September Decluttering Challenge! - Page 8

[michelle524]

I packed up/counted more yard sale stuff and I also through out a lot of junk (box of old, broken, stale taco shells anyone?). I condensed two open tubs of oatmeal, through away expired coupons that were in a pile. I threw away a bunch of papers and other assorted junk.

New total: 270/500

Tomorrow is the yard sale. This stuff is GOING!

[amyamanda]

My updated to-do list for the rest of the month:

Go through 2 boxes and one drawer of "to-do misc" and get it to fit in one drawer - with a list and action plan. Actually do some of the things on that list.

Sort through, declutter, and fit into one storage tub: sewing supplies in back bedroom.

Sort through and declutter paperwork related to volunteer breastfeeding counselor position. Reduce to one drawer. Give resulting empty file drawer to DH for his clutter.

Put away three "tubs of stuff to put away" in garage.

Drag shopvac out to shed and vacuum.

Hallway closet.

Motivate DH to declutter his unnecessary stuff out of back bedroom, move his necessary stuff from middle bedroom to back bedroom, and turn middle bedroom into kids' room.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Yikes!

Only nine days left in this month.

Okay, today the garage must be tackled.

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

73/100

The numbers are Sept. dates that I worked on that area.

1. Filing Cabinet 1 2 3 4 -- DONE!
2. Closet in the nursery 5 6 12 -- DONE!
3. Storage Garage Outside 8 -- DONE!
4. My daughters' clothes 15 -- DONE!
5. My clothes closet 18 -- DONE!
6. Toys in the Playroom 18 -- DONE!
7. Garage 21
8. Closet in the Guest Bedroom
9. My desk
10. Kitchen Cabinets
11. Bathroom Linen Closet

Today = the Garage. I can put it off no longer.

[Stace]

Well, I haven't been on here much this month, what with the move and my son's birthday and all. I also stopped counting stuff after awhile....but I feel pretty confident that if I haven't already met or exceeded my goal, I've at least come pretty darn close.

[hellyaellen]

i'm off until monday and i'll definate be doing some serious de-clutterinfg because...






We're moving next month!!!! (back to my mom's to save for a downpayment on a house) so we'll have basically two rooms to put most of stuff in. (and those rooms are already full of stuff that i've de-cluttered to her house )

: : :

i think maybe i'll start now.

[PeacefulSeams]

Whoo hoo! freecycled 6 books and 2 toilet lid covers, 1 bath rug, 6 hand towels, 6 bath towels and 3 washcloths. Only 625 more items to go to meet my goal!

[kissum]

Originally Posted by kissum

Glad you're feeling better about things goldfinch! Honestly, it has taken me months to get even close to where I want to be. And that's OK! You just have to take it slow, and I really do think that counting items helps you realize how far you've come.

I did another 9 last night- 173/300/

At least 50 since last check in. So, 223/300. Getting close!
Congrats on meeting your goal superstella!

[amyamanda]

Best unexpected thing we did this weekend was when I sat down and talked with DH about my mental list of "stuff to get rid of or keep." I basically confirmed with him that we could get rid of a whole ton of big things - some we'll try to sell, some we'll give away, but the bottom line is, I have my list and I have permission to attack it! It includes big stuff like scrap metal (gutters), a dead Ford truck, a motorcycle needing repairs, a woodstove we'll never use, four strollers, a changing table and crib, three four-drawer-file-cabinets, a crappy wooden cart, and a bunch of smaller things. Okay, so I didn't actually get rid of them yet, but the decision has been made and for us that's the hardest part. I am so excited - it will be a PITA to photograph, list, and sell things, but it will be so wonderful to get them out of the house and I bet I can make enough money for Christmas this way.

Also I moved around some furniture (this is extremely rare for me, LOL) and have a new perspective on everything. I feel inspired to 'rotate' some more toys to the garage. We don't have a ton of toys, but the available space for baskets in the living room is smaller now (also I cleared off the hearth for the winter, so that removed some space). If the kids ask for something back, I'll just bring it back out.

And wishful thinking, but I am waiting for new technology to (affordably) make our DVDs and CDs obsolete so we can get rid of all of them. Techology and our budget are not quite there yet, though.

[PeacefulSeams]

I freecycled a ton of stuff yesterday and this morning.

*plastic storage bin thingy
*an old computer
*tv armoire
*entertainment center
*swing for swing set
*3 pairs shoes
*fondue set
*fryer
*tv stand
*box if dishes
*xmas tree
*bag of sewing stuff
*box of cd's
*mini golf set

That was stuff that was just sitting in a corner in my garage. Can't wait until I tackle the house! (after I empty the garage)

[hellyaellen]

didn't do as much as i wanted to last night. i went to bed early instead. :

but i went over to my moms todaay and went over with her whats going to her house and whats going to be sold or stored.

i think she's as excited as i am at the prospect of a large scale de-clutter.

i still need to go through baby clothes again but other than that i'm kind of stuck on household stuff until i start hauling stuff out for the yard sale.

not gonna mess w/ e-bay/tp/other online stuff. too much trouble to take pics, post info....maybe for some of the diapers i've got that are extras but not for anything i can just yard sale.

dh and i have talked about some of the things here that we want to get rid of and i think we're pretty much in agreement on most things.

still going through papers...trashed maybe half a dozen papers and half a dozen broken little toys last night. created 1 file just now, created 1 filing project last night (i put olivia in charge of some of her schoolwork) i guess thats 14 to add to my totals

[MomAndOliver]

I didn't post a goal at the beginning of the month, but I lurk a lot, and I made an informal one - to get rid of our dining table by the end of the month. Well, I haven't done it, but I did just list it on craigslist! So at least I am moving in the right direction. I also wanted to get my husband to declutter our old VHS tapes. Not much progress has been made there.

I also got rid of two old lawn chairs that were on our balcony. I just put them out beside the dumpster for my apartment building, and they were gone fifteen minutes later! Some people were dumpster diving and picked them up. So easy. I also started cleaning my balcony (does that count? Decluttering dirt and bird seed remains?).

[kissum]

Originally Posted by kissum

At least 50 since last check in. So, 223/300. Getting close!
Congrats on meeting your goal superstella!

42 today! And just when I think I am getting really close I realize how far I have to go.

And honestly, I hate to say this, but I am to the point where I almost just want to throw all my things away that I have set aside for charity. I know that's bad, but I can't figure out what to do with them, and I just want them out of my house. :

So, 265/300. And a mess in my living room where I am finally getting around to unpacking the last of my stuff from my move in August!

[michelle524]

What a disgrace my decluttering yard sale became! There was a 10% chance of rain, it was supposed to be in the 80s. Instead, it was pouring by 11 and probably in the low 70s, if that. We ended up running all the stuff down the drive way in the rain, piling it in the garage. So now I have to start over - re-sort, etc. There was stuff I was going to chuck if it didn't sell, and stuff I was going to ebay. It's all mixed up. And, some of it is ruined b/c it got too wet.

So, I'm knocking myself back to 100/500 and I'm going to make this the September/October decluttering challenge. I'm so annoyed, I can't even think about it.

And DH really isn't on board with the whole thing. He thinks it's silly and that I'm trying to get rid of perfectly good stuff. I'm trying to explain that we have TOO MUCH STUFF in TOO MUCH HOUSE! We don't need all of this. In fact, all of this is making our lives stressed... ugh... I have my work cut out for me!!

[lalaland42]

Hi. I am starting really late but I need to get rid of a lot of stuff so I am starting today with less than a week until the end of the month. I am getting rid of 50 things and just to motivate myself, if I succeed, I am having a spa day to reward myself for all my hard work. (Not just decluttering hard work, all over life hard work.)

Anyway, so far I gave away 4 sets of computer speakers, one keyboard.

I also recycled one small trash can full of stuff.

6/50

[Neva]

I'm joining this thread a little late but I know I need the motivation. My home is a disaster and so needs a major declutter. Last night I went through the closet of things with no home and cleaned it out. I'm going to shoot for 400 items. It's a higher goal for me but I need to have a challenge or I'll just putter.

SO far 142/400

[FamilyFriendlyLife]

DECLUTTER: 45/100 items

1. Home office - desk - DONE
2. Home office - filing cabinet - Drawer 1 of 2 done...
3. Home office - 2nd desk/floor/closet - Making good progress...
4. Our bedroom
5. Our closet - Started...
6. Bathroom closet
7. Rubbermaid bin in DD's room
8. Bureau in DS' room - DONE
9. Living room shelves - DONE
10. Pantry
11. Washer/dryer area - nearly done
12. Kitchen cabinets

Decided a few days ago to relocate dryer to the basement. Have not actually plugged the dryer in since we bought this house (~ 4 months ago) as duct needed to be repositioned to vent outside, so decided rack drying really is (mostly) working. Trouble is dryer would not fit through the basement door. Right now dryer is on front porch, and I am planning to post on Craigslist - I think. Part of me is very wary of being dryer-less; keep thinking there could be some emergency need for it, but who has a wet clothes emergency?

Kim

[WNB]

I'm not really doing the challenge on a per-item basis, but am instead trying to go room by room.

This weekend was my office! It looks great now. I unloaded a LOT of crap, dusted, got rid of lots of old instruction manuals for computers or parts we were no longer using, made better use of existing shelving and file cabinets, and cleaned up a lot of clutter from around my DH's desk. (Why that's my problem, I won't ever know, but it's done and it looks better, and I'm happy about the end result, even if I'm not thrilled that I was the means to the end.)

[superstella]

You guys are all doing great!

Michelle- So sorry about the yard sale, that is disheartening. HOpefully you'll have better luck with the next date and not too much stuff got ruined.

Kissum - Thank you! I too wanted to toss the stuff I had set aside for charity, but I just had to force myself to make those (multiple lol) drives to Goodwill. You can do it! You've almost made your goal!

[kissum]

281/300 YAY!

Superstella- you are right, I really just need to hold out. If I wait a couple of of months I am sure that there will be people doing charity drives where they pick up. If all else fails, I may drag my stuff home to visit my family in 3 weeks, because they have many places close by that I can donate to. I know I'd be upset if I just pitched it all.