Christmas clearout/declutter

[rhuhbarb4]

Hi everyone

So my house although clean is very cluttered and disorganised I just have too much stuff and no matter how hard I try I never seem to make any progress.

Now that Christmas is fast approaching I really want space to enjoy the Christmas period and with all the room that is going to be needed for gifts/decorations and the extra bodies in the house.

Does anyone else do this? And if so how do you manage it? What do you get rid of?

I have 3 dcs ds3 dd2 and dd10 months. I live in a 3 bed house with 1 storage cupboard under the stairs so not really anywhere to put stuff. I also have a sentimental husband who won't get rid of ANYTHING.

thanks all.

[ChocolateBudgeCake]

Yes we do this every year. We do a sweep of the house over a few weekends e.g. One weekend we'll tackle the front room and dining room, next week kitchen etc.

Two bags/boxes - one for rubbish and one for charity. Everyone pitches in.

But you have to be ruthless!

For sentimental DH give him a shoebox which he can fill with stuff to keep but if it doesn't fit then it's gone! Or take a photo of the sentimental item to keep but get rid of the actual item. That way you'll always remember but don't have the clutter.

[rhuhbarb4]

Wow the shoebox idea is genius also the taking photos I would never have thought of that. Thanks for that.

I have started today and dh is not here so in one way makes it easier to get rid of stuff but I also have all 3 dcs with me so that slows me down.

I just don't know where to start.

[nothanksbyenow]

Choose a room that's not so full of sentimental items- bathroom, kitchen perhaps. Ease yourself in gently but still get started!

[flapjackfairy]

Dont try and tackle too much at once or you will give up when you get overwhelmed is my advice.

[rhuhbarb4]

Yeah I am usually pretty good at stayang on top of things but I have had a year of shit to be honest (another reason I am so excited for christmas) so I have let things slide a bit and only doing the cleaning and letting clutter build up.

I think I have just finished my living room so that's a bonus only 9 more rooms to go!

Thanks for all your advice

[whimsical1975]

I always start with the DC bedrooms!!! They are the rooms with the most clutter and usually the rooms that need the most space for new goodies! I NEVER involve DH in their rooms!!! Mine is also very sentimental and if I had to ask I'd end up keeping everything... he doesn't even know what's in there so he doesn't miss anything! But what a previous poster said... be RUTHLESS!!!!!

[rhuhbarb4]

Oh God I think i would need a week to prepare mentally before I did the dcs rooms! So many boxes to sort through! But yes they do need sorting they always get the most at Xmas time.

I might give dh they job of sorting his garage while I get on in the house.

I have also now done my hallway so I have given up for the day today now waiting for my chicken stew to finish cooking so I can tuck into that.

Start again tomorrow might need some motivation from all you lovely people.

[iklboo]

We've just had a big clear out. Shifted some stuff into the shed, got rid of loads to the recycling / tip (had to be brutal) and lots to charity shops. The house does look loads better now.

[flapjackfairy]

You have inspired / panicked me to start! Just done some of kids toys!!
So thanks for boot up bum! I needed it!

[MTWTFSS]

I started last week. Last week was "Kitchen week". This week is "Children's bedroom" week.

[rhuhbarb4]

flapjackfairy so glad that you felt panice that was the exact same feeling I got this morning when I realised there was 18 days until the 1st which is when I put my decorations up.

Well done to those of you that have already started seems like we all had the same idea to unite against clutter and rid the house of all its unholiness!

[Crispsheets]

I've done this today.
We downsized from 5 bed massive house to tiny 3 bed.....I am ruthless about getting rid of stuff too. Am moving in a year and already eyeing up what's going on Gumtree.
I've just done ds's room and eaves storage. My room tomorrow.
Tip on Monday

[rhuhbarb4]

Oh no downsizing is the worse I can't imagine the task you had ahead of you!

I admire you for putting stuff on Gumtree I haven't got the patience for that. From what I've sorted so far decent stuff down the charity shop (our town in abundant with them so I can distribute evenly) and the rest in the back of the car for the tip tomorrow.

I am planning on dining room/play room tomorrow.

[daisydalrymple]

I'm just in awe of you being able to declutter effectively with 3 such young dcs mine are 9,7 and 2. But dc3 is such high maintenance that it's so hard to get stuff done!

And my problem is as I'm decluttering, I'm getting stuff onto eBay, so it's taking me longer! (But am managing to fund a fair amount of Christmas this way, so it's worth it for me).

[rhuhbarb4]

I think it's having thenough dcs so young that makes it essential to declutter! Whoever knew that they could create so much mess and at their age putting things away is putting it in the nearest place where mummy can't find it.

Oh I feel your pain with a high maintenance 2 year old. EBay does slow you down I think because you have to keep the stuff until it's sold but at least you are making money out of it.

Maybe a nice treat for yourself after all your the one that did all the hard work

[daisydalrymple]

I know, I've seen a top I like which I might just treat myself to! I think what's also slowing me down is im trying to be methodical and sort like with like then find permanent places for everything, to avoid it building up again.

Liking the ideas on this thread though and may just go room by room with bags to get rid of the obvious bulky stuff, whilst plodding away properly when I have the time.

[trinitybleu]

Done DD's wardrobe today. Half goes to a friend with a slightly smaller daughter and half to a collection at school that's based on weight. OH's long, heavy jeans are good for that!

[Emeralda]

I designated October as clear-out month, tried to do something every day and wrote it down. It was quite good to tally it up at the end - 11 bags to charity, 2 ebay parcels, 1 large bag to Guides Christmas Fair, 4 bags to friends, 3 bags to tip/recycling. October is going to be "making space for Christmas" month forevermore. I can't say the house looks vastly different but I get a warm glow everytime I look at that list, so I highly recommend keeping a tally.
I agree with taking pictures of sentimental items or re- purposing them. If you have the space, you can quarantine stuff too - if it's not asked feel for by a certain date marked on the box, it goes.

[daisydalrymple]

More good ideas, thanks!

[rhuhbarb4]

emeralda October sounds like the month I should have started all of this. My only fear would be it getting as bad before Christmas. I like your idea of writing everything down I might have to copy that idea. At least then if nothing looks any different I have my reminder.

Day 2 and I have actually done nothing I was up all night with ds as he had earache after a couple hours of him on and off crying I rang ooh and then I had to take him to the local a&e where an ear infection diagnosed. Then had to wait for local chemist to open today at 10:00 to collect them.

Not productive at all today but hopefully day 3 will see some more positivity. Roll on tomorrow and the dining room/play room.

[rhuhbarb4]

*to collect the antibiotics that were prescribed

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Today, we did DD wardrobe.
Five bags for the Charity Shop (clothes) , mainly summer/holiday clothes.

I need to do the Pantry to see what I have and what I need to buy (baking items,pasta sauces,coffee) and make space for the Christmas foods.

Then it'll be the chest freezer in the garage, we bring things up to the house freezer to get eaten and any Christmas food goes into the chest freezer.

Need to sort through bedding (it'll just be us for Christmas this year so I don't need to make up extra beds) but I need new pillows.

Then bathroom (though I'm doing the "Ashamed of my Beauty Hoard" on Style&Beauty, so I'm going through all the stockpiled shampoos and showergels, feels to get to the end of a bottle) .

I'll decide where the tree will go and clear space, then on the 1st Dec , the Christmas oilcloth goes on the table to start the festive season.

[rhuhbarb4]

Oh the children's wardrobes are the absolute worse for things that can be got rid of. I think it's because we very rarely declutter in there because we don't see it accumulate as much.

Well done you I can't belive you have a house freezer I thought I was the only one who did this things from the outside freezer come into the house freezer.

So glad there are so many people out there that HAVE to have a clear out before Christmas and I'm not the only one with too much stuff.

[rhuhbarb4]

Day 4 and after 3 dcs being ill and me I have manged to do the living room, hallway and the kitchen completely. Now the hard part is keeping it that way while trying get on with the rest of the house!

How is everyone else getting on?

[MrsDilligaf]

I desperately need to do the kitchen, lounge and spare room however we are decorating the hall, stairs and landing next week so the declutter and deep cleaning will have to wait until we've done that.

Our tree will be going up on the 3rd, but if the baby starts crawling before then it'll be going up shortly before Christmas!