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Two Rooms - Two Weeks

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Started 1 year ago by pkilmain
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pkilmain
Member

I mentioned on another thread (ATAD?) that my goal is to have my office and my sewing room largely decluttered in the next two weeks. We leave for 4 weeks in Hawaii on Jan 10, and I don't want to come back to the mess these rooms are in at the present.

I took photos of them on Sunday, and will post when I'm finished with today's efforts. I decided I would give it 3 hours a day, in a minimum of 1/2 hour segments. I totally blew off Monday. Sigh. Today however, I have done the first half hour.

Amazing - I found both my 1gb iPod Nano that I use for the gym (hence negating the need for a new iPod touch. I still have the desire though. LOL) And I found a 2gb SD camera card that's been missing for ages. I have several so it wasn't missed as much as the iPod, but it's now with its fellows in a case. Hopefully in this two weeks I'll also locate my cell phone charger. That I've already replaced though, so when it's found, it'll stay with the travel stuff.

Posted 1 year ago #
Kamakazi
Member

I find the hardest part in the project like this is getting started. But once I get momentum it can carry me a long way since I start seeing definitive results quickly.

And finding things in the clutter that you thought were gone, awesome. Like finding money in pockets of coats the first time I put them on in the fall.

Posted 1 year ago #
Nuria_P
Member

lol, yes, that's one of the best things, to find little "treasures" hidden in the clutter... good luck with your project!!I am a bit like that as well, it is had to get started, there is always something better to do, but after the first 30 seconds I am fine doing it.

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

Second half hour done. I found an online time and since I'm working in the room with this computer, it does the trick. Didn't find anything this time, but I sorted a huge pile of paper I've been avoiding. Most went either to the wastebasket/recycling or to the printer paper for printing on the back side. A few things needed shredding, but it was mostly from a class I took last year, so all I saved were exercise routines (it was a fitness/nutrition class). Now I have a couple of piles on the floor on things that go to other places, and the next half hour I'll deal with those and um, make myself some lunch after that. I probably should get dressed at some point too. :)

Posted 1 year ago #
SunshineR
Member

pkilmain: Just keep thinking of how great it will be to:
1. go to Hawaii
2. have 2 uncluttered rooms

Breathe. Celebrate the progress. Continue the project.

Posted 1 year ago #
badkitti
Member

Good luck Pkilmain - I'm tempted to come give you a hand if you're unearthing electronics ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

Ah, sunshine, even better is that these are the last 2 rooms! At least for the initial uncluttering. Upstairs is done, or at least will be back to uncluttered once Christmas is put away.

badkitti - not that bad, it's a tiny iPod nano (and tiny sD card) and they both just had a stack of paper on top of them. One of those "I'll just set this down here for a bit til I can get to it piles"

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

Ack, I think I killed my shredder. I spent 1/2 hour shredding old (2000 era - back when they all contained your name and SSN) medical records/bills. I got some jammed, and now that it's clear the noise comes on, but nothing moves. Grrrr. I'll leave it, maybe it's too hot. It's a cheap one to start with, so I'm not out much, but I have only 3 file to finish, and mostly we don't need one as we burn our paper trash. I tried burning these, but it took longer than shredding as you had to fan the sheets to get them to burn and stir the whole mess. I ended up smokey and cold (since it - oh yeah - it's winter!) Guess I'll clean up the little bits from the floor and leave it til tomorrow.

I've made it 2 hours today, and I think that's it for me. I have to go get some groceries and then friends are picking me up to go to a dance in Anchorage. My DH will meet us there as he's been in Anchorage all day for various financial and medical/dental appts.

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

My DH has a heavy-duty crosscut shredder, and even that one has to be given some time-outs. Hope yours works fine again tomorrow when it has recovered! Have fun at the dance. :-)

Posted 1 year ago #
lottielot
Member

wow pkilmain, you're on a roll! Stick with it!

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

Okay, shredder is working again - just took some patience to dig out a tightly mashed wad of paper.

I'm late getting to this project today as I did errands and went to the gym this morning. And we're going to dinner with a group of old firefighting friends of DH's at 5 pm (who eats at 5pm??) so while I'm short on time now, I should be able to swat it for a hour or so this evening when we get back.

But I continue shredding to finish the box. Need to limit it to 15-20 minutes to avoid overheating (learned from yesterday's experience!) Next is the wrapping paper overflow (rolls are contained).

Posted 1 year ago #
Kaz in Oz
Member

Sounds like you are really reaping the benefits of decluttering those 2 rooms!
While going through our papers before we move, I've shredded bagfuls. I have learnt that the shredder definitely need cooldown time after 15 minutes and don't even attempt to put more than the 5 sheet maximum in it or let the paper curl at the edge by not centering it in the middle of the feed slot. :)
Too much time has been wasted picking wads of paper from the rollers at the end, and they are annoying little bits since it's a crosscut one.
I still have boxes of paper stuff that I found in the roof of the garage to go through. I will definitely be spending some time doing it this weekend as I am now on a four week countdown before I go to start my new job and then will be only home on weekends (after a 5 hour drive).

Posted 1 year ago #
Kamakazi
Member

Yeah, shredders can be finicky. I find it is one of those jobs best suited for the "put everything in a big pile, then, whenever I think about it put a few groups through" strategy, obviously that doesn't help when you are a long way behind on a deadline though.

Posted 1 year ago #
SunshineR
Member

Yeah, I have a confetti-cut shredder and it gets overheated, too. I do one sheet at a time, and let it have plenty of rest.

Kaz: is the shredding project something you prefer/need to do yourself? I have those types of preferences (especially in the chores where no one else will do it because they're too busy/it's not important to them, etc). ykwim, I'm sure. I just mentioned it because I read your last post telling us about your countdown.

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

i love reading about people on a roll.
pkilmain, decluttering BEFORE a long holiday is totally fabulous.....you get to come home all rested and happy, to a serene, calm space and it's like another holiday right away!

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

Ah, you gals as inspiring. I blew off much of yesterday, but am making great strides today. I'm almost done with the shredding (in 15 minute segments) and the rest of the room is in the "looks worse before it's better" stage with piles of donate/recycle/return to its home stuff. I have filled up one wastebasket, and brought in another. :)

The wrapping paper/gift bags are consolidated/tidied. Various boxes of stuff are down to one of church stuff which once I weed I can take to the church (no longer an officer). Bookcase is cleared of extraneous stuff, and now has room for the CDs (which are there, out of a bag I brought home from my office last Feb). Another 1-2 hours and I should be in a stage where it looks good, even if I know that there is still a lot be down in drawers, etc.

Oh, and when I dug out the boxes of empty wine bottles on Wed, I discovered that 3 of them weren't empty!! Yay! I'm curious to see if the last bit of aging has noticibly changed the flavor any. We actually kept most of it a year after bottling and it was quite good. It's now been another 6 months since we last drank any.

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

Okay, I have declared the office "done" for the moment. There's still a lot to be done inside the file cabinet, desktop organizers, and drawers, but now I can come back from Hawaii and face it. :)

I posted before and after photos http://www.flickr.com/groups/1540433@N25/ and tried to take the same view. I placed them more or less side by side in a "before/after" arrangement. There is still a stack of stuff beside the copier which is my DH's project he's copying/scanning. And the wine bottle boxes are still here (under the hanging clothes) as I need to drink the 3 bottles I found before they can get returned. LOL

The blue checked item by the doorway is a foam mattress. We use 2 of these in the truck for camping in the summer, and we have company just often enough to justify leaving one in the house the rest of the time. There's a funny little job right there so it's not in the way. The rolled up rug is sometimes in the bedroom. It's an oriental and has been recently cleaned, and we decided to use the other one for awhile. The cats love to climb it....

Posted 1 year ago #
pkilmain
Member

After procrastinating all week - about lots of things - I made a start on the sewing room today. Not much, but I took down a small table, sorted out several projects - with all necessary parts - and boxed them with a list on the box of what's inside - that emptied a laundry basket that can go back to it's laundry room home. Still looks a fright in there, but I know there's been a start.

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

i think you'll be finished in time.
still got four/five days right?
with some concerted effort, you'll slam through it.
and it will be so delightful to come home to.

Posted 1 year ago #
Claycat
Member

You are making wonderful progress, pkilmain!

Posted 1 year ago #

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