In Hindsight

Looking back I see that I met my challenge ... not by purging 25 items for 20 consecutive days, but 500 (and possible more) none the less!

Releasing a stack of boxes with homeschooling curriculum was remarkably easy to do. I tried to give them away (asking only for donations to benefit a homeless family) via Facebook, Craig's List and through a homeschool community email loop ... but had no takers. It was a pleasure to donate the items to Covenant Homeschool Resource Center.

I got rid of the two LARGE boxes inside our front door that I used to fill with donations as I purged.

My husband patched a hole (he had cut) in the ceiling of the closet in my office/craft room/library so that I could utilize the closet for storing some things ... woo hoo!

As I packed up household decor to put away as we put out Christmas decorations, I thought to myself that I could get rid of some of the items. Also, as I looked at the Christmas decor and noticed things that we did not use (and probably hadn't used the year before), I was able to give some of those items away.

I'm making progress and that's what counts. I'm pleased.

Apparently This is My Pattern

I did marathon decluttering today. Most of the work was in my bedroom (on my side of the room) ... and the location was MY idea! Boo yah! 

Oh my goodness! So much dust!! Ech! Filled a 13 gallon trash bag, two plastic bags, 1/2 of another 13 gallon trash bag ... all garbage. Threw away a plastic laundry basket that was on the bottom of a pile of stuff. It was broken on one end and warped out of shape. I also threw away a bankers box and lid (which had seen better days). 

I have a bag full of old medication (which I would have flushed down the toilet), that I will take to my pharmacy to see if they can dispose of it  ... since it is not good for our health (water wise) to flush any more. 

I decided to let go of the all the items in the old "cold weather" box. I had a little bit of a sentimental reaction. This box held mittens and warm gloves of all sizes, winter hats and some scarves. 

A box full of memories:  

• trips to the snow
• trips to Prescott (when it was cccold) 
• cold nights of Christmas caroling
• shopping for our Christmas tree (on a cold night)     

Gave some items away to two of my daughters. 

My husband found a BRAND NEW cordless drill that he had stuck in a crack (yep, been there, done that) and was thrilled out of his mind! He also found some bags of coins (a couple of them). He came upon Julianne's seed collection. I'm glad he found it .. I may not have been able to deal with it right now. He gave it to Julianne, she laughed and looked at it. And guess what... she didn't want to keep it! Actually I would have been shocked if she did. 

I asked Hubby if he would buy me new window coverings for our bedroom window as my reward for working so hard. He said ... yes! 

Day Thirteen: goal met

Hitting the wall

Day three found me tired. My thought was to "just" find 25 items and put them in the give-away box. Bob thought we'd work in our bedroom .... ahhhem, I'd work on my side of the bed, that is. I drank a little green tea for a pick-me-up and then agreed.

While I sorted, cleared and piled, I suggested that he work on "his" things in the room. He did.

I had to fight off thoughts of "this is the LAST room I want to be tackling right now" and "waaaa, I can't do this!!"

There were four laundry baskets on my side of the room. He asked me to work on emptying those. I cleared two. Filled one with dirty clothes that had been mixed into a pile and returned the other empty one to the laundry room. One of the original four had books in it. I added more books to it as I came upon them in the heaps. I didn't empty the fourth one .... because it had sheets in it. At this point I don't remember if the sheets are clean or dirty. They are not sheets for my bed. I stopped there.

During the clearing process, I made piles on my bed:

• clean clothes (that need to go into my armoire  ... but can't get to to open the drawers yet)
• medication 
• labels taken off of prescription bottles (that I intend to shred) because I don't want anyone to know my personal business
• a container that I used to hold items I came upon that have a place to go to (in the house), not in my bedroom
• a box for things that will be donated
• several lists of the prescriptions I have had filled (so that I can look at them and keep the most current one -- they tell me which prescriptions were refilled and if there are any refills already ordered for them). I didn't want to look at them and make that determination now. 
• hangers I brought out of my closet to hang clean clothes on
• Possibly more, but I can't remember now

Last night I sat in a chair, Bob would hand me a box to look in. I'd throw away trash, decide what to keep and what to donate and he'd take care of that and then give me another box. 

Tonight I was working alone and it was EXHAUSTING. He was clearing and purging his things, but it wasn't the same. 

When I stopped, he said, "now, aren't you glad and don't you feel better?" I said, "no." 

Later he said "You were working for a long time and it doesn't really look any different." 

"If you don't want to be killed with a knife, these are the things you don't say to your wife." - Tim Hawkins, comedian

Day Three: goal met

Unbelievable!

This evening I worked with my husband to clear out what we call "the room." It was originally our back porch, now enclosed, and used as a storage area. 

We went through piles, boxes, bags, baskets, trays and other assorted containers to see what was inside each one. Approximately one- third of what we found was thrown away. Another third was kept and the rest was set aside for a Goodwill run. 

Thrilling discoveries we uncovered: a beautiful autumn wreathe (that I had forgotten I even had!!), the port-a-potty we borrowed from my parents the last time we camped (many years ago!), a brand new hammer (in an unmarked box! -- most of the boxes are labeled ... well, the ones I had packed were labeled), many Christmas gift bags and a cassette tape of our son asking me questions (from when he was about 9 years old). 

We did not open every single box or purge every nook and cranny, but we made a huge dent in processing this room! It was fun to do it together and share in the laughter of seeing just what was lurking in this room for ages.  

Day Two: goal met

This is going to be good!

Today I challenged myself to give away 25 items from my house every day for the next 20 days (until December 15).

25 items x 20 days = 500 items outta here!!

This evening I started clearing out the bottom compartment of my china hutch. My daughter, Julianne, sat with me.

We laughed about a lot of the "treasures" that were down there covered in dust. Candles of all shapes and sizes, melted and not. Some were broken, others still had the remnants of 5 or so wooden matches melted into the top of the candle (because the wick would not light or stay lighted). Many small glass voltive holders .... I assume that I had very good intentions for them ... in case of a power failure or perhaps to create a serene (or sensual?) atmosphere. Truth be told, I can't remember one time being elated that I had all those voltive candle holders and putting them to use!

I stopped counting the items I threw away (four grocery store plastic bags full) and the items I will donate to Goodwill (there may be 25 in that section alone).

Day one: goal met

Yea

Dining Room table clear (except for plants) which still makes it CLEAR !!!

Dining Room Table

It has been a goal to clear my dining room table ... to a degree, it has been.

This is what sits on it now:

• My spider plant and several "babies" that I am starting from clippings. They sit atop the table to get sun.
• a metal "bread box" that has misc items inside of it -- wow! I just looked inside of it! It only houses two devotional books and my Quiet time journal !! Very cool !!
• two binders -- my medical info and Quachi Clan
• a large 2011 calendar (from the Chickasaw Nation) that is unused but has beautiful photos
• calendar pages (by the month) that have been ripped off the large (desk size) family calendar that hangs in our kitchen.
• Old dayplanner pages and a small 3 ring binder that contains more of the same
• my old dayplanner (leather binder)
• stacks and stacks of papers
• a small wire basket with papers in it
• some Christmas cards, mostly photos, received last year
• a collectible horse (that I intend to return to my sister, Julie)
• an empty purse of mine
• Newspaper pages (saved for packing things)
• a couple of pads of paper
• a fold-able book stand
• a plastic file folder (stand up) holder (which holds the Christmas cards and pads of paper)

It seems as if I could EASILY clear this table TODAY (or at least by the end of the week).

DECEMBER ... again

December... again. Excessive clutter ... still. I cried last night over the situation. I don't WANT to live with clutter. I don't WANT this year to be like the rest ....putting things away (out of sight, in nooks and crannies, behind closed doors to be ignored ...) so that we can pull out Christmas decorations.

I woke up to some clear spaces. My husband and daughter put boxes out of sight. Our fireplace is clear today. The hallway is clear of stacks of boxes. I can enter my craft room/office easily ... well, at least I can get to the door easily that is.

Somewhere down the road, I must have forgotten the challenge to clear my bedroom. I wonder if my mom cleared hers.

We are house hunting. Since we don't have to vacate this house (we own it) we can have two houses at once ... for a time being. I am hoping that it will help me to declutter. My thought is that I will move to the new house ONLY what fits ... only what I WANT there ... and will THEN clearly see what I don't need (can let go of). It sounds like it will work... time will tell.

To declutter my house would be my GREATEST personal victory .... it would even top reaching my goal weight and staying there.

33 Day Countdown

I accepted a challenge from my mother that we would declutter our bedrooms by Labor Day (which is 33 days from today).

Today I changed my sheets and put on the clean ones that have been crumpled up in a laundry basket on my side of the bed for .... MONTHS !! The clean comforter and one of my quilts were in a second laundry basket, also beside my bed.

I emptied a basket of my clean folded clothes (that have been in my room for at least 2 weeks).

Three laundry baskets gone, makes a big difference!

I also: returned some children's books to the living room bookshelves (the books were beside my bed from when I read to a grandchild), picked up some dirty clothes off the floor, put some of my shoes in my closet, cleared the front area of my closet floor so I could step in and not twist an ankle by stepping on something, threw away old empty medicine bottles (after removing the labels), and put a hair styling brush back in a drawer.

Faced a big fear

Yesterday, I took a friend of mine, Holly, on a tour of every room of my house. Not only was this the first time she had been inside my house (invited by me to come TO my house), but after we visited in the living room for awhile, I felt like today (yesterday) was the day for a big step.

She was very thoughtful and wanted me to feel comfortable through the process. The farther I went, into the inner sanctum of my being (into the places in my house that I wouldn't want anyone to see), the less anxious I felt. She was gracious, she was gentle and kind. She didn't say much. She did ask a few questions, which I told her I was ok with answering.

I can tell that THIS is the beginning of something really, really good!

Took A Big Step

Today was the day. It wasn't the first time I had thought of doing it, but today I felt that I HAD to do it NOW.

I never really stopped carrying a diaper bag

My sweet hubby surprised me with a laptop for Mother's Day. We have an older case (from long ago, and I don't even remember why) that I'm using. The leather on the handle is a little torn. I asked hubby if he had some electrical tape that I could use to tape up that part of the handle. His response to me was to buy myself a new case.

Hmmm .... which of these options will I choose?

1. Buy a new (new to me) case.

"New to me," because I will bargain hunt for one. It will most likely be a used case.

2. "Fix" the old case and keep on using it.

Is this like taping up an old pair of tennis shoes so you can still wear them?

3. Get crafty and design my own handle cover.

Maybe it will be removable so I can wash it and even change it.

Speaking of cases ...

I wonder just HOW MANY cases of (various sizes and purposes) I do have?

• brief cases
• business/officey/executive bags
• student type /over the shoulder bags
• tote bags
• backpacks
• backpacks on wheels
• plastic click/clipboard cases
• leather, vinyl, canvas, quilted, washable, reversible, zip-able, snap-able, file section, water bottle holding, several compartments, pen and pencil location ...

Get Rid of the Guilt

I borrowed a reading curriculum from a friend many years ago ... at least 10 years ago, I believe.

When I was finished with it, I passed it on to another friend to use. Some time later, I found parts of the set that had been "lost" in my abyss of homeschooling stuff. By that time the second friend was about ready to return the set to the original owner ... BUT she was in the process of a move. She asked me to keep the parts until the move was complete.

YEARS later, I still had the parts. I finally boxed them up and labeled the box. I kept the box for another year or two, hoping to see the original owner of the set. She no longer lived close by.

Two months ago I put the labeled box in the back of my van. IF I should run into the owner, I would have the box with me.

Last week, I dropped off a donation of homeschooling curriculum at a resource center. I also donated the labeled box. It is not a complete set of reading curriculum, but just maybe, someone is looking for the items in the box.

What a relief to get rid of that heavy burden of guilt.

Do you have any laying around? Give it away today!

Donations

A dear friend of mine brought BOXES of books to my house, along with some CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes. She is a precious elderly woman. Her daughter is helping her purge.

I appreciate the fact that she knows of my love for good books. The boxes were full of good books. My husband even commented that they were!

After a couple of weeks, I sat down and typed up a list of the books, tapes, CDs and DVDs that I was given. I emailed the list to my immediate family members to peruse. They were as excited as I was to take a peek. A few of the items went to new homes. The rest were donated to a local church for their lending library.

This is all well and good .... except that it didn't make a difference in all the clutter I am already dealing with in my home : )

And

Did I mention that we have found name brand clothing with the original price tags still on them?!

Cheap Thrills

Recently I purchased a wooden rocker for myself. It's beautiful, comfortable and in excellent condition... got it for $12.50.

The first handmade quilt I every purchased, I found at a resale shop. It has the "wedding ring" design. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I could NOT believe the price I paid for it ... $7.00. Jaws drop every time I tell that story.

I also found a leather (REAL leather) dayplanner binder/purse with a shoulder strap, in like new condition! It was with the purses. Paid a whopping $1.99 for it.

Maybe I should keep the details to myself, but I just can't. Thrift stores are not full of people's cast off "crap" as some tend to think. You would be surprised!

Great Deal

Two weeks ago, I found two paper racks (for holding scrapbooking paper) marked $5.99 each. I was beside myself !! It was later in the day and I was amazed that these were still in the store! I purchased them for just $3.00 apiece!

As soon as I got home, I looked up prices on-line and found the exact same racks for sale on ebay for $159.00 EACH !!!!!

Now, that's the kind of thrill I enjoy getting when I treasure hunt !!

Back at Home

Upon arriving back home my husband will usually ask me what goodies I found. He may ask this question because of the number of bags I bring into the house : )

I point out to him the value of items that I bought at a fraction of the cost, many of them brand new and never opened! He seems satisfied with those facts.

Before I put the items away (they must have a place to go before I will buy them), I take the bags to the computer and record them all. I have a template I made to keep track of what I have purchased including: what category it is, the price marked, the price I paid (half off) and it's purpose. The purpose may be for decor, crafting, to wear, to read, to give as a gift, etc ...

Group Activity

Every other Saturday is marked on our calendars (the females in my family). We all know which ones are Goodwill Half Off days. They don't catch us unaware. We sense them approaching. At least one day prior, and occasionally two or three, we begin to ask one another if she plans to go.

We may not all ride together or even leave home at the same time, but we do try to coordinate a route and eventually rendezvous at a particular location.

There is a joy in locating items that we think one of the others will desire. Excitedly we place it in our cart as we continue around the store, until we meet up. Sometimes the selected item is chosen because we know it is NOT what they would want, but definitely makes us laugh.

My mom and I choose little oddities and sneak them into one another's carts undetected and then linger close by to see the reaction when the item is noticed. She started this little game and I've joined in.

Goodwill Half Off Days

Shopping every other weekend became a habit very easily for me. I am addicted to bargain hunting and treasure seeking, who wouldn't be? Apparently, many others are as the long lines at the registers attest to.