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Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 10:22 am
I take baby steps with my office area..try and do a few minutes at a time..wether it is garbage removal etc., Do you have a storage room in your apartment building. If not...you have to consider really getting rid of stuff. I have the same thing here and you know what..I need to do more. Open a box...look at it? Have you used it within the last year or two..when do you think you would use it again? If you are not sure, can you borrow something similar from a friend if you do want to use it again, then get rid of it. My rule for myself here is, once I put stuff in a bag for charity...I don't allow myself to go back through it. You could also find out when there is a church rummage sale and donate the items there or to the goodwill or something similar. Just do a bit at a time. I usually have a few boxes with me. One for garbage/recyclables, one for donation and one to keep and even have one with unsure so you can decide that later so you don't waste too much time. Weigh your bags that are for donation so you can see how many pounds of clutter you are getting rid of...that will make you feel better to that you are getting rid of all these "pounds" We talked about de-cluttering before a meeting last night...and you know what...you don't have to keep every wedding gift that you received, you will never use etc., you don't have to display or keep every figurine that you have received from a dead great great great aunt. sometimes we put too much value on the items we have and being de-cluttered, neat and organized is a wonderful way to start. Since you have are planning on getting another computer...I would highly suggest on getting a notebook. We have one now and it is so handy..can do work there in our office or go to another room. Think of yourself or think of Vin sitting in a nice chair in the solarium reading email and working with a piping tea beside you. You could just get then a small work space and it would save on room. As for the books, I would look at them and carefully think over why you have the ones you do and do they all need to be kept. There are often hospitals, out-reach places i.e. hospice or something like community care access that may want some of your books. If you want to have them..what about shelving put up high in the den as you don't have to get at the books..or get 1 an oversized bookshelf instead of small ones all over. I got a big one for the kids books and have some of my books in it too..and with the bigger shelf, the kids don't seem to have books all over the place anymore and I have the two top shelves holding my books (shelf is over 5') This saves room in my office area for other things now. I would love to see a a couple of storage cupboards in that sunroom that you can close and you cannot see what is in them. (you can store you cleaning supplies and other things that you don't need out in the open) I know that you don't decorate for Christmas, however, I remember hearing that people take down trinkets, etc., and make room for all their decorations. I was told that after the old decorations are put away, look at the room before you put things back in it as there is probably enough stuff there in the first place. so for the solarium, I would love to see a couple of chairs to rest on and read a good book while enjoying the sun and view, use smaller sized storage cupboards for side tables (you can just buy cheap ones and then put a nice drop cover on them to dress up and even a glass top if you really want to go out. Get a couple of nice reading lights have just one small book shelf in there and enjoy. Ok, I have rambled on enough here..hope it all makes sense..you got me on a roll. I wish you lived closer..I would love to tackle it for you and make it a so comfy and cozy
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 10:39 am
Vacanick, "boogy" equals "get it out of there..." Great tips, Skootz! I especially love the one about imagining using the space the way it was intended.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 11:00 am
i thought "boogy" was something hanging out of your nose, and "boogie" was the fly lady term. correct me if i'm wrong!
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 11:12 am
LOL, you may be 100% correct, landi, and thank you for mentioning it. Boogie it is, landi!
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 10:59 pm
Wow, Skootzie and Veezie, Thanks for the great tips. You've given me lots of food for thought. I do feel more hopeful than I did this morning and that's a good thing. Things that come to mind are... Vin does NOT want a laptop: Too hot to put on a lap for long, crappy screens, etc. (sigh) I should have gotten one while I worked on contract for 27 months at a major international computer company last year, but I kept waiting for a 'better deal', and it never came about. Talk about a lost/wasted opportunity... Dh is a major packrat, God luv 'im. Most of the stuff in those boxes he never uses and hasn't used in about a YEAR but I pity the poor fool who would attempt to convince him to part with any of it. He simply can't/won't. Who knows, maybe, maybe... this time, he will find the wherewithall to cull his stuff. But I'd rather bet on the horses than bet on that. Whenever we have a garage sale, I have 2 or three tables of stuff, but he NEVER has anything! I'm at the point where I resent being the only one to sacrifice stuff. I love the vision you have of the solarium... Others have also suggested that it could be made into an office of sorts... and I love the idea of a closed shelving unit to keep the cleaning stuff... and I have it. I'm using it for linens and bedding, BUT can use one of mom's 2 dressers for that, once we move all her clothes over to the nursing home, where they have shelves for her stuff. You see, that piece of advice alone, is priceless. I would not have thought of it. I forgot to add that we keep the cats input (food) and output (litterbox) in the solarium too, and that is non-negotiable, since there is nowhere else we'd want to put it, and we really have no choice with the limited space here. Anyways, thanks again ladies, for taking the time to think of solutions, and I look forward to implementing some of them, after the holidays. I'll keep you posted. 
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Tuesday, April 04, 2006 - 11:03 pm
PS. We do decorate for Christmas, but we also decorate for Chanukkah! So we have TWICE the decorations as most homes. LOL.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 7:52 am
A word about the kitties' litter box being in the solarium...very nice privacy screens are available for hiding a litter box. Cats prefer to have some privacy...well, of course!...and it's not so unsightly for you if you are actually out there enjoying the space. My aunt created one of her own out of three small pieces of plywood. She hinged them and then painted a little cottage on them with surrounding gardens...very cute and very primitive since Auntie has no particular artistic talent. Some sites to check out for privacy screens: CatCosmos Drs FosterSmith Cats Play C&G gifts and collectibles
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 8:34 am
mame, other than when i'm in bed, i don't put the laptop actually ON my lap. i use the kitchen counter if sitting there, the coffee table if sitting there, the kitchen table if sitting there, out on the deck at the picnic table on a warm summer's night if sitting there.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 10:17 am
My energy is so lacking today, that all I am capable of doing is a wallet boogie (see, landi, I can spell it correctly, now ). These are the steps that Fly suggests... 1. Loose change and stamps into the zippered section... 2. Paper money into the open slot... 3. License (and military ID) into the ID window... 4. ATM card in one slot... 5. Primary credit card in one slot... 6. Vehicle roadside assistance card in one slot... 7. Checks/check register in their special slots... That's it...everything else should be stored elsewhere. I have been keeping my social security card in my wallet forever...not supposed to do that; it should be kept in a firesafe box. So all those bank deposist slips and receipts are going to get boogied today. Guess that FlyLady is a big believer in Henry David Thoreau's Simplify.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 11:57 am
I just bought this really pretty red wallet and I was confused because it only had one window sleeve. My last wallet had two. I also kept my social security card in one sleeve & CDL in the other. Now I keep my social security card somewhere else. I need to head your lead and "boogie" out my wallet as well!:o) BTW who is FlyLady??
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 12:27 pm
A couple weeks ago I needed a little purse for a nice dinner out so I went shopping. I found this tiny one, it's so perfect for me, lol. It has only two sleeves (one for ID/Drivers License and one for credit card or atm.) After that it's just big enough for my cell phone and chapstick and I can squeeze in a checkbook and pen if I'm going to pay bills. I love it! There's no room for any other crap at all, though if Dakota's with me I can take out my cell phone and stick in her inhaler. I went out to my sisters one day last week and set my purse and keys on the table, and both her and a friend of ours who was sitting there stared at me then busted up laughing asking how I could get by with something so small, lol. Sis started pulling stuff out of her purse and it looked just like mine had before I downgraded to a smaller size, pens and paper, well hers had some makeup which mine never does, pictures, inhalers, some of the kids toys, crayons, and the kitchen sink, LOL! Silly as it sounds life has been so much simpler since I started carrying the little purse. I don't have to dig through a bigger one to find my wallet, then dig through my wallet to find cash or my atm card. Used to I never carried a purse and only do now cuz it's more conveinient with my cell phone and when I have to Kota's inhaler.
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Jimmer
Moderator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 12:44 pm
LOL – You should see my wallet! It’s so bad that when I was paying for something at the store where I buy all my computer stuff, one of the guys laughed and said that I have a “George Costanza Wallet”. It took me a second to realize what he was talking about. (Remember that Seinfeld episode?)
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Merrysea
Member
08-13-2004
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 12:52 pm
Vacanick, you can go to www.flylady.net to find out all about Flylady. It appears that she's a housecleaning guru - but in reality, she's more of an overall self-help resource. I don't know how to describe her!
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 1:05 pm
Thank you Merrysea! 
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 1:10 pm
LOL Jimmer, sounds like Darren. Last time he cleaned out his wallet he had business cards from places he'd never heard of and had no idea where he'd gotten them!
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 1:33 pm
FlyLady is a dear woman whose real name is Marla Cilley. She has established a terrific house/life management system. I apply so many of her concepts to my life and need to apply a whole lot more. Please visit her web site, Vacanick, and check it out at your leisure. You'll be glad that you did! (Thanks, Merrysea, for providing the link!) Yes, Jimmer, I do remember that episode...so, whatcha going to do about that burgeoning wallet of yours? LOL! Wargod, you've done really well! I used to carry a much larger purse and had to downsize. Now, Marla is saying that if you have the wallet organized so that it actually closes...heh, heh, mine didn't there for a while...you can just grab that instead of taking the entire purse with you when you go on a quick run to the store.
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Mameblanche
Member
08-24-2002
| Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 10:36 pm
Landi, Thanks for the heads-up about the laptop. I need all the ammo I can get to convince Vince. LOL. Since he's getting the computer for himself, since I've pretty much hijacked this one, he gets to choose what he wants. Makes sense to me. (shrug) As a journalist, it would be great for me to have a portable laptop for traveling... but that looks like it will be the 3rd computer (!) maybe at some point, or not. Vee, LOVE the kitty litter screens! Great idea... I wonder if PetSmart has them?
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 5:03 am
I searched PetSmart, but didn't see anything quite like that. Of course, there are the hooded litterboxes that many cats will not use since they hold in the odors. Mine included. Hope you can find something that isn't too pricey. I wonder if purchasing a simple trifold from Wal*Mart (the kind that kids use for projects) would work. It wouldn't have the stability, but it could have a hole punched out of either side and be anchored with a ribbon to something else in the room perhaps...Just thinking on my fanny here. LOL! We'll all be happy when Vin gets a computer, whatever it is. That way you can have dueling posts around here.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 4:37 am
This web site from I Need More Time has been quite helpful. I just measured myself against this article and found that I do not have an organized home. I am so shocked! Specifically, I do not have menu planning down to a science and my pantry is not adequately stocked. I often find myself running to the store for a specific spice or ingredient that is missing. Working on it, though.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 9:02 am
Cool site Vee. Yesterday I was cleaning out my desk and found I have a ton of disks for my computer I got rid of last weekend, LOL. And I had a bunch of CD's as well, but someone at work had requested CD's for an art project, so I got rid of those as well. I had totally forgotten about all the junk they give you, manuals,etc. when you buy a computer, so now I have a ton of room in the drawers of the desk!! It was amazing since some of that stuff was from 1999!!!!.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 9:06 am
It is a cool site Vee! I have to admit that I am somewhat of a pack rat. It's a habit I am trying to change. Here's an example ... I cleaned through my bathroom and found 3 hair dryers. One I use every day, the other 2 I'm not even sure why I was keeping them. So I threw them away. It's a start! Congrats Dipo on your new, improved, clean desk!!
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 11:02 am
LOL Vanick, that is funny that you would have 3 hair dryers!!! I used to have an extra one that I kept in my travel bag, but I gave it up when I stopped traveling for business.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - 1:33 pm
I know it's funny Dipo! But I do have a hard time throwing things away. Nicholas' toys that he's outgrown, magazines, all kinds of stuff. Any suggestions would be appreciated??
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Friday, April 14, 2006 - 5:53 am
Wow, you did better than I would have done with the extra dryers, Nic. I might have been tempted to hold onto one spare...it would've been ridiculous, but I would have done it. Hmmm, that's pretty telling. As for toys outgrown...I would make an artful arrangement (not kidding here), take a picture, save one or two of his very favorites, and purge the rest. I still have my son's teddy bear. It is as flat as a pancake and its eyes had to be replaced with buttons, but he adored that thing so it is a treasure. Magazines are a challenge for me...I have saved every issue of Country Living since it began over twenty years ago, but I have even begun to purge those. All other subscriptions get purged monthly when the new issues come in. Sometimes I take a bunch to the garage where I have the oil changed or any waiting room area. I also send some in with my sister to her workplace. Other than that, they are just recycled at the town dump. On to purging of another sort, with which I always have trouble—clothes! Here's a link that FlyLady shared from Missus Smarty Pants.com about closet purging. Dipo, you've been doing great work purging and reclaiming valuable space. That's just the thing...some of the space that is just waiting to be reclaimed is far more valuable than the stuff we have in it. Keep up the good work! It must be a wonderful feeling!
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Penguingirl
Member
01-26-2006
| Friday, April 14, 2006 - 6:24 am
lol Vee, dh use to insist we keep his Popular Science mags. Some were 11 years old. I told him, "they're not popular anymore and they have to go". Just a suggestion on kids clothes..please bring usable items to your school's nurse's office. There's always a need.
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