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[rnmom]

Hello, and as promised, welcome to the Declutter 2023 what have you purged today thread!

The new year is a perfect time to begin to get rid of the old, unused, unwanted and unloved items in our homes and bring in the new! Here we can all work together to declutter and organize our homes to make them the functional, and restful, sanctuaries that we desire them to be. 

If you are new here this is where we post our accomplishments about what we are able to get done, and get rid of from our homes, which can help to give others ideas and encouragement and motivation as to how they can improve their homes too. 

Some people are methodical and will follow a decluttering schedule, doing certain rooms or spaces in a specific order, others declutter as time allows and as something sparks a need to look at a specific space. There is absolutely no right way or wrong way to make your home better. Feel free to ask questions if you feel like you need help or advice with something.

All purges count, big purges, small purges. Whether it's a whole house purge because you're moving or just a dried up ink pen, any progress is better than nothing. Every item that has to be touched and handled is still one less item. It doesn't matter if it's donated, trashed, returned to the store, or gifted to a friend, if it leaves the house, it counts. 

Unless we want our homes to become filled to the brim over the years, decluttering is a never ending journey, so let's go on the journey together. 

So come on in, post often, and let's start the journey to a less cluttered life! 

Welcome everyone!

[rnmom]

@aprilskies - Welcome to 2023! I hope that you are able to post a bit more this year! I know how life can get in the way for sure and make it difficult to spend a lot of time either decluttering, or on the computer in general. I have definitely been there. 

I did see your last comment in the 2022 thread and I totally agree with you about unused skincare items and in my case, makeup too. I've been working from home for the last year and because of that, I hardly ever wear makeup anymore (maybe once or twice a week if I go out) which means I rarely use any night time skin care either. I use my morning cleanser and moisturizer with SPF and that's about it.

I have backups of everything, brand new, unused makeup and skincare, and I have been trying to work my way thru some products so that I don't have to toss so much. So far nothing seems to have gone bad and other than some unflattering makeup I haven't really tossed anything that I can think of.

Some skincare items I just don't care for, so I'll use them up on my neck, chest, or even body, but I want to use them up because I hate the idea of just tossing. I know it's silly, just a mental game I play with myself, because it doesn't really matter in the end. I need to ask myself why do I keep buying those try me sample kits from Ulta and Sephora? I rarely ever like anything from any of them. The only things that I have found that I really like are Mad Hippie serums.

I actually want to get away from shopping online and see if I can just go back to buying what I need from the drugstore or grocery store. 

I used to shop at Ulta a lot online and I think I only ordered from them once last year. I still have a gift card to use up but I just can't find anything that I want to buy. So like you, I definitely need to stop the in flow this year and work on using up what I have before I get any more, otherwise what I have will go bad.

And actually, you brought up a really important point that I didn't mention. We need to definitely be aware of what we are bringing in if we want our decluttering efforts to be successful. Thanks for the reminder!

[lynnie61]

@rnmom  Thanks!  This is one of my two favorite threads.  Onward and upward.  Always great for a chance for fresh beginnings.  I’ll try to participate more, but like you said, anything is progress.  Happy New Year!  I enjoying reading everyone’s accomplishments.  It keeps everyone motivated.  

[rnmom]

@lynnie61 - Thank you, I'm so glad that are you are joining us for another year! Yes, anything is progress and remember, others are motivated and encouraged by you just as you are by them so I hope you are able to update us often. Happy New Year!

[amyb]

Happy New Year to all who post here! Thanks so much @rnmom for starting a new thread, as promised.

This is the only thread here where I've followed and posted on it all year. I love how it keeps us all accountable, inspired, and feeling good about all our progresses, great and small...yes...they all count! Consistency is key, and just helps us stay organized and living in our best environments, minus any "stuff" we no longer need.

Still getting over Covid, so I slept through all the holidays, including New Year's Eve...for the first time ever in my life!

Ah well, not my most exciting holidays ever, but thankful I'm making it through ok!....just resting and hoping to feel better each day.

As I said in my last post on the 2022 thread....I'm gearing up....soon as I feel better....I'm so ready to get to some decluttering. Unlike other years where I like to drag out the Christmas decor and keep the tree or trees up through January...sometimes even making a Valentine tree...this year, after Jan 6th I'll be ready to refresh and take it all down. Just my mood this year. The winter IS dark, so if I keep ANYthing up through Jan. it will be my tabletop skinny tree near the fireplace, with just the white lights on it for a "seasonal/winter" tree. Maybe. We'll see.

This will happen after next weekend. God willing I feel better by then we are supposed to do a short family weekend in New Hampshire Thur-Sun next week, that was planned in Sept, for a birthday. Hope I feel better by then!!

Will take down decor when we get home...probably not before.

Have a nice New Year's Day, everyone~ Cheers~here's hoping for a healthy, good year for all. 🎉🥂

[gidgetgh]

Happy New Year everyone. Always glad to participate in our decluttering thread. 

I'm still decluttering every day.  It's just a way of life for me. New things naturally come in so I'm always looking for things that maybe I've grown tired of or they don't serve a purpose or bring me joy any longer.

I am still taking quite a bit to consignment, but not as much to Goodwill, though I did take a few small things to them on the 30th. 

On Friday, I was able to part with one of my husband's jackets, which surprised me.  I have kept very few things of my husband's overall and I had kept 3 of his jackets,  Till now, I hadn't been able to part with any of them, but on Friday, I was fine with the bulkiest jacket going. It's not in good enough shape to donate, so I put it in the trash and thought I might get emotional and have to take it back out, but I didn't.  I don't know what happened that made it ok for that one to go, but so far, it's still in the trash. Progression of grief I guess.  I still plan on keeping the other 2, which are very lightweight. 

Yesterday, I bagged up a really large square thick like bolster pillow that I used to use for sleeping when I had vertigo attacks,  I haven't used it in a few years, used stacked different regular pillows instead, so this one could go. I don't donate pillows, so it went into the trash.  That took up a lot of room so I was happy to see it go. 

[Harpa]

I've got decluttering intentions. Thanks for an extra incentive, @rnmom  and @lynnie61 ! There's still that closet that needs to be revamped. And there are shoes I'll never wear again.

Two days ago I was decluttering my wardrobe, and managed to get rid of two things.

My biggie for today is to chuck out all the 2022 calendars!

[amyb]

Also something to share...

I follow Beth Vargis's blog "My Simpler Life" and she does a yearly "Declutter Calendar", that you can download. It goes one month at a time, with a daily declutter prompt each day. Weekends off, where she usually posts something "just for you"...like "do something you love in nature" "stay in pjs and read a good book" ...ie. two days of rest and "sprititually recharging."

I always find this calendar helpful to check into, and I do many of the things, either because I normally do those things in that time of year, or because she prompts me to look in that area of my life again. ie. reminds me time to review the undies and sock drawer again. Time to look under the bed again. Go through hats. Go through old magazines and catalogs. Go through bathroom drawers. On and on...not only room by room, but drawer by drawer. Little by little it adds up and makes a big difference overall!

It's tiny increments. You don't have to do it exactly the same as she does each day, but overall it helps give you ideas where to declutter and helps you stay motivated and on track.

I can't post the link but if you go to her website "My Simpler Life" .com and 2023 declutter calendar you should find it.

Just sharing in case anyone's interested.

[FastDogWalker2]

Thank you rnmom!  I am pretty good about purging what we don't need or want but there is always room for improvement and this looks like an excellent,supportive way to keep moving in the right direction! Happy 2023!

[sarahpanda]

I  purchased another house and I have the daunting task of unloading this one...22 years of ''life'' here, not to mention many years of life in a prior house that was moved here. !  I have no idea how to begin.  It will be such an undertaking that I'm now second guessing myself as to if the other house should have been purchased in the first place. It will likely take me at least 6 months to get moved ...have mercy !!