The "Bag A Week" Club

H got serious about clearing out our storm shelter when it took 10 minutes to move enough stuff for us to use it this morning during the tornado warning. Two boxes have already been filled. Since our only damage today was to one tree and a small section of fence, I’m happy.

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I guess he really loved those jeans, Gatormama! I’m glad he didn’t decide after wearing them a week that he was getting used to the big hole and that it was fine!
I am glad you found a good place to give some things. It makes a difference when you like where they are going.

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Totally emptied the linen closet today and pared it down to what we actually use. It’s a thing of beauty. Will donate blankets & towels to the local humane society, along with the sheet sets if they want them. If not, Goodwill will take those. Filled four lawn-sided bags.

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good work! It is always wonderful to get a whole area finished! I actually got rid of a few things from our linen closet but I haven’t actually finished it.

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Just went though my jewelry boxes and threw out old costume stuff I would never wear and broken cheap watches!

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Just wondering…am I the only one here who cleans out an area in the house (like a closet or drawer) and then likes to just look at it for awhile and appreciate the neatness?

Or am I weird? :joy:

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I went through a bunch of piles, baskets, etc. and did a bunch of recycling today. Not exciting, but needed to get done.

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Ha ha, I was wondering if I was weird for admiring my own work! H came home late last night and I made him look at the renewed linen closet before he came to bed. Luckily, he appreciates the organization and said I need to give him a primer on folding towels (used a hotel fold).

Update: our local Humane Society happily accepted all the towels/linens that were probably too worn to resale, but still very usable.

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I’ll stand and admire the neatness, then get H to come and observe while I point out what tasked were completed, because a) he’s blissfully oblivious when I do anything and b) he has NO clue what was involved.

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This one took a long time. H had (note past tense) a lot of trophies from little league through professional awards. They were on a shelf in the bedroom closet that we needed when we replaced the carpet and had to remove everything from the floor. I suggested they could go and you’d think I asked him to lob off his ear. Okay, I boxed them and put them in my office closet.

Now, four years later, I need space in the office closet. I took pictures of all the trophies/awards and kept the one big professional award. He was still pained, but realized he hasn’t looked at them in decades and let them go. He likes the photos that I put in a digital album.

How do you deal with sentimental items that you don’t have space for?

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Good job. Were you able to find a good place to reuse trophies? Or just trash em? Question from mom left with a bunch of sports trophies :wink:

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We trashed them after failing to find any place to recycle them. Next to tackle is sports trophies from both kiddos.

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a principal friend of mine took many of our old sport trophies and used at her end of year teacher lunch. Soccer trophies became “You really kicked it” award; Baseball trophies became “You hit it out of the park this year” award, etc.
She inspired me by this…and a few of my friends have gotten special birthday trophies…

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We recently donated some trophies - H said the local pet rescue thrift shop took them. We took off any name plates that were on them (not often).

Editing to say I was in a vintage shop the other day and old (like 50+ years old) award ribbons - just the simple ones that were a shiny material with the little paper card on the back side with ribbon details were $8/piece!

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Went over a few shelves of my daughter’s books that I have in my home. Got her to agree to donate a bunch!

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Going to the car for donation dropoff tomorrow: Two grocery bags full of unwanted underwear/socks. I would normally just throw these out, but I know Salvation Army piles all donated clothing in a big truck and takes it all someplace for by-the-pound recycling income.

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Before Christmas I used a local FB page to give away a miscellaneous bag of little decorations and gifts. After Christmas I offered a red/green wrapping paper bin to somebody who had been a “backup” on first post. Then last week I asked if she wanted the items left after further holiday consolation. She had a sick kid, so it took a few reschedules, but yay… got rid of the pictured items (and a few more things added later)

Result - There were two fewer bins to put back into the crawl space. And the stuff that is left (many boxes still) are the things more meaningful to us.

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Another victory was getting rid of more piano music via a local FB (or maybe NextDoor) page . That bag sat in the closet many weeks as the mom picking it up for her daughters. lives about 20 minutes away, and we decided it made sense to wait til she was up this way on other errands. I sent a few reminders along the way, and she was appreciative of my patience. Would it have been easier to just drop it off at ARC? - Yes. But there something nice about making a connection with the recipients (if you have time, which I do in retirement).

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Our laundry room fridge decided to start dying on us after 29 years (it came from the previous owner). Got a new one, which is larger, and had to clean out the laundry room to make space. That room’s also home to tools, storage, Costco shelves for dry goods and food, etc.

Filled two big garbage cans and deep cleaned it all. Looks so much better – maybe I should paint the original 1966 paneling?!

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Yes! Paint the paneling! :slight_smile:

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