For anyone who has not read this blog before let me tell you what I am doing in 2024. I decided I would touch every single item in our house, organize every single thing we are keeping, donate or re-home things that need to go., recycle anything recyclable and hopefully have minimum to trash. I have been amazed at the number of items I either had no idea we had or had forgetten about completely.
I did a seriously bad job of cleaning/weeding rooms in February. Why? I really don't know. I had the time but I just did not use it well. March is going to be a little busy, but I am determined to clean/ organize/ donate at least 2 areas, if not the complete rooms.
Stuff I found during February clean out and where it was:
Changing Room
- USB charging port - Neither of us knew we had one. Keeping
- Mosquito zapper - Bought when we had the lake place, stored and forgotten. Keeping
- Wooden CD holder - held a bunch of Dad's CD's,
Upstairs Bedroom 1
- Outdoor lawn game - No idea we even had it
- U of A door banner - Thought I got rid of it years ago
Upstairs Bedroom 3
- 3 tops I did not remember ever buying, 2 still had tags. Keeping
PowderRoom
- Bronze soap dispenser
Coat Closet
- Black hoodie (mine bought and evidently forgotten) Keeping for now
- 3 games 1 was a gift, I remembered after seeing it. Absolutely no clue where the other 2 came from. Keeping for the moment
- Instruction packet for hosting a murder mystery- no clue where that even came from.
- 35 mm slide viewer
- Hammock
Given away
- Keurig - Buy Nothing FB group
- 7- 36" gold balloons (still in package) - Buy Nothing FB group
- Travel Master cup for air flights (never used) * - Son3
- Binoculars - Son3
- Frank Stitt's Southern Table cookbook - Son3
- The French Laundry cookbook - Son3
- U of A door banner - Son3
- Outdoor lawn game - Son3
- Vacuum cleaner with bags - Buy Nothing FB group
- Drawer organizers - Buy Nothing FB group
- 2 Exchange Club boxes ready for next pick up**
- Slide viewer - Buy Nothing FB group
- Murder Mystery game - Buy nothing FGB group
- Hammock - Son2
- CD holder - Buy nothing FB group
*This was a corporate Christmas gift. Does anyone actually need an insulated glass and 3 ounce flask for an inflight beverage. Evidently Son3 does.
** Also started another exchange club box. This will technically not be picked up until March, but they were filled in February so I am counting them as a February giveaway.
Go YOU!!! I totally filled my desk trash can aka Dixie's snack basket with old paperwork we don't need to shred.
ReplyDeleteI did a seriously bad job of cleaning/weeding rooms in February. March is going to be a little busy, but I am determined to clean/ organize/ donate or trash at least 2 areas, if not the complete rooms.
DeleteWell done, Anne! You had other things on your mind in February, but, you still got a lot organized and decluttered! You did great!
ReplyDeleteI did have some time to do more but I chose not to. Bad on me!
DeleteI had never heard of Vapor Ministries. I had this crazy idea it must be a vaping ministry as I looked it up. You know how a person gets silly. But, Life is a Vapor.
ReplyDeleteWhen I find something I had no idea I had, I always wonder what else there is to find. Life is full of mysteries.
There is a Vapor retail store near me that is always packed.
DeleteYou found some rather interesting items in your clearing out. I did chuckle at the number of items that Son3 took off your hands. That's definitely one way to dispose of things.
ReplyDeleteThe binoculars were originally his that he put in an Exchange Club donation box years ago. I fished them out, stuck them in a drawer and promptly forgot about them until I was cleaning out. It is funny because now that he is living in a house in Nashville rather than an apartment in NYC he was so glad to have them to look at the birds in the backyard. Funny how life changes isn't it.
DeleteI'm shocked when I find something in the house that I don't remember and don't know how I got it because my house is quite small. It's not as if I have room for a lot of things. You're doing a great job of cleaning out stuff and finding new homes for items.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
My house is entirely too large for the two of us, but we do like it when everyone is here (which is very rarely). I have rooms I rarely even go into, but they have closets that are overflowing with stuff. It is far beyond time to get rid of things.
DeleteI think you have done very well, Anne. You are constantly on a certain project..wish I had that kind of energy and passion.
ReplyDeleteThis is more of a need than passion. I am just tired of things we no longer need (or even have forgotten we have) taking up real estate in the cabinets, drawers or closets.
DeleteThe French Laundry cookbook. I know that's a fancy restaurant, but I do not understand why they named it that! Laundry?
ReplyDeleteIn the 1920's the building it is in was used as a French steam laundry, hence the name. I love the cookbook but Son3 is a really good cook and asked if he could have it.
DeleteYou're doing great with your decluttering. We're still going through our files. It is very tedious work, but we're slowly making progress. There's a community shred event coming up in a couple of weeks, so I hope we can make another push to take advantage of it.
ReplyDeleteTedious is the exact word I am using for this entire process. I am still at the tip of the iceberg as far as touching everything , but the only way I know to finish is to just fkeep plodding along.
DeleteIf I wondered how I'd keep myself busy I'm n future retirement, you've given me a direction. It's be a decade to get my house things touched and sorted. You're doing marvelously well.
ReplyDeleteI am just doing. It will take me several more rooms to feel like I am doing well.
DeleteYou are lucky to have paper shredding available. We do not. Once a year we might get lucky, and find a local business offering it. Otherwise, I had to shred or burn our own papers when needed. I too am purging, but one room at a time, and as we repair and renovate each are. I cannot wait to purge the garage. It is a hot mess from all the years of kids living here. I am sure we'll find a lot of stuff to get rid of.
ReplyDeleteI do take advantage of the community shredding, however we have some papers that need shredding that have a lot of personal financial info and I pay to have them crosscut.
DeleteI dread when I get to the basement.
Wow, you've been one busy gal. Wish I was so motivated so I bet I am way older and slower then you. hehe. I do have my granddaughter coming next week to help me organize some things. It's always great to have help.
ReplyDeleteTrust me when I tell you I am not young, and I am slow, but I am being methodical and that helps.
DeleteYou may feel like it's going slow but you're making progress. It's a tedious task to go through everything.
ReplyDeleteI am making progress but it is slow progress.
DeleteMy work house is hot mess
ReplyDeleteof 912 sq ft of junk. I hope to start working on it in April. The Ttown house WAS somewhat ok until son cleaned out his house (contained my mother’s things he refuses to get rid of) and put all that stuff in my basement…..ugh. Cindy in the South
I know what you mean. My basement if filled with a lot of Son2's things that are here while they are renovating their new to them house.
Delete