Decluttering

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BetteTheRed said:
Yeah. My house is bad enough that if I don't fix it/dispose of it before I die, my daughter will have me resuscitated so that she can murder me.
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It can be overwhelming but the main thing is to get started. Start small and you might be amazed at how much easier it will become over time.
 
Been reading up a bit on how to stay organized after decluttering. Much of the advice seems to center around not buying so much in the first place.

Shopping has never been my problem. I get cluttered up by items I have made and no longer want; various gifts from over the years; and other sentimental things.
 
This is how it goes ... or so I'm told by folks that tell me they know better ... and there are really no such things as enigma ... they only exist in the eternal psyche! There may be reaper Kush in ... a Kush land? Imagine ...

Counter valis 'n futures ... if stars exhaust ... what do they eliminate other than star dust? Anti atomistic nature ... wee things? And then we know about crossed strings ... threads of thought? These vastly unknown ... maybe the motive nature ...
 
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paradox3 said:
Been reading up a bit on how to stay organized after decluttering. Much of the advice seems to center around not buying so much in the first place.

Shopping has never been my problem. I get cluttered up by items I have made and no longer want; various gifts from over the years; and other sentimental things.
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I designated a tote for such bits and pieces. Small items given to me by one or other kid that they may remember and may want to keep. I figured it would be quick and easy to go through them at some point and take away or drop off at a charity shop.

We have lots of artwork (hubby's creations mostly). He isn't willing to get rid of anything at all. Even clothing piles up now he doesn't wear things out like he did on the acreage. I fight temptation because I'd love to dispose of some of this 'stuff' - but it isn't MINE!
 
Just about finished my decluttering and reorganizing. This has been an ongoing project for about two months but certainly not full time.

My laundry room/ storage area in the basement looks amazing if I.do say so myself.

I have six empty Rubbermaid totes now. And a few bins left this place holding items for donation.

Now to get on with the cleaning ....
 
Have even attacked some of the sentimental clutter which is just about the hardest thing.

After years of storage in the basement, the Paradox kids' art projects weren't looking so good. Construction paper fades over time!

And some of the cards I kept were just elementary school art or Sunday school activities.

Besides the fact all kids' drawings look pretty much the same. I have curated the collection down to the most meaningful.
 
And who needs memorabilia from a career? I had saved all the cards I received from patients and coworkers when I retired 9 years ago. Hadn't looked at them once in 9 years. Seriously.

So they hit the recycling bin

I have one retirement card from a church buddy. Kept that one in my memory box.
 
Oh yes, there's some WWI memorabilia. Have offered it to my first cousin who might be interested. Waiting on a reply.
 
Don’t forget to declutter your computer.
I am slow at this. I managed to declutter my pictures from 2004- 2017. Stalling now. Stil stuck in cleaning the kitchen. The weather was too nice. Did get a couple of snowshoe walks in before the snow was all gone and now the trails habe dried up….
 
BetteTheRed said:
Oh, dear, now I'm feeling worse...
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Oh no!!! Was it something I said?

Baby steps might help. Baby steps!

This is practically a mantra for one of the home organizing gurus. You are never behind, she says. Just jump in from where you are.

Different writers have different approaches for tackling a disorganized home. But most of them say to start small.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. I have found it helpful to talk about the process here on WC2
 
I need to do big stuff first, because it's stopping me from dealing with small stuff, because there's places, like my garage, where I can barely move for "stuff".

I think if I did a dumpster worth to start, I might be able to progress. For instance, there's more than a library's worth of books here. There are four or five people's serious lifetime collections. And most/many of them are not recyclable/sellable.
 
For instance, think of easily a dozen (or maybe 20, *sigh*) "Time-Life" series of books... it's hundreds of pounds of books that no-one wants.
 
It was a great treat as a child. A new "Time-Life" book, for the one or two series my Dad was working through, used to arrive almost bi-weekly. We had every series, I think, from geography to history to politics, to nature. The book box in the mail was a key to a new discovery!
 
My family were subscribers to Reader's Digest Condensed Books, usually 1 arriving each month. Egad, those things piled up quickly. And NO ONE wanted to buy them at yard sales. Those, and Harlequin Romances. No one wanted them...
 
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