Weekend Uncluttering

[fred_mouse]

What have you found to farewell this weekend? Junk? Precious memories? Thingies? Whatsits?

Youngest has reached the point of the summer holidays where they are bored bored bored, and started clearing out sections of their bedroom that I suspect haven't been looked at since items were shoved in there years ago (including school work from at least 5 years ago). There is a stack of clothing I now have to rehome (including school uniform), and a pile of things that I've not actually looked through. What I did manage to spot was a few things that a collector friend will want, and let them know. I still have to post them.

As a result, our front hall is completely trashed with things to leave the house. I don't have the spoons to deal with it, because I've been working on other parts of the house (including the laundry, which I'm just about at the point of generating a whole stack more Stuff! to sort through/get out of the house). I recognise that in a month or two, I'll have made progress on it, and most of the things will be gone, but I'm so tempted to just put things on the verge with a 'free' sign, because I just. don't. wanna.

Comments

[kalloway]

Mostly just mental uncluttering this weekend, but I did rinse off some lingering recycling that's been piled by the sink.

[tanaqui]

Mental uncluttering is also very important! I hope it helped.

[hooloovoo_42]

I'd go with the "leave it on the verge" option. There are many days when I feel like setting fire to the house and moving into the shed!

[tanaqui]

Ha, yes, some days it feels like it would just be so much easier if it all burned down....

[yukonsally]

I added a shirt to the donation pile. I've had to replace some snow gear (northern hemisphere) but that's a one in, one out situation. Sold a knitted thing.

Hitting the pantry hard in the next two weeks. Might make a difference, might not. One thing is for sure: there will be oatmeal raisin cookies with an excessive amount of raisins, to use those up.

[tanaqui]

Ooh, lots of small wins -- especial congrats for managing the out part of one-in-one-out! And mmm, oatmeal raisin cookies.... I wish I could help you declutter those. ;-)

[yukonsally]

Someone has to eat the last cookie! ;)

[peaceful_sands]

I'll be honest I've almost given up on retrieving the spare room from the many boxes of things to be uncluttered - it is not a place for guests!

The theory is that I'm going to try car booting when car boot sales in the area kick back in as the weather improves - I'll maybe give myself a couple of months and if I don't act on it, then I'll force myself to take the donation line with it all.

On the upside, I've added 5 books to the pile this week - the first was a book of short stories that I wasn't overly enjoying and then I reached a particular story and couldn't go any further - I then discovered that story was chapter 2 of the second book that I got rid of this week. I then picked 3 further books by the same author off of the shelf and tried reading a chapter of each and if it didn't grab me straightaway decided that it too could go.

If I get some free time, I'm contemplating taking the same tack with some other books on the shelf - picking them off and giving them three chapters to make a positive reaction and if they don't then it's bye bye time! Even if I did this with one or two a month it would make a difference. I'm certain there are more that I don't really want. Plus I've made a rather awfully large purchase of books on ebay this week which I don't have room for... more incentive to shed a few! I'm supposed to be reducing the to be read pile!

[tanaqui]

I have space like your spare room where I've just accepted it's going to go on getting worse for a while as I add things to the heap, but at least it's helping me make everywhere else better. And it will eventually be dealt with.

Good luck with the car boot sales and, meanwhile, well done on realizing you should find other books by an author you didn't enjoy and check a chapter or two. That's a neat way to make some quick decisions.

[semielliptical]

That stage of uncluttering when things are marked to leave but can't get out of the house yet is frustrating! But it is a sign of progress.

I found a book and shirt to donate.

[tanaqui]

Yay for finding a couple of things to donate -- I hope they don't get stuck in a frustating to-leave pile!

[tanaqui]

Oh dear.... it's great that Youngest spontaneously found all sorts of things to go out of the house. It's not so great that your front hall is now a mess. I hope you find the spoons soon to at least corral it/organise it somewhat.

I didn't do much this weekend apart from taking the first step into a media decluttering project. I have a lot of DVDs of programmes recorded off the TV that a friend made for me and I want to (very slowly) watch them and decide which (if any) to keep. Useful for days when I don't have much brain left and want some low-pressure, one-off things to watch.