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Donna Marie
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 11:32am | IP Logged
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I reached the point of maximum frustration and I have been pulling apart the rooms one by one to make it easier on all of us to clean when we are doing full-time school.
Um..this is hard!! But SO necessary!!
Is anyone else decluttering and deep-cleaning today?
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Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 12:01pm | IP Logged
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I wish I were. I have tried to do a bit of it, but I really need to nail down our school plans--so I have more time for cleaning and such 
I KNOW I need to get organized. One thing that had been working was doing my zone cleaning and not letting myself worry about decluttering or deep cleaning UNLESS it was in the zone specifically assigned to that day. This motivated me to focus on specific areas without getting overwhelmed at where to start. (I had my 4 zones on a 4 week rotation deep cleaning and decluttering, and then if I have a 5th week, I can work on a "fluffier" project that doesn't necessarily contribute to cleanliness or order ("prettifying" things like sewing new curtains, cushions, painting, etc...).
It was a GREAT plan until I had a "project" heavy few weeks in preparation for FHC, family visiting, etc... And now, I'm trying to buckle up and get my plans really organized as well as our chore habits organized in hopes that having a working routine for those necessities will allow me to utilize my original "zone" plan and tackle more of the decluttering then.
But, I will definitely offer some moral support in spirit since I'm still working towards a goal of "order" today, if not doing the nitty gritty, in the trenches aspect of it. I was forced to do a bit of that in getting the house ready for company, and it DOES help. But for me, the habits need to be in place, otherwise, everything just falls apart SO FAST!!! 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Donna Marie
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 12:09pm | IP Logged
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I am struggling with what to keep and what to get rid of. I was wondering how extreme I could get without anyone really noticing. It is hard to consider the needs of 11 people on a limited budget. I don't want to save everything but I don't want to end up purchasing things to replace what I throw/give away. 
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Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
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Donna Marie
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 12:12pm | IP Logged
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Lindsay, I still have no idea how to be consistent in what I am doing, but I want things to be able to get back to normal as quickly as possible after I end up with days that we are out of the house or have disruptions in routines. Clean up is just taking too long or is impossible to do well in certain areas right now. I feel like I am re-inventing the wheel...over...and over...and over...
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Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 12:33pm | IP Logged
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Donna Marie wrote:
| Clean up is just taking too long or is impossible to do well in certain areas right now. I feel like I am re-inventing the wheel...over...and over...and over... |
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I know that feeling, and I just have 4 little ones! It was the feeling overwhelmed about it that made the zone thing so great. I'm so distractable and flit about willy-nilly sometimes with these projects. I needed something to help me be methodical and realistic (as in, it won't get better over night, but if I stick to my plan, it CAN get better over time!).
Good luck! I really liked Peter Walsh's "It's All Too Much" for motivation in decluttering. Our library has it on cd, and we've listened to it on more than one cross-country car trip. Unfortunately, most such books don't really addresss the question of large families where there will be a lot of stuff even if you aren't hoarding just because there are so many more people!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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stacykay
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 2:03pm | IP Logged
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I am. Started in basement (where I will probably be for the next two weeks ,) clearing out homeschool materials. My youngest is now 8, so I am culling the under 3rd grade materials. And now I need to head back down. Enough computer, cleaning-avoidance activity!
IN Christ,
Stacy in MI
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WithAllMyHeart
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 2:08pm | IP Logged
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I have been decluttering for the last 5 weeks (one section of the house each week), and I still have a week to go. It has been a lot of work, but my house is really feeling so much more comfortable and peaceful already.
My treat for when I'm done? I get to spend August planning/prepping school for this year! In an organized house! 
I know it's hard- but keep it up. It really pays off in the end.
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-Jennifer
SAHM to a 3 yr old boy and a 1 yr old girl (hoping for more).
Looking for friends who live nearby!
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Chris V
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 2:10pm | IP Logged
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I was having a bit of success with decluttering the girls' playroom a few days ago, then we had more company arrive, and despite my pleading of the girls to leave my half-completed areas alone, they've effectively undone everything that I had done. So my hopes to progress abound again and I think I'll put forth some effort today. ... But was just informed that my in-laws are coming up again this weekend (arriving this afternoon) - they were just here last weekend and stayed through Monday. I don't mean to sound so displeased by this, and I do like the extra help with the twins, buuuutttt, we all do a little bit better when it is just *us*. And the housework always suffers with guests as my routine is thwarted. ... contemplating whether or not you can ever politely tell your in-laws to, ahem ... stop visiting so much. , maybe I'll have another cup of tea and ponder this some more before I start up with the playroom again....
The new house is wonderfully easy to maintain, but I say this as I realize that nearly half of all of our belongs has yet to be unpacked from the move in February. At this point, I see no reason to unpack it - it hasn't been missed in all these months, will it ever be missed? Starting with a clean slate as been liberating, to say the least. Making every effort to keep our spaces lovely... less is more!
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Chris
Happy Wife with my Happy Life
Mama to My Five Girls ('04~'07~'09~'11~'11) 
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Mimip
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 2:32pm | IP Logged
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YES!!!
My mom is coming into town next week after being gone for 8 months and when she comes it is severe stress to make sure EVERYTHING is clean and tidy and uncluttered. We have been cleaning, deep cleaning for over a week and we still have pages and pages of cleaning and decluttering left to go. ( I make VERY detailed lists)
Yesterday we attacked all the linens! AUGH! Why oh why do the towels and sheets become such a mess???? Thankfully we spent days cleaning and decluttering the bedrooms so those look nice and clean and toys have been given away! Also we just found out the baby is a boy so the girls have been quicker to give away linens that they have outgrown (dora sheets and towels for example).
On the table for this weekend, the dreaded PLAYROOM! Oh how I hate to clean that room!!!!
Schoolroom is scheduled for Monday but the kids will be gone with Dad for the day, so it will go so much quicker with no opinions to clutter up the decision making!
Good Luck with all your decluttering this week!!!
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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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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 5:32pm | IP Logged
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I wish i were seriously purging. But at this point, it is either being sold or dumped (Goodwill in our area won't even take the books I have - good books too! but they have too many).
But I send my son on hourly missions to clean up a small area - so decluttering that way. Every hour he gets a 5-1o minute mission. I can keep working on my orders and Montessori files, the house is still getting semi-cleaned and my son feels important
We usually do the 4 zones thing too, but the last 2 months have been SO crazy, then we did once a month cooking a few days ago, and it all just falls apart.
But falling apart that fast is a sign. Either we need to get rid of more or this apartment is just TOO SMALL. (it is too small - and my son needs a yard; and we both need a real garden - and a pet). SO.
We'll be working on getting back to a point of balance; then working towards getting towards more "spartan" and hopefully that will keep things cleared up enough so I can mentally focus on the tasks I need to focus on (income!).
Oh yeah - and homeschooling in there somewhere too!
;)
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 6:47pm | IP Logged
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You all absolutely amaze me! Lately it has been a MAJOR accomplishment just to get several weeks of bills and correspondence sorted and cleared from our desk area, sort through information and place orders for the upcoming school year, and slowwwwly but surely unpack storage totes from baby days with our daughter and family (along with some totes STILL left from months of caring for dear mil  ).
Hurrah for ALL that you dear ladies are accomplishing in the midst of your busy lives!!!!!!   
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stefoodie
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| Posted: July 20 2012 at 8:32pm | IP Logged
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I've been decluttering for the past several weeks too. I'm sooooo glad to be getting rid of some items that I've held on to for many years because I keep thinking one of the kids is going to be interested! And they weren't. So I've given myself permission to sell them. I'll just have to buy them again if the youngest two ever want them, but that's years away, might as well get rid of them for now, maybe they can benefit others and we could use the space too.
Today we focused on my 10-year-old decluttering her closet and dresser. Tomorrow we focus on her toys and papers and projects and books. I made a GTD flowchart for her to follow so she can develop the habit further of organization and holy detachment.
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stef
mom to five
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3ringcircus
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| Posted: July 21 2012 at 8:17pm | IP Logged
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I did a lot in Jan. & Feb., then lost steam & got busy w/ the kids' school. Now, I'm at it again, and trying to put together a HS area! Luckily, we have some storage area I can re-purpose. However, I have to sort through a lot of electronic gear to clear it out.
Any reason why I should keep more than, say, 3 cables of each type (USB reg/mini/micro, AV wires, audio cables, ethernet, phone, etc)? Also, is it just plain hoarding to hold onto those vampire power cords? I keep thinking that I'll re-purpose them for another item that needs power, and I should hold onto them. Hmm, maybe I'm convincing myself to pitch them. Usually replacements aren't that pricey, if the need should even arise...
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Christine
Mom to my circus of boys: G-1/06, D-1/04, S-4/10
Started HS in Fall'12
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Topic: So, who is decluttering today??
