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Come join the November 500 Items Decluttering Challenge!!! - Page 3

post #41 of 312
10/29/06 at 7:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by momaste View Post
So... if we give things away today, does it count for November?
I think you can count them if you want to.. some of us are already counting items

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post #42 of 312
10/29/06 at 8:31pm
We are in! I'm going to try to get my kids to help out...I'm sure I can get this to count as math, economics, and community service for our homeschool!
post #43 of 312
10/29/06 at 9:36pm
I'll try again. I failed miserably last month even though I got rid of over 200 things.

It's mainly because as much as I got rid of it FEELS like I brought that much more in....

DS's stuff from the hospital and the cards given to us (which is acceptable stuff to bring in)

toys that neighbors brought us and opened before we could bring them to get store credit (for xmas money)

blankets upon blankets and all new winter gear because the box we stored all our other stuff was full of mold when we opened it. :


SOOO... I'll try again... and I'll try not to bring in as much....



even though I'm having a partylite party at the end of the month and am trying to find enough people who would want to order so I can get the free product :
post #44 of 312
10/30/06 at 2:43am
i'm in but I want to know if it would be cheating to count the stuff I have already packed in boxes to go but are in my hallway and the 6 boxes in my driveway waiting to be loaded into the car. Also if I bring stuff in do I had to subtract that from my total outgoing?
post #45 of 312
10/30/06 at 2:59am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by antannie View Post
i'm in but I want to know if it would be cheating to count the stuff I have already packed in boxes to go but are in my hallway and the 6 boxes in my driveway waiting to be loaded into the car.
I think it's up to you. The whole thing is really just to support one another in our effort. 500's a pretty arbitrary figure--I know some of us are aiming higher, and some of us (er, me!) would be happy if we get even close. Maybe you could count each box as a single item? Whatever you want to do. I'm counting all the baby things I finally pack away in the correct boxes in the attic in my 500, though in a separate category, because they are cluttering up the house too!

Quote:
Originally Posted by antannie View Post
Also if I bring stuff in do I had to subtract that from my total outgoing?
I thought about this but decided not to, because I'm trying to do the Compact (in spirit anyway), so anything that comes into this house this month will be done specifically because it's needed and a thoughtful acquisition.
post #46 of 312
10/30/06 at 9:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by uptownzoo View Post
Can your DH talk to my DH?

Melissel - yeah, with old textbooks I've usually had to recycle. If you take them to a thrift store, chances are slim that somebody will buy them (if the store even puts them out), and they'll usually have to throw them away and they'll end up in the landfill. So, better all around to cut to the chase and recycle. Bummer, I know, esp. when textbooks are sooo durn expensive!

I actually just sold 2 on Amazon a few weeks ago. I only got about five dollars each, but they are gone and not in the garbage.
post #47 of 312
10/30/06 at 9:50am
Count me in. I've been wanting to declutter and simplify our lives. I'll be starting tomorrow, since dh and my mom are both on vacation this week. Mom is coming over tomorrow to watch the two littlest ones while dh and I go in the basement to declutter and get rid of a bunch of junk.
post #48 of 312
10/30/06 at 10:30am
I'm in. I only managed to get rid of 142 items in the October challenge so I'm just going to start at that number and keep going until I reach 500. 500 is such a nice pretty number.

Currently in progress but not gone yet so I won't count them:
Filling a bag with baby/toddler clothes for the pregnancy center
Filling a bag of women's clothes to take to the Salvation Army or just offer on freecycle
post #49 of 312
10/30/06 at 10:42am
WOOT!

It's only 8:30, but it's already been a really productive day!

Donated
2 boxes of old baby clothes (50 items in all)
1 box of books (25 titles)
1 box of assorted shoes, bags, and decorations (11 items)
1 box of assorted baby "stuff" (9)

Recycled
1 mega box of old newspapers and crap that I've been begging my Dh to put out for about 2 months. Because, yes, my packrat husband saves old newspapers. : (I'm counting this as 10. It was a BIG box)

105 today!

217/500
post #50 of 312
10/30/06 at 12:39pm
I am planning on starting today after the kids I babysit go home. Some areas need it more than others but I think i am just going to start in the laundry room which is right by the front door and work my way towards the end.
post #51 of 312
10/30/06 at 1:19pm
I told my husband about this and his comment:

"We don't even have 500 things to get rid of."

I've gotten started. I couldn't help it. This is very motivating.

20 items total:
2 piles of shredding
5 things from under the bathroom sink
5 pieces of clothing
1 stack of plastic hangers
1 tortilla shaper??
5 miscellaneous items from this box that was sitting in our "office"
1 stack of coloring from my daughter's preschool (you only need so many pictures)

I can't wait to get to the basement--and my closet! But I can't believe I have 480 to go. I think with Thanksgiving, my daughter's birthday, and Christmas around the corner--we're going to have tons to get rid of.

Now, what about cleaning out the fridge? I did that last night too--2 jars of old pickles, 1 jar of old red peppers, and 1 jar of old salsa??? Does that count?
post #52 of 312
10/30/06 at 1:26pm
Cleaning out the fridge totally counts. I went through and tossed a whole pile of yucky old jars this weekend. Old moldy salsa in the back of the fridge is clutter!
post #53 of 312
10/31/06 at 11:57am
Realized I forgot to sub...
post #54 of 312
10/31/06 at 2:38pm
Ok, I just got the calculator out. There are 30 days in Nov. That means if I got rid of 16 or 17 things each day I'd make my goal. I work 11 of those days, 12 to 13 hours shifts and I am greedy; all extra minutes go to my kids on work days. That leave me 19 days in Nov. that I can effectively purge the house; 26.3 items per day.

Can I do it? Stay tuned....

(jumpstarting a day; 11/500 so far this morning)
post #55 of 312
10/31/06 at 2:40pm
Yesterday I got rid of 10 things that were hanging around the Laundry room. I am getting ready to go get rid of more too.

10/500
post #56 of 312
10/31/06 at 7:36pm
For the past 2 days, I have been working on my office. I have emptied 5 HUGE plastic bins, 2 medium ones and a small one. Not to mention the 7 boxes of stuff. I think I may have hit 300 items and I'm not done yet.

I also cleaned out my son's clothes...there goes 25 items.
My CD collection went down....add another 20 items.
I went through my DVD's....about 10 items
My book collection...I took 3 big boxes to the book store....about 60 books...
I decluttered my scrapbook stuff....managed to get it from 3 boxes to 1...about 50 items.


So I have about 50 more items to go....I may go beyond 500 items!! YAY ME!!!
post #57 of 312
10/31/06 at 7:49pm
oh i'm so in! need to get this place in shape before the holidays!
post #58 of 312
11/1/06 at 12:36am
Thread Starter 
OK, here's what I've got so far, and this doesn't include anything in the bin of stuff that has to be sold/sent to Goodwill:

40 items of baby clothes packed away where they actually belong
30 toys Freecycled
8 old textbooks Freecycled
3 random boxes recycled
Doll bits thrown away
2 old containers from laundry room recycled
3 cookbooks and 1 boxed set of parenting books Freecycled
3 expired things from the medicine cabinet
1 box of oatmeal that we'll never eat given away
1 big honkin' box of shredding done (1 HUGE honkin' box to go!)

TOTAL: 93/500

I'm taking a massive amount of books and kitchen stuff to Goodwill, so I'll have an update by the weekend.
post #59 of 312
11/1/06 at 5:27am
I started so late in October that I decided to just wait til November. I live in a tiny house so finding 500 is going to be the challenge. Off to declutter...
post #60 of 312
11/1/06 at 9:38am
I got rid of 10 more things from the laundry room and it is so organized .

20/500

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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Decluttering, Organizing, & Simplifying › Come join the November 500 Items Decluttering Challenge!!!