Receipts/proof of purchase, all the same. I didn't realize you are outside of the US! So glad to have you here.

Try to find a place to shred the paper and/or consider buying a shredder if you think you'll use it and you have room in your budget. This could help you get rid of the receipts faster.

I have a shredder but when I have lots of stuff, my BF and I hire a shredding truck and we do his business papers and whatever I come up with. There's a shredding event in my city on June 18 and we can bring up to ten boxes of shredding, so we'll get some stuff ready and bring it there. They will also take old electronics, clothing, and paint. A pretty decent event and easy enough to get to.

Going to bed. My cleaning ladies were here today so I came home to a nice, clean house.

Mar, I think you should talk to your medical care provider. It is likely you can stop disinfecting purchased items. That might help a lot.

I added some of the things I did to the lust, sonic I have done 13 out of 18 things.

One thing I have not done is pack. I also have not done my last group of evaluations for today, but I am less behind than I was this morning because this group us 5 and yesterday's unfinished group was 7. I am super tired.

Mar, re the table, my posts here go back awhile to when my kitchen table and counter were covered n stuff for many, many months... a year maybe? long time not eating at the table etc. But I recently, I think for Easter, got it done. It was a lot. And when it got to the point I was 3/4 done I just could not deal with the rest and put it in a laundry basket in my bedroom and cleaned off the table and used it! It was so nice, and so motivating to see it cleared. It stayed clear awhile. Items do gather there but it seriously only takes me 10 or 15 minutes now to get it cleared again. That method worked for me because a laundry basket in my room is easier to eventually sort than then table.

Today I did my famous, recurring pill-bottle-sort. Why are there so many pill bottles and how do they keep multiplying?? But I pulled out the lock box, put like with like, then got rid of anything expired, some duplicates and some I won't use. Consolidated like pills with like. Got it under control and put back away (about a dozen bottles thrown out - not the actual pills - I dispose of those as local police direct).

I finished opening boxes that came in the mail, had my son take them out and flatten them, saved 2 or 3 for use as donate boxes.

Washed a load of clothes and put them away.

Made a new recipe I wanted to try instead of going out and buying the food already made.

I have a whole lot to get done this week and very little motivation, but I will try to get moving in the morning.

Mar, re the table, my posts here go back awhile to when my kitchen table and counter were covered n stuff for many, many months... a year maybe? long time not eating at the table etc. But I recently, I think for Easter, got it done. It was a lot. And when it got to the point I was 3/4 done I just could not deal with the rest and put it in a laundry basket in my bedroom and cleaned off the table and used it! It was so nice, and so motivating to see it cleared. It stayed clear awhile. Items do gather there but it seriously only takes me 10 or 15 minutes now to get it cleared again. That method worked for me because a laundry basket in my room is easier to eventually sort than then table.

Today I did my famous, recurring pill-bottle-sort. Why are there so many pill bottles and how do they keep multiplying?? But I pulled out the lock box, put like with like, then got rid of anything expired, some duplicates and some I won't use. Consolidated like pills with like. Got it under control and put back away (about a dozen bottles thrown out - not the actual pills - I dispose of those as local police direct).

I finished opening boxes that came in the mail, had my son take them out and flatten them, saved 2 or 3 for use as donate boxes.

Washed a load of clothes and put them away.

Made a new recipe I wanted to try instead of going out and buying the food already made.

I have a whole lot to get done this week and very little motivation, but I will try to get moving in the morning.

Lila, you are doing really, really well!

I did not do those evaluations last night so now I am behind.

We have to travel for a memorial service tomorrow and I am leaving the farm sitter a mess. There are 14 things on my list for today.

Have you guys ever seen the 4 square graph about things that are urgent vs. important? You make 4 boxes (like an xy axis with boxes in the quadrants) starting at the zero intersection, you go up or down depending on how urgent the thing is, then you go left or right depending on how important the thing is. Then you just do the things in the positive numbers quadrant.

If it's neither urgent, nor important, you just don't do it (ex - read that magazine article about birds in South America)

Things that are urgent, but not important, will simply expire if you don't get to them (Dry raspberry leaves for tea) so you do them third, and things that are important but not urgent come second (they tend to become urgent as time goes by, but some won't - like "read story to Bean")

We are wired to try to do the urgent things first, so we miss a lot of second rank things because we are doing 3rd rank things.

Only I think my house is such a wreck because I find it neither urgent nor important. I can still do it later and there are things that matter more to me (see, "read story to Bean")

Lila, you are doing really, really well!

I did not do those evaluations last night so now I am behind.

We have to travel for a memorial service tomorrow and I am leaving the farm sitter a mess. There are 14 things on my list for today.

Have you guys ever seen the 4 square graph about things that are urgent vs. important? You make 4 boxes (like an xy axis with boxes in the quadrants) starting at the zero intersection, you go up or down depending on how urgent the thing is, then you go left or right depending on how important the thing is. Then you just do the things in the positive numbers quadrant.

If it's neither urgent, nor important, you just don't do it (ex - read that magazine article about birds in South America)

Things that are urgent, but not important, will simply expire if you don't get to them (Dry raspberry leaves for tea) so you do them third, and things that are important but not urgent come second (they tend to become urgent as time goes by, but some won't - like "read story to Bean")

We are wired to try to do the urgent things first, so we miss a lot of second rank things because we are doing 3rd rank things.

Only I think my house is such a wreck because I find it neither urgent nor important. I can still do it later and there are things that matter more to me (see, "read story to Bean")

So the last load of laundry I needed to do before we left is in the dryer.

Unfortunately "laundry" was one of the 14 things.

I have finished one other and started several.

There are 5 more I can't do until tomorrow morning.

I also did things that I realized needed to be done but didn't make the list.

So the last load of laundry I needed to do before we left is in the dryer.

Unfortunately "laundry" was one of the 14 things.

I have finished one other and started several.

There are 5 more I can't do until tomorrow morning.

I also did things that I realized needed to be done but didn't make the list.

Dear SubC, CM, Tatoulia, Lila,

Thank you for your valuable advice, it is just what I need: ideas! Because it is difficult to think when one is overwhelmed

Each surface of the house has stuff on it. I want to declutter first the tble to eat at it again. But it is always full because it is where we put purchased items waiting for being disinfected. There are also plastic bags, bottles, medicines, papers, disposable cups and dishes, groceries and even Christmas decorations...

Oh, I have so many things put on temporary places for months or years...

Yes, there is an area with less difficult stuff: proofs of purchases. They go to the box for recycling. The problem is I need check them and break them to eliminate identifiable data and the process becomes very slow.

Tatoulia, good tip for readable stuff 🙂 Thanks

Lila, glad for your success with your table!

SubC, 14 things in a single list, wow!

Dear SubC, CM, Tatoulia, Lila,

Thank you for your valuable advice, it is just what I need: ideas! Because it is difficult to think when one is overwhelmed

Each surface of the house has stuff on it. I want to declutter first the tble to eat at it again. But it is always full because it is where we put purchased items waiting for being disinfected. There are also plastic bags, bottles, medicines, papers, disposable cups and dishes, groceries and even Christmas decorations...

Oh, I have so many things put on temporary places for months or years...

Yes, there is an area with less difficult stuff: proofs of purchases. They go to the box for recycling. The problem is I need check them and break them to eliminate identifiable data and the process becomes very slow.

Tatoulia, good tip for readable stuff 🙂 Thanks

Lila, glad for your success with your table!

SubC, 14 things in a single list, wow!

Lila, thank you.

We had a teen give a speech at graduation in which he talked about moving to our school. He thanked us for giving him a place (after his previous school) where he felt safe and comfortable just being himself. He said "you would think that would be the bare minimum - simply letting someone exist - but sadly it isn't." That was the point where I started crying.

I hope updating your wardrobe went well, and tgat your trip next week is productive.

Mar,

I don't know what us on your dining room table, but maybe it's still there because it is some of the more difficult stuff? Can you find an area of less difficult stuff to clear off and move the things from the dining table?

Still haven't done today's last evaluations.

Mar,

I don't know what us on your dining room table, but maybe it's still there because it is some of the more difficult stuff? Can you find an area of less difficult stuff to clear off and move the things from the dining table?

Still haven't done today's last evaluations.

Mar,I get it. I'm renting a room from a friend. It was supposed to be temporary. It's now been 7 years. Her house is not large and she has a lot of furniture and misc. There are shared areas, and I feel guilty for how my overflow has, well, overflowed into them. She is patient because we both struggle.

I run into that problem too, of okay, I need to clear off X area - but even if I can reduce the amount, there's still some that can't be reduced and I don't know where to put it.

Mar,I get it. I'm renting a room from a friend. It was supposed to be temporary. It's now been 7 years. Her house is not large and she has a lot of furniture and misc. There are shared areas, and I feel guilty for how my overflow has, well, overflowed into them. She is patient because we both struggle.

I run into that problem too, of okay, I need to clear off X area - but even if I can reduce the amount, there's still some that can't be reduced and I don't know where to put it.

Hello Mar! And CM, SUBC, LILA, ROAD!

Mar, I like to start with the easy stuff, trash, recycling, other stuff that can just go. If there are magazines or newspapers, I give myself a finite time to read them before going into recycling. Example: if I don't read by noon tomorrow, they are gone. Then group like stuff with like stuff. Take dishes and utensils to kitchen.

Just an idea to help get you started. Do any of these ideas appeal to you?

Lmk! Good to hear from you!

Hello Mar! And CM, SUBC, LILA, ROAD!

Mar, I like to start with the easy stuff, trash, recycling, other stuff that can just go. If there are magazines or newspapers, I give myself a finite time to read them before going into recycling. Example: if I don't read by noon tomorrow, they are gone. Then group like stuff with like stuff. Take dishes and utensils to kitchen.

Just an idea to help get you started. Do any of these ideas appeal to you?

Lmk! Good to hear from you!

Lila, thank you.

We had a teen give a speech at graduation in which he talked about moving to our school. He thanked us for giving him a place (after his previous school) where he felt safe and comfortable just being himself. He said "you would think that would be the bare minimum - simply letting someone exist - but sadly it isn't." That was the point where I started crying.

I hope updating your wardrobe went well, and tgat your trip next week is productive.

hi everyone!

Okay who is Mar?? Hi Mar, are you new? It sounds like you know some folks here!

SubC, I wish my teen had a teacher like you. Just one teacher like you in high school would have changed their life. It breaks my heart. Teen quit and wants a GED. Working on it.

Road, sorry you have to deal with graduation loss. When my disabled son did not grad with his friends it made me literally sick seeing all the friends posts on FB. The good news is, he is still a great kid and it didn't make much difference to him in his life. He is happy and I got through it. You will too!

hi CM and Tatoulia, I need to catch up better.

I am going to a major cancer center several hours away next week. We'll see what they say and do. This week I am home, no tests or anything, so am trying to catch up on stuff. Doing well this morning.

Today so far (it is just after 10am) I:
opened boxes and packages (I had a stress induced online shopping spree and am dealing with it now)
Tried on some clothes I ordered and set aside most of them to return
started a little kitchen cleaning and fridge sorting
started to get the bathroom trash ready to empty but I need to find the bags

Re: the shopping spree: I think I ordered about 20 items of clothing. I was cancer stressed. It was a distraction. It took me hours to browse websites and find things and order them, and it was just to get my mind off scary things, I think. I did get some good sales. My plan is to try each thing on. Anything I don't love goes back. Anything I do love, for each item I keep, one thing from my closet goes into the donate bin. I have to say, since I wear the same few things every day, they are getting actually threadbare in places so are ready to donate anyway but then I would be naked so this will work out okay.

I think I am going to try a new recipe or two today as well.

Will update more.

What are you doing/decluttering today?

hi everyone!

Okay who is Mar?? Hi Mar, are you new? It sounds like you know some folks here!

SubC, I wish my teen had a teacher like you. Just one teacher like you in high school would have changed their life. It breaks my heart. Teen quit and wants a GED. Working on it.

Road, sorry you have to deal with graduation loss. When my disabled son did not grad with his friends it made me literally sick seeing all the friends posts on FB. The good news is, he is still a great kid and it didn't make much difference to him in his life. He is happy and I got through it. You will too!

hi CM and Tatoulia, I need to catch up better.

I am going to a major cancer center several hours away next week. We'll see what they say and do. This week I am home, no tests or anything, so am trying to catch up on stuff. Doing well this morning.

Today so far (it is just after 10am) I:
opened boxes and packages (I had a stress induced online shopping spree and am dealing with it now)
Tried on some clothes I ordered and set aside most of them to return
started a little kitchen cleaning and fridge sorting
started to get the bathroom trash ready to empty but I need to find the bags

Re: the shopping spree: I think I ordered about 20 items of clothing. I was cancer stressed. It was a distraction. It took me hours to browse websites and find things and order them, and it was just to get my mind off scary things, I think. I did get some good sales. My plan is to try each thing on. Anything I don't love goes back. Anything I do love, for each item I keep, one thing from my closet goes into the donate bin. I have to say, since I wear the same few things every day, they are getting actually threadbare in places so are ready to donate anyway but then I would be naked so this will work out okay.

I think I am going to try a new recipe or two today as well.

Will update more.

What are you doing/decluttering today?

Hi Lila! Nice to meet you 🙂
I am not new, I arrived here some years ago but I don't write often 🙁

Today I continue trying to declutter the dining room table

Hi Lila! Nice to meet you 🙂
I am not new, I arrived here some years ago but I don't write often 🙁

Today I continue trying to declutter the dining room table

The table is covered of stuff and cannot be used. I try to clear it but don't know where to put the stuff. More than eight months.

The table is covered of stuff and cannot be used. I try to clear it but don't know where to put the stuff. More than eight months.

I'm having some trouble with mental processing tonight.

I'm going to make a couple of quick lists interrupted by tasks - very ADD style.

CM, we crossed before. I hope you got some more work done on your quilt.

I am hopeful to hear about progress around the chest of drawers.

Yay for Larry!

Need to do another class tonight before I go to bed to stay on target. Don't know if I'll make it.

I'm having some trouble with mental processing tonight.

I'm going to make a couple of quick lists interrupted by tasks - very ADD style.

CM, we crossed before. I hope you got some more work done on your quilt.

I am hopeful to hear about progress around the chest of drawers.

Yay for Larry!

Need to do another class tonight before I go to bed to stay on target. Don't know if I'll make it.

I know writing the evaluations is a lot of work, SubC. Hoping you can find the strength to do some today.

I made it to Macys to make the return. Downtown was crowded but Macys was empty, so it was quick. I'm waiting for BF right now so I'm doing a very quick load of darks. I have to help him get stuff out of the business. Then he'll take me shopping for mom's groceries. I have a pair of pants to return to j crew. I'll deal with that tmr.

It's been busy time. Last week there was also a lot of rain, and chilly temperatures. Thursday morning Larry came and now we have the storm windows up, and the front door useable again.

We had one or two beautiful days. Then it shifted to hot and very windy yesterday and today. More rain and possibly some severe weather is on the way yet again the early part of the week... 😑 My roommate is out of town so I must remember to check battery powered lighting options just in case.

Progress on the quilt continues. Hoping for more over the weekend, having the space to myself. Also some computer catching up.

Started doing some whatever in my room. Don't know whether to call it officially decluttering or more just assessing. Although I did pull out a few miscellaneous items and throw away a small bag of just junk like sprung hair elastics and expired medicines, etc.

I'm working on getting everything out of this chest of drawers my roommate said it'd be okay to donate to the garage sale. It's kind of bulky. I have a wire shelf unit that will be slimmer and have wheels. Hoping that will work better. If it goes really well, the new shelves will also allow me to get rid of a set of plastic shelves in the room, paring down and consolidating the items currently kept in both places.

Unfortunately when I was working, I also had some moments that were quite frustrating, like when stuff got jostled and started to fall from a shelf. Thought it might hit my lamp and make a mess of broken glass. Luckily it didn't, but I was so angry I had to step away for a bit. And I've just been grouchy the last couple of days but better today.

I've decided that for the bunny club garage sale if I only get a few things taken over it's okay, because we're running into a time crunch. And my church's sale will be a week later. Beyond that, there are always the thrift shops.

Next week may be really crazy.

It's been busy time. Last week there was also a lot of rain, and chilly temperatures. Thursday morning Larry came and now we have the storm windows up, and the front door useable again.

We had one or two beautiful days. Then it shifted to hot and very windy yesterday and today. More rain and possibly some severe weather is on the way yet again the early part of the week... 😑 My roommate is out of town so I must remember to check battery powered lighting options just in case.

Progress on the quilt continues. Hoping for more over the weekend, having the space to myself. Also some computer catching up.

Started doing some whatever in my room. Don't know whether to call it officially decluttering or more just assessing. Although I did pull out a few miscellaneous items and throw away a small bag of just junk like sprung hair elastics and expired medicines, etc.

I'm working on getting everything out of this chest of drawers my roommate said it'd be okay to donate to the garage sale. It's kind of bulky. I have a wire shelf unit that will be slimmer and have wheels. Hoping that will work better. If it goes really well, the new shelves will also allow me to get rid of a set of plastic shelves in the room, paring down and consolidating the items currently kept in both places.

Unfortunately when I was working, I also had some moments that were quite frustrating, like when stuff got jostled and started to fall from a shelf. Thought it might hit my lamp and make a mess of broken glass. Luckily it didn't, but I was so angry I had to step away for a bit. And I've just been grouchy the last couple of days but better today.

I've decided that for the bunny club garage sale if I only get a few things taken over it's okay, because we're running into a time crunch. And my church's sale will be a week later. Beyond that, there are always the thrift shops.

Next week may be really crazy.

So, I have done 2/3 of today's allotment of evaluations. I did the math and I need to put in about 3 hours a day to get them done on time.

I am motivated in this first batch, because I had a student in three of my classes who is going to go from "student" to "friend I met at work" as soon as I turn in her last evaluation and close out our professional relationship. (Yes, she's 18. No, I apparently don't know how old I am. We're planning to take a class together in July. Her mom supports this. Yes, I am also older than her mom.)

I'm not really good at the age thing - when Dd was 14 we shipped her off to Europe for a month to visit friends from church. They were her friends. They were in their 50s. Obviously we knew them well enough to trust them with our child, but they were not our friends. She stayed in touch with them for years after we did.

I am slowly adding paper to the recycling and running loads of laundry while I work.