Last Few Days of 2008 Organization Challenge

**McD** · 12-29-2008, 08:24 PM

All holiday decorations packed up in the pretty tubs I got on sale for 75% off last year after Christmas. This year rather than just throwing them all in the middle of the basement floor, I swept up all the dust, dead bugs, and cobwebs out from under the basement steps and stored them all there.

Zac is taking out the last of the Christmas trash/boxes tonight. YAY!

**AmyBoz** · 12-30-2008, 09:58 AM

Yesterday, my Mom popped in and I corralled her into helping me de-decorate the tree. We also boxed up all the Christmas Decorations. Dh was not happy when he got home..."But the wise men didn't even make it to the manger yet!" he said.

I'm hopeful that he'll take the tree down on New Year's Day, which he has off from work.

This morning, I got the remainder of the cardboard and folded it all and stuck it inside two larger cardboard boxes. Recycling here, is only every other week, so it can't go out until next Tuesday, but I have it all ready to get out there next Tuesday morning. Ahhhh...that feels good.

I'm still taking a trash bag around today and seeing what we can get rid of.

Two days ago, the kids went through their toys, and since they each got 4 new toys for Christmas, they tried to find 4 old toys that they felt they could donate to charity. They really used their noggins and found toys that they really don't ever play with...one of which was a big rocking horse that I was SO glad to see go! They seemed to feel good about sharing the toys with someone who will be happy to get them, and I felt good about making space for the new stuff.

We also donated a bag of clothes and box of toddler boy shoes to the Salvation Army. Phewf!

Keep it going ladies! Tick, tock, tick, tock!!!

**madhen** · 12-30-2008, 10:11 AM

Today, I'm hauling four bags of clothing out to Freecycle. I was going to give it to thrift, but then I stumbled upon a woman who mentioned that she had been ill lately and had lost a lot of weight and thanked me very graciously for a size 6 coat I gave her, so I offered up all four bags to her! Saves me a trip to the thrift store!!

I am also Freecycling some extra yarn from my stash and a couple of Christmas decorations that were given to me as gifts about ten years ago and that I never really liked all that much, but put up out of obligation. This year, they ended up decorating the hall that leads to the dogs' room, so I figured it was time for them to find a new home.

MUST FINISH CLEANING THE WALK-IN CLOSET!! I am about 80% done, but I keep getting distracted!

**McD** · 12-30-2008, 10:11 AM

All the holiday trash is out of my house and I just need to finish up the holiday dishes. (Before you think I'm a total piggy/slob, my hot water heater broke so I had no hot water to wash dishes!)

Today I am working on organizing the toy situation. I've got a big bag of toys to take to goodwill.

**monkeywrangler71** · 12-30-2008, 10:29 AM

Yesterday was busy. I went to ikea and got a new table for the kids (it is super cute). When we got home I finished cleaning the basement. I just shoved my daughter's stuff into her area, she refuses to clean it up but I'm not going to look at it anymore. So the basement is done, except for the box of stuff that I took down that I gathered up from the rest of the house - sometimes I just feel like I'm pushing the mess around rather than cleaning it up.

After the kids went to bed we took the tree down, packed all the Christmas stuff and put it away. Then we assembled the table, rearranged the area, even moved a giant picture to another wall (the one it should have been on all along). Aside from a little paint touch-up, that area is complete.

I still have a lot of general tidying and cleaning to do, but I seem to be pretty well finished organizing.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 12-31-2008, 06:42 PM

I donated a large box of random toys and clothing to goodwill today. I threw out a big bag of broken toys and trash pulled out of the kids room. I wanted to get rid of more stuff, but we were out of space in our trashcans with numerous bags on top of it. Am going to go around again tomorrow though.

**ri*smom** · 12-31-2008, 09:15 PM

I bagged a few toys for donation and threw the remnants of the treadmill box (the kids were using to decorate and make a house) onto the garage floor.

I guess that doesn't quite count, but the living room is cleaner . . . now as for the poor garage . . .