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Update on my decluttered life

1K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  alpenglow 
#1 ·
It has been a very very long time since I posted in this forum. Nearly four years ago, my XH left; the following year and a half was spent completely downsizing everything in preparation for an eventual move. The kids and I moved 2-1/2 years ago to a house that is 1000sf smaller than our old house, and since then, I've had tubs in the cellar and boxes in the garage and books in the attic and other piles of things that were just waiting for me to find the time and attention to deal with.

Well, I spent yesterday (Thanksgiving -- kids are with their dad) completely decluttering the cellar since our move. This meant going through tubs and playing a ruthless game of keep-or-toss. I admit; I'm a person who likes/needs to keep useful things in storage. I've finally gone through every tub and what's left is all intentional -- stuff I need, stuff I totally want to continue storing or using or keeping or tending.

I have a couple of projects that will eventually dissipate that I couldn't get to--Ye Olde Mending Pile, for one, and the Tubs o' Photos. The photos are going to need a longer resting period because there are still too many emotional triggers since my divorce. But they're in a reasonable resting spot, well-organized and accessible for when the time is right for that project.

I have 20 empty tubs and several more upstairs with "things to donate" (so they'll be empty, soon, too).

The only other major remaining house decluttering project is going to be going through ALL THE BOOKS and downsizing/decluttering those. I'm saving that for the week between Xmas/New Years. I have a LOT of books -- well-organized, but too many of them, and taking too much space. I plan to sell whatever I don't keep, or donate as a last resort. We don't have much bookshelf space in this house, so they're in storage boxes in the attic.

I have spent most of my adult life as a "recovering packrat," so this is all really great progress. There are still some organizing projects that will get me in even better shape (eventual bookshelves downstairs; better shelving options in the pantry). But there are no remaining cesspools of clutter anywhere in my home (except the books, which I have a plan for).

Our downstairs living space is pretty perpetually clutter-free. Stuff comes out, we use it, it might sit out in a mess for a short while, and then it gets cleaned up and put away, with everything in its place.

It totally helps that my kids are older now!! The youngest is 10 and the oldest is 16. Ten years ago when they were tiny, this would have been impossible. We simply don't have toy explosions anymore. Craft explosions, yes, but the kids are capable of cleaning up after themselves.

I am so proud of myself for making it this far. It literally took me 10 years to get here.

Now I keep wanting to go down to the cellar to see how awesomely neat it is! We now have space for a weight bench and exercise bike, which my teens will be very happy for. I have a good plan for not building up more clutter. Everything has a place. I am pretty sure this is my forever house, and I am glad I invested the time in getting things well-organized.

Long ago, I invested in many Rubbermaid 18-gallon tubs. I would buy a few at a time, all the same style -- back when they would go on sale 2/$5!! It has been so tremendously helpful to have a whole bunch of them for storage and organizing. Never underestimate the investment value of good tubs! Now that many of mine are empty and unlikely to be filled, I'm even thinking of selling them on Craiglist or something. There was a time when they were all completely full, but that will never happen again, thankfully.

I just wanted to ramble on a bit about how good it feels to be DECLUTTERED and living my life in a way that will sustain that.

(Now, to deal with all the donate-ables...we just had a foot of snow and I haven't even shoveled...getting stuff out of the house is going to be a bit challenging -- but worth it.)

Good luck to everyone who is organizing and decluttering!! It is so worth the effort, even if it takes you ten years, as it did for me.
 
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#4 ·
congratulations to you !
am sitting at the computer too instead of addressing my own cesspools of clutter in rubbermaid tubs .... have reduced the tubs in number, am on to the type of clutter that i find most difficult to tackle ...
but glad to know that you've achieved your goal, gives me hope for my own struggles !!!
 
#5 ·
Just seeing this now, Worthy. Congratulations! And lol about going down to the basement to admire your work (I was doing that for the past few weeks after I finally figured out how to store my 20 foot extension ladder suspended from the ceiling, and assembled the cheap industrial shelf that had been sitting in the package for 3 months!). It's a great feeling to be able to enjoy the fruits of your labours.
 
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