My 92 year old dad was throwing away his college yearbooks. I scooped those up fast! So much fun and history in them. He really didn’t think we’d be interested. He was wrong! Plus we got a lot of stories out of him!
Whoa! I had no idea that photos would actually show up on post # 1417!!!
(is that CC legal?!) I just posted links and voila, pictures!
New to this very long thread, but I should read it all. I just got a new book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It was a best-seller in Japan. Have you already discussed that? It’s very different, sort of a zen approach to streamlining. I am sure some of you would like it. Many glowing reviews on Amazon.
Happy New Year, bookiemom! Thanks for the tip - we have not talked about this book. Sounds very interesting! Is there a kindle version of it? I can’t see if it is available from my smartphone.
Love the Apartment Therapy Challenge! I am a little behind due to signing up today…good thing I already have an outbox!
I tried to get S to go through his memorabilia when he was home but no such luck. He said keep it or burn it but he isn’t looking through it. I was also told I could not donate 2 boxes of ornaments I no longer want. Both 20somethings said they want them all when they get permanent homes some day- because ornaments cost money! Haha, well at least now I can box and label them for each kid.
Saw this article in my FB feed. I think it would be easier to be the outside consultant assisting in the purge than to be the purger since you wouldn’t have the emotional attachments. Look at how much they charge - $42/hour. I’m assuming low overhead, probably just advertising and some minimal office supplies. This could be a fun second career for our generation!
I’ve always been the “consultant” for my friends and family. And yes, it’s easy to get rid of other people’s stuff. I’ve even volunteered to haul stuff home and get rid of items for them. It works. I think the most important thing to remember is that somebody else will get some joy out your possessions–if you’d only let it free from your closet.
Great part time job at 42 bucks/hour! Maybe I should do it. It is time-consuming of course and takes a good touch to part people from their beloved stuff. There can be a fine line. And sometimes you rein them in from throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
But consider the alternatives for the person with too much stuff–long time storage (big bucks), no room to enjoy the stuff you want to actually keep, good therapy (which costs a lot more!). So for a couple hundred bucks probably they save much more and learn to part with “stuff”.
Who remembers that show (probably on TLC or HGTV) where this person/team came into people’s houses and made them haul all their stuff out to the yard (as I remember it) and then make three piles- what were they? “Keep” “donate” “toss”???
I remember watching that abasket! I can’t remember the name, but I am pretty sure it was on TLC.
I think that was one of the websites my D recommended to me bookie mom.
The Kindle version is $8.
I wonder if I can get my H to read it. It would be much more effective if we were both on the same page.
I think it was Clean Sweep with Peter Walsh.
^^^Yep! That’s it!
I got my husband to toss about a dozen sweaters into the donate pile, so I forced myself to get rid of over 20. Some are very nice, and someone should enjoy them. I’m hoping I can get our house much neater through getting rid of a bunch of stuff this year. I’m sure I will do it in fits and starts, but progress is progress.
That’s a great attitude, 1214mom. You’ll also find that as you get going, it gets easier and you start to enjoy your cleaned out spaces so much that you stay motivated to do more and more. I noted much earlier in the thread that after the first time around in a particular room, I ended up going back through each drawer a month or two later and it was easy to toss even more stuff.
I’m afraid my “Outbox” has been my basement. The basement is far too big to be an Outbox and once it is down there, I’m having a hard time getting it back out again. It is physically difficult to get things out of the basement so it makes cleaning out that space more difficult. I need to stop stuffing things down there.
I knew this would happen eventually, I threw away something that I should have kept. I had three crockpots (don’t ask), and I got rid of the old, stained one in favor of the two that are nicer. Turns out the old one cooks better than the new ones. They get too warm even on low and everything overcooks. I use my crockpot too much to be unhappy with it, so…I need to go buy another one. Now I guess I need to do a little research about the cooking temps or something. Never had this problem with my other one…that I tossed aside. Sigh. Lesson learned, newer isn’t always better.
tired already – I feel your pain. Nothing beats the old Rival crockpots, The brand was sold (or so I’m told), and the newer products are inferior. I have a new-ish Farberware that I use when I need to make a large batch of something, and it’s pretty good, but I still prefer my old Rival for everyday use…
I am falling behind on the purge. The holidays and year end at work did me in.
But I’m ahead of the curve on the “outbox.” I have 4 - the study, the basement, S’s former bedroom, and one of the walk-in closets in D’s room. Must. Get. Motivated.
I cleaned clothes out of my closet and my clothes drawers the other day. I have two plastic shopping bags in the trunk to take to goodwill sometime when I am out and about. A trunk that is too full bugs me, so I am sure I will find a time sooner rather than later to drop them off.
@my-3-sons and @abasket, Peter Walsh also has a great book entitled “It’s All Too Much”. I may have mentioned it here last year. It is very motivational and an easy read. His logic on why to purge really works for me! I’m reading it again now and FINALLY my husband is reading (listening, actually) to it. Today he tossed out 2 big bags - on his day off!