What did you declutter today? Part II

[snafu]

MH: Kudos reducing flatware, moving tools,collectibles, supplies to where their likely to be used and donate-ables that fill your trunk, car and cartons in your foyer.

I imagine anyone clearing cabinets readying for Passover or Spring would save themselves a significant amount of work lugging boxes to and from storage by trashing anything broken/chipped/stained, boxing no longer used/loved items for their annual yard sale and donations to bless someone who will use and enjoy it. Sometimes we buy kitchenware believing it will help with meal preparation...only to find the item disappoints. It's now clutter...let it go.

It effective to dump kitchen hand tools into a shoe box. Each time you use an item, it gets returned to the crock on the counter or drawer. At the end of two weeks, anything remaining in the box goes to secondary storage. By Christmas, anything not recovered from that shoe box can likely go to donations.

[disneysteve]

I imagine anyone clearing cabinets readying for Passover or Spring would save themselves a significant amount of work lugging boxes to and from storage by trashing anything broken/chipped/stained, boxing no longer used/loved items for their annual yard sale and donations to bless someone who will use and enjoy it.

Have you been eavesdropping at our house?

We have 2 built-in storage closets in the basement where we keep our Passover dishes, glassware, cookware, etc. as well as our formal dinnerware, silver, serving pieces and such for other entertaining. Both of those closets need to be decluttered badly. I'm hoping that this year, before we put everything back in the closets, we will sort through what is there that isn't needed and isn't getting used and get it out of there, allowing us to nicely organize the stuff we are using and keeping.

[shanecurran]

my old car was in bad shape. I was able to find a decent used car. My old car was sitting in the driveway waiting for repair so that I could sell it. I needed new brakes on my new car and traded work and some cash in exchange for the old piece of junk. I probably could have received a better price, but I decluttered my driveway, am able to cancel the insurance on my old car, have my new car running well and don't have to worry about the hassle of selling my car.

[marvholly]

Snafu
Unlike Steve, some friends & family I do not do the dish/pot/pan changeover for Passover.

As part of my April goals/spring cleaning I went over the shoes on the shelf in my closet – Had 26 boxes of non-everyday shoes (those are on the floor). Put 4 into donate pile. NOTE: I am NOT a shoe shopaholic. Of the 26 pair 5 are VERY dress up and 17 I got when my Mom passed away. Now that I am not working I AM starting to use these 17. Tossed my ‘winter kill’ shoes & a worn out pair of Reeboks. Will use the flip-flops on my closet floor for the next 6 months or so.
Recycled a bunch of plastic dry clean bags from the closet shelf. Found 2 plastic bags that fit the kitty litter box-moved those to that area.

[marvholly]

Repurposed the shoe boxes from Thur for damaged ones in use. Recycled the damaged boxes.

[My English Castle]

I offered up a couple things on the university reflector list and will take an apron, some cups and a few other things to school tomorrow. I've also found some more of DD's outgrown clothes that need to be doled out. I've now got a big box in the kitchen for the things of my mom's I listed on ebay. If they don't sell, they're going by the end of the week. I took more than a dozen professional journals to the coffee room at school. They're gone too.

Must do more

[marvholly]

I REALLY need to get over to the charity shops and do a couple drop offs. I have a carload of stuff + a pile in the foyer + more in the closet(s) to go. I do NOT count the stuff as decluttered until I actually drop it all off.

I do have a small pile (8 pc) to take to DD1 on Tue.

[My English Castle]

The outgrown kid's clothes and apron and Disney Princess place mat are now doled out to eager recipients. More tomorrow I Hope!

[marvholly]

This isn't really decluttering but.........
I emptied a large coffee can on Mon. I have been keeping my bread ends and inner scoops in an (Ithought) old metal (turns out had a best buy date of 1/04) can until I make breadcrumbs or coutons. I switched the cans and recycled the metal one.

[My English Castle]

Newspapers! Lots of them! Out!

[marvholly]

I SOOO need to get back to this.

Weather here has been so wet & cold I have not been able to take out trash & recyle (alley floods). I have not wanted to take my PILES of stuff in both the house & car to the charity shops to donate. Each 'pile' = about 3 trips from the car to the shop and from the house to the car to the shop.

I am almost done looking at places for my Dad. Few more calls and maybe 2 more visits and 2 follow up calls for more info. Hopefully I will finish this week.

[My English Castle]

I've got a big box of DD's stuff in the kitchen that should make it somewhere soon. But today's triumph was hauling a bunch of stuff to the university to folks. I also delivered a long overdue birthday present to a friend.

[cheapwine]

At the suggestion of many of the members here, I have decided to start decluttering a little bit on a daily basis. Today I decluttering the top shelf of my bookcase in the study. I took all of the stuff that I had piled on the books and either found a new place for it, threw it away, or will donate it to charity. The first of what I hope will be many small steps in the months to come.

[disneysteve]

At the suggestion of many of the members here, I have decided to start decluttering a little bit on a daily basis. Today I decluttering the top shelf of my bookcase in the study. I took all of the stuff that I had piled on the books and either found a new place for it, threw it away, or will donate it to charity. The first of what I hope will be many small steps in the months to come.

That's great. Every great journey begins with a single step. Keep posting updates on your progress. On the original thread, I was actually posting before and after pictures of some of the areas I was decluttering. Even if you don't post them, it can be great to take some just for you to see your accomplishments.

[snafu]

Kudos Cheeapwine for taking the 1st step in the declutter process. It is helpful to turn on the stove timer to 20 minutes and work through the bookcase, shelf-by-shelf. When the bell dings, you're finished for the day If you have books you'll never read again, sell/consign, offer to someone you believe will enjoy or add to your donate box and make room for new reading material. A magazine holder on the bottom shelf is effective for paper control as well.

It helps to declare 'No Clutter' zone on all flat surfaces. For example, Incoming mail needs it's own designated place. We use an umbrella holder for junk mail at the door; it never gets into the house. A sturdy, red vinyl envelop for incoming mail is on the desk, easy to review later.

Our most important decision was to eliminate an old item whenever a new item came in. It's remarkable how easy it is to have your home serve you when you banish clutter. If you don't use it, don't love it...it's Clutter. Most often, items are just in the wrong place. Keep items as close to where you use it as practical, make it easy to put away.