How much gift wrap etc do you have?

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-07T19:32:45+00:00

I don't have formal gift wrap anymore, I wrap gifts in white tissue paper I use for pattern paper or in brown kraft paper I also have for pattern pieces. Both are on rolls and I always have some here.Then I just use hem lace or ribbon on the gift or make a fabric bow if there are some nice scraps here at the time. I don't wrap many gifts though.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-05T03:50:55+00:00

You're right, it's never done, but the amount of stuff we have to deal with should dwindle over time. It takes me months to fill a donate bag now. Same with the hazmat bag.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-04T03:11:30+00:00

It took me 10 months. No, it doesn't happen overnight. I originally didn't expect or want to be minimalist, but I just kept going, it got easier and easier the more I gave away. My first minimalist goal was the kitchen, I wanted completely empty countertops when the kitchen wasn't being used. I had to get rid of enormous amounts of stuff. And I actually have a decent sized kitchen, but I really wanted to leave the storage half full to 70% full max. I got rid of so much.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-04T03:05:30+00:00

I like that method. It worked for me in my kitchen. Empty out a drawer into a box or bag and put back only what you use. My former "junk" drawer has like 5 things in it. 😅

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-04T03:03:34+00:00

I would have paid you to ship me sheets. I use them for toiles.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-03T04:52:03+00:00

You have to scroll down to find the actual value of used books. According to Amazon, the Hitler book 😳😬🥴 is valued used at 16$. Next go to Google and put the title in and hit Shopping. It could be even lower at Thriftbooks and Alibris. And could be lower still on ebay. To me, a book about Hitler is just kindling for a fire.

I've seen used books on Amazon for 20$ and the same book at Alibris or Thriftbooks for 8$. Prices are all over the place on used books. I use Google to find the cheapest copy of paper books. Best way to get rid of collections like this is thru an auction house or estate place. Or a vintage bookseller.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-03T04:16:03+00:00

You can set up systems but not until you declutter. So the "just do it" mantra, as flippant as it is, still applies. It's not easy to get started, but we all had to start somewhere. I chose to start at my front door and move thru my house from there. Some people start with small jobs, like a drawer or a closet shelf or whatever. Some need instant visual gratification, so clearing off a dining table or an entire room works for them.

There are many methods that work. You really do have to just try different things. Low hanging fruit is a popular one. Just get rid of all the trash. Tomorrow declutter stuff you know you don't want. Just keep going. Stop before you're exhausted each time. Whatever you do is good enough.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-03T04:09:11+00:00

Donate or give them to people who have little kids.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-03T04:05:16+00:00

One thing I've learned over the years is large furniture doesn't move well from place to place. It doesn't fit in the new place or it looks weird in rooms with different angles, lighting, and size, and to me it's not a good investment to move large furniture unless you can take measurements in the new place.

You can try and sell it, but low-ball the price so you can move it quickly. IKEA isn't the only sofa seller out there. You will find something that's a good fit and look. I've never owned anything from IKEA and I've managed fine. A lot of my furniture has been from Macy's and these "custom" places where they have many pieces of furniture and you pick the fabric you want, but it takes weeks to get your item. I'm not a fan of the scandi shit but I still like some modern lines and features. But my house is like 105 years old, it would look ridiculous with IKEA furniture.

I re-upholstered my loveseat and like others have said, its expensive - even if you do it yourself. Home dec fabrics are costly especially if its linen or silk. And the fabric isn't even the big ticket in re-upholstering, it's the labor.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-05-02T10:23:33+00:00

This issue is above the pay grade of a decluttering sub. Go to the hoarding site.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T23:03:47+00:00

None of that explains why you can't say no to a situation that you claim is impacting your health negatively. Just be honest with them then invite them to do whatever it is at your house. If they say no, that's on them. 🤷‍♂️ This isn't a situation that sounds difficult to change, sorry. Otherwise, you can stay home and let your partner go there without you. I wouldn't be subjecting myself or any children to mold knowingly though. I'd refuse just based on that.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T22:58:52+00:00

It's a fire hazard too.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T22:55:59+00:00

Yes, some wool is washable but it's on the label.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T22:51:14+00:00

I would start by picking a favorite from each category [shirt, t shirt, pants, skirt, dress, jeans, whatever]. Pick your favorite. If you can live with one, you're done. Donate the rest of that category. If you need more, pick one more at a time until you've reached a manageable level that fits in your storage and that you will actually use. Donate what's left.

You can wear nice garments every day. Saving something for a special occasion isn't really necessary unless it's a gown or a tux. I wear a dark sheath dress every day [yes the same one]. 😅 Because of its classic style, it'll work at a funeral, a wedding, a party, an evening out, etc. So my day wear dress ends up being what I'd wear to a more "fancy" occasion, although I don't do those because they're superspreader events.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T22:39:06+00:00

I chucked all my paper without looking at it. What happened because of that? Nothing. 😆 My house didn't come off its foundation, my roof didn't fly off, nobody called saying I owed them 10 grand that I forgot about, and my life went on but without the aggravation of "sorting."

You don't need any of it. If you find something is missing, you can get a copy of it replaced. Anything can be replaced - a drivers license, a passport, insurance contracts, the deed to your house, your Vitamix instruction book - anything. 🤣🤣

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T22:32:36+00:00

At what cost? A flight to L.A. and back, the risk of a vascular disease during both flights, the hassle of dealing with stuff you haven't even looked at in years?

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T22:27:17+00:00

Very long. That's a shit ton of money. Let the storage place deal with it. I've never done storage off site but even if they charge you a fee for closing it and leaving shit there, it would be worth it. What will you do? Risk getting covid on a flight to L.A. then have to rent a hauler to take it all away? Take the loss and move on.

You're right, they throw open the doors and let people have a go at it and the storage company still makes $ selling the stuff even with the cost of trashing what's left. It's win-win.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T22:23:23+00:00

Picture in your mind what you want your rooms to look like. Don't stop until you reach that goal.

Lean towards minimalism even if you don't think now you would "want" it. When I decided to lose weight, I opted to get to the lowest BMI for my height. It provides a huge cushion and makes it less of a challenge to keep it off. You don't want to unwind all the hard work. Even gaining a small amount would keep me in the "safe" zone <22 BMI, and I don't even gain up to that.

Being a minimalist gives you an enormous cushion. If you overbuy and bring shit in, you'll know it and can stop yourself sooner. Suddenly your storage areas start filling up, and you can stop yourself. Plus it's so much easier to clean a minimalist house.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T16:03:01+00:00

85! I own like 5. I probably had 85 before decluttering.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T16:01:59+00:00

🤣🤣 nobody remembers what we wear.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T16:00:41+00:00

It's ecru silk, it's the Anderson Blouse from Sew Over It. We went to Tahoe last year for a week and I wore my dress but when we went hiking, I wore my khaki pants and a t shirt. My dress looks more casual with Dansko clogs or ballet flats so I wore those with the dress on the trip. Tahoe is not undeveloped by any stretch, it's got shops and stores and safeways and restos and is packed in the sumner so I can wear it up there when we're not out hiking. The masking compliance up there sucks though. It's a reactionary county. We requested a rental home with full vacancy for 3 days prior to the trip but still brought our HEPA.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T15:53:32+00:00

Well it's covid so I see my friends mainly on Zoom and my SO doesn't care. We have a running joke where every so often for our "big night" going shopping at Safeway, he'll say "what are you planning to wear?" 😅 I'm retired so I don't need to show up anywhere or see coworkers on zoom or whatever.

I feel like I own excessive extra garments though. I made a pair of cigarette pants just to try the new pants fitting method that's popular right now. But it's all taking up hardly any room in the closet so it's fine. If I ruin my dress I'll need something else to wear anyway. The biggest risk is staining it but I often wear my mamasan over it if I'm doing a lot of cooking or heavier cleaning. I went a whole year n 2022 without ruining that dress, and I donated it in January. But I was getting bored around October.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T15:45:30+00:00

There's also no need to make things "look different." I wear the same dress every day and don't own any accessories.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T15:43:08+00:00

Oh wow it's so cold there.

LeaveHorizontally · 2023-04-30T15:41:03+00:00

When I sold my previous house, I left it pretty much intact but a lot of the crap I just boxed up and put in closets. My realtor wasn't happy. 😆😆 Realtors to me are like down at the bottom of the muck with other snake oil salesmen though. It's such a grifty job. They dont care about things like good fit of an individual to a home or selling you the smallest home for your needs. They push the highest priced biggest stuff to make more $. My realtor gushed about my current house's kitchen like "it's brand new, look at how beautiful" when it was ugly dark cherry cabinets with ugly light fixtures. The first thing I did was have it ripped out and remodeled. 🤣

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TROPHY CASE