2015 destash - Purge Purge Purge, Purge is the word

[luvmarypoppins]

I havent done much at all. I wish I could do more but now I am dealing with a big blood clot in my leg and I am suppose to keep my leg up alot so the only thing I am doing lately is purging the paper stash which always seems to be never ending. I have one of those white Wendys shopping bags almost filled to the top so I feel like I have accomplished something.

I am also going to take a little bag of 7 books to someone at church sun. Very slow progress but progress none the less.

 

[dreamin_disney]

Went through a pile of stuff I had on my treadmill. Moved on to my hallway cabinets and got rid of 2 grocery bags of trash and junk. I got hubby to help a lil. Right now he's going through the medical emergency kit. Once he's done I will go through the upper part of the cabinets. I've gotten rid of a lot but still feel overwhelmed like there's a lot more that needs to go-lol! My house doesn't look like hoarder house but I just feel overwhelmed. I guess its stress causes I feel the need for everything to be organized :/ I'm going to try and go through a few more items in the garage. I have one more week left to get as much done as possible

 

[PrincessKymm]

I havent done much at all. I wish I could do more but now I am dealing with a big blood clot in my leg and I am suppose to keep my leg up alot so the only thing I am doing lately is purging the paper stash which always seems to be never ending. I have one of those white Wendys shopping bags almost filled to the top so I feel like I have accomplished something.

I am also going to take a little bag of 7 books to someone at church sun. Very slow progress but progress none the less.

Get well soon!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I've sold a few more things on ebay and donated a kitchen garbage bag full of things to Goodwill.

I really wish the aquarium would sell. I keep bumping it up on Craig's List but there are no takers so I think I'll mark it as free and see if someone takes it then.

My husband was up in the attic getting a suitcase yesterday and I heard him go "Whoa". He told me that he didn't realize how much I'd been cleaning out up there. He's seen me bring stuff down and take pictures for Craig's List and ebay but I guess it didn't register how much I was doing.

He said once I'm done up there, I can start the basement (as I'd already planned) - just ask him before I sell any of his stuff. Which means nothing down there but my things will get sold. LOL

 

[PrincessKymm]

How do you keep up with the paper? I finally sorted through everything and just need to file it and then make a list with my "action items". I am going to look up what I have to keep and what I can shred. I am just astounded with the amount of paper I have considering I get e-billed and pay everything but my city taxes online.

What do you keep for your children? I have a LOT of paper of DS's and am considering taking pictures of everything instead but I'm not sure that's the way to go. I have next to nothing from my childhood and he's going to be 13 this year so it's hard for me to let go of his. Suggestions please!!!

I really need to buy a cabinet for my dining room. I've got one box of miscellaneous kitchen items I rarely use but I'd like to keep them. I really need to hit up Target but am trying to avoid shopping since I'm out of money for the month. Once I have that I will be much happier and can get rid of the final box in my apartment!

I'm going to sort school supplies and make a shopping list and then I need to dust and vacuum. I'm happy with my progress this weekend!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

How do you keep up with the paper? I finally sorted through everything and just need to file it and then make a list with my "action items". I am going to look up what I have to keep and what I can shred. I am just astounded with the amount of paper I have considering I get e-billed and pay everything but my city taxes online.

What do you keep for your children? I have a LOT of paper of DS's and am considering taking pictures of everything instead but I'm not sure that's the way to go. I have next to nothing from my childhood and he's going to be 13 this year so it's hard for me to let go of his. Suggestions please!!!

I really need to buy a cabinet for my dining room. I've got one box of miscellaneous kitchen items I rarely use but I'd like to keep them. I really need to hit up Target but am trying to avoid shopping since I'm out of money for the month. Once I have that I will be much happier and can get rid of the final box in my apartment!

I'm going to sort school supplies and make a shopping list and then I need to dust and vacuum. I'm happy with my progress this weekend!

For the Kids I bought a tote for each of them and file folders that go with their assigned colors (my kids are color coded). Each file folder is for a school year from Pre-K to 4 years of college. I purge most of the kids papers as they come in the door but in each file goes class pictures, official school papers like SAT's, ACT cores, IEP and 504 documents, sports awards, certificates, one copy of handwriting (when they are younger), a few art projects but they must be smaller than 8 1/2 x 11, and any special reports they did. Any big projects I take a photo and toss the project. Then at the end of the year I take the photos and papers and put them in a 2 page layout in their school/sports scrapbook. They keep a few things in each folder if they want to, but for the most part they toss. This tote will go with them when they move out. DS19's also has his college acceptance letters, check stubs, and bank statements in his tote. I just reused the folders from his younger grades and relabeled them.

 

[Debbie]

DD is home-first time in TWO years-and I was able to send a suitcase of teaching stuff from my basement home with her.

 

[Debbie]

For the Kids I bought a tote for each of them and file folders that go with their assigned colors (my kids are color coded). Each file folder is for a school year from Pre-K to 4 years of college. I purge most of the kids papers as they come in the door but in each file goes class pictures, official school papers like SAT's, ACT cores, IEP and 504 documents, sports awards, certificates, one copy of handwriting (when they are younger), a few art projects but they must be smaller than 8 1/2 x 11, and any special reports they did. Any big projects I take a photo and toss the project. Then at the end of the year I take the photos and papers and put them in a 2 page layout in their school/sports scrapbook. They keep a few things in each folder if they want to, but for the most part they toss. This tote will go with them when they move out. DS19's also has his college acceptance letters, check stubs, and bank statements in his tote. I just reused the folders from his younger grades and relabeled them.

Love this idea! We simply had a book (kind of like a baby book, but a school years book) with pockets for reports and room for maybe one or two pieces of work inside. Warning.....they don't take them when they leave. (fingers crossed that when they get their first house, but betting not. And the one who is making her home internationally? I think it is here to stay forever. )

 

[dreamin_disney]

Just finished hitting the upper hallway closet cabinet. I rearranged some stuff to make more room. I also got rid of 2 grocery size bags of
-old wash cloths
-old kitchen towels
-old kitchen oven hand pads
-old toilet seat and rug bathroom set . From 14-13 years ago :/ when I unfolded it it made a crunching noise-lol! yuck!
-old pillow cases

I'm going to go buy cheap plastic shoes containers for the Bathroom wash cloths and organize it in the closet/cabinet. Then a container for Girl pads, shampoo, soaps etc . I found some Halloween and Christmas stuff, a new candle , new kitchen towel set and a new Disney princes kids dish setting. I will package those few things up and give as gifts. I still need to hit the garage and break down some boxes and go through a few more things. I have a few more days off so now I really need to move it!!!! lol!

 

[sarahk0204]

Took my first box of work related books to the Post Office ship to the collection address. I plan to do this every payday until they are all sent. While the materials will be sent overseas eventually, most of the collection addresses are in the US. I am working on emptying a metal shelving unit that will then hold the AG and Lego stuff that we are still keeping.

I need to get another box ready for the thrift store. DS has outgrown some dress clothes that would work well for uniforms. Plenty of people need those at back to school time, so I plan to donate them this week and maybe make someone's day. Even many public schools around here have uniforms, so these could be a help to a family.

 

[OhMari]

In my area where we live a family had a house fire and lost everything. The mom wore size 18 pants and 2 X shirts. I gave her all my size 18 pants that looked decent and. Not worn out and I found a bunch of tops I bought but hardly ever worn. I went thru my sons jeans and found a few pair that I purchased for Christmas and they never wore them, so I donated them to the family.

It feels good down sizing my clothes, I have way to much, but my closet is looking better.

 

[bcwife76]

Checking in - been a while ;-)

August is typically a purging month for us; our oldest has her birthday this month (tomorrow in fact!) so it's a good time to go through the toys and see what we can sell/donate as she gets gifts to replace. Also with school starting in a few weeks I need to put the finishing touches on school supplies and get the file boxes ready for a new school year of reports/art work that will be kept. And as the summer weather cools down we go through their wardrobes to see what they have outgrown and can be passed down (from oldest sister to youngest) sold or donated.

 

[Alexle2007]

Just spent some time cleaning the pantry/coat closet. I have a box of backpacks to donate to school, two boxes of shoes to donate and 3 bags of garage to go! I need to get some bigger boxes to donate some brand new Platzgraff accessories that have gone used for 11 years. I doubt I'll be using the deviled egg server anytime soon.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

UGH one step forward, two steps back. School supplies x4 is a nightmare!! I can't wait til they bring it all to school the first day. For now I have giant bags of paper towels, baby wipes, tissues and notebooks all over the floor of my dining room.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I actually sold the aquarium and have listed more items on Craig's List.

I also removed the hard drives from 3 old non working laptops and will be taking those laptops to the local donation center today for recycling. And we put out the old falling apart office chair for the garbage guys to pick up today and someone has already taken it. Hope they don't bring it back when they realize what bad shape it's in. LOL

 

[ariel1025]

Joining in! I wouldn't consider us "hoarders" but we do have way too much stuff for the size of our house. Last month I went through all of the kitchen cabinets/drawers and purged. It felt amazing and I still smile every time I put away dishes as it's so quick to do now. Plus, there's the bonus of not risking having a glass or tupperware container falling on my head

 

[stayhomemom77]

I am joining in! We are leaving for vacation on Monday and will be gone until September 4th but I plan to make the most of the next couple of days. I started off today by going through the kids' clothes. That was a quick job so I moved on to my own closet. I got rid of six pairs of dress shoes (I still have 17 left ) and several articles of clothing. Then I went through my cosmetics drawer and my junk drawer (that thing is nearly empty now!!), then my jewelry box before I realized I had been up there for an hour and a half. I have to finish going through the non wardrobe part of my closet and my bedside table, but then my room will be done (well my stuff, anyway. DH has to go through his own junk!). Tomorrow I'll do that and then attack the linen closet. I just did the bathroom stuff a couple of months ago, so I don't think it needs too much, but I'll give it a once over as well and then that will complete the top floor (well the kids have to do their rooms, and then THAT will complete the top floor.)

In September I will work on each room on the main floor and in October we (as a family) tackle the garage. I'll do the basement in November, unless the main floor goes quickly...it's only been six months since I reorganized the kitchen and living room, so it may not take too long...the plan is to have the house fully done and the purged crap long gone by the time we start decorating for Christmas in early December.

So pumped!!

 

[OhMari]

I am joining in! We are leaving for vacation on Monday and will be gone until September 4th but I plan to make the most of the next couple of days. I started off today by going through the kids' clothes. That was a quick job so I moved on to my own closet. I got rid of six pairs of dress shoes (I still have 17 left ) and several articles of clothing. Then I went through my cosmetics drawer and my junk drawer (that thing is nearly empty now!!), then my jewelry box before I realized I had been up there for an hour and a half. I have to finish going through the non wardrobe part of my closet and my bedside table, but then my room will be done (well my stuff, anyway. DH has to go through his own junk!). Tomorrow I'll do that and then attack the linen closet. I just did the bathroom stuff a couple of months ago, so I don't think it needs too much, but I'll give it a once over as well and then that will complete the top floor (well the kids have to do their rooms, and then THAT will complete the top floor.)

In September I will work on each room on the main floor and in October we (as a family) tackle the garage. I'll do the basement in November, unless the main floor goes quickly...it's only been six months since I reorganized the kitchen and living room, so it may not take too long...the plan is to have the house fully done and the purged crap long gone by the time we start decorating for Christmas in early December.

So pumped!!

I love your motivation.
I had to look to see if you are from Europe-love those Europeans that have the whole month of August off for "holiday".
What are you doing for vacation? Besides destashing.

 

[stayhomemom77]

I love your motivation.
I had to look to see if you are from Europe-love those Europeans that have the whole month of August off for "holiday".
What are you doing for vacation? Besides destashing.

LOL Nope, not European, just Canadian. The kids don't go back until September 8th, so I bought all their back to school junk last week and just have it all in their new backpacks ready to go for when we get back on the 4th! DH is a university instructor so he's "off" for the whole summer, so August is a good month to gallivant for us and we generally take full advantage.

We have a fun and busy trip planned. We are driving down to D.C. to check out the Smithsonian museums for a couple of days, then we are doing a day at Vero Beach (Disney of course), then we hit Fort Lauderdale to get on our Carnival cruise ship bound for the Eastern Caribbean. After we get back from that ocean voyage (8 nights), we have three nights at the Yacht Club so we can enjoy Storm Along Bay and after telling the kids for four months that we were having a park free visit this trip (we were just there over Christmas), I broke down and added one day at Epcot. Then we have to drive back home! 20 hours over two days.

I admit it was not a very cost effective move, but I just couldn't imagine staying at an Epcot resort without actually going IN to the park. It means I won't be buying any more shoes any time soon (to replace the ones I just got rid of) but that's not a bad thing on this thread! Experiences over stuff!!

Speaking of which...I'd better go finish my bedroom so I can come back on here and report!!

 

[stayhomemom77]

Finished my room!! I also did the linen closet, so the upstairs (in terms of my own stuff and the family stuff I have control over) is done!!

Tomorrow will be my housecleaning day. Laundry, bathrooms, sweeping and vacuuming the house after a general tidying (which it desperately needs, since the kids and the hubs are home and every surface seems to be a dumping ground.) Once it's clean, the hard part will be to ensure that it stays that way until we leave on Monday!