Day 90: Odds and Ends

This morning I glanced around, having had a busy evening last night that prevented me from simplifying. I looked in a room I felt I'd combed through quite well, then my eyes fell on a sewing basket. In it was odds and ends of leftover elastic, upholstery tacks, curtain rings, ribbon, etc. I quickly sorted to keep anything of reasonable length, put some things in the give away bin (tacks, curtain rings), and threw out the small pieces. Embarrassing as it is, I once went through a very frugal stage of cutting the elastic off holey underwear and reusing it in sewing projects. I don't have to resort to that anymore. :)

Sometimes knowing that hidden places are simplified is also freeing!

Be sure to read people's comments. They are very encouraging to our commitment to simplify!

Day 89: Good Intentions

If you are like me, you have some newspaper clippings you've been meaning to send to relatives, some duplicate photos you've wanted to send out, etc. This morning I clipped news, wrote quick notes to several relatives, inclosed photos, and am putting them in the mailbox. It feels good to get that out of the way.

We all have good intentions for things, but sometimes the items sit for weeks, months, or years. Eventually what we had planned to give people becomes obsolete. Try to make time to send out or give what you've been meaning to this week. It simplifes your mind and encourages those other people!

Day 88: Keep It Up

Probably our biggest problem with keeping clutter gone is consistency. Don't give up! Keep in mind to get rid of one thing per day. It can take seconds of time. You will develop a habit and you will, most likely, get rid of more some days.

Today is a busy. I got rid of a "learn Spanish" CD from 8 years ago that probably won't run on my computer anymore.

Day 87: Commitments

Not only does my living space need simplifying, but my time commitments do as well. I've been thinking of getting rid of a time commitment which is a regular task outside of the home that I have to do on a periodic basis. Haven't come up with one yet, but I need to. Think about it...are you stressed because of too many outside commitments? Which could go?

I put a tea towel in the give away bin today.

Day 86: Winter Clothes

As the weather goes between cold and warm, I am beginning to at least think about getting out the spring clothes. So, as I went to my dresser yesterday, I pulled out some clothing that I don't want anymore next winter and put it in the give-away bin. As you switch over your seasonal clothing, sort as you go. Did you wear that shirt that gaps in the front at all? Be tough!

Day 85: New House

I have a friend who just bought a new house and will be moving soon. She is interested in simplifying as well. We talked about how a leisurely move is the perfect time to rid herself of unneeded and unwanted stuff. I volunteered to help her move and promised I wouldn't swing over to the dump instead of taking boxes to the new house!

However, some of us have been in the same house for years and there are many places we haven't sorted through. Keeping this mindset of "one per day" helps you look better when you happen upon places you've ignored for years.

Today I threw out a photo CD from a school event four years ago.

Day 84: Old Computer Games

I'm going to stand on a soap box for a moment. I'm a teacher who sees too many children who can't read. What they need is lots of practice. When they come to school and tell me they've gotten to a certain level on a video game (and tell me each step and character along the way...snore...), it burns me up as that takes up so much of their time, they don't practice reading.

O.K. I'm done. Because of my horrid dislike of video games and my belief that they aren't that healthy for kids (all my opinion), my poor children were never allowed an X-box, or whatever the newest craze was at the time. (We didn't even have TV for years...yes...call me weird). However, their father loves computers and would buy them educational computer games. I could handle "educational."

Getting to the point, I've cleaned out some of those computer game CD's today. My amazingly well-adjusted adult kids are beyond those now.

Day 83: Office Supplies

Today I am getting rid of a pack of printable transparencies. School life has moved beyond the overhead projector to the ELMO to project examples to students. For those of you not in a classroom, the ELMO is a camera that projects 3-D objects (such as your hand...teachers need clean fingernails now), book pages, etc. onto a screen for students to see. It's tons better than an overhead projector.

So, for me, transparencies are a thing of the past!

Day 82: Danger of Clutter

Watching the show "Hoarders" makes me almost physically ill. It's obvious that extreme clutter can ruin lives and health. I heard of a fire where firemen couldn't reach the victim; there was a mention of lots of boxes and stuff around. Dangerous...

Not only do we feel better, but our lives move more efficiently and in some ways, are safer when we have less stuff.

Today I put a shirt in the give away box.

Day 81: Silly Saving

On the music CD note, I came across a case to a CD that got sold with an old car (it was in the CD exchanger). Why we've kept the case, I don't know. Did we think the CD would be like Lassie and find its way home?

Gone!

Day 80: CD's

Just like videos, CD's will be on their way out eventually. For now though, they are still in use at our house. Though the i-pod and i-phones are beginning to take on all the music, my former DJ husband has ample supplies of CD's. Mind you, I don't touch his CD's, but there are joint ones such as Christmas CD's that I stumbled across yesterday in a cabinet. I took two that were freebies and put them in the give away box. We haven't listened to them in years.

Day 79: Books

If you read people's comments on this blog, there are definitely some simplifying habits being formed. I'm so happy for everyone!

Books seems almost sacred. Perhaps we are still of the mindset from pre-printer days where every word was copied by hand. I don't know, but it is difficult to get rid of books, especially to throw away books. Thankfully, places like Goodwill take them happily. Last evening, while looking for a certain wedding music book, I came across two piano solo books I never use anymore. They are in the give away bin.

Keep up the simplifying, everyone!

Day 78: Junk

I put two candles in the give-away box today and found some just plain junk in a basket to throw out. It truly is amazing what accumulates!

Day 77: Trudging Through

The daylight is longer now, but the to-do list seems to be multiplying, filling up those hours! It's at times like these we need to keep it up and simplify, at least one per day. I know there will be days ahead we can rip through a room and unload a lot of stuff. Until then, one thing is sufficient to keep us on track.

One book is being put in the give away box.

Day 76: A Sense of Peace

When you come home after a busy day, which is more peaceful to greet you?

a. A room free of clutter with items in their places
b. A room where you rushed out, but it's easy to put things away
c. A room that overwhelms you when you walk into it

I once heard a speaker say that she wanted to be welcomed into her home when she came in, not attacked. I feel attacked when I come home to a lot of stuff everywhere. The simpler I can make a room so that I can just pick up easily, the better. We'll always have busy times where things don't get put away, but just having a place for everything is freeing.

Today I finished up a pretty notepad on a stand, so it is going away. I also got rid of an empty wooden tea box I had admired but done nothing with.

Day 75: Is Anyone Else Swamped?

Whew, this time of year is more and more hectic! I'm happy that this commitment is"one per day" because I'm barely squeaking by right now. In the cedar chest my dad made for me, I store towels and sheets. I will tackle it more later, but today I pulled out a hand towel that matches nothing and put it in the give away bin.

Day 74: Baskets

How many baskets do I need? I have received some lovely ones as gifts. Several are used daily to hold items and look attractive. A pile of them are on a shelf in the basement. I am planning to "regift" the baskets and fill some with cookies, homemade bread, or other goodies to give away to teachers, Sunday School teachers, etc. I don't think it's getting rid of them just to get items out of my house. Baskets can really be used to brighten someone else's day!

Day 73: Out with Winter, In with Spring

As our long awaited spring arrives, I am putting away winter decor like snowmen, and pulling out spring decor. It's a good time to sort through those boxes. I found a foreign-made vase that we've never used and was never very pretty anyway. I've put it in the give away box. Some knick knacks just aren't worth keeping.

I have been spacey all day today with the change in time. I really thought I had posted this, but it was stuck in my drafts bin. So sorry! I obviously need to simplify all the jumble in my brain.

Day 72: Magazines

I cleared out some magazines and catalogs that were overflowing in the magazine rack. Haven't read the catalogs, but they will keep coming and sometime I will shop.

Day 71: Hazardous Waste

As I'm going through cupboards, closets, etc., I am finding partially used bottles of cleaning fluids, paint, etc. I'll gather it together and take it to our recycling day or just to the regular center at the landfill. Sometimes I've found multiple bottles of some cleaning agent that we bought because we didn't know we had some already. Clear out unnecessary stuff. Paint that has been sitting mostly empty for more than a year is probably dried out or at least unusable. Keep only what you can still use or may need in the next year.

Day 70: Collectible Spoon Rack

Today I put my high school shop project in the give away bin. It is a wooden spoon rack for collectible spoons from places you travel. I made it and gave it to my grandmother who collected memory spoons. She has been in Heaven awhile... over 5 years. My aunt sent me the rack after cleaning out her things. I hope it will be a nice addition to someone else's home (who likes spoons!)

Our 20 day challenge ends today. If you made progress, please comment! Even if you aren't done with your challenge room, that's OK. Keep at it!! My closet is cleaned and organized. I think any family member could go in there now and find what he/she needs. Yea!

Day 69: Another Craft

Something that has helped me use up craft projects is to choose one a month; in any free time, just do that, i.e. scrapbooking, knitting, sewing, etc. It helps me make great headway without getting distracted with other hobbies. At that point, I feel like I "get rid" of one thing by finishing it.

Day 68: Unfinished Craft Projects

Craft crazes come and go like clothing styles. If you are like me, and usually take forever to complete a craft project, often the craft is out of style by the time you finish. I had a lot of cross-stitch projects I had begun, but that had been in the attic for years, unfinished. I asked myself several questions:

1. Am I going to have time to finish them with the lifestyle I currently lead within the next 5 years?
2. If I finish one, where will I put it in my house? Will I still be interested in displaying it? (for example, Precious Moments cross-stitch)
3. How many hours would it take me to complete this?
4. Do I really want to put that much time into something I may not even like when it's done?

I threw out the projects and have never regretted it. As a result, if I begin a project, I don't begin another until that one is complete; before I even begin the new item, I ask myself the same questions. As a result, I have a time frame in mind and usually do better actually completing the task because of thinking ahead of time.

Anybody have unfinished craft projects? Thoughts?

Day 67: Atlanta Braves Ponchos

In my closet cleaning, I came across a bag of Atlanta Braves rain ponchos our family had paid through the nose for while attending the professional game in the rain. (9 years ago) They are just plain plastic, but the sting of their expense in our time of need still must ring in my head.

Now, to wear Atlanta Braves rain ponchos at a Braves game is one thing. I have "suggested" that my family use them on other rainy outings and that goes over like a lead balloon. Obviously then, I shouldn't keep them. There may be some staunch Braves fans out there who will snatch them up at Goodwill.

Day 66: A Hard Choice

I can happily say that I reached my goal in the "cupboard under the stairs" closet! I pulled the rest of the stuff out yesterday, rearranged, organized, and got rid of more. It looks so much better and I know where everything is.

In there was my Mary Poppins satchel that I loved. Recently, two very generous students gave me similar sized new travel bags. I looked at them, thinking that one person doesn't really need three overnight bags, no matter how cute. I really didn't want to get rid of my tapestry Mary Poppins-like one, but after examining it closely I saw chew marks on the edge, fraying around the zipper, and then I realized that it had served its purpose. The other two are new and much more in style. So...it went into the give away bin.

Day 65: Make A Mess to Clean A Mess

"You have to make a mess to clean a mess." This old saying is very true in my experience. Pulling everything out of a space and seeing how much better it looks without clutter helps you sort and only put back necessary items. If the rest don't have a place to go, it may be time to GA, TA, or S. (Give away, throw away, or sell). I plan to do that today in the closet I've been tackling the past two weeks.

Day 64: Video Cassettes

Having moved from VHS to DVD and now entering the realm of Blue-Ray, our VHS tapes' days our numbered. I put a boxed Star Wars VHS set into the Goodwill box today, as long ago my technological family members felt they needed a set in DVD. No need to have both!

Day 63: Motivation

This has been my morning so far: I woke up, put on my walking clothes and headed to my closet project because I needed to tell you all what I got rid of today!! I spent 15 minutes sorting a storage box and threw away, or placed everything where it belonged. One box is out of there!

The point is, you are all a motivation to me to get up and get my one or more items cleared out for the day. Thank you!! It really doesn't take a lot of time in one shot; it's the motivation over a lot of days that will make a difference and help us simplify.

Yesterday was a great day for many of you! Thanks for posting your successes!!

Day 62: Paper

I spent time today in my project closet sorting through lots of paper. Have you ever had company coming and just grabbed a pile and stuffed it in a bag or box? That's what I found. I realize that a good filing system is essential, and I liked one of our member's comments about dealing with mail as soon as it arrives to cut down on paper clutter. Lots of my paper items went into the trash (old magazines, junk mail), some went into the memory file (birthday cards made by the children), and I am filing certain items. Still have a ways to go, but made progress. I thought computers were supposed to cut down on this. :)

Day 61: Sparkles and Glitz

I inherited a pedal, antique sewing maching and stand from my dear grandmother. It has six drawers crammed full of her sewing things. Some of the items are really vintage and cool, like the velvet covered pin cushion made from canning jar rings. But some things I could get now if I really needed them. I'm not sure what Grandma planned to do with all the sequins in those drawers, but I'm going to give them away as I don't think I will need them.

10 more days to organize our rooms for the challenge! (Or at least make a dent!) Thanks for the month synopses, ladies. I am so happy to hear of your conquering of clutter.

Day 60! Two Months Down!

It has been two months, Ladies! At the end of January, I asked if you might be willing to comment on your progress after the first month. Would you do that again? It is encouraging for all of us to hear what people are doing.

My mindset continues to change about bringing in new items to my house. With most things, I think, "I don't really need that. It will just be one more piece of stuff to store." Along with getting rid of items and cleaning out a messy closet, I think that is my biggest accomplishment this past month. Also, I see the attitude flowing over to my family members as they begin to rid their spaces of excess clutter.

Today I am putting out a broken dehumidifier for trash pick-up.