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Post by larataylor on Nov 21, 2014 20:07:40 GMT -5
Okay, so my living spaces are pretty darn uncluttered, and pretty well minimized … but there are still things that don't have a definite home. Things that I find myself searching for when I need them. Especially things that are, and perhaps ought to be, stored in the less organized/decluttered/minimized areas of the house, i.e., basement, garage, addition.
I've decided that whenever I have to go looking for a thing, and it's hard to find, I need to make a home for it, then and there. DD asked me for some staples. I've seen staples and staplers around, but they don't have a home. Officey, desky stuff … paper, envelopes, hole punchers, staplers--all that kind of stuff is just all over the place--some in DD's room, some in the upstairs bill-paying area, some in DH's office downstairs. There is no *one* place to find staples. Eventually I found a stapler with some staples in it, in a random drawer, so I gave her that.
In the interest of streamlining our lives, and making our tomorrows easier than our todays … maybe we should make homes for these things that we obviously need and use, or we wouldn't be searching for them right now! Finding a Place For Everything can be a really long process. But finding a place for whatever I needed and had to look for *today* may be a good way to prioritize the process and get the most bang for my effort.
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Post by papermoon on Nov 21, 2014 20:16:01 GMT -5
PEEP!
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Post by hollyhock on Nov 21, 2014 20:48:06 GMT -5
- what haven't I searched for lately? - with everything in moving boxes - the telephone, a plate to eat off of, underwear, my newest best shoes, remote for TV, nail polish remover, windex, dryer sheets, paper my son wrote computer password on. However - I do know that all of my business supplies are in 1 tote that I found, and I have a stapler and staples in there - and I found my printer paper, and an envelope in there yesterday, when I needed them.
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Post by larataylor on Nov 21, 2014 21:08:47 GMT -5
hollyhock - I wasn't really thinking of you when I wrote this. I can imagine you searching for everything right now! Still, I guess the principle could still apply. Find the things you need today, and put them somewhere good so you won't have to search for them again. I'm sorry about your son being a jerk, and I hope you can locate the things you need right now.
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Post by lostchild on Nov 21, 2014 21:42:17 GMT -5
I had to find my high school diploma for job. I found it in seven minutes in spite of lack of organization.
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Post by larataylor on Nov 21, 2014 21:51:32 GMT -5
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Post by cyn on Nov 21, 2014 22:00:48 GMT -5
Well, since I never put anything away - everything is always right there! But seriously, I'm pretty organized, in my own chaotic way. My glasses live in the bathroom, my keys live on the table/in my purse, I have 2 pairs of scissors on the shelf (in case 1 goes missing, ha) etc. All the tools are in one messy area, all the papers are in boxes in another area. I can usually find something when I want to if I absolutely have to.
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Post by Dit on Nov 21, 2014 22:03:15 GMT -5
Snow pants , still trying to find them.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2014 22:56:25 GMT -5
stupid ball peen hammer. I know I used it to hang a picture, cause I could not find the regular hammer. Now where is that dam thing?
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Post by Fivecat on Nov 21, 2014 23:08:08 GMT -5
My mind
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Post by larataylor on Nov 21, 2014 23:30:38 GMT -5
My mind I'm with you on that one. It's usually scattered all over the place.
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Post by chadow on Nov 21, 2014 23:34:37 GMT -5
Light bulbs! I'm sitting here watching TV s "Last Man Standing" and Tim Allen is trying to buy incandescent light bulbs. And thanks to my mess I must have bought a set of 4 every time one went out at my old place, cause I have four boxes with 3 60 or 75 watt bulbs in them. I found them in a shrink wrapped box of stuff from my laundry area at the old place. I've been here more than 18 months, all my fixtures have the "new " kind of bulbs mini florescent or LEDs that look like the old kind. And the kitchen bulbs died around the time the ceiling fell in the small bedroom. The first one to go out since I got here. The LEDs and florescent ones last for a long time, so I might just se the incandescents till I can afford new new ones. chadow
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Post by larataylor on Nov 21, 2014 23:37:35 GMT -5
stupid ball peen hammer. I know I used it to hang a picture, cause I could not find the regular hammer. Now where is that dam thing? TOOLS are still an unorganized category here! There's lots of them out in the addition (used for building out there). DFIL's old stash is still in the garage. The ones we've actually found and *used* have ended up in the house, mostly in one drawer, but some have wandered into the basement, too. We still have way too many … but it's been three years, so maybe I could safely get rid of the ones that haven't found their way into the house.
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Post by lostchild on Nov 22, 2014 0:22:46 GMT -5
Don't get rid of things immediately instead group them all together and then sort and catagorize. I have all tools in one place ... In storeroom/laundry and even though I don't have a lot of tools and parts I have recently been doing work on my house and have gone in there for things I used on previous projects.
My friend was impressed because though jumbled I had everything I needed at hand. One location will help you weed unneeded duplicates and keep one of a kind expensive to replace items that have only one use sure but might be something like for plumbing necessity that is rare.
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Post by homesteph on Nov 22, 2014 0:48:02 GMT -5
Really, really good thread.
Just now, i was looking for a particular scarf that was always right where i was rummaging for clothes, but has now gone into hiding since i just brought home a blouse that would look nice with it. Grr.
I used to have this problem with necklaces constantly. Then i made a necklace holder by bending a wire coathanger into a wiggly rickrack shape across the bottom. I hung it by the closet right above my shoe basket. Now, i grab the right necklace when i put on my shoes to leave in the morning. First thing when i get home, off come the shoes into the badket, and i hang the necklace back up. Sooooo much easier! I need to weed out the dead shoes this weekend...
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