November decluttering/organizing accountability thread: the holidays are coming!

[ollineeba]

I saw the October thread and didn't jump on board until late in the month, so I'm ready to go for this month!
With Thanksgiving coming this month, I need to really get moving on this decluttering/organizing journey!
Who's with me??

[doubledutch]

i'm doing the apartment therapy home cure (we're on week four!) but aside from whatever randomness they tell me to do, here's what i actually want to get done in november:

bring in the m.f. hutch. i've had this adorable little china hutch for like six months. it's in the garage. it's not big and heavy - dh and i can carry it. i don't know why it's not in our dining room yet. i don't know what my problem is. meh.
plastic on windows. i need to put that plastic film over the windows because they're very drafty, but our window treatments are inside the window frames. i can't deal with the thought of having our shades down all winter, but they certainly can't just be up. sigh. not sure what to do. maybe keep them down on the front of the house, open elsewhere? this is our second winter in the house; i didn't do it last year.
make two quilts. yeah. our bedroom isn't complete yet because i want to make quilts for the boys' twin beds. currently, they sleep with me and dh sleeps downstairs on the pull-out couch. i want to get their beds looking awesome so they'll want to sleep in them. they're already excited because i hung up those mesh canopy things, but i haven't made up the beds yet. the quilts aren't necessary (it's not like we don't have other blankets!) but i want to get it checked off the list anyway.
basement. yah. it's just gross/sad. the main thing is laundry, but also just general straightening and cleaning the floor.

[HydeParkB]

Subbing! I didn't do so well in October, but I've made some progress today. (Why was there a giant box of socks in my closet?) I'll be back with my list of goals later.

[MonkeyPrincess]

I need to:
- organize the "cat counter" (catch all counter in the back of the kitchen, where we feed the cats ). Tons of papers and misc items to go through! DONE

- sort thru the arts and crafts supplies, then organize them into their cabinet.

I am certain I can accomplish those two things in the next two weeks.

Probably not this month, but who knows...maybe!
- go thru all the kids old clothes and sort into quilt/rug piles. (I'd love the rug pieces to be color coded. )

[LZP]

Oh Yes Yes! We dont have TOO much decluttering or organizing to do, but what's left are the annoying projects and tasks.
* De-clutter and find better places for contents on The "Catch all" shelving unit in the spare room which is also the clothes drying rack room, the sewing room, and the all the-extra-stuff-that-we-dont-what-to-do-with-room.
*Declutter avobe mentioned room so I can acutally sew comfortably without getting annoyed and bumping into something everywhere I turn.

* Finish some of the 20 or so sewing and crafting projects that I have planned for fabric scraps, or at least go through all the extra fabric and decide if it will EVER get used, or if I should freecycle to someone who really will use it.

*Re-organize the coat closet- we have about 20 coats between the 2 of us (and i have only 3) so I need to convince DH to part with a few. we have no room for guest coats! we also need ro figure out a WORKING solution for scarves, gloves, hats. I am a winter accessory lover, and need a better solution. 1 basket didnt work, and neither did 2. We arent able to hang an over-the-door thing.

*Re-organize the catch-all closet downstairs. It gets everything that doesnt make sense to put in the above mentioned room. I want uniform looking storage, because it makes me feel at peace..!

*Organize the closet in the dining room. what was once a well organized walk-in china closet is now a dumping ground for anything dining related. piles of napkins, baskets, vases, bulky serving pieces etc. all things get used, but dont store well.

We have lots of storage space downstairs, but it's not well organized, as you can see. we host Thanksgiving, and are probably hosting at least 4 adults for a weekend 2 weeks before Christmas, so we need to be clutter free, and everything must have an easy place to go!

[mimid]

Just starting this month and hoping to have it all done by year's end. This month I'm working through the house with the FlyLady zones and then next month I'll divvy up what hasn't gotten to.

Week 1: I've tidied the buffet and tossed some stuff. I have a bookcase and the art closet to do this week.

Week 2: Kitchen and breakfast area. All of the cabinets need to be gone through, the tops of the fridge and freezer and I need to check the pantry and toss old foodstuffs.

Week 3: Bathrooms should be quick. I'm adding in the landings outside the bathrooms which collect junk.

Week 4: Bedrooms and closets. These will likely be the holdovers for next month. There is just so much to do. I'm going to start in the master because it is the best, then the girls and then the guest room which s the worst. I'm hoping if I save that for last i will be so ready to get the last of the junk gone that I will push through.

Week 5: Supposed to be living room, but there are only 2 days so we'll see how much I can get done in there. Toys are the biggee plus the photo albums and DVD/CD books should be tidied. I'm sure we have some DVDs the girls don't watch any more.

[MonkeyPrincess]

I finished the cat counter!

Started yesterday afternoon, went through everything...just needed to sort the pile of papers I wanted to keep.

I woke up at 1am, and couldn't sleep. Finally at 3am, I decided I should just get up and do something since I can't sleep and I will be a wreck tomorrow and won't get anything done. So....I finished sorting all my papers into a plastic file box with hanging folders and labels and all!

I also did my dishes, packed kids lunches for school this am, re-organized my kitchen cabinets and emptied/purged/scrubbed my entire fridge! Time flew by - I can't believe it is 6am!

I am staying awake, at this point, to get them off to school. Then I will crash, I'm sure!

[sapientia]

I'm in! Thanksgiving dinner is going to be at my house this year!

Overall I need to:

1. steam clean carpets-this needs to be done in the next few weeks.

2. organize the dining room/art area like ASAP

3. kitchen counters a bit more tidy

And keep up with the regular cleaning. Overall we have been decluttering so I don't have that much left to do-it feels so nice!!!

[Hollysmom]

Ohhh this is just the thread I have been looking for.

We had to replace our washer and dryer this past week so I decided to start with the laundry room since I had to clean the floor and stuff before we put the new machines in. It was pretty easy since I don't keep too much stuff in there, but as I am typing this I realized that I didn't do behind the furnace. I don't think there is much there, but I better take a look tonight.

I am going to try and do this decluttering thing room by room.

So....

Week 1 - Dining room - it is mainly just the buffet, but I have been avoiding it for a while.

Week 2 - I hope to have the house to myself for one day this week so I am going to try and do the playroom ~ ie. remove broken, inappropriate or annoying toys while the children are away

Week 3 - My office - this is really a corner of the playroom/family room that I use for my computer. Bunch of stuff piled on the desk and cupboards full of old papers etc....could take a while

Week 4 - At least one basement storage area (we have three that are full of stuff) I want to do them all, but I don't want to over commit. If I get to more than one it will be a bonus

[Hollysmom]

Originally Posted by MonkeyPrincess

I finished the cat counter!

Started yesterday afternoon, went through everything...just needed to sort the pile of papers I wanted to keep.

I woke up at 1am, and couldn't sleep. Finally at 3am, I decided I should just get up and do something since I can't sleep and I will be a wreck tomorrow and won't get anything done. So....I finished sorting all my papers into a plastic file box with hanging folders and labels and all!

I also did my dishes, packed kids lunches for school this am, re-organized my kitchen cabinets and emptied/purged/scrubbed my entire fridge! Time flew by - I can't believe it is 6am!

I am staying awake, at this point, to get them off to school. Then I will crash, I'm sure!

Wow, that is amazing! Congrats! I hope you got some rest

[caiesmommy]

I'm in! Can't think of all I have to do But I KNOW we need to

-plastic windows
-make thicker/warmer curtains for the windows
-make draft protector for doors
-clean out kitchen cupboards/make sure ALL food is in glass before mouse season(sometimes I REALLY hate living in a century home!!)
-purge my plates/mugs/bowls ect
-move our bedroom/living room around...well convince dh to move them around

[GoGoGirl]

I'm in!

We're moving next month, plus this will be DD's first Christmas and I'm TERRIFIED of the gift overload I know will be coming from the ILs.

I think the hardest things for me to declutter this month will be mine and DD's clothes. I need to accept that I won't need (or be able to fit back into!) a size 4 professional wardrobe any time soon . And I have to be ruthless about the clothes DD has outgrown, even if they were gifts and I feel guilty for giving them away.

I guess my goal for this month is to go through every single thing we own and get rid of a lot of it. Yikes, that sounds daunting!

[mkksmom]

I need to do this this month. I did well in the first half of Sept., had my baby, and skipped oct.

Goals for this month:

Run dishwasher daily to keep pump clean

Keep up with laundry

Declutter at least some each day

Work on the dining room

[cera]

Ugh I should really join. I need to overhaul my whole house. I'm pregnant and of lately I've been diagnosed with extreme exhaustion and my whole house has gone even more downhill than usual. Lately though I've been having small spurts of energy, I think nesting has begun, so I really ought to get my act together. Aside from decluttering every room in the house some major things that stand out in my mind that need to be addressed are

*get the the end of the giant laundry pile and then go through and purge everyone's clothes so the pile stops returning every 2 weeks!!
*get a larger bookshelf for office (books are overflowing) move office bookshelf into oldest ds's room (boxes of books and no storage or them)
*organize new office/sewing room once and for all.
*help oldest ds organize his room with better storage/layout. Put up curtains
*make room for new baby in our room
*recycle all empty bottles in bathroom piling up in tub, lol
*get dh to donate the pile of donations piling up in basement
*set aside a shelf or some sort of storage just for homeschool supplies
*enter in all my hundreds of pampers codes I've been hording in our coffee table to free up the table again *blush*
*frame and hang wedding photos from 6 months ago!! omg
*get frame for painting bought on wedding trip and hang said painting.
*declutter kitchen cupboards again
*put plastic on windows and doors
*address costume storage in playroom
*get dh to build "loft and ladder" in playroom closet

I know there's more but I just can't think right now. The only thing I got done all day today was washed and dried a few loads of laundry (not put away), moved youngest ds's too small clothes downstairs (not put away). Such a long day and nothing accomplished. I just feel so overwhelmed.

[caiesmommy]

I cleaned out the pots/pans/plastic/glass cupboard and purged a whack of broken pastics/casserole dishes we never used/kids plates and just STUFF

I plan on hitting the office area when the kids take their naps

[zech13_9_goforgold]

Wow, you guys are inspiring. We're moving in January, so everything in the house needs to be dealt with. I've been putting off getting out the winter clothes, because I don't want to deal witht the summer stuff. So, that's number one on my list.

2) Paperwork. I need to sort through our important papers from our junk and get things down to one small organizer

3) Clean out desk and sell it.

I'm overwhelmed already. Better get started, but I want to knit instead (Christmas gifts- have to get done as well).

[sapientia]

ok, *whew*
cleared kitchen counters and moved the computer station to the boys room (it's a den/bedroom area) and dusted the whole living area of the house...cleaned out some cabinets, vacuumed, etc.

I keep putting off the art/dining room table...I must finish it soon...need motivation...

[cera]

So last night I
*entered in half my pampers codes
*moved all little ds's small clothes downstairs

today I
*decluttered some kitchen cabinets and drawers (still more to do)
*took down living room and dining room curtains and put them in the wash (dh has been on my case about these)
*freecycled dh's sofa chair that has seen better days
*vacuumed and steam mopped the floors in living room and hallway

That's as far as I got b/c I got really dizzy and am now resting. Sent the kids outside to play, I might resume soon.


eta: (later in the day)
Had oldest ds vacuum kitchen and dining room, he usually sweeps but does a bad job, lol. Then I steam mopped the kitchen and dining room. Also washed the windows in the living room and dining room since the curtains are down. Ok well my 3 yr old is washing the dining room window but I will do it after he's done, lol. Also moved the curtains over to the dryer and threw in a load of kitchen clothes and towels. Moved the ottoman from the chair I freecycled to the "man room" downstairs. Actually surprised I got that much done. It doesn't seem like a lot but for me it is, haha.

[sunnysandiegan]

I should join y'all this month....

We had a major flood back in May 2009 and it sure affected every single area of the house! The downstairs was ankle-deep in "clean" water (supply line under powder room sink busted) and all the walls and floors were torn up for awhile. We contracted out some of the less desirable parts of the job (most of the drywall and tile removal), but we did all of the rest of the work. Whew! We finished all the major work in July, but still have a few little (everything is relative after a major flood! ) projects to finish to get our house completely back to our usual "guest-ready" status. I've had many people traipsing through our home despite the mess and even have hosted a few mom's mornings, etc. When you have a major flood, people are very accommodating on their expectations and, honestly, I've been just too tired from all the intense work for 9-10 weeks straight (16 hour days of physical labor and "supplies & materials" shopping and research were the minimum for me). Anyway, it is now November and it is time to just get it ALL done!

* Just get over my dislike for Lowes and Home Depot and go buy another tube of construction adhesive in order to glue on a new retro-fitted piece of the kitchen cabinetry next to the dishwasher AND glue down 3-4 transition strips (at least two of six are done already).

* Vacuum all the soft, upholstered furniture THOROUGHLY. Then, call out the professionals for steam-cleaning those items plus the stairs and upstairs hallway/landing. (Insurance already paid us for these services and we have the money.)

* Touch-up paint all the white trim throughout the downstairs. Thankfully, I insisted we nail (in some instances, we glued) and caulk as we installed the new flooring and baseboards. We were working at such an accelerated pace, though, that painting had to wait. And wait it has....ugh.

* Touch-up the floor (cork planks) with the brown caulk. We thankfully started in our storage closet (under the stairs) and then moved into the project room. We worked through the learning curve in areas where we don't spend a lot of time! Those areas need some finishing touches.

* Stain the 5-inch corner piece of wood for under the foyer step again and again for the second round. If I still cannot get it dark enough to match the flooring, then borrow or purchase a closer stain color and just get it done. Then, adhere it! (Another reason I need to get the darn construction adhesive. ) I'm tired of the Roomba knocking it over every time it vacuums the living room!

If I get the above finished, then I'll move deeper into the detailed work....
I had a lot of it typed out and deleted it because I was starting to feel way out of sorts and overwhelmed.

I think I'll just start with a few little things (possibly the above and possibly just whatever comes up) this month and go from there...

[cera]

Today I didn't do much of anything my new couch came from Ikea so I

*vacuumed off the old couch before it went downstairs
*revacuumed the living room from the mess the old couch made
*hid the laundry pile in the laundry room and got oldest dh to vaccum the hallway out
*did a couple of loads of laundry (did not put away though as usual)
*spent 4 hours putting together the new couch, which by the way it white. I wonder how long it will stay white? lol
*took all our dvds out of the cases and put in plastic sleeves in an Ikea cd box so save some room
*took all paper out of dvd cases and put in recycle bin, bagged up all dvd cases for freecycle or donation