New Year's Decluttering Challenge

[ollineeba]

Come join the New Year's Decluttering Challenge!
Set your own goal and let's see how many items we can each declutter! I know many of us will be having company this holiday season.. and others just want a more organized & decluttered space to live in. Either way, what a great way to start off the New Year~ with a decluttered home!

[PeacefulSeams]

I'm in. We are TTC and I know I'm going to need more space with a baby around. I also have a lot of stuff just sitting in storage containers that have been there a while. I know my boxes of baby items is around too, buried under everything else. It's time to dig it out and look through it again. I have a ton of items that I am not using. My spare bedroom is my office/storage space. I need to clear it out because my sister may be coming to stay with me for a while to get back on her feet.

[Mavournin]

I'm in!

I did the November challenge and hit 605 items out of my house. I'm going to try and hit 1500 by New Years.

I think it's key for me to keep my tally running. It really helps me see that number climb and to see exactly how much was in my house that no longer needed to be here. And given that we are still drowning in stuff I have a long long way to go. (I'm a recovering packrat - Dh... well... he's still infected with the curse...)

[mommaof3boz]

I'm in for 200. I just sent out (had I counted) roughly 400 things in November.

[erikandgregsmom]

I recently got rid of a bunch of Christmas decorations...

that there was no room to put out because the house is so cluttered!! But I also rid myself of one more "to do" thing for the holidays - there is more than one way to simplify!

My dH is the clutter bug mainly, and won't part with anything.AAArrrgghh!!!Wish he'd take a challenge!!

[ollineeba]

DH and I cleaned out one of our cupboards this afternoon.. there were so many things that I didn't even remember we had
I gathered up a nice bag for Goodwill. Shot glasses, champagne glasses, face paint, electrical cords, books, etc. 31 things GONE. Yeah!
I think I'm going to aim for 600. If I overshoot, that's even better. I have SO much to get rid of, so it shouldn't be too hard to come up with that many items..

eta:
PLUS
3 items given to a friend
1 roasting pan freecycled
1 pot thrown out
1 toy freecycled
1 pair of jeans that were too short for me & fit funny
2 expired items from bathroom cupboard
11 bath items freecycled
1 truck to a FIN
3 items to another FIN
bag full of wedding bows from our wedding
bag full of candle votives & holders from our wedding
7 small wooden boxes freecycled
5 things to a little girl of a MIN
1 toddler bed sold on craigslist
1 item to MIL
2 pairs of pants to nephew
4 items to consignment shop
6 prefolds to MIN
3 items to other MINs (cd, craft kit, game)
2 old glucose meters that DH doesn't use anymore
=111/600

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by Mavournin

I'm in!

I did the November challenge and hit 605 items out of my house. I'm going to try and hit 1500 by New Years.

I think it's key for me to keep my tally running. It really helps me see that number climb and to see exactly how much was in my house that no longer needed to be here. And given that we are still drowning in stuff I have a long long way to go. (I'm a recovering packrat - Dh... well... he's still infected with the curse...)

1500? I probably have that many things that need to be gone.. but wow. Can you imagine what your home would be like with 1500 items gone? I bet it would be amazing.. no clutter anywhere!
Good luck! Keep us posted!

[Mavournin]

Originally Posted by mama2babybeans

1500? I probably have that many things that need to be gone.. but wow. Can you imagine what your home would be like with 1500 items gone? I bet it would be amazing.. no clutter anywhere!
Good luck! Keep us posted!

If only... I have a big house. And my Dh has some serious "collecting" problems. I recently found a couple copies of the NYT Magazine from 1996 Random copies with no reason to be saved other than he was probably too lazy to chuck them out. I honestly think I could hit 1500 alone if I was allowed unhindered access to his stuff in the basement.

[melissel]

OK, so my goal is to get rid of another 250 things, but ONLY from our main living space. For right now, the garage doesn't bother me, the attic doesn't bother me--the inside of the house? Makes me

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by melissel

OK, so my goal is to get rid of another 250 things, but ONLY from our main living space. For right now, the garage doesn't bother me, the attic doesn't bother me--the inside of the house? Makes me

I know.. what you see day in and day out is what gets to you the most. I'm not even going to attempt our storage shed this month. Our living room and bedrooms (maybe the laundry room if I'm feeling ambitious ) need to be the focus for our family.
The people at Goodwill will know my name by the end of the month

[Ambrose]

A lot of much needed things have been entering the home (we are MIN's this yr) so my goal is to rid ourselves of broken things, things we've never needed... things that have ultimately sat arounf for months not getting fixed, or worn, or used.

[Conteuse]

I'm in.

My biggest monkey is paperwork. My 2-drawer file cabinet is stuffed to the gills, and I have another whole big banana box full of papers to be filed. I *hate* filing, and don't do it, and it piles up and we lose things.

I'm aiming to have a nice, roomy file cabinet, with every paper in the house either filed or tossed, by New Year's.

And I'm also looking for some more space in our living area. We still need to do a kitchen declutter, in a big way. We're thinking of packing away all of the extra plates, bowls, etc (there are only 3 of us), and just using paper when we have company. Has anyone else done this? How does it work?

I'm also looking for the top of my desk before New Year's. I haven't seen it in several months.

[fuller2]

Okay, I'll give this a try. I won't have much time to do this until after the holidays, actually, but I can try for...um...200 things gone by Jan 31.

For the last 4 weeks I have been trying to have something for sale on Ebay at all times--and so far I've not only gotten rid of a few things, but I've also made about $400. Not bad!

How does it work? Do we keep checking in and supporting each other, that sort of thing?

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by fuller2

How does it work? Do we keep checking in and supporting each other, that sort of thing?

Yup! Check in as often as you can and update what you've accomplished so far. Some will have a running tally of number of items decluttered, some will have other goals accomplished, etc.
It's always so inspiring to see what everyone is doing!

[Vixenmama]

I'm in for 500

New to this thread but not new to the concepts.

My mission:

Happy New Year! As a gift to myself and my family I will let go of, bless, and send off into the world at least 500 items that are not serving our household, before midnight, December 31st, 2006.


I have probably six bankers boxes of old files in the garage. Should I count each file folder as an item? I certainly can't count every sheet of paper:

Craft decluttering? Does anyone out there (besides myself) have too many crafts, craft supplies and craft projects floating around. I'm usually great at decluttering but these items I feel tender about and I find it hard to let go. Right now I'm sitting on a lot of beading supplies that I have no intention of using ---I "just can't" ship them off to the goodwill.

Maybe we can start a thread in the trading post for giving away unfinished projects, supplies, craft supplies that we no longer love, or intend to do in the next year. I think I would feel better about letting them go if I knew they were going to a crafty mama who could use them.

[Vixenmama]

does anyone take photos of their decluttering?

I think I'll do this. I know how much fun it is to look at other people's "before and after" pictures.

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by Vixenmama

I think I'll do this. I know how much fun it is to look at other people's "before and after" pictures.

I think taking pictures is a wonderful idea. It's such a feeling of accomplishment to see how far you've come in the before/during/after pictures

[kamesennin]

.

[ollineeba]

Originally Posted by pbandj

I'm in--we are moving into a 950 sq foot place with almost no storage--just a few closets but no linen closet (gasp!!! what will I do??!!) so I've really gotta get rid of things. I think I'll try to get rid of half my books and a box of trophies, 2 boxes of toys from my childhood, sports stuff, wedding decoration thingies from our wedding 3 years ago, and my camping stuff. I haven't gone real camping or backpacking for years so I guess I don't need it anymore. But my knitting stuff stays, no one is ever touching that!
Liane

Good luck with your move! We're planning to move in the spring and I know it's going to be a big job. The more I can declutter now, the easier it will be then.
I also just cleared out some of our wedding decorations from 4 years ago. I didn't realize I kept so much of it! Even the little cake inserts (why would I need those?!).. I kept a few little special things, but sent the rest to Goodwill. Someone else will be able to use 100 of those little bell-ringing cards

[ollineeba]

Another idea.. I know we have a bunch of canned goods that we probably won't use (for example, I bought a few cans of this soup that I thought we would like when it was on sale and as it turned out, none of us liked it) and I've noticed that lots of places are offering deals if you bring canned goods. The doughnut shop near us is offering a free doughnut or pastry when you bring a canned good for their food drive. The aquarium near us is offering free admission when you bring a canned good on Friday. The movie theater is offering a deal, too.
So you get to declutter, help a local food bank, AND get a great deal. What's better than that?