Purge update...10-12-2010

I started working on this September 14--- It has been JUST under a month and I have done ALOT! 

Although some are not striked through I am working on or have almost finished SOME of them!



switch kate and matts bed

set up kates new bed

set up Emilys bed

re set up Matts bed

move shelf from living room

move TV, dvd, Wii, set up on school room shelf

move furniture in girls room

change out closets in girls room










go through kids clothing:

shirts-limit number to 10

pants- limit number to 10 (jeans, shorts, carpi's etc.)

length of dresses-

seasonal clothes- jackets, rain jackets, boots, gloves etc

Personal clothes item- fit and worness

store seasonal things that I need to keep we do still have shorts out but I have stored some things.

send clothes to people who can use them

donate old blankets, sheets torn towels to SPCA  I am serious when I say I had none except for one torn towel.  I have one set of sheets for each bed except mine.  I just dont keep extras.  I think once we get the girls their NEW bedding I will keep their old stuff for extra. 










shoes-

seasonal  bought fall shoes for all three kids, still have about half the flip flops out though!

fit

need




Bags

go through bags

purses

backpacks- looking for tears

unwanted

unnecessary




books:

cull through books that can be packed for other years still have some in storage

go through mulitple copies of books that I dont need

get rid of books that are for younger kids

go through curriculum that I KNOW we will not use  except for storage books.

go through fiction books

go through Christian living, helps, home schooling books




buy new book case for school room got one from the school room in Arcola- THANKS Vickie!

rearrange larger books on big shelf and put all smaller books on the new shelf  re stored some books and made room for books so waiting on new book shelf.




organize by subjects: History, science, fiction, current read alouds for the year, extra reading

Toys:

throw away any that are broken

find ways to organize what we kept

Get rid of unused, unwanted, baby, or repeat items




Personal items:



papers--- put them in individual catagories (possible a travel file folder thing)

keepsakes- store if needed or take a picture of and get rid of.







Furniture:

Get rid of unneeded

send couch cushions to dry cleaners

take down curtains to wash

paint book case in school room

get another white pull out drawer for under school desk (with at least 4 drawers)

start looking for dining room chairs!!!!    I would like 6 and I dont mind if I have to paint them.  gotta save up for this though so I wont strike through this for a while!

arrange to use more functionally

store items of value if necessary WE have no furniture of value that should be store!




Decor:

go through seasonal decor- anything I am not using this fall season that I have I should get rid of...

go through general house decor and get rid of anything that is not longer "ME",  Did it but will do it again after Christmas- I put away more decor for Christmas decorations so when I pull it back out I can re think it.

get rid of stored decor that I no longer want

decide on paint colors and work toward being able to paint

Christmas--- I will get this out mid Nov OR after our Little Rock trip and go through it doing the same thing- If I am not using it I should get rid of it.




Make sure that each seasonal storage bin is actually what it is labeled as. I know I am missing a fall box right now!  the box was found!




Supplies:

get rid of multiple supplies that are unneeded, i.e. staplers, hole punches (do we need 3 or 4?)

organize current supplies

update stock (i.e. need mailers, stamps, staples, rubber bands etc)

update cleaning supplies

get a holder for underneath kitchen counter

get a holder for underneath bathroom counter

buy clear container to hold additional cleaning supplies







Pictures:

organize---currently all in ONE place waiting to be scanned...in evelopes by event or date.

scan in what I want

get negatives in one place

get a back up of current photos except one I need to scan in

develop the film (yes actual film, it still exists~)

throw away unwanted duplicates

scan scrap book pages and determine what I am keeping




organize current photo files and archive if needed




order pics that I have been wanting to order




make snap fish book of Chicago trip




Send pics to Sarah and Kristal




mail old pictures to people who might enjoy them--- working on this have given some to people though.




change out a few pics of family in the frames in the living room OR add frames







DVDs

determine if they are scratched beyond being usable

alphabetize them

separate school, computer games, CDs from movies---- half done

return any that I know are not mine  I only found one...

get rid of any we no longer watch because of age or content

put all CDs on computer-




Music on Computer-

organize better

make song list for IPOD

get rid of music for content if any




change movies out on the IPODS




update syncs between IPODS and both computers




Misc THINGS:

cull through throw away, get rid of , give away, pack if needed

fix things that have been broken that I keep meaning to "get to"

send clothes to menders





Vehicle:

clean out suburban

take shots, post on Craig's list etc.

get title for Truck taken care of

replenish cleaning supplies for truck

get carpet cleaned in both vehicles




update insurance when necessary










Bills and banking:

find better way to organize paper that I need to keep for a while its called a box labeled bills.  I just gotta PUT THEM THERE.

set up automatic bill pay for bills we can

change automatic savings on bank account

start account for kids




cull through stored "papers" and shred what is not needed anymore




finish "pre" budget through the end of the year.




order address stickers  got them free minus 3.00 shipping at vistaprint.com/entbook
It was a great deal.. they are customized and Very cute!




Electronics:

go through wires, plugs, chargers and get rid of unneeded

organized kids electronics- find common place to charge minus one lost ds!  argggg.

get games in one spot so far...






buy box for Misc Wii items

cull through games- sell if do not use




buy electronics cleaner and clean keyboards, screens, dust inside




get new printer ink

find new alarm clock that fits needs better- LOUD


IN ADDITION:

I cleaned out under the kitchen cabinets and got rid of STUFF.
I cleaned out the pantry and re organized it and LABELED.
I sold my books at the Home School Store and made 75.00 dollars!
I gave away a minumum of 8 full crates and a number of bags.
I threw away at least 10 trashbags when all was said and done!

I reorganized my closet, hung shoe racks and added a jewlery organizer.

In addition to the other trash and purge number I cleaned out the entire STORAGE BUILDING!  I threw away a HUGE trash can worth of stuff and added 6 more FILLED tubs to the give away pile!!!!  Whoo HOO!

I labeled the dvd sleeve on the kids movies so they KNOW where to put them up.  LOVE IT.

cleaned out medicine holder to check for expiration dates...

put all photos on computer from CDs I already had
started the process of getting all negative scanned in to be an a digital CD so that I can keep them on the computer


GOT EVERYTHING out of storage/ school room in Arcola, now i gotta go through it, this will mean more throw away, more give away and more organizing!  So my numbers above will rise!  :)

So I brought home this..

Okay I am going to post on my purge tomorrow and give you an update of all that is done, which is ALOT.  I am NOT done and in addition to what I have ALREADY gone through.. I want you to see what I brought home from the "school room" in Arcola to GO THROUGH and place or purge!

Yes... ALL THOSE BOXES.  12 plus 5 various crates FULL of Stuff.  (hey Brenda there are MORE games in here)

But the GOOD news is... there is an end in sight.  Although I think the end is really a BEND in the road and there really is no end..right!  It is a continual process.

The good thing is that even as much work as this has been, I feel good about what I have done.  I feel like I am accomplishing A LOT and really getting things in order around here!  After I finish going through everything and organizing or purging, I am going to have to spend a few days just deep cleaning because it is all surface cleaning right now!

Just keeping it real...could be wordless Wed if I didnt need to explain...

Um purge much unnecessary supplies?

This is NOT counting the map pencils they have in their school supplies on the table OR the map pencils that each have in a bag for doing school outside the home.

I blame Walmart and cheap school supplies in August.

I only have 13 glue sticks left- after I purged dried up ones!

I only have two staplers BUT two boxes of staples PLUS a zip lock back full.

I have 8 pairs of scissors (extra)--but I am keeping those!

I have two 3 hole punches --decided to keep both, don't know why!

I have about 8 hole punches but to be honest they all punch different types holes except for two. Now we wont talk about the last time I actually needed a hole punched like two small circles on button, or a hole punch that is shaped like a rectangle...( I might someday!)

I have a whole supply bag full of...to clarify ONE SUPPLY BAG FOR EACH OF THESE

extra) markers
pens
post it ( of ALL SHAPES, size and color)
sharpies (BUT THESE I KEEP)

Now my other obvious sickness besides map pencils...

MONO-ADHESIVE

These are again NOT including the one each child has in their "away" from home school bag.

I...
--refilled all the ones that could be filled
--made a note of the one I have lots of refills of but NO holder (you know
so I could BUY IT... I said the word sickness right?)
--threw away the one that NEVER worked properly
--then I went to go put two in my lap book bag that I keep ready to USE (I have all the supplies for a lap book in a bag so that I could just start working on it one day without having to DO any work- or I could grab it to take somewhere if I needed to.) BUT when I went to put the two of the mono dispensers in it I found THIS...

Did I SAY sickness....???

So I didn't end up throwing that much away honestly BUT I did get them all back into ONE spot instead of having supply bags all over the house in different areas. So instead of having three bags of markers I have one, instead of having staples in my room, the school room and in the extra supply box I have them all in the extra supply box (novel concept, huh?)


I am not very good about purging "extra" supplies but I suppose with the TONS of purging I have already done and the fact that they are all organized in ONE place makes it better and I will be accepting of my non purged status.

To purge or not to purge...

okay what are your thoughts on certain "things" that
I want to purge.

I want to get rid of a bunch of books, but I might need them.. do I keep them or just buy them again when and if I need them in a bunch of years!

Scrap book pages... I have a ton of scrap book pages, I want to scan them in and have them actually printed out into nice books. I don't need EVERY page that I scrap booked because well seriously do we need to remember the first time Kate had an Oreo? SERIOUSLY. So after I scan them in... i throw them away? That hurts my heart a little BUT i will have the pictures still!

board games... do you keep all your board games, I mean we have a lot that we just do not play, should I just get rid of them? they take up a LOT of space and I could use that space for other stuff!

I am purging clothes, night clothes etc and I want to go down to 10 outfits each for the kids, now truthfully I don't know that we have many more than 10 complete outfits, I don't think Kaitlin actually has 10! But we have extra shirts, sweaters, multiple jackets etc. Should I get rid of them and JUST keep 10 complete outfits? one light jacket, one heavy coat, 2 or 3 night clothes????


Do you have a hard time giving away something that was a gift? I didn't think I did but I have a few things that I am vacillating on...

Then there is the "I might possible need this in the future" category. I mean we have a bunch of THINGS that we really don't ever use BUT we might! I mean I have a drawer full of STUFF, I think I open it every few months, MAYBE once a month and scrounge for something but most of it stays where it is... waiting, just waiting to be used!


In the meantime.. the things I am not questioning are flying like hotcakes! 
Whoo hoo... freedom from stuff!

TO DO LIST...the great purge

Okay on to the purge...

We are in this up to our neck now! We are moving entire rooms around, changing things in our room, cleaning out closets, toys, books etc!  I am in the middle of lots of these things so I cant strike through them yet but they are happening!

This is my current TO DO:

switch kate and matts bed
set up kates new bed
set up Emilys bed
re set up Matts bed
move shelf from living room
move TV, dvd, Wii, set up on school room shelf
move furniture in girls room
change out closets in girls room



go through kids clothing:
shirts-limit number to 10
pants- limit number to 10 (jeans, shorts, carpi's etc.)
length of dresses-
seasonal clothes- jackets, rain jackets, boots, gloves etc
Personal clothes item- fit and worness
store seasonal things that I need to keep
send clothes to people who can use them
donate old blankets, sheets  torn towels to SPCA



shoes-
seasonal
fit
need

Bags
go through bags
 purses
 backpacks- looking for tears
 unwanted
 unnecessary

books:
cull through books that can be packed for other years
go through mulitple copies of books that I dont need
get rid of books that are for younger kids
go through curriculum that I KNOW we will not use
go through fiction books
go through Christian living, helps, home schooling books

buy new book case for school room
rearrange larger books on big shelf and put all smaller books on the new shelf

organize by subjects: History, science, fiction, current read alouds for the year, extra reading
Toys:
throw away any that are broken
find ways to organize what we kept
Get rid of unused, unwanted, baby, or repeat items

Personal items:
go through and organize, cull and find a place for
papers
keepsakes


Furniture:
Get rid of unneeded
fix anything in need of fixing
arrange to use more functionally
store items of value if necessary

Decor:
go through seasonal decor- anything I am not using this fall season that I have I should get rid of...
go through general house decor and get rid of anything that is not longer "ME",
get rid of stored decor that I no longer want
decide on paint colors and work toward being able to paint
Christmas--- I will get this out mid Nov OR after our Little Rock trip and go through it doing the same thing- If I am not using it I should get rid of it.

Make sure that each seasonal storage bin is actually what it is labeled as. I know I am missing a fall box right now!

Supplies:
get rid of multiple supplies that are unneeded, i.e. staplers, hole punches (do we need 3 or 4?)
organize current supplies
update stock (i.e. need mailers, stamps, staples, rubber bands etc)
update cleaning supplies
get a holder for underneath kitchen counter
get a holder for underneath bathroom counter
buy clear container to hold additional cleaning supplies


Pictures:
organize
scan in what I want
get negatives in one place
get a back up of current  photos
develop the film (yes actual film, it still exists~)
throw away unwanted duplicates
scan scrap book pages and determine what I am keeping

organize current photo files and archive if needed

order pics that I have been wanting to order

make snap fish book of Chicago trip

Send pics to Sarah and Kristal

mail old pictures to people who might enjoy them

change out a few pics of family in the frames in the living room OR add frames


DVDs
determine if they are scratched beyond being usable
alphabetize them
separate school, computer games, CDs from movies
return any that I know are not mine
get rid of any we no longer watch because of age or content
put all CDs on computer-

Music on Computer-
organize better
make song list for IPOD
get rid of music for content if any

change movies out on the IPODS

update syncs between IPODS and both computers

Misc THINGS:
cull through throw away, get rid of , give away, pack if needed
fix things that have been broken that I keep meaning to "get to"
send clothes to menders
get pants altered
if keeping find a home for it!

Vehicle:
clean out suburban
take shots, post on Craig's list etc.
get title for Truck taken care of
replenish cleaning supplies for truck
get carpet cleaned in both vehicles

update insurance when necessary



Bills and banking:
find better way to organize paper that I need to keep for a while
set up automatic bill pay for bills we can
change automatic savings on bank account
start account for kids

cull through stored "papers" and shred what is not needed anymore

finish "pre" budget through the end of the year.

order address stickers

Electronics:
go through wires, plugs, chargers and get rid of unneeded
organized kids electronics- find common place to charge
get games in one spot

buy recharging station for Wii
buy box for Misc Wii items
cull through games- sell if do not use

buy electronics cleaner and clean keyboards, screens, dust inside

get new printer ink
find new alarm clock that fits needs better- LOUD!