The Unf*ck It Thread

[Bracken_Joy]

You could always put a door stop or two to hold the trash can away!

[hollaynia]

Genius! I had not thought of that and it is a great next option

[meerkat]

Whatever person mentioned using gloves when going through the freezer, thank you. I don’t remember what thread it was on but the other day I went through both of our freezers and got them much more usable. I repurposed a couple containers that weren’t being used in bathroom storage but I think I need to get a couple more a size or two up.

Right now one holds random frozen fruit, another holds small protein (bags of nuts and pepperoni that was B1G1). Those would have just been pushed around and lost otherwise. I did find three different ziploc bags of frozen bananas which are now consolidated.

[meerkat]

Now with proper containers. I feel like this’ll help keep things from disappearing into the back, never to be seen again until it’s freezer burned to hell and back.

Top: non-functional ice maker with various frozen water things to help with maintaining temperature, a random bag of frozen corn, several heat-and-eat meals I got on sale, a container for frozen chicken (one plain, one with a marinade) and I stuck a bag of individual frozen tablespoons of tomato paste in there because that’s where it fit. I feel like all plastic bags should be within containers now, we’ll see if that’s actually helpful long term with the tomato paste since it doesn’t really fit with anything else.
Bottom: Italian ice things and some leftover pumpkin waffles frozen in a container, bag of pasta, container of various frozen fruits so I can find them now and actually use them for smoothies/popsicles, then a container with bags of nuts/pepperoni/meatballs. And a teeny thing of rum.

[plainjane]

I was in the decluttering thread, but I think a bunch of what I’m doing actually belongs here.

I am a pile’r, and I use visual reminders, aka the silent to-do list. I have now gone through the 2022 holiday cards and put the meaningful ones to go downstairs, and the generic ones and envelopes to recycling. I keep the envelopes with cards so I can send a holiday card of my own, but with us not returning from NZ until midway through January, that didn’t happen. It could be I’m now off several people’s card list, but such is life.

The kitchen table now has the letter reminding me that Bell would charge us less than Rogers, the gift card for the local butcher we got last year, and contact details for a local painter.

The coffee table has 6 magazines to see if anything should be cut out for inspiration.

[noodle]

@plainjane

the silent to-do list

Wow just realizing that I do this too. I have forever wanted some sort if “inbox/outbox” to deal with these things but there isn’t room in our place. Yet.

[meerkat]

@plainjane

aka the silent to-do list

This … may possibly be why my desk never stays cleared off. Then I feel like I need a bigger desk. Bigger desk did not magically solve the problem.

[Bracken_Joy]

Since I have a kid that fucks with everything, I’ve moved to a giant whiteboard on my kitchen wall that runs my life. It’s a decent substitute although I miss being able to set things down and having them stay there lol.

[noodle]

If I had like, an attached garage that’s where I’d want it to be, I think? But our garage is shared with the upstairs tenants so I don’t like to put much in there in case they forget to close/lock it up, etc. Might have space in my closet soon, but that’s probably too Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Hmmm

[Bracken_Joy]

Mine literally has to be on the main wall where I exist when functioning the most. Aka near the coffee pot and in the kitchen ANY degree of out of sight would make this not work. It’s not something I can go walk to to find to work. Otherwise apps, paper lists, etc would work just as well for me. (They do not )

[noodle]

Ugh yeah. I have to balance “not wanting to see the pile of stuff I have to take to the thrift store from every seat in the house” with “can’t forget to take the pile of stuff to the thrift store” lol

[plainjane]

Sheets triaged, consolidated

[noodle]

Oh great repurposing of that weird bag!

[plainjane]

mattress topper bag. I’m hoping the breathable sides and easy side visibility help.

[Cranky]

Do magnets work on your whiteboard? I had the biggest whiteboard calendar I could find in my classroom, and it could stick stuff up there - sooo helpful!

[Bracken_Joy]

Yes! Although it can’t be anything too appealing otherwise it risks child stealth removal. She’s very adept at moving chairs silently.

[galliver]

Speaking of garages, after 4 SOLID days of work and one breakdown on my part, we have:

• Shelves against the walls instead of mid-garage

• Access to all our things without moving furniture (more or less),

• Thematic zones for crafts, auto, tools, outdoors, kitchen overflow (rarely used appliances/large steamer, etc), and so on making it easier to look for things

• Accurate labels on bins and boxes!

• A big pile of things to donate or trash!!

• 4 or 5 doom boxes remaining, BUT identified as a problem and ACCESSIBLE

• Room to park the car (again - we did have space before, but gave it up for the unfuckening project)

• And (drumroll please)

• A LIVING ROOM FLOOR

Concurrently, we also:

• Ordered bookshelves for hallway/stairs to hold paperbacks so we can unpack them
• Rearranged my office/the guestroom to allow walking pad use
• Did minor kitchen reorg
• Assembled drawers for under our new bed (IKEA, storage+ block cat from hiding!)

I’ll post garage before/during/afters tonight if I don’t forget, I apparently forgot to take an after.

[diapasoun]

I too am a pile-er and this is giving me ideas to manage/reduce said piles.

[Bracken_Joy]

Update us on what you try! I’d love to hear and how it works for you.

[diapasoun]

I will! If I can just corral us that will go a long long ways…