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?

Carboot tips for funny -

Don't put prices on things, you will need to change them as it draws to a close.

Take lots of carrier bags to give to people.

Chanel your inner del boy.

I'm not an expert I just love doing them. Before I had DD my friend and I did one every week for a season. It was great.

It is worth doing a few, because the first one you learn about how each place works. As an example where I did it is a giant carboot fair. It says sellers 11am public 12. So we turned up at 11.

What I learned was that most people turn up at 9 and queue to get a good pitch. It is so big a fair that if you turn up at 11 and get put at the bottom some people never make it down to you and the ones who do have already spent their money!

Also you have to think of the bigger picture. Your aim is to declutter, the money is a bonus. So when someone offers you a pittance for your stuff, think of the prize as being one more bit of clutter gone rather than the money. Because people haggle hard and are quite cheeky with offers.

Equally remember this when you tell them the price. If tou want £1 for it. tell them it is £1.50. Everyone haggles.

Just checking in - some great work being done, and thanks for the tips oreo. We are hoping to do a car boot in a couple of weeks so they will come in very useful. We are going to do one here It is Barnardos run so if you have anything left at they end, if you want to you can donate it all to them and leave it there and they will take it off your hands! As you say, the aim is to declutter, not take it all home with you again! Hopefully it will be good.

Despite it not being on my list of things to do, I bought a small hand held scrubbing brush and attacked the kitchen floor yesterday. It is a strange type of material that seems to hold all the dirt and it doesn't clean well with just the mop. It is now sparkling and I am insisting on shoes being taken off before going in

Tomorrow we are going to get the Trofast storage for DD's room so then there will be no excuse and I WILL tackle all the toys lying around.

And that will just leave the loft - I hope. Saving the best til last

What time is Baileys o'clock again!!!

Hi all

Just checking in, I have successfully sorted a pile of paperwork up to my waist to be shredded and then employed DH as chief shredderer as I couldn't be bothered after sorting it all, I now have one declutered of paperwork hall, dining table, drawers and kitchen side. I am feeling very smug, however that is until I consider the ebay pics that need doing!! Argh!! One job at a time - phew!

Up to your waist?!? That is seriously impressive!

I have not done well today, just hung out lots of washing and got rid of a few bits. Oh and got lots of stuff in hobbycraft :o

Perhaps ratbag is very short .

I've not done any today. But made a chocolate cake for my birthday on monday instead.

But my tiding has rubbed off on DH. He going to do his office tomorrow . He is little bit of a hoarder. As things may come in useful.

I'm only a short at five foot, but maybe thigh would be more accurate :) there was stuff right back to 2010 though lol, and its allllllll gone. Phew.

eBay tomorrow. :)

Hello - just joining this thread. Haven't done much yet due to feeling crap (caught dh's man-flu)!
Immediate plans are to finish sorting out clothes as ds's school have a collection next week, so they may as well benefit rather than the local clothes "bank". Then its on to the spare room - we had a window break last week (bird flew into it) so suspect there may bits of glass in boxes of craft stuff -time to be ruthless. Also if i tidy up in there i can fill it with stuff from the rest of the house!

nohank Baileys is 2pm Christmas Eve as we sit in an oasis of calm in our tidy houses.

Had a less productive day yesterday. Still working on playroom which is a nightmare- I go back to work after being signed off sick -I will need this thread even more as it is going to be a huge challenge to do tis while working as well

Welcome aboard starfishmummy

So far... Have only boxed the pile of cot bedding. So much more to do. Arrived home after two of the three DS appointments with horrible cramps and have almost solidly remained in bed since then. I think I am allergic to decluttering.

Asked DH to "sort the under stairs space" as I left yesterday morning. He interpret that as "come up with a storage plan for the gleaming organised future which lies ahead of us but don't actually touch anything in there".

Hope you're ok Lexi, I didn't mean to, but I had a giggle at being allergic to de cluttering!

Today I am going to cut the grass and put the handle on the playhouse, tidy away the 'summer' garden toys.

Then I'm doing nothing because I'm very tired so will have a nice night horizontal on the settee with Downton abbey. Will make great strides next week though.

Can I join in too? My house has been a tip as long as I can remember. Too many toys. DD2 with SEN so never seems to grow out of anything.

Determined to crack it this time.

Welcome fortified

I could have written your post, I too am determined to crack it- this thread is great inspiration.

I am finally making some inroads into the playroom as toys really are the problem here. Only two dc's bedrooms to do after that. It is shameful - my children have toys that they have hardly played with because they are buried under piles of junk.

Can I join in might have posted a while ago but done nothing since! My current project is the craft room, though dh tends to call it the dining room!! Have got lots of tiny really useful boxes so dd2 and I have been sorting beads, eyes, jewels etc and putting them all away, though dd2 doesn't leave them there long.

Other projects are kitchen cupboards so can put more stuff away and our bedroom so we can get in through the door. Only have two mornings a week uninterupted, and sometimes have to do work then. Have passed on lots of clothes and have loads more in loft, but will try to do car boot sale at some point in the spring, so at the moment my focus is on clearing the house, even if it means putting some stuff in the loft. Life gets much easier here around March after Christmas, birthdays and loads of work deadlines, so that is my car boot time! Back to the craft dining room!

Hi bunnies keep on keeping on

Well I lost a big row with my 10 year old dd about the books I was getting rid of -she wants to keep them. However made it clear that she can only keep them if she ensures that her room is tidy- so she is upstairs making a start on that

4 kitchen cupboards done hangover this morning has not been helpful only 5 more to go and then the pantry - I know I've enough food to make meals with - I can just never find it!

Thinking about doing some meal plans for the week so I can use up some of the millions of tins and packets - I know there are at least 4 Taco meal kits in there so that will be one night.

Determined to finish the cupboards tomorrow and get the floor scrubbed - only have dd2 at home so should be able to get on.

Well the outside is all organised for christmas provided the grass doesn't grow any more.

Just the inside to do..... .

Also did 3 loads of washing and general housework so today I have achieved! Just have to dispatch DP, have a bath with DD then take up position on the sofa with the remote! Can't wait!

A satisfying weekend chez Famille Licious. I am properly not well (definitely a gastric bug, I could only manage dioralyte for dinner) but in between crippling cramps got quite a few good things done.

Got DS mid sleeper bed assembled, to great excitement. He now has slightly better organised books, and three smallish ikea rolling lidded plastic boxes under the bed in the 'den' part, holding an unnecessary surfeit of dinosaurs, a selection of farm buildings and tractors, and some green and grey throws and bathmats (also ikea) which represent hills and mountains. There is also a small disco light under there...!

I have retired a shopping bag full of clothes, and at least a couple more things are currently in the wash which will also go. I have got an email half written to DH containing my Christmas wishes, which include an investment handbag; anticipating this enables me to chuck out some useful sized but very tired and bashed about cheapie handbags.

DH did some hooks for pictures - a way to go yet, but we got four up! Decided on locations for another four, just need to get some picture wire and small nails.

Kitchen is a bomb site but I am ignoring it.
Under stairs is still a disaahhhster, dahling.
Nothing has been removed to shed (it is full of books and DVDs which should come in before they get seriously damp... But where?!)
Haven't posted any more jobs on free index or stuff (jam jars, solid pine doors!) on gumtree.
Have decided to car boot or gumtree the electronics and militaria "collection", not to bother selling on eBay.

Right have about 2 1/2 hrs before I have to collect ds I want to:-

Put all the washing away
Empty dishwasher
Put out things I need for this afternoon (dinosaur tails and ping pong balls for toddler group and rainbows uniform for dd2)
Continue sorting out craft room dining room.
Ideally tidy away ds's latest big art attack in sitting room and find dd1's homework diary (although until I have confirmation that it's not at school not going to worry too much about it).

Oh and finish this cup of tea!

Intrigued by the ping pong balls!

My plan is:
Go to the doctor and beg ask for more painkillers
Go to ELC to pick up a few more Xmas bits
Clean my work shoes which I've been meaning to do for a fortnight
Do a Tesco shop online
Another sweep round to get rid of more random shite
Put DCs clothes away even if they are just shoved in drawers for now, maybe weed out some that don't fit and put them aside
Put DCs picture books back in Trofast buckets, maybe weed out some and put with board books for charity
Dig out huge bag of DCs' painting stuff, get rid of anything manky.
Big sweep of kitchen to throw stuff out.
Get some stuff ready for the dump, put in outbuilding.

This is hugely ambitious but I had a shit weekend so I'm hoping that achieving something will help.

I having a quite day today as it's my birthday.

But tomorrow back to work.

Quick tidy of dc bedrooms and put their washing away.

Then tidy/clean throw away rubbish from kitchen.
Sort out the cupboards
Start sorting shopping list for stock cupboard.

Checking in. This weekend we managed a trip to Ikea and got the storage system for DD's room and sorted all the toys. I'm pleased to say there is still some empty buckets too so still some space for the mountains of presents she is bound to get at Christmas.

Lexi is the bed you got DS the one with the blue panel? Our DS is desperate for that bed - he really wants to make a den underneath it where he can hide with all his toys.

Hope everyone who is feeling poorly gets well soon. I have started with a stonking cold but actually feel worse if I stop so the incentive is there to carry on cleaning!

Nishky Thanks. 2pm Christmas Eve sounds the perfect time for Baileys. The inlaws always visit Chrismas Eve, usually start arriving from 4pm onwards. A glass or three of Baileys will be much needed by then

NoHank no, it's a second hand Next Westport bed. They are sold now with drawer units etc underneath and a desk on a runner so it slides back under. I have the desk but haven't fitted it as he doesn't need it and would probably climb on it!!!

I am at work only three days this week. Having a day off for a haircut and a visit to a garden show, and another day off for DH's birthday. I hope to do the clutter rubbish bag sort-through in an evening or two and should be able to put the random stuff on gumtree too.

So much for my day to finish the kitchen

Just had a phonecall from our accountant informing me that the VAT man has been in touch for a routine inspection and could I possibly drop all the vat receipts for the last 7 years into the office by the end of the week

So looks like I am going to be buried in what passes for our office for the foreseeable future.....

Hellooo. I will join you if I may. Have got serious issues with every room in the house except for DD1's bedroom which I tidied last week after reading this thread.

Don't know where to do next. Smallest bedroom or hall (which is truly terrifying because nothing there has a home to go to). But I want to move stuff from smallest bedroom to hall to give DS more space to play....

Happy birthday where!