The Challenge-Are YOU Up For It?? - Page 20

[echospiritwarrior]

I thought this needed it's own post. I quickly counted the books because the lady from freecycle is on her way

91

WOW! Some of them were hard to put in there too, ones the authors signed for me, old textbooks I thought I'd never get rid of classic etc!

[almadianna]

I wont lie, I cannot get rid of books. I have thousands of them and our library at home is well stocked.. but yeah. I cant.

[jrabbit]

89-105. winter items to freecycle because it's unbelievably COLD here: 3 blankets, 2 pair gloves, 2 hats, 2 pair longjohns, 6 pair socks, 2 fleece footed jammies
106-126. Christmas ornaments !! to freecycle

yay! I almost forgot I had gotten rid of those things ... it's been a long week for me.

I'm hoping to clear out some stuff in the kitchen later.
--janis

(adjusted goal, due to shopping expedition: 330)

[dachshundqueen]

At 50.

Plus 36 baby washcloths....not sure how to categorize those.

Liz

[echospiritwarrior]

Originally Posted by almadianna

I wont lie, I cannot get rid of books. I have thousands of them and our library at home is well stocked.. but yeah. I cant.

Try to be gentle on yourself. What I kept in mind as I was going through them
Am I really going to pick up this book and read/refer to it again?

No lie, it wasn't easy. Ecology books, novels I either never got around to reading or won't re-read again, textbooks (by the time I really want to refer to that stuff again I'll just go to the library info will be more up to date anyhow), cookbooks I haven't referred to in 1-2 years.

I feel lighter.

I also began attacking more of my school notes, one big bag of recycling, what I'm struggling with right now are the old journals

and totally OT, but where on earth do you keep your diploma? I'm tucking mine away in the closet, seems better than the bookshelf I had it on.

[almadianna]

I keep my college diplomas framed at my office.

and i have a huge issue with my school notes, especially like my thesis. i worked so hard and learned so much I dont want to get rid of it!!

[echospiritwarrior]

I just did some more MAJOR work. I was able to reduce journals notes and notebooks from three shelves full to basically one. There is about one shelf full of notebooks that only were slightly filled up, so I ripped out the old stuff and set the notebooks with plain paper in them aside for my children to sketch/doodle/write in. I'm contemplating going back and clearing those out but I'll save that for another day.

My thesis is hard bound so that's easy enough to keep on the bookshelf, the means by which I got there, well I don't so much care anymore. I don't have an office so I think the closet is the best place for my diploma for now.

I feel good about my work, although I feel utterly exhausted. One HUGE bag full of recycling with certainly thousands of papers in them. I think that counts for at least 100 items.

[Mirta]

freecycler came and took the cat toys!

just got rid of 30 more misc items that had been in my stash and grab box from one of my Crisis cleaning sessions... some of it was truly trash, but since I have been storing it for a while I counted each item as a single item!

1/8 53/5


Total for the Month 295/255 -- (Penalties added for new things purchased..)

Kym

[MonkeyPrincess]

Originally Posted by almadianna

I keep my college diplomas framed at my office.

and i have a huge issue with my school notes, especially like my thesis. i worked so hard and learned so much I dont want to get rid of it!!

Can you scan it and save it on a disc?

[lolar2]

Checking in-- I got my five in today, and also thirty in penalties.

[treespeak]

Lots of give-aways today: 227/215

221: Crib
222: Car seat
223: moby wrap
224: slippers
225: shirt
226: returned extra recycling containers
227: bedframe

"No clutter is labeled CLUTTER. Clutter is invisible. It was put in its location subconsciously. That’s why you have to ask if each thing is truly helpful to you or if it’s clutter. Sometimes the most cherished thing is clutter. Count on it. If it’s not useful to you now, toss it." Brooks Palmer, Clutter Busting

[dachshundqueen]

I think I hit 100 today. It's been a bang up sort of cleaning day.

To be honest, Clutter is demoralizing, it kills my spirit and makes me want to hunker down and cry.

Liz

[Meli65]

86 - Christmas craft that was falling apart
87 - one book out of a series that I bought at a garage sale (like, L-P in a dictionary series! What was I thinking?)
88-89 card games the kids don't play with/were incomplete

This doesn't count but still feels like decluttering to me -- I finally printed out my photos from 2008 and am putting them into an album tonight. Now, instead of them being filed on my laptop where really I am the only to see them, they will be stored on a shelf for posterity to be enjoyed by dh, the children, my mother, etc.

[Kivgaen]

I have a question --

Groceries don't count againt you, do they?

I just brought in 48 cans of cat-food... I assume that I don't need to count this, since I don't count the cans/food containers that we pitch/recycle

MIL is taking DS and DD to the dollar store tomorrow for their belated Chanukah present. I just KNOW that they're going to buy something like thousands of stickers, or boxes of crayons, etc. Should I count each sticker/crayon as a separate item? I probably should, because that's what will eventually happen to them...

10 more items today, bringing my running total to:

51/75.

[treespeak]

Originally Posted by dachshundqueen

I think I hit 100 today. It's been a bang up sort of cleaning day.

To be honest, Clutter is demoralizing, it kills my spirit and makes me want to hunker down and cry.

Liz

Yep, been right there with ya. Your spirit is eternal. Let that clutter pass on through.

[brooklyn_warbler]

Originally Posted by Shakti77

I signed up for this challenge but haven't started decluttering yet. Life has been a bit busy with DD starting preschool on Jan 4rth. I'll cruise along from Jan 10th - 30th - 20 days, 5 each - making a total of 100 items.

Off to read the thread from the beginning to get me motivated.

can i jump in and do this plan, too? i didn't notice the challenge until today but i reeeeallly need it!

[Mirta]

Originally Posted by Kivgaen

I have a question --

Groceries don't count againt you, do they?

I just brought in 48 cans of cat-food... I assume that I don't need to count this, since I don't count the cans/food containers that we pitch/recycle

Groceries do not count, nor does cat food... those are consumables... (regardless of who consumes them! )

[mommaof3boz]

Look at you guys go!!! WOWZA!! And here is the word you were waiting for... AWESOMENESS everywhere!!!

I balanced out a penalty for buying a knife block, a spice rack and a new baking sheet by getting rid of 15 or more old spices. I had decluttered that area once but went back through it again.

It has been quite challenging just to get in and out of my house. We currently have to go across our front 40 acre field to go out. Our gravel road is way to dangerous. So I have held off on loading up my car with Goodwill stuff. I am still ahead number wise and will get "with it" next week.

I am thinking ahead to our Feb. challenge, if no one has a problem with me being the ring leader of the bunch again.

ALSO everyone needs to post their "gift to me because I am giving the gift of a decluttered house to my family" gift. What is it going to be ladies? You each deserve it no matter how many items you part with, whether 150 or 500. Ideas:

a bubble bath?
a couple of hours just sitting in a coffee shop reading a book?
a special kind of dessert you LOVE but always go without?
a bottle of wine?
dinner out?
laying on the couch watching a "chick flick" while dh bathes the kids and puts them to bed?
Sleeping in one morning?

You decide what it will be....WE DESERVE IT!!

[mommaof3boz]

BTW if any of the folks you live with have a problem with you rewarding yourselves, send em right on over here to me. We have cattle and pigs to feed, wood to load and keep fire going, roads to plough, ice to break in watering troughs, tractors that won't start, doors frozen shut....Seriously you will get your rewards quickly! They'll be glad to come home while you go to the bookstore LOL LOL

[lolar2]

A couple of hours in a bookstore, for me.

And I'd love a February challenge. The 2010 in 2010 is a little overwhelming, but I can follow your challenges with little or no difficulty.