Kinda OT... Cleaning/Decluttering?

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article 9bZTf.7429$_Q.4508@edtnps89, xkatx says...


"Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message
...
xkatx wrote:
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for
sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's
just
way too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much
of
it...
Does anyone have any suggestions?

www.flylady.net

Michelle
Flutist

Since this is the second recommendation for this flylady site, I did go
there. I finished feeding DD her lunch, DSs went with my aunt and uncle
for
the day, so it is just DD and I at home. Went to the site and yes, I did
start with the kitchen sink... I did, however, do both sinks at the same
time. I don't really have the time to allow each sink to sit an hour, and
since DD is having a nap, I really don't care for her to be sitting in the
kitchen with me when there's different cleaners being used.
The sink is soaking... Until 2pm - 45 minutes left! I read on, and
skipped
the shoes part. We just don't wear shoes in our house - although it is
expected that you do get dressed properly every morning, unless, of
course,
you're sick. In that case, you stay in bed, dressed for bed Never
have
worn shoes in the house, never will, so on I will go to the next part!

I have the table packed now with things in the kitchen that I have never
used, don't know how to use or haven't used in ages... I will be heading
upstairs to take pictures and post them on the local freecycle group
(place
where you can giveaway and get free stuff to keep still usefull stuff out
of
the landfills, for those who might not have a freecycle in their area!)
and
whatever is not picked up before the week is done, I'll box it up, toss it
in the back of my car and haul it off to the goodwill donation drop off 2
blocks away.

Yeah - the shoe thang doesn't work in our house, either.

But, again, it's the *idea* behind it. Getting oneself totally together.
For
Ms. Flylady whoever she is....the process must cap off with getting her
shoes
on. It's the attitude thang, hard to be organized when flopping around at
2pm
in fluffy slippers It's not the slippers, it's the
not-together-for-the-day
attitude.


I do what I call the spirit of flylady. I take what I like and pitch the
rest. Personally, I need shoes or my legs and back hurt.


Banty


--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

We have three kids, and we do at least an annual toy sort, where I
bring every last darn toy or toy part in the house and take them down
to the basement and sort them all out. A big part of this is reuniting
all the scattered pieces and accessories - its shocking how many toys
don't get played with, because the pieces are scattered throughout the
house.

We also sort out everything broken, or with key parts permanently lost,
and toss them - that is always good for a couple of big bags. We then
take anything that isn't being played with, anything that is no longer
age appropriate, or anything we have WAAAAAY to many of (for example,
the 8 zillion stuffed animals that I swear are breeding in my house),
and lug that off to the local women's shelter.

I'm pretty ruthless, since when you get all the toys in one place, you
realize you have an overwhelming quantity, and it makes you desperate
to thin them out so you can keep them semi-organized.

I also take a lot of excess household or kitchen stuff and clothing to
a local women's shelter - they are ALWAYS glad to get things, since
they have so many women who are essentially starting over with nothing
at all.

I've been married 18 years this year, and I did my first big purge of
my linen closet this year. Now I totally understand how my gran ended
up with a cupboard full of threadbare towels, sheets and blankets. She
decided she needed to totally wear them out, rather than retire them
when they got "past it". You wouldn't believe the sad collection of
linens I tossed out - all the fitted sheets where the elastic was shot,
the stained pillow slips, the unravelling towels. I don't know how we
get into this mindset of thinking we need all this junk. If I lived to
be 110, I'd never have use for the 10 worn out towels (i.e. I've
already got a rag box full to the top, and don't need MORE).
M.

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
news
Ericka Kammerer wrote:

xkatx wrote:

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack
maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer,
small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever
once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and
so
many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and
milk
shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender)
and
some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to part
with
it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never use
them,
and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was given
them
for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk I don't
want,
need or use.

But what's the cost of keeping it? It may be harder to
quantify that cost, but it's there all the same. And are you so
very tight financially that if you decided next week that your
very life depended upon getting a crock pot, you couldn't afford
to get one? Keeping everything Just In Case is a penny wise,
pound foolish way of thinking.


In general, a lot of the stuff that I've kept HAS come in handy.

Part of this is not getting any more stuff. It seems impossible to
wean my mom from the Wall Street Journal, and she doesn't have the
time to read it and won't throw it away until she's read it.
Fortunately she doesn't get a daily local paper anymore.

What I have kept doesn't seem to come in handy... A cookie press??? I don't
even know how to use it. I can't even count how many times I've used my
sandwich/snack maker thing because I have NEVER used it! We don't get the
paper at all... I get enough flyers, and the odd time when I pass a paper
box, and something catches my eye, I'll pick one up and if I'm lucky, I read
it. If not, I use it as puppy training papers

So I've severely pared down the magazine subscriptions that *I* get
and also try to throw out the papers the same day they arrive - only
touch it once. And I've been getting rid of National Geographic and a
whole bunch of other magazines that I've saved -- plus there are some
that I don't save (AARP, and AAA for instance).

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some
have
been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or two,
but
I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it, or
someone
pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so much...
Any
ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little ones to
part
with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home alone and no
one
would know the difference? That then leaves the question of my
household
junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that the kids can
help
out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on my own? With a
friend or family member?

If you get attached to stuff (which I do, to some extent),
one thing that can help is to give things away to friends rather
than throwing it away or selling it. I have a hard time parting
with baby clothes, but I get great pleasure out of seeing it on
other neighborhood kids as they grow, so it's much easier to do
that for me. Same with toys.

You might think of using Freecycle, which is less work than eBay, but
a little more work than just giving stuff to the Salvation Army or
someone like that.

Been using freecycle myself for about a year and a half or so now... About a
month after it came out in my city. Actually, a bunch of local freecyclers
picked up a cotton candy maker, crock pot, baking pans, that silly cookie
press, the sandwich/snack maker, some utensils, an electric food chopper...
I was *smart* and didn't have the brains to post one item at a time and just
put offers up for about 15 items only to be swamped with a gazillion
emails - some for one item, some for a bunch, and I'm STILL working through
the emails!

Another thing that can help is if you volume limit yourself.
Decide how much space is reasonable to devote to keeping outgrown
toys for posterity, and then don't exceed that amount of space.
Eventually you'll get to the point where if you want to save
something new, you'll have to get rid of something else. This
works for the kids too.
I would also recommend starting slowly. If you take on
too big a project at once, you'll choke. Find one small area
where you are prepared to be ruthless and start chucking. Reward
yourself by doing what it takes to make the area nice when you're
done. For example, if you take on your desk, once you've gotten
rid of all the junk (including the eight zillion stubs of pencils
and dodgy pens) and absolutely everything that isn't a necessary
record or something you use regularly, then get some pretty
storage devices for what's left or some colorful file folders
or whatever. Purge 'til it hurts, but just in this small area.
Then, give it a rest for a bit while you enjoy the increased
utility and beauty of that space. Pretty soon, you'll get a
hankering to do it somewhere else so that you can have that
peace and beauty somewhere else, and this time it won't be
so hard to get rid of stuff because you'll have some idea
how nice it is to have less clutter. Eventually you'll be able
to tackle your closet and all the clothes in different sizes
and the things that aren't quite your style or color but You
Might Need Someday and the things that Might Come Back Into
Style and the shoes that are Too Small But Look Cute ;-)

Best wishes,
Ericka

grandma Rosalie

"Stephanie" wrote in message
newsc%Tf.3633$hI1.2723@trndny06...

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article 9bZTf.7429$_Q.4508@edtnps89, xkatx says...


"Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message
.. .
xkatx wrote:
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for
sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter.
This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's
just
way too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much
of
it...
Does anyone have any suggestions?

www.flylady.net

Michelle
Flutist

Since this is the second recommendation for this flylady site, I did go
there. I finished feeding DD her lunch, DSs went with my aunt and uncle
for
the day, so it is just DD and I at home. Went to the site and yes, I did
start with the kitchen sink... I did, however, do both sinks at the same
time. I don't really have the time to allow each sink to sit an hour,
and
since DD is having a nap, I really don't care for her to be sitting in
the
kitchen with me when there's different cleaners being used.
The sink is soaking... Until 2pm - 45 minutes left! I read on, and
skipped
the shoes part. We just don't wear shoes in our house - although it is
expected that you do get dressed properly every morning, unless, of
course,
you're sick. In that case, you stay in bed, dressed for bed Never
have
worn shoes in the house, never will, so on I will go to the next part!

I have the table packed now with things in the kitchen that I have never
used, don't know how to use or haven't used in ages... I will be heading
upstairs to take pictures and post them on the local freecycle group
(place
where you can giveaway and get free stuff to keep still usefull stuff out
of
the landfills, for those who might not have a freecycle in their area!)
and
whatever is not picked up before the week is done, I'll box it up, toss
it
in the back of my car and haul it off to the goodwill donation drop off 2
blocks away.

Yeah - the shoe thang doesn't work in our house, either.

But, again, it's the *idea* behind it. Getting oneself totally together.
For
Ms. Flylady whoever she is....the process must cap off with getting her
shoes
on. It's the attitude thang, hard to be organized when flopping around
at 2pm
in fluffy slippers It's not the slippers, it's the
not-together-for-the-day
attitude.

I actually don't personally know anyone who wears shoes in the house.
Tracks in too much snow and dirt into a place, I find. I also have all lino
in the entire place, which makes for scuffs as well, even the clear,
"non-scuff" shoes leave little marks... And the dirt! Shoes off, socks
alright, even just bare feet. One rule is you get dressed in the morning,
brush your teeth and all that jazz, then have your breakfast, and that's
basically enough for me to be satisfied for the day to start. The odd time
I'll roll out of bed, or allow for pjs around the house, but that's usually
saved for a Sunday, lazy day. Even that, it bothers me if no one's dressed
by about 11am

I do what I call the spirit of flylady. I take what I like and pitch the
rest. Personally, I need shoes or my legs and back hurt.


Banty

That's kind of what I've been thinking would work best for me. Find what I
can take, and use, and leave the rest. I find my shoes don't help me very
much, and I really hate washing floors all the time. I also can't stand
having my own feet stepped on by someone who doesn't take off their shoes

"xkatx" wrote in message
news:E4WTf.8824$A4.862@clgrps12...
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas?

Sure :-)

- Pick one space or zone and throw out get rid of all the items that you
haven't used in a 18 months.
- Make sure all the items in that space make sense being there. If not,
move them to where they should be.
- Repeat that with every zone of the house as you feel you are able to given
your time and energy :-)
- When deciding how much of something (toys, clothes, linens, kitchen items,
etc.) to keep - look at your space. Keep until your space is filled, yet
organized, and then the rest needs to go.
- Do not buy one more thing unless you know exactly where you are going to
put it and when you plan to use it.
If I get a gift of something I already have I keep the old thing for a short
period (to make sure I like the new thing better) and then it goes (or the
new one does).
- Make sure everything has a home and that it gets put back there. Some
people find this is easiest to do at the moment, other people do a once a
week blitz of making sure things are put away.
- If it is broken either make a plan to fix it within the week or get rid of
it. Especially toys.

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"

Decluttering is going to be really hard until you figure out a way to
address this. I'm the anti-clutter bug but that is easy for me because very
few things hold sentimental value to me. I have a friend that still has a
prom glass from 1987. Her house is exploding. ;-)


--
Nikki, mama to
Hunter 4/99
Luke 4/01
Thing One and Thing Two due 4/06

"xkatx" writes:
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas?

Where you need to start is very individual. Start with a job of a
manageable size that will really make a difference for you. Don't
pick a whole room unless it's very small. The hall closet is a good
choice, or your computer desk, or a particular kitchen or bathroom
cabinet or drawer. Don't start with the whole kitchen, it's too much.
Decide what needs to stay there and resolve to banish anything that
doesn't belong there.

Once you've chosen it, gather some supplies: a trashcan and three
containers (plain boxes are fine). The trashcan is, of course, for
trash. The first container is for things you want to keep, but that
don't belong here - I like to use a laundry basket for this, because I
*will* need the laundry basket, which forces me to put that stuff
away! The second container is for things to be given away or sold -
stuff in usable condition that isn't getting used. And the third is
for items you're not sure about.

Pull items out one at a time. Don't waste time agonizing over each
item. If it's broken or missing pieces, it goes in the trash. If you
haven't used it in the last year, it goes in the donate/sell box.
(Exceptions are allowed for things like the big roaster you only use
when it's your turn to host Thanksgiving, and last year wasn't your
turn. But ONLY for circumstances like that, not for "I Might Need
This Someday"!) If you really can't decide whether an item is worth
keeping or not, put it in the not-sure box and move on.

Some people find it easier to set a timer for, say, fifteen minutes
and stop pulling things out when the timer goes off. Others work one
shelf at a time, or to this imaginary marker, or whatever. In any
case, you're not done when all the items have been sorted. You must
now put the items in that first container where they belong. Put the
donate/sell box and the not-sure box out of sight, preferrably where
they take some effort to get to, so you're not tempted to pull
everything out of them and put them right back where they will add to
the clutter.

When you take on the next project, add the donate/sell items to that
box, and the unsure items to their box. When the boxes are full, tape
them shut. Take the donate/sell box to the proper charity or make
*concrete plans* to get rid of it. (Set a date for a yard sale, or
call a charity that does pick-ups to arrange a date.) For the
not-sure box, write the date of sealing on the top. I bet you you'll
stumble across it six months or a year from now, unopened, and wonder
why you were ever saving that stuff. That's your cue to donate or
sell it.

Personally, the Fly Lady drives me nuts. There are a lot of
organizing sites on the web, offering much the same advice but with
different attitudes. I like Organized Home at
http://organizedhome.com/

Good advice, plus message boards with people at all stages in the
decluttering process.

Spring is here... Perfect excuse for "Spring Cleaning" and it's not the
cleaning I have problems with, it's the darn clutter!

Congratulations! You have the order correct! :-) I've tried to do
spring cleaning first, figuring the decluttering and organizing would
follow, and it was a disaster.

Declutter first.
Organize once you've got the clutter under control.
Then deep-clean.

Things keep coming into the house, once useful things become
clutter... you'll never be finished with this battle. But it is much,
much easier after you've done the first sweep. After your first
declutter, it'll seem like truckloads of stuff has left the house.
Later, each pre-deep-cleaning sweep will net a couple of bags.

I know this is fairly off topic, but still... Maybe someone here has an
idea?

I don't know if it's completely off-topic... kids sure are a good
source of Stuff, and some of that Stuff is definitely Clutter!

Good luck to you, and remember to tell people where you're going - and
that if you don't emerge from the hall closet by sundown, they should
send out a search party ;-) (BTDT!)

- Cindy Kandolf, mamma to Kenneth (12) and Robert (6)
****** Bærum, Norway
Bilingual Families Web Page:
http://www.nethelp.no/cindy/biling-fam.html

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 16:45:24 GMT, "xkatx"
wrote:

Yikes! Where do I start??

Being unemployed at the moment and home alone during the day, I have
started this process, room by more, but not just cluttering, I am
going to organize everything, even the pictures of a lifetime.

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter. This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's just way
too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too much of it...
Does anyone have any suggestions? I've sorted through some boxes in the
basement that have been filled with toys - probably about 10 medium-large
boxes, and I was able to give away, so far, a big box full of random toys.
I dont have young kids with toddler preschool style toys. I encourage
you to do this systematically, not with the, I can stand it any more
this blankety blank (which may irritate you at the moment) needs to go

I know my style is The Hoarder... "This might come in handy some day!"
(found a bit of info on one page about trying to declutter)
I have all kinds, for example, of kitchen gadgets - sandwitch/snack maker,
hand chopper, blender, coffee pot, kettle, toaster, electric mixer, small
grill, rice cooker, crock pot (x2), etc, and I don't think I've ever once
used this snack/sandwitch maker, the hand chopper, either crock pot, and so
many more... I use my blender all the time (mainly for baby food and milk
shakes every now and then, and I've been known to mix puddings in the
blender rather than the mixer because it's easier to clean the blender) and
some of this stuff that I've never even used, I just can't seem to part with
it. I know some stuff like crock pots can be handy, but I never use them,
and I know they can get kind of expensive, especially when I was given them
for my birthday, Xmas, whatever... I just can't part with junk I don't want,
need or use.

Think about this: it has to be cleaned, it takes up space (you could
be putting something else there, unlessyou have unlimited space, it
causes you stress AND someone else somewhere probably would love to
be able to buy it at a thrift shop for a buckaroonie.

but think ahead. Some things only get used a few times a year, but
when theyre gone,,,,,. So I have two sized crock pots and want to get
another one. evaluate "tools" if you will (be they mens tools, your
hobby, or your kitchen tools, very carefully)

Certain appliances like a mixer and a blender have multiple uses, and
may eliminate other products.

Unless its a truly sentimental gift, I would feel no guilt no matter
where it came from, although you may have to be discrete. Ifyou are
nervous start out slowly.

My thing is do one room at a time. I know people have mentioend fly
lady for cleaning, but I prefer the whole room apporach rather than
throwing out tenty some items or whatever it is per day or week. I
started at one end of my sewing craft room for instance. I have a huge
box (giveaway) a trash bin and in my case recyling containters.

Also, the toys... We have so many toys that no one even looks at. Some have
been packed in boxes for months and months, some even for a year or two, but
I sort through it and *I* want to keep it because I remember it, or someone
pipes up that this is their favorite toy, or they missed it so much... Any
ideas on how I can part with my junk and how I can get little ones to part
with theirs? Should I just get down to it when I'm home alone and no one
would know the difference? That then leaves the question of my household
junk... I seem to keep it all... Is this something that the kids can help
out with? Something DH can help with? I should do on my own? With a
friend or family member?

I am not sure of the ages for your kids, but I hesitate to make toys
disappear. I suggest you make a suggestun, ie an amount, number of
bins and boxes that can be kept and let them go at it. Clothing would
be a different issue. In my house, I will do it all, although if its
tools or stuff, I will certainly present it to hubby at the end of the
day, In my case, he really doesnt have alot of extra stuff, so its not
a problem.

"xkatx" wrote in message
news:ws4Uf.84$K11.33@clgrps12...

"Stephanie" wrote in message
newsc%Tf.3633$hI1.2723@trndny06...

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article 9bZTf.7429$_Q.4508@edtnps89, xkatx says...


"Michelle J. Haines" wrote in message
. ..
xkatx wrote:
Yikes! Where do I start??

Anyone have any tips or ideas? I have this urge (that I've had for
sooo
long) to just clean, clean, clean and get rid of ALL the clutter.
This
place is a disaster, not because it's so dirty, but because there's
just
way too much stuff... Toys, clothes, you name it, we have way too
much of
it...
Does anyone have any suggestions?

www.flylady.net

Michelle
Flutist

Since this is the second recommendation for this flylady site, I did go
there. I finished feeding DD her lunch, DSs went with my aunt and uncle
for
the day, so it is just DD and I at home. Went to the site and yes, I
did
start with the kitchen sink... I did, however, do both sinks at the same
time. I don't really have the time to allow each sink to sit an hour,
and
since DD is having a nap, I really don't care for her to be sitting in
the
kitchen with me when there's different cleaners being used.
The sink is soaking... Until 2pm - 45 minutes left! I read on, and
skipped
the shoes part. We just don't wear shoes in our house - although it is
expected that you do get dressed properly every morning, unless, of
course,
you're sick. In that case, you stay in bed, dressed for bed Never
have
worn shoes in the house, never will, so on I will go to the next part!

I have the table packed now with things in the kitchen that I have never
used, don't know how to use or haven't used in ages... I will be heading
upstairs to take pictures and post them on the local freecycle group
(place
where you can giveaway and get free stuff to keep still usefull stuff
out of
the landfills, for those who might not have a freecycle in their area!)
and
whatever is not picked up before the week is done, I'll box it up, toss
it
in the back of my car and haul it off to the goodwill donation drop off
2
blocks away.

Yeah - the shoe thang doesn't work in our house, either.

But, again, it's the *idea* behind it. Getting oneself totally together.
For
Ms. Flylady whoever she is....the process must cap off with getting her
shoes
on. It's the attitude thang, hard to be organized when flopping around
at 2pm
in fluffy slippers It's not the slippers, it's the
not-together-for-the-day
attitude.

I actually don't personally know anyone who wears shoes in the house.


Me. Slip off boots, slip on Merrills.

Tracks in too much snow and dirt into a place, I find. I also have all
lino in the entire place, which makes for scuffs as well, even the clear,
"non-scuff" shoes leave little marks... And the dirt! Shoes off, socks
alright, even just bare feet. One rule is you get dressed in the morning,
brush your teeth and all that jazz, then have your breakfast, and that's
basically enough for me to be satisfied for the day to start. The odd
time I'll roll out of bed, or allow for pjs around the house, but that's
usually saved for a Sunday, lazy day. Even that, it bothers me if no
one's dressed by about 11am

I do what I call the spirit of flylady. I take what I like and pitch the
rest. Personally, I need shoes or my legs and back hurt.


Banty

That's kind of what I've been thinking would work best for me. Find what
I can take, and use, and leave the rest. I find my shoes don't help me
very much, and I really hate washing floors all the time. I also can't
stand having my own feet stepped on by someone who doesn't take off their
shoes

In article ws4Uf.84$K11.33@clgrps12,
"xkatx" wrote:

That's kind of what I've been thinking would work best for me. Find what I
can take, and use, and leave the rest. I find my shoes don't help me very
much, and I really hate washing floors all the time.

During my very brief flirtation with Flylady, I changed "shoes on" to
"contact lenses in." The idea, as I understand it, is for you to feel
presentable in case you need to go out, and to stop you from getting
back into bed.

Now that I've stopped wearing contacts, there's nothing to stop me from
taking a nap... zzzzzzz
--
Sara
accompanied by TK, due in April

Quoting, for users of Google Groups:
http://groups.google.com/support/bin...4213&topic=250

In article , Michelle J. Haines says...

xkatx wrote:

I actually don't personally know anyone who wears shoes in the house.
Tracks in too much snow and dirt into a place, I find. I also have all lino
in the entire place, which makes for scuffs as well, even the clear,
"non-scuff" shoes leave little marks... And the dirt!

*shrugs* the counterargument to the dirt discussion is you keep a set
of "inside only" shoes near the front door.

Michelle
Flutist

We do that in the winter - except the *inside only* shoes are pretty soft ;-)


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