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?

I've sorted 3 carrier bags of rubbish from the dining room cupboard. I also took about fifteen packbacks to the charity shop, and only bought two, so reckon that still counts as a net declutter of thirteen.

I have a rule - no old toys in the living room at Xmas. So by 24th at the latest ALL toys are upstairs. Just temporary of course but it means there is space for new stuff to be played with. Of course in previous years that means it all just got shoved in the DCs' room and made it even worse but I'm determined not to do that this year - a place for everything!

Have really got to sort out the books down here too, we have an ikea unit thing in which the shelves collapsed because we piled so many books on them .

fuzzpig you are a nicer mummy than I, my kids aren't allowed toys in the living room overnight so they have to tidy them to their rooms every day! there's enough of my clutter in the living room I don't need theirs

This thread has inspired me. I've completely tidied my living room and got rid of all the clutter instead of hiding things I think I might need behind photo frames. My eldest is with her granny today so it was easier to get a proper tidy while she's away.

Also put another load of old toys on to the facebook selling page and have someone coming up tonight to buy some. Hopefully the rest go quickly though as they are all sitting on my landing making another messy pile.

Tomorrow I'm going to tackle the kitchen and maybe start on our bedroom. I think I need to get rid of my books, I have far too many and no place to keep them anymore. Dp would be so happy if I got rid of them though, I think he would buy me a kindle for christmas so it would be worth it :)

:o

Their toys are everywhere. Their room is 84sqft (technically they are overcrowded according to our local council) so they only just fit their beds and their clothes in it. We had to move their tall Trofast units into our room when DS moved into a junior bed! I would be very happy if I could declutter enough that all their stuff could be confined to just a few places. My ideal scenario would be to say they could choose ONE box/drawer to bring down and then that would have to be put away before getting the next one out, and cleared away before their nightly bath

My problem now is time. I work ft and next two weekends are busy.
I think I need to set myself some small goals to keep me on the straight and narrow!!

I need to join too.

I'm on the ponctastic thread but also need to be here, or it won't be very poncy.

Priorites are;

1. Clear out the spare room (again) so I have somewhere to put Christmas Presents, it was OK a couple months ago but you can hardly get into it again, it's a very small box room so no bed or anything in there, it's just for storage and somewhere to keep the printer etc.

1. Clear out the pantry so I have somewhere to keep extra festive stuff like chocolates, the cold slab at the back is as good as a fridge.

1. A good sort out in our bedroom, including under the bed and the top of the wardrobe, it's not a restful space at the moment.

1. The annual toy cull in dd's room.

1. Get rid of the wicker basket in the lounge, its handy for throwing stray toys in but it attract the puppy and I need room to put in a table to stand the tree on this year (away from said puppy).

1. DH needs to sort out the bathroom ceiling, we had some damp problems, they're sorted but the ceiling looks awful and the MIL will comment.

1. Kitchen cupboards general sort out and de clutter.

That's pretty much the whole house.

Yeah my kids actually have very few toys as dd's room has 2 chest of drawers, 2 wardrobes, 1 toy shelf and 2 book shelves and her high sleeper bed. Ds just has his high sleeper and 1 toy shelf as his room is officially tiny. But thankfully with so little space I've managed to be ruthless with the de cluttering! Which is a plus.

Good luck fuzzpig, it's hard when they have so little room!

Ok, I have made a start! I have cleared out all my wardrobe and now have a large bag to go to charity, a bag of clothes and shoes for ebay and I have put all the presents I have bought so far for Christmas into the loft. I know it wasn't on my list of things to do but I really do feel better for having done it!

My problem is time too. I work Mon - Wed 8am - 6pm (childminding so I am technically at home but unable to do anything!) Thursdays I study and Fridays I have free but generally spend with DD going to the library or swimming. She is 2.5 so there is no possible way I can be up the loft or sorting toys with her around because as quick as I put something in a bag she would be pulling it out.

So my plan of attack it this. Day to day keep on top of the general cleaning, washing etc. Try every night to put things back in the room they belong. I have an end of year exam in a couple of weeks. After this I am going to dedicate Thursdays to "operation de-clutter". Week one, I will go through all the boxes, buckets and bags of toys in the living room, under the stairs and in the DC's bedroom. I will be ruthless in thowing out the broken toys and putting aside anything for ebay or the car boot. We are going to a kiddy car boot sale next weekend to get an idea of what is involved and what things tend to go for. We will the book a stall (or two!) That way we will have to sort out the loft. I am lucky in that both DH and I are not hoarders and it really is just the toys that we need to sort out. Sorry for the mammoth boring post but it has really helped me to put it all down and have a plan in place!

And well done everyone who has made a start already

Result. A local food bank has started in our town and is asking for tinned goods and I need to sort out my kitchen cupboards. I have a shit load of tinned goods (just incase of a nuclear holocaust or some such scenario) that I am never going to use, but can't bring myself to throw out. I am more than happy to give it away to people who need it though.

I also have one bin liner full of baby basics that I am going to drop off at the local woman's refuge. I don't have a problem getting rid of our baby stuff, in fact I'm rather keen

I'm in
I even bought a book last year on how to declutter

I think the trouble is that we had little money when growing up and I am used to having to save things "just in case" so am conditioned to hoarding.
It's hard but am trying to change.

DH is not a hoarder apart from leads and electronic gadgetry but they are in the garage so I can't see them

DC rooms are my main focus of attention and I am going to start on Friday my next day off

I will make a start tomorrow like I haven't said that before. Today I have been out at a christening and have been defeated by lots noisy children high on sugar so I'm collapsed on the sofa nursing a headache!

Have just googled to find my nearest womens refuge and there is one very near so I am going to be ruthless with the baby stuff (I am keeping a lot because we do hope to have another in the next few years, but there is not a child alive who needs as much stuff as my DD has), and will sort out some of my clothes and toiletries too.

I couldn't find a food bank - I would think there would be one as we are in a 'deprived area', but nothing is coming up. HV is coming out to do DD's 2 yr visit next week so will ask her if any local services want my crap excess.

That gives me a week to get on top of that, and will try and get the loft floored this week too.

there is no possible way I can be up the loft or sorting toys with her around because as quick as I put something in a bag she would be pulling it out.

Ha! Yes. One of the reasons I want to get started now is that I have 3 weeks 'off' (basically to look after DH) and DS's nursery have given him extra sessions, so they are both in 8.30-3, and I can try and do stuff during the day!

It is really hard to undo hoarding tendencies. I have never been a tidy person, I learned from my parents!

i've sorted mine and dd's wardrobes and put the summer bits away and bagged some up to take to the charity shop.
tomorrow i plan to sort the playroom out and also if i have time dd's books.
i'm determined to have a clutter free house ready for christmas

i so need to do this. i have a list as long as my arm of jobs that need doing before christmas, and half of them i cant even do. oh for a handyman who actually turns up and doesnt go missing for 6 fecking months!!!!! any of you lot know a decent one please????

I listed 12 items on eBay yesterday and sold two on 'buy it now' within the first hour. I am really pleased and it has inspired me to keep going listing one or two things each evening. Then by November I should have got rid of quite a lot of stuff and made some money for Christmas in the process. I am very sentimental about the dds' things. I really struggle even with stuff they are defo too big for like happy land.

Please can I join? Christmas will give me something to aim for & our house feels like it is going to burst.
I've never sold on eBay before - is it a faff? Should I venture onto the eBay board? It's great that there are others to compare notes with & hopefully give me a virtual kick up the bum!
Am at work a lot this week but will be checking in with de-clutter plans for the weekend'

Morning! Yes eBay can be time consuming but If you take all your photos first and store in your pictures then you can just list whilst watching telly and it is no more difficult that writing on here I think. Good luck

DD bedroom looks like Primark has exploded on her floor.
Need to do a serious de-clutter there.
And my summer clothes need to go/get put away to make way for my warm jumpers (yes)!

We're having the attic insulated this month, so I'm sure there's a load of crap up there to throw out

Another one signing in here - house exploding at the seams - 4dc and 3 beds - can't move without tripping over some kind of junk.

Decided I'm gonna declutter the back place today - its supposed to be just for shoes, wellies, coats etc and a place for the washing machine and the dogs to sleep but it looks more like a junk yard between camping gear from the summer and dh's tools not to mention the crap which I managed to clear out of the car at the weekend and just got dumped on the floor.

Will check back in a bit - anyone fancy a coffee break say about 10?

Sorry, I am having my coffee break early while ds has a feed

I am feeling inspired. I have made a start on the living room and for the most part the boys have left me alone to get on with it.

I have removed toys from the living room into the toy room (which will need clearing at some point) and I have cleared a box of assorted junk I had hiding in the corner of the room. Some was chucked, some recycled and some put aside to send off to a bra recycling centre (they send them to Africa, they're not actually recycled).

I feel I need to explain why I had bra's in my living room! The box of stuff included a pile of things to EBay. I tried the bra's on eBay before but they didnt sell, so I had the intention of relisting them. I can't be arsed now, so they will be sent off instead.

Once ds has had hid fill I will be tackling the window sill of DOOM! It is full of paperwork that I have shoved there.

Right taken 3 dc to school. Need to pick one up at 11.30am.

Have one thing to do before starting, It's something DD1 needs for school Wednesday.

And no that's not an excuse.

I'm in - I joined another thread to start 30 day shred today and I can't (yet) because there's too much crap in the living room to be able to exercise properly

I need to:

clear off the dining table so that we can actually eat there

clear out the lower kitchen cupboards so that things don't fall out on me when I open them and I can put my new cake tins away

sort out the towering pile of catalogues/junk mail in the corner of the hall (things I thought 'ooh, that might be handy, I'll look at that later' and never did)

make a dedicated area for DD to do her homework, at present she has nowhere to sit and she gets very distressed if there's no 'order' to things (despite her creating about 75% of the chaos)

ebay/charity/chuck all the clothes and toys I decluttered in the summer that are still sitting in the spare room...

clear out the 'room of shite' that is currently home to all our camping gear, sports stuff, craft stuff, random shite that doesn't have a real home. Of course at first I have to find a 'home' for it - it's at times like this I want to move to a house with a garage/loft/some feckin' storage space!! Once cleared out this room is meant to be our 'adult' sitting room space - it would be lovely to have this, I am keeping a picture in my head of how I want it to look like as motivation...

The sheer scale of it depresses me but I am determined to get it done by Christmas. My mum is currently having chemo and will be coming to us for Christmas (her second without dad, last year she just wanted to be alone) so it MUST get done!

So I'm going to go and spend 15 mins on the dining table as a start...

Coffee time

3 bags of coats sorted for charity shop, washing machine put through on service wash to stop it smelling camping stuff in pile for dh to put in loft.

just need to tackle the pile of shoes, wellies and boots to sort out what actually fits the dcs. Then make a start on the large dumping cupboard.......

Lovecat

Good start with dinning room table. I would just concentrate on the dinning room and only once it done then move to the next room. Also try not to think as the whole house needs doing and rather the xxx room needs tiding then it's not so daunting.