u/Working_Patience_261

was heading to be a caregiver for a relative’s surgery plus still recovering from my own, so I got a dozen puzzle and coloring books, some with their own markers and crayons.

The font on some you’d need a scanning electron microscope to read, or kids eyes. The print was smeared on others. I returned what I could and some, the store just issued a refund, no need to return.

$200 worth and 20 pounds of activity and coloring books donated to the hospital volunteer staff. Hopefully, patients and families will get a break from the stress. Win for me, win for them.

I had 21 bins in my room.

Had. Such a delightful little word.

Two bins I downsized to half-size, one with shoes, the other office supplies. Two are now travel supplies, stuff I’m actively using as I’m traveling for treatment twice a month. Using round number of the stuff left, I am down to 12 bins.

My digital decluttering of duplicate files is complete. Eventually, I will declutter digital and physical photos, including deleting those of people I don’t like, who caused hassles, or no one remembers.

I decluttered my scrunchies, as I now have short hair. I am keeping the fancy holiday ones, ones I made that I like, ones for future scrunchie crafting, and the silk ones. The polyester ones hit the donation bin.

Much more work includes 2 bin equivalents spread over the floor and one is in another room, my bookshelves, a CDs and DVDs bin, electronics, tools and the bin of stuff for sale, and another pen declutter. I’m up to four paperwork boxes of doom, and probably a full bin’s worth of additional to do items in my email.

A travel bag declutter is on the list as I don’t use those suitcase-sized ones, although they are useful for real survival blankets. I wanted only the small ones, but you can only get packs of a zillion sizes instead.

By opening every box, I found where my button cell battery collection went. They’re another to do items, check to make sure all are in good condition with no swelling or leaks, then, going through Air Tags and Tiles to ensure all the batteries are good.

To nearly halve my bins, with a very good helper, a set rule of ”no more than two,” plus several items being put in their proper place, we cleared out 9 mostly full bins in four hours.

I’m already tired for next week! Now to add these to do’s to my list.

During the pandemic, I used gov’t funds to get a sewing machine. I made a few quilts, a zillion masks, then stalled out trying to make undies and pants. Life recovered.

A few days ago, having committed to a T-Shirt Quilt, I opened a bin to find a bunch of scraps from my former projects, with degraded elastic and some pieces still pinned. Today I purged it and the bin of shrunken Kohls clothes that could not survive a single wash in cold water with a hang dry.

My results are: 1, one bag of garbage 2. one bag to the thrift stores 3. one small bin of t-shirts for probably two quilts, or a quilt and a throw. 4. two empty bins for the next round and 5. I’m still mad at Kohls for selling garbage that shrinks to unwearable with water exposure. What would happen if I wore one of their outfits on a high humidity day?

BTW, the purge and sort took under 15 minutes. The garbage will be turned into energy at our waste-processing plant/landfill.