2011 Destashing Thread

[reservations4five]

I have been destashing over the past 6 months. I think that we may have some hoarding issues LOL

I am trying to remember "Simplify" and go from there.

I worked in our laundry room this weekend and got 3 big black trash bags out of just junk and trash. FEELS SO GOOD!!

 

[bridget]

Keep the favorite 2 or three from each year in an acid free art portfolio (sold at places like Michaels) I have 1 for each child. Larger things like paper-mache - let them keep on a shelf for a while (no longer than the end of a school year) and then take a picture of it to add to the portfolio and toss the actual project. I actually wrote a letter to FlyLady about this once and she published it on her site.

I used to save EVERYTHING and with 4 kids - that is a lot. Then one day my MIL came to my house with BOXES and BOXES of stuff from my husbands childhood and school career. Every single project, notebook, everything. It filled an entire corner of our garage. What was I to do with it? He went through the boxes and saved maybe one thing from each year and we tossed the rest. She had lovingly and painstakingly saved and documented all of his school work only for him to throw it out because it was just clutter to us.

That was when I realized, I wanted to save something for each of my children that they could put on a bookshelf when they were adults, not fill their garage with. I went through all of the boxes of my own children's things and made the portfolio's. Now - I am much better about knowing what to get rid of - I just think to myself, "If I had ths from my husbands childhood would I care?" I end up just saving some essays and the nicer artwork each year and thats it. I have regained 2 closets because of it.

THANK YOU!!! I went to Office Max and got some page protectors and am going to get started on this project. I love the idea of taking pictures!!! My mom saved everything!! One spring break I went through all of it and am down to 1 rubbermade tub of my childhood

 

[Applemomma]

I did it! I managed to declutter! Got two kitchen drawers and a huge pot cupboard redone with a big bag of stuff NOT going back in

 

[Greenepona]

My BF and I started this last month, but we are determined to finish.

I reclaimed my house from my ex husband and need to clean it out. All the Junk he left behind, all the bad memories, and who knows what from a year of moving 3x for me. I also need to purge some clothing.

And the last thing... remove and go through everything in the basement. It flooded in early October. I need to figure out whats damaged/ruined and throw it away, and repackage anything salvageable.

this is all in prep for either my BF moving in with me, or me losing my home to foreclosure and having to downsize to an apartment. I really hope for the former, not the latter.

 

[DVCLiz]

I started New Year's Day and worked on my bathroom and bedroom. I cleaned out closets and dresser drawers last year so this was more of a tidying/putting things back after Christmas since I had stored Christmas decorations and other things in my bedroom over the holidays.

It feels great to have it all back and neatly organized. I have divided my house into sections and the first area I am going to complete is an entrance hall, hallway with three closets, guest bath with linen closet, bedroom and master bath, and a small bedroom I use as a den/craft room.

I've done everything except I need to move a chair back into another part of the house from my bedroom when the Christmas tree comes down, and I am about halfway through the sorting of my den/craft supplies. That always takes a lot of time because I usually find a project I put down in the middle and then I want to stop organizing and finish the project!! Still, it will get done...

I am hoping to finish this area of the house by this weekend. I have some other household chores to do and I'm going to Walt Disney World next weekend to celebrate my birthday!!! I'd like to leave knowing I have finished this chunk of my year-long project.

 

[Julia M]

Finished all the drawers in my kitchen and now all are about half full, instead of so full that the drawer can barely close! I have 5 (yes 5!!!!!!) candy thermometers!!!! Why, oh why??????

DH built the IKEA desks for my 2 youngest kids, so we cleaned up their rooms in preparation. Didn't totally declutter youngest ds's room, but made great headway. DD cleaned out her stuffed animals on her own, without me even asking. Really wanting to keep this up-I have alot of momentum!!

Keep up the good work, everyone.

Julia

 

[tikilyn]

I'm on board for 2011!! I can only destash Monday - Friday while dh is at work! He's a boarder line hoarder and doesn't like to throw away anything. He's always saying "just in case we need it". Theres stuff in our garage that hasn't been unpacked since we moved in this house and that was in 2004! In 2009 I emptied 10 rubbermaid containers and didn't tell him untill this December. He didn't miss a thing either but still had a small cow LOL.

I've told him I'm tired of all the junk and it need to go asap! I'm tired of trying to clean a house and when I'm done it's still not clean (because of the junk) and I refuse to let my kids live like this. He has finally agreed to start the process and asked me to be gentle!! lmbo.

So today I cleaned out from under our bed. I actually found my favorite pair of gold earrings under there. Yay me! Now there is only my shoes in an organizer, a box of beanie babies (they gotta go too) and an empty printer box (that will go tomorrow too). I also reorganized my bookshelf and through out old notebooks from when I was in college.

Tomorrow my goal is to clean off the top of my dresser and go through my clothes in my drawers and in my closet!

 

[bridget]

I got quite a bit done on my children's memory keepsakes!! I actually had them help. I'm not done, but it is way better than when we started.

My new rule is going to be to go through everything I've saved at the end of t
A school year! No more waiting 7 years

 

[angierae]

Sunday I went through my closet and got rid of 29 items of clothing that were either worn out, too big, or too small and not likely to be worn again if I lost weight.

Yesterday I went through one of those "random boxes" of stuff that tend to happen when I'm cleaning. "Oh, I don't know what to do with this, I'll put it in this box."

I threw out 12 things in that box and found homes for the rest.

Still trying to decide where tonight's 15 minute declutter area is going to be.

 

[tikilyn]

Today I cleaned off the top of my dresser. It had so much stuff on it and was so dusty. I am ashame to admitt it but it was. It's all cleaned off and it's going to stay that way. Tomorrow I have to hit the downstairs because we are having company and the master bedroom will have to wait a day or two. But I will be back in their Friday first thing in the morning hitting my side of the closet!

 

[MickeyManiac]

I got quite a bit done on my children's memory keepsakes!! I actually had them help. I'm not done, but it is way better than when we started.

My new rule is going to be to go through everything I've saved at the end of t
A school year! No more waiting 7 years

Hahaha! I just started going through my sons school papers. I just finished 2nd grade and my son is a JR in high school now. I saved EVERY paper, every year when he was younger. What was I thinking? Good thing I only have one kid!

 

[PaulaSue]

Well I threw out well over 50 things. Sad to say I found 2 products in my panty that expired in 09. My junk drawer needs a new name too.

 

[mrsklamc]

Well I threw out well over 50 things. Sad to say I found 2 products in my panty that expired in 09. My junk drawer needs a new name too.

That is a hilarious typo.

 

[OceanAnnie]

That is a hilarious typo.

It is.

I cleaned out the fridge.
Donated a large bag yesterday.
I need to get another bag together.
I have Spring/Summer kids clothes all ready to take to consignment.

I'm on a roll. Somewhat.

 

[angierae]

Last night DH and I tackled the bedroom. We threw out THREE GARBAGE BAGS full of stuff, and put together a small box of things to be donated. And we got it all done in 30 minutes. I have one more of our three closets to tackle (they are small closets, all in a row built under the eaves of our finished-attic bedroom) and then the dreaded Under The Bed, and the bedroom will be done.

Tonight, however, is "haul out all the garbage to the curb" night, and that will be my declutter time for today. We have a LOT of stuff going out this week!

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I need to hop in here and do some serious de-stashing, we are moving later this year.

The sewing machine I hate and never use, has to go. The books I've read and are done with have to go. I have that stuff put aside already, just need to drop it off.

I have to go through my kids' bookcase I *shudder* at the thought. Too many.

Dh and I cleaned the garage this weekend, got a bag of trash out and now it's nice and organized.

I need to go through my closet before the move too.

 

[NMW]

I am so onboard with this. I just did all my spices. I threw out everything that was old and bought all new stuff...it was pricey but worth it!

I also did my pantry closet, but I think I re-organize it better, so that's on the list. I am going to do my 3 linen closets next week.

I need to do the 2 junk drawers in my kitchen. I also want to organize my DD's American girl clothing, Bitty Baby clothing, Barbie & Liv girl dolls and their junk much better this year. I need to go and look at different storage bins for this.

I did some basement clearing this week in our storage area. I have more to go there, but it looks so much better. I threw out old Christmas decorations, a toddler bed, old speakers, old dishes and glasses. It felt so good to get rid of that junk. I can't wait to do more. There is a little old man in a pick-up truck that goes around our neighborhood and picks things from people's garbage. I know he took the speakers, the dishes and the toddler bed. I told my husband that he is going to love coming to our house over the next few months with his pick-up!

 

[Soarin_04]

I'm now inspired!

While putting away the Christmas decorations yesterday, I pitched a lot of homemade ornaments from the boys (how many construction paper candy canes does a person need?), boxed up some Christmas stuff we no longer even put out for Salvo's and threw out a bunch of just butt ugly ones. I started with six boxes of Christmas stuff. I'm now down to three.

The medicine chest has now been dumped and cleaned out, also. Expired cough meds are now in the trash.

Anyone have a livingroom like mine? Too many tlotchkes all over the place that need to be dusted? I've had enough! In ten minutes, I'm boxing and storing or boxing and taking them to Salvo's.

Tomorrow, it's the den / office. If there are no posts from me in a week, it means the dust bunnies got me. Send reinforcements!

 

[angierae]

I'm now inspired!
Anyone have a livingroom like mine? Too many tlotchkes all over the place that need to be dusted? I've had enough! In ten minutes, I'm boxing and storing or boxing and taking them to Salvo's.

Last month I took a huge four shelf stand full of stuff like that and got rid of 90% of it. the stuff that was my daughter's is now in her room, the picture frames are in other places around the house, a LOT of stuff got thrown out, and a few things I actually wanted got moved elsewhere. I got SO tired of dusting that huge thing every week. I kept saying I was going to buy a display cabinet with glass doors for them all, and I never did, so now only the ones with any sentimental value are left.

 

[acename]

So things haven't been going well on the destashing front. Two sick kids kind of put a damper on things. But I have made a bit of progress. I have two boxes of toys plus a few random things of mine (clothes, books, shoes) to go to Goodwill. I also threw away a few things in the kitchen: an old cookie sheet that burns everything now (why in the world was I keeping it?!), some plastic containers that were all stained up. Finally, I used up a few lotions and shampoos that were almost empty I just hadn't gotten around to using them. So I guess I got a few things done, it's just all random so I don't see the progress just yet.

So my goals for the next couple of days are the freezer and pantry since that seems to be the biggest problem as far as functioning every day. I also need to get the rest of my Christmas stuff put away because I know there are some things the can go.