Not quite a horder - decluttering

I just love this thread! I have it marked as one of my favorites and always read the post. I am getting things in order at my house as well. We had a big move a few years ago and still have boxed that have not been opened! Apparently I'm not missing whatever is in them. I try to take a load to the thrift store once a week. The more organized I get the simpler daily life becomes.

Zills - yes, thanks. I finally decided to hit the kitchen & cook. I drank a couple of glasses of nice wine while I worked. Then I went to bed early. Blues gone the next day.

Varga - good to see you here.

Vargadoll--sounds like you have quite the challenge ahead of you! Is the collection mostly furniture type things? I'm thinking that furniture might be harder to deal with than ordinary junk. Maybe a re-sale place will take the items? If there is anything that could be used in an office setting some local non-profits might come look and lug off what they can use. A women's shelter or homeless shelter may use even more than office things, like beds and dressers. When I was helping my cousin clean out her mom's place I found out how affordable roll off dumpster can be. They come in different sizes. They may not look pretty in the driveway, but being able to fill it over time is a help. Being able to move a large amount of stuff at one go is a great motivator, so is watching the dumpster fill up. Not to mention the number of steps you can get just going back and forth between the house and the dumpster! You are very probably right, if you haven't used it in a year, you probably won't use it. Welcome to the club!

There was an organization here that took household goods and gave them to people getting their first housing. I think they had to discontinue the project because their warehouse rent went up too much (story of everywhere in Seattle). You might contact a social service agency to see if anyone has a similar service there. There are also churches here that take donations for new households.

This week's de-cluttering focuses on cleaning out a storage bench for yard and gardening things. I cannot remember the last time I did this, although I have looked in that space a lot and told myself it needed to be cleaned out. I finally did this am and got a lot of old broken things thrown out, plus there are a lot (too many) pots in there accumulated through time. I got a nice big box at Sam's Club yesterday I saved and going to take my extras of the pots I don't want to my favorite donation place. I found some things I have been looking for too!

Janky- the last time I cleaned out that storage bin, I found a family of mice living in there (eek). I used to keep my bird seed in there for my winter feeder and had found a huge hole chewed through the bottom (this bin is hard plastic, they were determined!) I was a bit afraid of what surprises I might find in there today, but have sealed up that hole (and did so again today when I cleaned it out. I got a air tight bin to store the birdseed so that kept that from being a future problem.

Put everything back in I want to keep and cleaning the extra pots to put in the box to take to donations. Anyone know how to get scale off pots? I am trying bleach but so far no luck?

Jazzy, I've had good luck soaking pots overnight in vinegar (either full strength or diluted with water) & then scrubbing them with a brush or even fine steel wool. I've heard that equal amounts of vinegar, rubbing alcohol & water mixed together & sprayed on will also work. If you can't get them totally clean just spray paint them a fun color!

JKL- thanks. I am trying some CRL solution tonight I found under the sink for lime scale, and letting it soak over night but will try vinegar next if that does not work!

Wren- no mice this time, but the time before. I hear you though about the diseases mice carry. We have had issues out here in NM with hantavirus. More in the rural areas on the ranches, but don't think the mice discriminate between urban and rural with their viruses.

A couple photos to inspire. I've mentioned that awhile ago, we re-did an old bathroom, tearing out ancient, broken down fixtures, removing wallpaper then painting and carpeting. Yes, it is a long, narrow room! Our house was built in the 1920s and this is all they were gonna allot for that room back then!! Thankfully, the bathroom we use on the other side of the right wall of this room had, at some point, been widen three more feet! I turned this into my “gift wrap room". I read that Candy Spelling, rich widow of Aaron, had a huge mansion with a gift wrap room, and while hers is no doubt humongous, I at least can say I, too, have one in my home! I must guard against buying too much wrap and bows, a weakness of mine. A black trunk peeking out in the back holds nothing, my grandmother brought it to America in the 1920s from Italy. The polka dotted bag on the right holds extra toilet paper. Fancy, huh?

DH agreed today that we probably could get rid of our old National Geographics (2000-2014) since we haven't opened them in years and probably won't ever. Hopefully he'll keep that attitude.

Mrs. M--Love the gift wrap room! I'm thinking some Command hooks, some cheap dowels or curtain rods and all the wraps can be mounted on the wall for easy access, same with bags of bows and ribbons, with a basket for scissors, tape, tags. Then a narrow table on one side, and you are all set to go!I've seen some small bathrooms, but that one was TINY! Still, if it met the need at the time, all was good. The storage room looks great! You can see where everything is. And being able to get 2 cars in the garage--that's impressive!

Wren--it's a start! Get those mags out ASAP, then find the next item to work on!

Love the gift wrap room! Gift wrap supplies take up a ot of space! I prefer to wrap instead of bagging gifts. My DD always says my presents are to pretty to open.

I'm on a roll! I got my kitchen spotless and organized. I ended up with 2 full bags of trash and a box for the thrift store. I did that yesterday and I worked on the living room today. Another bag of trash and stuffed a few more thinHS in the box for the thrift store. All the things that ended up in the trash were in drawers or baskets. DH is in Naples on a business trip (other words golf excursion) and I'm taking full advantage of not cooking and letting some everyday house work go while I "really clean house"!

So true, Wren! Vargadoll, have at it!!!

I hear you about the "ghosts of the past" and life becoming stagnant. I've got my share of ghosts, and have just begun thinking about letting them go. I'm finding that thinking and moving forward is more challenging than I thought it would be. Part of me is still afraid to make any future plans due to the "what if" syndrome. What if the beast comes back? What if I can't make it on part time work? And the biggy--What if I need that someday? In that I hear echoes of my mother and grandmothers. Some things I see in my kitchen cupboards and shelves are things I used to use regularly, but time and tastes have changed, but What If I want to make that dish again? I struggle to put away things I use almost every day among things that I'm going to use someday or will want to use again someday, usually someday when I get organized. Then there is the ages old Maine habit of storing all old kitchen items "To have when we get a camp someday" or "for when the children start their own homes." Well, I've got no children and am not going to at this point in my life. I may still someday get a camp, but unless I build it from scratch it will probably already have most of what is needed to when I get it. Hmmm. Seems like I need to take some time to think and decide what I really want from my life at this point and focus on making that happen.

nm - I hear ya about the kitchen stuff. Sort of like the black & white dot roaster pan that will cook a 30+ pound turkey. Never in my life will I cook something that size again. I think you've inspired me to let it go when I get home from vacation.