All my successes start with disasters.

We had to rip open the ceiling of the dining room to fix the gas pipe for the apartment above. So all the wall unit/china cabinet contents were packed in boxes. I cleared out some thing.

Then, when we were unpacking, I cleared out even more!

A week ago, we discovered water damage above the shower in our 16yo son's bathroom--steam damage, we think. So I had to get rid of the mildew on the ceiling, which meant bleach on a long-handled brush.
Out came the grubby clothes, goggles, mask, and a disposable baseball cap.
Out of the room came everything!

And while I had it out, I went through all the acne scrubs, shampoos, etc., and tossed most of it. Yay!

Two baskets that were overfull are now nearly empty!

My husband is a hoarder and a saver. It drive me nuts! My goal in life is to be a minimalist. Whenever I can I throw out saved bread ties and clips, jars, magazines, you name it. It feels good sometimes and sometimes I feel really guilty. But most of the time it feels great. He's only caught me one time out of about two dozen tossings. So much more to toss. Winter is coming on and I get so claustrophobic with so many useless things in the house. He was even saving McDonald drink cups and the straws. I get so grossed out by what he saves. I've tossed most of them. Once and awhile he can use something like that and I'm glad he can recycle. Mostly it's just junk piling up!

I've learned to set limits on things. Unlike zackey, I like having a few extra twist ties around, for when the plastic tag breaks on a bag of bread or something. But you can only use so many. So I store them in a baby food jar. Once the jar is full, new ones go in the trash.

I have only the clothes that fit easily in my closet and dresser. When it starts getting hard to put things away easily, I have to weed some out.

Only the books that fit in the bookcases. No double shelving. I've managed to weed out 1,500 books and 4 bookcases and I'm not going back.

If there's not a physical space limit, I'll count things. Only 5 brown paper bags, for example. Only one extra tube of toothpaste in the linen closet. (But half a shelf full of extra TP.)

It has really helped in keeping the "useful" or "enjoyable" clutter to a minimum.

Well, I had some limited success this week. Having broken many of my own hoarding tendencies (YEARS of work), I am now working on my mom - her age makes her piles of stuff hazardous.

Anyway, Myself, my niece and my mom spend a few hours in the garage moving stuff around, in the process getting rid of 4 boxes of junk! Now, MOST of the books are in one place, tools in one place, etc. (at least, in the garage. The rest of the house is still scary) Still a nightmare, but signs of progress are so important.

We reduced 6 large plastic storage containers of Christmas "stuff" to 2 much smaller boxes and donated the bulk to Goodwill yesterday. We use a 3' tabletop tree we store with a large plastic bag over it and never remove the decorations, so that helped eliminate a large assortment of decorations we used on our larger trees over the years. Not to mention outdoor things we haven't put up in years.

Now to suppress the all-powerful need to fill those voids on the basement storage shelves..... They need to develop a new OTC drug called "Crap-be-Gone" or "Less-is-Best" that works like an appetite suppressant for accumulating-hoarding disorder.

-Grainlady

LOL! I could use some of those pills. I am slowly going thru our yard sale boxes and donating what hasn't sold to the local soup kitchen. They have a yard sale to help out with their expenses. I go thru my Christmas stuff every year and donate that to the local food bank. I enjoy seeing the people smile when they find some goodies out on the picnic table. I have a soft spot in my heart for old Christmas ornaments. We only have a tiny tree. I probably have enough ornaments for 3 or 4 of them. Those are the hardest things for me to part with.

I got rid of thirty-three, yes 33, cans of paint. Gone! Out of my house. Most were at least half full; many were full and/or never opened. There were gallons, quarts, and sample pots of mostly paint, some primer, and in several lovely colors.

I am living in the midst of a "one room remodel" filled with epic disasters. It began in early June - the contractor was to replace two windows, build a small 28"x48" closet, and build a 30" wall extension to close in a too-large doorway.

Meanwhile, the plumber was installing a new heat-pump, furnace, and A/C unit. The living room's original oak floor was being stripped and refinished.

The flooring man finished his job, beautifully and before his self-imposed deadline. That was the only thing to be finished.

The plumber said his installation of all the bits and pieces of the heating/cooling system would take less than two weeks. He finished last week, a full six months after he began.

The painters had been scheduled ahead of time. They had to come on a certain date.

In the course of several paint formula/colors/brands issues I settled on a paint. I decided then and there my 15-year-old collection of old paints in the basement was a waste of time, space, and money.

I hauled them all upstairs. I sorted them by colors and types. A neighbor had come over and wanted several of the paints. I gladly gave them to her.

I hesitated about what to do with the remaining 25 cans. They cannot be simply thrown in the trash. Someone suggested offering them to the high school! The shop teacher wanted them all!

I now have two empty shelves in the "home improvement" cabinet in the basement. I kept three cans of paint - the partial gallons of two greens and one white that were used in the living room. If, or when, the room is finished I can use them to touch up any spots - and then they are off to the school, too.

I also sorted and reduced the amount of "paint supplies/tools" I had, too. Everything is now labled and easy to get to.

Such a great thing--to be able to pass that paint on to the shop teacher.

What a wonderful idea!

Years ago I wanted to get rid of a couple of decades worth of National Geographic magazines - and my sons' 6th grade science teacher gladly took them all. I love being able to donate useful things to schools.

Took a big bag of magazines to one of the VA waiting areas. (none of them seem to have magazines?) Went back for a follow-up, and not one magazine could be found. HA.

My first post here. I have been lurking for a long time in desperate need to minimize my stuff.
1st real success I got rid of over 80 books. my bookshelf looked so empty I may get rid of it too.
I also have purged about 50 pieces of clothing. Once I get done tossing/giving away I really want to organize what is left.
Thanks for all the great tips
kim

Oh, luvncannin, congrats on getting rid of that many books! That can be hard.

Re: getting of the bookshelf

There's a famous phrase: "If you build it, they will come."
That applies often to storage spaces. Sometimes people don't have enough, or they need a bookcase w/ 5 shelves instead of 2.

But sometimes, having a place to put stuff means you will accumulate it even if you don't want it (or you'll hold onto it when you really are ready move it along).
And if you don't have anywhere to put something, it might stop you from accumulating something you don't really want. Or, it'll encourage you to send something elsewhere.

I agree. That is what I was thinking when I looked at the pitiful thing. I don't like it anyway so I will relocate the few books I have left to my nightstand.
Last night I cleaned kitchen cabinets. Got rid of 12 pieces. Relocated items I don't use very often to cabinet over frig. I am rolling and don't want to quit. My daughter is thrilled because I am passing on family pieces to her
kim

Go get 'em, Kim!

Thanks Talley Sue
I have never been more determined to clean and purge my house. Y'all have inspired me to keep going. 2 more boxes ready to go.
kim

I painted my family room last week. There was a bookcase in the corner (with doors on the two bottom shelves). There were not a lot of books on it, but display items - autographed baseballs, Star Wars Lego figures, National Geographic magazines.

I recycled the magazines, moved Yoda and Dart Vader to my sons' rooms, put the baseballs in front of books on another bookcase, found a different place for the boxes on the bottom shelves. The bookcase itself is now in the garage, waiting to go to our church rummage sale (I couldn't come up with another place to put it in the house).

I'm thrilled with the space I've gained in the room!

Had a great time this weekend organizing moms closet. She's 80 and moved into an apartment and never got her closet fixed right. I spent 1 1/2 hours while she rested on the bed putting all her clothes into navy black and brown categories. She loved it and now she can easily match outfits without wondering is this black or blue? I also put away summer stuff and got her holiday clothes front and center. It felt so good I am going to do mine.
kim

Nice work, Kim!

Two "larger items" are now gone - a '50s typing stand and Royal FP typewriter.

I had shared photos of the "middle of project nightmare" of the south end of my living room/breakfast nook with several friends.

I had the surviving houseplants on an old typing stand with a 36" round breakfast table (covered with junk) in front of the plants. It looked horrid.

Since the large love seat and dining table are now both shoe-horned into the kitchen, I didn't have room to move.

I put the typing stand out on the sun porch, moved the small table and two chairs into the kitchen, and set the dining table and four chairs perpendicular to the LR's south window. It works great.

There's room for us to comfortable eat at the table while the five plants soak up the sunlight at the far end. I won't be having company until the room is finished - if ever - so it's all good.

When the time comes that the window seat and side shelves are built, and the loveseat goes away, then I can swap the tables again.

The Christmas cactus is going to be repotted and filled out with all the little cuttings, and hung from a hook in the ceiling near the window. The English ivy may be hung near one of the kitchen windows. That makes even more room. The plants spend summers outside or on the sun porch.

Ooops...sidetracked. A friend saw the photo and said she wanted the typing table...and I offered her the typewriter, too.

Everyone is happy.

Remember, this photo is "in progress," There will eventually be a closet with shelves and a door, and baseboards, and trim around the windows and doors, and crown molding. I know this because all the lumber is stacked in the middle of the room. You can just see some of the ends of the materials in the photo.

My neighbor has become a 'thirty-one' consultant and invited me to an open house. Since we are friends, I feel I should go once and purchase something. Some of the products are things I could find useful, but they are quite pricey.

Does anyone have thirty-one products and which ones did you find to be durable for everyday use?

In particular, does anyone have the really large totes for groceries, and do they hold up? Link shows their tote that holds 3 grocery bags.

I also heard that the products their consultants receive for demos are of sturdier quality than what you actually receive... is that true?

Here is a link that might be useful: thirtyone utility tote

Cleaned out a closet today. I now have almost four trash bags filled with clothes to go to Goodwill! Yay, me!LOL

"Does anyone have thirty-one products and which ones did you find to be durable for everyday use?"
Anything I have bought has been "durable for everyday use".

"In particular, does anyone have the really large totes for groceries, and do they hold up?"
It would hold up, but what you have linked is too large to pack with groceries - too heavy for the average lady to carry.

"I also heard that the products their consultants receive for demos are of sturdier quality than what you actually receive... is that true?"

Where did you hear that?
I have not had that experience, and I have never heard that.

PS... I have nothing to do with the company!

To the group, I just realized that my initial post on the topic of 31 posted within this thread, when I thought I was starting a new thread. I apologize! Did not mean to insert something irrelevant (although in discovering this, I am finding some useful tips for purging!)

western_pa_luann, someone told me they had bought 31 products several years ago and didn't THINK the quality seemed the same as what the rep had shown them... However, my friend who just became a consultant has a couple of tote bags that she's used for about 2 years and they are still in great shape. So maybe the quality is what it appears to be. They are only guaranteed for 3 months though.

Our organizing success is our garage.

We didn't have a lot of clutter in there, but it was a matter of using the space more efficiently.

The moment of truth came when I opened the overhead door one morning to get my bike out (I ride my bike to the train station). What I found was the bike toppled over and some yard tools strewn on the floor. One of the wall hooks had worked its way out of the wall and dropped the tools onto the bike. Luckily, the car wasn't parked in there at the time, and my "train bike" wasn't any worse for wear.

The previous homeowner's assortment of old hooks and tool holders haphazardly installed with nails (into concrete block!) had never worked for our own mix of yard tools/equipment. It was time to remove all that. We inventoried the types of tools and other items we wanted to hang on the the garage wall. We installed a Gladiator track system and hung up all our stuff using the various hooks we'd carefully chosen based on what was to be hung.

On the other side of the garage, we already had one shelf unit, and measured for a another shelf unit to fit it into a niche. Everything came off the shelves and was sorted into groups. Not much got tossed. Some items went into the shed. Seldom used items got placed on the high shelf. A couple big items got stored on the side of the house (wheel barrow, tomato cages). Our "good bikes" and their stand got moved into the basement. The rest was placed into labelled bins - "watering", "plant food/bug stuff", "auto/yard equip supplies", etc.

Everything now has a home and that home is not the garage floor!

Our single-car garage now has room on both sides of it so both the driver and the passenger can get in the car with the car still in the garage. We're pleased.

Next project: The basement. Specifically (1) the workbench/workshop area and (2) the wall of shelving units. This won't be quite as straightforward. While the garage had never been used as a dumping ground, the basement, unfortunately, has. Wish us luck.

Went through a huge tote in the bottom of the spare room closet. It was filled with 5X7, 8X10 and larger family pictures. I no longer have a bunch of photos displayed, so I took all of them from the frames and stored the photos in a drawer. The frames are going to my flea market booth.

Figure if I ever decide to hang photos again I can sure get more frames easily.

My husband is sure happy about how the closet is looking. He also hangs his clothes in there! lol

This post was edited by des_arc_ya_ya on Wed, Feb 4, 15 at 13:29

Congrats Laura! The garage is my primary focus.

I am very "organized" but I have TMS! I have resolved to spend 2015 ridding my house of unnecessary stuff. The biggest offenders COOKING TOOLS (Examples: pots, pans, gadgets, 3 waffle irons, 5 crockpots, etc) and CLEANING SUPPLIES.

While I used to think it was unfair, of late I am grateful that I don't have a basement. I imagine that greatly adds to the problem!

Speaking of the garage, I found the neatest garage storage product at the home show. I am eager to install the 2 sets that I bought. They are much better than the bulky units I also shown at the home show.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bin Caddy

Mustangs, those look interesting! I can see that I might be frustrated by having a long strip of those, bcs the bin I want would be in the far end. But if you install them right (like the "rotating storage" example), or if you use the shorter strips, they'd be really great!

Laura, your organizing sounds great!

At our house, I leave the garage to DH. He'd never be able to find anything if I organized it. Not that it wouldn't be good, his head just organizes differently than mine. He gets that, I get a spare room...

Recently, I've been focused on getting rid of things that are mine and mine alone- clothing, books, craft supplies etc. Did pretty well and have 8 boxes and bags sitting out front waiting for a thrift store pick up as we speak. I'm having a lot of success parting with things that make me sad to see go, but I know must go. Today one of the items is a nice baby gate that I kept hoping that we might get another dog, but that just won't do right now. It's one of those items that letting go of reminds me that my being a parent to little ones is over :( and there are no doggies in my life right now :( I'm sad, but also glad that I'm actually processing those feelings.

Laura, I would love to see before and after pictures of your next project! And and after pic of the garage would be cool too.

Mustangs, good luck with your quest! Do you have a good place to donate extra kitchen things? Our local Violence Intervention Center takes kitchen things.

I've certainly gotten inspiration from this thread. Right to the problem, my house has filled up with stuff over the last ten years and it's a big issue. I have stuff piled along walls, I have two extra rooms that are a walking path only situation and I look at whats in them and it all can go because most of it hasn't seen the light of day in ten years. We did a huge addition/remodel 12 years ago and that was the beginning of the mess. As the remodel progressed, I had to keep condensing rooms, moving kids from one bedroom to another until we were all sleeping in one bedroom and the living and dining rooms were filled to the ceilings with furniture, clothes, and toys. I've never recovered from it. My house is a disaster.

Here's my biggest issue: I keep telling myself I'll have a garage sale but...in ten years it hasn't happened. I do take bags of stuff to donation but I can't part with the stuff that is actually worth some money. Two years ago I called up an auction company and had them come get all of the antique furniture I've acquired since I was young. I was feeling so hemmed in by the stuff in this house I couldn't take it anymore. But even with that stuff gone, there is still more stuff.

Please, tell me to forget the garage sales, selling stuff on the internet and just haul it all out of here for the peace of mind I need!