Third Week: Thirty-six Items and a Travel Trailer

Accountability is important when making a commitment to something. I'm finding that posting these pictures and blogging about this decluttering effort is really helping me push through when life gets busy or I get lazy.

A major item that was released this week was a travel trailer.  We had just purchased it last year, a 2016 model, and had not been able to use it much at all.  I had purchased many items to 'furnish' it with adequate bedding, dishes, bath items, etc.  A hail storm hit here at the end of the summer and it was quite significant at our location.  We had several things damaged and the trailer was one of them.  We had no indication of the extent until the adjuster came out and a few days later we were informed it was totaled!

We did not expect that and the thought had not even entered our minds.  It turns out the labor is quite expensive when replacing hail-beat siding and there was more dents than we had initially seen.  The inside was still in new condition so it was a bit of a struggle to decide what to do.  Our lack of proximity to a dealer who could do the work, inevitably swayed the decision to let the trailer go to the insurance company.  It will be auctioned off and we are confident that the new owners will feel blessed to get such a nice trailer at a good price.

It also presented a conundrum:  what to do with all of our 'furnishings' and personal affects that had to be removed.  Most will be moved to our older trailer that we keep down by the lake and those things traded for will be brought back and donated.  Until then, I now have to store all that stuff.

This kind of unexpected happening is what throws me off.  The phone calls, emails, appointments associated with any insurance claim is very time consuming but USAA makes it as simple as possible.  Then there is the time to take possessions out of the trailer and make decisions about it, then store it.
Regardless, I managed to continue with the decluttering goals in the house and below you will find the items released this week:

 

Oct. 15: two magazines, a plastic cup, a water bottle and a cookie cutter.

Oct. 16: three pairs of old shoes, and not pictured; a cell phone case plastic jewelry all in the trash.

Oct. 17: pair of sandals, book, jewelry pouch to donate, a shoe box and magazine in the trash.

Oct. 18: six plates and a vintage school desk.

Oct. 19: a crayon maker, a jewelry box, a velvet folder, the shirt below and a cornhusk doll which is not seen but is in the crayon maker box.

Oct. 20: two small glass cups, a birthday glass, a kids wallet (all donated), and a pair of slippers for the trash

Oct. 21: a drawstring bag, a hourglass timer, and four paperbacks.

The grand total for October so far is one hundred forty four items! This past Saturday, we took three large yard bags of the stuff I had collected since the last drop off, along with the desk, and donated them to the DAV.  This week we've started new bags and can't wait to fill them.

Decluttering Continues: Thirty-five More Items

Decluttering continues although this week saw some challenges.  One of my children was diagnosed with pneumonia after two doctor visits and a chest x-ray. Every parent knows that when your child is sick, you don't get proper rest.  Her coughing kept her and us up for hours on end and running short of sleep really affects me.  I don't function well.

A freeze was also forecast for this past weekend.  Some things in the garden needed attended to and all tropical plants had to be brought in.  We also had to get our travel trailer winterized which meant a day for travel there and back along with the work needed.  

However, I still tried to declutter each day which includes choosing things to donate and some things to throw away.  I should have a load ready to take out to a thrift store by Saturday.

Oct. 8th: Five random coffee cups.

Oct. 9th: two bowls, a small tray, an M&M dispenser, and a wicker wine carrier.

Oct. 10: An egg jello mold, ruler, Frankenstein cup, candle, vase.

Oct. 11: Five random glasses.

Oct. 12 & 13: Six pairs slacks, Four plastic hangars.

Oct. 14: Two magazines, a plastic cup, a water bottle, and a cookie cutter.

Seven Day Declutter Results: 73 Items Going Out

My goal is to get rid of five things each day in October.  Right now I am only counting items that go into the donation bags.  In the first seven days in October, I have been able to add 73 items to the donation area.  I have also put many things in the trash or recycle area but I'm not counting those.  

What strikes me is the randomness of some of these items.  Some things are left from my almost grown children and some things are left from my teaching career.  Some things, like Jello molds, are just things I won't use anymore as Jello is not plant-based. I actually used to often make my kids Jello cubes or Jigglers as they are now called.  The NASCAR ones are about 20 years old and may be collectible now.  Who knows, maybe it will make the DAV a few dollars.  

I feel good that I have been able to exceed the five item goal on most days.  It will be interesting to see the monthly total but as with most long-term projects, motivation in the beginning is easy.  It's the daily grind where momentum can slip so I will have to guard against it.  If you are working on having less stuff in your house and blog about it, put your link in the comments below and I'd like to check it out.

Oct. 2:  2 NASCAR Jello molds, Christmas Jello mold, Girl Scout book, fish key chain, purple headband with flower, red hero cape, 7 plastic leis, Scooby Doo Halloween bucket.





Oct.3:  21 books.





















Oct.4:  12 books, atlas, gag dice, dress up ring, wooden box.

Oct. 5: New Year's hat, bee tin, 2 cross stitch pattern magazines, one Wellness text book.














Oct. 6: My 'w' Book, paperback, penguin tub toy, character toy, Spanish Language Course.














Oct. 7: Water game, prickly ball, 4 western history paperbacks.

Five Things Everyday for My Fall Declutter

Spring Cleaning has never been my thing.  When those warm winds start blowing after a cold winter, the last thing I want to do is stay in and clean.  I want to be outside, soaking up the sun as I dig in the dirt and plan my gardens.

Fall cleaning makes more sense to me.  I'm getting ready to be stuck inside after closing the windows up for the winter.  I have to live with my dirt and clutter all winter.  That is motivation for doing a fall clean and declutter.  

I am ready to continue with decluttering.  It has actually been an ongoing mission for the last two and a half years although not consistent due to real life things such as special events, vacations, activities, illness; yeah real life.    I have gotten rid of bags of stuff including clothes, books, small appliances, dishes, odds and ends, etc.   I can tell a difference in most areas but to others, the change may not be as obvious.  We still have way too much stuff. Things are still far from my optimum goal of  quite minimal spaces with the exception of my craft supplies.  

To make a more structured and focused effort this month, I have decided on the number five.  There is no particular reason as I could have easily picked 3 or 7 or even 10, however, it's my number and I pick five.  I will git rid of a minimum of five things each day.  That will be one hundred and fifty-five things for the month of October.  I actually started the last three days of September but October is my focus month.  

There are also things I recycle or throw away but I don't always count those. My five things for today were found on a side table in the den.  Why were they there?  Leftover random things from years gone by.  I actually use to use the school house box which is made out of plastic canvas.  I kept my Post-It notes in it when I taught school.  There is a panda puzzle which I'm not sure has ever been used, a new beach ball, a stack of very large play money, and a package of waxed rope, in today's group.  

It is interesting how things accumulate and we just don't notice them anymore.  These things have been sitting there since 2015 and maybe longer. So many things we own but don't use or need.  I was listening to Minimal Mom on YouTube today and she talked about how we have to manage the inventory in our houses.  I had never thought of stuff in that regard but the statement is utter truth.  Managing inventory may sound like something you want on your resume', but it denotes something that requires attention and therefore energy.  

I'm at a point in my life that I don't have extra energy to manage inventory.  The answer of course is to have less inventory.  

What's also interesting is how our view of our things change.  I went through cookbooks recently and it was so easy to part with so many of them.  I donated two brown grocery sacks full.  I have went through those same books in the past and obviously those were put in the keep stack last time but easily landed in the donate pile this round.  The books haven't changed, so obviously I have.  

I'm sure I have looked over the above five items at some point in the recent past also and for some reason decided they were keepers.  Today, they didn't require even a second thought as to their future in this house.  

I don't foresee posting every day about this topic but I will take pictures of each day's items and post them at some point.  That's for accountability on my part.  If I miss a day I will double up on items the next.  There are no big plans for October but in real life, you never know what may come up.