declutter

as I’m going to be moving imminently this has become my most pressing goal. I’m actually doing OK but still can’t be as ruthless as I think I should be/need to be. It will come! My main problem is books, I have dozens to get rid of but it just seems such a tragedy.

Did some cleaning this weekend that ended up decluttering my bathroom and kitchen in significant ways. It feels so good to have more space and less stuff from simple cleaning! Now I have to do the floors. I also decluttered two drawers at work that hold food, utensils, mugs, etc. One drawer is totally empty, and ready for files. The other drawer is so organized that I can look inside and see everything there, and get what I want easily. What a concept! I also got rid of clothes.

where there is absolutely nothing I own that I do not use. Then I will know I have accomplished my goal, and my reward will be buying a nice bed (instead of having it up on spokes so I can hide things in it.

I’m aiming for clean lines and lots of organization. Where I know where everything is without thinking twice. Where I actually have used all the housecleaning products my mom insists on buying, and have space for storage of the things I need.

I think this is best down step by step. Each month I pick a room and pack up all the stuff I don’t need and call the Vietnam Vets or the Salvation Army to come take it away. If I’m not sure about something, I’ll leave it, and then when I come back to that room, I’ll go through it again.

Right now I have a nice pile in the bedroom to go. I need to resort through it with my Mom this weekend, and then I think I’ll get it hauled away. More space less on my mind.

Next month I think I’ll concentrate on the dining room, partcularly finding a place for all the random papers that I accumulate in my buffet drawers like for taxes, etc. I have some extra binders that I think I’ll use for that.

I’m moving into my friends place after my break up. So I’ll be forced to declutter from a whole house worth of stuff to a tiny (and I mean tiny… as in hardly enough room to fit my bed) bedroom… I’m considering this goal complete.

And it feels amazing. (However, I still wish I didn’t have to declutter this much… I am going to miss having my clutter free house…)

But I’m doing really well with this lately!! AND my house is usually always clean!!!!!!!!!!!! :) I absolutely cannot stand a messy place anymore.

This move was a lot better than the last one, in part because of how much we jettisoned before we left. There are a few things that will need extra organizing, and some parts of the new house that will need rethinking later, but on the whole I’m quite pleased with all that we did.

I too am going to sort stuff out this weekend for clothes that I no longer will wear. I still have some BIG stuff, as in physically large, to declutter. I hope I can do that this weekend. My plans have changed slightly about the sofa on the back porch. I’m thinking of spraying it for bugs/spiders, then moving it into the living room, but moving out the one that’s in there now (it’s over 30 years old, a hand-me-down from a friend who had it for years, then I’ve had it for years). I’ll put that one on the front porch for my dogs to sleep on and the better one on the back porch can go inside.

I don’t have too many items in storage, but with the change in seasons I am hoping to make good headway with the odd box or two holding unnecessary junk.

October-21-2009

Donated:

• 1 jacket
• 1 pair of boots
• 1 dress shirt
• 1 box of soup (it’s expired, but likely still edible – better to donate than toss!)
• 1 pair of legwarmers

old stereo and some old books are going tomorrow and i have sold them too so it’s better than taking them to the tip

it’s about the most i would have got for it, i have had time wasters inquire about it before and it wasn’t a very good dvd player anyway