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[queendiva]

This morning: recycled a small amount of paper clutter. I find that the easiest category to stay ahead of. For the most part I am in the Maintenance phase of decluttering after being at it actively for about 2 years. A downsizing move certainly helped.

Christmas decor starting to get packed away again slowly, just as it was displayed. Will take down the icicle lights outside today as the weather is nice and leave the lighted wreath up through Epiphany. It's January and around here that means lots of gray days ahead. Will leave many of the indoor decor items, including the artificial trees, up until the 10th-12th weekend.

[Mom2Dogs]

@rnmom I can sew...a little...so making a 2 sided pillow covering would be something I can do, but again, so not my style.

I might take off the paper backing where my grandma wrote the note, keep that and take a photo and put it all in a small frame, then let the actual piece and frame go.....it just a guilt thing, brought on my ME, no one else!

[alicedee]

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

@rnmom I can sew...a little...so making a 2 sided pillow covering would be something I can do, but again, so not my style.

I might take off the paper backing where my grandma wrote the note, keep that and take a photo and put it all in a small frame, then let the actual piece and frame go.....it just a guilt thing, brought on my ME, no one else!

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Do you have a relative who might want it?  A sister, niece, cousin?  There might be a family member who is really into antiques and nostalgia items.  

[gidgetgh]

This morning I've added some melamine salad plates to the Goodwill bag, 6 or 8 of them.  They had been in our dining room hutch.  I thought we might use them at Christmas and we didn't and I don't see us using them so out they go.

I also am donating two brand new flameless candles in a color I decided I don't like (I might take those to consignment, new with tags), and literally 3 small kitchen accessory things (measuring cup, new potholder and something from Cutco that I just had to have and never used. Some sort of large spreader thing).  Our kitchen is in terrific shape so I really don't find a lot in there to donate.  I also threw away 3 acrylic glasses because they're cracking and put two brand new ones in the Goodwill bag along with 4 melamine cereal sized bowls. 

I'm really thinking seriously about donating the rest of our dvds, which totals probably only 15 or so.  They're favorite movies of mine, but I haven't watched them in years. We never use our dvd player, which I'm also considering donating. 

[goldensrbest]

I am clearing out ,and donating today.

[gidgetgh]

I'm ventured out in the pouring rain to take my things to consignment because I wanted the things out of here. In addition to what I listed a few posts ago, I gave them a brand new medium sized storage container that I got at Target and didn't need. I threw away the receipt so I couldn't return it. I just gave it to them for the store to use. 

[Mominohio]

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@Mom2Dogs wrote:

I have a crewel embroidery piece that my mom crafted years ago...She gave it to my grandma, and grandma gave it to me.  It's all hand stitched, and in a large frame....but not my style at all.  My grandma wrote on the back that mom made it and that grandama gave it to me, when mom died.  It has been in a closet ever since.  Everytime I look at it it makes me sad that it's not out but...I don't want to display it....any ideas?

I did think of making a pillow and have the reverse side something more my style but there again, I don't have a lot of pillows sitting around either...it's a issue for me.

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@Mom2Dogs 

I have a very similar thing. My mom made me a hooked rug, and had it framed back when I first had my own place. It's large, like  3 foot by 2 foot at least.

I like the subject matter in it, great for a kitchen with a cutting board and some foods, surrounded by a checkered background. The issue is and always has been the colors. The checkered background is done in red and black. I know that look is really popular now, and I don't dislike the look, but I never have done red or black in my home decor or kitchen. It always looked out of place with my colors and style. So what I have done is to use it but in less seen places.

In my first home, I had a stairway to the basement right off the kitchen. It had a door closing it off from the kitchen, a landing, and a nice size pantry cupboard connected to this landing. There was just enough space to hang this on the wall as you stepped into the landing. I found a coordinating rug in red and black for the landing floor, and painted the walls and pantry cupboard white. It made a really cute and finished look to what was really nothing more than the entrance to the basement. 

In this house, I've hung it in the laundry room. My laundry room is only partially finished. Part has walls, but much is pipes, block wall, water heater, well pump, pressure tank, water softener, etc. It's a huge room, but to really 'finish it off' seems impossible because of all the essential pipes and stuff in there. So I"ve done the best I can, paining/papering what walls are there, and hanging up things like antique wash boards and this hooked rug. 

I've always felt bad that I don't use it more front and center, but I honestly don't know what she was thinking in the colors. It is something neither of us have ever cared for, and even talked about that color combo not being our style many times. I've also felt bad because my mom is not crafty in the least. She never had a mom, and never learned to knit, sew, crochet, quilt, or do anything remotely artistic or crafty, so this was a huge labor of love, and really should have been more front and center over the years, but the colors were the big hold back. 

So this whole blah blah blah was to say maybe you can still use it, and love seeing it, if you try to display it in some place that is not messing with your sense of wanting your style compromised. I was really happy with it in my old house, in that landing/pantry area, and thought the area turned out so cute. I got to see it daily, many times as I entered that area, but it was closed off from the rest of the house, and not fighting with my very different style and decor color choices. This house, I still see it as I do laundry often, but I'm not as impressed with the way it has been (or actually not been) worked in to the decor of that room. But still I get to appreciate the love behind it, and enjoy the look of it, even though it doesn't match my usual style and colors.

[Mominohio]

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@DecorDiva wrote:

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@Ainhisg wrote:

In mid-November, I started selling odds and ends on Facebook Marketplace...mainly Temp-tations bakeware/dishes along with other brands of dishes.  This is such a much better method of selling things than having a garage sale!  As you find an item to sell, you can just take photos of it and post them and the description...done!  No need to put things back in an area of your home and garage waiting for that garage sale and cluttering up yet another area of your home!  Then you just meet the buyer in a safe location, and that's it!

I price all of my stuff cheaply as my goal is to gain space, and if I make a little money in the process, so be it!  I think this is why I've had great success selling this way--cheap prices!  I find that you can't get as much as you do on eBay, but you can get more than what you would ask at a garage sale, plus you have hundreds/thousands of people who see your offerings instead of just a few who frequent garage sales, so if priced right, things sell reasonably quickly.

A friend of mine sells on FB Marketplace so gave me some suggestions on how to do it safely and efficiently. Using her advice and lessons learned from my own experience, I highly recommend it!  If anyone is interested in advice on how to effectively sell on FB Marketplace, let me know.

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@Ainhisg  - I would appreciate any info on this - it's something I might like to try.  

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@DecorDiva 

I know you didn't ask me, but I will offer up some things I have done selling on FB.

First, look to see what kind of garage sale sites are in your area and join the groups. This should open you up to a broader marketplace as well. 

I choose to sell locally only. I don't have PayPal, I don't want to pack and ship and insure and have people unhappy with things and want to return or get money back. I want to seal the deal, in person, where they see the item they are getting. It's not the bigger audience you get by selling on something like ebay, but it's less hassle for me.

I list cheaper than ebay, but more than garage sale. It might take some time to learn what prices are good in your market area, and find what things will sell and what won't. Kind of trial and error at first. I always go to ebay to see what things are selling for on there, then go somewhat less to make it move quickly. 

Once I list something, I set it in my garage on a table I have set up for just that. No need to keep it in the house taking up space, as if it doesn't sell, I will be donating it anyway, so it is halfway to the car!

I choose to meet people. You can have them come to your home if you wish, but I'd rather not, unless it is a large item like a big piece of furniture. I get to and do business in several area towns, so I can meet with people when it is convenient for me, when I am going to be out and about anyway. I will make a dedicated trip to the nearest town even if I don't have any reason to be going out, because it is only three miles, so not a big waste of my time or glass. 

Meet people in daylight hours, in public places, like the library parking lot, the grocery store lot, etc. Check their profile picture before meeting to see what they look like, so you know it is them. Exchange type and color of cars so you know what vehicle to look for in the lot. And communicate by messenger when making arrangements as to time, place etc. That way, others in the group don't know where you are going to be and when. 

I list on as many as 6 different facebook group selling pages at once to broaden viewership. There are also very specific groups for if you are just selling Temp-tation, or Tupperware, or Longaberger, or Corningware etc. as well as the general garage sale type sites.

I've met a lot of really nice people. I have been stood up a few times, but because it was set up in my regular errand running loop, I wasn't really out anything. The experience has been 90% positive for sure. 

[Mominohio]

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@Ainhisg wrote:

@jackthebear   Yes!  I knew I would forget some things.  I actually have 2 FB accounts.  One has only my first name and a made up middle name, and that is the one from which I sell.  I already had it created as I join FB groups with that account so that anything I would write in the public groups won't show up on my "real" news feed for friends and family to see.

I also wanted to add that if you're contacted by someone who just hits you wrong, or wants to come to your house to see an item, or is late in meeting you, or is a no-show...that you can block them, and I do.  You just go to their profile page and block them there.  Then they can't see your items or ever contact you in the future.  I had one buyer who wanted several of my items.  An hour before we were supposed to meet, she told me that she only had $40 and asked if I would take that for the items.  The total cost was $44, and she was getting a bargain at that price!  I basically told her that but in a nice way.  Well, at the time, I was meeting people at a CVS near me, and I saw her get there and go into the store.  I assumed she was getting additional money for the sale.  NOPE!  She came over to the car and instead of leaving a $4 item behind, she decide not to take a $15 item.  That really hit me wrong as the $15 item had been pending all day, since she said she wanted it, and I could have sold it to someone else. When I got home, I blocked her.  Had some man contact me wanting to come to my house to look at an item and gave me his phone number!  I couldn't block him fast enough.  lol  But 90% of my sales have gone easily and well, and I have met some really nice people.   I even have repeat buyers of some Temp-tation patterns.

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I'll second the need for a different FB page for selling. I'd never do it on a page with all my personal information (I don't even have a personal page or friends for personal use). 

And I don't use any accurate information on my profile either. I fill in basically nothing on the profile. Some may be suspicious of that and not buy from me because the profile is kind of empty, but I've not had an issue moving things or meeting up with some really nice people.

[Bird mama]

I forgot to add on the 2019 thread that on garbage pick up day (New Year's Eve) I tossed a pair of shoes

I went through the cupboard drawer under the built in oven today.  Lord   I found a recyclable large rubbermaid container that is no longer air-tight.  Lid has too much wiggle in it and I don't know what happened.

I also found 2 recyclable metal cooling racks that were starting to rust.  I also have a recyclable metal brownie pan that I've had so long it's getting a few rust spots on it.  I know - disgusting ain't it.  I don't make brownies in it and when I use for reheating things I line it with foil.

Suffice it to say, I have enough paper, cardboard, glass and metal to head on over to the recycling center.