Making do with less

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2008

    Way to go hi5.  Keep going.  A little at a time consistently and you will soon see a big difference.  :)

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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited October 2007

    Back from my "road trip," I see my home with new eyes.  I think I am going to get rid of some furniture next.  LOL  DH better start nailing down what he wants to keep or it's all over!

    Have checked into a few other threads here and find it pretty depressing.  Maybe I need to stay away from most of them as a way of uncluttering my mind........

    Tina

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  • shokk
    shokk Member Posts: 1,763
    edited October 2007

    Tina I just want you to know how much I enjoy this thread.......my daughters started cleaning out our house over the summer and each daughter painted their rooms which turned out very nice........this is the first weekend that my youngest doesn't have band activities except for homecoming but at least its at home so I'm getting up Satuarday and clutter is leaving my bedroom......can't wait.......everyone have a great weekend..........shokk

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2008

    Tina

    Good luck on your de-cluttering.  My biggest clutter issues are bills and paperwork.  And my kitchen table is the 'hotspot' where it all lands.  I'm going to try to clear that up this weekend and also start gathering items for tax time.

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  • pconn03
    pconn03 Member Posts: 643
    edited October 2007

    Hi Gals:

    No much to report on the decluttering front and I will be out of town next week but I will be getting back to it in earnest when I return.  It is definitely a priority of mine and I love this thread!!!

    Thanks, Tina, for starting it and for all of you other gals for the inspiration.

    Hugs,

    Pat

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  • juanita63
    juanita63 Member Posts: 171
    edited October 2007

    Still working on my bedroom.  It always seems to be the catch-all for the rest of the house.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2007

    Hi everyone,

    Sorry I havent posted in awhile, but other things cropped up that stopped me from De-crapifying so didnt have much to post....But now thats another storyLaughing....

    Mid-last week my daughter and her man decided to get married....first they talked about eloping, but later decided they wanted a wedding so on we go to starting plans as they have chosen Nov. 24th...anyway,

    I had about 6 totes of craft stuff sitting in my basement doing nothing...my favorite colors are burgandy and dark blue so there are lots of things in those totes in those colors......to my de-crapfying delight she has choosen burgandy, cream and gold for her wedding colorsSmile....she came over today and I suggested looking to see what I have in those totes that she might be able to use.....we found tons of stuff!!!!!!!!!!! she will have to buy very little to decorate with now....but I told her that if she takes 3 of the totes she "has" to take a fourth but that I dont want ANYTHING thats left over back!!!!!.....dont care what she does with it, just "DONT" bring it back.....we whiddled those 6 totes down to only two left in my basement Laughing

    Other than putting things together for a wedding of about 100 people in a few weeks I think Im liking being the "mother of the bride" Laughing

    Jule

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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited October 2007

    Jule,

    Oh, your life sounds like fun, if a lot of work in the short term!  You'll have to be watching those old movies, ie. Mother of the Bride, etc.  40's vintage are best.  So relaxing.

    Isn't it great about having kids?  You always have someone to palm things off on. LOL  They do come in handy, don't they?

    About 10-15 years ago I went on an antiquing binge.  Well, they're more like collectibles than bona fide antiques.  In the process, I bought many, many milk glass items, Westmorland Paneled Grape, from the 50's through the 70's.  Now, I am thinking, "What was I thinking?"  There are so many milk glass vases, planters, salt and pepper shakers, even footed tumblers.  I will never use them.  I'm thinking that I should pack them all up, put a value on them, and donate them to Salvation Army or a church for their Christmas flea market.  What's the best place to find a value that the IRS won't argue about?  I guess I should also photograph all that stuff, too.

    Oh, why do we do these things to ourselves??? Embarassed Laughing

    Tina

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2008

    Jules, congratulations to you and your daughter!

    Tina, I would go to ebay and find similiar items and see what they are bidding at and then print a copy of the page for doc purposes.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2007

    Thank you Always Smile...

    Yes Tina, do look on ebay...I sold quite a bit of the milk glass stuff on there a few years ago and thats how I figured out what the listing price should be.....its also away for you to get a pic too.....

    Hope everyone is  doing well.

    Hugs

    Jule

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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited October 2007

    I just wanted to post here what I posted on another thread.  Get rid of your old scarves, hats, wigs, mastectomy bras, prostheses, camisoles and other parphernalia and do double good.  You make someone less fortunate very happy and you clear out the debris of a very bad experience.  Don't hold on to them "just in case."  Make room in your life for healing.

    Tina

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  • badboob67
    badboob67 Member Posts: 2,780
    edited October 2007

    Tina,

    There are many pricing books written by a man named Gene Florence for just the kinds of glass you describe. I have some, but they are several years old and would not help. You might be able to find some at your library to help you price things.

    Diane 

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  • jackieinbama
    jackieinbama Member Posts: 65
    edited October 2007

    I would like to make a suggesstion for the small soaps, shampoos, and lotions collected from hotels, donate them to a battered womens shelter.  Our church oftentimes make hygiene kits for these women and their children.  Many times they arrive at the shelters in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  The small toiletries gives them something to use until they can purchase others.

    Just a thought,

    Jackie

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  • livesstrong
    livesstrong Member Posts: 1,799
    edited October 2007

    Hi Ladies, I know I have been MIA for awhile. I haven't had a chance to do any cleaning up lately between work & vacation it has been crazy. BUT, my mind never stopped thinking of things to do!! lol.

    Since it looks like this weekend is going to be a wash out here in the east I decided to switch my clothes from summer to winter.  Hopefully by days end I will have bags & bags to donate. I can't wait.

    I have a question for you ladies - do any of you use those hangers "as seen on TV" called hook & hang??  There the ones that you hang mutiple items on and they collapse downward.  I picked up a set at a yard sale and I thought they would work in my DH's closet since he actually has more clothes then me if you could believe it!! Was just wondering how well they work.

    I'm hoping next weekend is nice because I want to tackle my closet outside that houses all my patio stuff.

    Oh, by the way, if you have any eyeglasses laying around you don't wear the Lyons Club is accepting them thru Halloween. You can drop them off at any Lenscrafters, Sears Optical or Target Opticals.  I put a collection box at work and got a ton to donate.  They go to kids in developing countries.

    Another idea is having a Chinese Auction/Tricky Tray at work.  We do this about twice a year and I have gotten rid of quite a few things.  The trick is NOT to participate in the actual event!!! LOL. We put the money raised toward our Christmas party.

    I actually save all the toiletries I get from hotels and use them the next time I go away.  With the new airline restrictions of 3oz.'s or less they are perfect.

    I think we need a name for our club, Tina what do you think??

    Valerie

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  • myrenewal
    myrenewal Member Posts: 203
    edited October 2007
    Cleaning closets today also - I now have five huge bags for Goodwill and I am exhausted (lol)!  Had to take a break and check in with a cup of coffee.  But at least I can now see what I have and now know I don't need to shop for the next five years!!Embarassed  And I'm not done with the first closet yet!
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  • althea
    althea Member Posts: 1,595
    edited October 2007
    My Mom turns 80 one week from today.  I've had a to do list all month that I just haven't mustered up the energy to tackle... until this week.  Now I'm gardening up a storm in my back yard.  Six bags of soil conditioner, six bags of mulch, two flats of pansies.  Yesterday I petered out after just an hour.  Today I put in five hours!  Really made some strides!  I hope my next crash and burn can wait for a week.  My two brothers and their entourages will be arriving on Friday.  Wish me strength to get through all this. 
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  • CaliforniaKate
    CaliforniaKate Member Posts: 258
    edited October 2007

    My dad died 5 years ago, and a year ago my mom had to go into a nursing home. What a nightmare clearing out someones home. I sold some things for her, and the rest we donated to Hospice. Now I've started cleaning out my life. I can't believe how much stuff we have, that we never use.     Kate

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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited October 2007

    Checking in on a nice Sunday afternoon.

    Well, Valerie, that's a thought.  Any ideas?

    Another Eureka moment!  Donate all my old, unused knitting and crafts magazines to #1. others in my knitting group.  What they don't want will go to a local senior center.

    Now, I can hear some of you protesting that it isn't just old ladies that knit anymore, but, hey, lots of them DO, so it would be a convenient place to drop them off. 

    Of course, eBay is another good outlet for some of those old craft maggies, but it just takes so much time and effort to list them and ship them that it isn't worth it as a trade-off for the immediate gratification of a give-away.  (I have LOTS of old knitting and craft magazines.Embarassed)

    Now, this is probably naughty of me, but I was going through my jewelry box yesterday and trying on all sorts of earrings, some quite expensive.  Some of them I just do not like anymore.  I've decided to get rid of lots of them.  Does anyone know if eBay is good for that sort of thing?  I feel kind of guilty, as some were gifts from DH.

    Don't tell him. Innocent

    Kate, I've been through that exercise with family stuff.  Sooner or later we all go through it.  It's a really hard thing to deal with because of the emotional attachment.  One of my favorite books to help psyche me up for it was Karen Kingston's Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui.  Don't bother with her other books unless you are into feng shui in general.  The Clear your clutter book, though, is just plain sensible and about the best I have read yet - and I've read a LOT of them!

    Tina

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  • livesstrong
    livesstrong Member Posts: 1,799
    edited October 2007

    Althea, Good luck!!

    Kate- OMG, I remember when my FIL passed, what a mess we had.  He had an entire room filled with newspapers! His dresser drawers were filled with recipes he had wanted my MIL to try (she had died 10 years before him) it was a nightmare.  I vowed back then that I would never let my house get that way.

    Tina- I'll let you know if I come up with a name.

    I have used ebay alot for lots of different things.  Its nice to have the extra cash.

    Well I managed to fill one bag of my clothes to donate and another to throw away this weekend. Next weekend its DH's turn.

    I'm getting there.

    Valerie

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  • juanita63
    juanita63 Member Posts: 171
    edited October 2007

    Oh my gosh, I finally got my bedroom done.  I had to do it though because I decided to paint it.  I moved everything to the middle of the floor and painted the walls.  Then as I moved furniture around (I rearranged at the same time) I got rid of a bunch of stuff.  AND I've managed to keep it clean for a week.

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  • livesstrong
    livesstrong Member Posts: 1,799
    edited November 2007

    Hey Ladies,

    Not much going on here lately - did we all give up???  LOL.

    I'm happy to report my DH gave in and actually parted with a HUGE bag of clothes.  There is actually room in his closet now!!  Next week he promised to go thru the hall closet and all his coats.  We're making progress.

    Work has decided to have another Chinese auction so I will be getting rid of more stuff!!  Yippee!!

    Right now my biggest problem is books & cd's.  Any suggestions as to what to do with them??

    Tina, how's the "Less is Best" club grab you?? LOL.

    TTYS,

    Valerie

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  • juanita63
    juanita63 Member Posts: 171
    edited November 2007

    Your local library might take the books and cds.  Or check a nursing home.  I get rid of magazines that way.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2007

    Valerie,

    Ive donated cd's, books, magazines, dvd's, writing tablets (why my grandmother had so many I will never know!!!!!) to a couple of the day care centers locally, there is also a battered womans shelter that I donate things too...Ive also donated cds/dvds and books to the marina where my brother has his boat moored. Ive also found a store in the next town that trades books two for one so have swapped some there and I hear that there is a music store there that does something similar with cds and dvds so am planning to check that out next time.

    Hope this helps!!!!

    Jule

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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited November 2007

    Valerie, you can call me Moe, or you can call me Joe, just remember Neato, she don't never buy no mo..................

    I haven't been hanging around here too much lately but just wanted to check in on you all to make sure you were not slacking off!  Can't have any relapses, can we?

    Hey, I am having my diamond engagement ring recycled into an earring.  Will have to match it, of course, with another stone, but that takes up hardly any space..........LOL.  This is the kind of recycling that's not hard to do. Wink

    Tina

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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited November 2007

    Well, forget the diamond earring thing.  Too expensive. Cry  Well, who needs more earrings, anyway?

    A couple of days ago I started a serious housecleaning, down on all four to scrub, etc.  It seems I need less dirt and grunge now.  LOL Well, it is truly amazing how wonderful it feels to get into those corners and clean!  Even the air in the room feels clearer.  I can even think clearer in that room. 

    I have to confess to a funk a dunk.  Maybe it's the gray day, maybe it's the cold.  I dunno.  I'm feeling out of sorts with the job, etc.  Feeling out of control about a pooch belly. Yell  Being unhappy about my "hairdo," if you can call it that.  Yes, growing just fine and probably faster than most but it still is not "normal" and I'm just sick of it.  Blah, blah, blah.  Sorry to dump on you but everyone needs to vent now and then.

    Back to cleaning, I guess.  It's a positive direction.

    Tina

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  • hi5
    hi5 Member Posts: 374
    edited November 2007

    Welllllllll.... I was doing great...cleared out all my fall and winter clothes that I will not be using...some to consignment stores, some to friends, some to thrift and then.... well I needed to buy a few more items so you know how that goes BUT...I am working towards clearing out old papers etc. and have gotten rid of about another 2 garbage bags.  So it is coming along 

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  • althea
    althea Member Posts: 1,595
    edited November 2007
    Tina, we can move only as fast as the slowest part of us will move.  I know for myself, I'm constantly struggling between being at peace with where I am and trying to do more.  I've been crashing and burning ever since my mom's birthday.  Prior to that, I got my house vacuumed from top to bottom.  Even moved the furniture in the living room and pulled the cushions off the sofa to vacuum in there also.  I pruned, mulched and mowed in the yards and planted pansies.  So at least I have something that warms my heart as I crash and burn.  And as Thanksgiving approaches, my house is already clean!  Well, I never did get around to mopping the floor.  That's always last on my list. 
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  • abbadoodles
    abbadoodles Member Posts: 2,618
    edited November 2007

    OPRAH alert!

    Did anyone see the show on hoarders yesterday? OMG, I'm sure no one here could be as bad as this lady.  The poor thing; I feel so sorry for her.

    Part 2 of the story will be on this afternoon (11/16).  If you miss the show, I'll bet lots of it will be on the oprah.com web site.

    Tina

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  • livesstrong
    livesstrong Member Posts: 1,799
    edited November 2007

    Tina,

    OMG!!!  I saw Part 2 yesterday.  That had to be the worst case I ever saw.  3 semi's full of those totes!!! A 10,000ft warehouse to hold the rummage sale!!! How many pairs of shoes did she have?? Like 3000!!!  Didn't they wind up making $13,000.00 at the sale!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!  How much you want to bet they go back to there old ways?

    As far as my house is concerned - I spent the morning cleaning out my fridge.  I decided it was time to clean off the top as well. So I cleaned out the cabinets above the fridge (can you believe I found a phone book from 2003) and now I have some place to store all DH's cookbooks.  I put all the takeout menus in a drawer , threw some crap away and now all I have on top is a pretty bowl.  It looks like one of the fridge's you see on that show Designed to Sell!!!  LOL.

    I took off all the stuff I had on my end tables in the living room also. They look so much better with just a lamp and a nice candle. 

    I took some stuff into work for the Chinese auction too!!!

    I'm on a roll........................

    Valerie

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  • juanita63
    juanita63 Member Posts: 171
    edited November 2007

    I saw Oprah and was shocked at all of the stuff that the lady had.  I was bad before cancer, but never that bad.  Then cancer made me feel my mortality and I thought "Somebody has to got through all of this crap when I die", so I started getting rid of stuff.  But after watching Oprah I'm going to go back through the house and I'm sure I can find more to get rid of.

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