April Decluttering Challenge! - Page 3

[lizziebits]

I have made some serious progress over the past two days.

-- Declutter every nook and cranny of the:
living room -- DONE
kitchen -- DONE
master bedroom -- Next!
DS's room
powder room -- DONE
hall bath
master bath
foyer/hall closet -- DONE
hallways/linen closet
-- Spring cleaning inside of house
-- Spring cleaning outside of house
-- Deep clean basement (it's fairly decluttered, but that is DH's territory)
-- Remove 300 items from house. I've already gotten rid of at least that many in an slow decluttering process I started in January. I think I give up on this one. I always forget to count when I am putting stuff in the trash/return/give to goodwill pile. Oh well. It's a lot!

[mikaela]

Originally Posted by Crunchy*VT*Mom

...(not sure what Feng Shui is, but her book did inspire me!)...

1. Downstairs Closet -- Finished
2. My Closet -- Finished
3. The girls' clothing storage bins -- in progress

LOL You're kicking butt so far, lady!

Originally Posted by sarah_bella1050

I'm SO in, I've been doing this for weeks now and have been having a really hard time staying motivated.

Me, too -- that''s why I *heart* these monthly challenges. Totally keeps me accountable

Originally Posted by ollineeba

=31 so far with 3 things waiting to be picked up from freecycle

Sweet!

[mikaela]

Originally Posted by lizziebits

I have made some serious progress over the past two days.

-- Declutter every nook and cranny of the:
living room -- DONE
kitchen -- DONE
master bedroom -- Next!
DS's room
powder room -- DONE
hall bath
master bath
foyer/hall closet -- DONE
hallways/linen closet
-- Spring cleaning inside of house
-- Spring cleaning outside of house
-- Deep clean basement (it's fairly decluttered, but that is DH's territory)
-- Remove 300 items from house. I've already gotten rid of at least that many in an slow decluttering process I started in January. I think I give up on this one. I always forget to count when I am putting stuff in the trash/return/give to goodwill pile. Oh well. It's a lot!

Daaang...

You are on FIRE, momma!

[ShareBear]

Well, I bought a shredder and have gone to TOWN on papers with personal info on them (utility bills, credit card stuff, etc). I finished off last month's goal of 200 papers and got rid of 400 more today. I also got rid of three computer related books on Freecycle. However, I also picked up 5 tomato cages from Freecycle. So my current totals:

2/105

and 400/1000 papers!woo-hoo!

Of course since I've been pulling boxes out of the basement and going through them, I have stuff strewn all over the living room, so it looks pretty chaotic in here. But I feel good knowing that all this baggage from my past is going bye-bye.

[lillydilly]

Me too pleeeease. This is the first time ever for me on a de-clutter thread!
My house is ok, just a pile in a corner ready to be packed for the thrift centre and put in the car. I had a major de-clutter last month before I found this forum, but since I've been on here, I keep going through the house every day just trying to find something else, anything at all that can go...but no, it's all done, so, before I start trying to de-clutter our light fittings and our plumbing fixtures...

aaaaggghhh.
I'm going to help DH start de-cluttering in his shed instead. :
Ok, with this shed I couldn't possibly count items or even boxes, so I've decided to post trips. Trips to the dump, to the re-cyclers, to the thrift shop. I'll also be very busy making him coffee and muffins and keeping him sweet... Gotta keep him on this roll now he's on it.
Who knows what archeological treasures we'll discover in the next few weeks

[SNRPMom]

Removed

[mamaof6]

Worked on more decluttering of my kitchen hutch yesterday. We have our weekly homeschool co-op during the day and I have a meeting in the evening, so I won't make any progress today. Maybe I could get dh to clear his clutter from the hutch.

Happy Decluttering

Jill

My Declutter Plan

Kitchen In Progess
Main Bathroom/Hallway closet Not started
My bedroom Not started
Kids rooms Not started
Living Room Not started
Extra Room #1 Not started
Downstairs Hallway Not started
Laundry Room Not started
Downstairs Bathroom Not started
Extra Room #2 Not started
Family Room Not started

[mikaela]

Holy guacamole... You all are rocking this thread. I'm so totally inspired

Originally Posted by lillydilly

This is the first time ever for me on a de-clutter thread! I'm going to help DH start de-cluttering in his shed instead. :

Welcome aboard and good luck with the shed support -- our collective fingers are crossed!

Originally Posted by mamaof6

Maybe I could get dh to clear his clutter from the hutch.

So... did he?!

Originally Posted by SkiMama36

I'm on a roll, baby!

Woot!

Originally Posted by ShareBear

Well, I bought a shredder and have gone to TOWN on papers with personal info on them (utility bills, credit card stuff, etc). I finished off last month's goal of 200 papers and got rid of 400 more today. I also got rid of three computer related books on Freecycle. However, I also picked up 5 tomato cages from Freecycle. So my current totals: 2/105 and 400/1000 papers!woo-hoo!

Originally Posted by brendon

1 small bag of toys to go to donation

Originally Posted by Patrick's mummy

Yay, I just did two kitchen cupboards too!!

Sweet!

Originally Posted by kathirynne

Once I get the floor scrubbed, I can scrub out all of the cool antique wooden fruit boxes that I took out of that room and put them back in, along with the wooden crates, Rubermaid totes and plastic buckets I have waiting to be filled, labled and stored for winter. (Which will, in turn, make more space in the basement.)

That sounds like such an awesome project -- send us pics!

Originally Posted by aljamom

I just want to get rid of our too much stuff!

Originally Posted by lovemyfamily6

I'm in! April is going to be my month to finish decluttering and move to maintaining.

Originally Posted by bwylde

I'm in. I have been decluttering for over a year, seriously since the new year and I'm getting really pared down.

Good for you ladies -- I want to be where you are!

Originally Posted by flapjack

Me! I actually started early last week, but I was waiting for the new month :
.

Nothing wrong with being an overachiever

[annettemarie]

I just freecycled a bar stool we don't use and a small bag of girls clothes. I actually just set them out with a free sign. I still have an old Graco stroller and an Emmaljunga stroller out there, waiting to be taken.

[amyamanda]

Finally, finally, finally!

After manymanymany months of planning, drafting, photographing, and waiting forever for good weather to arrive...

I finally posted a bunch of things on Craigslist.

- my grandfather's old "project motorcycle" (doesn't run)
- my dad's old "mud truck" (doesn't run)
- four really superduper strollers : (two MacLaren Volo umbrella strollers, an Emmaljunga single that we bought just before we found out we were expecting DS, and an Emmaljunga double)
- a top-of-the-line Kelty backpack carrier
- the changing table
- three four-drawer file cabinets
- a massage table
- a free toilet

Phew! I also have a crib to list, once I find out for sure if our friends want it or not. Oh - and a hybrid electric/woodstove (free) and a huge chest freezer we don't need (free).

AND I have almost all the writing and photo prep work done on a list of things to ebay, which I hope to get listed later tonight when the kids are asleep.

It will be good to get these things off my list - and out of my house, my garage, my shed, and my yard!

I suppose this is better off in the Frugality forum, but I hope to make enough $$ to jump-start my emergency fund and cover a few frugal-lifestyle kinds of things that I'm eyeing (a hand-crank vegetable strainer for canning and a pressure cooker so it's easier to cook beans, and a few other things also).

[Patrick's mummy]

Got one bag of toys/various bits off to Goodwill today - hoorah!

Then, just in time, got a note through the door to say that a local charity is collecting clothes, towels, bedding etc on Monday so will set aside all my textile donations for them.

Went through two of DS2's drawers and reduced the amount of clothes he has, as they were spilling out all over. Thanks to advice I got on this forum, I have decided to only keep what fits in the drawer and get rid of the rest. After all, they can only be wearing one thing at a time, no?! So, over the weekend I need to decide what is to be donated and what I may try to sell at a charity children's sale on 22nd. (Charity gets 25% of price, I get 75%...)

What's next?!??!............

[sunnysandiegan]

I posted yesterday I am in and would be back to clarify goals and progress. Here I am!

In March, I did some major decluttering and organizing. We also finished up some lingering home improvement projects. What a dramatic change in our house!

We hosted a dinner party and sleepover last weekend, so I had motivation.

In April, I would like to finish the areas I skimmed through last month and finish some new things:

1. Paperwork - devise a new paper flow system & purge filing cabinet & other paper collection spots. I'll tackle the rest of the office next month, but paperwork is my highest priority this month.
2. Master bedroom - unpack remaining 7 boxes from temporary move last Sept & research/purchase new bedroom furniture & declutter entire room and closet for such purchases.
3. Powder room (also laundry room) - declutter and organize cabinets & install new tp holder/towel rack/wall cabinet & frame painting & set out new decor.
4. Living room - declutter and organize closet/cabinets/bookcases AGAIN (LOL) & research/purchase new blinds & frame paintings. I have more to do in this room, too, but it'll have to wait until the rest (1,2,3 and this far on 4) is done.
5. Upstairs bathrooms - declutter and organize AGAIN.
6. DD's bedroom - declutter and organize closet and bookcases. (Clothes are decluttered and organized for the new season.)
7. Linen closet - declutter and organize.
8. Kitchen - declutter and organize AGAIN.
9. Playroom - I'd like to declutter and organize it again, but really my main goal is to simply keep it from turning into a junkyard again since it's function is changing into something new (unknown at this moment).

My first goal this month is to do our taxes, then all of the above. So, my list may carry over into May and I'm okay with that. I got a LOT accomplished in March!

[SonomaMom]

Wow! I am totally impressed with all that you ladies have done in the last few days! I have only gotten rid of a little bit in our carport. It's a tough spot to clean with kids under feet because it's at the front of our house and we live on a busy street. I've made more progress in our front hall closet though. Keep it up!

[annettemarie]

I threw three bags of trash out of the attic and have two boxes of stuff for our LLL yard sale.

I really should take pictures. It's scary up there.

[lovemyfamily6]

Wow, you guys are so inspiring! I have totally sucked so far. I have just not felt motivated at all. My kitchen that I had been working so hard to keep clean by cleaning as I go and not going to bed without it being done is a disaster right now. I'm falling back into bad habits.

Tomorrow is my day. Other than picking my oldest up from school, we don't have anything else to do after I get home from work. I am going to get the kitchen done tonight after I get my kids to bed, then tomorrow I'm going to haul lots more stuff that needs to be donated out to the garage and I'll drop it off on Saturday. I'm also going to deal with the mess on the fireplace and get mine and dh's bedroom done. I've also gotten back into bad habits with that and haven't been putting laundry away when it's done, so there is a big pile of clean clothes on the floor.

What is wrong with me?? I don't understand how I can get the house looking so good and a few days later I start slacking again and soon it's an overwhelming mess!

Anyway, you guys have inspired me. Tonight the kitchen, tomorrow less computer, more decluttering/organizing!

[Tiny_Dancer]

Huge re-organizing of the office last week. I feel so refreshed in here now.

Today:
*went through dd's baby clothes & picked out tons to donate
*packed up lots of baby toys to donate
*tossed a bunch of half used cosmetics
*organized my closet (more clothes to donate)

Tomorrow:
*Call truck to come pick up donations!!!*

To Do in April:
Consolidate Files
De-clutter garage

[Crunchy*VT*Mom]

Going to goodwill this morning with bags of stuff.

This is a big step for me because I declutter just fine...then sit on the stuff for months at a time.

My plan is to go every week and TAKE the stuff...without actually going INTO the Goodwill (this is key...if I go in there, I'll buy more stuff)

[mamaof6]

I didn't get anything done yesterday. Today I am getting all of the boxes out of my kitchen and putting them in the "dungeon" (extra room in basement) with all the other boxes I've packed up.

mikaela: No dh did not declutter his things on the hutch, but I also forgot to ask him to. I'll get him tonight. (evil laughing in background)

Happy Decluttering

Jill

My Declutter Plan

Kitchen In Progess
Main Bathroom/Hallway closet Not started
My bedroom Not started
Kids rooms Not started
Living Room Not started
Extra Room #1 Not started
Downstairs Hallway Not started
Laundry Room Not started
Downstairs Bathroom Not started
Extra Room #2 Not started
Family Room Not started

[Patrick's mummy]

Originally Posted by lovemyfamily6

Wow, you guys are so inspiring! I have totally sucked so far. What is wrong with me?? I don't understand how I can get the house looking so good and a few days later I start slacking again and soon it's an overwhelming mess!

Anyway, you guys have inspired me. Tonight the kitchen, tomorrow less computer, more decluttering/organizing!

Kristi there is nothing wrong with you. You're doing what I (and no doubt everyone else) has done a million times before! My kitchen has dishes in right now that I should have done last night, and what's worse, I have had my midwife over this morning - I should have been ashamed but I just thought "oh well".......... Our homes can't be perfect all the time - we're here on this thread and you've got a plan - go to it!!

[amyamanda]

Originally Posted by lovemyfamily6

What is wrong with me?? I don't understand how I can get the house looking so good and a few days later I start slacking again and soon it's an overwhelming mess!

Kristi, just look at your sig line. And you mentioned that you work!! Oh, my goodness, you have a full plate!

When mine were all six and under, I was just getting started with decluttering. It seemed like it took forever before I really saw much progress.

And I homeschool, and don't work outside the home, so I'm HERE all day long and I can fit in little decluttering projects as I go about my day. Sounds like maybe you don't have that luxury (and I know it is a luxury).

Go easy on yourself! You'll get there.