Less than 3 months to go! It's the DECLUTTERING FOR CHRISTMAS thread...

[fuzzpig]

My house is a state! I am absolutely determined to declutter in time for Xmas this year. I have never managed it before

My main wants are:

• to clear out our tiny kitchen (it's a galley style, so small you can barely swing an atom let alone a cat!) so that cooking is less stressful and we will be more likely to do festive baking etc - another thing I've never managed to do...

• to do a massive sweep of all DCs toys, books and clothes. They have WAY too many, and especially with toys it means that new things don't really get appreciated because they get lost among everything else.

• to completely sort out our living room so it actually looks nice when decorated and there is room to play.

I am unable to do much ATM because I'm not very well, but this could be a long term thing so I don't want to just leave it - I want to do a tiny bit every day. Yesterday I collected a laundry bin full of recycling stuff - mostly pieces from some orchard toys games - some of which due to clutter have never really even been played with properly

I can't be the only one who needs to declutter for Xmas - who's with me?

Decorator finishes here later today so we can:
Move sofa, chairs, boxes of books (keepers) into the living room.
Cut lengths of pine board for the shelves over DH's desk, and the desk piece too.
Get the electrician back to install wall lights and certify the whole house.
Order doors to go on everywhere.
Order a medicine cabinet.
Put empty cardboard boxes in the loft
Bring down coffee table from the loft
Move Christmas decs close to the hatch of the loft.
Put shelf racking bars up in the kitchen

Once the wall lights are on, we can move tall dresser cabinets back, and when we do that I will "review and edit" everything in them. I already have a handy box of wrapping stuff for presents (and DH knows of its existence too well we'll see...). In the dresser there are a load of excess kitchen items like extra large roasting tins. If I can get them all out into one place, with everything else from the kitchen, I can have a good go at it all.

Well done prattling - and Who. And everyone else. Bit slow here, but cleared and cleaned fridge & freezer yesterday ready for Christmas food, and managed to get the council to pick up our spare recycling bin which has been cluttering up my front garden, so pleased with that

DH & I both had our birthdays last week, and am desparate to clear all the cards off the shelves as they're cluttering up my (slightly tidied) book shelves!

PS Hope the consultant appt goes well, fuzzpig, & glad the chest infection is clearing up.

Thanks funny :)

Lost momentum a bit today but still got a fair bit done so far. Cleared our tiny hallway mostly by shoving things in the cupboard and did a few more bits and pieces, the kind of little DIY jobs that just get left to fester! Painting over of grubby marks, bleached the sink etc.

Also completely cleared and dusted the piano, which, as I am not able to play very often, has become a dumping ground, despite knowing that loading it with stuff is bad for it . Got it all looking lovely, and as a reward when I had the house to myself I had a half hour of playing piano for the first time in ages - and what did I play? Christmas Carols of course! :o Gotta start practising for the Christmas singalong right?

Tonight I need to clear the table in the living room. That is a big dumping ground too. DH has been unable to sit at a table for 2 years due to his back, but as it's a lot better now, we are determined to finally get back to proper family meals. I reckon some new tableware is in order. To celebrate.

DH is going to carry on in the kitchen (that sounds like a Kenneth Williams movie!), and we need to clean the bathroom. Then I reckon we are reasonably presentable for landlords.

There's a few things we've just shoved in boxes for a quick fix but we will go back to those after the weekend.

Hello - mind if I join you all on the sofa of activity!

I am feeling very pleased with myself. I have gone through all of DS toys, games and books. Every single sodding piece of Lego, Kinex and all the other blooming construction sets are now sorted into their own individual boxes. I am worthy of a Phd in 'small plastic recognition'. Who knew six years ago I would be able to recognise Chromastone's severed foot. DS is never allowed to play (mess them up) with them again!!!

Three piles: 1. Broken to be mended. 2. Broken to be recycled/thrown. 3. charity shop.

Cupboards in lounge and the spare room to sort out this week. I'm on countdown to start of school holidays. I will be organised this year

Wow that is impressive! Welcome :)

We've done really well here in the last few days. Living room especially looks totally different!

Somewhat lost momentum today, got a couple more bits done like sifting out a few more non-fitting clothes with DD, but mostly just mooched. Landlord coming tomorrow so will do a bit more in the morning.

Did my Tesco order and included some nice coasters/placemats to celebrate our clean table!

Hi all cluttersluts!

Not been overly productive last few days as was away. Did do the porch area today though. It's more of a veranda really. An odd dead space. Anyway. It's tidy and swept and has two outdoor chairs on it so looks much better. Want to buy a couple of hurricane lamps to go there too. Might have to go to Ikea. That could be dangerous!

Sorted through the freezer this morning and have menu planned for this week to use as much up as possible.

Decorator is now coming on Wednesday. If he delays again I am cancelling. He was supposed to start on 22 October!

Tomorrow's plan is to finish my desk. I also need to sort through all the Xmas presents I have bought so far as I am losing track of what I have.

So today we really got down to it here!!! We put up a new chest of drawers and a new shoe cabinet - the shoes are no longer cluttered around the edge of the the living room floor and DH and I actually have enough room for all our clothes rather than them living at the bottom of the wardrobe on the bedroom flor or over the blanket box at the end of the bed!!

Our dishwasher has been given a new lease of life (we bought a new one that doesn't trip out the electrics every time we use it) and my kitchen has never been cleaner or tidier!!

Living room is currently a nest of fleeces/quilts/blankets as DD is sitting up now and making moves so with the wooden floors we need a bit of padding - but that's ok it's not mess or clutter just padding

And I have had the dining room table free of clutter for over a week now and we've actually eaten at the table a couple of times :)

So we're on our way...

Feeling good today! I've been feeling for a few days that we would never accomplish what we want to here, as things were going horribly slowly, so I was feeling destined for another cluttered Christmas.

However due to landlords visiting we did absolutely loads on Thursday and Friday, and a few bits on the weekend, and although we are still nowhere near where I'd love it to be, the house looks better than it has for ages!

In the end the landlord was only here for a few minutes but I am really glad we got so much done beforehand. We agreed to relax tonight and hopefully do some more from tomorrow. We all ate at the table together for the first time in, um...

Surfaces are basically clutter free now - so really we need to just get on with pulling out a box/drawer/shelf at a time and properly sorting it out.

fuzz Well done!

And the same to everyone else! You have all put me to shame cos I have done zip this weekend but we did have 2 extra dcs here and the house looks like a bomb site

Spent today finishing off the VAT return - tis done and winging its way to HMRC. Trouble is I'm getting twitchy cos I can see things needing sorted out and I can't leave the accounts....still tomorrow is another day and I have loads to do.

To do list is as follows....

fold and put clothes away
scrub utility room floor
hoover house
get rid of last bags of rubbish
take clothes bags to charity shop
de-clutter kitchen sides.

WOW just realised - my to do list is mainly normal cleaning now - not the "I must clear that out" mantra.

That's a good sign! I think part of the reason I'm so crap at housework in general is that I keep seeing all the massive amounts of clutter and feel like I should attack them rather than normal cleaning, because even if I cleaned the house would still look cluttered and crap! It is amazing now, my head actually feels clearer because the house is clearer.

We had a social care worker here today, she said the house looked beautiful and not even in comparison with how it was before, as she's never been here!

Things have fairly stalled in the MuddyPuddles household, unlikely to get any better for a wee while as we're away for a short break on fri.

All of DD's toys are in her room now, but the dining table is a mess just enough clean space for 3 plates, as are the kitchen counters, the toys DD is allowed to keep in the lounge, etc.

Plus the dreaded "cleaned too early, clutter has crept back in" curse seems to have struck! :(

I'm a bit scared to re-list what I've got left, but here goes:
Before 1 Dec (when we decorate):
-clear off mantle
-declutter bookshelves so DD has more space for her books and her games have a better home currently live where we want to put christmas tree (have done a bit of this)

Before 21 Dec (we're having a party):
-finish clearing out entry area/hallway (mostly stuff for charity/women's aid shelter left)
-clear DH's desk (ideally he would do this... )

Whenever:
-clean out snack cupboard
-clean out tupperware cupboard
-file piles of crap including making DH sort the pile he hasn't touched in 4 years
-get the baby/toddler stuff sold/out of the flat!

I have gone thorugh DD's clothes, my clothes except underwear drawer, and made a start in the hall... plus DH moved most of DD's toys back to her room, and we've cleared a bit more shelf-space for her.

MrsMuddyPuddles I'm ignoring the filing

We're having our Christmas party on the 23rd and for the first year ever I reckon I won't be shoving boxes and bags of crap into the dcs room just to get it out of the way and pretend I am a domestic goddess!

Came home from work today to find dh painting the back room (This is because I said I would do the front room tomorrow!) Difference is I have decluttered front room first, back room is still the usual tip however he has cleared the dust and junk off the leccy box and told me it has to stay clear from now on! We have picked some new wallpaper for after Christmas too. Dd has also approved a good sort of the bath toys-including the mouldy ducks !

Aaaargh the mouldy ducks!

I really want to get rid of the few rubbish bath toys they've got left, not sure I can justify getting them some new ones though.

I've got three washes hanging out now, so hopefully I can make good headway into the massive backlog, but I'm resisting the temptation to put another load on as there'll be no room to hang it.

Marking place

Hello. How are we all doing?

Nothing much achieved here. Sorted through DS's Xmas presents yesterday so I at least know what I have for him.

Today I need to clear the dining room again and my bedroom. It shouldn't take too long as I did the dining room a few weeks ago but then everything got dumped back in there when decorator cancelled.

I have started doing this today.

How have we got so much stuff and yet hardly anything that is decent? I just have mountains and mountains of tat. My 2013 resolution is definitely going to be to stop shopping. I will buy food, obviously, but nothing else. The thing is, I just did a massive declutter in summer, so have no idea how it is once again in this state.

hi all.

a few noticeable steps forward chez moi ... living room now has a desk for DH on shelf brackets in an alcove, so his computer bits and the cinema base station now have a home. speakers are all connected and most of the furniture is there. Dresser cabinets might be moved this evening, which will mean emptying them of the interesting selection of excess kitchenware that they conceal...

We also did a loft transfer yesterday. Empty cardboard boxes up, winter clothes and hats down. Also some candidates for the 'getting rid of' corner. Have a plan for my (gifted amateur carpenter) dad visiting later this week - understairs cupboards to be built in. I need to draw a design and figure out what timber is required.

Would love some ideas on that actually - hall walls are painted dulux 'coastal glow', light oak engineered wood floor, slate grey skirting, white gloss stair rail/rods and matt white ceiling. Well lit with halogen spots on a bar. What colour should my understairs cupboard doors be? or what about wallpapered in a feature print?

kinky I've sort of stopped shopping too.We had a new sofa, dining table and office desk on our shopping list, but have decided that they have to wait until the space is created by getting rid of the outgoing one (if there is one), rather than having two of something. So that gives me the incentive to unpack my bureau desk, get it downstairs and photograph it properly for ebay. It will occupy a space designated for a clavinova in the future, which is another incentive. I have a three day rule on plastic tat from party bags, and have been doing quite well on the one touch rule for post DH not so much. I caught myself putting something in the stair basket this morning though, which belonged nowhere in particular.

I have done:
Utility Room
Kitchen Drawers
Husbands Knicker Drawer (who knew he had so many pair oF holey knicks/socks)
Big Food cupboard

and put all paperwork in study - not sorted but just dumped

Feeling really quite Smuggy

and Christmas card list is part done

and changed all my minging clothes hangers for sexy wooden ones (smug as fuck emoticon)

Smug as fuck! I like it!

Made a decision about the dining room today which makes like easier! Basically since we moved back to UK in 2011 the dining room has had one piece of furniture too many in there. But DH didn't want to get rid of it as it is something I bought for him and he likes (a wine rack/storage unit). Rest of furniture in the room is rosewood that we bought in Thailand years ago. He has finally agreed that the wine rack unit just doesn't fit. Yay! Need to sell it now.

Now have a basket of various table linens from dining room to sort through and decide what to keep. I reckon I must have hundreds of white cotton napkins! And various white tablecloths. And some lovely ones that just don't fit our tables.

I cleared a huge chest of drawers in my bedroom too. Just need to do the four small drawers in the top.

DH is not getting why I am trying to clear the rooms before the decorator comes. My theory is that if I empty the rooms as completely as I can I will then be super strict about what actually goes back in!

I think my next task needs to be the utility room. Again. No matter how I try it ends up a mess.

Then the kitchen cupboards.

It's never ending!

I have a big family shindig and present exchange this weekend so need to be fairly clear.

Today I have been scrubbing black mould off window frames

Yay! We have dressers in place! I even dusted the backs before they went in the alcoves! They are a metre wide and two metres tall, closed cupboard at the bottom and glass doors above. The first one now has all the dinner party kit in it - two shelves of shot/wine/beer glasses, doulton service (7 of everything... Need that website where you can get replacement china, anyone know it?), monster roasting tin, extra cutlery, tablecloths and napkins, tealights and candles, ramekins, platters...

The other one is going to get the 'display' stuff in it (I have a few Swarovski animals which need to be mended first though), wrapping paper, emergency gift stash, craft things, cards and letter writing paper, and (for the moment until we get the hall sorted) our safe and shoe cleaning kit.

My first target date is Thursday afternoon, got a friend who works overseas coming for dinner and my dad is round too. The living room just needs to be presentable, not the full show home set up...

My ultimate target date is New Year's Eve (decamping to my parents for Christmas) so could we do another raise of the baileys that afternoon please?!