The start of the Great House Purge!

[MomToTwoBoys]

So I decided that I was tired of having around things we didn't need or served us no purpose, and as such I have started purging the house of these things.

Along with the purge goes a reorganization of what will be sticking around.

I've already started by using up all of the half-empty, almost-empty and a little-full bottles in the house. These are all bottles of things I bought to try, had used for a while or used because someone gave them to me. After they're gone, no more... meaning that I won't buy them anymore unless I absolutely need them or they're part of my basic household cleaning arsenal.

Clothes are another big thing that I'll be going through. Any clothes that I can't fit into anymore or are too large for me will go away. This goes for everyone else, as well. Any socks that have no mates will go right into my cleaning rag bag. Any shirts that I won't wear anymore will go into my cleaning rag bag. The cleaning bag rag will make its way into my linen closet and sit on the floor of it. I have other various chores that go along with that as well, but it's too numerous to mention atm.

I'm also going through every room in the house and looking at what needs to be fixed. This list will be what we do throughout the winter to get the house ready for selling in the Spring.

The basement will also get a devoted time slot for about a month. The reason that I say a month is because we have a lot, and I mean A LOT, of things to go through once again. Once I go through that area, I will not and absolutely refuse to go through it again.

I feel vindicated!

[Palooka]

Nothing like a good purge that feels so good. Good luck. I've been doing some myself.

[EthansMom]

Yay! Good luck! I'm doing the same thing!

[AmyBoz]

Awesome! I can't wait to hear how it goes!

[Surilda]

I know from helping my Mom go through the boxes and bins in
her house and garage, what you are facing. We took tons of
stuff to the auction and still have alot more to go through.

You will feel SO GOOD when you start seeing a difference and
it will be a great feeling to see the things you choose to keep
nice and organized.

Best of luck with this project and keep us posted on your progress!

[dschipman]

I am right there with you on the purge. My DH is a big Garage Sale junkie (loves to go and love to have them). We have been carting stuff around the home to home for 4 years. I told him this spring that I have had it, the house is getting purged of everything non essential. I am tired of tripping, bumping and moving things around just to get comfortable. We are going through the WHOLE house and everything is getting boxed up and put into the guestroom closet for a HUGE garage sale next spring. Whatever doesn't sell goes to the goodwill.

I am done with it all. My Dh is a little bit of a pack-rat and I am a neat freak, so we always try to meet in the middle. I am okay with a little bit of mess, but when I am cleaning and discover we have 10 pairs of nail clippers, because he kept buying them, because he couldn't find a pair. That was it. Okay, I have to stop or I could go on and on forever.

Thank you for letting me vent and congrats and good luck on the purging.

Dawn

[Libby]

dschipman - I need someone like you to balance me out lol I'm not quite a packrat yet. I prefer the term "clutterbug"

[MomToTwoBoys]

So it's been a few weeks and I think I've done pretty well around here. The trouble, now, is that the paper shredded died on me and I can't shred any important documents! The two items on my list to order from Staples now are paper to print out my book and a shredder.

I got out today with the really nice weather and did some backyard purging of my own. I got rid of two large black trash bags and an old cloth carrying case, along with the ADT alarm system signs that we no longer need. I have a pile behind the fence that'll get taken to the dump in the Spring when we do our massive haul. I told DH I wanted to put the dresser and the two black couches out there too because I'm sure someone will want them.

Yesterday, I went through the linen closet and got rid of all of the mismatched pillowcases and sheets that we had. I turned the pillowcases into old rags and they're now part of my dusting rag bag. The sheets are still intact; they're sitting in the basement as we speak.

I've also been throwing away a lot of the old toys that the kids won't play with and are broken, missing pieces or just are not in good enough shape to give to other kids.

I told DH I wanted to do some can and bottle recycling this weekend and he's obliged, so we're gonna get that done as well. I want to get the big things done early this month because he's going out of town on business for a week at the end of the month and then probably again for a week in early December to Vancouver.

Finally, I'm trying to get everything else into the basement and then decide there what to do with it. If I don't, the things will just sit in the rooms they're in and never get taken care of. We're also in the middle of purging all of the non-GF food items that are in the house. I'm incorporating them into my lunchtime meal plan for just me because it wouldn't be fair to eat them in front of DS11.

Once we get everything out of here and settled, we can start repairing things around the house and not end up stepping all over pure clutter. I want to get it done by Christmas, which will leave me about three months to do repairs/painting to the interior of the house.

[mauimagic]

High power energy and purging going on here!! Love it - you are all my inspirations!! I am doing my own home purge - on a smaller level, but still making progress. Fo me, the important thing is to keep going everyday so I won't backslide. In one way it is a good thing that we are so broke because nothing nonessential is coming into our home!!

Keep posting please - it helps a lot!!

[craftypam]

I need to start doing a better job of this too. I also love the encouragement in here. Keep up the good work. I seem to work on it for a week or two and then get sooooo overwhelmed. I desperately need to get started again!!! Thanks

[mamamia]

So it's been a few weeks and I think I've done pretty well around here. The trouble, now, is that the paper shredded died on me and I can't shred any important documents! The two items on my list to order from Staples now are paper to print out my book and a shredder.

It sounds like you're doing great! I wish I could get a spark of what you got and get this done in my house. Maybe the company we're having from NY in a few weeks will get me going...lol! My sun room is terrible. Somewhere along the line it became a "dumping ground" (again), and it's been too easy to just close the door. You know....outta site, outta mind theory..haha!

Anyway, I wanted to mention that when I didn't have a shredder, I used to burn my papers in the barbecue. I know...kinda crazy, but "necessity is the Mother of Invention" after all, and can't argue with something that works

Theresa

[MomToTwoBoys]

I can't burn anything in city limits unless it's in a fire pit and/or wood burning stove. Besides, I couldn't burn paper. What about all of those toxins from the ink being released into the air?

At any rate, I'm gonna get a shredder soon and get back to working on the paper thing. We recycle our shredded papers so that helps cut down my carbon footprint a little. The City of Calgary is great in that it accepts shredded paper in a grocery bag with the handles tied together.

This weekend also holds plans for us to go through all of our clothes. If we can't wear them now or we don't wear them regularly throughout the season, we get rid of them. I know I won't fit into those size 5 jeans ever again and holding onto them is pointless. I also need to get rid of overstretched and tattered clothes. Bleh.