OFFENDING HOME OFFICE: PART 17

It’s amazing what you uncover as you clear and area.  Things long forgotten slowly work their way to the top and you often wonder “why do I still have that?”  

Years ago I “played with dead people” on a daily basis.  No I am not a mortician, I’ll leave that to my friend Sharon.  Nor am I freak of some sort.  I am an amateur genealogist and for a long time pursuing the ancestry of my children was all enveloping.  I spent a LOT of money on magazines, newsletters and much more.  

While clearing a small bookshelf from the debris that was on and surrounding it I unearthed all these magazines.  Some I’ve never even opened and probably never will. 

Oh I still have my love for genealogy, but now I do most of my research online or by visiting the actual sites.  These research materials I am certain hold great info for someone, but I do not see me using them for some while.  Therefore they do not pass rule #1 of the reasons to keep them. 

But the back of my mind keeps whining , “but you may want to look through them some day and find a very valuable clue. “

What to do?  I really wanted that shelf space for something else, but I hated the idea of possibility of losing even a single clue.  Then I hit upon the perfect solution.  

Our local small town genealogy society!  I knew their resources and finances were really low and that they didn’t have any of these magazines, quarterlies or newsletters when I last looked there.  That is why I bought them. 

I also knew there were people that were searching those same areas as I am.  So I decided to “share the wealth” and donate them to the genealogy society along with some church membership photos from the 1920’s and similar other materials that I knew were hiding in the closet and file cabinet.  Both of those were yet to be cleaned out and organized.  I was not looking forward to either of them.  But they were on the list to do in the very near future.

Most of these items I can easily scan into my computer using the document feed and then look at them to my heart’s content and have that shelf space for my craft room.

That way they would be available to me when I wanted to use them and others would benefit as well.  I like that. 
 

This is something to consider when you are clearing things out.  If something is of historical or genealogy significance, be it a written text, ephemera, or an old photo and you no longer want it, please donate it to your local historical or genealogy society.  They are always looking for new finds and have very limited budgets.  Your donation could help someone else in a big way.

Okay, I’m off my soap box now.  Back to the book case.  Once I made the decision to donate those quarterlies that left me with a nearly clear shelf to put my Cricut cartridges on.  

I know of people who own over 300 Cricut cartridges.  Even with my recent purchase of four new ones on a great sale I am no where even near 25.  So I currently only need one full shelf and space for 1-3 more on the second shelf for them.  Still I decided I would use this little bookcase for my cartridges.  It is strategically located between my work computer and my Cricut machine on my work table.  Where better to put them? 

I started alphabetizing them then ran into a problem because some of them had came in blister packs rather than the nice boxes that held the overlays and cartridges.  Plus the new universal overlay ones I had were in a box less than one third the size of the original boxes.  BUMMER!  I wanted a uniformed look.  Time to get creative. 

Many people like separating their cartridges all into one box with their booklets and overlays elsewhere. There are a lot of really good examples of this on the web.  I’ve seen clever containers made out of a flat lidded box that are divided with cut up pieces of plastic canvas to make perfect cartridge size containers, but that separates the overlays and booklets from the cartridge.  I don’t like that personally.

I know me.  If I have them stored separate something will turn up missing, or the overlay will get torn or something.  I prefer to keep mine all together, snug in a secure box.  So when I am putting the cartridge up when I am finished with it I only have to go to one source for storage.

I could put my few boxless ones in my juke box and put the overlays and books in the bottom of that, but then I’ll forget where they are and not use them to their best advantage.  Better to have all the cartridges together so I could pick and choose as I wanted from one spot when crafting.

So for those that have their individual overlays the only option was to create a similar box for those few cartridges that needed it.

First I alphabetized the ones that had the original boxes.  Then using one as a pattern I used my envelope punch board to create a box the same size for each cartridge I needed one for. 

It turned out to be a bit more of a challenge than I had planned and I spent most of one day creating them. The procedure was simple enough once I had the punches right.  My next post will include photos, measurements and how to’s to make similar boxes to fit on your shelves with your Cricut cartridges, because it would make this post far too long for those not interested. 

I knew that I still had a lot of the original box cartridges to purchase in the future, so I didn’t want to designate a whole shelf right away to the tiny new universal overlay type boxes.  

That’s when I discovered the little boxes would fit easily on the shelf in front of the original style ones, without any dangerous over hang.  Problem solved.  I could double row the boxes, see where everything was and still have a great universal look.

INSERT PHOTO OF CARTRIDGE SHELF

I moved on to the second shelf from there.  It was filled with various sizes of three ring binders.  One by one I opened them to find that either the info in them was something I no longer needed or it was something that could be scanned and stored on the computer.  An example of this were my copies of various print outs of different ancient family genealogies that I had either purchased or been given of long dead ancestors and their numerous branches. 

The out of date info was of course discarded and the genealogies set over to be scanned as time rolled on. 

Once these were scanned they would join the quarterlies I was going to donate to the genealogy society.  Again a win for everyone involved.

That left the bottom shelf nearly empty for now, but that won’t be a problem.  I can put decorative items there until I need the space for those all important cartridges

I did decide to leave my old CD container on the top of the bookshelf because not only did it fit easily, it still had several slots available in it that I could use in the future to put cd cases of stored scrapbooking items in once I determined what I wanted to store in them.  There are a lot of options for such storage.

The other slots are filled with genealogy research CD’s and they need to be right by my computer for when I am doing research.

My computer desk has a built in CD rack as well and my most often used research cds are there.

So at the end of the day I found myself with a well cleaned and organized bookshelf that I could now easily access and enjoy. It will be even better as soon as I get those boxes built.

Plus the enjoyable task ahead of me reading the various genealogies as I scanned them for permanent storage and the joy of sharing the source materials with others.

Jan who loves it when things work out that way in OK

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OFFENDING HOME OFFICE: PART 16

I know this project seems to be a never ending project, trust me I feel that way on some days myself.  Please remember this room has been a collection point for not only our stuff but the stuff of friends and family for years.

You are only seeing the trouble spots, aka: the whole room, a small segment at a time.  That’s because the whole room photo would have made it look like we are hoarders, something we definitely are not.  We often wonder how we can generate so much trash in such a short time.  

We are always hauling something to the donation box, the dump, the recyclers, or burning trash when we safely can.

This particular weekend was a haul off weekend.  We started with the recycling.  We recycle all we can.  That includes plastic, glass, cans, corrugated cardboard and various other things.  

Food scraps are recycled through our farm critters and/or the compost barrel.

Friday’s load was a large one, in fact so were Saturday’s and Monday’s.  We used the big truck for each trip.

Saturday we were off to the dump with the non-burn stuff and then on Sunday evening we filled the truck with things to go to our local charity on Monday. 

 While most of the charitable stuff was from the office there were of course items from other areas of the house too as well as two still working vacuums.  Along the inheritance trail we had ended up with five vacuums in this house. We kept the two newest and best for the upstairs and downstairs so we don’t have to tote a sweeper up and down the stairs.

The fifth vacuum works well with the attachments, but needs some work on the beater bar.  Gary is going to work on it and then it too will be donated. I know some folks would say we should have kept the other three for when the two good ones break down.  But how soon would that be and where would we store them? The office is no longer an option.  Better to let someone else use them and to help a charity than to be selfish.

This brings us to the subject of this post. Decision making.

When you are doing a cull out process, whether it is a major one like we are doing or just a single box or drawer you are faced with needing to make a decision:  To keep or not to keep.

It’s a fine line to walk, if you decide not to keep, you may be faced with replacing it in the future.  If you keep too much you are faced with all the problems of clutter.  So how do you make the decision?

We work with a set of guidelines while we are culling or purging as some call it. 

1.     How long since we used it?  Some people say if you haven’t used it in six months then it should go.  Only life doesn’t rotate in a six month cycle, or even a true annual cycle for everyone.  Our rule of thumb is to ask ourselves “When did we last use or need this?”  If we can’t remember, then it is history.  If we haven’t used it in a very long time.  It is history.

2.     Should we ever need it again how much would it really cost us if we were to have to replace it? Does that cost outweigh the cost of storing it? This second part is important because people forget that storing things, even in your home, has a cost to it.  

You have to pay to heat/cool the item.  You lose time in your busy schedule cleaning it and moving it around.   If you are a homeowner you are insuring it.  You are giving up valuable space for something you would use more often.  

The third part of this segment is if we should need it again, could we borrow or rent one cheaper than keeping it?

This works particularly well on those craft supplies you have been hanging on to "some day" use, but really don't like them well enough to use them. 

 

If the item is going to be too costly to keep, or is cheap to replace/borrow/ rent one  Then it is history.

3.     What is the sentimental value of it?  Every mother has something from her child’s growing years that she keeps as a souvenir.  This is a normal and good thing, but it can quickly grow into a clutter monster if you don’t control your sentimental side to some extent.  I still have my dear daughter’s teddy bear and silky blanket from her infant days and she is in her 40’s.  They probably mean nothing to anyone but me.  However, my mother and grandmother made the blanket and that bear, a gift from my grandfather (whom we buried on the day I went into labor), saw my daughter through many a childhood event. 

They are safely put away in my cedar chest, along with the outfits both children wore home from the hospital when they were born.  Those take very little space.

I also have a few special birthday cards, but not many.  Some photos of special events are safely scrapbooked, or scanned into the computer.  Artwork from their youth has also been scanned and stored.  No person can keep everything. 

I keep just a few things either in their original form, or scanned of every person or event that has been special in my life, but I limit how much of each item I keep.  These items are clearly labeled for when I am dead and gone so those sorting what I leave behind will know why I had a ratty old teddy bear tucked away in a well worn silky blanket.  Then the decision will be theirs.

This is probably the hardest category for all of us to sort.  But it has to be done.  I tend to ask myself what makes it so special.  I also asked the kids when it involves them if they want to keep it.  Dd has a lot of her childhood stuff with her already, and ds has the responsibility of the storing of some of his stuff. 

4.     If we were to move again, would it be worth paying the cost to a professional mover to move it?  Or is it worth paying a monthly storage fee on?  These two questions will weed out a lot quickly when you actually do the calculations on it.  If you had to pay by the pound to move that set of 1972 encyclopedias would you?  Knowing you can look up just about anything you need to know online these days? Would some school benefit from it more?  How about all those magazines? 

5.     Would another person benefit from it more than I currently am?  That could be some individual you know, or a local charity.

6.     Would I be ashamed to be seen with or in this?  This one works particularly well when you are culling out a closet. I recently did a blog post on this.  Yes, you might have paid way too much for that pair of slacks, only to find out they really did make your butt look big and you know you are never really going to wear them unless they are the last pair in your closet. 

When considering this one also consider the being seen part really closely.  As I wrote in my “Are we making ourselves feel poor?” article wearing stained clothing just because you are staying home does no good if it makes you feel poor.  We are after all working on the Princess Plan.  I for one am a princess and refuse to dress or live like a pauper any more.  Even if I am not financially well off, I can live like royalty with what I have.

So  that is the top six questions I ask when I am culling “good” items.  I am certain you can come up with some questions of your own.  Make a list and then hit that box, closet or drawer well armed to cull more.  

Oh and once you have “completely” culled.  I challenge you to go through the same box or drawer in six months and see if those items are still as valuable to you.  Betcha you cull more.

Jan who says the old saying “Less is more” is really true in OK

INSERT PHOTO OF THE COVER OF THE PRINCESS PLAN ALBUM

OFFENDING HOME OFFICE: PART 15

Note these posts originally written early in February 2014 and is being posted in sequence every 3-4 days.

I slept until almost 8:30 am today, unusual around here, then it took me twice as long to get showered and dressed than usual, not sure why, just dragging a bit.

Outside 45 mph winds are wailing and I hate wind.  So much so it took me until nearly 11 to go out and release the geese, water them.  The cats had already been out by that time and had voiced their discontent at the wind, quite loudly.

Geese are funny creatures, ours have wintered over in the safety of our large garden area.  It’s a great situation for all concerned, they weed out all the leftovers from last season while fertilizing as they go.  They are also able to get in the middle of the roofed pen with no chance of a predator being able to reach them all winter.  They like that.

They are let out on a daily basis to graze for whatever natural foods they can find, and then tucked back into the pen for safety at night. 

 

Jolie our main herd dog will even herd them into the pen at night if we aren’t home by o’dark and stand guard at the gate until we come to water and close it.  Jo-Jo is always so proud of herself when she does that.  She would be the first to tell you the birds are her responsibility and she takes it serious.  Which is pretty remarkable considering she is a collie/Aussie shepherd mix that is a self taught rescue animal.

Her “sister” Georgia will guard all night, but tends to love her pillow in the sun room next to her heater in the daytime of the winter months.  They are a pretty good team.

When I released the birds they did their usual run with their wings spread wide “flying” as we call it, although they are generally too fat to get their little feathered backsides off the ground.  Not so today, the wind gusts caught those large wings and even the fattest, Whitaker (a Toulouse/Embden Cross—read big bird of about 18 pounds) found himself airborne for several feet.  

The look on their faces was priceless.  Then of course they had to do their goosey boasting of how high they flew and how far.  Crazy birds, strutting around with their chest thrust forward and wings spread to the back to look big and important.

Little Snowball, a white Chinese/Tufted Roman mix of maybe 10 pounds, soon found she needed to keep her wings folded to avoid flying a lot more than she wanted.  Last I saw her she was picking up small rocks, hmmm wonder if she has feathered goose pockets to put them in.

Once the dogs, cats and birds were all fed, watered and accounted for I crept upstairs with great intentions for the day, but soon found myself journaling instead of working.  Every so often I’d get writer’s cramp and get up to do a bit more on the room, but not near the volumes I’ve been doing.   I emptied 3 small boxes, and the four shelves of the wire bookcase.  

With the emptying of them I decided my scrapbook albums would look better and be easier to access on that set of shelves than the shelf I currently had them on. So I undid a sort, so to speak, I had done nearly a year ago to make it more attractive and useful.

Ds has been asking for more space on the wall unit bookshelf for his art books, and moving those albums to the other bookshelf would free up 1 ½ shelves for him. 

It would also allow me to use my Mickey Mouse bookends to where they could be seen with great advantage.  I liked that too. 

I guess I should admit right here that I am a huge Disney fan, as is all my family.  We have something Disney in every room of the house. For guests here it’s kind of like looking for “hidden Mickey’s” at Walt Disney World, the Disney items are here, but some times not super obvious. I generally try to have items that are both useful and decorative.

On our next trip I will be looking for a tabletop paper towel dispenser for my work station here in the craftroom.  I also have plans for some interesting “create” type Disney signs for the room.  Stay tuned for that project.

Back to today’s decluttering. 

That’s something you need to consider when you are decluttering an area, be flexible.  What might have seen like the best possible location for an item, may actually work better somewhere else. 

If for some reason an items doesn’t seem to be comfortable to work with in one location, decide where it would be best for you and then move it, even if the new location doesn’t make absolute sense to others, it is YOUR work area, be comfortable and you will create more.

I went from having the scrapbooks from standing on edge with uneven depths on a high shelf to laying them flat with all the edges even on two smaller shelves.  The over all look and feel was much better. Both my son and I are a little obsessive about continuity, so the uneven edges and his art books being split to three different areas made both of us uncomfortable.  This one small change fixed that for both of us.

The shelf the scrapbooks previously went from over stuffed looking to a neat organization of books.  Since my son's books would be used only occasionally, far less than the scrapbooks, it simply made sense to put them on the higher shelf unit. Especially considering how much taller Sean is than I am.

The rest of the day I did “tidy-up” work.  You know how when you are cleaning you always make an even bigger mess?  Well today I worked on one bookcase/shelves and tidy up.  Tomorrow is another day to do more major cleaning.  

Actually we will probably make a run to recycle and donate tomorrow afternoon. In the morning I’ll probably work on small stuff until Gary gets home from work and we make the run to get rid of stuff.

Jan who feels like she did very little today, but did accomplish one thing as per her goal and it vastly improved the look of the room in OK