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Post by SueDonym on Jul 26, 2008 13:03:33 GMT -5
Well, mostly good stuff... I'd say only 20% was actual trash. I am decluttering the utility room so I can actually use it for storing things I USE. It still has stuff from when my mom was alive, and she tended to collect stuff. For example... I found 20 bars of soap. I never use bar soap anymore. I had kept them because I thought I would use them, but I really prefer liquid. BTW, did you know mice apparently eat soap? A couple of the bars had been nibbled. I can just see Tom and Jerry walking around hiccuping bubbles!  I threw out about 5 pairs of socks... I have too many as it is. I found 4 containers of Carpet Fresh. I almost kept them. Then I reminded myself that I have ripped out the carpet.  I threw out decorative baskets, bath beads, knee highs, stained clothing, vacuum bags from vacuums of the past, saved gift bags and wrapping paper, and FOUR old cordless phones. I haven't had a landline in 4 years. I found lots of stuff that I DO use regularly that was just hidden in the clutter, so those are things I won't have to buy. I'm not done, but I'm about halfway there. To me, the decluttering part is the easy part. Getting it reorganized is much harder. |
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Post by louiserae on Jul 26, 2008 14:29:41 GMT -5
WTG
You did great
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Post by iguanamamma on Jul 26, 2008 19:03:36 GMT -5
Progress Indeed! Good job!
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Post by pegasus48 on Jul 26, 2008 19:12:10 GMT -5
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Post by glowworm on Jul 26, 2008 19:50:11 GMT -5
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Post by Chris on Jul 26, 2008 19:52:11 GMT -5
Awesome!!!!!!!
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Post by SueDonym on Jul 26, 2008 21:19:26 GMT -5
Thanks, y'all :-) I still find myself having conversations with myself over whether or not to keep things, and if I would use them in a reasonable time, or if they'd still be good after so long (things like sunscreen, ant traps, etc with chemicals that could degrade over time). But I was very proud of myself for choosing to throw most of it away. My guideline was if I would use it tomorrow, keep it. If I wouldn't use it at all in at least a month, throw it away.
Tomorrow, I will finish that room, and then as I clean other rooms, I will have space to store things there.
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Jul 27, 2008 7:28:23 GMT -5
 Great job, Suedy!
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Jul 27, 2008 17:17:21 GMT -5
Good For you!!!
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Post by threeg on Jul 27, 2008 23:05:58 GMT -5
 Suedy! Ya done good! 3g
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Post by puppybox on Jul 28, 2008 12:56:50 GMT -5
Am very impressed.
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Post by suchamess on Jul 28, 2008 18:59:42 GMT -5
Good job!
We tossed out over 16 bags (yes the black bags) of things from the toy room. It was all either damaged, too worn or pieces missing. It was tough to do, as I just felt bad throwing away so many things...even though I knew they would be of no use to anyone.
I just decided to not even think about what was tossed and eventually I forgot what was even in there. I think sometimes the mental aspect of throwing out things is harder than the physical aspect of actually picking it all up and putting it in a bag.
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Post by downanddirty on Jul 31, 2008 16:07:16 GMT -5
I know that may have been hard, but WAY TO GO!!!!!! I know I'm new here, but I have been doing the same thing as my 11 yr old daughter has. Bottles to the extreme with a mere half inch of shampoo in them, old medications, Christmas decorations that were "given" to us that were tacky, so I hated them anyway! It was hard to toss some contractor bags (55 gallon size-you could fit a body in one!) along with smaller 30 gallon bags full of perfectly good toys and books, shoes and clothing that my daughter "purged" from her room recently. It felt wasteful in a way, to just throw out things that were still useful, and also the sentimentality of some items. I went through the bags and took out only a few books from their very early years that they had loved to have read to them, but that is all. I took it to the curb for garbage pickup. As wasteful as it may seem to get rid of things that may be useful to others, it is more important to me to pare down the mess and get it out of here. It feels to me as if it's the only way, to just start adjusting to keeping only the things we truly need and want (within reason), and get the rest out of the house to be carted off. I have had a bad habit of accepting things that people give me that they think we might want or the girls may want or need. Now I do take hand me down clothes, as this is an expense that we won't have when it comes to kids clothes, but I toss the things that nobody can wear. But a lot of things I have been given are things I don't need or want or just won't use. These useless items pile up, if you keep them around. So I take them, but toss them as soon as possible. I have also been given furniture, which was badly needed and useful, so I certainly kept it. We had nothing in our room(as far as furniture goes), but a bed-until a neighbor offered us a perfectly beautiful bedroom set-armoire, dresser with mirror and a headboard to match. That was greatly needed and appreciated. Because of the good things that we do need, I never turn down things that people offer to give me. But if it isn't something we need, I get rid of it on my own. Maybe that is awful, but I feel if I consistently refuse offers of free things, the things they plan to toss that our kids could use(the clothes) or that set of furniture would never have been offered to us in the first place. If I have a legitimate use for it, I keep it-otherwise it is landfill food. I myself am on this road of change and plan to work on the bathroom to purge. Bottles of things in our closet that don't even smell the same as when I bought them, things never used, etc. Get rid of the clutter, one step at a time has become a new thing for me. It is a feeling of freedom when I have done that in the past, and need to do it again. Honestly, is there any real reason to have 20 different bottles of shampoo and conditioner? Same question for hair styling products. There is only so much even a family of 5 can use at a time, and much of this stuff has sat in the closet for years-unused. No reason to keep it in the idea that "someday I may need this". No. I need space and organization right now, not what has not been used and may be needed someday 20 years from now. I'm sure I will be able to find just what I need as I need it at some store later. So I think it's better to toss perfectly good items if it means getting myself out of the squalor and mess. It is a literal load to take to the curb, but it is also a load off of the mind to just have that much more clutter gone from my home. My kids now actually have a room again and the FLOOR HAS BEEN FOUND!!!!!!  !!!!! This was all work done by an 11 yr old girl, not me. She decided what was important to keep and most of it wasn't. No input from her sister-roommate about what to get rid of, she just tossed it all. Not the things they regularly use and need, but all the toys, clothes, etc. If an 11 yr old can do all that work and purge her room, I know I can do so much more as time goes on. Keep up the great work! Doesn't it feel so good not to have that one burden there?! I know it feels good for me, and I hope you keep feeling good about it. I think our uncluttered lives are more important than the "things" that weigh us down. I'm so proud of you! |
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Post by anonymoose on Jul 31, 2008 17:10:30 GMT -5
Wow! I'm so proud of all of you! I felt my breath catch when I read what you were getting rid of - I'm still getting there - but that's so awesome.
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