# Ready to admit defeat



## bama (Aug 21, 2011)

I have donated truckloads of stuff out of our house this past summer. Yet it is somehow still messy. And papers from school breed and multiply faster than anything I have ever seen!

I am almost ready to admit defeat and throw in the towel!


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## terapin (Sep 7, 2013)

I feel your pain.... Trying to pack as much up in my house, getting ready to sell it. I just realized I collect blankets and towels, and dust bunnies. They are everywhere.


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

You have to remind yourself that it didn't get that way overnight. I'm still working on my house and what I've found to be true is...

I go through a room, getting rid of stuff. I donate/dispose of anything useless or that I haven't used in the past year or two. This gets rid of the first "layer".

Now it's time to go through the room a second time... and more things will be deemed undesirable and be disposed of.

Then it's time to go through and see what should be boxed up to be stored. Then SURPRISE, I go through the stuff I'm boxing up and see if I really NEED to store it or if it too needs to go.

My problem is that since I lost my husband, I'm going through his stuff and my stuff and some things are dear to me even though there's no use in them... and I get to a point where I stop wanting to throw things out. I think I am a hoarder down deep and just have it somewhat under control. When I'm keeping things for no reason, I have to stop for the day and continue later.

Once you've thrown out everything you want to, now it's time to organize.


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## housewife (Mar 16, 2006)

bama said:


> I have donated truckloads of stuff out of our house this past summer. Yet it is somehow still messy. And papers from school breed and multiply faster than anything I have ever seen!
> 
> I am almost ready to admit defeat and throw in the towel!



Don't let the junk win!!! 

Take a couple of days off... Think about the thing that bugs you the most. Not everything but what bugs you the most. Around here what bugs me the most are the little things. Slimy dish clothes in the sink is HUGE in my mind. 

If its the school paper work. Ask here for ideas or google it. I'm sure there are million different ideas on how to get a hold of the paper and not let it overwelm! Every once and a while you come across an idea and think wow that is so perfect. That said I never managed to figure that one out, but they did servive the unorganized mother. Oh and I did find the perfect way for me to deal with my patterns from a google search.

You really have to remember to take time out and say "Ya me"!! I am horrible at that... Instead of looking around and seeing what all I have done I look around and see what still has to be done. 

So try to stay positive. I have a very good and old friend who says she will kick me when I start muttering silly stuff. She reminds me we aren't perfect and shows me that I have done alot. 

So stop for a moment think of all you have done and give yourself a high five.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Each child should have a shelf or drawer of their own. Their papers can go into manila folders, which then go into their shelf or drawer. They can sort any way they want, chronological, by subject, tests/homework,... Their papers should be their responsibility.

Our kids are grown, but we are still cluttered. I routinely pick a room and start at it. Now, I'm working on the computer/spare bedroom. I've rearranged the toys, tossed a few things, and that corner looks great. I've sorted out the shifarobe (closet thing with drawers), removed DH's folders and stuff for him to deal with. Dusted. It's a never ending story, though.


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## justa hobby (Apr 1, 2013)

Please take housewife's words to heart. You have done a lot and you do deserve a :goodjob: to yourself. As for the sentimental things, designate a room for just that stuff. Maybe buy or borrow some shelving to display those things on and make it a showroom "JUST FOR YOU!!" After all, you deserve it. They are your happy memories.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

Each of my kids have a drawer in the coffee table that they are to put their school papers they want to/need to keep in for safe keeping. Once a school quarter, I clean out their drawers and put all the papers in their file boxes in storage.


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

I look at school papers over the trash can. They never get set down at all! The ones I need to save go into a special box and then I can sort them later. My school sends home papers on Fridays so that helps. I can sit down after I sort papers and plug dates into my phone right away.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

Papers only on Friday would be awesome. My kids get about 5 full pages a piece on average EVERY DAY!!!


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## backwoods (Sep 12, 2004)

I definitely agree, the school paper issue is HUGE! And I only have 1 who goes to a "public PRE K!" It is CRAZY. I have a mound of her school papers right now sitting on the kitchen cabinet that I have to go through. Most are 2-4 pages long, and involve the school "collecting" money for something or other. I finally told the teacher that I'm NOT SELLING ANYTHING, but will donate some cash to the worthy causes. She acted shocked. They want them to sell at least 10 boxes of frozen cookie dough for approx. $17 EACH! I thought, you have got to be kidding??? Who would even pay that? I know I wouldn't/won't and I'm not about to ask anyone else to either. Sorry, got a rant there! But it takes so much time to go through all that paperwork, and I'm not including the little papers that dd actually did in class. I can't stand it!! GRRR!


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## Laura Zone 5 (Jan 13, 2010)

When the kids were in public school, as SOON as they got home, I took their back packs.
We went to the kitchen, and I would go thru their papers: is this important? in the trash it went. is THIS important? in the trash it went.

In this day and age I am surprised that so much paper is STILL coming home!!
Most of the schools around here have the kids using Ipads instead of books....
Checking websites for information instead of 'papers'.

To this day, I open the mail over the trash can.


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## Pat-wcWI (Oct 28, 2012)

I got bogged down with tons of school papers too. Now I save only the important stuff and if other papers are blank on the back they go into a folder named "scratch paper". Then when they need misc. paper for something there is plenty.


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## bama (Aug 21, 2011)

It is getting better! We have implemented weekly chores, so I am picking up and vacuuming each night, dh is dusting, 9 yo is doing laundry and the 6 yo is doing the dishes. We tackle one room a night M - F. While I am still supervising and helping, it is already making a huge difference! The responsibilities will change on Sunday when we draw chores out of a hat.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Good idea. When I lived with my sister I started the three eldest at washing dishes (her kids, ages 13 to 3 had no chores) one day a week. Then, I created six jobs, one for each child. Bathroom 1, bathroom 2, living and dining rooms, halls and stairway, feed the dog, and another I can't remember. They were rotated each week. For the little guys, I did the job (except feeding the dog) and left them something easy. The big kids had to really clean. Initially it was a pain because it's just easier to do it yourself. It gave them a sense of contributing to the family and I think made them appreciate what goes into taking care of a home.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

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Sent from my iPhone using Homesteading Today


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## countrytime (Sep 23, 2012)

backwoods said:


> I definitely agree, the school paper issue is HUGE! And I only have 1 who goes to a "public PRE K!" It is CRAZY. I have a mound of her school papers right now sitting on the kitchen cabinet that I have to go through. Most are 2-4 pages long, and involve the school "collecting" money for something or other. I finally told the teacher that I'm NOT SELLING ANYTHING, but will donate some cash to the worthy causes. She acted shocked. They want them to sell at least 10 boxes of frozen cookie dough for approx. $17 EACH! I thought, you have got to be kidding??? Who would even pay that? I know I wouldn't/won't and I'm not about to ask anyone else to either. Sorry, got a rant there! But it takes so much time to go through all that paperwork, and I'm not including the little papers that dd actually did in class. I can't stand it!! GRRR!


I feel your pain......I informed the school a couple of years ago, and it still stands..that my kids will not sell anything....I do donate time and a very small amount of cash when I can. The only thing we do is the scholastic book fair to let the kids buy a book or two.
I try and go through school papers once a week--otherwise the kitchen gets taken over.


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