Identify and Rid Myself of 43 Items of Überclutter

i had the chance recently to go with a friend to a new wine bar & local winery. As we sat at the front counter and talked with the owner, she told us that they recycled wine bottles in their wine production, and would gladly take any that we brought by…

How Cool !

i already recycle the average wine bottle i empty,,,,but i do profess a tendency to hang on to more than a few “sentimental” ones, from special occasions, amazing dinners, first dates, etc. But this idea encouraged me further, so i made a sweep of my kitchen & pantry again, and let go of half a dozen of those “sentimental” old dusty wine bottles…and dropped them off at the winery.

See? All i need is the right motivation…

I’ve become a clothes purging factory….i have my bags for the Freestore & Goodwill that i fill regularly. And lately, i’ve been accruing a pile for a local consignment store. A bunch of clothes that are just too fancy (i.e. not useful or practical) for freestore, yet are new or next to new. I used to keep ‘em around thinking “but it’s brand new! it still fits! it was a Gift !” But i’m getting more & more ruthless about if i dont wear it, it goes...

Having set, purposeful places to take things is the Best method i’ve found for clearing out me junk…!

This is pretty much a monthly “mini-purge”, but as the organizer of my Collage / Altered Art group, i make a point of gathering up a bag of items from my apt that can be used in different projects. I’ve purged old barettes i no longer use, magazines & catalogues i’m done reading, miscellaneous bits of emphema i come across, etc, etc.

It’s helped me let go alot things that i’m always thinking “but thats still Useful, even if I no longer use it…

i purged a boxful of “stuff”, surplus bathroom supplies that got set aside after the last bathroom clean sweep: shampoo samples, old make-up tubes, travel sized toothpaste & mouth wash, etc.

I recycled what plastic items i could, fixed up some “toiletry packets” for the freestore, and put away the few items left i knew i’d still use. One less box in the kitchen to bother with !

i purged my apt of a solid wood, but bad finish end table, by given it to my brother for his birthday….

i’d picked it up off the street awhile ago, and tho i was making use of it as a storage shelf in my bathroom, but i’m swimming in furniture as it is (cant resist those “sidewalks sales”.

My brother, on the other hand, has a huge, newly finished house, no furniture, and no money to buy any. Plus lots of time to do furniture refinishing…

So it was a win-win-win: A Gift, A Purge & no money spent !

:D

# 2 – have loaded an old kitchen table into my car, and am taking it to the local freestore

# 3 – carried out to the curb, a kitchen “hutch” shelf(that i picked from the curb myself, but found i really couldnt use). I’d have taken it to Goodwill, but couldnt get it into my car. I hope someone else was able to make use of it.

# 4 – took 4 nice wool dress jackets that i havent worn for years, to a consignment shop (woo hoo, $$$ !)

this will always be an ongoing goal, but because i’ve been successful lately, thought i’d see if i’d “Rid -ed” 43 things from my apt in the past month or so…

1. - gave away a tote bag that came with Bath & Body gift set, that was not my style
   (i used to would have hung onto it, as i Could use it, someday…)