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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Sept 06 2011 at 1:06pm | IP Logged
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I decided there is just too much here. I'm doing a fall fling...who cares to join in the fun?
My goal is 1000 items in the next 2 months. I want a peaceful and tidy home before the festivities of November and December come.
I am picking up a little notebook from the dollar store, since the one in my purse is used up and will record my totals. (then I'll have a notebook in my purse again..lol)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 07 2011 at 6:48am | IP Logged
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I'm in! I have been flinging hard for the past two months and still going strong... I have not recorded my totals, but I bet I'm up in the hundreds somewhere.
It's been hard but worth it... I am starting to see empty shelf space, and there are no longer mystery bins lurking in my closet or under the beds. The best part is just the mental relief; some of the tough areas have been vanquished.
I won't have to revisit those. 
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Sept 07 2011 at 8:12am | IP Logged
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Thanks Melinda! I'm happy to have company. I'll be starting this afternoon as i'm headed to the OB.GYN for a follow up appt this morning.
I'll be posting what we manage to purge!
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SusanMc
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| Posted: Sept 07 2011 at 10:42am | IP Logged
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Okay, I'm in. But here's a nerdy question: what counts as an item? Papers? Old boxes? A clothing item? Inquiring minds need to know! 
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Mom to two dear sons, '07 and '08.
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Sept 07 2011 at 11:41am | IP Logged
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For the little things, like individual papers, why don't we say it's 20 items if it fills a grocery bag? Then we needn't count each and every item.
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Erin
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| Posted: Sept 08 2011 at 10:17pm | IP Logged
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I'm giving it a go 
So we're talking about 50 grocery bags?
Filled one grocery bag of rubbish, cleaning out my bedside table. I feel soo great, a job that has been waiting way too long.
Also filled an overflowing garbage bag of clothes from the girls' cupboards.
Btw It is Spring here, so feels very natural to do this.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Sept 20 2011 at 11:28am | IP Logged
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I finally got a good start on this. DD7 used to keep a very tidy room, and now it's been a real challenge. I have tried cleaning it, it'll look good a day or two. There was too much stuff. I have tried to help her purge, but everything was her favorite.
So this weekend we emptied her room of all things except furniture. It all went in the livingroom, I told her we were sorting it out. I had her just filling laundry hampers and I was bringing it down. Then I brought her into the livingroom. She was  shocked at how much stuff was in there. Her room is 1/3 of the size. I asked her to come help sort, and she tells me, "Momma, there's too much!" I asked her if we could sell some, and donate other things so another little girl could love and play with the toys. She nodded.
But again, everything was her favorite. So I started with the easy things. We gathered all the stuffies, then I gave her a lidded bin, and told her, "Pick 2 to sleep with." We put those on her bed. Then I told her' "You can fill this bin with your most special stuffies and the rest we'll donate." She looked a little sad, but picked through, and then realized over 1/2 of the stuffies were some her sisters gave her because they didn't want them any more, they weren't special at all.
So that went ok, there were a couple extras that I conceded she could have if they fit on her valance above the window. They did.
So I went to bring that upstairs. then I asked her which of the 2 ponies she wanted to keep(riding sized), and she chose, laughing because the other one was way too small for her. So that was set aside. I went to get a basket for books, and as I came back she told me we could sell her Dora castle, this was a huge break through. I brought it down and bagged it. Then we started on other things. She decided that she doesn't love her Barbies, Polly Pockets, My Little Pony things, so we pulled that stuff out.
In the end we pulled out 4 large yard waste bags of stuff, and she decided that only 2 things she wanted to sell and the rest she'd give away. this was fantastic.
The bags of toys were picked up the next day, going to a family that is really struggling, and their little girl is 3. All we asked is that what they don't want be passed on to another family who could use them.
I started counting, but with all the little pieces I gave up. I estimate about 600 items left her room, there was easily 50 stuffies from her older sisters, another 50 books, many ponies, polly and barbies. AND she did it with a very pleasant spirit. She keeps talking about the little girl that will now have some special toys to love and enjoy.
I told her that after her birthday party, we'll not be opening packages that day until we go in her room, and decide if these things are really something she wants, or if we can donate some to Santa's Anonymous so some other little girls can get something under the tree, or if we are taking something out of her room so she has room for something new. We're trying the one thing in means one thing out.
I've spoken to her older sisters about dumping things in her room. I said that isn't happening anymore, if there is something they think she'd like, they are to talk to ME first. And I'll either decide or help dd7 decide on it. Their rooms are fairly sparse, but they tend to dump things in other areas when they are done with them.
It was a fantastic weekend! I am so proud of dd7. I have been working on her room for what seems forever. I'd have liked even more items gone, but am very pleased with howmuch she let go. it is a great start for her.
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 20 2011 at 3:16pm | IP Logged
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Still going strong here.... went through kid's clothing today 
Did a MAJOR toy purge over the weekend- that is always toughest for me.
Also sent another bag of odds and ends out to the thrift store this afternoon.
Great accountability thread
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Mimip
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| Posted: Sept 22 2011 at 7:52am | IP Logged
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Oh Ladies,
I have been thinking about posting here about our major weekend purge!!!!
We spent all weekend moving and getting rid of stuff!!!!
My brother gifted the girls with antique dressers and headboards that he had inherited so that left an entire set of bedroom storage!!! We used that storage for the playroom!!! The big armoire got put into the school room for my teacher supplies and manuals. The other 3 dressers are now in the playroom with toys inside and beautiful labels on the outside.
We gifted 9 (!!!!) small bookshelves that really were just catch-alls because they didn't fit the large amount of books!!! Now we have so much more room in all 3 rooms! We got rid of 9 large leaf bags full of things, toys, paper, pieces of clothing that were torn and or faded!
With this massive purge, my children are starting to realize just how important it is to pick and chose what comes into our home. We are onto the other two bedrooms, the master and the boys room (can you hear the theme to Jaws as I approach their closet???)
This weekend's goal is the computer desk (we are hoping to get a new file cabinet). Plus, the boys closet needs a VERY BIG PURGE!!!!
For the first time ever we are going to be ready for the deluge of Christmas presents that crowd our house every year!!!!
Many blessings to you all as you continue to purge!!!
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In Christ,
Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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amyable
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| Posted: Sept 22 2011 at 8:33am | IP Logged
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I'll be with you all in work and in spirit, although I don't have the mental energy to spare to actually count what I'm doing. 
I'm going to hit books today if I have time, and clothes! Maybe I'll cancel afternoon school and have our fashion show (i.e. taking out the winter clothes and seeing what fits).
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 22 2011 at 9:18am | IP Logged
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I love the idea of emptying the whole room down to just the furniture. I am definitely going to do this with the kids' bedrooms. I believe it will have a lot of visual impact- both seeing the empty space left behind and seeing how much STUFF is in there.
Thanks for the great idea!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Barb.b
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| Posted: Sept 23 2011 at 7:48am | IP Logged
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Been doing it cause the house is for - now I wish I'd kept track! Mommy4ever - you inspire me - your dd sounds like my ds age 8. Everything is his favorite he says. I end up getting rid of some when he is at a friends - he never noticed. But one day he helped, at first was very hesitant, his friend came to play and said - oh, we just did this and donated a lot of stuff, so I can help (feeling very much the 8 year old expert!).
Barb
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 23 2011 at 5:18pm | IP Logged
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Ok- updating. Mommy4ever's idea of emptying the rooms.... brilliant.
Did dd's room yesterday; she was delighted about how much more space she has in her room now. BUt she was the easy one, since she is not a hoarder
Did ds's room today. I am so proud of him! He *is* a hoarder, but when he saw how big his room was with all the stuff out, he was amazed. He was able to agree to move out his old train table and all of the toys in and under it (MAJOR breakthrough). He also agreed to donate a very large Matchbox car set up plus all his old wooden train tracks and trains. Whew! That alone was huge. He parted with several clothing items, an old backpack and two other bagfuls of stuff! Yeehaw!!!
We never could have made this progress if we had not emptied out the room entirely first and gotten a taste of what *could* be in there. Thank you so much Mommy4ever for suggesting this!
All the remaining toys from his room I will sort through and weed out. That will be another huge task.... for another day. I am tired!
My big problem now is that dh was not thrilled to see the train table displaced from ds's room. Dh made that table- it is solid and huge and was a labor of love. Hard to let go. I am wondering if he could now use the wood and make ds a nice desk from it ? (yes, it is that huge) Would that be like asking him to murder his train baby?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: Sept 23 2011 at 5:33pm | IP Logged
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Melinda, think of it as "upgrading" his train baby!
You ladies and your dc are all amazing!!!!
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 11 2011 at 4:13pm | IP Logged
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How is everyone doing?
I have just tackled old documents that can be shredded (tax returns, old receipts, insurance papers, etc) after 7 years. That emptied out almost a whole drawer in the filing cabinet. Plus, the kids enjoyed helping me run the shredder.
Now I am unloading almost all my foam craft supplies. To me, foam is like the margarine of the craft world. It feels funny, smells funny, doesn't glue well... foam crafts tend to come unglued or fall apart. Foam will never be the real thing, . Yet it seems to show up in so many forms.
Going foam free feels good!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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JennGM
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| Posted: Oct 11 2011 at 4:15pm | IP Logged
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Yeah, Melinda!
Right there with you on foam. I gave it a college try, but not attracted to it at all -- and neither are my boys!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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mommy4ever
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| Posted: Oct 11 2011 at 10:12pm | IP Logged
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I'm still working at it!
I have 3 black bags of clothing.... mine I have been holding on for when I lose the weight....
It's been 4 years, time to let go... maybe when i don't have the negative feedback from the closet every time I go, that I'll not feel so pressured. Who knows. but by now, i don't even want to wear it. It's nice, clean, and still current. I'm bringing it to the Church rummage sale tomorrow evening. I went through books, and have to do more. I went through dd7 clothing, and have another 2 bags.
I'm tackling the kitchen cabinets and some storage boxes. I started refinishing my cabinets 2 years ago, and finally on the final stretch...BUT with no doors, the cabinets are untidy and you couldn't close many doors. I have several items I've not used in a long time, that I have no plans to use, so I'll be bringing those as well. I have a couple boxes for those items....it'll feel good to let go and help the fundraiser. We're helping to build another parish, as well as raising money for the city foodbank and the foodbank at the church.
I was going to sell some... but I have no time, and it's just sitting around...so I'm loading it up during the day tomorrow, and we'll leave early for CIC and unload it for the sale. I'm seeing a full station wagon.
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Topic: Fall Fling - declutter challenge
