Day 3 - Box Challenge (charity, recycle or garbage)

15 years ago

Good Morning Everyone!

Day 3 of our challenge to motivate each other to tackle those nagging boxes, clutter corners, surface clutter areas, mysterious closets, past my interest stuff - liberate ourselves.

We don't need that heavy feeling in our homes. Yes it's January - so what. Stuck indoors and bored? Put on your dancing shoes cause we're going to rock today. Turn up that radio and roll up your sleeves.

January is a wonderful month to clear space. As I've heard so far folk are discovering stuff they have forgotten about, sharing good items with others and feeling better.

Think about it - who needs cabin fever with all this wacky weather. Keep an upper chin and positive. Do the work now and you'll be way ahead to enjoy the warmer months.

Are you tired of sneezing, having road maps for eyeballs from dust that you can't find - oh it's there. Are you paying taxes on areas you can no longer use in your home? Are you becoming squished into your apartment, condo? Do you feel helpless and overwhelmed?

Have I got a deal for you - I'm not asking anyone to move mountains this week. Not at all. Even if you are not 100 percent you could still manage some happy tunes and a box to sort. That's all - just one box, a bag. You'll be one box ahead than just sitting there thinking about it.

Are you bored, shut inside? You may be surprised at what you find. So many people are having tough times - maybe your excess would help someone in need? Women's shelters, senior care facilities can always use spare clothing for those in care with only government support. Is that actually unusable garbage hiding under there? Why keep it?

Let's have an adventure today. Just one box. That's all. By the end of the week you may be quite surprised. Pleased with yourself.

C'mon - join our merry band. Let's take the challenge. I promise you'll be ahead of the game.

Tally Hooooooooooo!

Peggy

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Comments (12)

lunchlady1948
15 years ago
Good morning Peggy~~~I am geared up for my challenge today my closet! I was going to do the bathroom cabinets but I have a busy day planned for Thursday so will save them for that day since they won't take that long. Now my DH is into suggesting what I can do! He thinks I am a clutterbug and is very shocked that I have most everything already very organized just needs a tune up and evertime I go through stuff I find more to get rid of! Another shock for him is most of the junk to get rid of is his stuff he is saving what what no one knows~~~

It will be in the mid to high 70's here today just like yesterday~~so while I am cleaning I am sweating and drinking iced teas:)

I need to make a run to the thrift store this morning for a drop off so I can load up my van with my closet stuff!
marie_ndcal
15 years ago
Very cold outside -1, but wind chill well below that. Had to put trash out and it was COLD. Good time to continue cleaning out paper work. Will take stuff to thrift stores soon. Right now it is piling up in mudroom
Thanks for ideas
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Day 2 - Box Challenge - Join Us!
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Debbie - you can do 90 percent of your basement. Persistence pays off. This is a start and you will get there. It took me 5 years on and off of doing my basement in our previous home. It was depressing all the stuff. We had boxes of my mom's family stuff (brother, sisters things) because she lived with us until her death, my DH was married before and duplicates of stuff we were using (we kept the best of both lots and got rid of the rest) and some was stuff we had for whatever reason. It made me depressed and I felt overwhelmed by the size of the total job at hand. But keeping the idea that I've learned quilting large bedspreads - break it down into one thing you can do now. Those one things over time amount to quite a bit. We do the best we can. I used to keep a heavy duty garbage bag in the crawlspace (industrial), charity basket and recycle. Stuff you are keeping can get reboxed and properly labeled. And make your labels on 2 sides of the containers so you can easily identify them. Just don't give up. I had to take breaks from doing it because I honestly got sick of it. Funny thing is over time it got better. When I got stuck and items got emotional I stepped back. At one point I did the 15 minute rule - do as much as you can for 15 minutes. Guess what I'm trying to say is one small step followed by another will get you there. I'm with you all the way. Hallingarden - we all have had/have hard challenges in life. We were blessed that we we almost mortgage free when we sold and we had savings. Our home has been reduced by 50 percent (still 1600 sq ft), we used what we had left (keeping a living allowance to give us time to get jobs and settle in) to build and we managed to get a very good line of credit with our bank. I am very, very, very grateful to still have a home on our land we've held for the last 16 years while we squirreled away money. Over a decade ago we were in debt up to our eyeballs and paid our mortgage on a credit card at our lowest moment. We pulled ourselves out of it - one day, one bill, one step. We are both capable of working and we have a fighting spirit. I am grateful for all that I have in life. I am grateful that KT lets me come and go. I am grateful our new community has wonderful people living around us. We are blessed. DH feels we've been cursed. Sure. We are not living in a war zone. We are not living in a flooded, fire ravaged or poor area. How much does a person need in life? I live with depression - not the end of the world (KTers have been there at my worst, lowest moments holding my hand and telling me off when I trusted them to tell it like it is). I am grateful to still have choices in my day. I choose right now to make the best of this challenge. I want to have a home to be proud of. I want to get rid of residual clutter - clutter that unfortunately we paid to move, store and move here. Let's us all use our freedom to make one box travel on. My eldest sister is a classic hoarder with real illness. She pays for large apartments in Toronto at Toronto city prices to keep her stuff. Clutters hurts mentally and financially. It causes strife, physical illness. Who needs this? I'm glad people are joining me this week. Misery loves company but really I'm not at all miserable. Just feel more like an army in action together taking back our precious space. Rally the troops! Let's giver a good run. We are really something together! I love hearing about our accomplishments - no matter what size - still a step forward. I'm smiling, are you? Love ya guys, I really do. Cheers, Peggy
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How has this been going for you? A slow start here as I slept in later than usual. How many things do I want to hang on the walls or stick on shelves again to dust? Mmmmmm. I don't mind dusting but I abhor it when things are cluttered. I can so relate, and much prefer decorating items that are hung, over 'stuff' that has to be moved to dust...One is in the way and the other is out of the way when one dusts. I know I like to use my travel mugs a lot in the summer months in the garden - but how many do I need? Good question, that I need to ask myself...some are bigger for ice water in the summer, and others are at least a bit smaller and will fit the cup holder in the Jeep...hmmm...now, what to keep? Replacing an item instead of adding an item is another employed strategy to avoid growing collections. The handle recently came off of a 30 year old stainless steel sauce pan. I'll be looking for a nice replacement...(notice, I said replacement) and once I find it will send the old one to the scap metal collector. Interesting that you should mention the mugs, and letting them go. I have an afghan my neighbor's mother (now deceased) made and gave me years ago. It is really too good for me to use for everyday, so has just been stored. Yesterday I asked my neighbor if she might like to have it to pass on to daughters, or grandchildren, and she was thrilled. I think today I will pare down things in the bed linen closet. I know I can part with 2 afghans, a homemade rag rug, and probably numerous sheets and pillowcases. Food for thought:Just how many spare sheet sets are needed for a 2 bed home, when the 2nd bed is probably used 6 or so times a year? I know the answer is a 'lot' fewer than what I have been 'storing' for a long time. Sue
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I have a covered garbage pail under the sink for garbage bin garbage, and take it out and kick it around the kitchen when it's needed (pretty much like you said). I have a trash pullout with one bin for deposits (bottles and cans) and one for the bin (jars, paper and plastic). Plant matter compostables go in reused produce bags to be taken down to the city green bin. We don't have garbage composting. I don't refrigerate my house (A/C if on at all is set very high), and don't even like putting meat waste and really yucky things in the city mixed garbage bin, which gets a lot of afternoon sun. Phew! Though I'd do it if it were going for composting. That would be my big concern in the kitchen though: The bins are outside and downstairs and the veg waste is bad enough at times if no one wants to carry it down. What I'd want for it is well covered, probably with one of those charcoal filters or something, if it couldn't be carried right out immediately. I keep thinking of maggots. It just takes a single fly... I actually think if you have nothing else that you want to put under the sink, if you don't have plumbing in the way (inspector forced it under mine), you might fit all four bins but they might be small. And you certainly could do garbage and city compost with covers, and the rest next to it. I have recycling bins in every room so that it doesn't all accumulate in the kitchen. Considering how your city is diverting so much from waste water processing into high heat compost, I wonder if the house of the future will have a garbage room. Maybe it'll even have a built in composter appliance, so that all the city would pick up would be recycling (plastics, glass, metal) and home processed compost for a final run through to purify it in the city plant. Hm... Goopy plastic wrappers. That future needs a compostable wrapper that works as well as ordinary plastic for preserving freshness so as not to waste water. They've made great strides with cornstarch. My experience? I have had my pail (Rubbermaid) since I moved into off campus housing decades ago. It's a great pail which holds a week's garbage, because there's just so little garbage nowadays. There would be a lot less without paper napkins and towels. The other bins are standard size and could be twice as big. If your pick-up bins are right out the door, it doesn't matter, but if you don't like emptying them twice a day, or whatever, go for the biggest bins you can fit, especially for stuff that doesn't stink.
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jannie
15 years ago
I haven't got started yet-someone give me a kick in my fat behind!
lunchlady1948
15 years ago
WHEW!!!! I was pookie today~~~I did not want my DH to be home when I cleaned out my closet:( So I cleaned our bathroom and bedroom. DH found two more places I stash dried up paints~~~so I got that all cleaned out. Finally he went to the gym so I ran up to my nice clean room to do the closet~~DANG~~it is hard to get rid of the size down clothing ya know I am going to get this weight off in time for my DS's wedding in October;) When I retired in June I did a big ole closet clean out 5 bags~~~today I only got 1 bag. I am just not willing to get rid of anymore shoes;)

WHY do we women have so many clothes and shoes??? AND I keep buying more:(

I am saying it now no new clothing ahahah for this year or maybe just for 6 months, no make it 3! Except for the 3 weddings and two graduations I have to go to I can get new outfits for that right????
hallngarden
15 years ago
Good day to all of you cleaning folks. Last night before I went to bed I started looking around to see what I could do today. First place I started was the bathroom closet. Threw away lots of old makeup, found stashes of hair products that I will never use. Packaged those up and got those ready for the thrift store. Next place I cleaned was the chest of grandkids clothes that I keep here. Some of the things they had outgrown last year. When I took the clothes to the thrift store, ask if they could take the hair products and they said, of course. It was all in spray cans and they could take those. Congrats to all of you cleaning folks, one day at a time.
joyfulguy
15 years ago
Here's a kick for you, Jannie.

Trouble is ... I need a kick, myself ... so I guess I'll either have to wait for someone else to favour me with one ... or do it myself - later, in sequence: can't have both feet off of the ground at once (unless one is really fast on the draw).

I started going through some small boxes in which I've accumulated stuff, about 3.5 x 10 inches, in which I sort mail, keep charitable receipts (for income tax time), mail that needs an early reply, stuff from family, Christmas cards, etc. It wouldn't be fair to count one of them as a "box" - it'll have to be at least a half dozen (a dozen?)!

I found a bonus ... last week as I was going through some investment and stock stuff, updating them, I found one where I hadn't recorded a split, giving me double the number of shares, at half the price, each ... so that value is double what I've been updating recently.

And another where there'd been a takeover, and I'd removed the company that was swallowed up ... but hadn't added the one that ate it.

Think those pieces of good fortune will be enough to motivate me to keep working at the clutter? It should, don't you think?

As I'm far from home, at the library, and to be here for while, then get supper when I get home, there'll not be a lot of time left ... if I'm to get my beauty sleep (which has been neglected for the last couple of nights).

Just took a pill that I couldn't take near when dealing with food or drink ... and had to be careful, when bending over the drinking fountain, not to lose the pill ... one needs to bend the knees ... or pull in the water through pursed lips, sort of like the reverse of whistling.

Librarian says that she's worked here for years - been there, done that!

Actually ... I dealt with some clutter in the garage, for I'd left one car door slightly ajar yesterday, after picking up a box, resulting in a flat battery: only a dim light when I opened the car door. So ... I hooked up the charger, and hung a spade, cultivator and rake from the gardening days, that I've tripped over a time or two since, up on a nail. Plus a snow shovel and pusher. But that was re-arranging: not disposing of anything. After five minutes of charging ... when I moved the charger to "Boost" ... the engine started (if reluctantly).

When visibility was a bit low the other day I'd left the lights on when going to church and needed a boost to be operational. Wonder whether, had the sermon been a bit shorter, it might have started? More likely ... it was the talking over the coffee that did the job.

ole joyful
User
Original Author
15 years ago
Wow! This is all great.

We've been needing something to put a few kitchen basics in. I unpacked a wonderful memory that will now be given a new lease on life - our family kromex aluminum canister set. My parents are gone now. So many years of memories. Learning to bake with Mom, Dad lovingly washing the set, touching up the letters on the lids, getting tea leaves then later tea bags for the family tea in the aluminum teapot (still using that too). Saved money having to purchase something I already had today. Time well spent I'd say.

Oh, if you wind up tidying an area up because of this adventure - make that count too. Tidiness brings more of the same. And peace too.

Cheers, everyone! Thanks for sharing today's box challenge.

Peggy
haffie
15 years ago
Great day yesterday - got to a lot, the bags are gone from corner on Saturday, yesterday did thorough BR cleaning (like dust rolls and rolls behind and under bed/dressers/tables and two drawers. Tomorrow - bit in closet in BR after home from a funeral. On a roll here... :-)
lydia1959
15 years ago
I did clean out my linen closet... tossed a couple old pillows and threw away a smaller trashcan full of expired health products. The day before you announced your Box Challenge I cleaned out my walk in closet and filled 2 large trash bags with clothing to take to the thrift store. I was getting a head start I guess. lol I want to tackle the laundry room closet sometime this week too. The basement storage area is also on my list... that'll be a multiple day project though.
minnie_tx
15 years ago
Well cleaned out my socks last night and got a nice load of mostly brand new socks that I never wear in a bag also new panties some still in the bags .
That's a start
littlebit_gw
15 years ago
Didnt get much accomplished today but I was on a roll yesterday. I got rid of 2 large bags of trash, 1 small box of junk that needed to be in DHs shed and a few other odd and end items that need to find life some where else. All out of my laundry room and kitchen!
User
Original Author
15 years ago
Monday was a great day! Take a bow! Even a little bit helps.

Well done!

Day 3 - Box Challenge (charity, recycle or garbage)

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