Hi! I'm Erin, mom of 4. I've been a member of MDC for over 8 years but never participated in a thread like this before. So one question: do you just keep editing your original post with the stuff you declutter? Or do you make a new post every time you dump a load?
Today, I donated 31 articles of clothing, 12 shoes, and 3 decorative items. I threw away 2 broken toys and cut 2 old t-shirts into rags.
Current total: 50 items
Joining!
Piggy bank - broken and won't be replaced
spatula - rats chewed it up, not replacing
photo album
2 rugs that have been folded in the closet for a long time, the majority of 2011 I'd say
2 bathtoys
christmas towel
shirt
mug
toy
broom
carabiner
2 mugs
3 ornaments
big stack of stickers
big pile of papers
- new robe, 2 toy cars, 5 towels, 2 toys
6 organizer baskets
set of wonder woman blank note cards
Christmas tree
book
package of pencils
pants
flashlight
22
Quote:
Hi! I'm Erin, mom of 4. I've been a member of MDC for over 8 years but never participated in a thread like this before. So one question: do you just keep editing your original post with the stuff you declutter? Or do you make a new post every time you dump a load?
Today, I donated 31 articles of clothing, 12 shoes, and 3 decorative items. I threw away 2 broken toys and cut 2 old t-shirts into rags.
Current total: 50 items
I usually make a new post for each bag or so of things. If I am constantly decluttering 2 or 3 items at a time, I don't want to flood the thread with posts so I just keep editing one for a couple days or until its about a paragraph in length. (I don't want to make anyone have to scroll through a giant list)
Hi! I'm Erin, mom of 4. I've been a member of MDC for over 8 years but never participated in a thread like this before. So one question: do you just keep editing your original post with the stuff you declutter? Or do you make a new post every time you dump a load?
I'm not detailing what I'm tossing, but I am counting. I put the count in my signature, to motivate myself to not slack off. I figure I'll check in whenever I do a big purge, but in the meantime I'll just keep track in my sig.
Done
2 more items tossed (holey slippers and rusty seive).
10 gift bags sent to my mother for next Christmas
2 books and 1 baby food maker returned to owner
Pending
15 books ready for donation,
4 coats, 2 pants, 2 tops, a bra and scarf posted on Craigslist
Total
115/2012 Plus 25 pending
I'm in! Just did a major cleaning of the kitchen, master bath, and master bedroom resulting in a disturbing number of garbage bags, crushed down boxes, and old food items. Also got rid of some clothing. This is going to be really helpful as we might be moving in March and won't find out until February. It will be nice if I can get rid of some stuff. Does anyone else have too many kitchen things? I think I need to get rid of some pots and pans...
118/2012
Started today -
1 Christmas tree taken down and stored away for next year
1 box of ornaments put away.
1 pile of papers from table to recycle
3/2012
Slow start, but I'm about to start in cleaning up my daughter's room, which should up the numbers lol
+
1 bag of trash from DD's room
2 bookshelves reclaimed from DD's room - one will go to the kitchen for pots & pans, the other to the pantry
1 jar pasta sauce that went bad tossed
7/2012
Haven't started plain decluttering yet - working on getting it clean first. We're having a yard sale in a month, so I want a lot of things sorted out for that. Also working on a few thredup boxes - I don't count those items until they actually get picked in a box, so my numbers will go up then.
1 white shirt with a hole in it ( i need white shirts but i am learning to do with out for now)
NEW TOTAL
15/2012
$17.47
ok i really want to be part of this, i need a cheering section. i am sure i have 5000 things to get rid of easy.
so rules? i see folks are all a bit different.
)
so you subtract from the number when you buy non consumable things? ouch
I count things that are trash if they're things I've been hanging onto for a while. For example, some friends helped me move and tossed things in random boxes. The boxes sat in various closets for years and went through several moves. When I *finally* went through them in 2010 for the decluttering thread, I counted the trash I had been carrying for so long. I did. And then I threw it away!
Normally, I do not count trash, though.
I do count spoiled food in the fridge, as it encourages me to keep science experiments at bay.
Regarding papers and such, I sometimes count individual pieces if it's something hard for me to part with, like old letters or cards. Mostly, I will count a pile as 1 pile of papers.
I count boxes if I've been saving them to use for a while, and I count them individually.
I count most everything else individually, like clothing, toys, dishes, etc. A bucket of legos would just be one bucket of legos and a stuffed toy is counted as one. If I donate a bag of baby clothes, I count each item in the bag. If I gave away 10 spoons, I'd count each spoon individually.
I don't subtract the items I bring into my home, although I am mindful of them.
I'm just going to lurk and be inspired by you people. I don't want to count items. I do want to declutter, though. This year I have cleaned out my Mom's house (she and my dad lived there 50+ years) and moved her into a retirement place and right after Christmas we had to move her into Assisted Living and had to downsize further. I've taken one full car load to the thrift store yesterday, but I have many, many more. I have a lot of her stuff, but plenty of our own stuff, too. I'm really okay with getting rid of much of it, but I just am overwhelmed by the chaos. Our garage is just a jumble and you can't even walk around in there. Some of it is furniture that I would like to keep. Some is antique furniture I would like to give away to my cousins who expressed some interest. Lots of boxes of stuff. The basement is just about as bad, too.
You're welcome to post and estimate the items you've gotten rid of. Seeing the progress, even if not exact, might be motivating. Rules don't matter so much, as progress is individual. Basically, do it the way that will motivate you the most and that will keep you gaining momentum. Whether or not you meet the goal of decluttering 2012 things, your home will show the improvement.
Here is a question for you ladies:
I have a bunch of clothes that are too big on me. I've lost a ton of weight BFing DS and weigh about 20lbs less than I did pre-pregnancy. I kept all the clothes thinking I'd likely gain back weight when I returned to work, which hasn't happened (so far anyway, but I'm also still BFing). I also think they'll get used when I'm pregnant with no. 2 (hopefully later this year) and/or after that baby is born. Should I get rid of all this stuff? Some of it is work clothes, some is stuff like jeans. I could also try to get some of the work clothes taken in (a few nice suits and dresses for example). I don't know what to do, I don't want to spend $$ on new stuff down the road but I don't want to be a hoareder either!!
I kept my very favorite pieces. As I was losing weight after having my first son, I kept the "too big" clothes, knowing they'd fit as I was losing weight after a second child. But I only kept my favorite, most flattering pieces. These are usually classics. Also, if you love certain items and want to have them tailored to fit, go ahead and keep them. I'm actually going to do a major purge, as I've learned to make a bigger wardrobe from classic pieces in certain color schemes that are easy to mix and match. Styles do change (especially over a few years) and I consider that when deciding what to keep. I also save money on desired brands by shopping at consignment stores. Basically, by only keeping clothing that I love, even if I have relatively few items, I feel like I have "more" because I can see what I have and mix and match various items. It's kind of like decluttering toys; children are able to better focus on playing with the toys they do have and enjoying them more when there are fewer toys and they're not so overwhelmed by them.
Hi! I'm Erin, mom of 4. I've been a member of MDC for over 8 years but never participated in a thread like this before. So one question: do you just keep editing your original post with the stuff you declutter? Or do you make a new post every time you dump a load?
I generally click to go to my last post so that I can see the number I left off. Then I make a new post itemizing what I've decluttered since and coming up with a new total.
1 broken heater
1 pair shoes
1 halloween decoration
3 toys
1 hat
1 broken potty
4 clothing items
1 stack papers
1 plate
77/2012
1 Pot
50 + 1 = 51/2012
I am joining! I last participated back in 2008 before we put our house on the market and moved and it was very motivating! I eventually got such momentum though that I stopped counting because I felt it slowed me down ;) That was fine with me though - I got rid of so much! Our new place is pretty stuffed now, so I feel a need to start again.
My *initial* goal is to try and get through the whole house once (drawers, cupboards, closets, pantry, boxes, etc) by the end of March, so that I can do a really good deep cleaning of our house more easily before we host a birthday party for my younger DD in mid April. I am definitely a 'keeper' though, so I know it will take more than one sweep through to be in a good place...so that will not be the end!
Like others, I don't count the day to day things I toss, unless it is something that has been lurking around for awhile cluttering my space. For example, I didn't count the catalogs and junk mail that I immediately recycled today, but if I find any old stuff around in a box or a drawer I will count it. I usually count papers by piles/bags because I tend to have a lot of it, but old magazines are a big problem for me so I will probably count those individually (more motivation!). I won't count things I am just relocating for later use - that is how I end up with a stuffed house! LOL Only things I actually let go of in some way. I love the idea of keeping track of money earned - I am very motivated by that idea! I may get less detailed over time, but for now listing things is helping get the ball rolling, so her goes:
Tossed:
1 old bath toy
1 scorched oven mitt
1 torn laundry bag
1 large bag of paper and plastic garbage still around from Christmas (packing slips and things in case I needed to do returns)
1 mesh feeder replacement bag that looked dirty
1 broken flashlight
1 broken fire alarm (we replaced it!)
So far 7/2012
I also listed a few things for sale, filled 2 large bags for consignment (clothes and toys) and started 2 boxes for Goodwill, but I won't count those until they are actually out of the house (making progress though!).
I'm in! I've lready started with some prelim sorting of stuff and piles and boxes of stuff to eventually get OUT.
My sister stopped by for a surprise visit so I sent her home with some stuff for her and a friend with a new baby - yay...
Progress:
1/4: 8 Piano books
13 Baby items
3 items returned to stores
I don't even know how to count the PILES of stuff I cleared off my desk into the recycling/garbage....maybe I get 1 point for 1 LARGE pile and more importantly, my desk is clean!!!!
Oh baby, I'm just getting started! So exciting.
1/6: 44 more baby clothing items/toys sent away with Mom for her to give to a friend in need
1 huge bin of papers to recycling
3 sewing items/projects returned for refund
Total: 77/2012
I'm in!
I already have a bag of canned goods set to go to donation. Black eyed peas, just in time for the new year!
10 cans
10/2012
Holy crap! How are there so many pages already?? Well, I definitely need to de-clutter this year. It will be hard. I do want stuff out of here, but I suspect I'll have issues with attachment & finances (I hate the thought of chucking things I paid good money for / that might be worth something). I had hoped to hold a couple of yard sales last year and never got around to it :( Hopefully this thread will help me get motivated enough to do it this year.
- 8 old stained place-mats
- 20 old stained & frayed cloth napkins
28/2012
Holy crap! How are there so many pages already??
Because the thread was started early...last year! 
Well only a week ago, but it is last year now!
I don't count the regular trash in the count cause that has to be taken out anyway...even if I wasn't doing the challenge. While this may seem silly, since I count the recycling, most of the recycling trash comes from my decluttering, so that is why I count it.
Anyway, that's how I do it...but I think everyone kind of makes their own rules for themselves that work for them.
This is pretty much me, except I don't generally count recycling, because we always have to put out recycling anyway. Like you I do count it though when I am recycling things which come from decluttering.
I don't bother subtracting new things either, I think it would be discouraging especially as one can't always avoid bringing new stuff in, and I don't need to do that to motivate myself to declutter, just decluttering itself is enough motivation for me to buy less!
Yes we do all make our own rules...the bottom line is that whatever we do must work for ourselves and our own lives.
After throwing out/ giving away over 100 items in the past few days and having my house look exactly the same, I've decided to attempt a buy nothing month. Except for food and transit tokens I'm not opening my wallet in January.
Last night I cleared out my bathroom storage and under the sink and got rid of a bunch more crap. I've also pulled out all the little sample bottles I have and put them by the sinks and in the shower. I have 9 mouthwash samples and 20 shampoo and conditioner samples that were taking up space. My husband and I exfoliated our feet last night for the sole purpose of getting rid of the packaging (pun intended).
137/2012 Plus 32 pending
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