Paper Products

Found a bag of napkins, paper plates and plastic cutlery in a bag in my laundry room. It took me a few minutes to remember where they came from - not the brands I usually buy. And then I realized they were my sister-in-law's. Leftovers from November, when our family camped out for the month of November at Northwest Community Hospital's Intensice Care Unit's family lounge. Someone was with our dad 24/7, and often family brought meals. So, we needed the paper products.

Day thirty-one:
Bag of paper products now in my car, to be returned to my sister-in-law tomorrow.

Kitchen Sink

Under the kitchen sink I found two birthed of metal polish. Not silver polish, which I might have actually used sometime, but moral polish - like copper and aluminum. I have no idea where they came from, and I have never used them. I also found some old Off bug spray, and a couple expired hand sanitized. I wish I had some place to recycle the chemicals - they have to go in the trash.

Day thirty:
Metal cleaners, hand sanitized and bug spray, in the trash.

Christmas Excess - The Final Chapter?

Today I finished sorting through the big green boxes of Christmas decor. This is not to say that there aren't more boxes in the crawl space or garage - I am just finished going through the boxes that were brought out this year. I am putting some things in the garage sale box: a snowman candle, a star-shaped glass candle holder, a tea towel, two plastic serving bowls, and some more outdoor light holders. I also threw out a bunch of wrappings, and scrappy stuff.

What was hilarious, though, was the old piece of newspaper I ran across - something was once wrapped in it. It was from January 9, 2005, and it was an article about our last governor who is headed to the slammer. In it, ex-governor Blagojevich's father-in-law was quoted, regarding his dear son-in-law: "...because he wants to demonstrate to the world that he is the champion of virtue and that no relative, nobody, can use the governor's office. He is going to be the best possible governor beyond belief." Bwahahahaha! Funniest thing I have heard in a year!

Day twenty-nine:
Garage sale bound snowman candle, tea towel, candle holder, two plastic serving bowls, outdoor light holders.

Kitchen Cabinets

Didn't have to look too far today. I opened a cabinet and noticed a container of soy protein. Since it has been a while since I made a smoothies with protein, I knew it had to be expired. Also found some expired calcium chews. This inspired me to check out another cabinet. I knew I hadn't baked in a while. While there, I found some expired instant oatmeal (I didnt like the flavors), an old expired box of fat-free Bisquick, expired cake mix, expired brownie mix, expired pumpkin bread mix, and a box to make potato pancakes that didn't have an expiration date anywhere. Also found some expired brown Minute Rice that I got at a race expo a while back.

Day twenty eight:
Expired dry goods into the trash; boxes into the recycling bin.

Random - Part 2

Found some long-forgotten items that I can definitely do without. First, there were the two workbooks that were filled in - went with a tape series that I got rid of on Wednesday (didn't notice these hiding on the bookshelf). And I found a candle that was burned down, and somewhat buried behind some books on my nightstand. And then there was an old Thompson Savings Directory - from 1995. This was a pretty valuable book back then, when investing in S&L IPOs. But those days are gone, and the book is long outdated. Four more items out the door!

Day twenty-seven:
2 workbooks, a candle and an S & L guide - all in the trash.

Random

Random clutter clearing today. I found a spray can of Magic Sizing. I suspect this can is at least five years old - even if I wanted to use it for ironing something, I wouldn't trust it. And I found the boxes for my last two cell phones. One of them included instructions and a CD. These things are now in the garbage. I also found a box of Christmas light hangers - and these are now in the garage sale box.

Day twenty-six:
Magic sizing and two cell phone boxes - in the garbage
Christmas light hangers - in the garage sale box

Jackpot!

Great finds today! First there is a CD labeling system. It used to be fun to make a label for mixes - or copy an original label, somehow. Now, a Sharpie works juuust fine!

And then I found two binders (with an inch of dust on them) filled with old computer applicationk CDs! Seriously vintage stuff: Microsoft Publisher 97, Encarta 96, Rand McNally Trip Maker 1997, Myst, Green Eggs and Ham Living Books, and a lot of backup software for a PC we had, three computers ago. We don't even have PCs any more. And then there is the disc for a printer from last decade. And I have to mention the SBC Yahoo DSL Installer. Now gone, I am hoping these items don't show up as valuable antiques on eBay!


Day twenty-five:
Sixteen computer CDs and a label-maker.

Clothes

For such a day as this: today I have a bag of Taylor's clothes - ready for donation. Thanks, Taylor!

Day twenty-four:
Bag of clothes, donated.

Meds

Tonight I went through the medicines in the linen closet. Without looking very hard, I found nine expired items - cough syrup, prescription bottles, creams. Hard to believe because it wasn't that long ago that I cleared that cabinet out. But I found more.

Day twenty three:
Nine expired bottles and tubes

1.22.12

Winter bag, filled with gloves, scarves and hats, is now a little lighter. Unfortunately, I could only get rid of two half pairs and one very ratty pair of gloves. I think I already purged that bag last fall.

Happy Chinese New Year - year of the dragon!

Day twenty-two:
Four gloves into the trash

1.21.12

Today I found an article of clothing in my closet that I barely have worn - a cardigan-type top that had lots of tiny holes in it. I cannot figure out where the holes came from. Moths? No way. The dryer? Not this new one. Did I actually buy this piece and not notice the holes? Who knows. So, it became today's item to get rid of. And to add to it, I found two t-shirts that are also holey - explainable holes, though. And I found two sweatshirts for the garage sale box.

Day twenty-one:
Two t-shirts for the rag bin
One top for the garbage
Two sweatshirts for the garage sale box

Dresser Drawer

Went through a drawer. Found an old bathing suit and two belts that are long out of style. I won't wear them, and neither will anyone else. And then there were two small purses and another belt that had some potential.

Day twenty:
Swimsuit and two belts - into the garbage
Belt and two small purses - into the garage sale box

Dental Stuff

Today I had to dig around in storage to find some dental tools that are needed for a group of dentists going to the Phillippines for a dental missions trip. I also found seven new sleeves of gauze they can also take, along with three bags of cotton swabs. And I knew I had today's declutter. And it was the best kind of declutter - the kind that leaves my house and heads for an impoverished area of the world to help enable a group of dentists to provide dental care for those in need.

I also found six more expired trial-sized tubes of Sensodyne toothpaste. Now in the garbage.

Day nineteen:
Seven sleeves of gauze and three bags of swabs heading to the Philippines.
Six tubes of expired toothpaste headed for the landfill.

Papers

Ohhh! Real out-in-the-open clutter! Tonight I went after a stack of papers - rejects from the printer. And they went into the recycling bin. But, since that didn't seem like quite enough (it really was a two second declutter), I also went after some magazines and other papers that were in the vicinity. So, it became a ten second declutter. Yay for time efficiency! And thank you, Taylor, for the easy suggestion!

Day eighteen: stack of papers and magazines - recycled.

Misc.

Just found some things in the kitchen cabinet that I haven't seen or used in years. Two mugs - one from a school event that we didn't attend (it doesn't even have sentimental value), and another mug from a broker we no longer use (and the phone number on it isn't even correct any more). I also found a vase that I have never seen before.

And because this just seemed so pathetic, I looked around some more and found in the bookshelves, an Interval International directory from 2005, and my iPad box, from May.

Day seventeen:
Two mugs and a vase - into the garage sale box.
And a directory and box - into the recycle bin.

Chinese

Chinese Palace (great local Chinese carry-out restaurant) uses nice, round containers for their chicken almond din and moo goo guy pan, and the like. I save them, sometimes, to store leftovers. It is amazing that I only have eleven of these containers. Eleven bottoms, twelve lids. Now I have none (until the next time we order Chinese).

Day sixteen: a dozen or so Chinese take-out containers, now in the recycle bin.

Tapes

Day fifteen: 16 cassette tapes. Gone.

Christmas Excess - Part IV

I think I am through the Christmas boxes now. Today, I uncovered a small box of ornaments that I am parting with, and another strand of lights that is half burned out.

I now think that everything that I have only saved my fa orites - and a few sentimentals that maybe aren't my favorites... And a few things for my daughhters. I am pretty sure that the four boxes are now down to three - and maybe with careful packing, two. Well, two plus the wrap, tree stand and wreath box. Sigh...


Day fourteen: another strand of lights recycled, and a box of ornaments donated.

Christmas Excess - Part III

Day thirteen:

Santa salt and pepper shakers
Three ceramic angels
Candle holder

This process should be going faster...

1.12.12

My plantar fasciitis boot has become part of the scenery in my bedroom. It has been sitting on top of the book case for so long that I don't even see it any more. But today I noticed it. And today it is gone.

Day twelve: plantar fasciitis boot given to JoAnn. Or given to the resale shop, if she changes her mind about wanting it.

1.11.12

Day eleven:
Two old moisturizers
An old eye cream
An old foundation
Two samples that I could not identify

All in the trash.

Christmas Excess - Part II

This Christmas stuff might take a while.

Took down the lights outside, and found one strand that needs to be recycled.

Then, I started going through the boxes. Didn't get too far, but did manage to find six place mats and five green cloth napkins that will be put in the garage sale box. I also am parting with two cookie tins, and four Spode glasses. I love the Spode Christmas tree pattern, but never really continued to collect it. So, it is time to go.

Day ten - six place mats, five napkins, four Spode glasses, two cookie tins and one light strand. And a partridge in a pear tree.

Christmas Excess - Part I

I have four large green 'Tupperware' boxes, filled with Christmas decorations. And then there are the decorations that don't fit in the boxes. Every year I say I am going to sort through the boxes - I keep storing items I no longer love. But by the end of the holidays, I simply have no energy to sort through it all. Well, this is the year. It may take a few days.

So today, I went through the lights. Before Christmas, I identified two strands that had issues. Tonight I tested the rest of the lights in the box and found two more strands. And I am pretty sure a couple strands that are still on the bushes have issues. I will tackle those outdoor lights tomorrow.

Ordinarily, these burnt out strands would go in the garbage and then on to a landfill. But this year our town has a recycling program going on.

Day nine: Four strands of partially burnt out Christmas lights - recycled.

Closet Clutter

Dug through a pile of shoes on the floor of my closet today. And I found 5-1/2 pairs of shoes that I can do without. One pair I still liked, but they were worn out. One of many pairs of black shoes that I own - I will miss them. Two pairs were just plain ugly. Another pair was just too small. And then there was the pair of work boots that I haven't worn in years. And a single flip flop. A single flip flop! Wonder when and where the match will show up.

Couldn't decide about a few other pairs. Purging for another day, perhaps.

Tomorrow, I am hoping for some substantial progress - attacking the Christmas boxes.

Day eight: Five and a half pairs of shoes. Gone. Yay!

Dresser

No time today. No time to declutter; no time to blog. So I just hit the dresser clutter. Scraps, receipts, little lotion bottles, paycheck stubs, clothing price tags, old business cards... Things that just accumulated on my dresser. Now all gone.

Day seven: dresser clutter - into the garbage.

Bag Lady

Apparently, I am a bag lady. After clearing the bags out from under my kitchen sink, I thought that the bags were under control. I was wrong. There were two more large bags taking up space in my laundry room. Mostly gift bags, but also, there were shopping bags, and plastic bags. And now two large bags filled with bags is just one small bag, filled with a few of my favorite gift bags, in perfect condition. My cousin once had a garage sale, and she said her bag of bags for sale was a big hit.

Day six: bags recycled, bags in the garage sale box, bags set aside for garage sale purchases, and a few bags saved for me.

It's a Wrap

Time to start putting Christmas decorations. Over the years, the decorating has been simplified, but the number of boxes to sort through to find the favorites has remained constant - maybe even grown. So instead of quickly stashing away the candles and ornaments, I will painstakingly go through each box and finally part with items that haven't been displayed in years.

This process will take a little time. I hope to be finished by Sunday. So tonight I sorted through the gift wrap, bows, boxes and bags.

Day five: Gift boxes and bags recycled, crushed bows tossed, partial and full rolls of gift wrap (and several flats) into the garage sale box, keeping only my favorites. A box and a bag of wrappings is now just a single box full.

Flashlights

In the kitchen cabinet sits two ginormous yellow flashlights. I cannot say when they were last used. Certainly not in this millennium. Most likely this is because the batteries they take are nearly the size of, and therefore probably cost as much as, a car battery. I can't recall whether or not stores carry these kind of batteries - once the original batteries died, I never tried to replace them. Never even looked for them. But someone else might love these big ol' flashlights. So, into the donation box they go.

Day four: two flashlight lanterns - into the donation box.

Smile

As a dentist, from time to time I am sent samples. Rarely am I sent free toothbrushes (dentists have to pay for those toothbrushes they give you at your visit - and the good ones aren't cheap). But sometimes I get toothpaste samples. And as a very part-time dentist, I often can't use all the samples I am sent. So, sometimes family members or friends get the excess. But once I wanted to donate the extras to a food pantry. What an absurd surprise to learn that our local food pantries will only take full-sized hygiene items. And they won't substitute three or four sample sizes for one large tube. So, I had travel-sized toothpaste sitting in my bathroom cabinet - and then they became expired toothpaste samples, cluttering my cabinet.

I have since learned that Willow Creek Community Church, whose food pantry serves 6,000 families each month, is not fussy about toothpaste sizes. They will receive any future abundance.

Day three: six dozen (minus one) expired, travel-sized toothpaste into the garbage bin.

1.2.12

The bags under the kitchen sink have somehow multiplied themselves. To the point of ridiculous. They have squished themselves together until many are wrinkled, torn and mangled. In no condition to be usable. I was able to rescue a few of them.

Day two: recycled a bag of bags. The remaining bags can now breathe easier.

Day One 2012

This blog is my accountability piece. I will, this year, be simplifying my life by decluttering. Desks, closets, cabinets, book shelves, countertops - no space is safe. Each day of this year, I will throw out, give away, sell, donate, recycle at least one thing from my home. This blog is my documentation. Many days, the effort will be small. My life is on overloaded right now. But hopefully there will be many days where the effort is significant. And in the end, my living environment will be changed for the better. Not too sure what I will write about, but I will keep track of the progress here. And because today, New Year's Day, I am exhausted from a New Year's Eve trip to the emergency room, I will simply record what I am parting with. I have just got to get some sleep.

Day one: recycled 10 (count 'em) telephone/yellow pages books. Can't believe I still had that many - and embarrassingly, there are still more for another day. That is just all I could carry in one trip. Off to a good start!