Share your decluttering / organizing successes! - Page 2

[CandyApple]

Wow! We've got some hard-working mamas!

I made it through the pile of outgrown kids clothes last night. Kept the ones I really liked, tossed the stained and torn and sorted the rest by spring/summer and fall/winter to sell at our kids consignment store. I've never consigned before, I've always just held onto them for future kids, but I'm running out space...

On that note, I've made a pact to not buy anymore totes. If I need one, I'll have to empty another! I must have already close to 30+ med and big ones and thats plenty!

[Aeress]

I am going through the girls puzzles today and tomorrow we will try and match pieces to puzzle. I hate cardboard puzzles but they are the only ones the older dd is interested in and challenges her, so we keep them. *ugh* However, tomorrow if the puzzle isn't complete it is gone!

I am moving the girls from a dresser each to sharing one and pairing down all clothes into 3 drawers and one closet.

I am still working on my clothes. I have sent three big garbage bags to goodwill. I have more everyday...just don't need so much now that I am home.

I will finish the girls room by friday by working on it 1hr at a time. The like to dump out containers, so I am installing a lock on their closet door *hehe*, not really, but I am putting everything into the other closet that they can not open. If they want something from there, they will need to ask.

[2babybees]

I've been working through the house too. Last night was the linen closet. Two bags of trash. Two bags for goodwill. And I found a rod and curtain to hang over it(there is no door). Just need to get the brackets and we're good to go. It is so spacious and organized. I love it.

On my agenda for this week. The closets and junk drawers in my room!

[SugarAndSun]

My half of the closet today! I would say I got rid of about 40% of my clothes; stored $20 % in case I am ever pregnant and big again; kept about 40%.

Last week I got rid of about 20% of the toys.

Goals:
Clean yard/outside toys
Clean junk drawers/baskets in kitchen
Clean basement
Have dh clean out his side of the closet
Organize/downsize cds/dvds

I HATE that we have so much stuff!

[sparkprincess]

I love this thread!!! Very inspiring! I did major de-cluttering a while back, but this thread inspired me to go through things again. There's always a few things that I think I'm really gonna use - but when I go back through it 3 months later I realize I'm NOT really going to do anything with it and should just let it go! Today I pitched a ton of old makeup, packed up some of ds' clothes to donate, packed up some toys to donate, went through my sock and underwear drawer and pitched a bunch of stuff and recycled some stuff for rags....cleaned out under the kitchen sink...Ahhhh feels so good!

[Mom4tot]

I went through all of the Christmas bins as I put things away over the weekend and consolidated so that I have 2 empty bins! I recently decluttered over 100 books from the spare room (ha, it is meant to be Ben's room!) I am currently going through the "extra toys" in the basement and saving just a few for the Kids Consignment Sale in the spring and the rest is going to Amvets.

[crunchy_mama]

I made it to consignment and goodwill today and unloaded a whole carload!! YIPEE! That much stuff that is never making it's way back to my house, and maybe I will make a little money.

Yesterday, I cleaned out the bathroom cabinets. This am I emptied out some old photo albums to get rid of, I am trying to consolidate old pictures into a few big albums.

Dh and I still need to go through the coats, he was supposed to do that today while I was gone, but didn't get around to it. Actually, I think that pretty much is about all I declutter this go round. I need to do my clothes again, but that has to wait until pregnancy is over. The office is a bit of a mess, but that is dh's domain, and he has been working on clearing out a bunch of stuff.

[amyamanda]

I have been a busy bee!

Today in my kitchen I emptied two tubs of clutter and a pile off my counter, rendering my kitchen clutter-free. I also superglued a clothespin above my sink to hang my dishwashing gloves up and out of the way. (I'm sick of where they usually hang, from a cabinet door in front of our lamp).

I also went through a pile more photos, tossing rejects and negatives, and recycling envelopes. This is an ongoing project.

I went through a ton of old magazines and determined where they are going to be donated. Also vowed to go on a magazine-subscription-fast for one year. I can read the few magazines I kept out, then recycle them, but not bring more into the house. We'll see what I miss most...LOL.

I removed a few toys from circulation and put in the garage - if the kids don't request them within a reasonable amount of time, they are out of here.

I sent a few e-mails to friends and family offering them first dibs on useful things before I donate them.

I decluttered our family-walk-in-closet.

Oh, and this morning I took a box and purged our bathroom closet and cabinets of more than half of what was there - and there wasn't much stuff to begin with. I think now there is more than enough space for me to put our first-aid stuff back in there on the top shelf - it's currently in the garage. Organizing/purging the first aid stuff is high on my list of things to do next.

I've been going to the recycling center and free "swap shop" weekly to get stuff out of my house and out of the way. It's so helpful to not have it kicking around.

Keep up the momentum, everyone!!!

[marybethorama]

I've had a great day

I tackled the garage and cleared on shelf. One bag went to the trash and two more went to Goodwill.

The shelf is now full again-with the next load for Goodwill.

I found a box of old magazines (dh's not mine and they are going to recycling tomorrow-don't tell dh )

I moved my sewing area and cleared some floor space in the basement too.

i also put the broken shop vac in the trash-it's gone!

I feel so much better. It's only a few small steps but I'm getting there.

[cdmaze]

Everytime I'm home- I'm trying to do 20 minutes of picking up a declutter- and we are building a HUGE dump pile. I mean huge.

The more I chuck- the overwhelmed I feel. Truly a life improvement.

[ladyslipper]

I am so glad you asked!!! I recently began the process of clearing out the baby room, I had huge piles of magazines, and I organized them cut out recipes that I liked and gave them to people who were really excited to be inheriting them. I also cut down on baby clothes by getting her stuff into one small tupperwear box, and donated the rest to a prematernity home, where I was swarmed by women needing little baby clothes. I also began looking at books that I forgot I had and really don't need, and giving them to people who are interested in them, and trying to sell some of them also. We are going to have a sale next week and should cut down on more crap soon. I call my stuff crap but it really isn't...it's just too much stuff than I need. My husband is very proud of the progress I am making clearing out the house of extra junk, and I feel good kind of like a santa claus when I give things too people who appreciate it.

[turnipmama]

I have made a committment this year to really downsize and keep organized.
(Maybe its "nesting"? maybe its just me being sick of it)

Earlier this month:
I have gotten rid of 2 boxes of stuff that was just trash
Have sorted 2 boxes of stuff to give away

Today:
Decluttered the bathroom which included a TON of empty bottles, wrappers, ect. I also organized everything which has the added benefit of knowing exactly what I have of band-aids, tylenol, ect. so I am not tempted to go out and buy more.

[CandyApple]

Turnipmama- I totally agree with you on over-buying supplies when you can't remember what you have!

Made headway in our storage closet last night! I got thru my outgrown cloth diapers, sorting out the ones I really wanted to keep and just posted the ones I want to purge. Also went thru some more kids clothing and old craft supplies that I don't think I'll use again. My closet is loosing totes and feeling sooo roomy!

I think I'm becomming addicted to decluttering!

[crunchy_mama]

Today I went through the coat closet, mostly organized as I gave away a bunch of coats last year, I did find some jackets to donate though.

I went through my magazine drawer and the whole lot is being donated somewhere, I kept them around thinking we would read them again, but we haven't (I am not telling dh though )!

[happymomma]

Working my way through the whole house but so far yesterday and today I:

1. Went through and cleared out and gave away 8 grocery bags full of food from the pantry that either we don't like, won't use in time, or had multiples of.

2. Cleared out the fridge and freezer

3. Organized 3 kitchen cabinets.

A few more cabinets in the kitchen to go and I will be done with the kitchen! Yay!

[SugarAndSun]

Originally Posted by SugarAndSun

My half of the closet today! I would say I got rid of about 40% of my clothes; stored $20 % in case I am ever pregnant and big again; kept about 40%.

Last week I got rid of about 20% of the toys.

Goals:
Clean yard/outside toys
Clean junk drawers/baskets in kitchen
Clean basement
Have dh clean out his side of the closet
Organize/downsize cds/dvds

I HATE that we have so much stuff!

Cleaned all the junk drawers/baskets in the kitchen.

I will take care of the cds/dvds tomorrow... and maybe the yard.

[MonkeyPrincess]

Well, this is sort of an old accomplishment but an accomplishment none the less. I got a bunch of 30 gallon bins to sort through ALL of our clothes. I'm talking 10 years accumulation here. I sorted them into gender and size order. Plus, a bin for swimming suits and beach towels and another for snow suits, boots and hats/gloves/scarves.

A more recent accomplishment started with explaining to the kids that we have too much stuff...too much to take care of, its overwhelming and that's why our house is a mess. And when the house is a mess, I am grumpy and not the momma I want to be. We just can't play/build/paint/bake/whatever in a mess so we have to clean up first, and no one wants to, so we wind up not doing the fun stuff. I told them I want to get rid of all the things we don't love or need/use on a regular basis so we can start all over again with the amount of stuff we *can* take care of. And when we get more stuff, we can get rid of old stuff to make room. (This went into a conversation about society's values and marketing. )

Oh, the accomplishment part was they agreed with me! They are on my side! (Now I just have to convince my dh!) My 9 year old said he wants one of those bins so he can fill it with his favorite stuff and donate the rest to kids who don't have enough stuff.

We are moving in a couple weeks and we are only taking the bare minimums. Every kids gets a bin for their toys. I already pared down the clothes (got 8full trash bags for the Care and Share!) so its a start.

What a motivating thread, now I need to make a list!

[2babybees]

I finished my closet. It is a small walk-in, that I hadn't walked into in almost a year. This morning I picked out my clothes in ease. I still have a huge box of pictures to sort through. The kids albums need to be filled along with some other albums. Probably will fill a few frames I have floating around too. And the rest will have to go. Most are duplicates I couldn't part with. I'm going to goodwill with 8 bags tomorrow. I am so excited to have it gone. Other projects this weekend:

1. Wash, dry, sort and take pics of the cloth diaper stash and post for sale

2. Rewash, dry, fold a basket of good clothes for the resale shop.

3. Photo collection.

It is soooo much more peaceful without all the crap around exploding from every crevice. We still have clutter but it is beginning to feel managable. I am sure it is going to make the regular cleaning go sooo much faster too which is huge plus.

[Belleweather]

I am so inspired by this thread that I'm going to turn the computer off RIGHT NOW and go downstairs and tackle my storage room. I know there are boxes in there that we haven't unpacked since our last move (4 YEARS ago!) and that's just sad and pathetic and ends right now.

[Judegirl]

Me too, me too!!

Inspired by the 7 every week thread (which I can't seem to find now!) I've got three bags of stuff waiting to go to children's consignment and Goodwill.

I put hooks up today for things that end up wherever - one by the door for my purse, one in the kitchen with a laundry bag for dirty dishtowels, two in the bathroom for washcloths and my mama cloth bag, two in the bedroom for towels I always leave on the bed (wet!) when I get out of the shower.

Also finally pulled some old clothes to cut up for rags, added to my "For Ebay" box (which admittedly is still in the house!), started a very modest and compact launching pad with a file-magazine rack for mail, and made my peace with selling the snug ride car seat dd outgrew over two years ago.



Thanks for asking! This feels good.

Jude