What did you declutter today? 2012 Edition

[baconexplosion]

I went through the kids' clothes and toys. I found quite a bit to purge. We take them to the local mission/consignment shop.

[acat29020]

Recently we cleaned out all of our Christmas decorations that we never use. We have SO many that we haven't put up in years. Felt great!

[My English Castle]

I still have my mom's stuff to deal with--but I made a big bag for Purple Heart that they happily picked up in the subzero weather yesterday. More --indeed mountain more--to come.
Oh--and I sold a book today that will make it to the PO tomorrow.

[disneysteve]

I don't want to forget about this thread.

Yesterday, I cleared a bunch of notes and papers off my dresser.

Today, I finally used one of the XL ziploc bags we bought to store an extra blanket. Works great like those expensive Space Bags they sell. Put in the blanket, zip the seal almost all the way and insert the vacuum hose, suck out the air and the blanket gets very flat and slide it into the closet. Keeps it clean and takes up very little space.

[disneysteve]

I did a little file cabinet cleaning and reorganizing tonight. My one desk file drawer was packed and I really needed to free up some space. I realized that I had previous year's taxes in there dating back to 2004. While I want to keep that stuff, it doesn't need to be instantly accessible at my fingertips. I cleared some stuff out of another file cabinet that is harder to access (strange design - top "drawer" doesn't slide out. The top flips up) and moved the old tax files into there. So I got rid of unneccesary stuff and freed up space where needed.

[My English Castle]

I'm such a paper hoarder--but fed up with the articles I've been saving for someday, I threw out a huge pile of paper this week, gave a bag of kid's clothes to the dept secretary, and sold a book. I also "decluttered" several no-show students from my online class!

[disneysteve]

Since the last post, I've done some further work in the files including some end-of-year purging as I start gathering everything for taxes.

I was doing some repair work in the house last weekend and today and realized just how totally unorganized my tools and supplies are. I think I'm going to attack that next which will also please my wife as she wants the basement cleaned up. I'll post my progress - maybe I'll snap some "before" pics. On the original decluttering thread, I was posting before and after pics of some spaces.

[Shaabenanizer]

Yes! The 2 rug runners I've been hoarding because my late cat like them was picked up this morning by a Craig Lister. I had the runners in the free section of CL and later after the guy took them away and I went to take the post off CL, I found more email inquiries of people offering money for them! Still, I don't think I would feel right taking money because as my cat got older he frequently deposited his vomits on those runners even though I cleaned those runners with a carpet cleaner.

Next step, take the Christmas white elephants/regifts to Goodwill.

[Shaabenanizer]

Met up with my sister last week and handed over several freshly washed twin size sheets and pillow cases for her kids. Next on the decluttering to-do list is make a trip to Goodwill and unload the white elephant gifts (clearly re-gifted) from my parents. Funny how they get so mad that I donate their re-gifts to charity when they clearly don't want the items in the first place. I don't tell them about getting rid of their re-gifts but they somehow figure it out.

[disneysteve]

Once again, I've gotten off track. On Friday, I did bag up a pile of clothes to give away. Now I just need to actually take the bag to Goodwill.

[Bades]

I seem to have wayyyy too many t-shirts - I have favorite t-shirts that I can no longer fit into, but for some reason keep them in my dresser anyway.

I really need to go through my dressers and closet and just get rid of things I haven't worn in a long time. Give them to Goodwill.

[Bades]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

Now I just need to actually take the bag to Goodwill.

that always seems to be the hard part!

[glycemic]

Ya I find it hard to get started as almost everywhere has de-clutter needs.

Best for me has been to pick 1 area or task and stick with it until it's completed.
It's usually the area we spend the most time, and then work back from there -- the kitchen is the center point of our home and where I usually begin!

[mom-from-missouri]

Nothing yet. Husband is on nights and sleeping now--and I have a corner in the bedroom to sort thru--in this corner I keep totes of items to donate or sell. The local center just switched over so next week they will start taking spring/summer clothing, so I need to pull all that out. But will have to wait till he wakes up for work--that is tonights project.

I was going to work outside today, but this freak snow (was 70 yesterday) prevented that.

[MKKShah]

Seems like just the thread for us.

My Wife and I, as part of our new years resolution cleaned out all the old junk at our house. We shredded 10 years worth of credit card offers, statements, coupons and junk mails. I am a pack rat, and have not thrown anything in all these years. Also threw out the old clothes, and unused home appliances. The junk from our house when everything was done was 70 (that's not a typo) 30-gallon trash bags worth of stuff.

Our house now feels light. We feel light. And I feel like actually staying inside the house. Loving it. De-cluttering our house was the first step. We are also in the process of decluttering / paying attention to our finances now. Something we have neglected for way too long. 2012 has been good so far.

[mom-from-missouri]

Originally Posted by Shaabenanizer

Met up with my sister last week and handed over several freshly washed twin size sheets and pillow cases for her kids. Next on the decluttering to-do list is make a trip to Goodwill and unload the white elephant gifts (clearly re-gifted) from my parents. Funny how they get so mad that I donate their re-gifts to charity when they clearly don't want the items in the first place. I don't tell them about getting rid of their re-gifts but they somehow figure it out.

Years ago a lady I worked with received some regifted dishes that she thought were just plain ugly from her inlaws. She donated them to a local thrift store. Her mother in law saw them and didn't realize they were donated by her and bought them and gave them to her the next year, so that she would have a larger set of dishes....lol. Your comment reminded me of that story!

[Shaabenanizer]

Originally Posted by MKKShah

SThe junk from our house when everything was done was 70 (that's not a typo) 30-gallon trash bags worth of stuff.

My jaw did a drop until I remember cleaning out my parents' house after their divorce (stubborn bastards refused to clean up after their own messes, as usual) and suddenly that number makes sense.

Our house now feels light. We feel light. And I feel like actually staying inside the house. Loving it.

Yup, it's a great cathartic feeling!

[Shaabenanizer]

Originally Posted by mom-from-missouri

Years ago a lady I worked with received some regifted dishes that she thought were just plain ugly from her inlaws. She donated them to a local thrift store. Her mother in law saw them and didn't realize they were donated by her and bought them and gave them to her the next year, so that she would have a larger set of dishes....lol. Your comment reminded me of that story!

D'OH! The vicious cycle of regifting, at least the thrift store made some pretty penny out of the deal.

Today I went to Goodwill and dropped off a bag of clothes from my roommate, an old suitcase from dear ol mummsie, and couple of small useless Christmas items from dear ol dad. Couple years ago dad regifted butter knives to my 6 years old niece. I always wondered what my sister did with those knives.

[Maismom]

I will declutter my purse. I have so much junk in it

[disneysteve]

My wife reminded me that we were going to clean off the spare desk in the office for her to use for scrapbooking or whatever and it was still covered with junk. I can't say I got it clear but I did go through some of the stuff and reduce the pile before moving on to some other tasks. I'll work more on it this week.

I did some more tax prep stuff which cleared out a couple of files and unneeded papers.