Four Scrabble sets?

[redbird]

I've been doing some decluttering lately, while I'm in an appropriate frame of mind. Some of it is clothing that either doesn't fit anymore, or that I realized I don't like. I've also culled some of the old apas and fanzines (this is the part that surprises me) along with tossing things like the manual for a fax machine we replaced a year ago, years-old hotel receipts, and the like.

This afternoon, I was doing some stretches, and realized I could see three Scrabble^TM sets from where I was standing. None of them was the set we regularly use. Realistically, I think we need two: the regular set, and one of the travel sets. But this bit of the culling can wait: part of why this is emotionally reasonable is that I'm skipping anything that feels difficult.

I may address the difficult parts if and when I answer all the easy questions, like "why do I have an old takeout menu for a restaurant we never even ordered from?" Or not: this is a process which really is worth doing in part, because having more space in the sock drawer is worthwhile even if I have more socks than I in some sense need.

Is it worth trying to give away unwanted dangly earrings, or are people going to be put off by (actual or perceived) risk of infection? Some of them are singletons that I bought as pairs (I lose things): I had thought of wearing unmatched earrings, but it turns out I don't. And some are pairs that I haven't worn in ages: I had thought I would like them better than I do, or maybe my tastes have changed.

Comments

[badgerbag]

Children usually like old jewelry even if they aren't going to wear it. It makes excellent "treasure"...

[badgerbag]

Oh, and.... Happy Discardia!!!!!!

[replyhazy]

Er... you give old earrings to people who made beaded whatnots for recycling?

(FOUR scrabble sets? wow.)

[green_knight]

I may address the difficult parts if and when I answer all the easy questions

Best decluttering habit I ever picked up is to do triage:

- definitely keep (this is relatively easy): this stuff gets put away into its place
- definitely toss (this - see restaurant menu - tends to be very straightforward as well
- all the emotionally loaded stuff of 'it's rubbish but it has memories' and 'I don't need it now but I might want it again and I don't have money to replace it' gets left for the next round.

I handle everything, but if I can't decide, I move on. That way, I get rid of a considerable chunk of stuff, feel accomplished, know what I have, and instead of getting disheartened in the middle of sorting, finish off a chunk. And three months later when I get around to tackling a - much smaller - pile of unidentified things, it usually resolves into thirds again without the emotional loadedness.

[threeringedmoon]

I have to do decluttering recursively as well. When I did the last major cleanout, I found that getting rid of the easiest stuff made it easier to get rid of the not so easy stuff. And reclaiming space that was being used for storage was such a nice reward for the effort.

I now try to view decluttering as space reclamation rather than getting rid of stuff.

[striped]

I'm often the opposite of germ-phobic, but if someone gave me old earrings that I liked, I'd just sterilise them and wear them.

Decluttering is freeing, isn't it? At least it is to me. What really helps me, btw, is having a friend there to bounce my thoughts off of, and who can occasionally tell me "well, if you have never liked it and never used it, you might as well get rid of it".

[redbird]

A couple of days ago, I looked in a drawer, found a soft, long-sleeved black blouse, and remembered "I took this out of the wardrobe where I keep the things I wear regularly last year, because I never wore it." Having done that a year ago made it easy to get rid of it this time; I hadn't thought of the garment at all while it sat there. In theory I liked it; in practice, I liked the fabric but not the way it fit. But having done this in stages helped.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I think it's worth giving away earrings; people ask for them often on holiday_wishes, so there seems to be a demand, and a quick swab with rubbing alcohol should remove any organic residues.

[txanne.livejournal.com]

That's what I was about to say. I put rubbing alcohol on all new earrings, too, after that one time when I didn't.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yah, I have used up three pens while writing Christmas cards. Sometimes cleaning out the things that are used up, using up the things that are almost used up, and sorting out the things that are not getting used is really satisfying and worthwhile.