Help me sort out my life!!

amother

Daylily

Thu, Mar 03 2022, 2:23 pm

OP, you may not be ready for this level of organization just yet, but I've recently discovered that lessening visual clutter also helps. For example, removing containers with a lot of pictures, busy patterns or writing and subbing containers with plain exteriors and just a simple text label if needed, makes a space look much neater. If you make the container the same color as the wall behind it, it looks tidier still. After I used white paper to cover some copier paper cartons--all different brands-- repurposed for storage, they practically disappeared into my white walls, and the whole setup looked neater and more "planned" than "just growed."

amother

Daylily

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 10:33 am

One more visual clutter point: why do we leave stickers and labels on things like plastic bins that we buy? The longer they stay on, the harder they are to remove. I’m killing my fingernails and scrubbies trying to scrape ancient labels off everything from children’s plastic chairs to kitchen utensils, They’re not an asset when new, and look even worse when old. Lesson learned.

amother

Mistyrose

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 12:06 pm

amother [ Daylily ] wrote:

I scrubbed my labels with vinegar and they came straight off with no stickiness.

amother

Daylily

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 12:15 pm

amother [ Mistyrose ] wrote:

I scrubbed my labels with vinegar and they came straight off with no stickiness.

I used a blow dryer. Took a bit of doing to lift the ragged edges, but after that they peeled off like a charm. No scrubbing. Now I know.

amother

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 12:29 pm

Totally not up for visual clutter yet. Lol, if I have to deal with labels on things I would be in an amazing situation.
Put a few more unused toys in the give away box. Threw out some more trash.
Baby steps. Baby steps.

zaq

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 2:58 pm

Every toy you give away is one less to pick up, clean, or put away Every scrap of paper you throw out is one less to look at, sort, or store.

It’s like dieting. No one can tell when they shed an ounce or even a pound, and the effect of turning down one cookie or walking a few extra blocks seems negligible. But those dribs and drabs add up, and in six months can translate into thirty pounds and a dress size or three. And that IS dramatic.

amother

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 11:16 pm

amother [ Kiwi ] wrote:

Just the fact that you are doing this consistently is the real success!

Thanks! It is a real help to get so much positive feedback on here!!
So we did some more cleaning up today as a family... I tossed a few more broken items out. DH finally toiveled something so we tossed the old one that was breaking! I also put some kids books and random toys that we haven't used/dont like in the giveaway box.

A couple of items a day in the trash or giveaway box is a few more I wont trip on tomorrow.

dena613

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 11:42 pm

Yael wiesner had an adar aleph challenge. You (and I!) can do it adarbeis.

Alef adar get rid of one item. Don't put it in a bag to give away. Actually throw it out or give it away!!
Beis adar. Two things
Gimmel adar, three
Working your way up to 30 items in a day!!!
(I think that the last few days of go through dried out markers)

dena613

Sun, Mar 06 2022, 11:43 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Yay yay yay you!!!!

zaq

Mon, Mar 07 2022, 7:41 am

dena613 wrote:

No cheating, now: an old notebook with 50 pages is one item, not 50, LOL! How about a worn-out pair of socks: one item or two?

Eh, I changed my mind. getting rid of 30 items in one day after having already gotten rid of a total of 435 items in the previous 29 days...by that point maybe you will need to count individual broken legos and socks. But no counting individual Cheerios found on the floor, ok?

amother

Tue, Mar 08 2022, 1:35 am

Thanks for all the chizuk. I need it because things have been so stressful in the rest of my life right now.

But I got rid of something today I am almost embarrassed to admit. Something broken that I meant to get rid of 5 years ago. I had a sneaking suspicion it went to the back of the closet. Well, I looked for it and found it. And tossed it. I usually try to just work on what is open and obvious but this popped into my head and bugged me. And I realized that if I kept it I knew where it was. And it is now in the apartment dumpster!!!
I think it is worth several smaller items tossed/donated because it was a lot bigger than most of what I got rid of. (Not huge like furniture huge but definitely worth more than those plastic trinkets!)

I also did toss a couple of random pieces of paper today. Didnt have time to do a lot with all the stresses so hence my decision that the other item "counts more" (I know it makes no logical sense. But it makes emotional sense and that's what I need!!).
Trying to follow my new mantra. One item out is one item I dont have to trip on/worry about/store.

I think it is time to bring my first box to the sidewalk (in my community people put decent but unwanted items out. They are often gone by the evening...). It was easy putting stuff in the box. Now on to actually having it leave the apartment.

amother

Tue, Mar 15 2022, 3:04 pm

Ok, need to pat myself on my back. Took a box of stuff out of the apartment!! Kids toys/books that no one has used in a while.

Yippee!
I need this thread to remind me to keep my eye on the end and also rejoice in every little step!
Thank you all for your support!!