I had my garage sale.
Just this week, I unloaded on, oops . . . I mean, blessed a friend with the last box of leftover clothes that had been sitting in the back of my Suburban for almost a week.
And then, while folding clothes, I came across a cute little skirt of my daughter’s that should fit . . . but doesn’t.
“Time to get rid of it!” said the newly developed portion of my brain.
“But what can I do with it? I don’t have anymore boxes of stuff for the garage sale, and I don’t want to even think about having another one,” said the incredibly-dominant-slob-portion of my brain.
Moments like this literally feel paralyzing to me. I get a physical sensation that I’m unable to move freely, like I’m swimming in Jello.
The reality is that I do have a box of odds-and-ends left in the garage to donate. I’d walked by it now for, ummm, almost three weeks without noticing it or remembering it in the aforementioned moment of frustration, but I did see it today. I can put the skirt in there, but the problem still exists.
Once I’ve unloaded the huge amount of decluttered items gathered since starting this blog, what will I do?
I’ve read the magazine articles and the blog posts of mamas who have it all together. I know about the cutesy “give-away” baskets sitting by the backdoor, and the plastic storage boxes in the trunk of the car, so you can get it out of your home right away and drop it off at the donation site while running errands around town.
Ummm, but I’m a slob. If I can’t remember to take my restaurant leftovers into the house even though I’ve ridden the 20 minutes home holding them in my lap, how in the world am I supposed to remember to stop by the thrift store in the midst of the other errands on the mental list rattling around in my brain?
And the basket by the door? Hmmm. But you know how I like to shove, and it probably wouldn’t take too long to start overflowing, and then it wouldn’t be cute anymore. AND I feel pretty confident that my selective vision would prevent me from seeing it.
I know I’m making excuses. I know that I have to grow up to the point where I’ll be able to handle this kind of stuff. It’s just so tempting to throw the cute little perfectly good skirt in the trash so I won’t have to deal with it.
I have purposely stopped playing the part of the decluttering madwoman this summer, but the reality is that there will always be clutter. Always. I have to learn to deal with it little by little, as I unearth it, so it doesn’t require me to reprise that role.
Coley says
I have a very similar problem with recycling paper. I know I should, I want to, but I didn't for a long time. Then I started making checklists too, and I physically put it on the checklist. Every Monday, on my errand day, I must see it on the list, I leave a cardboard box in the back of my van and I take a walk thru the house picking up all the newspapers I find and put them in it. Then between trips to grocery stores etc, I have to drop it off at the recycling center. I have to because otherwise I cant check it off.
Becky says
I had a long talk with my mil yesterday…about the same things we always talk about, one of which is the awful state of my house. She explained that stuff in your house takes up room in your head, too. She knows every single thing she has in her home. She regularly goes through the boxes in her storage room. She goes through her clothes every 2 months to purge stuff she doesn't like. She owns 6 pair of shoes, and is constantly selling their stuff on craigslist or ebay. She told me that she rarely cleans her house. They don't hardly have enough stuff to make a mess. She said it's not that she's an organizing junkie or neat freak. She said she's just lazy and doesn't want to deal with a lot of stuff. SOOO far from my way of thinking…just thought I'd share for some reason…
Mandi says
Hi! I just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed your blog. I found it about a month ago and have been reading it regularly. I relate to so much of what you write! I've been working on developing good daily habits around my house and really like your daily checklists. I also loved your comments today about the leftovers you forget to bring in the house even though it's been on your lap and the temptation to drop the nice skirt in the trash- been there done that on both scores! I look forward to continuing to follow your progress! =)
Lenetta @ Nettacow says
I know you'll come up with something – can't wait to hear what it is. This will NOT derail you! You can do it! :>) (I know I always end my comments with a smilie, but I'm always smiling as I type…)
MAMom says
I am terribly forgetful. I think it stems from being so busy and not being able to keep every-little-thing in my brain. So I have a few tricks for remembering stuff. I always have a bag tgoing hat I throw unwanted stuff in. Every month I call the Vietnam Veterans of America and they come pick up the bag. I write it on my calendar to call. Then, after I hang up from the call I immediately put the bag in front of the front door so I will see it when I leave in the morning and rememebr to out it out.
Anything I need to rememebr to do in the am before work I either put on my purse or hang on the front doorknob or in front of the door. 99% of the time this enables me to remember to do what needs to be done.
My other trick is learning to love my calendar. I write EVERYTHING on it and have trained myself to check it every am and pm. I think unloading all the stuff from my brain hopefully frees up space for other useful stuff–like remembering the lyrics to "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and how to play Chinese jumprope.
Nony (A Slob Comes Clean) says
First, I have to say "Weeeeeee!" I had 5 comments, long ones waiting on me tonight, and all on the same post!!! Thanks so much!
And I do love what all of you are saying. It's hitting me as I read your comments that I'm going to have to make regularly scheduled small donations a habit. Hmmmm . . . I feel a blog post coming on . . .
Becky says
Seriously, the small ones are the way to go! I started doing it last Fall. The only problem was that when I was getting ready for my garage sale I couldn't remember where all my stuff went!! LOL!! I literally get a call every week. The DAV calls every other week and the Community Services League calls the other weeks. (hmmm so pretty much I have no excuse, right? ouch!)
sunny says
Just found your blog through Frugal Homemaker Plus.
Then as I read this post I had to share a moment I had where I learned something new about donating.
Last summer I was at the thrift store donation door, and an employee was helping me unload the backseat of items that I had to donate. (couldn't use my trunk because of the Stuff I had stored there!)…and a guy pulls up in his car, reaches out, hands the employee ONE sweatshirt, and drives away.
WHAT? (I thought) ONE item?! ONE?
then I thought WOO HOO..way to go, guy. Just decide you have something to donate, drive up, hand it to the employee and be done with it. The guy made it simple. I make things complicated. Sometimes I want to be more like That Guy.
sunny
http://sunnysblog.typepad.com
http://justdaisy.wordpress.com
Shanna says
I love my thrift shops drive through donation!!! They always say, “Do you want a receipt?” and I just wave and smile-like-“Dude, I would buy you a coffee just for taking my stuff I am so happy!” Of course, where I live there are strict rules about what you can even throw away in the garbage so for a slob sometimes this is a MAJOR stumbling block (example- 15 cans of paint that have to be dealt with” appropriately”). Sometimes I am jealous of my mom who can just pile EVERYTHING in the back of her truck and throw it in the dump! Even the “fancy” thrift shops have strict rules about furniture and baby stuff etc. so I feel anxiety that I will be rejected at the store!! HAHA!
Nony, maybe you have not noticed them or don’t have them in your town, the Clothing/Shoes bins in parking lots of stores? Very handy for a few items, some of ours take small household items too.
I have just decided for sure to get rid of a huge weight machine in my garage after vacillating for months. Once the decision is made I really want it to DISAPPEAR so I can use my space and MOVE ON. I am going to try Freecycle, wish me luck!
Sorry for all the posts but I already cleaned the kitchen!
Shanna says
Comments!!! Well my brain is telling me to stop blabbing so much. I’ll try not to comment for a month of posts!!!
Nony says
Oh Shanna, don’t stop commenting! I love comments on old posts!
Stella says
Really? Because, I’ve not been commenting because I want to comment on everything and I figure you don’t need a zillion posts to sift through in a week just because I’m reading from the start and I should restrict myself to one comment per year until I’ve caught up. (Can you tell that email clutter is an issue for me?) But regardless, I’ve got to ask, does hubby take the rubbish out…I’ve not seen anything about taking the trash out.
Dana White says
He does! I never even have to ask. (Yes. I know how lucky I am.)
KellieD says
I go to the thrift store on a regular basis for a couple of reasons. One, it makes it easy to donate because you are going there anyway. Two, you never know what you might find. I have found gear for my hiking that would have run me. Almost two hundred dollars EACH for under ten dollars. I have built up a nice wardrobe which is hard to do when you are very tall with super long legs and arms, all at unbelievable prices.
Kendra says
I deal with this issue, too. I feel guilt if the item I’m decluttering doesn’t go to its highest and best use, even if that use takes waaaaay more energy than I have and so the item sits in our entryway forever. ….
I have found, though, that if I put items to donate in a brown paper grocery bag and drop them off on errand/shopping day (Monday for me) that I can work regular de cluttering in to my weekly schedule just fine. And using grocery bags means I can just drop the bag at the thrift shop and take off.
I guess if it were easy to make decisions about clutter, we wouldn’t have it, right?