The great stuff reduction of ’07

September 9, 2007 · 8 comments

 It’s time for a major Spring Fall cleaning. Every single room in our house has too much stuff in it. Some stuff we need, some we don’t. Some needs to be trashed, some recycled, some donated, some moved to the right place. As of today, Preston’s room is done. Everything in his room fits him, is usable and is in the right spot. Matt’s room just needs the closet shelf finished. I went through both closets, moved clothes from Matt’s to Preston’s and went clothes shopping for Matt today.

My ‘office’ is organized minus the closet. I have to be very, very careful opening those doors as things could fall out on me and I would be missing for days. Ok, probably not days, but minutes, at least! That is going to be a huge project. It is going to be one of those make a gigantic mess to clean kind of things.

Our bedroom closet is also a giant project, necessitating the going through of all clothes of all seasons. I dread it. Two reasons: (1) Lots of work and (2) I have to be honest about my clothes – you know, the whole size thing. Will I fit in those jeans again? If I actually do lose weight, will it be during this millennium? Do I get rid of anything that doesn’t fit and then buy new when I need new? Do I pack them in boxes and find a place for them (kind of goes against the whole organizing thing, eh?) so that if I need them again, I have them? <SIGH>  I *think* I should get rid of everything that doesn’t fit me right now.  Comments??

Moving on to other rooms – the bathrooms could all use a clean out; the front room doesn’t have much, but a couple of file drawers that need help.  The kitchen needs organized cupboards.  The playroom is a constant work in progress.  And then there is the basement…. YIPE!

The basement is scary.  Seriously scary.  We have an area the size of a bathroom filled with junk from the kids – cradle, swing, high chair, toys, clothes, etc. etc. etc. etc.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ve reached my breaking point.  WE. HAVE. TOO. MUCH. STUFF.

Local charities will be loving me soon.  ;)  I always wish I knew specific people to give stuff to, rather than faceless charities, but I know it’s better than nothing.

I think I need a dumpster, a u-haul, a giant shredder and a lot of freaking time and energy.   Once upon a time I was the master of organization.  Of course, once upon a time I didn’t have kids….

———————————-

In other news, I think I’m going to create a new diet based on the current craze of 100-calorie snacks.  I’ll call it The 100-Calorie Diet (original, eh?).  I’ll waste away to nothing in no time!! 😆

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Shine September 9, 2007 at 4:44 pm

The Great Stuff Reduction is an ongoing battle in our house. I know what you\'re going through!

With regards to the clothes, keep the timeless pieces, get rid of the ratty stuff. You will, in time, get there again and will be happy to put them on again. There will always be more clothes to buy, big or small, have fun with it!

Reply

Shine September 9, 2007 at 11:44 pm

The Great Stuff Reduction is an ongoing battle in our house. I know what you’re going through!

With regards to the clothes, keep the timeless pieces, get rid of the ratty stuff. You will, in time, get there again and will be happy to put them on again. There will always be more clothes to buy, big or small, have fun with it!

Reply

Tabatha September 10, 2007 at 4:33 am

Personally, I have the same thing with clothes that I \"hope to fit into again\" I have 1 and ONLY 1 box of nice jeans I loved and are in great condition, with some shirts of the same. But I didnt go over 1 box.. The rest I got rid of, my thinking is, WHEN I do fit into them, it is a whole new era, and I think losing that weight I will DESERVE a shopping trip for clothes for ME, not Alexis, or Jason, but ME… So, I got rid of the rest. With Alexis\' old clothes, etc, I gave my SIL the crib, swing, etc when she was expecting her first baby (Set up her ENTIRE nursery) (But, if your planning on having another, by all means, DONT get rid of it)With her old clothes, I picked out my favorites and ONLY my favorites and had a quilt made for her out of them (I will send a picture when I get home, it isnt pieces of the outfits, it is blocks cut out, basically using the main parts of the outfit). That way, I got to save them, but they werent put into an old box and shoved away, she LOVES the blanket, and uses it, once she is too big for said blanket, then I can hang it on the wall… Meanwhile, with toys she outgrew, I just waited until she wasnt around and bagged them up and got rid of them… OR if she is home I say \"Ok, out of 10 baby dolls, you can keep 5, pick out your favorite 5.\" and so on, and I reduced her toys by half (Then the next month was her birthday and now I have to do it again! lol)
Good luck. We are doing the same at our house. We are using the rule we learned on Trading Spouses… Do you need it? Do you love it? Can it make you money? It is helping! lol.. Sorry to write you a book… Hope it helps..

Reply

Patty H September 10, 2007 at 4:34 am

Definitely get rid of the clothes that don\'t fit and aren\'t classic. If you have a good (meaning you paid a decent amount of money for it!) piece that you may fit into again, keept it!!

Chris has gained back some weight because he stopped following his good eating habits so he started a diet last Sunday. He\'s lost 12 lbs in one week but it\'s not easy. I am trying to eat with him – not necessarily to lose weight – so I can eath healthier, too and, most importantly, I can support him.

As for the 100 calorie diet, I once belonged to a group and a woman gave me a list of things you can eat that are 100 calories or less. She used it to stay on a certain numbers of calories a day because she was trying to lose weight. I love those little packs and I try to ignore them but when I\'m craving chocolate and I can\'t stop it, then I get one of those and enjoy!

Reply

Tabatha September 10, 2007 at 11:33 am

Personally, I have the same thing with clothes that I “hope to fit into again” I have 1 and ONLY 1 box of nice jeans I loved and are in great condition, with some shirts of the same. But I didnt go over 1 box.. The rest I got rid of, my thinking is, WHEN I do fit into them, it is a whole new era, and I think losing that weight I will DESERVE a shopping trip for clothes for ME, not Alexis, or Jason, but ME… So, I got rid of the rest. With Alexis’ old clothes, etc, I gave my SIL the crib, swing, etc when she was expecting her first baby (Set up her ENTIRE nursery) (But, if your planning on having another, by all means, DONT get rid of it)With her old clothes, I picked out my favorites and ONLY my favorites and had a quilt made for her out of them (I will send a picture when I get home, it isnt pieces of the outfits, it is blocks cut out, basically using the main parts of the outfit). That way, I got to save them, but they werent put into an old box and shoved away, she LOVES the blanket, and uses it, once she is too big for said blanket, then I can hang it on the wall… Meanwhile, with toys she outgrew, I just waited until she wasnt around and bagged them up and got rid of them… OR if she is home I say “Ok, out of 10 baby dolls, you can keep 5, pick out your favorite 5.” and so on, and I reduced her toys by half (Then the next month was her birthday and now I have to do it again! lol)
Good luck. We are doing the same at our house. We are using the rule we learned on Trading Spouses… Do you need it? Do you love it? Can it make you money? It is helping! lol.. Sorry to write you a book… Hope it helps..

Reply

Patty H September 10, 2007 at 11:34 am

Definitely get rid of the clothes that don’t fit and aren’t classic. If you have a good (meaning you paid a decent amount of money for it!) piece that you may fit into again, keept it!!

Chris has gained back some weight because he stopped following his good eating habits so he started a diet last Sunday. He’s lost 12 lbs in one week but it’s not easy. I am trying to eat with him – not necessarily to lose weight – so I can eath healthier, too and, most importantly, I can support him.

As for the 100 calorie diet, I once belonged to a group and a woman gave me a list of things you can eat that are 100 calories or less. She used it to stay on a certain numbers of calories a day because she was trying to lose weight. I love those little packs and I try to ignore them but when I’m craving chocolate and I can’t stop it, then I get one of those and enjoy!

Reply

Oh, The Joys September 10, 2007 at 1:28 pm

Oh, how I love to purge. (Especially plastic cr*p toys!!)

Reply

Oh, The Joys September 10, 2007 at 8:28 pm

Oh, how I love to purge. (Especially plastic cr*p toys!!)

Reply

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