<p>I gave our VHS Disney tapes (and others) to the library. They either keep them or sell them at one of their big sales during the year. At least they’re not mine anymore.</p>
<p>Sadly, the tapes of every rugby game each child ever played in (including the one in which S2 broke his arm) are still in our house.</p>
<p>Get rid of the VHS tapes–I had my own more than fair share that I have FINALLY departed with (okay, I kept two). No real value to any, you can’t watch them and they take up space. but man, they got used! Fact is–the tape deteriorates and if not stored right can actually mold making it nothing but trash anyways.</p>
<p>About photos and fire–you SHOULD trade pix with family members and keep the most precious photos with more than one household.</p>
<p>Get VHS tapes of family converted to DVD.</p>
<p>As to the “Von Goom Inheritance Gambit”…my dad (92) went through all his papers and put most in boxes marked “TOD”–toss on death. It was all the stuff he wanted to keep for now but we wouldn’t need after his death. He’s put all his important papers in a file and shown us where it is. He keeps weeding–and if he finds something interesting he asks if we want it. Don’t worry–there’s plenty left to go through but it sure is a gift to his kids.</p>
<p>I have a “toss when dead” box. Things that mean something to me go in, but they won’t mean much to my survivors, hence the order to toss. </p>
<p>Part of my problem is that being one of five, little of my childhood was saved and since photography was something one thought about and consciously spent money on, few photos as well. I’ve transferred that desire to have my history to saving too darn much from my daughters’ lives. The problem is, they don’t want it! But they might. One day. </p>
<p>Tomorrow’s job: toss the old school stuff. If I haven’t looked at it on 30 years, odds are I won’t look at it ever.</p>
<p>Two bags of old sweatshirts and long sleeve shirts to my nephew who is collecting clothes to deliver to a homeless shelter on Monday.</p>
<p>He is 9 and he had his mom take a picture of him holding a sign asking for donations. Cute motivation and got me to get rid of stuff that I should have done long ago!</p>
<p>I have my Monday bag all set to go. I also have five coats to donate. Some people love purses…well…I love coats. I’m hoping I don’t change my mind before I donate them. I like them all…But I don’t need 20 dress coats!</p>
<p>My elderly mother-in-law mentioned she needed a coat. I had visions of this poor woman having no winter coat. Took her shopping right away. She was so happy to find a coat in a nice brown color - and said, "so now I have a brown coat, a black coat, a red coat, a blue coat… "</p>
<p>I’ve had difficulty keeping up with this thread…you guys are so fast and so far along with your projects! But I am happy to report that I dropped off three bags of clothing to my church yesterday. They were bagged up and ready to go in NOVEMBER and I had gone through them more than once to be sure I was willing to part with everything but I just couldn’t bring myself to drop them off and it’s unlike me and probably another after effect of Superstorm Sandy. We lost A LOT in the flood and believe me plenty of stuff we didn’t really need and should have passed on long ago.</p>
<p>I’m having a little difficulty reconciling my desire NOT to hold onto things I don’t need…after all, look at what can happen…with a new and strange inability to let these things go. Hopefully it will work itself out now that I have dropped off Batch #1.</p>
<p>I’m in too…one bag to a Transitional Housing group…they wanted all winter things (went thru ALL the old hats, mittens, boots and coats).
Another bag ready for Goodwill.
The craft room is next…yikes!
Already talked to our nearby Headstart and they will take all the construction paper that I have amassed over the years!
I’m having more success going from task to task versus just working on one closet!</p>
<p>Forgot to add…I had t shirt quilts made for high school graduation…I’m not crafty so I had them done by Campus Quilts. I also used them as part of the party decorations by hanging them.
They were pricey but worth it.
Just a warning though…I had wanted to have them be a surprise but then couldn’t decide which t shirts would be significant…so glad I included the kids…t shirts that I thought were relevant weren’t, others were and some were SO significant that they didn’t want them cut for the quilt
A much more successful gift with their input!</p>
<p>Those quilts are such a neat idea! I saw one at an Eagle Scout ceremony where the grandmother had made one out of all the Boy Scout summer camp t-shirts and had also sewn on the summer camp patches around the edges. </p>
<p>My bags yesterday were children’s books (still saving our favorites for future grandchildren) and boys clothes. Most clothes aren’t good enough for Goodwill after they go through my 3 guys, but some are. So they go to the neighbor for first selection, then Goodwill, or the rag bin, depending on wear and tear. Found a perfectly good pair of boys hockey skates in the garage - still had the box and $100 price tag. Worn once or twice per boy. Um, we live in Texas. No one here would want them. Decided it would be worth the shipping charge to send to a nephew in the midwest. He is so excited and can’t wait for his package to arrive. Now THAT made me happy! Hope shipping charges won’t be more than the price of new skates….</p>
<p>In my favorite anti-clutter book, the author says to take everything out of the area you are cleaning out, rather than pick through to find things to purge. He says you will get rid of more if you have to put it back in the drawer, closet, whatever. I have found this to be SO true. I work small areas though because if I were to empty out the whole closet, I would get discouraged and need a wine break and then what? But it works like a charm for me to empty one shelf or drawer completely. I can look at a drawer and toss about 5 things and think I am done. Then empty the drawer completely out and voila! When I put back the things I want to keep, there are 5 more items to toss!</p>
<p>Some charity drop offs get money by the pound for clothing that can’t be sold. The stuff is recycled somehow. So…don’t just take your worn out clothes to the dump. Contact your favorite drop off place and ask them IF they benefit at all from worn out things!</p>
<p>thumper, I never knew that! Thanks.</p>
<p>We didn’t have time to drop off one more box of clothes, a few other items that we also decided to donate. We found it good to take ALL our wool and thermal things out and spread them out in the front yard and together sort thru them. When we saw how much we have and rarely wear, LOTS easier to toss more!</p>
<p>Will try to continue this strategy. We spread drop cloths on the lawn and try to dispassionately and objectively view it all. Our neighbor used to do this when he cleaned his closets. It works well and is surprising the many hinge we rarely or never use.</p>
<p>I can’t wait until June or July to spread things on the lawn 
I’m getting another full bag ready to take along with my coats.</p>
<p>I have to fess up. I have taken zero bags to the Goodwill (and I go right by it on my way to the gym). My guest bed is buried in clothing and there are piles of stuff all over the room. I thought I would photograph things to take the tax deduction but that task just doesn’t seem like as much fun as rooting out closets. :(</p>
<p>I finished more kitchen cabinets but am losing interest. There is definitely a down side to too many cabinets- room for gazillions of things, most unnecessary. 6 doors down, 24 to go. At least the drawers aren’t too bad.</p>
<p>One large black bag went yesterday. Mainly tops and coats of mine. My H has 15 coats in the hall closet but won’t part with any. I am down to 10, including lightweight etc.
Then there are the many pairs of shoes he keeps. I did part with a pair that I bought last June and never wore. I recently discovered that hey hurt my feet so new or not out they went.
1moremom maybe it isn’t worth it to catalog and take pics. I have been but just started this past year because S had so much good stuff to go out. I do find it drags me down and sometimes just bag it and drop it. Also, I remember that first round of pics and it did take time. Then if you do it bag by bag it is not time consuming.
Also, you can only drop a certain amount each day ($250) and we were advised not to go past $2500 (this might be $4000 I will need to check) as you are more likely to be audited per our tax person.</p>
<p>I just cleaned out all of the drawers in my closet. Yay! Tossed all of the single socks, all of the old underwear, put in donation bag all scarves I haven’t worn in a year. Tossed duplicate turtlenecks (except for the black ones…I mean really…I need all the black turtlenecks to go with all the black slacks), and pitched all of the extra bathing suits and old cover ups. </p>
<p>I really need to do the shoes…and the purses. But I just don’t want to!</p>
<p>Barfly–years ago a friend of mine had a company come clean out her garage for her. They pulled EVERYTHING out–and it looked so good she threw 80% away (she kept the cars). </p>
<p>Good Will has places where they sell clothes by the pound.</p>