Can I join you? We've outgrown our house but we can't afford to move yet so the only option we have is to purge a LOT of unused stuff (which is great because I'm sick of cleaning it all up over and over!!) I did the girls' room Thursday and threw away 2 huge black trash bags of toys and TRASH! Gross! I started on our room (which is the worst) and got 1 corner conquered. I have SO much stuff to sell (if it's worth money I'm trying to sell it to fund our trip in December).
My son's room is scary with all the legos, I"ll have to hit that when I have a few weeks hahaha!
I think we ALL get that feeling of "outgrowing" the house at some point in time..... but I also think that it usually means that we have TOO MUCH STUFF! And before you know it the kids will be GONE and you will have more space than you need. SO if you can purge and clean and declutter and make due for now, it will probably pay off in the long run. Legos though.....
We actually have a finished room in the basement that we gave over to DS's Legos!
Today we :
mounted an organizer rack in the entry coat closet
assembled and put to use a shoe organizer for my dd14
cleaned out dd7 closet and entire bed room
after dinner were going to tackle dd8 bedroom
bye bye clutter and crap
SO MUCH DONE!!
I went trough all my clothes and I sorted out things I truly have not worn and items that do not fit. I filled 2 large bags. Hopefully when we move, I can sort again and really get rid of things I can do without. It has totally helped that I was on a no buy clothes for a year. It is really liberating not even think about shopping.
I am having huge anxiety attacks. My dh started packing out his garage and sheds and he is packing it into a semi trailer we have to help us move. He literally is keeping 4 doors from his cars,he is restoring. He bought new doors for the cars and he never threw the old ones away. He told me he is saving them for parts he may need off of the doors. I was baffled, why doesn't he strip off what he needs and throw them out or take to a salvage yard.
Try not to have anxiety about what you can't control. But set an example by decluttering and organizing what you CAN control.
Mine are all still small...oldest is 11 and the only boy. Currently trying to figure out the best way to fit 3 girls in one room.
I've seen triple bunks on Pinterest.... it looks really cool!
They keep coming back...with their STUFF! Our basement is loaded, not only with STUFF from the 5 kids, but also the STUFF of their friends. Not to mention son number 1 is back...again....as 'the boy in the basement'. Doesn't stay here a lot, but . . . .
Yup.... that does happen! But I would SO not allow the "friends" to store stuff! That's what PODS are for!!!
Yep, I think we are too kind. I never would of went back to my parents house to live. My youngest and oldest are home this weekend. Both are helping us move. My other 2 will be home in 2 weeks, they need to take the rest of their belongings. My son better figure out where his Harley is going, I am not taking it to my new house.
about the Harley!!
That is exactly it. I told MIL the other night that for us and most people I know babies do not sleep in a crib for the first few months. But SIL really wants to set up and decorate a nursery for the baby...If SIL really insists on getting that fancy crib then that would at least give her time to save up. We used a bassinet and then when he outgrew that we used the pack n play until we put him in his crib in his own room at 9 months old. Originally we planned to keep him in our room until he was a year old though but he was so bad at sleeping we thought it might help (it didn't!) So our crib was up and not used for 9 months. We did the whole nursery thing before DS was born just because we could and we wanted to, but it honestly is not necessary. His room was basically just a place to store his clothes and things until he was older. Even after we moved him out of our room he didn't do hardly any sleeping in his room. One must have is a really comfy chair - we spent so much time in ours rocking DS to sleep. If money was tight I'd concentrate on the must haves I would not be wasting my money on a fancy round crib that the baby isn't even going to need right away. Sadly I've been dealing with this for like 10 years. MIL will spend her money on the frivolous stuff and then call us for money for the things that baby will actually need.
My DS is 2.5 today (sniff sniff) and still in his crib. I'm afraid of when I have to get him out of it, I think the only reason he sleeps is because he can't get out, lol.
Yup.... as soon as we moved DS to a toddler bed (at about age 3), he started coming into our room at night.... and it continued for almost 10 years!! Not complaining.... I never really minded having him snuggle between us.... just commenting.
Wow that sounds like a really busy productive day! Have you ever read the childrens book 'If you give a moose a muffin?' That's what your day reminds me of
I'm kind of the same way though, I can't just do one task until it's done. I end up doing a bunch of things I had not planned on doing. The funny thing is my nickname is Moose. People need to stop giving me muffins
MMMmmm.... muffins!! I think I have some adult-onset ADD.... there are some days when I absolutely cannot finish a project without getting distracted onto something else.... and then something else... and so on and so on! By the end of the day I have 10 semi-finished projects!!
We're sorta in the same boat. We have a tiny 2 bedroom/1 bath house that we've been talking about selling for a few years but ultimately decided its in our best interest to stay here. We've been de-cluttering and de-stashing since before our 2 year old was born. Last year we hired someone to build us some storage closets in our finished basement. My DH and I finally feel like we're not suffocating in this house now that all the extra "stuff" is out and everything is nice and organized. It took a lot of work but it can be done. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing your "small house" victories!!
I didn't even think about it but I've basically not bought any clothes for a long time. I used to love to shop but I honestly just don't like shopping anymore. It is liberating! Now if my DS would just stop growing I could really give up clothes shopping altogether, lol.
Your DH sounds a lot like my dad. Aren't car doors pretty big to store and move?
Wish I could stop clothes shopping..... I don't do it a lot and it is usually at the thrift store.... but I have ENOUGH!
Friday & Saturday I spent my free time working on my scrapbook project and organizing pictures. I did a lot of this last year but still had a lot to do. I also need to finish organizing digital pictures. My goal is to have all of this done by the end of the year but if I can focus on it then maybe I can have it done a lot sooner. My back was killing me last night from sitting on the basement floor sorting through pictures. I guess there is no padding underneath the carpet.
Good for you! I did some photo sorting and tossing last night and it felt LIBERATING!!
Happy Sunday!
Got some little jobs out of the way this week re:decluttering - my bedside table, Dh's bedside table (after some nagging from moi!), masterbedroom bookcase, and the dumping ground that is the top of all our bedroom dressers!
Managed to clean out our dvd cabinet in the living room too, made a pile of dvd's to sell and/or donate.
This week it will be the kitchen junk drawers and the hall closet by our front door. Further down the line I think our garage needs a once over again. We are one of very few families on our street that actually park TWO cars in our garage (most park only one, some park none!!!) so we are pretty good at keeping on top of it. This Spring I think we will need to get rid of a couple of kids toys/bikes that the girls have outgrown and other odds and ends that have made their way out there. Seems like a good project for Spring Break in mid-March
Our garage was the main project for last spring.... and last summer.... and last fall.... but it NEVER got done. Totally my fault because I am the cleaner/organizer in the house and I kept putting it off and putting it off. Yes, we can still park both cars.... but my side is getting tight and it is time to make the TOUGH decisions! Our kids are (just turned) 17 years old and almost 20 years old.... time to get rid of most of the sleds, rollerskates, Tonka trucks, etc!!
Well, progress made. DH at least loaded a wheelchair in his car that we are donating to a local free clinic. Heaven knows when he will actually do it but at least it is loaded, lol!
I got some money recycling a heavy stainless steel bowl-like thing, got a number of boxes of miscellaneous trash sorted and disposed of. I have a pile of old holiday yard decorations my mother had from a craft show that are wood and painted. Friends are picking them up in their van tomorrow to use for target practice, lol! Imagine shooting at the Easter Bunny, eggs, pilgrims, Indians, turkey, Santa in a sleigh, reindeer, ghost, scarecrows, pumpkins....
Sounds like fun!!
More glassware and old trophies boxed up, blankets and old towels to use at the animal hospital I work at, and several small rugs are loaded in my car. I took a box of clothing to Salvation Army the other day.
I have made real progress in the garage, laundry room and pantry. When finished I am then focusing on our guest room some more. I am feeling less stress already.
AMAZING progress!!
Stayed home from work today due to the snow....brought up all dgd's baby clothes and sorted them out. Went from 5 bins to 2. I saved some stuff just because. But now I have 3 bags for pickup as well as another box of books, 1 bag I put on Freecycle, and one bag goes to the bin.
DH shredded and wound up with a garbage bag full of "shred" which we use to partially line the bunny cage. Newspapers gone through and bagged, ready to be taken to the recycle bin at the end of our court. Got rid of 2 bags of hangers after keeping a few to make sure all my shirts can be hung up.
to all of us!!
Some more great "snow day" progress!!
Well, it's been a few days since I've checked in, but I will not give up! I haven't tackled any new messes but I've keep my recent successes organized. My kitchen counters are clear and the laundry has been done and put away. I figure I'll be in this holding pattern another day or two. Than on to another task.
Great job everyone!
Don't let that laundry pile up..... it can quickly take over!! Good for you for keeping the counters clear!
I worked on the pantry. Tossing out, sorting, re-arranging. Huge job. I have bags of trash. Spices, seems like I got them yesterday but the exp. date tells me otherwise. Time flies.
I agree!!
I still have two cabinets to go. Then I will go through the dishes, cups/mugs, pots and pans, etc.. It seems like I have accumulated too many pots and pans and plastic containers. If the plastics don't stack, I think I'll have to let them go. I'm tired of moving stuff out to get to what I need! It's nuts! I have to get rid of some cups and dishes too. I did drop one of my favorite mugs. That was one less I guess.
Good job to everyone. I haven't posted in a bit, but reading now and then helps!
Kitchen wares are the hardest things for me to part with.... and every time I turn around someone is buying me another Mickey mug! I love them, but I have LOTS of them!
everyone! I'm a newbie to Disboards and love all the different topics.
I MUST declutter my house and I've been doing some progress. I prefer to sell my stuff, but I've made a pact with myself: if it doesn't sell within a month, I donate it to the local church's thrift store. That way it gets out of the house, which is my ultimate goal, right?
I think I've made progress with my packrat Hubby: we have two kitchen tables (yes, two) - one we use all the time, and another beautiful one we got from his sister. The one from his sister came without chairs. I had him agree that if I could find 4 matching chairs for $75 or less, we could use the nice table and sell the one we use as it's dated and annoys me.
I think I found the chairs!! So we're going to look at them this weekend and by Sunday I'm hoping to have the other set up for sale! Where we're going to put THAT until it sells I have no idea
.
I sell the majority of my stuff on an app called Varage Sale which can link to Facebook too. I've had pretty good success too, which is nice. Everything I sell is going toward our trip, so I'm hoping to sell more than I donate.
Anway, glad this thread is here so I can keep on track!
I prefer to sell my stuff as well.... the extra $$ is always welcome for a car repair or tuition payment! But sometimes it just doesn't seem like it is worth the effort. So I've made a pact with myself to sell within 30 days or donate.
Welcome to the new faces!
It's nice to hear all the progress everyone is making! It's not even February yet. Too bad we can't track all of the total pounds of stuff we are all dumping, I bet it'll really add up.
I had to pick up DD14 from school sick so I got home much earlier than normal. Since I still had not dropped off our donations, I decided to get that tackled once she was settled. In the process of getting the bags together, I made one more pass through my closet. Since I was trying to get out the door, I made some fast decisions and managed to collect 9 more shirts and a jacket. I dropped off a big trunkload of stuff, including lots of clothes and a few sets of bedding and curtains.
DD21 wanted to get rid of some HS formals and the donation center referred me to a dry cleaner that collects dresses. They will clean them and send them to a local fundraiser/helping event in February. Girls can buy dresses for $25 or volunteer and get a free dress. Those got dropped off on the way home.
We also finally got the Christmas decorations in the attic. I still have to sort through the lights before those go up because I don't want to keep any that are not good. I had gone through them but then didn't label any so I forget which pile is which. Ugh.
Part of my decluttering problem is that I need to deal with stuff ONE time. Sorting does me no good if I don't address all the piles right away. I am going to remember that for my next project!
I don't know why but the garage still looks so cluttered. *sigh* It's getting better slowly but I am ready to be done out there.
Sounds like you are making GREAT progress! Don't get discouraged about the garage!
Called to have the Vietnam Vets pick up some stuff on Friday. I have 3 bags of clothes and 2 boxes of stuff from the kitchen. Phew! It will feel nice to get it out of the house. I also have a lot of garbage to take out, but I'm so cold I don't want to walk it to the end of the driveway!
I need to work on the closet in our bathroom next. That's 5 shelves of fun...
I need to look into calling an organization that does pick-ups. It is at least a 40 minute drive to the nearest donation spot for me (GW, SA, or Savers) and it seems like such a chore to get the car loaded and make a special trip.
I made 5 stops yesterday, dropping items off at various locations.
1. Took back a cabinet door and floor samples-We didn't go with the product or the place where we bought our cabinets. We had these samples since August. The guy looked at me really funny.
2. Dropped off Formals at my friends house. She has a Cinderella Closet for teens that cannot afford formals.
3. Dropped off a bag of shoes and decorating items we had to stage our home. I couldn't get the flower that stood as tall as myself out of my trunk.
4. Dropped off some old tie blankets at the Human Society for the new puppies. Very hard to walk out of the place with all the puppies looking at me.
5. Dog got a haircut yesterday-wow-poor groomer cut 5 lbs of hair off, which she donates to a local farmer for bedding-yuck.
My dh told me we would be out in the garage every night, sorting. Well it is Wednesday and we haven't been out there since Sunday. I still get anxiety thinking about the garage. I told him, we are putting on a timer and going out for one hour. From 5-7 p.m. there is nothing on tv that we need to watch.
You are making amazing progress!!!!
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Hey friends!!
After two snowdays here at home, you might think I'd be reporting TONS of progress.... but that is NOT the case. I did get some chores done here, as well as some treadmill time and just a bit of relaxing.... but very little got done on the declutter front. I have a small pile in my bedroom ready to go.... an assortment of VHS tapes (found some duplicates), scrapping supplies (I did go through about 15 drawers of the stuff), and some pants that I love but that are too big.
I hadn't done any ACTIVE scrapbooking in over a year and was trying to decide whether or not it was something that I was going to continue to do going forward (or at least do in the traditional paper sense that I've always done). I gave myself a few hours yesterday to dive back into it and see if the passion is still there and I am pleased to report that it still is! I got about 6 easy pages done and it feels great!! I still need to reduce my supply significantly, but I still WANT to scrap, so I can justify keeping my supplies. Digital scrapping just holds no appeal for me. I find working on the computer frustrating and irritating most of the time.
Anyhow.... since I didn't get called to work today I plan to hit the TM shortly for an hour, declutter one drawer unit (3 small drawers) and then SCRAP! TTYL............................P
A few other odds and ends made their way to consignment and donation.
