Tag Archives: clutter

The organizing struggle continues

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I’ve written three posts detailing my mission to help my mother organize (Helping a collector organize, A collector chooses organization, Organizing payoff). While she’s more willing to let go of things than when we started 16 months ago, she’s still extremely sentimental and somewhat unrealistic about craft projects she plans to start and/or finish. She also continues to shop and add to her collections. (BIG SIGH!)

We continued working in her garage going through boxes. Some of those boxes were packed two moves ago! It’s reasonable to think that if she hasn’t needed anything in those boxes since 2003 she doesn’t need any of it now. I really don’t mind her sifting through the paper to see if there might be a photo or money, but I get a little cranky when she wants to read cards or articles from long ago. However, I’ve learned this is what she needs to do to let go of things, so I summon all the *finesse I can muster and remain silent.

I’ve also learned that she doesn’t keep or buy things because she was raised in the depression-era. She keeps and buys things to give away to others. She’s not content to give these things to a Goodwill or Salvation Army unless it’s really something no one would want. If there’s the slightest possibility she can personally find a new owner for her stuff, she will hold onto it with clenched fist.

Progress is slow, but we did manage to fill three boxes which are sitting in the back of my Acura MDX awaiting drop off at the local thrift store, fill her recycle can half way, and fill her garbage can to the top. We also brought in a shelving unit to get some of the containers off the floor. I have to focus on what we accomplished rather than what is left to do. I’ll go crazy otherwise.

I need to schedule one day a month to help her through this process. She tries to go through things on her own, but is easily distracted by the memories brought to mind. I could just let things be, but mom turns 81 this month and at some point we will have to deal with the clutter. I’d rather spend time doing it with her, than without her.

 

My organizing finesse level:
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What’s your organizing finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

Organizing payoff

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My dad at 10 years old. Probably a class photo from Binnsmead Elementary, Portland, OR.

Several months ago I wrote about the effort to help my mother organize her nearly 80 years of collecting (http://www.femme-de-finesse.com/a-collector-chooses-organization/). We had made some progress in her kitchen, living room and family room before taking a much needed break from the enormous task.

Last week she had a leak around her water heater, so the husband stopped by to take a look. The sight of her garage filled with boxes made my heart sink. Now I fully understood why she was under the impression her garage was not really a two car garage. It was clearly time to take a stab at organizing again.

It was a little difficult to decide how to tackle the gargantuan amount of stuff. Because she had help when she moved from her late husband’s home, I don’t think she really knew what was in each box. We decided to start in one corner and work our way around. My sister joined us for a few hours and we worked together with great *finesse, keeping each other on task, which can be difficult when you come across “treasures.” My goal was to get a space cleared in front of the electrical panel so mom could check a breaker without breaking her neck and hopefully get as far as the cabinets, which I’m guessing is about 8 feet from the corner.

My dad, Richard and his older brothers, Russell and Del

We didn’t quite meet that goal, but we did get an unexpected payoff. Mom found some old photos of my dad from his childhood. There was a great photo of him at maybe six to nine months old with his two older brothers. What a treasure! We also came across letters from his sisters and other documents that will be a great addition to my genealogy research on ancestry.com.We still have a LOT to do, but with every load we haul to recycling and thrift shops, we are making progress!

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

Yard sale recap

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The topic of my post last week was our upcoming yard sale, the husband’s reluctant cooperation and the fact that “I seriously lack *finesse in the yard/garage sale business.” Now that it’s over I know I still have a lot to learn, but the experience was fun, tiring, educational and surprising.

It was fun meeting and talking with neighbors, friends and strangers. Many people mentioned that they drive past our house often and complimented our home and landscape. It’s always nice to hear that people appreciate the effort you make to keep your property looking nice.

It was tiring gathering, cleaning, pricing and moving all the sale items, then putting up tables to display it all. It was tiring moving it all at the end of day one, moving it out again for day two, and then boxing the leftover items for donation when it was finished.

It was very educational, and I learned the following:

  • If all you have to offer is knick-knacks, you’re better off donating than having a yard sale.
  • Tupperware sells!
  • Price like items separately, but offer them as a set for a discount.
  • Set prices low enough to interest buyers, but high enough to allow them to negotiate.

It’s surprising what people will buy and what they will ignore. A newer desk and file cabinet were of no interest to anyone regardless of price, while a loveseat and chair we purchased in 1980 received a lot of attention before selling for the full price. It’s surprising and somewhat strange how customers come in groups. I’d be sitting there with no one stopping by for 15 to 20 minutes, then all of the sudden three cars would pull in one after another. The biggest surprise was the amount of cooperation I received from the husband. This was going to be a one day sale, but he suggested we extend it through Saturday. He gave me breaks when I needed them and was very helpful moving things. He was quite enthusiastic as we packed up his truck and my MDX with the leftovers and dropped them at Goodwill!

I slightly exceeded my goal in terms of money earned, which made the sale worth the time and effort required. Would I do it again? Yes, but only if we have enough large items to sell, otherwise it makes more sense to just donate the small stuff and get a tax write-off. Goodwill and Salvation Army will still see plenty of me as I continue the seemingly never-ending task of clearing out clutter and organizing.

My yard/garage sale *finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert             

What’s your yard/garage sale finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

Yard sale countdown

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I broke the news to the husband last night.

“I need your help Friday morning.”

“To do what?”

“Set up for our yard sale.”

“Our what?”

He’s made his position on yard sales very clear throughout our more than three decades of marriage.  He has stated on numerous occasions that he wasn’t going to be part of any yard sale, but I figured he could help me move the stuff from the house to the yard. He reluctantly has agreed because he really wants the stuff out of the house.

As I wrote in a post in May, I seriously lack *finesse in the yard/garage sale business. I also asked if any readers had tips, but the responses I received revealed that my readers are not overly savvy in this department either. So I’m going to use the article from Organized Home I noted in the previous post as a road map.

I’ve printed out the site’s handy Yard Sale Check List. First stop is an office supply store to purchase pre-printed yard sale price stickers; a great tip from the article. They’re printed in amounts from 10 cents to $10 and should be a real a time-saver. Who knew?

I’m ready to get this sale organized – wish me luck!

My yard sale *finesse level:  Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert

What’s your yard sale finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

Vacation souvenirs – a love/hate relationship

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I LOVE to travel. I love exploring new places, spending time with friends and family who live far away, and just plain getting away from the ordinary day-to-day stuff. I like remembering the places we’ve been with souvenirs, but as much as I love souvenirs, I also hate them.

My first recollection of purchasing souvenirs was when we went on a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park (one of my favorite places on earth!). I was 8 years old and with the help of my mother, picked up a jewelry box, coin purse and pennant all emblazoned with the image of Old Faithful. That vacation started a long tradition of purchasing souvenirs that now clutter my house. And it’s not just souvenirs I’ve purchased, but souvenirs my parents and grandparents brought back from their travels.

When I finally realized this needed to stop, I migrated to purchasing and requesting T-shirts. This is a better solution than storing or dusting less practical souvenirs, but they eventually wear out so the entire purpose of a souvenir is lost.

The perfect solution appeared as I was perusing the gift shop at Mt. Rushmore and came across a Christmas ornament depicting the famous monument. It hit me that Christmas ornaments are the perfect souvenir! You take them out once a year, relive fond memories as you place them on the tree and then store them away neatly with the other ornaments a few weeks later. Perfect!

Since that epiphany, I’ve purchased ornaments on our trips to Disneyland, Seattle, Seaside, the Oregon Caves, the Grand Canyon and most recently Cape Disappointment. They don’t take up much space in the suitcase, which is a plus, and they don’t clutter my house. They are the perfect souvenir and sparkling reminders of the fun places we’ve enjoyed visiting.

My souvenir *finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert             

What’s your souvenir finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

 

 

Looking for yard/garage sale tips

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 I’ve made quite a bit of progress decluttering my home (and trying to help my mother do the same). Some items have already been donated to thrift stores, but since we have some furniture and other large scale items, I thought I’d try unloading them via a yard sale. (It has to be a yard sale, ‘cause the husband won’t let strangers near his garage!)

I’ve held one or two yard sales and helped with a few others, but I lack *finesse in this department. Knowing that I don’t want to put in a lot of effort for little return, I began searching the web for tips. I came across the following article, which covers a lot of ground and provides useful information.

OrganizedHome.Com: Clean House, Cut Clutter and Get Organized at Home!

Please feel free to share your yard/garage sale finesse!

My yard/garage sale finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert

What’s your yard/garage sale finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

Buried in boxes of photos

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I had good intentions and followed through pretty well during the first few years of marriage. Shortly after getting our photos developed, I’d place them neatly on the adhesive pages of photo albums with clever captions below. When we started having kids I envisioned photo albums for each child, creatively capturing each milestone from first steps to graduation.

Something went very wrong between the visions and reality and we now have boxes of photos. The ones that did make it into those old adhesive photo albums have been removed, but some are very badly damaged. I invested in several photo-safe boxes and began organizing the photos by date. I’m glad they are safe from further deterioration, but this still doesn’t seem to be the best option for preserving memories long term. Honestly, it’s all a little overwhelming.

I used a new approach with the pictures of my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding. I used an online photo book service and was very pleased with the result. I have to say, the layout options were a little less intuitive than I would have liked, but workable if you have some photo editing knowledge. The same company offers scanning of photos, but I’m not comfortable sending irreplaceable memories through the mail.

Organizing digital photos can be equally frustrating. We recently updated our computer’s operating system and can’t get our photos to transfer. If they aren’t safe on the hard drive, then they have to be stored elsewhere.  Print them? Burn a CD?

A simple internet search yields a lot of results for how to organize photos, but I’d like to know what works for you. Have you found a great solution?

My photo organization finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert

What’s your photo organization finesse level?

A “collector” chooses organization

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I recently wrote about trying to help my mother begin the overwhelming task of becoming organized. I readily admit to not being organized by nature (wonder where I get that?), but I have picked up some skills that help me achieve an efficient, calm, organized lifestyle. I thought if mom took an organizational class, her eyes would be opened to a whole new world where there’s “a place for everything and everything is in its place.” Oh, if it had only been that easy.

Mom’s a “fly by the seat of your pants” kind of gal. She’s always ready for fun and has the ability to make people feel comfortable. If someone needs her, she drops everything and is there for them. It’s easy to see why she has a LOT of friends. And her friends give her gifts, which she proudly displays. As I mentioned in the previous post, her collection of stuff flows throughout her lovely 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in a seemingly endless display of visual clutter.

Evil Clutter Fairy: "Three weeks after throwing something away you'll need it again."

We attended the organizational class in the summer and she resisted all requests to begin the process of elimination – until a week before Christmas. Mom wanted to host Christmas dinner at her house and understands I have a hard time relaxing while surrounded by clutter. I was fine with her hosting, and she reluctantly accepted my offer to help her get her kitchen and family room organized and festive.

I won’t say it wasn’t challenging, and at times it was even painful, but the process was started. We continued to go through her home one day a week through Feb. We’ve made a lot of progress, but we’ve got a long way to go. I’ll keep you updated!

My organization finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert

What’s your organization finesse level?

If you need some coaching, contact connie@anewbeginningorganizing.com – www.anewbeginningorganizing.com

Helping a “collector” organize

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My organization finesse level:  
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert
                                          
I love it when people comment on my organizational skills, because I’m NOT organized by nature. Since it’s one of my weak areas, I over compensate. I really enjoy creating calm out of chaos, but it can be a real challenge, especially when working with your mother.

Mom is a “collector.” Some might describe her as a hoarder, but she’s nothing like the people you see on TV. None the less, her collection of stuff flows throughout her lovely 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in a seemingly endless display of visual clutter.

I thought it might be helpful if she attended a class on organization, so last summer, I registered us for one held at our local community college. The instructor was fun and helpful, and provided a plan similar to what you’d see on TV.

Before you start sorting, get five bins, boxes, or bags and label them:

  1. Keep
  2. Sell
  3. Toss (Trash)
  4. Donate
  5. Recycle

Mom listened, took notes and asked questions. My hopes soared as I envisioned us sorting through stuff with lightning speed. However, reality hit a few weeks later when I suggested we get started. Nope, she wasn’t ready. I realized Mom didn’t need an organizer as much as she needed a counselor. The best I could do was just be her daughter.

What’s your organization finesse level?
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert

If you need some coaching, contact connie@anewbeginningorganizing.com – www.anewbeginningorganizing.com