joanhark tried to spam but missed

fp, magazines keep being published every month, I doubt you'll miss what you pitched ! keep purging, it's very enlightening !

Good for you!

My system, which I use far less well than I mean to, is to keep the serious mags that I haven't gotten through for six months in a basket, at which point I tear out and file the stories that I think have legs, or that are part of a larger topic of interest on which I'm keeping a file, and heave the rest into recycling.

(I have a special box for New Yorker cartoons, which i've been cutting out for 35 years...someday I will do what I meant to do when I started, which is to wallpaper the guest bath with the best of them.)

And I have a 4" 3-ring binder with dividers into which I put the most inspiring or informative articles from design magazines. My biggest discipline is to allow only two such subscriptions a year. Otherwise...well, you all know what would happen! When I was in active practice, I could justify a wall full of pin boards and magazine slipcases, but not any more...

I need to do some serious pitch 'n purging, but I won't be doing my magazines. I subscribe to several and so far at least, I've been keeping all of them. Yup...all. We have projects still to do here that might be helped greatly by pictures in back issues plus I like to flip through old issues from time to time.

Also: several years ago, I donated almost all my old House & Garden magazines to a charity thrift store. Then, Conde Nast stopped publishing it, and that was it: No way to continue reading it. (Not that it was my favorite at that point, but my opinion on its editorial direction is a whole 'nother topic.) I kept a few issues, but I'm sorry I didn't keep more.

OTOH, I donated every issue of one of my gardening magazines, and I can't say I've ever thought about any of them since then.

In principle, I like the idea of clipping images and articles, but in the end, it's too much work for me -- I find files messy, and binders a hassle. Plus, what does one do when there are two interesting images or articles, each on one side of a page? So instead, I use our attic, which is large and full-sized, and with built-in shelves. I ended up with a large stash of magazine holders (from a pitch 'n purge I did of someone ELSE's house!), and the back issues stay pretty tidy up there.

I try to pitch and purge regularly. I have a habit of turning down the pages of articles I 'think' I want to keep, then when I start to purge I flip thru and scan the article again and see if I really want to keep it. If so, I keep it for a while in a folder (gardening, recipes, house ideas, etc). Eighty to 90% of the time, I decide against keeping it and out it goes. Rarely do I keep the whole magazine but I do keep my 'Alabama Gardener' for a couple of years.

(Let's pitch n purge Joanhark).

Magazines definitely get pitched (recycled) around here. I may keep some of the monthlies for awhile, but no longer than 4 months. Weeklies get pitched after a month.

I've hung onto a few gardening magazines for years. It seems that anything that's in a magazine can now be found on the web, although I do love paging through a magazine and dog-earring the pages. Later I go back and half the time I can't figure out what it was I liked.

I've started subscribing to the digital version of magazines. I don't love looking at the reduced size as much, but I appreciate not having physical copies in my mailbox and house.

I think my post got misinterpreted.

Are any of you pitching and purging anything in your home? Doesn't have to be magazines - that's just what I decided to finally hit and do something about.

Trying to. But somehow no matter how often I do there's always more to get.

For those of you wanting to get rid of magazines, our local library has what they call a 'magazine exchange', essentially just a big box where you can drop magazines you're finished with or pick up ones you want. When I dump my decor mags on the way in they're usually gone by the time I'm through finding a book or dvd to check out. You might suggest it to your local library and see if they like the idea.

I try. I really do. I love throwing things away, taking things to donate, etc. Unfortunately my DH is a major impediment. If he orders something, he wants to keep the brown shipping box it came in. Forever. And the peanuts inside the box. Forever. When we set up my office last year we had to take slats out of the blinds in the windows. I found those slats on a shelf in the utility closet. Seriously? What's he going to do with those?

But I digress. I try to limit what comes in, and that then limits what has to go out. I get most of my bills online. I let go all but a few magazine subscriptions. I subscribe to one online. I have gotten DH to agree to the one-in/one-out principle with clothing. That has helped a lot.

I was able to pass on a good selection of kitchen stuff and dishware to a young friend who just bought her first house. I need to purge my library as I'm reaching the age where I won't go back and read many of the books. Also, I have a cabinet full of VHS tapes that need to go, but I need to transfer some of the content onto DVD or some sort of digital medium first.

I have the urge to pitch and purge, but not the energy YET. Five months of chemo for me has allowed the trouble spots in the house to gather and accumulate stuff. Lots of it.

Instead of doing an entire room, (as I have in the past) I think I'll start with something managable like working on some of those cluttered corners. What a pleasure a neat, uncluttered house is...

Good thread to gig me into motion...(and the docs all say motion is good. grin)

Yesterday, I dropped off 2 bags of clothes and purses to the women's charity store.

That felt so freeing, I came home and started adding decorative things & miscellaneous stuff to the give-away box for the thrift store. I just missed their last drive through my 'hood but they'll be back so I'll be sticking things in the Laundry Room until then.

I was very tempted to take a neat, old wooden chair from someone's trash yesterday. But I knew in my heart I'd never doing something cool with it, like most of you would do, so I left it for a creative person to drive by it and see it's potential.

Habitat will be opening a ReStore near me this summer. I have to gather all the stuff they accept and find someone (with a truck or van) to help me get it over there. I have 2 unopened boxes of tile, the light fixture & faucet from the recent powder room re-do (still functioning, I just needed a change), some bi-fold doors, legs of a table I did rescue from the trash years ago (but they're just collecting dust in my basement), and some wood. Even though none of that is in my way, I will definitely feel freer once that stuff is out of the basement and the garage.

I hit the Goodwill store on Sunday with my SUV loaded to the gills! Not only clothes, but bedspreads, rug, lamps, and other home decor things I haven't used for years.

I'm not shopping for anything since I don't need a thing, but am still changing things up for the warmer months. Black lamp shades have been changed out to ivory, black print pillows removed from sofa and replaced w/gold and ivory, all candles are now ivory, the 'faux' greenery now has ivory flowers added to it, now all I have to do is have canvas(or maybe Matelasse!) slips made for the 2 slipper chairs~~Summer's here!! ;o)

I just spent hours purging my email inbox! I think I had around 3k emails.

I hit the Goodwill or Salvation Army store about twice a year with stuff I purge from the closets. Also take a bunch of stuff that can be re-used to the Habitat Re-store when we can. Catalogs come more often than I can keep up so they get purged before they even enter the door into the recycle bin.

Our little community has a 'clean-up' day twice a year in the spring and fall, so we can take odds and ends that we can't normally put in the trash (old paint, large items, etc) so that helps clean out the barn and garage too.

3k emails? Really? Now I don't feel quite so bad. Weeks can go by as I forget to delete, sentimental things, items I "might want to print", etc. It's awful.

Right now I'm purging my kitchen pots and pans. After 35 years, plus all my mother's things, there's a lot. I never used the cute tart pan with the removable bottom and do not need ten wire cooling racks. All of our stuff goes to the local Cancer Foundation store.

Stopped subscribing to decor magazines several years ago, then finally bit the bullet and donated my huge collection of old ones. There are some Architectural Digests, Oprah Homes, and Mary Engelbreits that I'll never get rid of, though.

Pitching and purging is going to have to wait till I'm done with my cancer treatments too.
It's a bit overwhelming trying to do anything like that when you can barely keep up with the daily stuff.
The one exception has been clothes. All the weight I lost with the cancer means I needed new clothes so the stuff that didn't fit had to go and go it went. We have a local thrift store that is a Godsend to many in the community and I donated all my too big clothes to them.

Carol - good luck to you in your treatments. I got wonderful advice and things to check out when my mom was going through her cancer treatments. My mom stopped being mega woman during her treatments and just rested. When she was done w/ her treatments she redid her once very 'collected' home and began purging. It is now lighter and airier.

Patty Cakes - Summer sounds lovely at your place!!!!

I also have bags and bags of more kids clothes set to go to donation and baby gear. Now THAT is freeing!

Carol, same here, I wish you the best outcome and strength to get through it all, you'll have plenty of time later to pitch and purge .

I've been purging also, I'm in the mood for that these days.
Yet I kept a few things such as a bunch of knitting needles, haven't knitted
for 20 years, but might take it up again eventually. I also kept a small battery operated radio with a clip to put on your belt, it looks so retro. And huge,
compared to ipods. By cleaning out multiple drawers, I now own 6 nail clippers , how did that happen ?

Carol, and HappyinTexas, best wishes to you with your cancer treatment. 'Purge' yourself of that cancer first and get healthy!

When I retire, I'm tackling the attic and purging the stuff I brought home from my Mom's. I still have those alpine village pieces and fine crystal I will never use that I don't know what to do with. What was I thinking?

I keep a Sterlite bin in the back of my closet. If I try on something, anything, shoes, belt, blouses, pants, etc, that does not feel or look right on me, I put it in the bin and never look back. When the bin is full I take what I consider worthy items to the SA or Goodwill store to donate, and toss anything else. Last month DH asked for a bin for his closet and I noticed he has dropped a few things in.

house elf, that's a great system, simple and effective, I'm stealing that.

Carol, and Happy - I was there myself twelve years ago, and I'm still here! And sending you pulses of good feeling.

I learned many things during my chemo ordeal, and one of them was to accept and then define the help my friends offered.

People were so willing to do clearly described things, like coming to pick up a box of things for Goodwill, or taking stuff to the consignment store, or even helping me clean out the refrigerator. Once a month, I sat on a counter stool with a cup of tea, looking regal with my bald head, and passed judgement while two of my friends purged and wiped the fridge and pantry. It was actually fun, and created an even stronger bond.

God be with you both, Carole and Happy.

I just have junk to deal with -- good thoughts and wishes to those with health problems!

Magazines are not my issue. My town's yearly bulk pick up is next week and I've been cleaning out my garage, basement and attic. The basement is basically done except for about 50 cans of paint that have to be dried out and discarded. That's a project that will be on-going for awhile. Don't keep paint cans is my advice. Pour some into a small jar to keep and get rid of the can. If you need more than a touch-up, go buy a quart.

I have a huge walk-up attic that has been a dumping ground for everything we have not wanted to deal with for years. I have been filling contractor bags with junk my kids brought home from college (youngest graduated 4 years ago!). I'm trying to recycle what I can, but I have reached the conclusion that I can't let that hold me up. And I have to go through everything - I found some gold earrings my daughter said she's been looking for and there are papers with SS#'s and other sensitive info. Whenever I've upgraded a lamp or a chair the old one has gone to the attic for the kid's apartments. Guess what - they don't want my old stuff! I have a charity picking up anything worthwhile. It's gotten to the point that I have run out of room to sort things around the piles that have to go out. I've hired a few young men to help me get it all to the curb this weekend. I can't wait to see how much space is left. Another purge will have to happen before it's really cleared out, I'm sure. You would not believe the electronic equipment that needs to be disposed of - who has 7 turntables? ME!

The garage is a whole other problem. There are cabinets that are filled with half-empty cans of solvents and stuff like that. I have to box it up to wait for the toxic chemical dump day. The cabinets are going on the curb. I think that cabinets in the garage are a bad idea - the more storage you have, the more junk you keep. My DH used to work in a hardware store so we have discontinued displays of entry sets, doorknobs, and towel bars, plus coffee cans filled with every size screw and nail. That's all going to a Habitat-type organization near me. It takes a lot of effort to keep stuff out of landfills, but I'm trying.

Kitchenwitch, I bow before your determination!

You will be soooo happy when the two of you decide to move to more compact quarters - and if the two of you should (heaven forfend) get hit by a bus one day, your children will rise up and call you blessed!!

House elf - that's a great idea! I have a habit of putting it back on the hanger or box and thinking maybe another time the shirt will work with something else, etc.

The more items that come in for the baby the more I feel cluttered and want to rid my stuff. Granparents are so excited for Christmas and I'm in half a panic, lol! I'm so ready to purge things but need to wait to hit the attic up until fall.

I do have a few things ready to go to the local thrift store but it's not enough to make the house feel lighter'.

I think I actually might go get a few more things together. I really would love to have a nice neat 'place' for everything that enters the house.

bronwynsmom, that is just what I'm doing - I'm slowly working towards that downsize. Actually, my DH died suddenly a little over a year ago, and in the past whenever I would clean stuff out, he'd bring some of it back in. I could never do this with him around. Of course I'd have him back in a second if I could, but I will confess that for last year's bulk trash pickup, even though my loss was very fresh, I had a whole section of the basement on the curb - stuff he put down there when he first moved in with me and never touched since. I guess it was a weird way for me to be in control of something to just toss it all out, and there was nothing of interest or value - he could just never throw it away. His whole family has this problem -- Depression era parents had a big affect on them. Guess who's turntables those are - his late father's! None of them work; DH brought them to our house just because they once belonged to his father. I don't want to sound heartless, but I'm taking the good with the bad and cleaning house.