2013 Destash- this is the year!

[hellow]

We have outbuildings that have become dumping grounds for adult children's things that they don't want to get rid of but don't have room for.

One of the buildings at one time was a pool building. There is so much furniture and stuff in there that when the census lady came out to our house a few years ago, we caught her looking in the windows to make sure it wasn't someone's home!

 

[cupcakefairy2u]

I need this! We moved here 2 1/2 years ago and I still have BOXES! Hoping this will be the inspiration I need!

Good to know I am not alone I moved here 4 1/2 years ago and I have boxes in 2 of our 3 attics that I have not even looked into since the day I packed it up .

 

[MAJPLO]

Anyone have any tips on how to have a stamp collection appraised? I was given my great grandma's stamp collection and it is all sitting in a box. Can't just get rid of it, don't really know what to do with it. This is one of my many boxes of clutter!

 

[mrsklamc]

Wow...purged spices, glassware/dishes and pots/pans today- can't believe how much is headed to Goodwill! I love it!

 

[Applemomma]

I'm in....I'm a clutter bug by nature so you can imagine what my house is like. But this is the year for that to end. 2013 is going to be a huge year for me as my husband and I just decided to divorce....so without a doubt my life is going to be 100% changed. I've decided that now's the time to reclaim myself and one concrete way of doing that is to reclaim this house. I've realized how much our marriage has held me back from being me and I think that's 90% of why my house looks the way it does. So after 22 years of marriage I'm going to start doing things my way...right down to what's in my cupboards!!!

Wish me luck!!

 

[jkCT]

Cleaned out the things hanging in my closet that I haven't worn in 2 years, finished changing over to winter clothes and put the two big storage bins away...ended up with a small bag of clothes to trash, and a BIG bag of clothes to donate! Also cleaned out my part of the cabinet in the bathroom...why the heck did I have 7 bottles of nail polish when I probably wear nail polish a total of 30 days each year??!?

 

[jenluvs2go2disney]

Great thread. I have been more of a lurker, but wanted to join in.

My goal for the year is to try and get rid of 10 things a day going forward. For example, it could be throw away 10 pieces of paper. I need to keep a donate and sell box out to add to daily.

I am making an appt at the consignment shop for next week when the kids go back to school to take a load of stuff there and drop the rest next door at goodwill.

I cleaned out my downstairs hall closet and organized it. I had been throwing stuff in here to hide it over the holidays.

I also went through my youngest DS's room today. He helped me quite a bit. He is only 4 and thought it was fun to make piles of donate, sell, and throw the trash. We got rid of a ton of clothes that he has outgrown and some old baby stuff. I even filled a bag of trash. He is still in a toddler bed and we plan on redoing his room in the spring, so this will be a step in the right direction.

I still have to go through the 2 bins of clothes in his closet that are hand me downs from my oldest DS and clearance stuff that I bought for this year. I need to make a list of what he has/needs, so I don't over buy.

This week, I also want to go through my oldest DS's room too.

Off to a great start!

 

[tlh0726]

I'm in....I'm a clutter bug by nature so you can imagine what my house is like. But this is the year for that to end. 2013 is going to be a huge year for me as my husband and I just decided to divorce....so without a doubt my life is going to be 100% changed. I've decided that now's the time to reclaim myself and one concrete way of doing that is to reclaim this house. I've realized how much our marriage has held me back from being me and I think that's 90% of why my house looks the way it does. So after 22 years of marriage I'm going to start doing things my way...right down to what's in my cupboards!!!

Wish me luck!!

You go girl!

 

[joybeth]

I have lurked previous years destashing threads and really wanted to join. I am going to do this this year! I am going to start with my bedroom. I come in here and think to myself, I spent MONEY on all of this stuff. Good luck to everyone!

 

[Namsupak]

I'm in too! We want to move this summer but there's no way we could put our house on the market with all the clutter. Today I went through my closet and packed up my maternity clothes. DS is 3.5 months old so it's time I finally went through it. I plan on finishing the closet this week and working on the master bedroom. Thanks for the great ideas so far

 

[lillygator]

I'm in......DH and I just talked about this today....he is onboard too.

 

[carebee21]

Went through all of our Christmas totes and decorations and we had a combination of 7 big black garbage bags full of things to donate and toss. I got all of our decorations down to one big-sized tote, which will make moving so much easier.

My goal for this month is to go through our coat closet and purge the coats/gloves/umbrellas. I also want to go through my half of the closet and my dresser and convince DH to do the same. I do a decent job of keeping up with my son's closet and dresser, but do a horrible job keeping up with my own.

 

[Promomx2]

Okay, count me in. But does this mean I have to actually go in my ds's (17)room? I actually did some today, went through dd's kindergarten dresses. She's only 26 with her own daughter now. But it was fun, she kept some dresses for her daughter and I have a huge bag full of things to take to goodwill. Tomorrow I plan on going through christmas decorations boxes before I put them in attic.

 

[StephMK]

I'm in....I'm a clutter bug by nature so you can imagine what my house is like. But this is the year for that to end. 2013 is going to be a huge year for me as my husband and I just decided to divorce....so without a doubt my life is going to be 100% changed. I've decided that now's the time to reclaim myself and one concrete way of doing that is to reclaim this house. I've realized how much our marriage has held me back from being me and I think that's 90% of why my house looks the way it does. So after 22 years of marriage I'm going to start doing things my way...right down to what's in my cupboards!!!

Wish me luck!!

That is a major change but congrats on making plans to make YOU happy! I'm sorry you had to make that kind of decision but sounds like you have a great attitude about your future.

I finished my bath cabinet & drawer and found my favorite nail polish that I lost this summer. I got rid of some stuff and now know that I do not need to buy any bath products for quite some time. My makeup drawer is all organized & pretty now. The bedroom & bath look really good and feel much more relaxing without laundry sitting around & stuff jammed into the cabinets.

Tomorrow I want to hit DD & DS's rooms. We go through their rooms every couple months so they shouldn't need much work. I just need to see what clothes they don't wear and get them donated.

I have been ignoring the holiday decorations so that I can get some of these other projects done first. I will get the decorations put away this weekend, if not before. I'm ready for a clean, decluttered house. We have too many Christmas decorations but most are sentimental so I put them all out.

 

[peigirl]

I'm in too! Today, I declutter a kitchen cupboard that had so much plastic food savers - tops without bottoms and bottoms without tops...also convinced DH to take the Christmas decorations down, and tossed a few old ones at the same time.

Back to work tomorrow so this weekend, I will work on DS7 room and my clothes.

DD20 is going to Orlando with her college class for the Professional Convention Management Association meetings so we are doing a makeover on her room...she is decluttering and packing the stuff she wants to keep in boxes as I type.

DD17 is constantly decluttering so I do not have to go near her room at all.

I do want to get in the habit of tossing 10 things a day and also make a list of every drawer, closet, room, etc that has to be decluttered.

Paula

 

[poohguys]

I am in I have several bags of clothes that DS has outgrown to pass down to one of my
friends at work for her son. Lots of old magazines to go through for anything good and then throw out. And plenty of other things I need to tackle!

 

[k_reile]

I finished my entry way junk drawers and cabinets. I also went through 2 of my dresser drawers...that had been a long time coming. I also caught up on all of my laundry and cleaned the house. Still lots more to do but at least the house looks picked up...I just shut the door to the playroom for now...that is a disaster. I will have to do that when DS is away or sleeping because he wants to keep everything (he's 4). DH wants to clean out our spare bedroom this weekend, so that we can fix it up and make it into an office for now.

 

[mjantz]

I did a lot of little things today. No room was finished but there's stuff to take to the resale shop & the used bookstore. Also there's a lot more counter space. The battle continues tomorrow!! I think I may tackle the linen closet. Too much stuff stuffed in there. Needs some organization.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Anyone have any tips on how to have a stamp collection appraised? I was given my great grandma's stamp collection and it is all sitting in a box. Can't just get rid of it, don't really know what to do with it. This is one of my many boxes of clutter!

Oh my god! Do not get rid of them or sell them without doing some research and getting a few appraisals. You could have some very valuable ones in her collection. Maybe even call a few museums that could point you in the right direction.

 

[foreUT]

Love this thread! Last year I got some great inspiration to attack my own home and my parent's (they moved there in 1967), both of which needed major decluttering and emptying (in my parent's case.) Lots of stuff to SA and Goodwill, a truck load from the garage to the landfill when the city had free dump day, and numerous items on CL for free that I wanted out of the house asap. My husband was working out of state, so I just made decisions and purged. More to do this year and still don't have my parent's home finished (plumbing problems and a gas leak made working there difficult; still need to get plumbing repaired), but I feel so much better about life in general. "Stuff" can be such a negative.

Thanks for all the tips. No matter how far I travel on this road, there are always some great ideas shared that make it easier!