Friday, May 31, 2013

What to do with Clorox Wipes Containers

 The first item on my good-bye list is a roll of wrapping paper without enough to wrap a present.  The great thing about this is I was able to upcycle a Clorox Wipes container.  I  took off the old label, covered it with wrapping paper, which I covered with clear contact.  Then I put plastic shopping bags in it, so  that the bottom of the bags would come out first.  This is going in my car for those times you can use an emergency bag or a trash bag.  You could also stick it in a picnic basket for picking up leftover cups and plates.  Lots of uses for those  plastic shopping bag.

The next object is a bath brush, which has never quite matched my standards.  No  point in cluttering up the bathroom with it.  that puts us at 105 items                                              
 decluttered.

These are items #104 and #105.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Like Biting On Nails

You may look at this picture and think, "Hey!  So she is getting rid of old cassette tapes.  What you do not understand is getting rid of music in my family is like biting on nails. 

We.  Just.  Don't.  Do.  It.

Not in my family--no-siree, we hold onto that music  until the day we depart this earth; unless we loan it to someone, and he forgets to return it.  Or we lose it.  Or it breaks.  Or it is worn out.  Or we give it away.  You get the idea, I'm sure.  Music is in our genes:  and if we hoard anything, it would be music.  After all, we might want to listen to it, to play it, or sing it.  You just never know.  Even if we have not listened to it or sung it in 20 years, it might come in handy -- someday.

P.S.  I was so excited about throwing away music, I forgot to tell you that I have just reached 95 + 8 = 103!  103 items gone -- I am counting every one of these.  You do not know how I had to think about this one.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Five More Items and I'll Reach 100

#93, #94, #95 

The water wings from past summers and one cleverly made book carrier are going to leave our household.  And I think this box has had it.  All were useful in their own times.

#92










Getting rid of the clutter rocks!

Monday, May 20, 2013

My Decluttering Support Group Helps to Keep Me Going

Bath Salts, nice but I have a small tub now.Besides
I always feel like I have to clean it really
good after multiple showers have been taken in there.
Procrastination and Depression tried to get me this weekend, but I am so thankful for my support group that encourages me to keep on going.  If you don't belong to a decluttering support group, I highly recommend it.s

I have been sick and resting since Wednesday and Thursday.  Do you begin to lose track of the time when that happens?  I do.

I'm a little slow getting started after I have sitting way too much.  I sat so much, I got tired of sitting.  Today, I have just enough to get me moving.  Company is coming sooner than I thought, and I already decided, I am not going to scurry.  I am just doing what I was going to do anyway.

And during the activities, I was doing anyway, I found my favorite things:  Declutter Items!

Music books for my little darlings, grandchildren,
and a book their mom can use in
homeschool, or just let them read to each other.

Two boxes that have been sitting in my breakfast room way to long and a toy that broke. Now the pictures that were in those boxes are awaiting my scrapbook making genuius -- haha!    Gone!    

I am counting these as six items, so that gets the count up to 86 -91.  Woohoo!  Soon, we ill be to 100.  Very cool!



Saturday, May 11, 2013

Ten More Items Disappear to Places Unknown, Items 76 - 85


Items 76 -85,  Making headway!
I have a major cache going here.  I have not counted up how many days
from January 1 have gone by in 2013, but I want to be caught up, so I
can be sure to have decluttered 365 things by the end of next December.
I supposed if I counted every little piece of paper, it would be a lot more, but that would be nitpicking.


Really how many bowls should one keep?  That chip holder that went with this bowl is broken.  It is just taking up room, and I keep moving it around.  And, I don't like it anymore.














    1. Books galore are going.  And you don't know how challenging it is for me to get rid of my books.  The criteria I am using is did I ever finish it.  
    2. Have I read it more than once?
    3. Will my DH read it?
    4. How long has it been sitting where it does not belong?
    5. Will I read it again?
    6. Is it a book that visitor's might pick up to read?  


    This is a honey bowl, I bought to be a sugar bowl.  The spoon
    does not fit where the little hole is on the edge of the lid.

    This counts.  I have been throwing
    miscellaneous clutter in it,
    that I haven't photographed.

    I am even throwing away wrinkled Christmas bags now.
    I usually save them all, but this was 
    handy to stuff other things in.  I am counting it as one.



    Thursday, May 9, 2013

    Letting Loose of Items #74 and #75

    Once you start letting loose of your clutter, 
    you begin to see that it gets easier making those decisions 
    about what you need to throw away, give away, or even sell.  I find 
    that giving away items is a lot less trouble than having a garage sale or a yard sale.
    I have gotten to the point in my life I am leaving garage sales to people who have more energy.


    Two very old metal clips that always catch and pull my hair 
    are going in the trash. I think I have probably
     had those things for thirty years.  
    Why did I think I could keep shaping them, 
    and they would not stay slightly sprung?




    We don't use our waffle iron anymore, but it is a very 
    good one; and it already has a new home.




    Wednesday, May 8, 2013

    A Book and Old Bath Salts

    #72
     Good-bye to the book that sat in a basket for a year.  



    #73














    Bath Salts, I enjoyed you in our deep tub, but now it is time to say adieu.  It is just easier to take a shower, and I have to keep moving you around.

    Will I find 356 items I need to give away or throw away by the end of this year?  I had already gone through many items before and after we moved.
    I am excited to find out, especially now that I am getting closer to 100.  And I haven't included all the trash bags of shredded receipts and things.  Hmm...maybe, I should include some of those bags.  After all, that's a heap of clutter.




    Friday, May 3, 2013

    Four Old Telephone books and More

     items are going.  I can't even figure out why some of it wasn't already thrown out, except that I was so overwhelmed when we moved.  One thing for sure, they all fit the rule of things that need to be thrown out or Seven items are leaving my home, and they have not been used in two years.

    Drum roll...  And now I unveil #65, #66, #67, #68, #69, #70,  and #71.

    Four telephone books and one instructional  booklet for a broken Urban Rebounder.
    Do you save stuff like this, just in case you need it again?  It may make sense
    saving a phone book from a town you recently left, but to save four is a waste of space.

    Now, why was I saving the whole box for a few pieces of packing paper?

    I think someone can use this notebook, but it is not going to be me.

    Wednesday, May 1, 2013

    Saying Good-bye to #63 and #64.

    Today, I'm saying good-bye to two different kinds of clutter.  Number 63 is a book that needs a new home.  And the other is something that was a gift, which was sampled and tried, but it just isn't getting used.  It will sit around for years going bad, while I feel guilty because it was a gift.  Nope.  Not going to do that this time.  Goodbye Number 64.

    I'm wondering if I will really find 365 things this year to remove from the clutter in my house.  I haven't counted jars and things that you would normally throw out.  I have decluttered things that sat around for a long time.

    Do you think I will find 301 more things that need to be decluttered?