All Blog Posts (303)

I have never been able to say no easily.  Especially to accepting bag after bag of hand-me-down items.  I have a hard time getting rid of things anyway.  "But it's so pretty" or "So-and-so gave me that".... excuse after excuse led to pile after pile.  I started cleaning out while reading the book, and have had multiple spurts afterwards as well.  I've done a pretty good job, but keeping the momentum for the task at hand is proving difficult.  I typically get busy running around and forget to…

Master Bedroom (Weekend, January 21st - 22nd)

1. Tarnished metal bookmark, from "personal items" box by bed, into garbage.
2. Half melted stick of lip balm, from "personal items" box by bed, into garbage.
3. Misc. hair clips and ornaments from container in closet.  Old, worn, and defective into the garbage; ziploc'd newer, still clean and pretty items for donation at Value Village (unique locally, in taking very small items and rebagging them as small collections, eg.,…

I have spent most of the last 8 years of my life fighting STUFF.

First my own STUFF, for a year.

Then my late mother's STUFF, for most of three years.  That's because she was exposed post-mortem as what I would now call a Class 1.5 hoarder (basically a Class 2 without pets) whose tastes unfortunately did not run to much that could simply be kicked to the curb or into recycling.

Then back to my own STUFF (including inherited) for three or four years.  Long periods of near…

I'm new to 'Throw Out Fifty Things" and finding the website, checking it out, reading the posts, articles, all... has been just the motivator I've needed to get my butt in gear. Situations beyond my control wreaked havoc on my home. I've been dragging ass for several months. Gail, and all of you are exactly what I need right now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Does everyone have "that" cupboard? It's similar to "that" drawer in the kitchen that everyone has... The one with the dried Krazy Glue, the dead batteries, cords from 9 cell phones ago, instruction manuals to thinks you don't remember owning, twist ties, single screws, calendars from 1998, keys that go to nowhere... you know "that" drawer that acts as an orphanage to anything that will fit, even if you have to push it down with your foot before you close it. I have a cupboard. For all the…

***Here is a section from my blog http://cajosey.blogspot.com/***

Yesterday I returned from NYC where I had the honor of attending a three day, beautiful celebration for me and 99 of my colleagues from across the country. The final speaker for the event was Gail Blanke. Each of us received her book "Throw Out Fifty Things: Clear the clutter, Find your life" and we also got to listen to her speak that morning. If you haven't had the chance to…

It's my first day with Throw Out Fifty Things, and I've gone through just a couple of chapters, then downloaded the Big Letting-Go Workbook. So far, I haven't made it to throwing away anything, but I've acquired something! A new attitude to help me glide through this program! 

I've tried (and keep on trying) every way I read about, think of, hear about from friends, etc., to declutter my home. When I heard about TOFT, I thought "50 things is nothing!" 

Now I get it. 

I'm…

I am back at ground zero.  Read this book (Throw Out Fifty Things) about 1.5 - 2 years ago.  Feeling now revisiting the whole idea is a good thing.  Digging out the book .....re-motivating myself!

I finished remodeling my house (as in major rip out not a nip and tuck) and as is usual one room end up being the catch all room for everything in boxes, bags, and plastic containers. Others had helped throw everything in there and I decided to gird the loins and figure out what to do with everything. I was in the moment of figuring out where to store everything and a wonderful spiritual experience. YOUR BOOK WAS IN THE FIRST BOX I ATTACKED!!! I’m very faith based and I sat down and re read.…

I started with shoes & bags. I'm happy and humbled to say I donated 40 of each! That's 40 bags AND 40 pair of shoes! That surprised me since I hadn't believed there were 40 of each in the closet. That was such a refreshing start! When I look in my closet it feels wonderful to see some of the congestion gone . . . congestion I wasn't even aware was there. We can't change what we don't see!

Will be moving on to the clothing next!

Grateful to be started with my 50…

Well I am off to a good start..

I am a avid reader and I had tons of books around the house, and I mean a ton! Probably close to 1,000 or more..

Some one gave me a Kobo, which is a eReader..I tell you people, I was hooked from day one!! I love that little machine, as soon as I was able to I logged onto the Kobo site, found some free ebooks and then I found Gail's eBook called throw out…

Okay, so I have started; deposited three bags from my bedroom to the Salvation Army, took out a huge mess of magazines. Honestly, I guess this only makes 2 out of 50...so I added a 3rd and threw out some old reading material I had copied...there was a lot...all of the paper stuff went into recycling so I stay green. 

Next step is:  the kitchen and dining room...I am my Mum's daughter...cluttering off spring...

This is a sort of birthday present to myself as I downsize; I am…

The  Throw Out FIFTY Things Movement based on Best Selling Author Gail Blanke's book of the same title is coming to…

So, my last post was almost a year ago. At that time, a lot of the things I did were in spite of a man that I wanted, but he wanted me to move on, not just from him, but in life in general. He told me that clearing was cathartic and he was right. But he stopped talking to me for a while, and kept my motivation with him. Things have straightened themselves out and he is still my friend.

I managed to move on in most ways, but I'm still stuck in more ways than I'd care to admit.…

I have been able to keep up the "50" since I first read Gail's article in Real Simple several years ago. Every once in awhile my husband will join me as I announce "It is time to do another 50." It is so liberating! We are avid recyclers and try to live green. Some of the TV shows (HGTV) have excellent re-purpose ideas. This works for me as I am sentimental, so an old shirt(s) may morph into a pillow. I am NOT strict with the if you have not worn in one year = toss. In Oregon your summer…

From the title you might think this is a post about a "grand old time" of singing songs and unmentionable craziness, but alas it is about finally dumping a bunch of empty wine bottles.   I digress for clarification... I will never forget the one day when I was a in High School, my Mom decided it was time to clean my bedroom.  I was a "creative".  I needed my collections for inspiration!  The shells, rocks, beer cans,…

I am merely finishing my 3rd year teaching and I am (after all the other I got rid of ) feeling closed in by all the STUFF!!! 

All the papers that we may need next year; all the books we are supposed to read in our spare time (nonexistant); all the rules and policies we are to post everywhere!! All the decorations!…

Go to GoldenMark, Ltd.'s Throw Out FIFTY Things page to submit

your THROW OUT Story! …

So I went home yesturday and told my family about this great new book I found. Let me give you a quick run down of the conversation. First off let me set the stage a bit. I have had this book for awhile maybe 3-4 months. I decided to open it up yesturday and I was just so excited about the words I was reading. It was as though Gail wrote some things just for me to read. I am more excited about getting to the mind set stage of things than the physical throw things out. not because I mind…