How To Systematically Get Rid Of Stuff You No Longer Need: Rule #1 Make a List

We are continuing our blog theme that offers common sense ideas for DECLUTTERING your living space.  Rule #1 is to make a list.  The list should be in three broad categories: T is for Throwaway, G is for Giveaway, and S for Saleable Items.  Under these three broad categories, write down specific areas on which you will concentrate.  This first draft of your list does not have to be all inclusive.  And of course the areas will differ depending on your lifestyle and the stuff that you have accumulated over the years.  For example, the young couple with small kids would no doubt include areas like baby items, toys, children’s clothing, etc.  For us empty nesters, we would include areas such as clothing, shoes, household items, books, tapes and dvds, old electronic equipment, golf clubs, Christmas decorations, other holiday decorations, kitchen appliances, old pictures, clocks, radios, and the list could go on and on.

How do you determine which category to put an item in?  Well, obviously if the item is no longer working or the piece of clothing or the pair shoes are worn out, then they would go in the T pile.  The Gs include anything that is still usable, still works, or is still wearable.  The S categoryis an area that I am currently learning more about.  I have furniture that I am presently trying to sell on various web sites.  I have given myself 2 to 3 months to use this avenue to sell these pieces, but this furniture must be gone before I move in about three months.  Since they are nice pieces of furniture, and still have some value, my next step will be to explore area consignment shops so that at least I can get something for them.  I will keep you posted and let you know how it goes.

The hardest thing about DECLUTTERING is getting started.  But once you get started, it becomes a very liberating experience.  When I moved from Michigan to Florida and 2011, I significantly downsized my stuff.  It started off being a very painful experience to part with items that I had accumulated for over 30 years.  I even had items in the storage area of my basement that belonged to my parents who have been deceased for over 25 years.  I had literally thousands of books, including textbooks that belonged to me or my daughter from our respective high school and college years.  For some strange reason, I had kept every General Motors check stub from 1974 to 2002 when I retired.  I had a box containing my mother’s canceled checks dating back to the 1980s.  I had bedding for beds that I no longer owned, and draperies and tablecloths that I no longer needed.  Some of these items I kept because I felt they had a sentimental value, but other items I just kept because I had the space and I always thought that one day I would painstakingly go through these items and decide what to keep and what to get rid of.  Well that time came in 2011 when I knew that I could not take all that stuff with me to Florida.  It was tough getting started trying to decide which  category to put all this stuff in, but once I got started it became a very liberating experience.  To free oneself from encumbrances of all kinds gives one a sense of freedom and lightness. 

 

I realized that I could not take over 1,000 books with me to Florida.  I allowed myself two boxes of books.  Deciding which books would make the cut was very painful, but the ones that I kept have special meaning.  And the Canton MI Public Library benefited from all those books that I donated to the library for their resale shop.

 Shoes were also very difficult to go through because I was one of those women who had shoes for every occasion whether that occasion actually happened or not.  I had a shoe jones and shoes were in every closet and in every space available.  I allowed myself two Rubbermaid tubs of shoes to take to Florida.  I lined up all my shoes (and there were hundreds of them), and systematically chose shoes based on need and not want.  So I wound up with one tub of gym shoes, flip flops and sandals, and the second sub was filled with dressy flats and heels.  My daughter gave me the best advice that helped me to break the logjam of indecision when she said “Mom, how many pair of black pumps do you really need?” The correct answer was one, and the rest went into the giveaway or throwaway piles.

Clothing can be difficult to sort through.  It is true that most of us wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time.  So, in your quest to declutter your clothes closets, I suggest that you give yourself 30 days to observe those pieces of clothing that you actually wear.  So, for our present warm weather season, put together outfits and cluster your clothing in your closet so that your “go-to” outfits are close at hand.  As you wear each outfit, and after washing or dry cleaning the item, put it back in your closet but turn the hanger in the opposite direction.  That way, at the end of 30 days you’ll be able to see that 20% that you’re actually wearing, and then you would have identified that 80% of your clothing that you do not wear very often and that you need to assess.

 Well, I hope that by this weekend some of you will get started on making your lists and making your cuts of what to throw away, give away, or set up.

 

So, let’s go!  More next time…

 

Help! Where Did All This STUFF Come From?!

Unless you’re in the rarified air with people who are almost obsessively neat and clutter free, then you exist somewhere between the "lived-in look" comfortable abode and the college life of slobbiness.

 We clean out of necessity; we throw away and declutter when our stuff is taking over our living space. It can be overwhelming to get started. But declutter we must, unless we are auditioning for Hoarders. My friend Jan calls it decraptitizing.

 Put decrapitizing on your personal calendar. All this stuff wasn’t accumulated on a weekend, so don’t expect  a couple of Saturday afternoons to get it all sorted out.  If you don’t have big chunks of time, then give it 20 minutes of your time on a regular basis. For example, when I tackle the stack of paper that I’ve discreetly hidden in a basket beneath my desk, I set my phone timer for 20 minutes. I laser beam on getting rid of as much paper as I can during that time. Paper either must be filed, put in a to-do folder with a date on it, or thrown away. When the 20 minutes are up, I’m done, and I leave the remaining paper to tackle on another day (or another 20 minutes later on that same day).

 

I call these 20 minutes a Power Sweep. I apply the time factor to cleaning the bathroom, folding clothes, or any other task around the house that can be done in a short period of time – if we just focus. Let me tell you- multi-tasking is highly overrated and can distract you from doing one thing well and finishing it. How many times have you strolled into your bedroom, exhausted after a long day, only to discover that a few hours earlier you dropped a dryer full of warm towels on your bed, thinking you could quickly fold them and put them away – and then the phone rang, a kid needed your attention, or you stepped away – and you forgot they were there?  20 Minute power sweeps can help. You focus on completing that ONE THING, and you have a very high probability of completing that task. Of course, you can adjust the time-there's no magic to 20 minutes; set a time that works best for you.

 

I learned how to do 20 minute power sweeps while working at GM headquarters. It was an excellent way to keep your desk or workspace clutter free. Time Management 101...and I discovered that it could be applied to my personal life to more effectively manage my time as a working mom.

 

Now, on to truly one of my all-time favorite things; making lists. Be sure to check in next time!!

Letting Go and Moving Ahead

You'll never guess in a million years what this blog post is about today. It's about letting go of STUFF. You know, clothes, furniture, paper, old appliances, etc. With as much activity as Americans generate on eBay, Craigslist, et al, I can safely assume that a lot of you are in the same boat as I am. What to do with STUFF that has outlived its usefulness in your life?

 I'm in DECLUTTERING MODE again. But, this isn't my first rodeo; in the past 25 years, I've upsized, downsized, upsized again, and then drastically downsized when I moved to Florida several years ago. Now, I fight an ongoing battle to avoid clutter and to make sure that everything has a place to be. The new rule if that I desire a new sauté skillet, the old one has to be battered enough to be thrown out, because my small kitchen does not have room for two. On the rare occasions that I buy shoes nowadays ( I have final succumbed to a Florida lifestyle of flip flops and sandals virtually year-round), the new rule is that a pair (or two) have to go to either a charity, resale shop, or the trash heap. This new rule really cuts down on impulsive buying!

If you're being overwhelmed by your stuff or perhaps you're getting ready to move or merge, here's a short list that I've developed over the years that can get you started

How To Systematically Get Rid Of Stuff You No Longer Need

#1. Make a list, then place stuff in broad categories.
#2. Determine if each item is Trash (T), Giveaway (G), or Saleable (S).
#3. Collect all the T's and throw them out. If it's a large item, call your local municipality for their policy on picking up large items at the curb.
#4. Collect all the G's, wash/clean. Original owners manuals, recipe booklets, original boxes, etc. are a plus. Take them to your local charities that resell items to generate income and jobs. I use (in no particular order of preference) Salvation Army, Goodwill, Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, to name a few. You may have a local charity or church that has a resale shop. Do a little research, and then haul all that stuff away! Some charities will pick up large pieces at no cost o you. And don't forget shelters. I once donated a girl's white bedroom set to a women's shelter in Pontiac, MI and they were very happy to get it. I even donated a car to a local charity. Although it no longer ran, they came out and hauled it away on a flatbed truck. All the G's are tax deductible, so make sure to get receipts.
#5. Take a critical review of your S items. Research comparable items on Craigslist, eBay, or local swap blogs or Facebook pages. Do a page for each item that includes at least one picture, description, age of item, specifications and measurements, and a firm asking price. Then go for it! Your trash may be some else's treasure! But be careful...more on this later with safety tips for selling stuff on the Internet.

My next few blog entries will explore each of these 5 options for getting rid of stuff you no longer need.

My Dog Buddy

Today is the first day that I am using voice commands to create and edit documents in Word documents.  I often have fleeting thoughts about writing ideas for either a blog, a book, or an article.  I do not take the time to write them down, so most of them are lost.  Using voice commands is a new way for me to write what I’m thinking, and since I can speak far faster and more effectively than I can type, I pray that I may be able to write more often and more effectively.

Today I want to talk about my dog Buddy.  Buddy is my rescue dog who is a Cocker Spaniel, and our best guess is that he is about 12 years old.  He came to us in 2008 during a period in which I went back to work on a full-time basis after having retired from GM a few years before that.  My dog Honey was an only dog (also a Cocker Spaniel), and I felt guilty that she was home alone all day, despite the fact that I hired a mid - day walking service for her.  So, I began my search online for an adult cocker, male, who was in need of a good forever home.  Within just a few weeks into my search we found Buddy, and it was love at first sight.

Buddy is a lover, and just loves to be loved.  He is an affectionate dog, and very good natured.  He has been a wonderful addition to the Mcfarland household, and a wonderful dog brother to Honey.  It saddens me that Buddy has an inoperable tumor on his left hind leg that is growing rapidly.  The veterinarian says that the tumor cannot be removed, no matter if it is benign or malignant; it is just in a bad spot, and to remove it would mean amputating his leg.  At his age, it is not advised that we do a leg amputation.  So, we have entered a period of the “the long goodbye.”  I will keep him comfortable, will note any distress, pain, or changes in his eating or pooping habits, and show him all the love and attention that I can possibly give.

I’ve never experienced this before with a beloved pet.  I just pray that I will have the strength and courage to do the right thing at the right time.  I love you Buddy.  I promise to take care of you for all of your life, until the end of your life.  That is my a promise to you.

Operating in the Flow

Did you ever have one of those days? I mean one in which you just flow through the day effortlessly, without a care in this world? I've been having a string of them lately, and the only thing to which I can attribute it is that God will give you perfect peace if you keep your eyes stayed on Him.
Retirement can be a beautiful thing, but it's so easy to get caught up in a busy schedule, rushing to and fro, and feeling just as tired at the end of the day as when one had a full time, demanding job. I've had to do a "self correction" recently to clear the underbrush of "make busy" activities that have nothing to do with my God-directed purpose in life.
Some of you know that my only child resides in a nursing home and is fighting the progression of MS. I am her legal guardian and her mother, so my main focus most days is to assure that she is okay. After that, my focus is on the "assignments" that God gives me-some small and some big. God knows me better than I know myself, and although sometimes I complain to Him that I'm retired, He gently pricks my heart, makes my spirit contrite, and says patiently, "Dee, I KNOW. I created you...I knew you before the foundation of the world...before you were formed in your mother's womb. I have plans for you to DO MORE, to GIVE MORE, to LOVE MORE."
I will start sharing with you, gentle readers, some of those God-directed assignments in future posts. Just suffice it to be said today that I am aware that it is my reasonable service to do that which glorifies my heavenly Father. Enough whining and complaining! Let's do this with JOY! Let's operate in the flow of the Holy Spirit leading me into all truth, and being anxious for nothing.
More to come...

Florida Rain

It's June in central Florida and the rainy season has officially begun. Good for the farmers, not so good for the beach goers like me. But I've discovered that the beach can still be fun on a cloudy day.
First of all, it's not crowded; all the sun bunnies have stayed in. So you have lots more beach to roam and not run into anybody (except for the surfers who are enjoying the high tide waves-not Hawaii, but a decent wave to catch every now and then). Second, if you enjoy a sauna, then you can enjoy that feeling right on the beach; lots of heat and humidity makes for a good sweat to clean out your pores! Forget about the hair-frizz is the order of the day-just wash it, mousse it, finger comb it, and let it go. And lastly, take a look at that magnificent Gulf of Mexico that God created! Holy cow, it's absolutely breathtakingly beautiful in all its different moods.
So, let the rainy days come! I will still enjoy God's wonderful nature, especially the wet and wild Florida beaches on a rainy day. That reminds me...better pack my "hurricane tub." If you live in Florida, you know exactly what that is...pack it and pray that you won't need it!

My Home Economics Teachers

I received word last week that two of my favorite high school teachers had recently passed away in the span of a week. Home Economics is not taught anymore, but in rural Monroe, Louisiana in the 1960s, it was taught lovingly and with a purpose of helping girls to learn homemaking skills. We learned to sew, how to cook, clean, do laundry, and set a proper table. Of course, some of us were taught these skills at home by our mothers and grandmothers, but high school home economics took homemaking to a higher level.
Mrs. Alma Ruth Simmons (later she remarried and became Cooper) and Mrs. Marie Adams, along with the deceased Mrs. Ivory Covington, held down the Home Econ wing of Carroll High School. The wing was attached to the main building by a breezeway and the lunchroom, and the wing was shared by the Science department for awhile, until a new building was constructed on the other side of the athletic field to house Math & Science. It was a large school, and more than a little intimidating for incoming freshman.
Our principal Henry Carroll (whose name was on the side of the building) ran the school with steely discipline. We marched in an orderly fashion to our classes, did not talk in the hallways, and were quiet as we could be when allowed to go to our lockers. Boys had to have shirttails tucked in, girls were not allowed to wear pants, and no one was allowed to wear jeans (denim was the stuff that laborers wore).
In this strict, segregated public school environment, there were spots of pure joy for me, a quiet and shy only girl child of a factory worker and a housewife. There was French, where a whole new world opened up to me with Mrs. Major; History, with jovial Mr. Jones, who made history so vibrant that I majored in it in undergraduate school; and then there were my Home Econ classes.
Going into the Home Econ wing brightened my day. We girls would lean forward in our seats to get everything that was being taught. We sewed and made skirts, dresses, and blouses with pride. We cooked and even our failures were lessons learned in the kitchen.
These teachers were teaching us GRACE. Because they all knew my mother, Willie Mae Smith, they took extra time with me, were patient, strict, but very kind and loving. I will never forget the lessons taught by Marie Adams and Alma Ruth Simmons Cooper. Their families are in my thoughts and prayers today and may they both rest in peace as good and faithful servants.