Decluttering and the Donate Bin

I suppose less organizing and more decluttering was the theme of the day. I didn't even start until late in the day. I was waiting for my daughter after school. I decided to look around and see if there was any trash to collect, or papers to remove. I found two maps, one was recycled. A few bits of trash, a gum wrapper, and I think the pull tab from a box of Girl Scout cookies. I found our EXPIRED auto insurance card and I promptly came home and printed out new ones. All set now (they were only three days expired). I also pulled all these CDs from the cars player. We are burnt out on these. I think they have been in there for nearly a year and a half.

I decided those CD should be put back in their original jewel cases and I did know just where to look. Our entertainment center where all CDs, movies and games live. 

It took less than a minute to find cases and pop those CDs back in. But that decluttering bug kicked in. I"m sure this blog helps with that! You are expecting to see things happen here at my house. I pulled ALL those movies, cds and games out. (There are more on the left) I even dusted!! I only put back the ones I was sure of. Most of the girls movies and games are on the left, others are down below the stereo or on the right. CDs only fill the top right side. Obviously, Harry Potter was on the wrong side. :)

The picture above is a partial pile of things to definitely get rid of, or to check with my husband on. Below is how the entertainment center looks after my pretty quick go through. 

I'm not sure if you can tell, but there are fewer items in those trays on the left side. Fewer movies and fewer CDs. That is because we are getting rid of this pile below. I will do a quick check online to see if it is worth my time to sell on Ebay or Second Spin. Otherwise they will go in our garage sale or be donated.

Some of those movies and CDs we haven't touched in over two years. That is when you know you are done with those kinds of things! I'm actually going to leave those on my coffee table until I have a few minutes to decide on their sale-ability. If I decide they are a garage sale or donate item I know just where to put them. 

The Donate Bin

This donate bin is located in our closet. I just put it there today, since I realized my husband had pulled out some clothes to donate yesterday, but then when he went to go to bed and I wasn't around, he hung them back up!!!!! As a result, I now have a bin in our closet. His stuff went to our donate bins in the basement when I went to get this bin. Most of the stuff we are done with has a spot down there. It turns out my husband isn't aware of them. :( 

Do you have a specific place to put things you no longer want? Is it the trash can? Or do you have a place to keep your donations until you have a chance to get them to the charity of your choice? Did you notice that one place I decluttered today led to another?