TOSSING AGGRESSIVELY (thread #6)

[morningglory]

Thanks, Cando!!

Got almost everything out before I picked him up! Just a few more items to deal with, which I hope to dispatch tomorrow. Then I will be moving the bookshelf out (and into our sons' room). Wow, it will be an incredible feeling to have the bedroom done!

Earlier today I was remembering something that happened a few months ago (a bat being in my room, actually). I remembered climbing onto the bed to turn on my bedside lamp. I wondered, "Why did I have to get on the bed to turn the light on?" Then I remembered--BECAUSE THERE WERE BOXES STACKED UP ALL AROUND THE BED SO THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TO GET TO THE LAMP! I felt so happy, even tickled, to realize that I had already gotten so accustomed to a clean and clear floor! :-)

[morningglory]

I don't think hubby even noticed that anything had been moved from the bedroom. Today I plan to get rid of the remainder and also organize his multiple baskets of laundry that are stacked up. Then I'll be D O N E! :-)

[Hurricane]

Awesome!! Hurray for having a clean bedroom! I like to think you'll find peace and happiness while residing there, and heck, maybe even a little romance.

[morningglory]

Thanks, Hurricane! Got a few more items moved to more appropriate places! Only a couple things left, plus the bookshelf to move out and the laundry to organize. . .

[morningglory]

Got the bookshelf moved!

Found an item of mine that had to be tossed, though it was hard. It was a name plate sign that stood on my desk when I was a bank teller about 25 years ago. I thought it was really cool at the time, but clearly I have no use for it any more, especially since I don't even have the same name (started using my husband's last name after that, then eventually changed my first name to my religious name!).

That is definitely one category things I have always had trouble letting go of. Somehow in my mind that thing is really cool and I want to keep it, even though I have absolutely no use for it, it's not decorative, it is just cluttering up my house.

Along the same lines, some relatives have been sending boxes of stuff they found when they cleaned out their house to move to a condo, so there was an old embossing label-maker that they sent lying in the bedroom. We would never have a use for it. If we want to label things, there are much more efficient label-makers now. It's kind of cool and interesting, but it's just more junk lying around. So I looked up the cost of buying this type of label maker and found they can be purchased for $10-$20. I figure if we ever decide we just have to have one of those (for some retro art project?), I will buy a new one. I put this one in the donation bag.

I have a strong desire to keep only things that we actually use and enjoy. So some stuff that I have chosen to keep is bothering me. Relatives sent religious books that were given to older relatives by their congregations for various life events. These books were clearly never or rarely even opened, but their bindings have deteriorated. So they are falling apart, and the only sentimental aspect is that they have an inscription in the front "to such-and-such on the occasion of". I feel obligated to keep these things (maybe they will seem awesome to our children or grandchildren?), but they really don't have much use. For now I have put them on the mantle.

I started sorting through the six or so baskets of laundry my husband has in the bedroom. I was shocked to be able to gather an overflowing basket of socks and undies. And I recognize a lot of those socks as the matches to singles I have in that single-sock basket that I felt were too good to toss! I am going to wash that load for him.

But then I also have huge stacks of his shirts, jeans, and pants. Most of the items are nice and in good condition. But there really is no way he can even fit all of these items in our closet. And they must be inadequate or unwanted in some way, because he went out and bought more clothes this week. Maybe he just got tired of these other items. I don't mind, as long as we don't have to keep them!

I am going to see if he can possibly look through the stacks, at least a little, tonight. But I am concerned he will postpone it.

[morningglory]

Grabbed out some clothes from the closet for donation! I bought several things this week, including the nice jeans we talked about before--black ones! So I took out some older ill-fitting jeans, two sweaters, a summer shirt that I don't like the way it fits, plus several old items that my husband doesn't wear any more. Bagged up and ready for donation.

I am trying to figure out a way to reconfigure the bedroom furniture to make room for a freestanding clothes bar for my husband. I think it would make it a lot easier for him to keep track of what he has, make it easier for him to keep things hung up, and also make more room in the closet for me. The closet is fairly small and our clothes are really jammed in there. It is hard to see the stuff in the back, as the closet has a regular door, rather than a sliding or double-door, and half of the closet goes to the right, behind the wall!

Now that I have moved the shelves out of the room, I think I can make the clothes rack idea work.

[morningglory]

Poor hubby is too tired to go through the stacks of clothing tonight, so I'm going to set them aside in a basket for now. Other than that, and a small stack of papers on my dresser that I have already sorted and just need to put away, the bedroom is DONE!! :-)

[cando]

MorningGlory! You had an awesome day!
You are about done! Woo Hoo!!!

I definitely relate to those religious books... i'd want to keep them, too. Yet, at the same time not want to own them. Those are hard to deal with. I hope someone else has some good ideas regarding those.

I have not had time to do any more on my dresser or area next to my bed... other than go thru a crate that I moved in there temporarily. I actually went thru it and everything went into giveaway bag & 1 item was tossed.

So, will be at least a few more days before I can get to these areas, again, but will post when I have an update or am done.

CD

[morningglory]

Cando, it's wonderful that you went through that crate and were able to get rid of everything in it!

And thanks for the encouragement! I love being able to come here and share progress with my aggressive tossing friends.

I plan to post on Sunday or Monday with my next update, and hope to include some photos at that point.

[andrea]

I need to seriously start working on our items and going thru everything now. The arguing and fighting are absolutely out of hand especially since older ds dislocated his right thumb. We have started going thru some of the things in the boys room but need to get alot more serious now. We have been going thru all their toys and puzzles and boxing them up. I am hoping to start going thru their clothes today and possibly start on their books.

[boyswillbeboys]

I just finished the kids closets, I have a bag for the thrift store, a bag of sweaters for coats for kids, a bag of misc stuff for FCSS, mostly baby items, and a bin of baby blankets I think will go to FCSS, though I'm waiting for a response from the local crisis center, to see if they would have a use for them. (it's a bin, so can stay in the house for a few extra days, before getting in the way, the thrift store bag is going today, the other two will have to wait for Monday, as I don't thing FCSS is open on Saturdays (FCSS does healthy families, coats for kids, and I think even santas anonymous, in our town.)

[morningglory]

Boyswillbeboys, that is AWESOME!



Sounds like you are tossing a LOT!

[morningglory]

Andrea, keep up your serious work!

[andrea]

This weekend I did a serious clean out of the basement and had 2 boxes of recycling and 4 bags of trash to get rid of. Everything went out last night and the basement is now in fairly good shape in the toy/puzzle area. I only need to do a little more work and it will look really good downstairs. I am now going to start focusing my energy back on our family room so we can have that area back.

[morningglory]

Great job, Andrea!