passed some to the in town grand then too. I'm keeping rest of the other things that will easily save well here while being hopeful.
@MadisonMolly2017 isn't it a good feeling when we can't find something to declutter at the moment as we randomly walk around looking for anything to declutter? I did the look around today in the bathroom/ bedroom also, finding only one thing that I had debated on before, and then ended up at the kids stuff in another room. The closet will definitely be another time for me. I like your plan!!
March 6: Working on the phone books. Nine items decluttered: 1 item from bedroom and 7 from kid's toys and 1 book.
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Here is today’s decluttering project and I won’t quit until I’m done. This pile of notebooks/journals/ organizing tools keeps me awake at night! I have very personal journals that I don’t want anyone else to read. But I don’t want to discard them because rereading them helps me reflect on how things have changed or stayed the same over many, many years. There’s a lot of anger in them, and sadness, and history. So I want to keep the history but release the others. That is today’s project and I can’t wait to be done with it.
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3 hours later...
One left! It was actually great fun going through the old notebooks starting in 1996. I had gone through them once before and removed some of the stuff I didn’t want to remember. These have the story of when my kids were really young and the older ones were leaving home and finding their way in the world. Keepers, for sure. I did see that I haven’t changed much. Still want to do too many things, but now I have the time and still don’t get them done! Feeling the same inner tension for the same reasons, but with fewer excuses. It’s been an eye opening kind of day. I’m glad I did this after dreading it for so long.
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Today: deep clearing of most movable furniture & misc art items in my Art Room to nearby room
Dusting & Deep cleaning & mopping of floor
Deciding what does not need to be in this room & moving them elsewhere and/or putting items I’m not actively using where they belong.
Re-arranged furniture.
Made art! 😁1 -
March 6 - did some garage decluttering. My sister is moving out of state 😭 and is giving me her deep freeze, so my husband and I worked on rearranging the laundry area.
Very grateful that my husband is willing to make space in his tiny garage. 💕2 -
@nebslp that’s an impressive stack of journals, kudos for keeping them and for sifting through which to keep and which to let go.
@MadisonMolly2017 yay for deep cleaning your creative space! And for still having time to make art!0 -
@nebslp that is very cool about the notebooks and your trip down memory lane. I don't have diaries like that but I do have old annual calendars which are sometimes fun to look at in my desk,
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About the journals. Most of them had about a couple dozen or so pages filled out before I quit, but about 4 or 5 of them spanned several years with long gaps throughout the years, so maybe not all that impressive🤣😂I guess it showed me that even writing sporadically about life events has meaning in time. I’m definitely going to try to be more consistent from now on. My sister uses her calendars for a diary, too. I’m too wordy for that though😆
@MadisonMolly2017 I was happy to see you made time to make art!😊1 -
About the journals. Most of them had about a couple dozen or so pages filled out before I quit, but about 4 or 5 of them spanned several years with long gaps throughout the years, so maybe not all that impressive🤣😂I guess it showed me that even writing sporadically about life events has meaning in time. I’m definitely going to try to be more consistent from now on. My sister uses her calendars for a diary, too. I’m too wordy for that though😆
@MadisonMolly2017 I was happy to see you made time to make art!😊
Thanks @nebslp!
Re: journaling
I always LOVE re-reading it!
I ended up tearing out the pages I’d actually written (or drawn) on & put those with “Sentimental” to figure out later
Then placed all the ready to use journals on a shelf where I can grab one easily.
However, I found I prefer journaling on pads of lined paper...a continuing theme for me - I am most productive writing or creating art with non precious, non limited materials. I tend to save those 🤣
You just helped me figure out why my empty journals stay is still just as big a few years ago!
Since February, I’ve had a new mindset... Use it! Placed my paper stash very close to art table. I force myself to grab several sheets (copy paper or smaller pieces of nicer paper) and splash paint, draw, etc.
My art studio is not a museum..or a storage space. It’s a Maker Space so
M A K E. (Talking to myself here) LOL0 -
Mar 8: put away some laundry & organized my seed bead collection!
Mar 9: went through all my jewelry (not much since I Marie Kondo’d it several years ago. Moved 7-8 pieces & bits of pieces to Art Studio. Mostly broken that I figured if I haven’t fixed them by now... and a couple that were scratchy or hurt when I wore them.
Will use these as “raw materials” for my creations!
The MAIN decluttering I did yesterday was on my walk at the Baylands. Listened to a motivational creative speaker & then mulled it over, seeking my purpose - what I really am & want to do. Ie am I just an art & craft supply collector? Or am I really an artist who is just facing some resistance or scattered ness.
By walking & brainstorming & thinking & feeling, I landed on one piece of art (unfinished) that best represents what I want to pursue. I had forgotten about it.
We’re moving my easel downstairs today & I will get back to it.
Funny thing...I knew this a couple of years ago, but shut it down. Reason: female nudes...(with nature). I was/am concerned because of longtime teaching. What would people think?
I’m going to be Brave this time. Seems this is something I really need to continue to explore this Beauty in Nature pursuit. I keep telling myself, I don’t have to share them...
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@MadisonMolly2017 I loved your message for so many reasons! First, I tore lots of pages out of one of the journals, but those were the ones that went to the trash so no one will ever see them. Some inner thoughts are better left unshared and I'm always thinking that my kids don't need to know how I felt about EverYThinG the last 50 years of my life!
Second, I use loose leaf paper a lot and have 3 ring binders that I haven't gone through...more journaling there, but mostly regarding my projects and plans, and book notes as well. Paper is precious to me so it's either used or recycled.
Third, and most important...Yay for you for listening to your heart and setting up the easel again to paint what is calling to you. The museums of Paris are full of nudes (Musee de Orsay specifically comes to mind), and church ceilings in Italy, so apparently nudity is a subject of beauty all over the world and only shameful in the closed minds of some beholders. Always do you, right?!
I've dug out my random uneven strips of fabric and have been cutting them down to usable strips so they will be easy to grab and sew. They are organized by size now but I need to find a container yet. No problem there! I'm counting that as decluttering because my scrap basket is getting smaller with the unusable edges cut off the strips and in the waste paper basket.0 -
@MadisonMolly2017 I loved your message for so many reasons! First, I tore lots of pages out of one of the journals, but those were the ones that went to the trash so no one will ever see them. Some inner thoughts are better left unshared and I'm always thinking that my kids don't need to know how I felt about EverYThinG the last 50 years of my life!
Second, I use loose leaf paper a lot and have 3 ring binders that I haven't gone through...more journaling there, but mostly regarding my projects and plans, and book notes as well. Paper is precious to me so it's either used or recycled.
Third, and most important...Yay for you for listening to your heart and setting up the easel again to paint what is calling to you. The museums of Paris are full of nudes (Musee de Orsay specifically comes to mind), and church ceilings in Italy, so apparently nudity is a subject of beauty all over the world and only shameful in the closed minds of some beholders. Always do you, right?!
I've dug out my random uneven strips of fabric and have been cutting them down to usable strips so they will be easy to grab and sew. They are organized by size now but I need to find a container yet. No problem there! I'm counting that as decluttering because my scrap basket is getting smaller with the unusable edges cut off the strips and in the waste paper basket.
@nebslp ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for your message above. You helped!!
I love your uneven strips work! Definitely counts!
I’ve been sorting more beads. Asked a friend if she had any old jewelry she didn’t want. She did!! Super inspired!
I also organized our pasta & tomato sauce stash so the newest is in the back of shelf!
And I’m actively working through items in freezer - planning meals etc. and have stayed on top of cleaning and cutting veggies before they go bad. If I prep it, we eat it❣️
Warmly,
Maddie1 -
Went through a couple of small stacks papers/magazines. Read a couple of things I’d earmarked & recycled them. Filed a few things. Went through a few catalogs for “collage fodder.” Wrote a Fresh To Do List so it’s all on one page.
I find I often do this every 2-4 weeks on a Monday morning! Fresh Start!
Still sorting the beads from my friend’s cast off jewelry! Gorgeous!1 -
@nebslp Good for you going through your old notebooks! Over the years I have also done that with my writings. Mine also contained the same sort of emotions that you mentioned and I also wouldn't want my siblings, or my children or grandchildren reading. Several years ago I decided to leave the past in the past, especially since I had made peace with the past. I was never an actual diary writer so nothing historically interesting to others was in them. But I would process things by writing. Way too personal and never meant anything to remain. At least now we have shredders 😁.
Sometime soon, hopefully, I intend to get back to making the photo albums, and that is where history will be for the next generations to read about.
@SummerSkier I had a lot of calendars that I was keeping also, back when the children were young. they were fun to look back at also. But since I wasn't big on writing on calendars except for a few transitional times in the family when we were moving, they were very uninteresting or worth keeping. So they had been decluttered when we moved here. That is cool that yours are more of a diary of sorts for you to look back on.
@MadisonMolly2017 and @77tes I enjoyed your decluttering and organizational posts.
My last post was on March 6 on which I was decluttering and working on the phone books. My grand plan for "During March my focus will now turn to what I will call 'Difficult Paper Tiger,' as well as decluttering physical 'stuff' and any 'digital' decluttering for Spring Declutterfest." hasn't turned out so very grand so far 🥴😵 for the most part as I had thought.
Here is how it has gone since my last post here:
March 8 and 9: 8 books, and 7 in 'stuff' category. Working on the phone books.
March 10: one more in 'stuff' category, 5 more books. Working on the phone books.
March 11: 2 coloring books, 1 wall decor item, Paperwork paper that I worked on was decluttered or filed.
March 12 - March 24 I switched focus and did 4 days of yard work and cleanup. Then on other days there were errands, a dental appointment, and grocery shopping. And there were several other days that I just needed down time. Days when my DH is home because of weather and/or doing his paperwork I don't get many project things done when those days are during the week. So instead I have kept up with incoming paper maintenance, and focused more on laundry and house work kind of things. And back to taking care of the kitchen better since that is the focus of my I Will this week.
Since I'm thinking about the kitchen I also went through the upper cabinets again this week and only one smaller glass storage container is in the maybe category since it seldom gets used anymore, but I'm not going for the minimalist look so I'm keeping it as it matches some of the others glass containers. The bottom cupboards can use some attention, but more than I want to do, and less than is actually necessary, so I'm leaving them at that. They are decluttered and fairly organized so all is well.
So the plan now is to get back to all things paper, including the phone books again 😉.
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I have been working in one of the back rooms in my basement. I have 2 car seats that have expired, basically used less than a dozen or so times, but can't/shouldn't be used anymore. I found that Target will recycle them and give me 20% coupons for another baby item. YaY! It's hard to know what to do with stuff. I ask myself... if I moved, would I take this with me? I have areas of...1- ask the kids if they want it, 2- recycle, 3- toss, and 4- if I keep it, I have to use it! Of course there is still the store it for no good reason (just in case) pile
I also am midstream of cleaning out the cupboards in the back entry. I've been able to move some boxes of family info from the upstairs bedroom. That was my intention when we remodeled 2 years ago so now it's happening. Slow but not too steady
AND I cleaned out my bedroom closet and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Found, washed and put my summer clothes in the drawers (I keep them in a suitcase during the winter), and am disappointed that they don't fit as well as they did last summer and 7 pounds ago. But it's still cold outsideso I have time (eye roll, ) 1
