Thank-you declutterers, organisers and baby-steppers!

[PolkadotRosa]

Just wanted to oust myself from lurking to say Hello, and a big Thanks for motivating me and helping me to sort myself out!!
I've learned lots reading these great posts and am happy to say I'm on my way to a much more organised home and a less stressful life! I've got rid of binbag after binbag to the 'chazzer' (love that!), sold on ebay, donated to friends and made £70 on Sun at our first car boot.
I feel more in control of things and have found by doing a little decluttering a day, and getting things ready for us all the night before has helped so much. No more rushing around on the last minute, tripping over random crap, with my anxiety levels sky-high, frantically searching for things, feeling like a domestic failure and wanting to scream/cry!
Still a way to go, but sure I'll get there with the help and advice on here. So cheers all and stay beautiful and useful:)

[noisytoys]

Fantastic that's great. Now enjoy your free liberated life (and don't fill up the new clear space with more stuff)

[PolkadotRosa]

Hi Noisytoys & thanks for your reply. Was in a good, positive un-cluttered place when wrote the above! To be honest I'm struggling again now. I seem to go at it all guns blazing then end up being my usual rubbish half-a-job self. My motivation is pffttt just now as you can probably tell. I just want to be a better wife, mum and be more on top of things for all our benefit. Sorry for the moan (esp after my positive first post too!) It has been such a help though reading posts on here, just need to take a deep breath & get my arse into gear. Any support/help/arse kicking welcome!

[PolkadotRosa]

Since my last post I've sorted our clean clothes Kilimanjaro into 4 piles (too many clothes??), put a wash on, tidied paints, daughter's 'masterpieces' and mucky water off the dining table and cleared the coffee table of a tiny headless toystory jessie, pj top, crumbs and all sorts of other stuff that shouldn't be there!
Do you ever feel like just chucking EVERYTHING out?!?
Break over now and baby's being entertained by his Daddy so back to it.

[sudointellectual]

"I seem to go at it all guns blazing then end up being my usual rubbish half-a-job self. "

Congratulations, you are completely normal.

clean all the things!

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

I know how you feel polkadot. My life seems to go in cycles of being bothered (usually prompted by something on here) and more often than not, not being bothered.

I spent 2 hours on the kitchen table today. It will be back to how it was by the mid week. It is the relentlessness of it that gets to me.

[IWipeArses]

Hey don't let perfection be the enemy of good enough. Sounds like you're making huge progress.

Getting rid of nearly everything is great. We got rid of our spare chair, it just got stuff piled on it and I'm just now considering getting rid of my beloved and completely knocked coffee table. Best way to stop repeatedly telling kids off for jumping off coffee table? No coffee table!

[PolkadotRosa]

Ah thanks Sudo, Slattern & IWipe for the support! You're right and it's good to know I'm not on my own. I probably am being too harsh on myself. I'm moving in the right direction and learning to procrastinate less, so that's good. It is easier to let stuff go the more I do it and can see results. I'm determined to have a home I feel proud of and hoping that a more organised life will mean more time playing and doing fun stuff with the kids, without the clutter burden.
Have sorted more clothes today for the charity shop and some to give to a friend with a new baby. Will commence battle & kick some ass again tomorrow:)

[MinimalistMommi]

Polka, just keep on at it. See organisation/decluttering as a long term mission, not just a one time thing. It needs to become a way of life for you and it can! You will have good days and bad days. I've been decluttering for over three years now and as the months go by we get more minimal. Yes, I have felt like chucking EVERYTHING out in the past so I know how you feel. I wanted to tell you, with everything that gets donated/recycled things do become more organised. The key is having less stuff. It sounds like you have too many clothes, so have a look at that area.

Read Simplicity Parenting book if you haven't already. I think it could help you.

Put something in place and make it a habit. I make sure I have sandwiches /rolls frozen for DC's lunches to get that stress out of my life at breakfast time. It's a habit now and has taken anxiety levels way down each morning. So, once you've decided what to do, keep doing it, every single day, so it becomes ingrained.

And keep get ting rid of stuff. AND STOP STUFF COMING IN YOUR FRONT DOOR. This is crucial, you need to take a long hard look at birthdays/Christmas etc and see exactly what is accumulating. AND STOP BUYING STUFF AS A GENERAL RULE. This is where people go wrong on decluttering, they have a big sort out and then wonder why they're back to square one six months down the line.

[PolkadotRosa]

MinimalistMommi thank you! It's really helping to have good advice and feedback from those who know how it feels. Being honest about my 'clutter demons' helps enormously. I'm nowhere near like Mr Trebus (Bless him-RIP) or those poor souls on The Hoarder Next Door etc but I'm kind of a secret hoarder- mass tidy/shove everything in our room and close door praying visitors/children of visitors won't set foot in there. Or at least that was the old me. My friends all seem so on top of things and I realise now it's because they haven't got as much stuff hanging around. My Mum's a bugger for holding onto shite stuff too, thankfully I'm nowhere near as bad!
Sorry I'm waffling. I will definitely read the SP book - sounds great. And yes clothes are the main issue I think. With paperwork a close second. I buy hardly anything clothes-wise now, since having my first 3yrs ago but was holding onto so much, shocking now to think how much I spent wasted pre babies! Topshop was my second home. So anyway, proud to say I've got rid of loads and am on the way to a minimalesque wardrobe. Baby no 1 clothes are being whittled away at, learning to be less sentimental about them, and most recent bambino has pretty much all hand-me-downs from friends anyway so it's been less difficult giving those away when outgrown.
I'm so much better now at thinking before I buy/bring stuff in the house (can't afford to buy as before now anyway, but wouldn't now anyway if I could)
Gawd, have just penned an essay. Therapy maybe:)

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

Polkadot, I could have written your post. (Replace top shop for marks, oasis and coast). I am appalled at how much money I spent on clothes that now don't fit. Guilt is definitely a part of my hoarding.

Good luck with your plan.

[PolkadotRosa]

Haha Slattern add Coast, Oasis, M&S, Warehouse, H&M, French Connection, Reiss...the list goes on. Eughh.
What were we thinking (or rather not thinking)?! Thanks for the good luck wishes, much appreciated.

[PolkadotRosa]

And Slattern, I sooo get the guilt thing.
Well sending you (and me) a big fat 'bugger it' and get them out, out, out of your house, get rid of the guilt- let someone else wear it!
Hard I know but I imagine very very good to do when it's all gone. The £'s long gone now anyway. Maybe ebay a few things you think will sell and give the rest. Let's do it - they're bits of material ffs, and we're worth more than they are.

[MinimalistMommi]

Polka you're right, the money has gone now and keeping it won't make it come back again if that makes sense. So the best thing that can be done is let go of the guilt, get rid of the stuff you don't wear or doesn't fit and revel in the new space, rather then letting the stuff create more misery.

[PolkadotRosa]

MinMom I agree. It's outta here.
(Hoping I am feeling as tough when get off my derriere and am face to face with it!)

[MinimalistMommi]

Go for it Polka!

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

I know your both right. I will do it, just not this week . Before I get in trouble there is a reason - DS 's birthday party this weekend in the house and then holiday the week after.

At the moment doing a mega tidy up for the party and have been putting loads of things in the bin as I go along.

Polka - your shopping habits made me smile, I remember those days, they seem so long ago before 2 DCs

[PolkadotRosa]

Slattern I hope your DS has a fab birthday, and you all have a great holiday. Being away might help your motivation- it's so nice to be in an environment containing only what you need, not surrounded by the cluttery stuff. I found this anyway when we had a weekend away recently.
It's great that you're chucking stuff as you go and when you're ready to get cracking I'm here for support if needed:)

Glad my former shopping life raised a smile. To think I used to say I had nothing to wear too. The irony!

[SlatternismyMiddlename]

Birthday party over and good fun it was too.

I have alot of tidying to do before go on holiday and intend to throw out as I go along as much as possible (by throw out I mean bin and charity shop as appropriate). I started today - Calvin Klein too small bra -in the bin (I figured charity shops wouldn't want second hand underwear). Baby steps!

How are you getting on Polka?

[PolkadotRosa]

Hi Slattern, apologies for the late reply. I'm getting on ok thanks, still lots to do but getting there. Feeling more 'on top' of things and trying to keep the motivation going. Jobs and goals for the remainder of today are: tidy/clean our bedroom, finish organising my wardrobe, and iron or hang up ready enough clothes for us all for the coming week.
I'm trying to only have in our wardrobes the things we actually wear, which may sound obvious to those that already have this, but mine's full of all sorts. I need to pack away/re-home other season stuff, dressy things like posh frocks & bridesmaid dresses, not to mention shoes I haven't worn for ages.
I love the feeling of having less stuff around, and a designated place for things - so much easier and less stressful. So I'm just trying to do a bit everyday, although it's obviously tricky with a baby and a toddler. My mum used to say there's not enough hours in the day, and I think I know now what she meant!
Hope you're getting on ok? Glad the party was good fun.