2014 - destash thread The Year of the Great Purge

[StephMK]

I was not as motivated as I wanted to be today. I have been doing bits and pieces but haven't really finished any projects today.

I put together my new shoe rack and organized the floor of the closet. Bonus is that it only took one so I can return the second one. I'm trying to find some hooks to hang my scarves, purses and belts. So frustrating because I have checked the 3 boxes I would put them in and they aren't there.

In the family room, I put the photos back on the bookcases that I took down during Christmas. I also went through the magazine basket and tossed about 20 of them.

I started my own personal de-cluttering by re-joining WW and attending the first meeting today. It was packed and I hope to get to know some others so I will be even more accountable. My favorite leader from a few years ago was there so I'm hoping that's a good sign!

Some of the basement is done but I still need to put away several totes. I really hope to finish that tomorrow.

It's supposed to be well below 0 tomorrow so I definitely won't be leaving the house all day. My family is still away so I have no excuse to be distracted!

 

[ferrytale]

Attempting to tackle the toy corner & rearrange furniture today...wish me luck!

 

[Cheryl726]

It pains me to do so, but usually, yes. I have a wonderful lady that does alterations, and if she can even remotely save it, we will, but sooner or later, they all get thrown out. ��

Thanks for your reply, it's nice to know I'm not alone!

 

[Debbie]

Peter Walsh January 5: Wrapping Paper Roundup

Apparently, Peter is now going to post his task at 10am EST, for those that want/need it earlier. Happy De-Cluttering!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Last night I sorted another bin of craft stuff in the basement. I didn't empty it but I purged 1/2. I gave quite a bit to DS13 to sell in 8th grade school store, the rest went to goodwill.
Today I am taking some old shutters out of the loft to put in the dumpster. They were here when we moved in 12 years ago and have been shuffled in the loft every since.

Trying to decide if we should stay home today and do more purging or if we should take the kids to see Disney on Ice. We got free tickets from DH's work but the tickets are at the office which is 2.5 hours away and then it's an hour back towards the house to the show. It would kill our whole day.

As for luggage, I don't know. We have a lot of back packs, suitcases, etc. but with 6 of us in the house, we need a lot of bags. I will have to have DH help me go through the bins of back packs. That will probably have to wait until next weekend though.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Peter Walsh January 5: Wrapping Paper Roundup Apparently, Peter is now going to post his task at 10am EST, for those that want/need it earlier. Happy De-Cluttering!

Yay!! I'm glad he is listening to his followers.
Wrapping paper, done. I did that when I put it all away. And I did a major purge last year.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I'll join! Most people tell me I'm a minimalist and a clean freak, but I still feel like I have too much clutter. I guess it's all relative.

I keep my closets pretty well in order and clean out regularly. My pantry is usually pretty bare so not much issue there.

After Xmas I boxed up about 100 DVDs I haven't watched in years to an online reseller. Same with some video games. So now I have an organized entertainment cupboard.

I really only have a few storage bins of unused stuff that I need to sort through for sell/donate/trash, but those same buns have been about a year sitting there

I also have almost zero storage in my kitchen and hate that the cupboards are stuffed to the brim but don't know what to do as I don't really have an excess of gadgets or pots/pans/etc. any tips?

Trying the apartment therapy January cure. I made my list for day one and since I clean my floors every other day all I had to do this weekend was but myself some flowers.

 

[Deffenm]

I finished up our master bedroom and make great progress in the basement. It looks like the kids will get 2 extra holiday vacation days due to weather so I am going to have them work on their rooms.

 

[delmar411]

I don't have any excess of wrapping paper so no need to do that today. I haven't bought holiday paper in years and Im just working through the stash I had so it all now fits into a single wrapping paper holder.

Yesterday I cleaned up the master bedroom and our closet. You can actually walk in there now which is a nice feeling. It is a very small walk in so any clutter makes it bad. I also organized DH's clothes and turned all his hangers other than his work shirts since I know he wears all of those. I need to get rid of a lot of shirts from my side of the closet since they are too big. I lost a lot of weight last year and it is just too hot here to wear big baggy tops. (Looks terrible too) Some of the tops I really like though and I think I could take them in somehow so I think I'm going to see if I can find someone to make alterations and show them what I need done. Has to be cheaper than buying all new tops.

I also got all the laundry washed, folded, and put away. It was an insane amount of build up from when I was sick and exhausted from this new job.

This week Im working more than double what I normally do so not a lot of stuff will get done around here other than sleeping and trying to make it through to next Tuesday.

I need to go to bed here in about an hour so I'm thinking I will just work on making a manageable to-do list for this week.

I did want to say Way To Go!! To everyone on here. You all are definitely on the right path! This decluttering takes a long while and in reality is never really done, it is just a matter of keeping up with hot spots as they occur.

 

[Marshay]

7 totes/boxes are on the street for recycling tomorrow. Yee haw!!! I sorted some bags and 1/2 a box in my craft room. That room is so frustrating. Most of it is scrap booking stuff and I'd love to get back to my books but the thought of storing them is depressing. I would love to go to project life style or digital but the kids love the traditional albums. I also have so many supplies I feel like I have to use at least some of it. I do know disney trips from here out will be digital. The kids school, sports and life albums will be traditional. Not sure what to do with the day to day stuff. Tomorrow I want to tackle the kitchen.

This is what I do as well: WDW trips are digital and life books are traditional.

When I get to my scrapbook room, I am purging a lot!! I have way too much and my techniques have changed or I don't have time for everything I really wanted to do. So out it goes!

I know it will be hard but it will be very good to FIND my scrapbook room again!!

 

[thebeesknees]

Count me in. I NEED to get this place decluttered. We may be moving this year and I don't want to panic every time we have a showing like I did last time. My main goals are the toy room and sewing room by Easter. Then the kids' rooms and my room before school lets out so we can get the house on the market by summer.

 

[dtr_angel]

I was excited for my DH to finally be off yesterday and today and had big plans but the toddler intervened. Didn't get much done and I'm knackered. Wrapping paper is not an issue as I only have a few rolls and they are all in one of those wrapping paper things. Gift bags I organized over the summer... I have a ton (not because I buy them but because I save the ones we get to reuse) I took a sturdy hanger and organized them by type - Christmas, birthday, wedding, baby, plain, etc. Each special occasion has their own hanger. It's awesome! I organized them smallest to biggest too. Tissue paper and bows are in a plastic tub. I worked on some digital clutter yesterday - organized December 2013 pictures/videos and started working on the last of the 2013 photobook before the day went downhill. I also had to finish meal planning and make the shopping list. DH is at the market now. Baby is finally down for nap so working on more digital clutter. I got the coins sorted and wrapped yesterday - over $70 for the vacation fund! Hoping I can get some stuff done during nap time today, I don't want to lose my mojo but I'm so tired I just might. We need to clean the kitchen and bathroom today and I am finishing washing diapers now so I can get my ONE load of laundry done and put away today.

Peter Walsh Day #6 - night stand
Not much to do there. Our night stand is my sock drawers We just brought baby's night stand upstairs a few weeks ago. The top drawer is clothes that are too small for him so I guess I can go ahead and fold sort and get those put away today.

Hope everyone is staying warm

 

[Debbie]

I was looking at my nightstand yesterday and said to myself.....not to worry, I'm sure that this is coming soon. DH is always trying to organize MY nightstand. Grrrr. So I'm looking forward to this task. For those that want to see the video, HERE it is.

 

[ski_mom]

Gift bags I organized over the summer... I have a ton (not because I buy them but because I save the ones we get to reuse) I took a sturdy hanger and organized them by type - Christmas, birthday, wedding, baby, plain, etc. Each special occasion has their own hanger. It's awesome! I organized them smallest to biggest too.

How did you use hangers to organize your gift bags?

 

[Deffenm]

Well DH must have put the kids to work today since they did not have school. My neighbor just sent me a message asking if she could add a toliet to our bulk pickup. She said there is a couch and some other stuff sitting by the curb. DH and the kids must have been cleaning out the basement. School is called off again tomorrow so I wonder what else I can have them do.

 

[superme80]

DH is painting the shelves in the garage. Hopefully he will have it done by next week so we can start putting stuff on the shelves. It will be nice to actually park both cars in the garage!

 

[Debbie]

No school today due to the temperatures and the icy roads. (Salt doesn't work on the roads at this temperature) Peter Walsh Day 7: Get 7 things out of the house and establish a donation basket. Already do the second, so it will be finding 7 things I don't need to go either into the basket or into the trash. Wait! I don't have to hardly move. Whew! That was easy!

I just checked the January Cure post, too. Today is establish an Outbox. These could work together.

 

[dtr_angel]

How did you use hangers to organize your gift bags?

Nothing fancy, but has been so awesome! Just hang them on the hanger! I did mine by size so I can see them. I have a hanger for each different type - birthday, Christmas, baby, wedding, etc. I have a rod in my basement so they are hanging there.

 

[dtr_angel]

Today is DH's 3rd day in a row off but I don't feel like I've gotten very much done. DS has been fighting sleep worse than normal and I'm absolutely knackered. At least last night he decided to go to bed before midnight, on Sunday night it was 2 am. Anyway... yesterday I went through my nightstand even though there was nothing to organize (it holds my socks) but I did finally put some shelf liner down. It was cut and has been loose in the bottom of the drawers forever, lol. I went through the two drawers in DS's night stand. One drawer of tiny baby socks. The top drawer was clothes he had own grown, so I added them to the basket in his closet, folded and organized and stored them away. I keep a basket in his closet to throw clothes in when they get too small which has been awesome. As soon as I get all of the clothes in that size, I fold them and put them in a box with the size marked on them. I also put away the baby movement monitor and stored it away. He's growing up too fast!

I did get a lot of digital clutter taken care of yesterday. I ended up editing 3 photobooks so they are ready to order when shutterfly puts them on a good enough sale.

Kitchen is clean, but still need to do bathroom today.

I already started a box for donations so today's challenge is done. I think I'm going to wait until the end of each month to take the stuff to Goodwill, instead of as soon as I fill a box. I need to do the fridge today. We got a ton of groceries yesterday so the fridge is full. Need to divide up the meat and take it down to the freezer and wipe the shelves down and organize it. It's normally not an issue but it's super full right now.

Hoping to get more shredding done today. No laundry to do today, not even diapers. I love having an empty washer, dryer, and hamper every day!

I hope there is another challenge for February to do. I really like the Peter Walsh one for January. I'm trying not to lose my motivation but I am so tired.

 

[4 Ears]

I did some shredding today. Didn't have much, mostly those pesky credit card offers.
I just started a new job and needed some new foot attire. Tossed the big bag and boxes they came in.

Not a lot but still feels super dee doper