In The Zone

I'm seriously there - in the zone - and it's a great place to be!

I've already thrown out another few bags of rubbish and the bin outside is close to over-flowing with crap. And it's that bad I went to the back of the unit complex to look for an empty bin - but alas! There's none available. This is what happens when people borrow a bin and don't put it out for collection... silly them.

Well, I pushed everything down and had to 'make room' for more rubbish. But it didn't make much space.

Anyway, since Boxing Day, I have filled another 3 - 4 rubbish bags and sorted out the 2 archive boxes in the home office into something which looks like I can just open them and work through them without wondering: 'What in the hell's in these boxes?' So, that's a good thing! But today, I had to go out and get another archive box, another 3-ring binder and more manilla folders. And to make it more fun, I got them all in purple... just to keep it colourful. 

But I didn't expect every man and his dog to be at Office Works with their kid buying school supplies that their kid 'just has to have!' all because it's on that infurnal list! You know half the stuff you get on that list isn't actually used in school, but if your kid doesn't get it, well, they're the only one there who doesn't have 'the right stuff' on the first day. I remember being at school when you only had to have a few exercise books, a pencil case full of pens and pencils, a ruler and a calculator, and that was it. And my folks called that expensive. Now? Well, it's a totally different world. 

Anyway, back to what I was doing. I had to get some petrol for the car, ice creams for tonight and other things to eat this week as well, then check the mail and come home. 

Now I'm home, I'm looking forward to emptying out the last box, and making up my bed for the New Year. It's going to be a good, cool, chilled one. But I'm going to have a nice neat office, clean kitchen and plenty of painting to get done.  

So, what are you doing tonight to get through the night? After today, my office and house are going to look so much better. Until next year, I hope you've gotten so much done this year in the way of decluttering - as much as I have and more - and I hope you get more done next year. See you then!

Christmas Night Declutter

Now, I know this sounds weird, but I do a Christmas Night Declutter. I live alone, and there's really not that much to do when you don't have a family around you. 

So, I find something to watch on television, grab some rubbish bags and sort through some crap which I've been putting off.  I've been doing this for the past 3 years. 

And this year, I broke my record well and truly for rubbish bags!  I filled 6 rubbish bags! OMG! How good is that! While it was pouring rain outside, and I watched 'The X-Files' and some other movie on television, I was at it. I cleaned out 3 Green Bags and filled up those rubbish bags in no time flat! I'm so happy with my progress!

And man, I found things I've been looking for! 

Anyway, there's still things I need to get done for the next week in the cleaning out stakes - before New Years Eve - to make the living room liveable and tidy on a more permanent basis. Then? Well, it's onto my bedroom and I have to make sure it's all tidy there too, because next month, I'll be in a different location for a while. 

But it's also a personal thing too. I want to have a tidy home - like everyone does - but my place isn't that big, and it's something I'd like to get right at some point in my life. So, how are you doing with your cleaning out right how? It's Boxing Day, and I'm wondering, do you get into the cleaning out now or in the New Year? 

Donation Day!

Well! Today, I looked around my house and gathered up a few last minute things to put in my car. No, not in the Donation Box, but in the boot of my car. 

I walked around the bedroom and looked at the bags I had sitting on the floor of my bedroom and thought about the last time I used them - if it's been a year or six months - and they were tossed out into the hallway. They were added to the boot of the car. 

Then, the 1970's piece I've had for a few years sitting next to my pantry, clogging up that area has been cleaned out and pulled out of that spot. But I wanted to use another set of drawers, which were similar to that - to store a lot of things into them and clear out a lot of what was sitting around next to the pantry.
What I was looking for was sitting out on my art work bench! It was a set of drawers my friend, Ian, gave me a couple of years ago. Yep, it had been staring at me in the face! So, I cleaned out that set of drawers and tossed out a lot of crap from that and pulled that set of drawers from that area and placed it into the spot next to the pantry. And it's a perfect fit!

Well! I added another basket I'm no longer using, two handbags I don't use anymore and a box of goodies which have been clogging up my living room as well - and off I went to the charity store to donate! 

While I was there, I went dress shopping. Now, my wardrobe isn't what it used to be in the dress department; and so this is a good thing for me. I picked up two lovely dresses: a blue and white teardrop dress - which turned out to be brand new. And I found a gorgeous little party dress, which one other customer told me to put back 'because it won't fit you'. But I tried it on anyway, and it did fit perfectly! Two dresses! I love it! Anyway, that was it, two dresses after donating all of that from my house. How are you doing with your decluttering before Christmas?

Christmas Declutter

This year has been a rough year for me, and yesterday, I just sat down and cried. Honestly, I did. I haven't had the best year due to more friends of mine passing away, and when I arrived home, I found that my house wasn't as tidy as I wanted it to be.

So, on Saturday, as you've read, I just jumped in and began decluttering and tidying up as much as I could before the sun went down. I completely unpacked my bag, sorted out the dirty laundry and worked out what needed to be done. 

Now, I'm in such a zone about it all, I've moved some of the furniture around the office so I can get to the wardrobe in that room properly, have gone through some of my wardrobe in my bedroom and have gotten together some of the stuff in my living room in the Donation Box, all ready to be dropped off at the local charity store.

I have still yet to put away all of the laundry, clean the bathroom floor, put away anything not needed over the New Year into the wardrobes and then tidy up in the home office properly... that won't take long, but I'm looking forward to getting in and making sure my house is cleaned out better. And after the art area was such a great success, the living room is next! I'm not worried too much about how much I'll be throwing out, so long it's gone.

So, how about you all? Seeing that the end of the year is just around the corner, what have you got planned for your place in the coming new year? Is there a home office renovation you've been hanging out to do? Or are you going to clean out the garage in a big way? Or how about your backyard? Are you looking into cleaning it up, renovating it and making it into a place you and your family want to spend more time being in next year? And you know how it goes: the devil's in the details of decluttering, okay? Plan ahead, don't buy too many storage container - not until you need them (yes, count how many your needs are first, then buy). And most of all: if you need help, don't feel bad about asking for it. 

Well, that's the best advice I've learned about decluttering over the past few years - especially while writing on this blog; even when there's been next to no comments. I do know people are reading what's here. Anyway, I hope you do have a great Christmas and Holiday Season, and wish you a very Happy New Year. I won't put down a Weekend Challenge for the next few weeks, so you can spend time with your families. I will be back in early January. 

Holidays

I've been on a week's holiday; and just returned yesterday - Saturday. It's been a good week, and I've gotten myself straight into cleaning out immediately.

Isn't it funny in a strange kinda way when you go on holidays when you come home, and you just can't stand your house? I think it's because you take only what you need with you, and when you return, you find it so much easier to throw out what you no longer want anymore.

Well, I did just that last night, mere hours after unpacking. I had filled a rubbish bag with crap and tossed it out. I have a second bag filled and it's by the door. And now, there's a box from this morning's fruit and veggie run too by that door too. I'm doing really well so far. I've also got to fill up the rubbish bag from upstairs to throw out what's in the bins upstairs - which I didn't get to fit in the bins last week.

Otherwise, while I was down the coast, I wrote out a few lists of what was needed to be done when I returned home; and now I'm back, I'm hoping to get it all done by the time I have to take off again next year. 

So, how are you doing with your decluttering? Okay... this is December's decluttering. Now, if you jump on YouTube, you'll be able to follow Peter Walsh's 30-Day Challenge and he'll help you get jump-started in your big decluttering challenge again next year. I do mine each year - and it's a great way to get into decluttering a house really well. Why not have a go at it? 

Huge Art Clean Out

Well! I've been a busy person today!

After yesterday's struggle with basic algebra and trying to get my 50,000 words done for NaNoWriMo, and making it with 8 words to spare, I'm pleased with my book this past month - and I got it done with a day to spare too.

Also, I was totally surprised by a male Huntsman spider taking a walk across my living room floor... he wasn't a very old spider, or smart one (as these guys are known to be smart). He waited under my kitchen table for me to get my shoes on and the bug spray and was surprised when I tried to kill him.

Well, he's dead and I didn't sleep for a good part of the night.

Today, I jumped into my art section next to my back door (no he didn't come from there, I just needed to work on the art desk in the next few days that's all). So, I pulled that desk apart and got my butt into the whole thing!

Anyway, 3 bags of crap later, and a few trips to the big recycling bin at the back of my complex, I found I filled up my rubbish bin - and collection day is next Wednesday! So, I'll have to leave decluttering another part of the house for a little while. 

But the whole section looks and feels so much cleaner. I have 2 empty boxes to use, have got 2 plastic boxes I'm using for other art gear and have enough space for a new hobby I've picked up: painting rocks. 

All of the clean up took 3 hours to do, and it was a stinking hot day! And I got into this after doing 3 loads of laundry this morning and putting out 2 big bags of rubbish into my bin... so that was something. Anyway, what did you get into this weekend which you've been putting off? I still have a few things around the house to put away and clean up before the tree and decorations go up around the house for Christmas. 

New And Old

I've been busily decluttering and recycling my items lately - and throwing out big time too!

This week has been a mammoth week. I didn't go to art group, but I did have a meltdown on Monday... which led to me having too much to do; and biting off too much for that day.

Thank goodness for my Mum. We help each other when it comes to decluttering. I phoned her and fell apart on her, saying I had half my office in my bedroom and there was no way I could sleep in my bedroom on Monday night - so she came over and helped me with culling my books.

We filled 3 boxes and 2 bags! Oh my god!

And after we dragged those to her car, I found that the next day or two, I filled another two bags with books I wasn't going to read ever! This was going good.

Thursday rolled around, and I needed to get out of the house. I dropped by a friend's house and gave her some books from my childhood that her grandson would love; and was pleased when she said he'd love them. We had coffee together; and her cat enjoyed a pat.

Then, last night, I rolled over in bed and kicked the little white bookcase and, that was it! I had to get it into the office! This morning, I was up at 8am and before breakfast, I had moved it into the office and the brown daggy, saggy one out! This forced my Dad to get himself here to help me put up a shelf so I could work to put books away and move on to the next part of my home office reno. He even helped me ditch the main bookcase up the back of the complex - as it wouldn't fit in the recycling bin. 

I then went to my folks' place and helped Mum sort through the books we had culled - to make sure there were no Bookcrossing books in the collection; as charity and second-hand book stores don't take those books. We did well and counted up 8 bags of books to take over to Browns Plains! Wow! What a great haul!

What a day! I'm so tired. But I'll give you a Weekend Challenge for this weekend.

This time, it's not for the home office or lounge room. I want you to go out into your garden and pick out any dead plants, empty pots you haven't used and mouldy potting mix sitting around doing nothing. Before you do touch anything, put on the gardening gloves and a mask and get your bin ready. Put all the plastic empty pots into the recycling. Throw out the mouldy potting mix into your general rubbish and anything dead goes into your compost. Clean up your garden area before Winter for you guys in the Northern Hemisphere and before bushfire and storm season really hits for the Southern Hemisphere.