2015 destash - Purge Purge Purge, Purge is the word

[dpswift]

So far so good. I've already donated 3 boxes of clothing, shoes, and some toys. But I've decided to try something really radical. I realized that I am pretty much washing the same clothes during the week and still have some pretty stocked (though neatly and better organized now) closets and dressers. So, I'm thinking I should just pull 2 weeks worth of outfits, pajamas, and necessities (shoes and winter coats and stuff like that of course) for everybody, and see if we can really learn to live with less. I think we could do it and It should make parting with more things much easier. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

I think it will go fine. DD 19, DS 23 and I have a very basic wardrobe. DH and DD 21 have very extensive wardrobes. DH refuses to part with anything, however wears the same clothes. DD 21 is constantly buying clothes but wears the same things.

 

[3boymthr]

So far so good. I've already donated 3 boxes of clothing, shoes, and some toys. But I've decided to try something really radical. I realized that I am pretty much washing the same clothes during the week and still have some pretty stocked (though neatly and better organized now) closets and dressers. So, I'm thinking I should just pull 2 weeks worth of outfits, pajamas, and necessities (shoes and winter coats and stuff like that of course) for everybody, and see if we can really learn to live with less. I think we could do it and It should make parting with more things much easier. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

It's very doable especially if you select pieces that mix and match. I used to do that back when I was unable to afford a ton of clothes. I just had a lot of pieces that could be switched around to make more than two weeks worth of outfits. I also had two weeks worth of acessories like scarves etc that could be mixed and matched to make my outfits feel different.

 

[bcwife76]

I like to check in here once a week with my progress, but unfortunately this week just got away from me. Busy with life and then some family drama

So instead my list is now growing and WILL be completed by this time next weekend: clean out bed side tables, go through bookcase in masterbedroom, clear off the tops of all dressers (this seems to be a dumping ground in each bedroom), go through kitchen junk drawer.

 

[StephMK]

Whew, I drank a whole pot of coffee today and it paid off. I think the trick is that I can't really think about the project too much, I just have to jump in. When I think about it, I know how much work it will be and avoid it!

I caught DS in his room and we tackled his closet. We collected a full laundry basket of clothes that don't fit, a pair of dress shoes, and lots of toys - some to donate and some to move to the basement. His closet looks awesome now. We are hanging some shelves tomorrow and got him a new trash can, fabric bin for his desk, and lamp shade to match his new room. I painted it this summer but we have slowly been fixing up the rest of it.

DD20 came home this weekend. Last night, I cleared out some of the stuff we had been storing in there and put up her new curtains. She went through her clothes today and collected a trash bag full of clothes. She also went through and donated about 10 dresses she no longer wears.

While we were doing that, DD14 rearranged some of her closet and moved things out too. Plus put away all of her clothes that collect in her chair.

The hall was full of stuff and I got DH to help us carry stuff where it needed to go during halftime. I got it put away but know I need to go back through parts of the basement. We are still storing too much stuff like craft supplies.

I found out the charity I want to support has a new donation center near us so now I don't have to wait for the fill a truck. I plan to take everything over there on Tuesday on my way home from work. I'm going to load it into my trunk tomorrow.

I cannot wait to get everything out of here!! I know it will be so much faster to clean if our rooms are all pared down and neater.

 

[MAJPLO]

Still hoping to get more done today but so far I've cleaned out three drawers and added quite a bit to my donation boxes which should be picked up tomorrow. Made a few bucks on swap site items last night and should be a few things picked up and paid for today as well. Still need to fold about three loads of laundry....

 

[3forme]

Hi everyone.
I came across this and figured this is exactly what I need. I've been clearing stuff little by little, but I'm loosing motivation. Today I tackled the plastic ware. Even though you can't really see it my whole kitchen feels cleaner!

 

[StephMK]

We had a handyman come out today to replace our leaking disposal. He also hung some shelves, fixed a window, hung some towel bars, fixed a door frame the dog scratched up, and wired a smoke detector. We are not handy and I am horrible at hanging things securely. It felt so good to get all these little projects done and it was not expensive.

While he worked, I kept going with my projects. Bagged up some sheet sets & towels to donate, put away baskets of things that needed to go other rooms, and cleaned up.

We have lots of extra bath supplies and I moved them from the upstairs linen closet floor to some empty shelves in the basement bath. Now there are just a few extras in a box and the extra TP on the floor in that closet. It looks so much better!

When DH got home, we drove over to Best Buy & recycled an old tube TV and some broken items - a vacuum, answering machine, karaoke machine, ipod dock, and cable box. Small pile gone from garage and TV finally off our floor!

DD20 went back to school and took our old blender and toaster and one of her coffee mugs.

It feels so good to make some more progress. The more I get rid of, the more I want to clear out. School starts back tomorrow so projects will slow back down again.

 

[OceanAnnie]

....I've started giving gifts that are rather "emotional less" (if that makes sense)... practical things like fancy shampoo, restaurant gift cards, etc. I didn't want my family (mostly my parents and kids) feel like they had to hold on to EVERYTHING I give them for sentimental reasons! And I've started trying to part with some of my stuff (things that only have meaning to me). I know that my family (mostly my DD) would be paralyzed with guilt and emotional attachment if something were to happen to me and my "stuff" needed to be sorted. And I can see my parents starting to clean out, pare down, and sort stuff.... and I have given them my full blessing to say good-bye to anything I've ever given them (except for my love and the grandkids!). NO guilt, no emotional attachment! Enjoy it, use it, part with it!

Anyhow.... all of that was to say I UNDERSTAND about the lamp!

****************

Off to try and finish up my list before I have to leave to pick up DS!.......P

It does make sense and I think it's brilliant. I'm going to follow suit. Thanks for understanding about the lamp!

Today I took 2 1/2 large bags to donation. It felt so good. Lots of winter wear, cds dvds all sorts of things. I know the things will be put to good use.
Then I took umpteen bags to recycle.

My DH has been taking bins from the attic for me to sort through and putting them in my living room and dining room. I can't stand to see them out like that. It's not far from our front entrance! So I have to attend to them right away. I don't think I like the scared straight method. I like to have them out of the way, but sometimes when they are out of the way they don't get timely attention. I guess he's pretty smart about it.

I was on a roll sorting through things until I got hung up on some small little pots the kids painted long ago for Mother's day. They had cut out flowers in their pre-school way and stuck them in green paper inside the pots. I stood there trying to talk myself into throwing them out. The flowers were faded and drooped. But I just couldn't. I put them in the window of my laundry room instead. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[MAJPLO]

Ahhhh so nice to go to bed with a clean house. I still have more laundry to fold but I got a decent amount done today. Three drawers, filled some donate boxes, got recycling ready to go, bunch of trash ready to go out, maintained the kid papers (got a few stragglers to put in binder tomorrow), maintained the playroom, cleared off the top of my nightstand and a couple of shelves, folded some of the laundry, and made money form swap site porch pick up stuff. We also got the cars serviced today which had been needing to be done.

Busy week ahead so hopefully I can add a little more to the destashing but I can't imagine it will be a ton.

 

[njmom47]

I guess I haven't posted since the 2014 thread so here I am.
Got rid of 2 bags of hangers over the weekend. That's about it lately.
My new Freecycle group is much different since Yahoo groups changed things, and no one seems to pay much attention anymore. I don't like the actual Freecycle goup (if just feels like people are begging for free things that I can't even afford to buy for myself ) so I've tried a couple of "free" (and "cheap") groups on FB. I'm really trying!!!

 

[3forme]

I cleaned underneath our vanities today. Cleared out some old toiletries. Yeah! Also got rid of boxes of recyclables. It accumulates so fast.

 

[MAJPLO]

What?!?! Got a message from DH today that the donation truck came but didn't pick up????? When I got home I saw that they had taken most of the stuff but left one box because their truck was full. DH also added a box before he realized that they had already picked up. Oh well. I can put it out next time I guess.

I threw out some things from my classroom today also. I don't want to get too craY in there but I know I have a bunch of stuff I won't use again. Hopefully I will keep this attitude at work and get rid of more things as I come across what I don't need.

Tonight I need to put together some kind of chicken casserole for tomorrow night and get the last of the laundry folded. If I can get more than that done I will be thrilled.

 

[tnd]

I have finally tackled the nightmare that is our laundry room. We had stacks of outgrown clothes and linens in baskets. I re-washed and folded everything. I filled 2 large bins of outgrown clothes from each of my older children. My youngest daughter won't need any clothes. I am also donating a stack of old, ratty towels to my son's school for a pet shelter. I am also going to donate nearly all of the old bed linens for the queen sized bed we are no longer using. Additionally, I am filling up garbage bags of old clothes and shoes to donate. I am tossing the really worn out things.

I also cleaned out several of my purses and backpacks. I found a $50 Disney gift card we forgot to use on our last trip, a $20 Starbucks gift card, and a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card, along with $6 cash.

My next two goals are to organize and de-clutter my bedroom (more stacks of clothes!) and set up the baby's room. She's 2.5 months old now and I think we will be moving her out of the bassinet soon.

 

[yeahdisney]

2 weekends ago DH had a really really bad cold cough and it was -35 degrees so I tackled my walk in closet in the other room away from him. Took out one large trash bag of clothes to donate. One large bag of stuff I decided was trash. Also cleaned out two bathrooms and under the kitchen sink. We changed a cabinet unit in the kitchen and we lost five shelves/drawers so I paired those down too. DD 16 decided to clean her bedroom last weekend. She got rid of one big bag of clothes and one big bag of trash and then decided to vacuum it herself, you go girl.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

The silly thing is I have a really nice expensive shredder, the kind that eats staples, disk, credit cards, etc.

One Box at a time, 7 boxes a week. Till its all gone.

But today is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLexgOxsZu0

You got me going on the paper work. Got the shredder out, files boxes with hanging folders and dividers all ready to start the 2015 year too.
Love the video, lol.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Hi, I'm new to the thread. But I wanted to join in.

I'm on a war path to clear out our crap. I just turned 32. Our family of five has 3 kids. We've moved, I dunno like 27 times and we still have boxes packed from like forever ago.

I'm getting to the point in my life where its times to clear out all the clutter and crap.

So far this year we have :

Mounted the living room TV on the wall and cleared out the entire TV console

Clean out the entire garage, organized the tool workshop, cleaned out all the Christmas decorations

Clean out the entry way coat closet

Clear out the entry way shoe organizers

Cleaned out and re-organized the master closet

Clean out and re-organized the master bathroom

Cleared out the kids bathroom vanity

A dozen or so miscellaneous chores that we really should do more often, clean the shelves above the fridge, take down and wash all the ceiling fan light globes, scrub clean all the window sills, cleaned out all the drawers on the buffet server, etc.

I've got a punch list of manageable tasks, rather than just having a big long list of " clean the house" stuff.

oh dang, forgot to add, we found an entire box of "shred" from like 4 years ago and put our 8 year old to work, he thought it was the best thing ever and has asked me everyday after school if I found anymore

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I like to check in here once a week with my progress, but unfortunately this week just got away from me. Busy with life and then some family drama

So instead my list is now growing and WILL be completed by this time next weekend: clean out bed side tables, go through bookcase in masterbedroom, clear off the tops of all dressers (this seems to be a dumping ground in each bedroom), go through kitchen junk drawer.

I like checking in also to keep motivated!

Liking that list! I had an off week too. But, the bedside table and dresser tops were my second tanger spot. Dh is on midnights sleeping days so I will wait for his shifts to end. I have paper work and files I'm still digging out.


I went into a storage closet and found so many boxes to just ditch. Felt great making the space.

 

[3forme]

My laundry room closet is now clean and organized. It's my catch all, put it here, get it out of sight, I'll put it away later closet.

 

[dtr_angel]

I cleaned out our vitamin/medicine shelf in the kitchen yesterday and was surprised to find a bunch of expired stuff. Looks so much better now!

Oh and all that raving I did about my awesome laundry system... I am so far behind lol. I think that is what I need to do today. I'll probably work some more on my scrapbook while DS is napping. I need to finish our 2014 photo book. I haven't even started our October or December vacation photo books. Aye... back to work!

I hope everyone has a productive weekend!

 

[dtr_angel]

Oh I forgot to add, when DH took our load to the recycling center the other day they took all our batteries.

I have a couple random things that I don't know what to do with. An electric blanket that works we just don't use, and a box of brand new toys from happy meals/kids meals. Any ideas?

Does anyone tie dye? I have a few packs of dye powder if anyone can use them. I also have a paradise pier patch and a thick California adventure postcard. No clue how I ended up with them, I've never been to Disneyland, lol.