OT kinda - decluttering! | Arthritis Information

 

I've decided that this is the year to give up my clutter/packrat addiction.  Too much effort is wasted in our house due to disorganization and messiness.  The house didn't get messed up in a week, so it certainly ain't gonna get tidied up in a week!  I'm tacking small areas/issues one at a time, once or twice a day.  15 to 30 minute timeslots - no more.  I don't want to get burnt out/frustrated/whatever.  I've decided that this will be a solo project for most of the house, so that I will not be able to blame anyone else for missing items or organization not to my liking.  I will assign tasks to the boys somewhere down the road, once I've gotten a head start and have some sort of game plan.  Probably sorting out their old clothes and toys, floor/wall/window washing, hauling out trash, packing up items for donation, etc.

Wish me luck!

Anyone else wanna join in and share the misery?
Go to this website and get inspired!!!!!!!  I have already gotten rid of 200 peices of junk.  It is a Decluttering Challenge,   get rid of 2009 things in 2009!  there are some great inspirational ideas and lots of support.  I'm finding this a GREAT help digging myself out of my mire.  Good luck.

There is also a site with a calendar for daily small tasks to help organise and declutter.  I've downloaded it and am using it as a loose guide for targeting areas. Cool!  I'll definitely check it out!

I've also been checking out flylady.net for tips and ideas - I like the way they start out slowly, making sure to break things down into very doable chunks (important for folks who are scatterbrained, overtaxed, overwhelmed, overtired, in pain, etc - kinda like lots of us here!).


Funny you posted this, as I spent most of yesterday up in the attic!  I've got a charity pile, a consignment pile, lots in the trash, and a 'see if the younger one will wear it' pile.

Yesterday's focus was clothes I had saved from my older daughter.  It was bittersweet.  "Ahhh, remember this dress?" and she kept saying, "No way I was this small just a couple years ago."

Jas, last year on another board, a member posted what she was tackling each day.  It was fun to try keep up with her, and lots of members joined in.  "Today is clean out  the cabinet under the bathroom sink" or "Today is the kitchen junk drawer".  Just a thought, if you want to lead the pack(rats)!
Suzanne2009-01-11 07:40:14Done with this placeLibby22009-02-10 01:19:37I will join you.  I need to clean this house out before the new baby comes or we will not have enough room.  I have so many baby clothes and toys that as soon as I find out the sex of this baby I can maybe get rid of my boy stuff.yes!  Flylady.. she's great! I'm using my monthy "get-out-of-housework-free" pass today - Aunt Flo has stopped by and she doesn't like doing chores!  I think I'll listen to her. today is our monthly big shop at BJ's wholesale... restocking the pantry... that is enough organizational stuff.. means cleanout of pantry and two refrigerators to stock up...  I'm vacuuming all the animal hair  LOL..  then done.... and having sausage scallopine on roll for dinner and watching the EAGLES at 4!!!  GO E A G L E S!!http://www.flylady.net/ Thanks Pammy, I just added the first site to my favorites. I've been to Flylady before, but will check it out again. I can declutter an area: drawer, cupboard, bedroom, but I can't keep it that way, it always goes back to the same old, same old. I like to watch those extreme hoarding shows on Oprah and Dr. Phil and congratulate myself that at least I'm not that bad, then I go declutter something. Goodness, you have no idea that knowing Jas has clutter has cheered me up no end. Jas orderly, organised, rational thinking...she has clutter, yippee!

I too struggle with clutter. Mainly due to being so unwell. Things fall on the floor, I can't pick them up. I can't move objects around because of my hands. I can't haul stuff around because of the fatigue, Neve creates more mess, most of it droppings of her creativity...in the last week I have forced her to clean up our small living room four times.

Being someone who is orderly and organised by nature, this stuff drives me absolutely crazy.

I also tend to beat myself up for it, which doesn't help. My frustration level gets so high with this issue.

Thanks for the clutter blogs. I have bookmarked them. I came across the flylady a few years back, the information there is wonderful.

So, thank you all for sharing and in doing so making me feel so much better about myself.

Cordelia2009-01-11 15:07:10I'm actually hoping to ease my life with the decluttering..

by eliminating things that take my time... or add to my chores... I hope to ease my daily burden....

I get tons of catalogs in the mail.. I don't even look at them anymore.... they go right into the trash..... less clutter....

same w/ any mail that I don't have time to look at now..... gone! 

Just doing that has eased having the crap on my foyer table....  I deal w/ it all in a matter of 5 minutes.. bills go into the office to be paid.... which I do each Sunday....

I'm teaching my 13 y/old to do his own laundry....  a well worth it chore!!

I am hoping to free up more time for living!!

Done with this placeLibby22009-02-10 01:18:17Done with this placeLibby22009-02-10 01:17:45I've totally been doing the same winter spring cleaning! I want everything organized, in a bin, out of sight out of mind! LOL  We have a shelf about the computer that I used to just throw the mail on. Now we have two cute green bins (2 for at Walmart, ladies!)-  one for new mail and one for bills to be paid. Junk mail immediately goes in the trash. All the paid bills and important docs go in a mini filing cabinet under the computer desk. IT'S SO LIBERATING!!!!! I'm free, I'm free! Free of clutter!!  Well, at least in this room. Hahaha!!!

 

Hope everyone is having a superfantastic and extra-comfortable day! I have a box and a basket in my room for stuff I no longer want/need/fit etc. for my friend's yearly garage sale. I used to help set up but since ra they are good to me and help me price and such. Last fall I made 0.00. Three of us girls totalled 00.00 in sales. I try to keep things tidy and I have a great hubby and two teenagers that need to be threatened or motivated but they are good about picking up. It seems I always have to ask. My mil got me a Shark Sweeper for Christmas. It's great. It weighs 2pounds and is great on wood or carpet floors. It recharges and picks up anything. My kids actually like to use it. We have a ancient kirby that weighs alot so this thing is wonderful. [QUOTE=SnowOwl]Cordy, there's more to life than organizational skills and efficiency, I think I'm a pretty organized and efficient type but I refuse to let housework become of paramount importance even though I'm retired now from professional (paid) life.  Sometimes I just enjoy going through the stuff that re-occurs because I rediscover things I'd forgotten I had, and I enjoy remembering the times and places where I found them, it's fun.  Don't confuse clutter with dirt or disgrace, clutter is a sign of, well, life being lived. 
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