Unclutter challenge

[fred_mouse]

I interrupt our regular programming to suggest a small challenge. Inspired by reading the section of the 'A Slob Comes Clean' blog that talks about focusing on the visible, I challenge you to go to where visitors enter your house and identify three items of clutter that you would like to do something about. If you see more than three, make a note of the extras, and pick three. You can come back to those others later. If you see fewer than three, come back tomorrow, and the next day, and look again. If, after three looks, you can't see anything new, then I commend you! Deal with the one or two items as below, and be pleased.

For each of your three identified items (or piles of items, in my case), tell us what you need to do with them, and a deadline that you want to have done that by.

Comments

[fred_mouse]

Sadly, my front hall is relatively capacious, and thus it is where uncluttered items come to lurk. So I'm going to ignore the teetering mound of items waiting to be taken to the op-shop (because it can't be dealt with in the next two weeks), and focus on other things. Instead, I'm looking at the top of the shoe shelf (ignoring that the shoes themselves probably need decluttering) and the shelf of items going to specific people

1. Box of shiny plastic bead necklaces - take it to the gathering on Monday night, and attempt to pass it on. I don't remember which set of kids picked through and left some for which set of kids, but there should be some there on Monday.
2. Skate costume -- take a photo of it in the sun tomorrow, list it on a local sales site. If it hasn't sold by end of February, gift it to one of the other skating parent with an appropriate sized kid.
3. Make up a parcel for friend J, and send them the book that I put aside for them some time back. I'm not sure of timing on this, because it requires going to the post office, which is more complicated now that I'm working approximately full time. But at the very least, I can find an envelope, put that and the other items in the envelope, and put in the errands basket.

Sadly, these items won't make an appreciable difference, but if I can do this every week, I might get this room under control.

[kalloway]

My entryway is actually pretty empty because I moved everything in order to vacuum once I'm awake and have the energy to vacuum during an 'approved noisy time' for the complex I live in (being a daysleeper has weird drawbacks). However, there was a thick cardboard tube I've been hoarding for more than half a year that can go get recycled, along with the box and bag of recycling to go today since it is actually 'drive to dump to drop off recycling' day. I'm also going to pick up a new pair of work boots later, so the trashed 'spare' pair that have been sitting around can go in the dumpster.

I have evening plans, so I need to sleep earlier than usual, but if I can squeeze in vacuuming after recycling and also run trash down to the dumpster, everything will be taken care of by about 10am. ^_^

I can probably also put my parka back in the hall closet instead of hanging on a hook on the outside, since we're supposed to have a few warmer days.

[kalloway]

Recycling is gone, parka is hung, but considering I parked right by the dumpster, I'll just take the trash when I head out for evening plans. And I just vacuumed, too. So not quiiite on time, but it'll be done today.

I'll try to keep working around the corners, where the entryway turns into hallway and things get a little dicier.

[fred_mouse]

Well done on spotting things and getting them done so quickly!

(nosy mouse wants to know: what is around the corner?)

[kalloway]

\o/ Thank you!

I don't have a lot of entryway, but a lot of hallway, most of which is lined with shallow shelving units. While most of what's on there is what goes there and stays there, I know it all badly needs to be dusted and there's also the small spot for outgoing donations that looks pretty full, as well what was supposed to be the mail rack and is more 'crap I dumped here idk'.

Entryway now has new boots, to go to work tomorrow night (boots stay at work once they go), and a box of craft stuff from the utility room since a coworker mentioned she does crafts with a friend and their kids every weekend and it was basically 'you want some craft stuff? I GIVE YOU!!!' and I could probably fill two more boxes if I don't accidentally overwhelm her. (At least stuff landing there is pretty much on its way out?)

[fred_mouse]

Sounds like good planning for clearing things out! I hope co-worker appreciated the craft stuff, and will be keen to take more :}.

[kalloway]

Co-worker was thankfully ecstatic and I'm working on putting together another box for her. I'm not sure I'll have enough for a third box, but I'm definitely finding a lot of odd things and better organizing the stuff I'm keeping, too.

(And honestly, I'm looking at some of the stuff I'm keeping and... why? It'll probably go in the box later. There is a craft store two traffic lights away if I desperately need something.)

[fred_mouse]

Oh, that is good to hear. And I recognise the feeling that you are putting something away that you are then just going to rehome later, but aren't completely sure about.

[kalloway]

I'm also finding a lot of things that... are definitely garbage/recycling/don't belong in the utility room which I'd ignored for years because they were boxed up nicely/tucked away and weren't part of what was spilling off lower shelves.

Basically, this has been something I've been actively avoiding for years and now that I'm doing it, it's really good but also argh. I'd apparently saved like a hundred little plastic bubbles/containers from toys/candy/meds/etc. for... sorting? beads? small parts? when really I probably only ever need to have a half-dozen around. So all that went right in recycling.

There's just so much that I'm looking at and 'why, past self? why?'

[fred_mouse]

I resemble this. I find stashes of things that I'd forgotten about, and might have used some of if I'd remembered, but I'm never going to use now. Good job on recognising that they could just be recycled.

[alexseanchai]

Here is what I am tempted to make the three things:

* Crateful of paper products
* Boxful of television
* Boxful of cat tree

Problem is dealing with any of these requires yak shaving. To wit, I need enough clean bedroom to put the crate and contents where they go, and I need enough clean living room to install cat tree and be able to install television! So here's my actual three things:

* Recycles in bedroom—bag up, haul to toters before work Monday
* Recycles in entryway—bag up, haul to toters before work Monday
* Food containers—put in cabinet where they belong before work Monday (these all ended up on top of the cookbook bookcase because flat surface six inches from where the dish drying rack lives)

Bedroom != entryway, but I think you see my reasoning?

[alexseanchai]

Recycles from entryway are [almost] all in toter now.

[alexseanchai]

I got some of the bedroom recycles hauled out to the toters. Not all, and it occurred to me I want to hang on to some of the roughly-small-moving-box size boxes for "all these books are going to UUCD auction" purposes anyhow, but a bunch of the small and medium shipping boxes I flattened and recycled.

[fred_mouse]

Good job in getting things done, and working out that some of the items weren't clutter before it was a problem.

[fred_mouse]

Oh, I am familiar with the yak shaving aspect. This is why I didn't pick any of the objects to deal with that start with 'get in contact with (friend), and find a time to catch up'.

But all of those things you found to do are good ones!

[alexseanchai]

Scratch food containers. Write in cases of cat food cans. They were cluttering the entryway. They're not cluttering the entryway.

WOOT did three things

[fred_mouse]

\o/

[peaceful_sands]

My entrance and hall way is empty bar either 2 pairs of slippers and 1 pair of shoes or 2 pairs of shoes and 1 of slippers (depending on what's being worn at the time). The only other thing is a piece of newspaper with the shoes which is what I put down when I'm polishing the shoes (but I guess I could in fact store that with the shoe polish and brushes, rather than with the shoes which would look better!).

So given that I should probably tackle the living room or kitchen in my time home tomorrow between events (there is no more time between events today beyond the time to pack the things I need to take with me to the next set of events). I have any number of cleaning tasks that need to be done but trying to think declutter rather than clean... I should declutter the fridge of items now expired without being eaten due to illness followed by high volume of commitments (and exhaustion). Actually that one is pretty important. If I also tackle tax forms on Monday, then I could pack away the associated box of paperwork next week so it is no longer in the living room. I know that's only two things but I figure they're fairly substantial. If there is time enough I may tackle further on Monday.

I have a skirt to return to a shop next week because as much as I like the design the colour isn't going to work. I also have a box of items for donating which I need to get someone else to check through before I start slowing taking the stuff to work as someone there is collecting for a special fundraiser and has asked for any unwanted books or DVDs particularly but also other items that might suit. As I'll be taking them in on the bus it's going to take a few trips (combined with the continued addition of further items to the box!).

I've mislaid some DVDs and would really like to organise enough to actually locate them! (I'm really hoping they didn't accidentally end up in a donation pile at some point!)

[fred_mouse]

I am very envious of your nearly empty entrance and front hall! Every now and then we get ours down to merely a few things that need to be dealt with, but as we use it for storage of things that should leave the house, it is usually a tad full of things that can't be dealt with Right Now.

[msilverstar]

this sounds like an excellent idea, though there's so damn much clutter I don't know where to start :-(

[fred_mouse]

Oh, I hear you. Our front hall is nearly as large as the smallest bedroom, and nearly as cluttered. That's why I picked three hopefully simple things! To do so, I looked at the closest shelf (yes, we have more than one covered in clutter), and picked three things that had definite purpose. Some of the other stuff has been there for months.

[yukonsally]

Oof, this is hard. I'm going to work on it this week.

I'll choose one of the first rooms people see upon entering my house, our "library." There are piles of things on top of the bookshelves that drive me CRAZY but it's an uphill fight to get Spouse to stop putting things there. It's also an uphill battle to get the kids to stop pulling books out so the shelves themselves are a mess. So I'll deal with one of those piles on top and clean up at least 2 shelves.

[fred_mouse]

Sympathies. I hope the sorting goes well! I'd wish you luck on the training of spouse and children, but having attempted both, I don't have great optimism.

[yukonsally]

I've collected some books into a bin for easier access (looks nicer too), put some books on the shelf properly, moved an empty container to our collection of empty containers, recycled a paper bag. It looks better! Not good yet, but better!

[fred_mouse]

Well done! Looking better is a great achievement!