Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Junkyard/scrap metal recycling will sometimes have an appliance section

A repair shop *might* take it

Our town does a spring clean and fall clean day in which they will pick up that sort of thing if you buy a ticket in advance good for one appliance or furniture item and as much other junk as you want.

Once my dd got into size 6 or so, I started getting rid of everything aside from infant clothes...even if I got preg with another girl, I would have been saving 5+ years worth of clothes before the next dd fit into them. We don't have that kind of space, so I decided to keep only enough baby items to get started. If and when we have another dd, we can go back to yard sales. Meanwhile, we've had two boys...so she'll be at least 8 now before that possibility of another...at that point I'd be paying for a storage unit to fit the hand-me-downs, and the elastic would be dying of old age. So, just a thought if you run out of attic space...I started with the biggest clothes and worked my way down as I got more comfortable with the idea of purging. I even managed to barter a boxful for a new mei tai for ds. :rockon

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

No problem!

I have about 6 boxes that are not unpacked. Yesterday I thought about dumping them. But, I do have one in my closet that my dh calls the hope chest. It's all that stuff I can't let go of. Wedding things, a few baby things. I don't think that's bad though.

I've got about 3 boxes of art/craft supplies for the boys that I cannot unpack because there is no place for them. I do think I'll have to get a storage area in the kitchen for that. I was hoping to find something I can put my dh microwave on (yes it's his) that will hold the art supplies and fit in my kitchen.

As for a TV have your tried freecycle/craigslist? We got rid of a ton of "junk" by putting a note on craigslist that there was free stuff on the "curb" (no actual curb where we used to live). I was surprised. Freecycle always surprises me. Just be truthful and set it free :giggle

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

No I haven't tried that :think. I thought since it wasn't working (well, it's *barely* working- it still will turn on but is fuzzy on about half the screen and getting worse fast :giggle) no one would want it. But hey, it's worth a try!

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Thanks for the suggestion to use CL- I actually had a couple of people ask about the TV and it got picked up a couple days after I listed the ad :hunh :rockon I just got rid of a bunch more things and listed a couple of things again on CL that Goodwill wouldn't take. I made $80 on stuff that Goodwill wouldn't even TAKE! :giggle Craigslist is AWESOME! :rockon :woohoo I've bought a lot of things on there before (it's GREAT for furniture) but haven't sold much till now.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I put some largish things out to the trash and the curb fairy picked them all up before the trash men came out this morning. I also took 4 bags of toys/clothes out to goodwill before they closed today.

I'm half tempted to take All the plastic toys and donate them with all the recalls made from toys lately. I am in the process of going to all natural unpainted toys and montessori activities. I haven't done that just yet, but I will as I get more natural things to replace them.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Heather--that is SO encouraging!

God has been telling me for some time now that he won't be "moving us on" until we have decluttered the garage. Now, where we are moving on *to* is beyond me. I don't know if it's a physical move or a spiritual move or a ministry move or what--but I know it's waiting for us :shifty But it wasn't told to me in a threatening way--just factual. And we are going to be tackling the garage as soon as it cools off again and won't make us sick to be out there all weekend :shifty

So August's goal is to finish the bathroom and paint the bed and bathrooms--and then tackle the garage, and then finish the kitchen :D

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Watch out Crystal :giggle

I realized through all of this that God starts his plans earlier than I thought and with stuff that doesn't seem connected till much later.

I had to learn to let go of things, so I could really see this new life with my eyes wide open.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

This is SO true Heather!
Well I am ready for this thread now. It's got to be baby steps for me and it will have to become a 'lifestyle' thing. I don't have any huge chunks of time where I can just sweep through the house and viola! at the end of a weekend be done. I wish! You ladies here are inspiring me in that way, because it seems like everyone is doing it a bit at a time.
I was really discouraged once by listening to a speaker speak about home organization and how she got rid of her family for a week and when they got back, it was a whole new house complete with printed labels everywhere and all.
I can't and won't kick my fam. out of the house for week.

Anyhoo, here is where I have started: I cleaned out and reorganized one downstairs closet and my personal closet (I actually like going in there now :cool). I am in the middle of the laundry room. What started yesterday as a good cleaning turned into painting and fixing improper venting on the dryer and basically a total overhaul of a very small space. :giggle
I should have taken before pics, maybe I will take after pics. You know, I'm really excited even though it's just the laundry room. I spend a lot of time in there and it will be so much nicer now!

Next week I am going to hire a handy man (dh not so handy) to install dimmer switches and install a light kit I have had for years and have not yet installed (!), and install a carbon dioxide detector that I have also had for years and not installed. Little things that have been around so long, but I somehow think I will have such a weight lifted when they are taken care of.

I am currently trying to declutter/reorganize one thing every day. Even if it's just a drawer or one shelf.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I had a little list where I put the next thing I wanted to do. That way I could work on that one small area for awhile. I didn't have time to do the whole house. Just a desk or a drawer or a closet. If I thought of something I would write it down and not look at it till I was finished with the thing I was working on.

It does feel good to get those things done and I was surprised I didn't have to do it all in one day.

I'm still trying to get stuff done around here. This house is built so differently. BUT, it's built correctly :giggle There is no wasted space and strange crannies.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I am desperate to simplify and declutter but I get so attached to material things that I know I can live without, but I can't let go. I am trying something new.

I am going to pack up things I don't need and seal them into boxes and label with a general description of what they are. 0-12 months toys, 2T toddler clothes-summer, etc. Books, kitchen etc. It will be boxes that you can't see through and they will stay sealed. I am dating them too and when 6 months passes if I can't remember what's in there and I haven't missed it I am taking it straight to charity. Or, being labelled, will give appropriate things to people who need them, such as if anyone has kids. If I don't KNOW what's in the box, I CAN'T miss it.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Sounds like a great plan, :cheer I may do the same with some stuff around here, after I get rid of the obvious stuff.

In the past few weeks, I have gotten rid of 3 toddler beds, 2 cribs and 2 crib mattresses. Took 6 bags of clothes and shoes to goodwill and threw away 2 bags that weren't good enough to give away.
My dining room is looking so much better, just by getting rid of the over-abundance of shoes that kept creeping across the walkways! :woohoo

Next goal is to sort winter coats, hats and gloves.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I'm in too! Great idea! I need to go through the kids' toys now that the new Christmas ones are here. Hopefully I can get rid of some toys to donate to charity to make more room for the new ones.

And I'm definitely going to go through our coat closet (my first organization project of the year - which I'm going to post about on my new Get-Me-Organized website). I'll probably find coats and shoes that we've outgrown and no longer need cluttering up the house.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I am in. I have lots i could still get rid of.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

We just took 7 bags to the Salvation Army and it felt great!

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I am still decluttering. Making progress. Still have lots to do, but it is making a difference finally upstairs!

Also, since we are remodelling the bathroom, we have this big dumpster thing out front and dh put several large items I have wanted OUT of our basement for a long time in it! Also some things that have been in our yard are now in the dumpster!

There is a BIG pile of stuff again to take to Goodwill.

It has taken me a long time to get this far. I still have a long ways to go, BUT I am finally seeing progress, my upstairs is getting easier to take care of and I am not going to give up.

I still need to serioulsy work on stopping the flow of new things INTO our house.

We have decluttered before and ended up with clutter again.

This time I hope to keep it under control...well, once we GET it under control.

:)

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Is anyone still doing this?

I recycled 3 bags of old magazines last week & gave away a juicer on Freecycle :yes

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Yes, I am.

I donated a too large dining room table and chairs, a dishwasher, 6 bags of stuff with more on the way.

I'm giving my sister some toys for her 7 month old maybe tonight. I hope.

This is me too. I get things to a point I'm okay with, then all of a sudden, either I get the bright idea to rearrange furniture, or I get shop happy (usually garage sales or discount stores, so I "justify" it not be a terribly expensive habit, but it's a bad habit nonetheless)

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I'm so in! I have been reading a book that has been inspiring me to minimize, give away, sell my possessions...so I will accept this as a challenge. I'm planning to find items that are in good condition to give away to the Salvation Army.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

It has been helping me to think of things in categories. My goal is to reduce my things by 50%, so I try to get rid of 50% (or more) in most categories...Yesterday it was parenting books. Today it's movies.

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Great idea- although i think i could double that..... :yes

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I think I'll try this, too! I love the idea of a clutter-free life. One thing a day doesn't seem too intimidating. It will be like a little daily challenge :)

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

Anybody still doing this?

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

I haven't checked out the original blog, but the part about getting rid of an item a day is appealing to me.

Are you planning on doing this, LittleMight? I'll join you and maybe we can inspire others to join in. :)

Re: Simplify your life challenge.
 

There have been threads for getting rid of one item a day and one item for the year. :shrug3